DrlgFldsAwarenessWorkshop1 June 09

Drilling Fluids Awareness
Workshop Series
WORKSHOP 1
BASIS OF DESIGN
June2009
DrillingTechnicalDepartment
DRILLING FLUIDS AWARENESS

DRILLING TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT
BASISOFDESIGN
Setofconditions,needs,andrequirementstakeninto
accountindesigningamudprogram.
Mudrepresents515%ofdrillingcostsbutcancause100%of
drillingproblems.
WestTexasMudEngineer(Unknown)


TableofContents
1.1DesignCriteria
1.1.1 GeneralDrillingFluidTypes................................... 3
1.1.2 ReservoirDrillInFluids...................................... 9
1.1.3 OverbalanceDrillingFluids................................... 13
1.1.4 HighPerformanceWaterBaseMudTechnology.................. 15
1.2RiskAssessment,Contingencies,andMitigations
1.2.1 WellBoreRisksrelatedtoGeology............................ 18
1.2.2 OperationalGeologicChart................................... 22
1.2.3 DrillingProblemsrelatedtoDrillingFluids....................... 27
BitBalling...............................27
MudLosses..............................29
MudCapDrilling.........................53
HoleCleaning............................54
WellboreStability........................ 64
StuckPipe ...............................70
1.2.4 DrillingMudContamination.................................. 84
1.3WellSiteEquipment
1.3.1 DrillingRigSpecifications.................................... 92
1.3.2 DrillingRigSpecificationDatabaseLink......................... 92
1.3.3 MudLaboratoryEquipment.................................. 93
1.3.4 SolidsControl............................................. 107
1.4HSE(Health,SafetyandEnvironmental)
1.4.1 H2SAwareness............................................. 144
1.4.2 MudChemicalsSafetyHandlingGuidelines...................... 145
1.4.3 MarineBiotoxicityTestingLC50............................... 146
1.4.4 LinkstoSaudiAramcoEnvironmentalStandards,Procedures,&G.I.s. 152
1.5KnowledgeManagement
1.5.1 DrillingInformationHighway................................. 156
1.5.2 ShareKKnowledgeSharingPlatform.......................... 157
1.5.3 UsefulTechnicalWebLinks................................... 158
1.5.4 OperationalMeetings....................................... 159
1.5.5 PostWellMudRecaps....................................... 160
1.5.6 DrillingAlertReport......................................... 161


WORKSHOP 1 : BASIS OF DESIGN
Chapter1.1
DESIGNCRITERIA
1June2009

WORKSHOP 1: BASIS OF DESIGN
ExampleofDrillingFluidBODOffshoreDevelopmentwell
Drilling Fluids - Design Criteria
Development Wells
Well Schematic
Hole Size
Objectives
Drill 28" pilot hole and open it to

28x34" 34" wihtout problems.
Assumptions and Boundaries
None
Potential Risks/Technical
Challenges
Mitigations/Actions
Proposed Fluid
Offset Experience Fluids Related
Key Performance
Indicators
Potetial lost circulation above RUS

formation
Unconsolidated sand in the Neogene
Keep planned density

If returns are lost, drill with SW and
Gel slips
Possible water flow and lost

circulation from UER
Tigh hole and swelling in
Aruma shale
Keep the planned MW to control

water flow
Add sealing agents to the drilling fluid
SPUD MUD
and keep filtration value low
Keep good mud rheology if hole
cleaning is an issue due to wellbore
instability in Aruma
KARN 6 - lost complete returns at 1550 ft

KARN 8 - casing got stuck at 3685 ft
KARN 5 - Total losses at 1689 ft, switch
to SW
Bbls mud lost/ft
Keep planned MW
Keep high dilution rate
Add Wallnut and CONDET (Soap) or LSND with KCL
glycol for bit balling
Keep enough volume of fluid
KARN 6 - Bit balling at 4120 ft

KARN 7 - 100% losses prior to drilling
Shu'aiba
KARN 4 - Lost 100% returns at 5331 ft
Bbls mud lost/ft

Non Productive time
allocated to mud losses
KARN 6 - Partial losses at 6964 ft

KARN 7 - Well flowed at 9100 ft
KARN 1 - Lost Returns with 77 PCF at
6576 ft
Bbls mud lost/ft

Non Productive time
allocated to mud losses
KARN 6 - Well flowing at 10248 ft with

112 PCF
KARN 7 - No major problems observed
NPT allocated to well

control issue
30"
SPUD MUD
KARN 8 - Lost returns while running csg

KARN 7 - lost 100% returns at 1047 ft
KARN 2 - 100% losses at 830 ft
Bbls Mud lost/ft
1145' MD/1145' TVD
Drill to 3338 ft into Ahmadi

28" Hole Member without problems
if losses are experienced while

cementing, pump 50% excess
Drill to 6449 ft without problems

22" Hole Maximie bit HSI to reduce bit
balling tendency
Possibility of using a vibration sub

Arab formations are expected to Lost circulation in Wasia
be productive
Water flow in lower Ratawi
Casing point may change if hole Bit balling in Wasia shales
problems are experienced
24" Casing
3338' MD/3334' TVD
18 5/8" Csg
6449' MD/6445' TVD
Casing point planned at 30 TVD
Drill to the kick off point at 6604 ft into base Jilh Dolomite
Hold 52 degrees of inclination to
DST data from KARN 1
16" Hole
indicated EMW of 69.7 PCF to
TD (10672 ft)
Possible lost circulation in

Hanifa
Possible gas in Jilh Dolomite
balance Manifa
13 3/8" Csg
9223' MD/8870' TVD
12898' MD/11115' TVD
7" Liner
15500' MD/12704' TVD
Hold 52 degrees inclination to TD,

12" Hole top of Khuff formation
Casing will be set at the top of Khuff
regardless of high Jilh pressure
The slurry density and design

will depend on Jilh pressure
Hold 52 degrees inclination to TD. Vibration data can be used in

thsi section for optimizing
8 3/8" Hole Run open hole logs without
performance
problems
Have enough LCM material on

location, particulate and cross link
polymers. Be ready to pump cement
LSND
plugs
Keep the planned density at all times
and monitor mud pit levels closely for
any kick
Abnormal gas and /or

saltwater flow in lower Jilh
Tigh hole/swelling shales
across Kilh, Sudair and Khuff
Have plenty barite on the rig

Have enough LCM materiial on the rig
Control fluid rheology when weighting
Lost circulation in Khuff

reservoirs
H2S in the Khuff reservoirs
Possible tigh hole/sticking in
Khuff formations
Use lowest practical MW

Minimize ECD by using low pump
rates.Karn 6 succesfully drilled with
LSND
250 gpm
Monitor pressure closely while drilling
LSND
KARN 6 - Drilling at 10908 ft, well flowed Bbls of mud lost/ft

NPT allocated to stuck
with 95 PCF
KARN 7 - Stuck at 13935 ft while reaming pipe
2June2009
DRILLING FLUIDS AWAR

RENESS
WO
ORKSHOP 1: BASIS OF DESIGN
DRILLING
G TECHNICA
AL DEPARTMENT
1.1.1 GENEERALDRILLLINGFLUID
1
DSTYPES
Drillingffluidsarecclassifiedb
bythetypeeofbasefluidused:w
wateroro
oil.
Waterbasedcanbefreshwater,seaawateroranyconceentrationo
of
mchloride,calciumch
hloride
variousbrinetypessuchasssodiumorpotassium
diumorpo
otassiumfo
ormate.
orbromide,orsod
Oilbasedcanbeeanyhydrocarbonbasedfluidincludingd
diesel,min
neral
heticoil,o
orevencrudeoil.
oil,synth
Differentbasefluidsareusedtoprepaaredrillingfluidtypessdependin
ngon
requirem
mentsforh
holestabiliity,densityy,temperaatureoftheewellsasw
wellas
environm
mentalguiidelines.
Drillingffluidsselecctiondetterminedb
bythecostteffectiven
nessofthee
systemttoachievetherequirredobjectiivesofthewellorproject
3
3 June2009

CommonDrillingFluidsSaudiAramco
Spud mud
Water and gel sweeps
Low Solids Non-Dispersed
Oil-based Mud
Reservoir Drill-In Fluids
Cost-effective drilling fluids formulations

and sound field practices should apply
TypicalMudSelectionOnshore
22
Hole
Section
Spud Mud
17
Hole
Section
Spud Mud or KCl LSND
12-1/4 Hole
Section
8-1/2 Hole
Section
6-1/8 Hole
Section
LSND or OBM or DOE

WBM Reservoir DIF
6June2009

TypicalMudSelectionOnshoree.g.ManifaERDWellsOnshore
22
Hole Section
Spud Mud
17
Hole Section
KCl LSND
12-1/4 Hole Section
OBM (hole stability &
8-1/2
Hole Section
lubricity in long reach

sections)
6-1/8
Hole Section
NaCl based Reservoir

DIF
TypicalMudSelectionOnshoree.g.ShaybahWellsOnshore
22
Hole Section
Spud Mud
16
Hole Section
LSND
12-1/4 Hole Section
Water and Gel Sweeps
8-1/2
Hole Section
Oil-based Mud
due to hole
instability and lubricity problems
6-1/8
Hole Section
NaCl brine-based DIF
Lost Circulation
7June2009

TypicalMudSelectionOffshore
28
Hole Section
22
Hole Section
16
Hole Section
Spud Mud
Water and Gel sweeps
12-1/4 Hole Section

8-1/2
Oil-based Mud due to

hole instability reasons
Hole Section
6-1/8
Oil-based Mud
Reservoir Hole
(Or 8-1/2)
Section
Reservoir Drill In Fluid
AdditionalOilBaseMudTypesUsedinSaudiAramco
DIRECTOILINWATEREMULSION
ALLOILSYSTEM
DesignedtoprotecttheReservoir
Ensuresproperreservoirrock
protectionespeciallyforhorizontal
drainholesinclasticreservoirs.
Fluiddensitycanbeaslowas56pcf
andcanbeincreasedwithsized
calciumcarbonateorbaritefornon
payzonedrilling.
Oilemulsifiedinwater
Utilizingsimpleoilinwateremulsifier
Oilvolumepercentageupto45%
Fluiddensitycanbeaslowas5658
pcf.
Minimizepotentiallossesacross
typicallyWeakformationsinWasia
andShuaibabygettinglower
densities.
NOTE:SyntheticOilBasemud(SOBM)isconsideredaseparatesystemfromOilBased
Mud(OBM)bytheindustry.
8June2009
DRILLING
G TECHNICA
AL DEPARTMENT
DRILLING FLUIDS AWAR

RENESS
WO
1.1
1.2RESERV
VOIRDRILLINFLUID
D(DIF)ALLLAREAS
a. ReservoirDrillInFluidCompo
onents
Reseervoir DrillIn Fluids aree the most important muds we use

u becausee they have DIRECT
IMPA
ACTonhow
wmuchproductionorinjjectionweachievefromawell.
THEECOMPLETIIONSTARTSSWHENTHEEBITHITSTH
HERESERVO
OIR.
WB
B ReservoirD
DrillInFluid
Waterr
XCPollymer
ModiffiedStarch
NaOHorMgO
NaClo
orothersalt
SizedC
CaCO3blend
BRINE:Brine
esaredefineedasanaqueoussolutio
onatanycon
ncentrationofanycomb
bination
oftypicalsalttsgenerallyu
usedtoachievesolidsfrreedensityo
orshaleinhibition.
o Brinesccanbecomp
posedofasin
nglesaltoraacombinatio
onof2or3d
differentsallts.
SA
ALT: Define
ed,notjustaassodiumch
hloride(NaC
Cl),butasan
nytypeofsaltusedtobu
uild
drillingorcom
mpletionfluids.
urindustry:
Thereare2classesofsaltscommonlyusedinou
1)InorganicsaltSodium
m,potassium
m,calcium,o
orammoniu
umchloride;sodium,calciumor
ziincbromide;potassiumsulfate
2)OrganicsaaltSodium,potassiumorcesiumfo
ormate;potassiumacetate
OilBaseResservoirDrillIInFluid
MineralOil
PrimaryEmulsifier
SecondaaryEmulsifier
Organop
philicclay
Organop
philiclignite
Lime
CaCl2
CaCO3sized
Water
9
9 June2009

b. ReservoirDrillInFluidDesignofBridgingMaterials
**Bridgingtheproductionzoneisthekeyto
minimizingformationdamage.CaCO3blend
must be calculated to properly bridge the
pore throats of the reservoir and build an
externalfiltercakewithlowliftoffpressure.
Thebigchallengeisinmaintainingthisblend
whiledrilling.
A rule of thumb for estimating an unknown

pore diameter is to use the square root of
thepermeabilityofthezoneinmillidarcies.
To effectively bridge off the zone, 20 30%
by weight of the bridging material (CaCO3)
shouldbe1/3oftheporesizeinmicrons.
c. ReservoirDrillInFluidMaintenance
RunPPA(ParticlePluggingApparatus)
24timesadaywhendrillingthe
reservoir.MaintainPPAvaluesequal
toorlessthantheoriginalnewly
mixedmud.
Ifavailable,monitortheactivedrilling
mudwithaParticleSizeAnalyzer
severaltimesadaywhiledrillingwith
onsiteequipmentorbysending
samplestotheAramcoLabfor
maximum24hourturnaroundon
results.
ControlROPwheninthereservoirto
nofasterthanneededtomaintainthe
designedpropertiesoftheDrillIn
fluid.Typicallythisisaround80ft/hr.
Maintaincontinuousadditionsof
largerCaCO3whiledrillingto
counteractthecontinualgrinding
downoftheCaCO3tofine,zone
damagingsizesbytheBHA.Typically
thisadditionis300lbstoasmuchas
2000+lbsaddedperhourrequiredto
maintainthedesignedParticleSize
Distribution(PSD)ofthemud.
Utilizecentrifugesanddumpand
dilutepracticesasnecessarytohelp
maintainthePSD.
UsemodifiedHTstarchesinthe
reservoirforfluidlosscontrol.They
areknowntocauselessformation
damage.
Donotuseasphalticproducts(Soltex,
Blacknite,etc.)inthereservoirand
avoidorminimizebentoniteorbarite
ifpossibleinthemud.
Avoidtypicalgreasepillscontaining
diesel,mineraloil,bentonite,and
bariteinthereservoir.Glycolpillsare
preferredfirststepsinfreeingthe
pipealongwithreducingmudweight
ifpossibletominimizeformation
damage.
THEKEYTOGOODDRILLINFLUIDANDMINIMUMFORMATIONDAMAGEIS
GOODWELLSITEMUDENGINEERING.
10June2009


MATCHING BRINE COMPLETION FLUIDS TO THE BRINE BASED DRILLING FLUID
MONOVALENT BRINES = NACL;KCL,NA OR K FORMATE
PCF
DIVALENT BRINES = CACL2; CABR2
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
IF YOUR MUD IS NACL OR KCL BASED TO 73 PCF:
NACL, KCL OR BLEND PLUS CACO3 MUD
YOUR COMPLETION FLUID, SHOULD BE:

NACL
NEVERUSEDIVALENTBRINES
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106
Note: CompletionBrineDensities
aretypically2PCF>Drilling Mud
Densitytoachievethesame
hydrostatiicpressureduetotemp
andpressureeffectsonbrines.
IF YOUR MUD IS NACL OR KCL BASED TO 85 +/- PCF:

NACL, KCL OR BLEND PLUS CACO3 MUD TO 85 +/- PCF
SODIUM / POTASSIUM FORMATE
CaCl2 Mud is not

recommended
for use unless
Formate is not
available.
IF YOUR MUD IS CACL2 BASED TO 86 PCF:

CACL2 PLUS CACO3 MUD TO 86 +/- PCF
CACL2
NEVERUSEMONOVALENTBRINES
IF YOUR MUD IS SODIUM FORMATE BASED TO 90 +/- PCF:

SODIUM FORMATE PLUS CACO3 MUD TO 90 +/- PCF
SODIUM / POTASSIUM FORMATE (WITH PROPER CRYSTALLIZATION POINT)
CaCl2 Mud is not

recommended
for use unless
Formate is not
available.
IF YOUR MUD IS CACL2 BASED TO 95 PCF:

CACL2 PLUS CACO3 MUD TO 95 +/- PCF
CACL2/CABR2 BLEND (WITH PROPER CRYSTALLIZATION POINT)
NEVERUSEMONOVALENTBRINES
IF YOUR MUD IS SODIUM / POTASSIUM FORMATE BASED TO 106 +/- PCF:

SODIUM / POTASSIUM FORMATE PLUS CACO3 MUD TO 106 +/- PCF
SODIUM / POTASSIUM FORMATE TO 95 PCF / ABOVE 95 PCF HAVE TO COMPLETE WITH MUD FOR OPTIMUM SALT COMPATIBILITY
11June2009

PROCEDUREFORTESTINGCRYSTALLIZATIONTEMPERATUREOFABRINE
12June2009

1.1.3OVERBALANCEDRILLINGFLUIDS
Drillingthroughdepletedzonesof
relativelyhighpermeabilitycreatesa
higherriskfordifferentialsticking.
Drillingthroughmultiplezonesofdifferent
pressureregimesoveroneinterval,e.g.
ArabA,B,CandDreservoirsin81/2
sectioncreatesahigherriskfor
differentialsticking.
Howmuchdifferentialpressureis
consideredhighoverbalance?It
dependsonpermeability,inclination,formationtype,etc.Generallyspeaking,normal
mudcanhandleupto500psiwithoutspecialefforts.
PreventionMechanism
Thesesystemsutilizemudpressureisolationtechniquesbycreatinganultralowpermeable,finely
packedandslickfiltercakeacrosszonesofdifferentpressureregimes.Themudadditivesusedto
buildthisfiltercakewillbeselectedbasedonwhetherwearedrillinginthereservoirornot.
Particlepacking
Sizedgraphiticadditives(RGC(resilient
graphiticcarbone.g.SteelsealorLCLube)
Abletoseallargeporethroatsandremainin
placewithchangingpressuresinthewell(the
particlesdeformwithincreasedpressureand
returntooriginalsizeaspressuresreduce,
suchaswithsurgeandswabpressure
changes.
SizedCaCO3(fineandmedium)packand
bridgesmallporethroats
Micronizedfibrefibremicellessealsmall
porethroats(e.g.Barofibre)
RGC(Resilient
GraphiticCarbon)
Polymers
Starches,PACs,latex
Deformsandsealsinsmallporethroats
Coatswellbore.
13June2009

SystemExamplesNonReservoirApplications
MAXBRIDGE(BakerHughes)
HYDROGUARD(Baroid)
9 Resilient Graphitic Additives (LC
9 Resilient Graphitic Additives
Lube)key
(Steelseal)Key
9 Polymer
9 Polymer
9 SizedCalciumCarbonate
9 MicronizedFibers
9 MicronizedFibers
ReservoirApplications
WBMorOBMcanbeusedinhighoverbalancereservoirapplicationswithoutgraphitic
additives.Specialcareisrequiredinmanagingaproperlybridgedparticlesizerelativetothe
formationporethroatsandappropriatefiltrationpolymerstoachieveathin,impermeable
cakeduringtheentiredrillingoperation.Propercakemanagementismorecriticalwithout
theaidofgraphiteandsealingpolymers.
Examples(ReservoirApplicationsWBMorOBM)
9 Polymers
14June2009

1.1.4HIGHPERFORMANCEWATERBASEDMUDTECHNOLOGY
Definition:WaterBaseMudsystemthatcanemulateOilBaseorSyntheticOilBaseFluid
performancewhilemeetingenvironmentalregulations.
Characteristics
Highlyinhibitive
PrimarilyPolymeric
Highcostperbarrel
Engineeringintensive
Lowerdilutionratesduetoincreased
cuttingsinhibition
Chemistry
Shale/HoleStability&ClayInhibitionby
uniquechemistry,e.g.silicates,aluminum
complexes,polyamines
Cuttingsencapsulationpolymers
ROPenhancing,minimalbitballing,lower
torque&dragbyutilizingsyntheticoil
mixture
600,30,000PSIRHEOMETER
HPWBMsseektoachievewellborestabilitybydevelopingsemipermeablemembranes
withuniquechemistryhoweverthebestSemimembraneefficiencyiswithoilbasedmud.
VENDOREXAMPLESHPWBM
PERFORMAX
BakerHughesDrillingFluids
ULTRADRIL
MISWACO
HYDROGUARD
BaroidDrillingFluids
PERFORMADRIL
BaroidDrillingFluids
HYPRDRILL
SCOMI
15June2009

16June2009

Chapter1.2
RISKASSESSMENT,
CONTINGENCIESAND
MITIGATION
17June2009

19June2009

20June2009

21June2009

1.2.2OPERATIONALGEOLOGICCHART
22June2009

23June2009

24June2009

25June2009

26June2009

1.2.3DRILLINGPROBLEMS
BitBalling
Bitballingisdefinedasthetendencyofdrilledsolidstoadheretogetherandclingtothemetal
surfaceofthebitandBHA.Theclayadhesionisafunctionoftheelectrochemicalattractionof
clay to clay and clay to metal (surface tension). Bit balling can be minor to severe causing
problems from simply decreased ROP to not being able to pull the BHA through the previous
casingandthusbeingstuckintheopenhole.
Generallybitballingisclassifiedintotwotypes;
1) PrimaryBallingoccursonthecuttingsurfaceofthebit
2) SecondaryBallingoccursabovethecuttingsurfaceofthebitsuchastheBHAandJunkSlot.
Bitballingoccursunderthefollowingconditions:
1) Drillingintowatersensitiveorreactiveclayformation(rocktype)
2) UsuallydrillingwithWaterBasedMudSystem(muddesign)
3) Cuttingsarecompressed,usingaggressivebitlikePDC(bitdesignanddepthofcut)
4) Clayplasticityrelativetobottomholepressure(effectofPressure)
5) PoorBithydraulicsandholecleaning
6) Electrochemicalattractionofclaytometalsurface
Thediagrambelowdescribesthestateoftheclaythatpromotesbitballing.
27June2009

Prevention
Bitballingcanbepreventedbyoptimizingthefollowingmechanisms:
1) Preventwatermovementfromthemudtotheshalebycontrollingfluidloss
2) Changesurfacetensionbetweenthemetalsurfaceandthecuttings(detergent;glycol)
3) Minimizeclaycontentinthemudsystem
4) Useofinhibitivemudsystems(clayinhibitor,clayhydrationsuppressant,shalestabilizer,
cationexchangerandosmoticcontrol)
5) OptimizeBitdesignandBithydraulics(Highbladestandoff,largejunkslotareasand
goodflowareawithpropernozzlesize)
6) Useantibitballingagent(detergent;glycol)
7) Goodholecleaningpractice(Sweepsandwipertrip)
Identification
Bitballingindicators:
1) AsuddendecreaseinROPwhichcannotbeimprovedbychangingdrillingparameters
2) Anincreaseinhydraulicpressuredropacrossthebitduetopluggingofthenozzles
3) Highoverpullsandatendencytoswabthewellwhentrippingout
Cures
1) Dispersingtheballedmaterialpumphighlydispersivepillslikecausticpill,
lignosulfonate,SAAPanddrillingdetergent
2) Erodingtheballedmaterialpumpnutplugorwalnutpilltoblastthestickyclayfromthe
faceofthebit
3) Pumpingnonpolarmaterialsuchasantibitballingagent(Glycols,detergents,etc)
4) HClpill(15%)hasbeenusedtobreakupsomecalcareousclayballinginSaudiArabia
5) Whentheballingispersistentandthematerialishardtogetoffofthebit,thebitneeds
tobepulledandcleanedmanually.
RecommendedTreatments
Option1
DrillingDetergent(CONDET).Treatmentis5gals/40bblSAP#1000021975
Option2
CausticSodapill(5ppb)inDrillwater
Option3
Pumpa50bbl(Mudfromthesystem)+with50ppbWallnutpill(ifdownholetoolsallowit)
Option4
HighconcentrationpillofChromefreelignosulfonateoranyotherdispersantavailable
Option5
PolyGlycolorLube167,14%byvolumeinthemudwillhelppreventbitballing.
Option6
1015%HClacidpillcanbreakupcalcareousclayball
28June2009

MudLosses
Lostcirculationisoneofthemajoreventscausingnonproductivetimeandhighcostto
our drilling operation in Saudi Arabia. Lost circulation has historically been one of the
primarycontributorstohighmudcosts.Otherholeproblemssuchaswellboreinstability,
stuckpipeandevenblowoutshavebeentheresultoflostcirculation.
Besidestheobviousbenefitsofmaintainingcirculation,preventingorcuringmudlosses
is important to other drilling objectives such as obtaining good quality formation
evaluationandachievinganeffectiveprimarycementbondoncasing.
Lostcirculationoccursinoneoftwobasicways:
1) Invasion:Mudlosstocavernous,vugular,fracturedorunconsolidatedformations.
2) Fracturing:Mudlossduetohydraulicfracturingfromexcessiveinducedpressures
Typicallostcirculationformations:
a:Highpermeabilityunconsolidatedsandsand
gravel.
a
d
b:Cavernousorvugularzonesincarbonates
(limestoneordolomite).
c:Naturalfractures,faultsandtransitionzones
incarbonatesorhardshale.
d:Inducedfracturesfromexcessivepressure
Lostcirculationseveritycanbeclassifiedinto4categories:
SeepageLossesUsuallylessthan10bblsperhour
PartialLossesMorethan10bblsperhourwithpartialreturnstosurface
SevereLossesMorethan100bblsperhourwithsomereturnstosurface
TotalLossesFluidlevelinholemaynotbevisible
WhilePreventionisthefirstconsideration,whenLostCirculationoccurs,thesolutionshould
followa3STEPPROCESS:
1) LocatetheLossZone
2) Identifythemechanismandassesstheseverityofthelosses
3) Curingthelosses
c
29June2009

b. VeryhighROPloadstheannuluswithcuttings,thusincreasestheECD,makinganyfurther
surgingonconnectionsmorelikelytocausefracturing.ItisimportanttocontroltheROP
and circulate prior to making connections when the ECD is near the fracture pressure.
Maintain the cuttings concentration in the annulus below 4% to minimize the effect of
cuttingsonECD.
c. Rapid starting or stopping of the mud pumps can cause pressure surges. Starting the
pumps too rapidly will create a pressure that can cause lost circulation, especially when
breakingcirculationonbottomafteratrip.Partofthesurgeiscausedbypressurerequired
tobreakthegelstructureofthemud.Rotatingthepipewhenstartingcirculationwillaid
breaking the gel strengths and greatly reduce the surge pressure. The other part of the
surgeisthepressurerequiredtoacceleratethemudcolumntothenormalcirculatingrate.
Maintaininglowgelstructureandgraduallyincreasingthepumpratewillreducethistype
ofsurgepressure.Breakingcirculationatseveralintervalswhentrippinginholeisanother
waytominimizethesepressures.
d. UseenoughdrillcollarstokeeptheneutralpointintheBottomHoleAssembly(BHA)to
minimizedrillstringwhipping.
e. Duringtheplanningphaseofthewell,casingsanddrillstringdesignshouldbeengineered
forproperandsafeoperation,andalsotooptimizehydraulicsforgoodholecleaningand
minimumECD,especiallyinsensitiveareas.
f. Washandreamcautiouslythroughbridges.
g. Controlmudpropertiesintheproperranges.
i. High viscosity and gel strengths increase surge pressures each time circulation is
interrupted and restored. They also increase the ECD while drilling. These values
shouldbeoptimizedtoensuregoodholecleaningandsolidssuspension,andminimize
ECD,surgeandswabpressures.Manytimesmudpropertiescannotbekeptatalevel
which will provide adequate hole cleaning due to other operational considerations.
Higher flow rates and aggressive drill pipe rotation are the best methods to improve
hole cleaning. Sweeps are recommended in such cases where good hole cleaning is
questionable.
ii. Control drill solids at the minimum practical level and add proper treatment to
minimize filtercake buildup. Anything that reduces the annular clearance causes a
pressure increase. Balling of the bit, collars, stabilizers or tool joints decreases the
annular clearance. In the case of extensive bit and/or stabilizer balling, a significant
pressure will be exerted on the formation. An increase in drag or swabbing on
connectionsispossibleindicatorsofballing.Sometimesaballcanbepumpedoffabit,
but if that fails, the common practice of spudding the bit should be avoided. The
combination of the reduced annular clearance and the pipe surge can cause the
pressuretoexceedthefracturepressure.
iii. Highfluidlossmudsdepositathickfiltercakethatcanreducetheannularclearance.
Smaller annular space increases the ECD which can induce or increase mud losses.
Therefore,fluidlossandfiltercakethicknessshouldalwaysbecontrolledintheproper
range.Mudthatdevelopsathin,strongfiltercakeismoreeffectiveinpreventinglost
circulationtosmallfracturesorpores.
31June2009

iv.
Drillwithminimummuddensityaspossible.ThisnotonlyenhancestheROPbutalso
diminishesothermudrelatedeffects.
v.
Pretreatmentwithagoodselectionofthepropersizeofbridgingmaterialscanhelp
reduce and eliminate whole mud losses into porous formations. The choice of such
bridgingagentswilldependontheformationcharacteristics.Generally,particlesthat
are onethird to onehalf the square root of the permeability in millidarcies (md)
shouldbeabletobridgesuchformations.Commonpretreatmentrecipesare520
lbs/bblmica,walnutorfinefibermaterial.Thismaterialwouldbemaintainedinthe
activesystembycontinuoustreatmentandmonitoringofproductconcentrations.
CuringLossesThe3StepProcess
Whenlostcirculationisfirstnoted,theconditionsatthetimethelossoccurredshouldbe
accurately recorded and studied. The time of the occurrence (while drilling, circulating or
tripping), the type of the loss (seeping, partial or complete) and the severity of the loss with
respect to the exposed formations are the key factors in determining why the loss occurred,
whereintheholethelossoccurredandthebestremedyforthesituation.
Step1LocatetheLossZone
Theprobablelocationofthelosszonemaybedeterminedfromknowledgeavailableatthe
rigsite.Globally,mostlossesdonotoccuratthebottomofthehole,however,inSaudiArabia,
themajorityoflossesappeartooccurasfracturedcarbonatesareexposedwhiledrilling,oftenas
soonasthefracturesaredrilled.Thefollowingsubjectswillhelpindeterminingthelocationof
thelosses:
a) FormationInformation.
1) Carbonateformationscontaincavernousandvugularzones.Thistypeoflosswouldbe
indicatedifthelosswasswift,largeandaccompaniedbyadropinthedrillstring.
2) Shale formations tend toward fracturing that may be a slower type of loss. This loss
needstobecontrolledquickly,ascontinuedlosseswillenlargethefractureandcom
promiseformationintegrity.
3) A change in the drill rate may indicate a formation change with possible change in
formationintegrity.
b) OperationalInformation.
1) Sometypeofhydraulicpressureinducedlostcirculationwouldbeindicatedifthemud
weight was being increased at the time of loss. This type of loss may seal itself
(seepage)orrequiretreatment(inducedfracture)dependingontheseverityoftheloss.
2) Rapidmovementofthedrillstringwillcausepressuresurgesthatcaninducefractures
orreopenpreviouslysealedlosszones.Unlessapreviouslysealedlosszonehasbeen
pressuretesteditshouldalwaysbeassumedthisarearemainsapotentialsourceof
32June2009

losses.Therateofpipemovementduringtripsandwhilereamingshouldbeadjustedto
compensate for this weakness. A more informed decision can be made regarding the
properstepstoeliminatethelosseswiththeinformationgatheredabove.
c) Loggingmethods
a) Spinnersurvey.
b) Temperaturesurvey.
c) Radioactivetracersurvey.
d) Hotwiresurvey.
e) Pressuretransducersurvey.
Step2IdentifyingtheMechanismofLossesandAssessingtheSeverity
a) Invasion
In many cases, lost circulation cannot be prevented in formations that are cavernous,
vugular, fractured or unconsolidated. Depleted lowpressure formations (usually sands)
aresimilarrelativetolostcirculationpotential.
1) Coarse,unconsolidatedformations
2) Potentiallosszoneisindepletedformations.
3) Cavernousorvugularzonesareusuallyassociatedwithlowpressurecarbonate.
Thevolumeandpersistenceofthiskindoflossdependsonthedegreetowhich
thevugsareinterconnected.Cavernousandvugularformationsareofteneasily
traceablefromoffsetwellsandpredictablefrommudlogsandlithology.
4) Fissures or fractures in wells where no coarsely permeable or cavernous
formations exist. These fissures or fractures may occur naturally, or may be
initiatedorextendedbyhydraulicallyimposedpressures.
b) Fracturing
Hydraulic fracturing is initiated and lost circulation occurs when some critical
fracturepressureisreachedorexceeded.Onceafractureiscreatedoropenedby
animposedpressure,itmaybedifficulttorepair(heal)anditmayneverregainthe
originalformationstrength.Lostcirculationmaypersisteventhoughthepressure
is later reduced. This is one reason why it is better to pretreat for, and prevent,
lostcirculationthantopermitittooccur.
Lost circulation resulting from induced fracturing is usually caused by one of two
situations:
1) Settingintermediatecasinginthewrongplace.
2) Excessivedownholepressures,whicharetheresultofmanyconditionsincluding:
i) Mechanicalforces.
ii) Improper hydraulics: Excessive pump rates and velocities causing high
EquivalentCirculatingDensity(ECD)pressures.
iii) Increasingpumpratestoorapidlyafterconnectionsandtrips.Thiscanbeextremely
importantwhendealingwithoilbasefluids.
33June2009

iv) Raisingorloweringthepipetoofast(surge/swab).
v) Spuddingbridges.
vi) ExcessiveRateofPenetration(ROP)foragivenflowratewillresultinhighcuttings
concentrationintheannularfluidcausingahighECD.
vii) Pipewhipping.
viii) Holeconditions.
a) Sloughing shale or increased solids loading in the annulus and high equivalent
circulatingdensity.
b) Accumulationofcuttingsinawashedoutportionoftheholeorinthemud.
c) Cuttingsbeds,baritesag/slumpingformingonthelowsideofadirectionalwell.
d) Bridges.
e) Kicksandwellcontrolprocedures.
ix) Mudcondition.
a) Excessiveviscositiesandgelstrengths.
b) Buildupofdrilledsolids.
c) Thickfiltercakesthatreducethehydraulicdiameterofthewellbore.
d) Excessivemuddensityorincreasingmuddensitytoofast.
e) Unbalancedmudcolumns.
f) Baritesag.
c)AssessingtheSeverity
SeepageLossesUsuallylessthan10bblsperhour
PartialLossesMorethan10bblsperhourwithpartialreturnstosurface
SevereLossesMorethan100bblsperhourwithsomereturnstosurface
TotalLossesFluidlevelinholemaynotbevisible
Continueddrilling
exposesnewfractures
PointofLoss
ReducePumpRate
34June2009

Step3CuringtheLosses
ChoosingtheLCMRecipeandSpottingTechnique
Thebestapproachtocontrollostcirculationistomakeanassessmentoftheseverityofa
loss zone and match the remedial material and technique to it in terms of both the size of the
materialanditsfunction.
NOTE:LossestoNonReservoirzonesarehandleddifferentlythanReservoirZonessimply
byapplyingtheruleOnlyuseAcidSolubleMaterialorNonDamagingMaterialinthePayzone.
1.Seepagelossescanoccurinanyformationtypewhenthebridgingagentsarenotlargeenough
toformaseal,orwhentherearenofineparticlestocompletetheseal.
a. Generally it is acceptable to continue drilling while adding 5 25 lbs/bbl of fine to
mediumLCMtothemudonacontinualbasis(Fiber,calciumcarbonate,Nutplug,etc.)
b. If losses continue or increase, stopping and spotting an LCM slurry containing fine to
medium bridging agents (fibers, granular and flakes) with a total concentration of 40
lbs/bbl (if motors or jetted bits are in the hole) to 200 lbs/bbl if possible, should be
considered.
c.Reducemudweightifpossible.
2.Partiallossesoccuringravel,smallnaturalfracturesandbarelyopenedinducedfractures.
a.Thepullupandwaittechniqueshouldbethefirsttechniqueusedtoattempttoregain
fullreturns(seepullupandwaittechnique).
b. If the hole will not stand full while waiting, the technique of mixing an LCM slurry
containing fine to medium bridging agents (fibers, granular and flakes) or utilizing a an
alternative,moreaggressivesolution(highconcentrationLCMpill;crosslinkpill)shouldbe
considered.
c.Reducemudweightifpossible.
3.Severelosses
a.Thepullupandwaittechniqueshouldbethefirsttechniqueused.
b.Iftheholewillnotstandfullwhilewaiting,anLCMpillcontaininglargebridgingagents
(upto200lbs/bbl),acrosslinkpillorahighfluidlosspillshouldbeprepared.
c.Ifreturnsarenotregainedwiththistechnique,ahardplugsuchasacementordiesel
oilbentonitecementisrecommended(seetechniquesforcementslurries).
d.Reducemudweightand/orpumppressureifpossible.
35June2009

4.Completelossesoccurtolong,opensectionsofgravel,longintervalsofsmallnaturalfractures,
largenaturalfracturesoropeninducedfractures.
a.Thepullupandwaittechniqueshouldbethefirsttechniqueusedtoattempttoregain
fullreturns(seepullupandwaittechnique).
b.Ifregainoflostcirculationisnotrequired,proceedtoMudCapdrillingtechnique.
c.Ifregainofcirculationisrequired,useanaggressiveLCMpillconsistingofacombination
oflargesizesofparticles,fibersandflakes,acrosslinkpillorahighfiltrationlosspill.
d.Ifreturnsarenotregainedwiththistechnique,ahardplugsuchasacementordiesel
oilbentonitecementisrecommended(seetechniquesforcementslurries).
e.Reducemudweightifpossible.(Beawareofanywellcontrolissue)
CausesforFailuretoRegainCirculation
Some of the most usual causes, directly or indirectly, for failure to control loss of
circulationare:
1.Thelocationofthelosszoneisnotcorrectlyestablishedmanytimes,resultinginattempts
toplacematerialsatthewrongspot.Losszonesareusuallyonbottom,especiallywhendrilling
naturalfracturedformations.
2.Lostcirculationmaterialsarenotsystematicallymatchedtothetypeandseverityofthe
losszone.Theremustbeamixtureofparticlesizestoinitiateandcompleteaneffectiveseal.The
mosteffectivepillscontainacombinationofparticles,fibersandflakes.
3.Thereissometimesareluctancetoproceedtothetechniquerequiredtomatchtheseverity
ofthelosszone(i.e.drillingblindandsettingpipe).
4. Failure to study and follow lessons learned from offset wells in dealing with similar loss
situations.
5.Incementing,thecolumnsarenotbalancedanddrillingmudbreaksthroughtheplugbefore
itsets.Inaddition,whenthepipeiswithdrawnfromtheholeafterplacement,themudlevelin
theannulusgoesdownandmudfromtheformationcanbreakthroughthefreshlyplacedslurry.
Balancedcolumnsandplugdroppingtechniquesshouldbeemployed.
6.Theformationstrengthornaturalfractureistooweaktosupportthehydrostaticpressure
ofthefluidcolumnneededtocontrolthepressureinotherexposedzones.Tobeeffective,the
lostcirculationtechniquesandmaterialsmustbefunctionallyrelatedtothelossestheycure.
36June2009

PullUpandWaitTechnique
Drilling and circulation should be stopped at the first indication of lost circulation when
partiallossesandlossestoinducedfracturesareexperienced,exceptforsudden,completelosses
tolimestoneswherelargefractures,vugsorcavernsoccur.Thebitshouldbepulledtoapointof
safetyandtheholepermittedtoremainstaticforaperiodoftime.Carefullymonitorthewellfor
signsofintrudingfluidsandriskofakick.Afterthewaitingperiod,gooddrillingtechniquesmust
befollowedingettingbacktobottomtokeepminimumpressuresontheformations.
Onthespeculationthatreturnswillnotbeobtainedbywaiting,a100bblLCMslurryora
similarLCMtreatmentcanbemixedduringthewaitingperiod.IfitisanticipatedthataWBMLCM
pillwillremaininstorageforanylengthoftimeabiocideshouldbeaddedtopreventbacterial
degradationofanyorganiccomponents.
Fractured shales exposed to waterbase muds will often heal and circulation can be
regained, especially if pressurescan be reduced with improved hydraulics and drilling practices.
Oilbasefluidstypicallydonotexhibitthisselfhealingbehaviortothesameextent.Thistechnique
isparticularlyapplicabletodeepinducedfractures.
DrillingBlind(MudCapTechnique)
Drill blind through the loss zone (Mud Cap drilling technique) and set pipe. Use this
techniqueagainstseverecompletelosses.Inthecaseofveryseverelosszonessuchasbigcaverns
(with or without water movement) or long (500 to 1,000 ft) zones of honeycombed vugs or
fractures, drilling blind (Mud Cap drilling technique) through all the loss zones and then setting
pipeisoftentheonlytechniquethatcansucceed.(SeePage54formoreinformationonMudCap
Drilling.)
TypicalPluggingandBridgingAgents(LCM)
Fibers
Cellulosic(wood)Fibers
Mineralfiber
Syntheticfiber
Granular
WalnutShells(nutshellsfine,medium
andcoarse).
ResilientGraphiticCarbon(Fine,Medium
andCoarse)
SizedCalciumcarbonateBlends
Blendoffibrous,granularandflake
materialina1sackproduct.
Flakes
Flake(cellophane).
Mica(fineandcoarse).
CalciumCarbonateflakes
HardandSoftPlugs
Cement
Highfilterlosssqueeze(EZSqueeze/DE)
DieselOil/Bentonite(DOBGunkPlug).
Crosslinkedpolymers(XLink,etc.).
Dieseloil/bentonite/cement(hardplug).
OBMHighfilterlosssqueeze(DE).
Gunksqueezeforoilmuds(Organophilic
Clayinwater).
37June2009

IncorporatingLostCirculationMaterialintotheSystemPreTreatmentTechnique
Incorporatinglargeconcentrationsoflostcirculationmaterialsintothewholesystem
will increase the equivalent circulating density, increasing the potential of further losses. This
often compounds the lostcirculation problem instead of solving it. However, there are cases
whereseepagelossescanbetemporarilystoppedorminimizedbycarryingsmallconcentrations
oflostcirculationmaterialsinthesystem.
&RuleofThumb:Recommendedmaterialsandconcentrationsforpretreatingsystemscanbe5
to 8 lb/bbl of cellulosic fibers (BaroFiber, FracSeal, TruSeal, Cedar fiber) and 5 to 10 lb/bbl of
fineandmediumgranularand/orflakematerial(calciumcarbonate,walnut,mica,graphite).
UseofPluggingorBridgingAgents
This technique should be used against seepage and partial losses and the less severe
completelosses.Ablendofbridgingagentsinthemudismixedandappliedasfollows:
1.Establishtheapproximatepointoftheloss,typeofformationtakingthemud,heightthe
mudstandsintheholeandtherateofloss.
2.UseopenendeddrillpipeforplacementoftheLCMpillifpossible.Otherwiseuseabit
withnonozzlesoraPaulB.Leecirculatingsub(PBL).
If an LCM pill must be pumped through a bit with jets or MWD/LWD tools, mediumtofine,
sizedbridgingagentsshouldbeusedtopreventpluggingthebit.
&Rule of Thumb: Typical maximum limits for LCM concentrations when pumping through
MWD/LWDtoolsis40ppb(However,higherconcentrationsofgraphiteto120lbs/bblhavebeen
usedextensively).
NOTE:Useonlyacidsolublematerialsforlossestothereservoir.
3.Mixa100to300bblLCMslurry.Sacksofblendedcoarse,mediumandfinegranular, fiber
andflakebridgingagentsarecommerciallyavailableandcouldbesubstitutedfor those added
separately.UsemudfromthecirculatingsystemormixLCMinafreshprepared,
viscous,
bentoniteslurry.ThecombinationofLCMcanbesimilartotherecipebelow:
1530lb/bblofcoarseWalnutShells.
520lb/bblcoarsetomediumfibers(Barofiber,FracSeal,TruSeal).
520lb/bblofmediumtofinefibers(Cedarfiber,BaroFiber,FracSeal,TruSeal).
0.251.0lb/bblofcoarsefibers(Cedarfiber,SunSweep,SuperSweep)
560lb/bblofmediumtocoarseresilientgraphitecarbon(SteelSeal,LCLube)
38June2009

540lb/bblofmediumtocoarsecalciumcarbonate
530lb/bblofmicaflakes
Thetotalconcentrationofmaterialinthesepillscanvaryfrom30to200+lbs/bbl.
&Rule of Thumb: Good mud engineering and constant visual observance of the high
concentrationpillswhilemixingiscriticaltoadjustviscosityandensurethepillisstillpumpable.
Forhighconcentrationpills,startwithathinmud.
NOTE:Thesizeofthebridgingmaterialmustbetailoredtotheseverityoflosssincethesize of
theopeningswherethemudisgoingisseldomknown.Thislogicisbasedonthe knowledgethat
lowratesoflossoccurthroughsmallopeningsandhigherratesoflossoccur through larger
openings.
When selecting the size of materials to use, the size of the nozzles in the bit and other
possiblerestrictions(e.g.MWDtools,mudmotors)mustalwaysbeconsidered.
4.PumptheLCMslurryoutthedrillpipeoppositethelosszone.Pumpataslowrateuntil the
entireLCMpillisoutofthedrillpipeandacrossthelosszone.
If the initial pill does not cure the losses, repeat as necessary. Consider changing the
formulationoremployingotherpilltypes.Iftheholefills,closetheblowoutpreventers(rams)
andsqueezetheannuluswith50psifor30min.Measurethepressureonthe annulus using a 0
to300psigauge.LCMslurriescontainingablendofmaterialsaremost effective.
&RuleofThumb:LCMpillsaremosteffectivewhentheycontaingranular,fibrousandflakeLCM
materials.AusefulLCMmixtureis3to6partsgranular,2partsfibrousand1partflakematerial.
HardandSoftPlugs
Various hard cement plugs are often effective against complete losses and severe
completelosses.
Thecompositionandapplicationofthecementslurrybeingusedtocombatlostcirculationmust
befunctionallyadequateifthejobistosucceed.
1.Cementslurrycomposition
Cement,orcementplusbentonite,isanimportantlostcirculationremedybecausethese
slurrieswilloftensealvugularlosszones.FourPortlandcementslurriesarerecommended:neat,
thixotropic, bentonite, filamentous fiber. These have been chosen because a wide variety of
propertiescanbeobtainedandtheyareusuallyavailable.
NeatPortlandcement:Thisslurryisadensefluidanddevelopshighcompressivestrength.
39June2009

Thixotropic cement: Proprietary thixotropic additive(s) from cementing companies can be

added to low density cement slurry to obtain fast gellation properites. The thixotropic cement
slurrycanbeusedtosqueezehighlyfracturedorvugularzones.
Bentonite or gel cement. Bentonite cement formed by adding cement to water containing
prehydrated bentonite gives optimum properties. This slurry has low density and high gel
strength.Italsohasahighersetstrengththanaslurryformedbyaddingwatertoadrymixtureof
bentoniteandcement.
Inmixingtheslurry,treatthefreshwatertobeusedwith14lb/bblofsodaashand14
lb/bbl of caustic to remove calcium and magnesium ions. Add 10 lb/bbl of bentonite and allow
thistoyield.Usethisbentoniteslurrytomixa108to112pcfbentonitecementslurry.
Use100sacksofcementormoreforlargeholesizes.
FiberCement : Low concentration of filamentous fibers can be added to a conventional
lowdensitycementslurry.Suchfilamentousfiberswillformanetworkacrossthelosseszonesto
combatthelostcirculation.
Techniquesforapplyingcement(BalancedColumnMethod)
1.Ifpossible,drillwithoutreturnsthroughtheentirelostcirculationzone.
2.Pulloutofthehole.Measurethestaticmudlevelusingasonicechofluidlevelmeter.
3.Chooseacementslurryaccordingtotheseverityofthelosszone.
4.Locatethelosszone(Step1CuringtheLosses).
5.Runthedrillpipeandcementingsubpastthelosszonetomakesureitisexposed.Pull
upthecementingsubatapoint50ftabovethetopofthelosszone.
6.Calculatetheslurryvolumeofcementneededtobespotted.Mixandpumpthecement
untilthedesiredvolumeispumped.Displacethedrillpipeat10bbl/min.Leaveenough
cementinsidethedrillstringtobalancetheplugintheannulus.ThiswilleliminatetheU
tubeeffectandminimizecementcontamination.
7.Slowlypulloutofthehole.Asthepipeiswithdrawn,themudlevelintheannuluswill
fall and cause an imbalance of pressure from the formation to the hole. This may cause
mudorformationfluidstobreakthroughthecementslurry.Topreventthis,verycarefully
addmudtotheannulusthroughthefillupline.Addingtoomuchmudtotheannuluswill
forcemudfromtheannulusintotheformationthroughthecementslurrybeforeithasa
chance to set. The amount of mud pumped must match the volume displacement (not
capacity) of the pipe. If it is done carelessly, it can do more harm than good. Pump the
requiredamountofmudevery10stands.Waitoncementatleast8hr.
40June2009

8.Measurefluidlevel.Ifitislowerorhigherthantheoriginalstaticlevel,donotattempt
toadjust.Ifitishigherandanotherplugisrun,adjustbyaddingproportionatelylessmud
asthepipeiswithdrawn.
2. DieselOil/Bentonite/Cement Slurry Squeeze. This pill can be used against complete losses
andseverecompletelosses.Thesestepsshouldbeusedinapplyingthistechnique:
2.Pulloutofthehole.Measurestaticmudlevelaspreviouslymentioned.
3.Locatethelosszone(Step1CuringtheLosses).
4. After locating the loss interval, set the bottom of the mixing sub 50 ft above it. Set a
maximumsqueezepressure.
5.Pumpina10bblcushionofwaterfreedieseloilaheadoftheslurry.
6.Mix100sacksofregularcementand100sacksofbentonitewith50bblofdieseloil.For
volumes other than 50 bbl, mix two, 96lb sacks of cement and two, 100lb sacks of
bentonite with each barrel of diesel oil. For large fractures or long sections of
honeycombed vugs, 300 sacks of each material should be used. For large batches, use a
cementerandmixthedrymaterialswiththedieseloilcontinuously.Forsmallbatchesuse
asuitabletank.Thismixturewillyield1.39bblofslurryforeachbarrelofdieseloil.This
slurrywillweigh86pcf.
7.Displacetheslurrydownthedrillpipeandfollowitwith5bblofdieseloil.
8. Start pumping drilling mud into the annulus when the 10bbl cushion of diesel oil
reaches the mixing sub. Close the rams. Control the pumping rates so the ratio of the
slurryvolumetothemudvolumeis2:1.Pumpratesof4bbl/mindownthedrillpipeand2
bbl/mindowntheannuluswillusuallybesatisfactorywith41/2in.drillpipein77/8in.
andlargerholes.
9.Displaceonehalfoftheslurryintotheformationatthisfastpumpingrate.Thedrillpipe
mayoccasionallybereciprocatedslowlytoindicatewhethertheslurrymightbemovingup
theannulus.Iftheweightindicatorshowsanyincreaseddrag,breaktheconnectionsand
raise the pipe until it is free. Make connections and continue displacement. There is no
need for concern over short shutdown periods since the slurry has no pumping time
limitationinsidethepipe.
10.Displacethenextquarterofvolumeofslurry/mudatonehalftherateusedinStep9.
11.Displacetheremainingquartervolumeofslurryat1/2oftheratesusedinStep10.If
theholefills,asshownbypressureontheannulus,attempt(byahesitationsqueeze)to
obtain a pressure buildup using rates of 1 bbl/min into drill pipe and 0.5 bbl/min into
annulus.
41June2009

NOTE: One barrel of slurry should be left in the drill pipe at the completion of the squeeze, if
pressure has developed. Balance columns if no pressure develops. Do not attempt to reverse
circulatebecausemudwillcontacttheslurryandgelupinsidethedrillpipe.
12.Afterthesqueezejob,pulloutoftheholeandwaitaminimumof8hrforthecementto
setbeforedrillingout.Ifthefirstattemptisunsuccessful,repeattheprocedureafterwaiting
onthecementfor8hr.
Precautions
Avoidcontaminationoftheslurrywithmudorwaterinthesuctionlinesandpumps.The
followingstepswillminimizethepossibilityofcontamination.
1.Fieldtestfordieseloilsuitability.
a.Fillasandcontenttubetothe20%linewiththedieseloil.
b.Addwatertothemudtohereline.
c.Shakevigorouslyfor10secandallowtostandfor10min.
d.Iftheoilandwaterseparateintotwodistinctlayers,thedieseloilissuitableforuse.
However, if the fluid separates into three layers with the oil on top, the water on
bottomandawhiteemulsionbetween,thedieseloilisnotsuitableandshouldnotbe
used.
2.Drainallwaterandmudoutofallpumps,linesandtankspriortomixing.
NOTE: Use diesel oil to thoroughly flush the pumps, lines and mixing facilities prior to
mixing.
3.CrosslinkedPolymerSqueezes.
Severalcompaniesoffercrosslinkedpolymersqueezepillsinaddition to the gunk and
highfluidlosssqueezesdesignedforlostcirculationapplications.MIsFORMASET/PLUG,Baker
HughesDrillingFluidsXLINKandBaroidsNSQUEEZE/NPLEXare crosslinkedpolymersandLCM
slurries.Thesepillsareusuallyablendofpolymersandlost circulation materials that crosslink
withtemperatureandtimetoformarubbery,spongy ductile consistency that effectively stops
lossoffluidbysealingfracturesandvugular formations. These pills may also be used to
preventwaterflowandconsolidateloosegravels. Dependingonthemanufacturer,theproduct
maybeaonesackadditivecontainingpolymers and lostcirculation materials or be individually
packaged.
TechniquesforTreatingLostCirculationinOilBaseMuds
Althoughthereshouldbenodifferencebetweenwaterandoilbasemudsinthepressure
neededtoinitiateahydraulicfracturingoftheformation,thereisasignificantdifferenceoncethe
fracturesareformed.Waterbasefluidstypicallyhaveahigherspurtfluidlosscausinganalmost
42June2009

instantaneousfiltercaketoformthataidsinformationsealinginpermeableformations.Oilbase
fluidsdonotdisplaythesamecharacteristics.Onceafractureisinitiatedbyanoilbasefluid,the
pressurenecessarytopropagatethefractureismuchsmallerbycomparison.Thisiscompounded
by lack of a significant pressure drop across the filter cake of most oilbase fluids. This allows
changes in wellbore pressures to be transmitted to the formation more readily and further
propagate the fracture. Studies have shown that the pressure required to reopen a fracture is
alsolowerwhenusinganoilbasefluid.Afurthercomplicationisintroducedifthelostcirculation
materialbeingusedactstopropopenthefracture.
ThemajorissueswithOBMandlostcirculationare:
Flowpropertydifferencescausedbytemperature.Afterabittrip,itmaybenecessaryto
operateatareducedflowrateuntilafullholecycleiscomplete.Thisallowsthemudtoheatto
normalcirculatingtemperatureandviscosity,preventingunnecessarilyhighequivalentcirculating
densities.Pumppressuredifferencesinexcessof100psiinheavierfluidsarenotuncommonas
thefluidheatsup.
Increasedfluidexpansionincomparisontowaterbasefluids.ThemudweightofOBMwill
oftenincreaseasthefluidcoolsonsurfaceasduringatrip.Again,thesedifferencesaremagnified
athighermudweights.Forthisreason,thetemperatureatwhichmudisweighedshouldalways
berecorded.Thetemptationtoreducethemudweightinthepitsduringatripshouldberesisted
unlesstheweightsweretakenatthesametemperature.
Certainproductsreduceelectricalstability.Inoilbasemuds,smallconcentrationsoffine
WalnutShells,mica(5to10lb/bbl)andfineResilientGraphiticCarbonadditives(RGC,25lb/bbl)
maybeusedbutbeawarethatthesetendtocausewaterwettingandlossofelectricalstability.
The oil mud system should be monitored for their effects and treated accordingly. Pretreating
withanoilwettingagentmayminimizetheseeffects.
Oilbasemudsqueezes.
Thesehaveproventobeaneffectivemethodofsealingalosszone.Thesesqueezesshould
beofavolumesufficienttoatleastfillthehole50ftaboveandbelowthelosszone.Thefollowing
squeezeshavebeenmosteffectiveinsealinglosszoneswhenoilbasemudsareused.
4.ResilientGraphite/CalciumCarbonate/FiberSqueeze
1.Mudfromtheactivesystemcanbeusedasthebaseforthisslurry.Tothebasemud,
add 8 10 lb/bbl Resilent Graphite Carbon (RGC), 10 25 lb/bbl Mica, 10 to 25 lb/bbl
mediumWallnutShells,10to20lb/bblCalciumCarbonate(mediumtocoarse)and1020
lb/bbl Cellulosic Fibers (as an example). The quantity of material mixed in the pill will
dependonseveralconditionsandifaPBLsubisrunwiththedrillingassembly:
43June2009

a.Thecurrentmudweight.Asfluiddensityincreases,thequantityoflost circulation
materialthatcanbeaddedandmaintainapumpablefluiddecreases.
b.Restrictionsinthedrillstring.Thesizeofthebitnozzles,internalrestrictionsfrom
MWD,motorsandothertoolsaffectpermissiblelostcirculationmaterial concentrations.
c.Alwayscheckifthepumpsorpumpingunitsareequippedwithsuctionscreens.If so,
thescreensmayneedtoberemovedpriortopumpingthepill.
2.Setthebitatthetopof,oropposite,thelosszone.Displacetheslurrytotheendofthe
drillpipe.
3.Closetherams.Gentlysqueeze(50psimaximum)materialintothelosszoneatarateof
1bbl/min.
Hold the squeeze pressure 24 hrs, or as desired, or until it dissipates. Measure the squeeze
pressureontheannulususinga0to300psigauge.
Toavoidfracturingotherzones,safesqueezepressuresinexcessofmudhydrostaticpressure
shouldbeused.
Forexample:
Depth(ft)
SqueezePressure(psi)
01,000
0 200
1,0005,000
100 500
5,000anddeeper
500
NOTE: Surface pressure plus mudcolumn pressure should never exceed the fracture
pressure(1psi/ft).
5.GunkSqueezeforOilMuds
Atypicalplacementexampleisgivenbelow.
2.Pulloutofthehole.Measurethestaticmudlevelaspreviouslydescribed.
3.Locatethelosszone(Step1).
4. After locating the loss interval, set the bottom of the mixing sub 50 ft above it. Set a
maximumsqueezepressure.
5.Pumpina10bblcushionofwateraheadoftheslurry.
6.Mix1/2lb/bblofXC Polymerand250lb/bblofOilMudViscosifier(Organophilicclay,
GELTONE/VG69)inwatertothedesiredvolumeofslurry.
44June2009

7.Displacetheslurrydownthedrillpipeandfollowitwith10bblofwater.
8.Startpumpingoilbasemudintotheannuluswhenthe10bblcushionofwaterreaches
themixingsub.Closetherams.Controlthepumpingratessotheratioofslurryvolumeto
theoilmudvolumeis2:1.Pumpratesof4bbl/mindownthedrillpipeand2bbl/mindown
theannuluswillusuallybesatisfactorywith4in.drillpipein77/8in.andlargerholes.
9.Displaceonehalfoftheslurryintotheformationatthisfastpumpingrate.Thedrillpipe
mayoccasionallybereciprocatedslowlytoindicatewhethertheslurrymightbemovingup
theannulus.Iftheweightindicatorshowsanyincreaseddrag,breaktheconnectionsand
raise the pipe until it is free. Make connections and continue displacement. There is no
need for concern over short shut down periods since the slurry has no pumping time
limitationinsidethepipe.
10.DisplacethenextquartervolumeofslurryandmudatonehalftherateusedinStep9.
11.Displacetheremainingquartervolumeofslurryat1/2oftheratesusedinStep10.If
theholefills,asshownbypressureontheannulus,attempt(byahesitationsqueeze)to
obtain a pressure buildup using rates of 1 bbl/min into drill pipe and 0.5 bbl/min into
annulus.
NOTE:Onebarrelofslurryshouldbeleftinthedrillpipeatthecompletionofthesqueeze.
Donotattempttoreversecirculatebecausemudwillcontacttheslurryandgelupinside
thedrillpipe.
12.Ininstanceswheretheholecannotbefilled,apackershouldbesetinthebottomof
thecasing.Oilbasemudandslurriesshouldbedisplaceddownthedrillpipeinalternate
batches of 20 bbl of slurry to 5 bbl of oilbase mud using a spacer of 1 or 2 bbl of oil
betweenslurries.
13.Afterthesqueezejob,pulloutoftheholeandwaitontheslurrytosetaminimumof2
hrbeforedrillingout.Ifthefirstattemptisunsuccessful,repeattheprocedure.
PRECAUTIONS
Avoid contamination of the slurry with oilbase mud or water in the suction lines and
pumps.Thefollowingstepswillminimizethepossibilityofcontamination.
1.Drainalloilmudoutofallpumps,linesandtankspriortomixing.
2.Usewatertothoroughlyflushthepumps,linesandmixingfacilitiespriortomixing.
45June2009

Losses
Severity
Typical LCM Pill Formulations
Non-Reservoir
Seepage
losses
(< 10 bbl/hr)
Partial losses
> 10 BPH
Severe
Losses
(> 100 bbl/hr)
TOTAL
Losses
(No returns)
In the active system:

Calcium Carbonate Fine: 10 ppb
Calcium Carbonate Medium: 10 ppb
Hourly additions to the active sytem
Calcium Carbonate F: 150 lbs/hr
Calcium Carbonate M: 150 lbs/hr
NUT PLUG Fine: 3 sx/hr
Fiber Fine: 3 sx/hr
Fiber Medium: 5 ppb
Graphite Regular: 5 ppb
NUT PLUG Fine: 3 sx/hr
Mica Medium: 3 sx/hr
Fiber Medium: 3 sx/hr
Calcium Carbonate Coarse: 10 ppb
Fiber Coarse: 5 ppb
Graphite Coarse: 5 ppb
NUT PLUG Coarse: 3 sx/hr
Mica Medium: 3 sx/hr
Fiber Coarse: 3 sx/hr
Spot Cross Link pills (See formulations in this
section)
Marble Chips (2000 microns) : 5 ppb
Fiber Coarse: 5 ppb
Graphite Coarse: 5 ppb
Spot Cross Links pills, Gun Squeeze pills, Flash
set plugs or cement (See formulations in this
section)
Reservoir
Hourly additions to the active
sytem
Calcium Carbonate F : 150 lbs/hr
Calcium Carbonate M :150 lbs/hr
N-Seal: 5 ppb
system
Calcium Carbonate M : 250 lbs/hr
N-Seal: 2 sx/hr
Calcium Carbonate F: 10 ppb
Calcium Carbonate M: 10 ppb
SoluFlake: 5 ppb
N-Seal: 5 ppb
system
Calcium Carbonate M : 150 lbs/hr
Soluflake: 3 sx/hr
N-Seal: 3 sx/hr
SoluFlake: 5 ppb
N-Seal: 5 ppb
Spot Acid soluble plugs and/or
cement plugs
Ensure that pill particles will not plug down hole equipment.
If the pill is ineffective, increase the particle size.
N- Seal is 98% soluble in 60:40 blend of 10% HCl and 3% Acetic acid.
46June2009

SizeDataforConventionalLostCirculationMaterials
Product Type
Product Name
Baro-Fiber
Fine
Medium
Coarse
D50 = 37m
D50 = 60 m
D90 = 1362 m
Frac-Seal
Cellulosefiber
True-Seal
Median size 44 74 m
Median size
420-840 m
Median size 104149 m
Sun Sweep
Synthetic Fiber
1.5cm
Super Sweep
Baro-Lift
Mica
Nut shells
Product Type
Graphite
Cross-linking polymer pill
MICA
D90 = 850 m
Wallnut D50 = 418m
D90 = 4.75 mm
D50 = 1148m
D50 = 1727m
Product Name
Blend
Steel-Seal BDF-398
Steel-Seal Fine
Steel-Seal Reg
LC-LUBE
D50 = 55
D50 = 78 m
D50 = 343 m
X-Link
D50 = 180 m
Fine (ARAMCO)
D50 = 8 12 m
Medium (ARAMCO)
Coarse (ARAMCO)
D50 = 130 170 m
Chips
D50 = 3800 m
Bara-Carb 5
D50 = 5 m
Bara-carb 25
D50 = 25 m
Bara Carb 50
D50 = 50 m
Bara-Carb 600
D50 = 600 m
Bara-Carb 2300
N-Seal
D50 = 2300 m
Calcium Carbonate
Acid Soluble Fiber
D90 = 1.4 mm
D50 600 m
D50 = 1300 m
47June2009

48June2009

49June2009

LCMproductsTaxonomy
LCMPLANT
HIGHLIGHTED products are approved in the Saudi

Aramco system and should be available for use.
M-I-X II (F, M. C) M-I

Barofiber (F, C) - Baroid
Fiber, cellulosic
Sized, Micronized
Chek-Loss, Chel-Loss-C &- Plus -Baker

Fibro-Seal (F, M C) - KMC
Fracseal (F, M, C) Summit
Truseal (F, M, C) Petro Chem
Barolift (Baroid)
Fibrous
Fiber, filamentous
Sun Sweep (Sun Drilling)

Super Sweep ( M-I)
Fiber, cedar
Cedar fiber (most compan ies)
Fiber & seed hull
Cottonseed Hulls (most companies)
Fiber, treated oil-wet
Vinseal (M-I)
Plant
Granules
Blend of
fibers,
granules and
flakes
Nutshells
Nut Plug (F, M, C)- most companies

Nutshells, walnut most companies
Kwikseal most companies

MI Seal (MI)
MIL-Seal (Baker)
Baro-Seal (Baroid)
50June2009

LCMMINERAL
HIGHLIGHTED products are approved in the Saudi
Aramco system and should be available for use.
BaraCarb series -5, 25, 50, 150

Aramco CaCo3-Fine & Medium
Sized, Micronized
SafeCarb series- 5, 20, 40, 100

Mil-Carb series 5, 25, 50, 150 & 450
Calcium Carbonate
Opta-Carb series 5, 20, 50, 100.
Flakes
Solu-Flakes (Baker)
Fine,d50=30m
Granular
Petroleum Coke
Sized, Micronized
C-Seal
Regular, d50=130m
Steel Seal-400 (d50 = 400 micron)

Steel Seal-100 (d50 = 100 micron)
BDF-398 (d50 = 50 micron)
LC Lube (d50 = 325 micron)
Synthetic Graphites
Sized, Micronized
LC Lube Fine (d50 = 165 micron)

G-Seal Fine (d50= 50 micron)
G-Seal (d50=130 micron)
Mineral
G-Seal- Plus (d50=200 micron)
Magma Fiber Fine
Fibrous
Fiber, Mineral
Sized
Magma Fiber Reg

N-Seal
Solubridge
Resinous
Resins
Sized
Solubridge-CRS
Solubridge-Fine
Cellophane
Cellophane Flakes
Plastic Flakes
Mica Fines
Mica
Mica Coarse
51June2009

LCMBLENDSQUEEZE
High Fluid Loss & High Solids Slurry

Squeeze
Form-A-Squeeze or Form-A-Set (M-I)

N-Squeeze (Baroid)
DIASEAL-M (Drilling Specialty )
Solu-Squeeze (Baker)
Form-A-Plug II/Form-A-Set/ Form-A-setCross-Linked Polymer Gel Plug +

Graded LCMs - Non acid soluble.
(cross linking reaction adjusted with
Accelerator or Retarder)
N-Squeeze /N-plex (Baraid)

X-Link (Baker)
Bor-Plug (Tanajib, 3rd Party)
Blend, High
Fluid Loss or
Reinforcing
Plugs/or Slurries
TekPlug* XL (BJ)
Cross-Linked Polymer Gel-Like plug
for fluid loss control in completion
Safe Link (M-I)
K-Max (Baroid)
Cross-Linked Cement-Like Polymer

plug 95% Acid soluble
ThermaTek RSP (Baroid)

Magneset (BJ)
Hydrating Polymer Blend
Hydro-Plug (Baroid)
Flex Plug (Baroid)
Chemical Sealant
Fuse-IT (Baroid)
Versapac (M-I)
Shear Thickening Special Polymer

LCM Slurry with fibers, flakes &
granules
LCP-2000 (Impact Solution)
HIGHLIGHTED productsareapprovedintheSaudi
Aramcosystemandshouldbeavailableforuse.
52June2009

MudCapDrilling
Definition:Anonconventionaldrillingtechniquetomaintainafloatingcapofweightedmudin
the annulus across a sensitive or high pressure hydrocarbon zone while drilling ahead with
completemudlosses.
Howitworks?
When drilling with a floating mud cap, circulation continues down the drill string, usually with
waterandgelsweepswhileweightedmud(7595pcf)ispumpeddowntheannulusperiodically.
Whentouseit?
Usedinatotallossscenariotocontrolwellbore
stabilityorahighpressurezoneabovethelost
zoneandallowcontinueddrilling.
RulesforMudCapDrilling
Once this option is taken, DO NOT
REGAINCIRCULATION.Ifcirculationisregained
in this condition, the drill water will mix with
the mud cap and will lighten the annular
columncausingapotentialwellcontrolissueif
high pressure zones are exposed. Also, the
water in the annulus will contact the sensitive
shales and quickly destabilize them, possibly
causingholecollapse.
Mud cap MUST cover zone of risk at all
times
Discontinue use of LCM (Do not attempt
toregaincirculation)
FluidTypeusedasmudcap
Waterbasedmudsareusedasamudcap.Themudcapcanbetreatedwith35%KClandstarch
tobeinhibitiveifnecessaryandalsoweightedtocontrolanyhighpressurezoneorunstableshale.
Themudcapdensitywillbecalculatedbasedonthehydrostaticpressureneeded.
DrillingFluid
The cheapest fluid available that can keep up with the rate of pumping while drilling almost
alwayswaterwithregularhighviscosity,bentonitebasedsweeps.
53June2009
DRILLING FLUIDS
F
AWAR
RENESS
WO
DRILLING
G TECHNICA
AL DEPARTMENT
Ho
oleCleanin
ng

Holeccleaningisoftheutmosttimportanceetothesucccessofanyd
drillingoperaation.Regularsize
bitcuttin
ngstofine,p
packedcuttin
ngsbedstollargerocksfromunco
onsolidatedfformationstthat
havecavedintothew
wellmustbeeeffectivelyyremoved.TTheresultso
ofineffectiveeholecleaningcan
mpackingoffftohighECD
Dsandresu
ultantmudlo
ossestostucckpipe.
varyfrom
Therearevariousproceduressandtechniq
quesusedto
oensureand
denhanceho
olecleaning.While
flowratee(annularve
elocity)andm
mudweightarethebigggestfactors,holeanglewilldictatethe
muddesignforswee
epsandeven
ntheactivemud.Highvviscositysweeepsarerecommendedfor
sectionsfromverticaalto35,wherehighden
nsitysweepssareproven
ntobethem
mosteffectivvein
sectionsgreaterthan
n35.Them
mostcriticalm
mudparameeterstoachieveconsisteentholecleaaningin
highlydeeviatedsectionsarethelowshearrh
heologyvalu
ues(6/3rpm
m;lowshearYP).Asisofften
saidandproven,swe
eepsarenottevennecesssaryforeffeectiveholeccleaningifth
hemudisinggood
shapean
ndflowrateandpiperottationareop
ptimized.
&RuleofThumb:Foroptimummholecleanningsweeps,,useHighViscosityPillsfor<35holle
angles;H
HighDensityPillsorTand
demLowViss/HighDensiityfor>35holeangle.
Criticcalparametters:Thelisttbelowiden
ntifiesvariablesthatne
eedtobeop
ptimizedtoh
have
effecctiveholecle
eaning:
Hyd
draulics
annular velocity
v
annular velocity
v
profile
flow regim
me
Drilling Param
meters
bit type
penetratio
on rate
pipe rotattion
Mud Properties
mud weig
ght
viscosity,, especially
y
at low she
ear rates
gel streng
gths
inhibitive
eness
54
4 Jun
ne2009
DRILLING FLUIDS
F
AWAR
RENESS
WO
DRILLING
G TECHNICA
AL DEPARTMENT
Indicatorsofholecleaningp
problems
o Thefirstandmostimporttantsourceofinformatiionistovisu
uallyevaluatecuttingretturns,
th
heobservedamountofcuttingshasstoreflectth
herelativeh
holesizeand
dROP.Roun
nded
cu
uttingsindiccatelongressidencetimeedownholeaandpoorcleeaning.
o TorqueandD
Drag:Erraticincreasesorrhigherthan
nexpectedu
upwardtren
nds.
o PickUpandSSlackOffweeights:Reducctionindow
wnweightcanindicatecu
uttingsbedb
buildup.
o Connections:fillaftercon
nnections;higherrotaryytorque;preessuresurgeswhilebreaaking
ciirculationindicatescuttiingsaccumu
ulation.
o Pressuretren
nds:canindicateannularobstruction
nsduetoah
higheramou
untofcuttingsin
annulus.
herdrag;improperholeefillupontrrips;andincrreasedpresssurewhenb
breaking
o Tripping:High
ciirculationcaanbeanindiicatorofpoo
orholeclean
ning.
PositionofDrillStrin
ng

Inhorrizontalorhiighlydeviateedwells,theepipeistypicallyonlowsideoftheholewhichm
means
thepathofleastflow
wresistanceisonthehigghsideofth
hehole.Thissiswhyhigh
hviscositypillshave
poorperformancein
nhorizontalw
wellssincetthethickmu
udwillfavorthepathofleastresitan
nce.
55
5 Jun
ne2009

PerformanceofHighDensityvsHighViscositySweeps
CuttingsTransportEfficiency
MC127Sidetrack#3
0.8
0.6
DrillingFluid
0.4
TransportEfficiency
HiViscosityFluid
0.2
WeightedFluid
0
0
0.2
200
400
600
800
FlowRate(gpm)
1000
1200
1400
0.4
0.6
0.8
Transportefficiencyisamodifiedslipvelocityapproachthatanalysestheaveragefluidvelocity
inthenarrowgapregionofaneccentricannulusandiscomparedtothesettlingvelocityof
individualcuttingsparticles.Theoutputfromthismodelisgivenastransportefficiency.
Highdensitypills(1530pcf>activemudweight)haveproventobemuchmoreeffectivein
effectively flushing a horizontal hole clean due to buoyancy effects, reduced cuttings settling
velocityandtheabilitytostaymoreintactthanhighviscositypillsduringhighflowrate.
Inindustryflowloopandfieldstudiessince1979,mudweightalwaysprovedtohaveastronger
effectonholecleaningthanmudrheology.

A200annularfootsweep,30pcfhigherthantheactivemudweightina10,000ft.well
increaseshydrostaticlessthan0.6pcfequivalent.
&RuleofThumb:HighDensitySweepsshouldbe1530pcf>ActiveMudWeight,usedalone
orprecededbyaLowVisPill.HighDensityPillsshouldneverbeofahigherviscositythanthe
activemudweight.Sweepsshouldbe200500annularfeetinsizedependingonECDimpact.
56June2009

RotationofDrillString&RheologyisCritical!
Low Rheology
High Rheology
Low Velocity Fluid
High Velocity Fluid
Areaofhighvelocityshrinks and
areasoflowvelocity flowincreases
GOOD!
BAD!
No Rotation
With Rotation
Low Velocity Fluid
High Velocity Fluid
Cuttings on low side will not be disturbed by fluid

unless stirred by pipe rotation or higher velocity
or turbulence
BAD!
With rotation, cuttings pulled up into high velocity

fluid mechanically and due viscous coupling
effect
GOOD!
Settling/AvalanchingWhileOilBaseandWaterBaseMudsperformaboutthesamewith
respecttoholecleaning,cuttingsbedsslide/avalanchemuchmoreinOilBaseMuds.
1) Cuttings particles are suspended when drilling with pipe rotation.

2) Once circulation and rotation stop, cuttings begin to settle to the low side of the
annulus creating a pressure imbalance which drives the lighter, upper fluid upwards.
3) Once a critical mass has been exceeded the cuttings avalanche, leading to a pack-off.
57June2009

Toolstoimproveholecleaning
IncreasedflowrateMosteffective
Increasedmuddensity
Changesinfluidrheologicalproperties(Improvelowshearrheologyindeviatedwells)
IncreasedDProtation
Drillingfluidsweeps(<35Usehighviscosity;>35UseLowvis/Highdensity)
IncreasedDPsize[forECDandAV]
Cuttingsbedimpellers[CBI]
BestPracticesforHighlyDeviatedorHorizontalHoles
Ensurehighenoughflowrate[Q]togiveadequateAVinopenhole
HoleSize,in
AnnularVelocity,
Comment
ft/min
Evenwith theseAVs, holecleaningproblemscan
Largerdiameters
125140
beexpected.Theuseofspeciallydesigned
sweepsismandatory
13
+/200
12
+/180
9
+/170175
8
+/150165
TheseAVvaluesassumeyouarerotatingthedrill pipeata'normal'rpmspeed(100120
rpm).ForTransportefficiency,use40%(2.5bottomsuptoremovecuttingsfromthehole)
asaminimum.
MinimizethenumberofsweepsOptimizemudparameters&flowrate/rotationforconsistent
HoleCleaning!
&RuleofThumb:Forhorizontal/highlydeviatedwells,the6RPMrheologyreadingshould
be1.21.5XtheHoleSize.Example:Foran81/2hole,6RPMshouldbe1013.
DetrimentalEffectsofTooManySweeps:
Viscosityincreaseinsystem
Additionalcosttocontrolmud
Densityincreaseinsystem
Additionalrigtimerequired
58June2009

Ifannularvelocityisinadequate,considerincreasingpumprateorevenchangingDPsize.
o 5into5.5in
o 5into5.875in[specialstring]
o 5.5into6.625in
Avoidbackreamingasholecleaningtoolbecauseitcausesthefollowingeffects:
o Excessivepressuresonwellborewall
o Damagetofiltercakeonboreholewall
o Wellboreinstabilityissues
o Increasesincidentsofpackoffsandstuckpipe
o ComplicatesPWDinterpretation
&RuleofThumb:IfBackreamingisrequired,alwaysbackreamtoatleasta<35sectionand
circulatetheholeclean.
Useofsweepsasholecleaningtools
o Bestholecleaningtoolisflowrate/velocity
o Sweepsarepurelysecondarytools,notprimarytools
Tandem sweeps are NOT recommended when wellbore stability problems are
expected. The low viscosity part can be easily put in turbulent flow and scours wall
cakeofftheboreholewall,thusallowingmorefluidtobepushedintotherockmatrix.
However,instablehole,tandemsweepshavebeenusedsuccessfully.
o Highviscosityforvertical/nearverticalwells<35deg
o HighdensityforhighanglewellsRecommended1530PCFabovefluiddensity
o DProtationenhancessweepperformance
&RuleofThumb:Fordeviatedwells,asinglebottomsupisneverenough.Upto2.5times
bottomsuparerequiredtocleanthewell.
Minimizeoreliminatesliding
CausesofPoorHoleCleaningwhileSliding
o PoorcleaningwithnoDProtation
o DPliesagainstlowsideofhole
PossiblesolutionsforHoleCleaningwhileSliding
o Drillwithrotarysteerableassemblies
o ControlROP
59June2009

TrippingProcedures
o Assumetightholecausedbycuttingsbedfirst.Avoidbackreamingandpumpingout
tohelpcleanhole.Takethetimetoproperlycleantheholebeforebeginningthetrip
out
o BackreamingshouldbeavoidedsothatpackoffsassociatedwithBoycottsettlingare
notinducedorthedrillstringisnotdraggedthroughacuttingsbedaccumulating
cuttingsacrosstooljoints,theBHAorthebit.
o DetermineOverpulllimitbeforepullingoutofhole.
o Ifbackreamingisperformed,donotstopbackreaminguntiltheBHAisinasection
withlessthan35deviation
o Watchtorqueanddragtrendsasthesecanbeanindicationofcuttingsloadinginthe
annulus.Stopandcirculateholeuntilholeclean(Minimum2.5bottomsup)
UseSweepSheetstoDocumentSweepPerformance
SweepSheetsshouldbeusedtodocumentdetailsofeverysweeppumpedandtheresults
ofthesweepinordertodevelopabestperformancetrendandlessonslearnedforfuture
wells.
UsetheexampleSweepSheetonthefollowingpage.
60June2009

SWEEP SHEET
Date / Time:
Depth :
Hole angle:
Av. ROP:
Sliding / Rotation:
Active mud density, PV/YP, 6/3 RPM:
MWD tool in hole (type/company):
Circulating sub in hole (yes/no):
Pump rate during sweep:
Pipe rotation during sweep (Yes/No):

Bbls
Density
PV
YP
High Vis only

High Density only
Tandem Sweep
Lo-vis
Hi-vis
Fiber-enhanced Sweep
Before
After
Remarks
Pump Pressure (psi)

Torque (off btm)
String Weight:
Up:
Down:
Sweep Effects: (% cuttings increase, pump pressure increase during sweep, cuttings size/appearance, etc.)
61June2009

CirculationPriorToTripping
Duetothefactthatcuttingsmovemoreslowlythanthecirculatingmud,itisessentialthat
sufficientbottomsuparecirculatedpriortotripping,especiallyinahighlydeviated/horizontal
hole.ASINGLEBOTTOMSUPISNEVERENOUGH!
Theminimumonbottomcirculationtimepriortotrippingwillbeinfluencedbyholesize,
inclinationandflowhistory(i.e.mudpropertiesandflowrate).Thesefactorswillaffecttheheight
ofanyresidualcuttingsbeds.Industrystudiesshowthatthevolumeofcuttingsleftbehindduring
normaldrillingoperationscanbeconsiderable.Studiesrecommendselectionofbits/BHAswith
largebypassareastofacilitatetrippingoutofthehole.
Beforetripping,monitortheshakerstoensurethecuttingsreturnrateisreducedtoan
acceptablebackgroundlevel.Thefiguresinthetablebelowareguidelinesbasedonsimpleslip
velocityconsiderationsandfieldexperience:
SECTIONLENGTHFACTOR
WELLINCLINATION
RANGE
171/2HOLE
121/4HOLE
81/2HOLE
010
1.5
1.3
1.3
1030
1.7
1.4
1.4
3060
2.5
1.8
1.6
60+
3.0
2.0
1.7

Sinceinpracticenotallofthesectionbacktosurfacewillbedeviatedatthesameangle,the
overallminimumcirculationtimepriortotrippingshouldbeapportionedindirectrelationtothe
relativelengthsofsectionateachangle.Thisisillustratedinthefollowingexamplefortripping
outof171/2inchholeat7,710ft.(2,350m)
Procedure:
1.EffectiveLength=Sectionlengthxsectionlength
factor
EffectiveLength
2.CirculationTime=
XB/U
ActualLength
Example:
NumberofCirculations:
5,350m
=
2,350m
=
2.2*B/U
62June2009
DRILLING FLUIDS
F
AWAR
RENESS
WO
DRILLING
G TECHNICA
AL DEPARTMENT
Cuttingsbuildupwh
hilepullingp
pipe
ROTTATIONisaK
KeyFactortodisturbth
hecuttingsb
beds
Ittisveryimp
portanttoidentifyanyw
wellborestabilityproble
emsthatare
eaffectingth
hehole
clleaningbefo
oremakingsseveralchan
ngestotheiinitiallyplan
nnedholecle
eaningstrattegy.
63
3 Jun
ne2009

WellboreStability
Drillingincomplexgeologicalenvironments,suchasfaults,joints,fractures,layeredformations,
weak bedding planes, etc., usually leads to expensive borehole stability problems. Here, a deep
understanding of the mechanics and mechanisms of rock fracture becomes a key element in
solvingsuchproblemsinvolvinggeotectonicstructures.
Wellbore instability can occur as a result of a mechanical effects, chemicals effects or a

combinationofboth.
Insimpleterms,mechanicaleffectsareusuallyrelatedtomudweight(toohighortoolow)or
drilling practice (Rate of penetration, vibration effects, torque and drag and frequency of trips),
whereaschemicaleffectsaremudtyperelated(inappropriatemudtypeorinhibitionlevelforthe
problematicformationbeingdrilled).
MisconceptionsaboutWellboreStability
Manypeopleinourindustrybelievethatwellcontrolpurposesalonedictatetherequired
mudweight.Theyoftenalsoassumethattheholecollapseissimplyaresultofdrillingwith
insufficientmudweight
Itiscommontoassumethatincreasingmudweightisalwaystheanswertoholeinstability
problems.Thisisnotalwayscorrect.Sometimes,increasingitcanmaketheproblemworse.
Manypeoplebelievethattheuseofanoilbasedmudwillpreventanyproblemsoccurring
whiledrillinginshales.Holeinstabilitycanstilloccurparticularlyifmudweightorwaterphase
salinityisinappropriate.
SignsOfWellboreInstability
Holewashout/holeenlargement
Tightholeorcreep
Altered,damaged,orplasticzones
Unusualholecalipers
Formationfracturing/lostcirculation
Wellborebreathing(lossesfollowedbygains)
Beddingplaneslippage
Stablewellborewhiledrilling,unstablewhilepreparingtorunandcementcasing
64June2009

RockFailureMechanisms
Exceedingtensilestrength(fracturegradient)
This event occur when the tensile strength of the rock is exceeded due to high ECD
(Equivalent Circulating Density), high surge pressures while tripping or running casing or
whenthewellisstronglyshutdownforawellcontrolsituation.
Drilling fluid Lost is experienced when the tensile strengthof the rock is exceeded. The
figurebelowshowsafractureprocess(SimilartoaLOT)
Lost Returns Fracture Process is

Identical to LOT Fracture Process
3. Stable Crack Growth
Continued increase due to
pressure drop down crack
5. Initial Shut-in
Initial fracture pressure
2. Leak-Off
P re s s u re
4. Stop Pump
6. Width Declines
Small, stable
crack opens
ISIP
Fracture closes due to filtrate

losses in fracture face
7. Minimum Stress
Final pressure at crack
closed on mud solids
1. No Open Crack
Linear drilling fluid compression.
V o lu m e
8. Pressure Declines
Filtrate losses continue
after fracture closure, but
only into the smaller area
exposed in the borehole
SI Time
Prevention
o Beawareofthemuddensitylimitation(BasedonLOTsdatafromoffsetwells,
historicalmudlossesorrockdataanalysis).
o Whendrillinginfracturedformations,theweakestpointintheholesectionISNOT
belowthecasingshoe.Youhavetorelyonthemudlosseshistory.AgoodMW/ECD
trackingofthemudlossesscenariosisveryimportant.
o Donotrelyjustonsurfacedensity,theECD(EquivalentCirculatingDensity)istheone
affectingtheformationwhiledrilling.InOBM,thedifferencebetweenthesurfaceand
bottomholedensityisconsiderableduetothecompressibilityeffect.
o Whendrillinglonghorizontalsections,thedifferencebetweenthemuddensityand
theECDismuchbiggerthandrillingverticalwells.PlantoreducethisECDtoa
minimumbycontrollingtheflowrate,ROPandfluidrheology.
65June2009
DRILLING
G TECHNICA
AL DEPARTMENT
DRILLING FLUIDS
F
AWAR
RENESS
WO
Exxceedingco
ompressivesstrength(Ho
olecollapse)
Thisevento
occurswhen
nthecompreessivestrenggthofthero
ockisexceed
dedwhichcaanoccur
w
whenlowerf
fluiddensitieesthanrequ
uiredforrockkstabilityarreused.
Thereareo
otherscenariiosthatlead
dtowellboreecollapse,likeswabbingwhiletripp
pingout
or a sudden rig pumps shut
s
down. All of abovee should bee avoided to
o minimize wellbore
w
co
ollapse.
EffectsofCompressiiveFailure
Holesize
ereductiond
duetheplastticflowofth
herockintotheboreholle(boreholee
collapse)),whichcaussesrepeated
drequiremeentsofreaming,difficultiestoruninhole,
pullouto
ofholeorstuckpipe.
Holeenlaargementduetorockffailinginabrittlemanneerandfallingintotheb
borehole
(breakout), which results in poor
p
directional contro
ol, poor cem
menting job
bs, poor
loggingaandformatio
onevaluation.
Highlydevviatedwellsrequirehigh
hermudden
nsitiestomaaintainthew
wellborestaability
IInadeviatedwell,thed
drillingwind
dowisnarro
owingasthe
eholeangleincreases
66
6 Jun
ne2009

Prevention
o Usetherecommendedmuddensitybasedonwellborestabilityanalysisoroffset
wellsIftherecommendedmuddensityforwellborestabilitycannotbeusedforwell
controlissuesorpotentialdownholelosses,bepreparedforwellborecollapseand
packingoffevents.AnefficientholecleaningandROPcontrolaremandatoryinthis
scenario.
o Treatthewellgently,especiallywhentrippingorshuttingpumpsdowntominimize
theswabbingeffect.
o Conditionthedrillingfluidpriortorunningcasingandcontrolpipespeedwhile
tripping.
Donotmakedrasticmuddensityreduction,sinceitmaycauseawellbore
collapse(Especiallyinunconsolidatedorweakformations).
Beddingplaneslippage
Thiseventoccursincertainformationsthatoncetheyaredrilled,therockwillslipona
definedplane.Blockycavingsaretypicalofthisbeddingplaneslippagescenario.
Prevention
o Use bridging material in the drilling fluid to fill the cracks presented in these
formationsandhaveagoodfiltrationcontrol.Thisformationwilltrytofallassoon
itisdrilledanditisrecognizedbyblockytypecavingsontheshakers.
o Maintain a good hole cleaning efficiency and ROP control to minimize the risk of
packoff.
Interactionwithdrillingfluidatwellborewall(Chemicalinstability)
Chemicalwellboreinstabilityisduetochemicalinteractionbetweentherockbeingdrilled
and the drilling fluid. The water phase of the drilling fluid reacts with the formation
(Especiallyshale)andweakensit.
Whenshalesreactwithwater,theycansoften,disperse,swellandcrack.
These effects can cause a wide range of operational problems such as tight hole, hole
enlargement,ledging,bitballingandcaving.
67June2009

Prevention
o Useinhibitivedrillingfluidsthatminimizetheamountofwatergoingintotheshale.
Goodfiltrationcontrolisrequired.
LowHTHPvaluesdependentonmanyvariables(BHT,mudtype,overbalance,
etc.)
CakeThickness14/32forWBM;<2/32forOBM
o ForOilbasemuds,thesalinityofthewaterphaseshouldbeminimuminbalance
orhigherthantheformationwatersalinity.HighersalinityintheOBMwillprevent
theshaletogetwater,swellandslough.
o Theinterfacialfilmsurroundingtheemulsifiedwaterdropletsinanoilmudactasa
semipermeablemembraneandprovideamechanismforosmosis.Osmosisisthe
flow of water from a less concentration salt solution into a more concentrated
solutionthroughasemipermeablemembrane.ThisiswhyOBMarethebestoption
forshaleinhibition.
o ForWBM(WaterBasedMuds),theshaleinhibitionmechanismisachievedby:
Salinityofitscontinuousphase(Water).NaCl,KCLarecommonlyusedinour
operation.KCLbrine(35%bywt)ispreferred,especiallywhendrillingshales
whichhaveahighSmectite/Illitecontent.
Polymers as filtration control agents (PAC, Starch, NDrill HT, etc). These
polymersdelay(throughtheirviscosity)thewaterflowfromthemudfiltrateto
theshale.
Encapsulation:Itisachemicalandphysicalinteractionwiththeclayssurfaces.
Long chain polymers such as PHPA and modified carboxymethylcellulose, are
believed to wrap around the clay particles. This aids in control of surface
hydrationandreducesthetendencytodisperseanddisintegrate
Physical plugging, in some of the brittle shales, ionic inhibition and

encapsulation may not sufficiently reduce shale instability.Even a slight
hydration of microfractures will make the formations unstable. Asphaltenes
havebeenusedeffectivelytosealmicrofractures.Gilsoniteisanothermineral
productusedtomaximizeshalestabilization.Soltex,Blacknitearecommonly
usedinouroperationforthispurposefornonpayzones.
PolyGlycolsarealsousedasclayinhibitorduetotheirabilitytoretainwater.
(GEMGP,etc).MEGandTEGtypicalAramcoglycols,arenoteffectiveasclay
inhibitorsandshouldnotbeusedforthispurpose.
68June2009

69June2009

StuckPipe
StuckPipeeventsareoneofthehighestcausesofdowntimeinalldrillingoperations.They
canrangefromminorincidentsincreasingcostsslightly,tomajor,catastrophiccomplications,
suchaslossofdrillstringsandexpensivedownholeequipmenttoevencompletelossofthe
well.
Industrystudiesrevealthefollowinginformationconcerningstuckpipe:
VerticalandLowAngleholeshavethebestsuccessratesforfreeing
stuckpipe.
Successrateforfreeingstuckpipewasslightlyhigherforlargerthan
HoleSize:
smallerholes.
Thechanceoffreeingstuckpipeishigherinwellsrequiringlower
MudWeight:
mudweights.
Thequickerthespotisapplied,thehigherthechanceofsuccess.
SpottingTime:
Delayreducessuccessrapidly.
Openholelengthdoesnotconsistentlyaffectthesuccessratefor
OpenHole:
freeingstuckpipe.
Operationduring60%ofstuckpipeincidents.
Reaming/Backreaming:
EffectiveSoakingtime
24hoursfordirectionalwells;30hoursforverticalwells
forPills
36%ofstuckpipeincidentstypicallyoccurwithinthefirst2hoursof
crewchange
PeopleFactor
Peoplearethecriticalelementtopreventionofstuckpipeproper
HoleAngle:
training,awarenessofthegoals,attentiontodetailandbestpractice
applicationarethebestinsuranceforsuccess.
CausesofStuckPipe
Drillstringsorcasingstringscanbecomestuckbytwobasicmechanisms:
Mechanicalsticking
Differentialsticking
From19992004,39%ofSaudiAramcoDeepGasWellsexperiencedStuckPipe.Ina
studyof115ofthesestuckpipeincidents,conclusionswerethat58%weredifferentially
stuckand42%weremechanicallystuck.
70June2009

Mechanicallystuckpipe
CausesofMechanicallyStuckPipe2Categories
HolePackoffandBridgescausedby:
1. SettledCuttingsandCuttingsBeds
2. ShaleInstability
3. UnconsolidatedFormation
4. Cementorjunk
5. Tectonics
WellboreGeometryInterferencescausedby:
1. KeySeats
2. UndergaugeHole
3. StiffDrillingAssembly
4. MobileFormation
5. LedgesandDoglegs
6. CasingFailures
DifferentialSticking
Manyincidentsofstuckpipearecausedbydifferential
pressureeffects.Excessivedifferentialpressuresacrosslower
pressurepermeablezonescancausethedrillstring,or
casing,topullthedrillpipeintothefiltercake.
DifferentialStickingshouldbeproperlyaddressedinthe
preplanningstageandproperpreventivemeasures
shouldbetakentoavoidsubstantialcostpenalties.
Preventivemeasuresincludepretreatmenttoprevent
stickingandapreagreedactionplanshouldstickingoccur.
Experiencehasshownthatdifferentialstickingcanoccur
with
aminimumoverbalanceandshouldalwaysbeconsidereda
hazardwhendrillingpermeableformationssuchassandstoneand/orLimestone.
DifferentialStickingisa2PartProblem
Highoverbalanceacrossapermeablezone

Filtercakegrowsasfiltrationcontinuesto
gluethepipeinplace
71June2009

CausesofDifferentialSticking
A major cause of differential sticking is excessive overbalance in a permeable zone. The
overbalance may be necessary because of an open hole section containing reactive, pressurized
shalesthatrequireahighmudweighttoimpartstability.
This may be further complicated where wells are deviated, requiring higher mud weights
(compared to vertical wells) to stabilize the shales combined with an increase in equivalent
circulatingdensity(ECD)andinmostcasesalowerfracturegradient.
Differentialstickingmayresultwhenthespecificrequirementsforcasingdesignexposesands
toexcessiveoverbalance,e.g.deephightemperaturehighpressure(HTHP)wellsordevelopment
wellswheretheformationchangesfromshalestoreservoirsands.Apressurereversalordepleted
zonesmaycausedifferentialsticking.
Excessive overbalance can be a result of poor hole cleaning and/or excessive rates of
penetration (ROP) resulting in an increase of annular mud weight. Other causes include poor
quality filter cake, excessive fluid loss, poor hydraulics and rheology resulting in high ECDs and
poordrillingpracticessuchasleavingdrillstringstationaryinapermeablezone.
PreventionGeneral
o WellPlanningisKeyIdentifyzoneswithhighprobabilityofstuckpipe
o TrainingHoldteam/wellsiteStuckPipePreventionmeetings
o DesignBHAsforminimumwallcontact
o Design/drillwithoptimumtrajectoriestominimizedoglegseverity(tortuosity)
o Minimizemudoverbalance
o Keepthepipemoving
o Optimizemudtomaintainthin,impermeablemudcakes
o Minimizereaming/backreaming
o Ifbackreaming,alwayscontinuetoaverticalsectiontoensuregoodholecleaning
o Developtrendchartsoftorque/dragandpipepickup/slackoff
PreventionofStuckPipeMudCondition
o Maintaingoodholecleaningrheologyandminimizeannularcuttingsloading
o ControlROPdonotoutdrillthecapabilityofmaintainingmudquality.
o Ensurelowfiltratesandthin,tough,impermeablefiltercakes.
o Uselubricityagents(lubricants,plasticbeads)asnecessary
o Maintain<5%byvolumelowgravitydrillsolids
o EmployspecialtyOverbalanceDrillingFluidsinextremecases
72June2009

&RuleofThumb:Maintain<5%lowgravitydrillsolidsinthemud;<3%inaReservoirDrill
InFluidorHighDensityMud(>120pcf)forbestcontrolofmudparameters,minimizing
formationdamageandminimizingriskofstuckpipe.Studiesshowthatover10%lowgravity
solidsalmostguaranteesstuckpipe.
StuckPipeTheImportanceofProperBridgingMaterials
Usingahighqualityproperlysizedbridgingmaterialwilleffectivelybridgeacrossporoussands
minimizingfiltrateandwholemudinvasion,filtercakebuildup,seepageloss,differentialsticking
andformationdamage.
Bridgingmaterialtypeandoptimumconcentrationshouldbedeterminedthroughtestingwith
theParticlePluggingApparatusandFANN90todeterminethecombinationofproductsthatwill
providethelowestspurtandfluidloss.Itisimportanttobridgeandsealporespaceswiththe
initiallossoffiltrate.Thisminimizesfiltratelossandfiltercakebuildupandresultingstuckpipe.
Dynamicfiltrationcanbeevaluatedinthelaboratoryunderavarietyofconditions.These
includevariousshearrates,pressures,andtemperaturesandfiltermediumpermeability.Thelab
requiresdetailsaboutthesizeandpermeabilityofsandtobedrilled.Ideally,thetestsshouldbe
completedfarenoughinadvancesothetreatmentcanbeimplementedandtheactivesystem
testedtoconfirmthelabresultspriortodrillingthesands.
PreventionofStuckPipeConnectionGuidelines
There is a history of sticking problems when making connections. These guidelines are to
remindeveryoneofgooddrillingpracticeswhichminimizepotentialproblemsduringconnections.
Theseguidelinesassumetopdrivedrilling.
AllDrillersshouldbefamiliarwiththeseconnectionprocedures.
Wipe,atleast,thelastjointpriortomakingaconnection.Iferraticorhightorqueis
experiencedpriortotheconnection,cleanthehole.
At Kelly Down always allow the weight on bit (WOB) to drill off prior to picking up off
bottom,especiallywhendrillingwithhighWOB.
HaveasingleintheVdoorincasedownwardmotionisrequiredtofreethepipeaftera
connection.
Avoid starting and stopping the mud pumps suddenly. This may disturb the wellbore
downhole(shockloadingeffect).Takeawholeminutetobringthepumpsuptospeed.
Minimizetheperiodwithoutcirculationduringaconnection.
Afterdrillingorreaming,cuttingsshouldbecirculatedabovetheopenholesectionand/or
thehorizontalsectionpriortopickinguptomakeaconnection.
73June2009

Ifdifferentialstickingissuspectedtobearisk;maximizepipemotion,considerrotationof
stringwithslipssetwhilepickingupthenextstand.
Connectionsshouldonlybemadeifholeconditionisgood.Nevermakeaconnectionwith
anyoverpullontotheslips.
Setslipshighenoughtoallowdownwardmovement.Ifholeconditionsaresticky,extrastick
upmayberequired,takingcarenottobendpipe.
Alwaysconfirmcirculationafteraconnectionpriortomovingpipe.
Alwaysbeginpipemotiondownwardsonceslipsarepulled.
PreventionReamingandBackReamingGuidelines
It is now accepted that reaming contributes to increased hole deterioration. In addition,
reamingandbackreamingaccountforover60%ofstuckpipeincidents.Reamingintheholehas
thegreatestriskofstickingassociatedwithitduetothefactthattheBHAcontinuesruninhole
(RIH)past"stirredup"cuttingsbedsandcanthereforepackoff.
Thepreferredpracticeistoworkthestringpastatightspotasafirstoption.However,overpull
limitsmustbeknownandused.Workuptotheoverpulllimitinstages,ensuringfreemovementin
theotherdirectionateachstage.
Understandingthegeologyandholeconditionisimportant.Differentactionsmayberequired
indifferentformations(e.g.undergaugesand,ledgesorstickingballingformations).
Alwaysplanthetrip.Haveanuptodatemudlogontherigfloor,knowwherehighdoglegs
existandnotetroublesomeareasfrompasttrips.
Atrippingspeedplotshouldbeavailableontherigfloor.Agoodunderstandingofthisplot
willassistinsaferandquickertrips.
Ensure that the Driller knows what actions to take in the event of problems. Are overpull
limits, freeing procedures and reaming practices understood? Are written instructions for
thedrillerpreparedandupdatedregularly?
If reaming is required, control the speed of reaming operations. Large volumes of settled
cuttingsornewcaveinscanbeintroducedtotheholewhilereaming.Itiscriticalthatthis
materialiscirculatedout(4standsanhourcanbeusedasaruleofthemaximumspeed).
Reamingoperationsshouldbeconductedassmoothlyaspossible.Rotationspeedshouldbe
dictatedbytorqueandkeptaslowaspossible.
Prior to heavy reaming, slow rotation (<80 rpm) should be attempted to "walk" the pipe
throughledges.
Reaming weight and speed should be kept low (< 10 15 Klb) either up or down. This
reducesthechanceofsidetrackingthewellandislessdamagingtothedrillstring.
When the top drive stalls out during reaming operations, there is a great deal of stored
energyinthetorquedupdrillstring.Alwaysreleasethistorqueslowly.
Ifconsistentparameterscanbeusedforreamingoperations,thisassistsinidentificationof
changesintorqueandpressuretrends.
74June2009

Increaseindrag,torque,orpressuremayindicatethattheannulusisloadedupandapack
offmaybeforming.Taketimetoclearupthehole.
Theshakersmustbemonitoredcontinuously,andthevolumeofsolidsbeingremovedfrom
thewellboreshouldberecorded.Reamingspeedandcirculationtimeshouldbeadjustedif
volumeratedictates.
Drill floor personnel should get into the habit of calling the Mud loggers before making
connectionstocheckthateverythingisOK.
Treatment
Once the pipe becomes stuck, whether it is the drill pipe assembly or casing/liner, the
reactionplanshouldbeasfollows:
1. Determinethetypeofstickingmechanism.Usethefollowingtabletohelp.
2. Immediatelyapplyeffortstoworkthepipeproperlyandusespottingpills.
& Rule of Thumb: ThesurestwaytofreestuckpipeistoALWAYSBEPREPARED.Preplanning

is essential and must include having proper mud additives and chemicals at the well site
beforedrillingahighrisksection.
75June2009

HowtodetermineifthepipeisDifferentialorMechanicallystuck
PIPEMOTIONPRIOR
TOSTICKING?
PACKOFF/
BRIDGE
DIFFERENTIAL
WELLBORE
GEOMETRY
MovingUp
RotatingUp
MovingDown
RotatingDown
Static
2
0
1
0
2
0
0
0
0
2
2
2
2
2
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
2
2
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
2
2
0
0
2
2
2
0
0
2
0
0
PIPEMOTIONAFTER
STICKING?
DownFree
DownRestricted
DownImpossible
PIPEROTATION
AFTERSTICKING?
RotateFree
RotateRestricted
RotateImpossible
CIRCULATING
PRESSUREAFTER
STICKING?
CirculatingFree
CirculatingRestricted
CirculatingImpossible
TOTALS
INSTRUCTIONS:
Answertheshadedquestionsbycirclingallthenumbersintherowwiththecorrectanswer.
Addthecolumns;thecolumnwiththehighestnumberindicatesthestickingmechanism.
76June2009

77June2009

SpottingFluidsClassification
FilterCake
Degrading
Brine
Surfactant
Dehydratethe
filtercakeandas
aspacerbetween
themudand
otherspacers
Change
wettabilityof
filtercaketo
allowactionof
acidorother
spottingfluid
Reducesfriction Degradesthe
betweendrill
filtercake(Canbe
pipeand
weighted)
formationand
filtercake
Dehydratethe
filtercakeand
lubricate.It
cannotbe
weighted
Dissolve
Dissolve
filtercake
asphaltbased
andpossibly
material
weaken
formation
integrityat
stuckpoint
CaCl2
CaBr2
LoSurf259
W54
F103
Lubricant
Radiagreen
EMESalt
Lube167
TeqLubeII
BaroLube
GoldSeal
CoastalSpot
EZSPOT
PipeLax
Glycol
MEG/TEG
Polyglycol
Ethers
Acidic
Citric
HCL
Formic
Solvents
Mutual
Solvent
(EGMBE)
Musol
SA64
U66
HighWeightHighViscosity(HWHV)spacer:Brineordrillingfluidspacerthathasadensityandviscositysufficientlyhigherthanthe
spottingfluidsanddisplacementmudtominimizeinterfacemixingandimprovedisplacementefficiency.Densityshouldbe1012pcf
higherthanthefluidbeingdisplaced.
78June2009

SpottingFluidTypes,ActionsandMaterialRequirements
Note:Itiscriticaltohaveaspottingfluidreadilyavailableandapplyitassoonaspossible.
**Ifspottedwithinthefirst6hours,statisticallythereisa90%chanceofgettingfree.After
thattime,thesuccessrategoesdownexponentially.
GeneralActionofaStuckPipeSpottingFluid:
Todehydrate,disturbordegradethefiltercake
Allowalubricanttopenetratethefiltercakeandreducepipe/cakeadhesion
A.BrinePreSweeporSoakPilltoprecedeLubricatingPills
Purpose:
o Todehydrateanddegradethefiltercakebyosmoticpressure
o Ifpumpedaroundthestuckpipefast,inturbulentflow,maywashandthinthecake
o Ifsoaked,willfurtherdehydratethefiltercake.Optimumsoaktime16hours.
WhenandHowtoUse:
o 3050+bblspumpedasfirstpillinalubricant,glycolorcakedegradationpilltrain
o PumpedasfastaspossiblepaststuckzoneORspottedandsoakedupto16hoursprior
tomovingsecondpillintoplace.
Formulationfor100bbls:CaCl2,NaClorCaBr2
a. CaCl210.5bigbags(2200lbs/bag)for236lbs/bblfor86pcf
b. NaCl10bigbags(2200lbs/bag)for110lbs/bblfor75pcf
c. CaBr295drumsfor106pcf
d. Potassiumformate15.4totetanks(275galeach)for98pcf
B.SurfactantPills
Purpose:
o Tochangetoorensurewaterwetsurfaceareaofstuckpipezonepriortoplacingacid
orglycolspot
WhenandHowtoUse:
o IfOBM12%byvolumeinfirstpillpumpedinalubricant,glycolorcakedegradation
pilltrain
o PumpedasfastaspossiblepaststuckzoneORspottedandsoakedupto16hoursprior
tomovingsecondpillintoplace.
79June2009

Formulationfor100bbls:
a. CaCl210.5bigbags(2200lbs/bag)for236lbs/bblfor86pcf
b. NaCl10bigbags(2200lbs/bag)for110lbs/bblfor75pcf
c. CaBr295drumsfor106pcf
d. Potassiumformate15.4totetanksfor98pcf
C.LubricantPillsHighconcentrationLubricityPillComponents=activemud,lubricant,
weightmaterialasrequired
Purpose:
o Tolubricateareaaroundstuckzoneandreduceadhesionofpipe/cake
o Recommendedsoakingtime1230hours
o Densitycanbeadjustedforanyhydrostaticrequirement
WhenandHowtoUse:
o Onlywhenitisthequickestresponsepilltothestuckpipeevent.Filtercake
degradationpillsarepreferredsincetheyperformthesamelubricatingfunctionplus
otherbenefits.
a.90bblsActiveMud
b. 20bbls(14drums)LubricantLube167,TeqLubeII,Radiagreen,orBaroLubeGold
Seal
D.FilterCakeDegradationPillsPillscontainingfiltercakedegradationchemistryanda high
degreeoflubricity.Usuallyrecommendedasfirstresponsepills.Canbeweightedup.
Purpose:
o Todegradefiltercakeandlubricateareaaroundstuckzonetoreduceadhesionof
pipe/cake
WhenandHowtoUse:
o Recommendedasfirstresponsepillsduetomultiplebenefits
80June2009

1)EZSpotComponents=Water,diesel,EZSpot,weightmaterial
i. 6drumsEZSpot
ii. 4464bblsdiesel(dependingondensityrequired)
iii. 1028bblswater(dependingondensityrequired)
iv.
BariteorCaCO3
2)PipeLaxComponents=Water,diesel,PipeLax,weightmaterial
i. 6drumsPipeLax
ii. 4464bblsdiesel(dependingondensityrequired)
iii. 1028bblswater(dependingondensityrequired)
iv.
Geltone,VG691215sacks
v.
BariteorCaCO3
3)CoastalSpotComponents=CoastalSpottotetanks,NaCl,SXPlus
i. 3300gal(12totetanks)CoastalSpot
ii. 1210lbs.NaCl
iii. 26sacksSXPlus
iv.
580galwater(dependsondensityrequired)
v.
BariteorCaCO3torequireddensity
E.GlycolPillsPillscontainingfiltercakedegradationchemistryandahighdegreeof
lubricity.Usuallyrecommendedasfirstresponsepills.Canbeweightedup.
Purpose:
o Todegrade/dehydratefiltercakeandlubricateareaaroundstuckzonetoreduce
adhesionofpipe/cake
o DensityCANNOTbeadjusted.Areusedinneatsolution,noviscosifiers.
o Glycolorglycolcocktailpilldensitywillbe68+/pcf.Checkbeforepumping.
WhenandHowtoUse:
o Alsorecommendedasfirstresponsepills,especiallyinGasDrilling,duetomultiple
benefitsandhistoryofsuccess.
o Usewheninhorizontalwellsormaintaininghydrostaticpressureisnotcritical.
81June2009

1) GlycolNeatComponents=AramcoGlycol(MEGorTEG)
i. 77drumsAramcoGlycol(MEGorTEG)
2) GlycolFormulationComponents=AramcoGlycol(MEGorTEG,lubricants,PipeLax)
a. Basiccomponentsper100bbls
ii. 65drums(80bbls)AramcoGlycol(MEGorTEG)
iii. 12drumsLubricant(15bbls)Lube167,TeqLubeII,Radiagreen,orBaroLube
GoldSeal)
iv. 4drums(5bbls)PipeLax
F.AcidPills
Purpose:
o Todissolvefiltercakeandnearboreholerocktoreducepipe/cakeadhesion.
WhenandHowtoUse:
o Citricacidisalowstrengthacidforusewhenstuckincarbonate.
o PrimaryusageisHCl(hydrochloricacid)whenstuckincarbonatesortodissolve
carbonatebasedfiltercakeinsandstones.
o HCl/HF(hydrofluoric)acidblendsareavailableforsandstoneapplicationsbutextra
safetyprecautionsmustbetakenasHFhashighHSErisks.
o HClhasbeenusedsuccessfullytorelievesevereshaleballingcausingpipesticking
whenshaleballcontainscarbonatechips.
o Corrosioninhibitoradditionismandatory.
o Recommendedsoakingtime30minutes2hours
o DensityCANbeadjustedbymixingacidinvariousbrinesalthoughHCliscommonly
usedin1520%concentrationswithwater.
1) CitricAcidPillComponents=Water,1220lbs/bblcitricacid(dry)
a. Basiccomponentsper100bbls
i. 98bblswater
ii. 36sacks(25kg)citricacid
2) HCLComponents=water,31.5%HCL,corrosioninhibitors
*ConsultwithCementCompanyrepresentativeforformulationandsupplyofacid
andcorrosioninhibitors.ConfirmformulationwithAramcoMudSpecialist.
3)HFacidblendsCommonlyreferredtoasmudacid.Itisaspecialtyformulation
andshouldbeplannedcasebycasebytheCementCompanyacidspecialists.
82June2009

F.SolventPill
Purpose:
o Todissolveanymaterialcontainingasphaltenes(tar)whichhavecontributedtoa
stuckpipeincident.
WhenandHowtoUse:
o Whenstuckpipeissuspectedtobeacrossatarzone.Tarcuttingsareoften
noticedontheshaker.
o MutualSolvent(Musol,SA64,U66EGMBE)mixedat1520%inbaseoil.
i. 510bblsbaseoilspacereithersideofmutualsolvent/baseoilpill
ii. 85bblsBaseoil(Lowtoxmineraloil,Diesel)
iii. 12drumsMutualSolvent15%byvolume
SpottingProcedure
FollowtheStuckPipeActionPlanonpage77fordeterminationofwhattypeofpilltrain
touse.Specificvolumesandspottingproceduresshouldbewrittenfortheparticularwellasapart
ofcontingencyplanning.
SoakingTimeofStuckPipePills
Acidpillsreactrapidlywithcarbonates.Thereactioncanbeconsideredcompleteinaslittle
as30minutesto1hour.Thisactionmayberetardeddownholeifrockispreviouslycoated
withOBMoragreasepillthusenforcingtheimportanceofusingmutualsolventsand
surfactantsinthepillformulationstoconverttherock/filtercaketoawaterwetcondition.
Forallgreasetypeorglycol/lubricantpills,therecommendedeffectivesoaktimeisa
minimumof12hourswiththepillinplaceto30+hours.Theactionofthesepillsisto
degrade/crackthefiltercakeinplacearoundthestuckzoneandallowthelubriciousphase
ofthefluidtosoakintotheareabetweenthepipeandreleasepressure.Basically,afluidis
soakingintorock,whichtakestime.
83June2009

1.2.4DRILLINGFLUIDCONTAMINATION
Definition:
DrillingFluidContaminantsaredefinedasanyexternalsourcethatchangesthechemicalor
physicalbehaviorofthefluidsystem.
Contaminantsinfluidscanbebrokendownintothreemajorcategoriesaslistedbelow:
o Contaminantsinwaterbasedmud
o Contaminantsinoilbased(orsynthetic)mud
o Contaminantsinworkoverandcompletionbrines
TypicalDrillingFluidContaminantsorUndesirableConditions
9 Carbonates/bicarbonates
9 Salt
9 Calciumfromcement
9 Calciumfromothersources
9 Magnesium
9 H2S
9 LowGravitySolids
9 Airentrapment
9 BacterialDegradation
9 Corrosion
9 Foaming
9 HydrocarbonInflux
9 ThermalInstability
9 Emulsionbreaking
9 Waterwetting
9 Baritesag
9 Iron
Someofthepreviouslymentionedcontaminantscanbepreventedbypretreatmentofthe
fluidssystem;howeversomeofotherformsofcontaminantscanonlybetreatedasapost
treatment.Thepointsbelowoutlinethemethodforpreventionandmitigation.
84June2009

IdentificationandTreatmentofCommonContaminants
1)Carbonates(DetectedbyanincreaseinMfPf)
I. InsolublecarbonatessuchasCalciumCarbonate(limestone)donotposeaprobleminthe
mud.SolublecarbonateswillgiverisetohighYieldPointsandGels.
II. 3 potential causes of carbonate contamination are Carbon Dioxide from the formation,
degradationofpolymers,andexcessiveadditionsofSodaAshorBicarbtothemud.
III. Pre or post treatment is made with Lime [Calcium Hydroxide Ca(OH)2] to precipitate
CalciumCarbonate.
2)Salt(DetectedbyincreaseinCl)
I. Saltcanbeintroducedasacontaminantfromasaltwaterflow,orfromdrillingsaltwhich
dissolvesinthemud.
II. Thereisnopracticalmeanstotreatsaltoutofthemud,otherthanbymassivedilution.If
thesourceofthesaltisdrilledsalt,dilutioniscounterproductivesincemoresaltmaywell
gointosolution.
III. Gooddrillingpracticeshouldlimitthequantitiesofsaltfromasaltwaterflow.Ifmajorsalt
sectionsaretobedrilled,asaltsaturatedmudsystemshouldbeused.
3)CalciumfromCement(DetectedbyincreaseinPm)
I. Drillingcement(especiallygreencement)wiIIcausethepHofthemudtorise.
II. Treatment is by Bicarb (Sodium Bicarbonate NaHCO3) which Will react with and
precipitateCalciumfromthecementasCalciumCarbonate.andalsoreducethealkalinity.
III. Treatthesystemwiththinner
4)Calciumfromothersources(DetectedbyincreaseinCa++)
I. Possible sources would be from drilling Gypsum/ Anhydrite. A more likely source is the
makeupwaterforthemud.
II. Treatment:isbySodaAsh(SodiumCarbonateNa2CO3)whichwillalsoprecipitatecalcium
carbonate,butwithoutloweringthealkalinity.
5)Magnesium(DetectedbyincreaseinMg++)
I. Magnesium contamination from the formation is extremely rare. The normal source of
Magnesiumcontaminationisseawaterusedtomixmud.
II. TreatmentisbyCausticSoda(SodiumHydroxideNaOH),KOH,orLime[CalciumHydroxide
Ca(OH)2). All of these products precipitate Magnesium Hydroxide [Mg(OH)2] as a Gel. If
high Magnesium levels are to be treated. this gel will cause very high viscosities, and
treatmentwithaflocculantsmaybenecessarytosettlethegel.
85June2009

6)HydrogenSulphide(DetectedbydecreaseinpH,increaseinSulphides)
I. H2Sisbyfarthemostdangerouscontaminant.Itiscolourlessandalthoughithasastrong
odouritkillsthesenseofsmellatlowconcentrations,Itisextremelytoxic.Withairitforms
explosivemixturesoverawiderangeofconcentrations..
II. Inthemuditcausesflocculation,accompaniedbyarapidfallinpH,duetoreactionwith
CausticSoda.Asanimmediatemeasure,themudshouldbetreatedwithCausticSodato
raisethepH,andtomaintaintheH2Sinsolution.Themudshouldalsobetreatedwithan
H2S Scavenger such as Zinc Carbonate, Zinc Oxide, or Iron Oxide to remove dissolved
sulphides.
III. TreatmentwithCausticSodaaloneisnotrecommended,sinceallthattheCausticdoesis
toensurethattheH2Sremainsdissolvedinthemud.FurtherintrusionsofH2Swilllower
thepH,andallowallthedissolvedH2Stobreakout.
IV. ItisrecommendedthatailrigsworkinginpotentialH2SzonesbeequippedwithproperH2S
detectors,andthatallpersonnelreceiveproperH2Ssafetytraining.
7)Lowgravitysolids(Detectedbyincreaseinretortsolidcontent)
I. Optimizesolidcontrolequipment
II. Dilutewithwaterorbaseoil
8)Airentrapment(Detectedbyincreasebubbleinthesystem)
I. Minimizesurfaceairentrapmentsuchasaerationprocess
II. Treatsystemwithdefoamingagent
9)Bacterialdegradation(Detectedbyincreaseincarbonatealkalinity)
I. Addbiocideorlime
II. IncreasepHandtreatsystemwithfreshpolymer
10)Corrosion(Detectedbyexternalorinternalpittingondrillpipe)
I. RaisepHtobetween11to11.5
II. Treatthesystemwithsuitablecorrosioninhibitor
11)Foaming(Decreaseinmudweightandfoamonsurfaceofmudpits)
I. Addsuitabledefoamertothesystem
II. Spraywateronthesurface
III. Addviscosifierandreducemechanicalaeration
12)HydrocarbonInflux(increaseinpitvolumeandreductioninmudweight)
I. Increasemudweight
II. Operatedegasser
III. Shutinwellandfollowproperkillprocedures
86June2009

13)Thermalinstability(increaseinfluidrheologyandsystemflocculate)
I. Treatmudwithdeflocculantsorthinner
II. UsethermallystablepolymerandcoverttoHTHPsystem
III. Dilutethesystemwithwaterorbasefluid
14)Emulsionbreaking(presenceofwaterinHTHPfiltrate)
I. Treatmudwithprimaryorsecondaryemulsifier
II. Treatsystemwithfluidlossreducer
III. Addlimetothesystem
15)Waterwetting(presenceofwaterwetsolidsaginthermocup)
I. Treatmudwithsecondaryemulsifierorwettingagents
II. Treatsystemfreshmud
III. Addwatertosolubilizeexcesssalt
16)Baritesag(presenceofbaritesettleinthermocup&decreaseinmudweight)
I. Treatmudsystemwithviscosifier.Usuallythemudneedsasmallamountofbentonite(2
6lbs/bbl)toalleviatethisproblem.Polymerviscosifiersarelesseffective.
II. Treatsystemlowendrheologymodifier
17)Iron(Changeofbrinecolortogreenishorrusty)
I. Treatbrinesystemwithcausticformonovalentbrineandfilterthebrine
II. Treatsystemironscavenger
III. Displacethebrinesystemwithfreshuncontaminatedfilteredbrine
87June2009

88June2009

89June2009

90June2009

Section1.3
WELLSITEEQUIPMENT
91June2009

1.3.1 DRILLINGRIGSPECIFICATIONS
Inthebasisofdesignprocess,rigspecificationsareveryimportanttoplanthejobaheadand
haveallthecontingenciesneededpriortostartdrilling.Mudpitscapacities,solidscontrol
equipmentavailabilityandadditionalstorageissomeofthekeyinformationnecessaryfordrilling
fluidsplanning.
Therigcirculatingandsolidscontrolequipmentsystemshouldbeauditedbyaqualifiedservice
companyandanyrecommendedimprovementsimplementedpriortothestartofdrilling.
1.3.2 DATABASECONTAININGALLRIGEQUIPMENTFOREACHRIG
Usethefollowinglinktoaccesstherigspecifications.
http://eccweb.enp.aramco.com.sa/drilling/NewDIH/Drilling_Manuals/DataFiles/Rig%20Specifications.pdf
92June2009

1.3.3 MUDLABORATORYEQUIPMENTAUDITREPORTS
Rig Mud Lab Audit Report

Check List for Water-Base Mud Testing Equipment
ReportNo.Well:Rig:
Date:
RetortKit
Comments
Calibration Yes/No S/N:
Viscometer&Thermocup
Calibration Yes/No ViscometerS/N:
HTHPFiltrate
Yes/No HTHPFiltrateS/N:
RequiredChemicalsandEquipmentforTestingWaterbasedDrillingFluids
Yes/
No
Condition
1AtmosphericMudbalance
2PressurizedMudbalance
3MarshFunnel,GraduatedCup(onequart)andThermometer220F
4SixspeedViscometer(600,300,200,100and6&3rpm)andthermocup.
5APIFilterPress(LowTemperature/LowPressurecell).
6HTHPFilterPress(HighTemperature/HighPressure)
7Retortinstrument(50ml).
8200meshsieve,funnelandglassmeasuringtube(Sandcontentset).
9Methylenebluecapacity(MBT).
10pHmeter(014),for150 F,resolution0.1unitandcalibrationpH
standards.
93June2009

RequiredChemicalsandEquipmentforTestingWaterbasedDrillingFluids
11pHPaper(014).
12Hydrogensulfidedetectionkit(Leadacetatepaperdiscs).
13Chemicalanalysiskitforallalkalinityandlimecontent.
14Chemicalanalysiskitforchlorides.
15Chemicalanalysiskitfortotalhardness(calciumandmagnesium).
16Chemicalanalysiskitforcalciumsulphate.
17Chemicalanalysiskitforcalciumandmagnesium.
18Chemicalanalysiskitformonitoringthebiocidetreatment(Aldehyde).
19PilotTestKit(Balance,HamiltonBeachMixer,etc.).
20GarrettGasTrainandDraggertubesforlowandhighCO2andH2S.
21Chemicalanalysiskitformonitoringpotassiumionconcentration>5000
mg/I.
22PPT
Name and Signature of Mud Engineer:
Yes/
No
Condition
Name and Signature of

Saudi Aramco
Representative:
94June2009

Rig Mud Lab Audit Report

Check List for Oil-Base mud testing equipment
Report No.
Retort Kit
Well:
Rig:
Date:
Aramco Rep.
Calibration
Yes/No
Comments
S/N:
Calibration
Yes/No
S/N:
Electrical Stability Tester
HTHP Filtrate
Yes/No
S/N:
Chemical & Equipment for Testing Oil-Based Drilling Fluids

Most of the field-testing equipment used for water-based mud can also be used for oilbased mud. However, in addition to the water-based equipment mentioned above, the
following field testing equipment for oil-based mud is required.
1- Chemical analysis kit for oil-based mud to measure excess lime
2- Electrical stability meter with calibration resistors / diodes
3- Hand held scientific calculator.
4- Samples of oil-based mud products to be included in the Pilot Test Kit.
5- PPT
Name & Signature of Mud Engineer:
Name & Signature of Saudi Aramco

Representative:
95June2009
Mud Balance Model
Pressurized Mud Balance

Mud Balance Model
Constructed of premium metals for durability,
accuracy and ease of use
The Mud Balance provides a simple, practical method
for accurate determination of fluid density. It is one of
the most sensitive and accurate field instruments
available for determining the density or weight-per-unitvolume (specific gravity) of drilling fluids. An outstanding
advantage of this Mud Balance is that the temperature
of the sample does not materially affect the accuracy of
readings. A high impact plastic case protects the
balance during transport and provides a secure base in
its working position.
The Mud Balance is constructed with an easy-to-read
beam which is graduated into four scales:
pounds per gallon
specific gravity
pounds per cubic foot
pounds per square inch per 1,000 feet of depth
The volume of space occupied by entrapped gas or air
bubbles in a sample fluid may distort the accuracy of the
fluid density measurement. This distortion can be
significantly reduced by pressurizing the fluid. The
density of a fluid containing entrained air or gas can be
determined more accurately by using a pressurized fluid
density balance.
Pressurized Mud Balance
The Pressurized Mud Balance is an instrument for
measuring the absolute density of a fluid sample. The
density of a fluid sample, such as cement slurry, can be
measured in a fixed volume sample under pressure. By
pressurizing the sample cup the entrained air or gas can
be decreased to a negligible volume, thus providing a
slurry density measurement more closely in agreement
with the true density which will be realized under downhole conditions.
Fann density balances are constructed of premium
metals for durability, accuracy and ease of use. A high
impact plastic case protects the balance during
transport and provides a secure base in its working
position.
96June2009

Marsh Funnel Viscometer

Marsh Funnel Viscometer
The Marsh Funnel is a simple device for indicating

viscosity on a routine basis. When used with a
measuring cup the funnel gives an empirical value for
the consistency of a fluid. The number obtained
depends partly on the effective viscosity at the rate of
shear prevailing in the orifice, and partly on the rate of
gelation.
The Marsh Funnel Viscometer and Measuring Cup are
made of rugged, break-resistant plastic that resists
temperature change deformation. The Measuring Cup,
graduated in cubic centimeters and fluid ounces, is
designed specifically for use with the Marsh Funnel.
This easy to operate equipment is used for making
rapid, on the spot measurements of fluids viscosity.
The Marsh Funnel readings are only general
measurements, but the frequent reporting of the Marsh
Funnel Viscosity will indicate changes in the fluid
viscosity that could require corrective action.
Funnel Viscosity is the ratio of the speed of the sample
fluid as it passes through the outlet tube (the Shear
Rate) to the amount of force (the weight of the fluid)
that is causing the fluid to flow (the Shear Stress).
Marsh Funnel Viscosity is reported as the number of
seconds required for one quart of sample fluid to flow
out of a full Marsh Funnel.
In addition to the Marsh Funnel, the viscosity
measurement procedure requires a graduated
container (Measuring Cup) to receive the fluid as it
flows out of the funnel, a means to measure elapsed
time (Stopwatch), and a thermometer for measuring the
temperature of the sample
97June2009
pH Meters Digital

pH Meters Digital
Easy to operate
The Digital pH Meter is easy to operate, rugged, portable and
compact, measuring only 3" by 6". It is battery operated and
has a 5/16" high LCD display that is easy to read in all lighting
conditions. The meter is packaged in a rugged carrying case
with one 9-volt alkaline battery, permanently sealed
combination probe, pH 4, 7 and 10 buffer capsules, plastic
buffer bottles, and a comprehensive manual.
Each Digital pH Meter is inspected and tested to provide
reliable and trouble free operation. It is accurate and
repeatable to +.02 pH and has solid state integrated circuitry
with temperature stable components. The meter includes a
standardizing knob for calibration and slope control, which
matches the meter to the probe for optimum accuracy.
The meter operates with a range of 0 to 14 pH and has a
complete line of accessories. With its low battery indicator,
optional 115-volt and 230-volt AC adapters, and optional car
adapter, the Digital pH Meter is ready for field and lab
operation.
Electrical Stability Tester (EST)

Electrical Stability Tester (EST)
Electrical Stability
The electrical stability (ES) of an oil-based drilling fluid is
related to the stability of the emulsion and oil-wetting
capability. ES is determined by applying a voltage-ramped,
sinusoidal electrical signal across a pair of parallel flat-plate
electrodes that are immersed in the mud. The resulting
current remains low until a threshold voltage is reached,
whereupon the current rises very rapidly
The Electrical Stability Tester (EST) is a battery powered
portable instrument that conforms to the test
procedure described in API Recommended Practice 13B-2
The Model 23D EST is calibrated in peak volts which is the
maximum voltage that the fluid experiences between the two
electrodes. Peak voltage may be converted to Root Mean
Square (RMS) voltage by multiplying the peak voltage by
0.7071
98June2009
Viscometer Model 35
Viscometer Model 35
Widely known as the Standard of the Industry for drilling
fluid viscosity measurements
Fann produces a range of true Couette coaxial cylinder
rotational viscometers. The test fluid is contained in the
annular space or shear gap between the cylinders. Rotation of
the outer cylinder at known velocities is accomplished through
precision gearing. The viscous drag exerted by the fluid
creates a torque on the inner cylinder or bob. This torque is
transmitted to a precision spring where its deflection is
measured and then related to the test conditions and
instrument constants. This system permits the true simulation
of most significant flow process conditions encountered in
industrial processing.
Direct Indicating Viscometers combine accuracy with simplicity
of design, and are recommended for evaluating materials that
are Bingham plastics. These instruments are equipped with
factory installed R1 Rotor Sleeve, B1 Bob, F1 Torsion Spring,
and a stainless steel sample cup for testing according to
American Petroleum Institute Specification RP 13B. Other
rotor-bob combinations and/or torsion springs can be
substituted to extend the torque measuring range or to
increase the sensitivity of the torque measurement. Shear
stress is read directly from a calibrated scale. Plastic viscosity
and yield point of a fluid can be determined easily by making
two simple subtractions from the observed data when the
instrument is used with the R1-B1 combination and the
standard F1 torsion spring.

Filter Press API (LPLT)
The most effective means of determining the

filtration properties of drilling muds and cement
slurries
The Series 300 APT Low Pressure Low Temperature
(LPLT) Filter Press consists of a mud reservoir
mounted in a frame, a pressure source, a filtering
medium, and a graduated cylinder for receiving and
measuring filtrate. The basic unit has a cell
assembly constructed of rustproof anodized aluminum
and chrome plated brass, and includes the required
screen and gaskets.
Working pressure is 100 psig and the filtering area is
7.1-in2, as specified in the American Petroleum
Institute, API Recommended Practice 13B-1 and 13B2.
99June2009

Filter Press HPHT 175 ml

175 ml HPHT Filter Press units can be pressurized to 1800
psig on the cell and 750 psig on the back pressure receiver.
Maximum operating temperature is 350F.
HPHT Filter Presses are available in various component
configurations to allow for greater flexibility in choosing the
system and options that suite each individual need.
Pressurization with CO2 Cartridges, bottled Nitrogen, or an
in-house (user provided) source.
Single or double opening cells that accept different filter
media.
Filter media that includes the API standard Filter Paper,
Ceramic Discs of several calculated porosities, and various
mesh sized screens.
8
Filter Press HPHT
The 3-Way Valve with Valved Quick Disconnect Stabilizer

Regulator helps address our concerns relating to safer high
pressure equipment. The features include a unique 3-way
valve attached to a hex nipple going into the HTHP cell to
isolate gas from regulator and fluid under pressure. The 3way valve is turned and not the entire valve stem. Valved
quick-disconnect couplings allow the streamlined and
lightweight Stabilizer regulator to be removed for cleaning
the cell after testing.
The Hydrometer Kit
The Hydrometer Kit

The Hydrometer Kit measures the true specific gravity of
liquids in the range of 0.700 to 2.000 specific gravity. The
kit consists of eight 265 mm/10.5 inch glass hydrometers
and a thermometer range -30 to 120F in 1 divisions, all
packed in a protective foam-lined carrying case. The
hydrometer scale is standardized at 60F. For maximum
efficiency, special hydrometer cylinders are available in 250
ml and 500 ml sizes. Other specific gravity ranges and
types of hydrometers are available upon request.
Size: 13.5 x 10 x 2.5 inches (34.3 x 25.4 x 6.4 cm)
Weight: 2 lbs 10 oz (1.2 kg)
100June2009
Chloride, Alkalinity and Water

Hardness Test Kit

Chloride, Alkalinity and Water Hardness Test Kit

The Filtrate Analysis Kit contains all equipment and
reagents required to test for chloride content, alkalinity,
calcium content, and hardness by the Versenate Method,
according to API Recommended Practice 13B-1. All testing
apparatus and reagents are contained in a specially
designed stainless steel carrying case.
10
Mud Test Kit Basic
Mud Test Kit Basic

The Basic Mud Test Kit is designed to provide the basic
drilling fluid testing equipment required for field testing of
water based drilling fluids according to API
Recommended Practice 13B-1. All testing apparatus and
reagents are contained in a specially designed stainless
steel case.
11
101June2009

Mud Test Kit - Oil Mud Kit Model
866

Mud Test Kit - Oil Mud Kit Model 866
Oil Mud Test Kits are designed as a compliment to the
Basic Mud Testing Kit by providing all necessary drilling
fluid testing equipment required for field testing of oil
based drilling fluids according to API Recommended
Practice 13B-2. All testing apparatus and reagents are
contained in a specially designed stainless steel case.
12
Methylene Blue Test Kit
Shows the amount of reactive clays (bentonite and/or

drill solids) present in drilling fluid
The Methylene Blue Test Kit containing all reagents,
glassware and hardware required to perform the
methylene blue test according the API recommended
practice. All items are neatly packaged in a rugged
Stainless Steel carrying case.
13
Methylene Blue Test Kit
102June2009
Retort Oil and Water 50ml Kit
Retort Oil and Water 50ml Kit

A retort, sometimes called a still, is used to determine the
quantity of liquids and solids in a drilling fluid. In a retort
test, a measured sample of fluid is placed in a cup and
heated until the liquid components have been vaporized.
The vapors are passed through a condenser and collected
in a graduated cylinder or centrifuge tube that has been
calibrated to record the volume of the condensed liquids at
20C. The distillate is read directly as volume percent of the
solids sample's original volume.
Suspended and dissolved solids are determined by
subtracting these from 100 percent of the initial sample. For
fresh-water fluids, the relative amount of barite and clay can
be estimated. Corrections must be made for salt in the
calculation for solids content by volume.
The Oil and Water Retort provides a simple, direct field
method for determining the percent by volume of oil and
water in samples in drilling mud or in core samples of the
formation. The Retort has been found to be especially
useful in determining the oil content of emulsion muds.
Garrett Gas Train Test
Garrett Gas Train Test

Measures the concentration of soluble sulfides and
soluble carbonates
The Garrett Gas Train (GGT) measures the concentration
of sulfides or carbonates in drilling fluids and drilling fluid
filtrates. This measurement gives a quantitative indication
of the rate and amount of intrusion of hydrogen sulfide or
carbon dioxide from the formation in the drilling fluid.
The Garrett Gas Train kit contains all hardware and
reagents required to conduct the procedure according to
API Recommended Practice 13B-1, ANSI/API 13B-1/ISO
10414-1. Two types of Dreger tubes are supplied to
adequately span the range of hydrogen sulfide
concentrations that may be found in water based drilling
fluid filtrates and in oil based drilling fluids. CO2 Dreger
tubes and 1 liter gas bags are supplied for determination of
carbonate concentration. Inert carrier gases, both CO2 and
NO2 are supplied for all tests. All items are securely
packaged in a waterproof, high-impact plastic carrying
case.
Hydrogen Sulfide Test Paper discs (supplied) can be used
in the Garrett Gas Train to give a qualitative indication of
the presence of sulfide. If the presence of sulfide is
indicated by darkening of the paper disc, a Dreger tube
should be used for quantitative analysis.
14
15

103June2009
Mixers - Multi-Mixer
Mixers - Multi-Mixer
Five-Spindle Multi-Mixer mixer is recommended for
use in general purpose mixing of drilling fluids in
preparation for laboratory tests of mud materials. This
mixer conforms to American Petroleum Institute
Specification 13A and is supplied with the API
recommended mud impeller blade for mixing waterbased and oil-based drilling fluids. This mixer can be
used to mix cement for field or laboratory testing.
16
Shearing Device / Dispersator
Shearing Device / Dispersator

The High Shear Mixer (Dispersator) utilizes a
patented mixing head that pumps material into the
hollow mixing chamber and outward through the
chamber openings. The blades on the mixing
head are designed to draft material from above
and below the mixing head and pull it into the
chamber. The suction of the blades and flow
through the chamber provide a more
homogeneous material mix compared to other
mixers which rely exclusively on centrifugal force.
This mixer achieves a higher shear in less time
and maintains a homogeneous material mix
without shear degradation. The mixing head is
easily disassembled for cleaning and the head
and shaft are replaceable
17

104June2009
Aging cell

Aging cell
Most drilling fluid formulations contain a base
liquid and additives which must be dissolved or
mechanically dispersed into the liquid to form a
homogenous fluid. The resulting fluid may
contain one or more of the following:
Water-dispersible (soluble) polymers or
resins
Clays or other insoluble but dispersible
fine solids
Soluble salts
The fluids are mixed or sheared for times
appropriate to achieve a homogenous mixture
and are then set aside to age. Aging is done
under conditions which vary from static to
dynamic and from ambient to highly elevated
temperatures.
18
The Portable Malvern Mastersizer Micro

The Malvern Mastersizer Micro
The Malvern Mastersizer Micro particle size
analyzer was developed to provide a simpleto-use compact particle analysis solution
capable of being operated at or near the
production line as well as in the laboratory.
Sample handling and dispersion is simplified
by the use of standard 600 to 1000 ml
laboratory beakers in place of a fixed tank. Its
robust construction and relatively small size
have made the Micro very popular for offshore
and mineral exploration applications.
19
Single Measurement range.

Measures materials from 0.3 m to 300 m.
105June2009
Permeability Plugging
Apparatus (PPA)
20

Permeability Plugging Apparatus (PPA)

5,000psigWorkingPressure
The Permeability Plugging Apparatus (PPA) is designed to
provide accurate simulation and measurement of downhole
staticfiltration.This5,000psigratedPPAisidealforpredicting
howadrillingfluidcanformapermeablefiltercaketosealoff
depleted/under pressure intervals. The PPA utilizes a
conventional HTHP Heating Jacket to simulate reservoir
temperature. The fluid cell is inverted, with pressure applied
from the bottom of the cell and filtrate collected out the top.
Pressure is transferred to the mud by a small hydraulic hand
pump through a small floating piston within the cell. The PPA
employs a ceramic filter disc, which is available in varying
porosities. The disc offers a more authentic representation of
theformation.
Pressurerating:5,000psig(34,473kPa)
Temperaturerating:500F(260C)
106June2009

1.3.4 SOLIDSCONTROL
IFYOUCONTROLTHESOLIDS,YOUCONTROLTHEMUD.
AncientMudPhilosopher
Solidsindrillingfluidsareacomplexbalanceofdesirableandundesirablecomponents.The
scienceandartrequiredtomaintainthisbalancebeginswithgoodwellplanning.Therightsolids
controlequipment(SCE)mustbeonlocationandtheexpertisemustbeavailabletooperate,
maintainandevaluatethisequipmentproperlyduringtheentirecourseofthewell.
Failuretomaintaintheproperbalanceofsolidsinthedrillingfluidcanresultinmanynegative
effects:
1. Increasedviscosityandfiltration
2. Highchemicalanddilutioncosts
3. Uncontrollablemudandcostlyreplacementoftheentiresystem
4. ReducedROP
5. Excesstorqueanddrag
6. Downholetoolfailure
7. Excesspumpwear
8. Damagetoproductionzones
9. Stuckpipe
10. Rigdowntime
DesigningaPreWellPlanforSolidsControlDrillingEngineer,MudSpecialist
1. Planthemudtypeanddensity
2. Developsolidstargetsforeachintervalandmuddensity
3. Understandlowgravitysolids(LGS)targetsandtoleranceofthemudsystemsselected
4. Understandthecostsofdilutionvsrealisticgoalsofsolidscontrolequipment
5. Determineifandwhencentrifugesmaybeneededandaprojectedoperationplan
(SolidsRemovalorBariteRecoverymode,howmanyhoursperdayrecommended)
6. CheckonavailabilityofadditionalSCErequired(centrifuges)
7. Developaplanforevaluationofsolidscontrolequipment(SCE)
8. Planlogisticstoaccommodatedilution/equipmentdischargevolumes
9. Considerenvironmentalimpactofexcessivedilution/discharge
10. DevelopaShakerScreenProgramforeachinterval
11. Determinewhenhydrocyclonesandcentrifugesarecosteffective
12. Considertheeffectbitchoiceshaveonsolidscontentinmudandtheresultant
dilution/costimpact
13. RequestaSolidsControlProgramforthewellfromacompanyspecializinginSCE
&RuleofThumb:Everyone(1)barrelofsolidsremovedbymechanicalmeanssavestwenty(20)
barrelsofdilution/displacementfluidtomaintain5%LowGravitySolids.
bblsofsolidsremoved/TargetLGS=bblsofdilutionrequired
Ex.1bblofsolidsremoved/0.05=20bblsdilutionrequired
107June2009

?Canthesameresultsformaintainingsolidscontentbeachievedwithdilution/
displacementversusthatexpensivesolidscontrolequipment?
NODilution/displacementisarandomdumpofallsolidsofallparticlesizes.Theneteffect
ispoorparticlesizedistributionofthesystemproducingpoorqualityrheology,filtration
controlandpotentialformationdamage.
?WhyisMechanicalSolidsControlsignificantlybetterthanarandomdumpofsolids?
MechanicalSolidsControlistheemploymentofvariouspiecesofequipmenttoremovesolids
ofaparticularsizerange,typeanddensity(specificgravity),withsomelimitations.Theeffect
istomaintainadesirableparticlesizedistributiontoaidincontrollingrheology,filtrationand
damagetoproducingformations.
?Whenarecentrifugesmostcommonlyused?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Wells>10,000feetorhighlydeviated/horizontalwells
Highbottomholetemperatures
Highdensitymuds
Expensivemuds
Producingzonessensitivetoformationdamageplugging
Environmentallysensitiveareas
Pros:DriversforadditionalMechanicalSolidsControl
o MudPerformance
o Mud/disposal/transportationcosts
o Minimizingmudvolumestolimitenvironmentalimpact
o Minimizingformationdamage
Cons:MoresophisticatedSCEdoesnotpayoffin:
o Shallowerwells/shorterdrillingdays
o Lackoftimeforsolidsaccumulation
o Economicsofsimplerdrillingfluids
o Lesserdegreeofdrillingdifficultywheremudperformanceislesscritical
o Minimalenvironmentalconstraints
Solidscontrolequipmenthaslimitations.Themostpracticalsolidscontrolmethodisa
combinationofmechanicalsolidsremovalfirstandmaintainingwithminimaldilutionsecond.
DevelopaWellSitePlanforSCEImplementationRigForeman,MudEngineer
1. ReviewtheSolidsControlWellPlanthoroughly
2. RequestarigauditofSCEbyaqualifiedmudspecialistorSCEcompany
3. Implementrecommendedrepairsofanyequipmentthatisnotoptimizedbeforespud
4. Ensureadequateinventoryofrecommendedshakerscreens,fittingsorspare
equipmentforplannedequipment
5. CoordinatewithanyplannedSCEvendorstosupplyequipmentandqualifiedoperators
6. Havetrainingsessionsforpit/shakerhandstocoverSCEresponsibilities
7. Postequipmentmaintenanceplan/proceduresinmudpitshack
108June2009
DRILLING FLUIDS
F
AWAR
RENESS
WO
DRILLING
G TECHNICA
AL DEPARTMENT
MudSoliidsWhataarethey?
Someindustryspe
ecialistsdefiinethemasTheGood,TheBadand
dTheUgly..
TheG
GoodCom
mmercialSo
olidsSolidsaddedtogivespecificeeffectssuchasbentonitee,
polymerss,weightingagents,LCM
Mplusseveraalmore.
TheB
BadSandSizeSolidsDrilledSolidswhichprroducethen
negativeeffeectspreviously
mentioneedandarettheeasiestto
oremove.
TheU
UglyCollo
oidalSizeSo
olidsThegreatestchallenge.Theyyhavetremeendoussurfaace
area,can
nbeveryreaactive,areth
hesamesizeeasmanyco
ommercialso
olids,haveth
hestrongestt
negativeeffectonm
mudpropertieesandareth
hemostdiffficult,ifnotiimpossibletoremove.
TYP
PESOFSOLLIDSINDRIILLINGFLU
UID
120
Barrite
RelativeVolume
100
Grround
M
Marble
80
DRILLED
D
SOLIDS
60
DEN
NSITY
SOLIDS
40
Graphite
Bentonite
e
BR
RIDGING
S
SOLIDS
20
Polymer//Starch
0
1
10
100
1000
PartticleSize(microns)
From thiscomparrisonitiscleearthatdeesirablesoliidssuchastthoseusedfforbridging and

h
conside
erable overllapin size withundesi
w
irable solids from drilliing. This makes
density have
the selecction and management
m
of solids co
ontrol equip
pment very important to be tailoreed to
thetypeofmudand
dtypeofform
mationbeingdrilled.Th
hiscomparissonalsoillusstratesthep
point
ud(PSD)neeednothaveaahighsolidsscontenttobeeffectivee.
thataweelldesignedbridgingmu
10
09 Jun
ne2009

HowdoIEvaluatetheSolidsContentofMyMud?
Commonly referred to as a loaded question or as one grizzly oil field hand said Its as
complicatedasWomensShoes.Simplysaid,itisamathematicalcalculationbasedonseveral
variablesincludingmuddensity,retortreadings,specificgravityofweightmaterialinuse,salinity,
specificgravityofanoilrecorded,typeofsaltinuseandamountofaddedcommercialsolidsin
themud.Thebestwaytoevaluatethesolidscontentistorelyonexperience,refertoprepared
ruleofthumbgraphsorrequireacompetentmudengineerwithcomputersoftwaretoproduce
thenumbers.AsolidsanalysisforthemudinuseisreportedontheDailyMudReport.
SolidsContentDefinitions
RetortSolidsRepresentsthetotalsolidsinthemudasreaddirectlyfromtheretorttube
andincludessolublesolids.
CorrectedSolidsRepresentsthetotalsolidsinthemudMINUSthesolublesalt.
LowGravitySolids(LGS)RepresentsthecorrectedsolidsinthemudMINUShighgravity
weightmaterial.Thisvaluealsoincludeslowdensityweightmaterialaddedsuchas
calciumcarbonate(CaCO3).
DrillSolidsRepresentsthetotalsolidsinthemudMINUSsolublesalt,anyweight
materialandchemicaladditives.
AnexampleofSolidsCalculationsfromaDailyMudReport
MUD PROPERTIES
Sample Source
Flow Line
1:58
Time
Note: Another value of solids
F
Flow Line Temp.
160
Depth
ft
lb/ft3
83.00
Mud Weight
measurement
reported daily is ASG of
Mud Gradient
psi/ft
0.58
sec/Qrt
Funnel Viscosity
73
Solids in the mud (average specific
600 RPM
99
300 RPM
61
47
200 RPM
gravity). In a barite weighted mud
30
100 RPM
6
RPM
10
(bariteS.G.=4.2),thecloserto4.2the
3
RPM
8
F
Rheology Temp.
120
ASG is, the cleaner the mud is
PV
cP
38
YP
lb/100ft2
23
LSYP
lb/100ft2
6
indicating that the solids are
lb/100ft2
Gel Strength(10s)
11
Gel Strength(10m)
lb/100ft2
17
predominantlybarite.
API Fluid Loss
ml/30min
HTHP Filtrate
ml/30min
2
Cake API/HTHP
1/32nd in
1
Sand Content
Vol %
Retort Oil
52
In a mud weighted with CaCO3 (S.G.
Retort Water
23
Retort Solids
25
2.7), the formulas cannot differentiate
Alkalinity Mud (Pom)
4
Excess Lime
ppb
6
Emulsion Stability
V
950
ASGofweightmaterialsolidsfromdrill
Oil Water Ratio
69/31
Clmg/l
310 k
solids due to the similar specific
BIT HYDRAULICS
SOLIDS ANALYSIS
AV / DP
ft/min 134.98 CaCl2
Vol %
3.63
gravity.
AV / DC
ft/min 200.01 CaCl2
% wt
36.2
5,430.00
CaCl2
mg/l 488,763
0.3771 / 4.6 Av.sp.Gr.Solids
2.62
0.6982 / 0.83Corrected SolidsVol % 21.37
hp/in2
0.97
Avg. Sp. Gr. of Salt Wa 1.35
BIT PRESSURE LOSS
psi 267.2 LGS
Vol %
1.72
NOZZELS VELOCITY
ft/sec 173.4 LGS
ppb 15.34
ECD @ Bit
lb/ft3 83.93 HGS
Vol % 19.66
ECD @ Casing Shoe lb/ft3
83.75 HGS
ppb 189.46
AV / RISER
na / ka
np / kp
BIT HHSI
ft/min
&RuleofThumb:LowGravitySolids=58%forabaritemud.34%forareservoirdrillinfluid
111June2009

Target Solids Percent for Muds that do not Contain Barite

82.3
If mud contains oil:

A. For each 1% oil in mud (as measured in retort) add 0.1 to solids
content. (Based on oil @ 0.84 Sp. Gr.)
80.8
If mud contains over 10,000 ppm salinity:

B. For each 10,000 ppm increase in salinity (as measured in filtrate
test), Subtract 0.3 from solids content. (This is approximate and will vary
slightly for various concentrations of salt and percent solids..
79.3
77.8
Example: Mud Wt. 71.8 pcf, oil 12%, 18,000 ppm chlorides
(Solids from graph) 9.5 + 1.2 {See A. re: oil content} - 0.54 {See B. *0.3
x 1.8 salinity*} = 10.16 % Target Solids
76.3
Mud Weight pcf
74.8
73.3
71.8
70.3
68.8
Solids based on 2.6 Sp. Gr
67.3
65.8
64.3
62.8
0
10
12
14
16
Solids Percent by Volume
112June2009
18
20

OIL BASE MUD

MUD WEIGHT Vs TOTAL SOLIDS%
No Drill Solids - CaCO3 Weight Material
Mud Weight pcf
Solids %
70
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
75
80
85
90
CORRECTED SOLIDS
UNCORRECTED SOLIDS
GUIDELINES FOR IDEAL UNCORRECTED SOLIDS vs DENSITY - OBM

NOTE: PARAMETERS USED FOR THESE TARGETS ARE:
OIL/WATER RATIO - 65/35
SALINITY - 350,000 using 77% PURITY CaCl2
WEIGHTING MATERIAL - CaCO3
*Variations on typical oil/water ratios or salinity of Aramco muds
will vary these targets by +/-1 - 4%.
113June2009
95

Density of Water & Diesel Emulsion with 3% LGS

100%
95%
90%
% Water
% Diesel
85%
80%
75%
70%
65%
60%
55%
%OIL
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
65.5
65.0
64.5
64.0
63.5
63.0
62.5
62.0
61.5
61.0
60.5
60.0
PCF
114June2009
59.5
DR
RILLING FLUIDS
S AWARENESS
D
DRILLING
TECHNICAL DEPARTM
MENT
WORKSHOP
P 1: BASIS OF DESIGN
D
67
75
82
2
90
97
105
11
12
120
127
135
142 150
157 165
1
115 June2009

AnotherToolforEvaluatingSolidsContentTrendCharting
Mudengineersshouldmaintainadailygraphofcriticalparametersdirectlyrelatedtosolids
contentduringthecourseofdrillingawell.AvisualrepresentationofthesedailyvaluesforPlastic
Viscosity,muddensity,solidscontent,lowgravitysolids,etc.canhelpinidentifyingtrendsinmud
propertiesthatcangounnoticedfromdaytoday.Targetscanalsobeincludedtohelpfollowthe
plan.Itisasimplemethodtoensurepreventionofassociatedproblemsthataredeveloping.
Someexamplesarebelow.
Solids Trend Chart
45
40
35
30
Maximum PV
25
Target Solids
20
15
10
5
Target LGS
0
12-May
13-May
13-May
14-May
14-May
Density/10
15-May
PV
15-May
Solids
16-May
16-May
17-May
17-May
LGS
Solids Analysis Trend Chart

PD-XXX / XXXX-1
38
36
34
32
30
28
26
24
22
Density/10
The squares in red indicate an excellent decrease in Low Gravity

Solids over the last f ew days to about 5% today. PV conf irms drop in solids.
Excellent work!
20
18
PV
Solids
LGS
16
14
12
10
8
Target LGS
6
4
2
0
13-Aug
15-Aug
17-Aug
19-Aug
21-Aug
23-Aug
25-Aug
27-Aug
Date
116June2009

AnotherTooltoquickcheckyourSolidsContentComparetoOtherRigs
SimplychecktheMudSummaryontheDrillingInformationHighwayandfindsimilarmudsto
seehowyourmudsolidscontentcomparestootherwells.
117June2009

SOLIDSCONTROLEQUIPMENTGUIDELINESWHATANDWHEN?
LSND,67100pcf
LSND,100150 LSND,withfineto
Spudmud,w/
Spudmud,6572
NOBARITE
pcfWITH
mediumgraphite
1040ppb
pcf
(ReservoirDrillIn
BARITE
(RGC)orLCM
LCM
Fluid)
Shaker1
100230
50100
170230
180220
120170
OBM/SBM,6875
pcfNOBARITE
OBM/SBM,75
140+pcfWITH
BARITE
AllOil,5770pcf
NOBARITE
Asfineaspossible
Asfineaspossible
Asfineaspossible
Shaker2
100230
50100
170230
180220
120170
Asfineaspossible
Asfineaspossible
Asfineaspossible
Shaker3
170230
100230
170230
180220
120170
Asfineaspossible
Asfineaspossible
Asfineaspossible
Shaker4
170230
110220
170230
180220
120170
Asfineaspossible
Asfineaspossible
Asfineaspossible
Desander
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Desilter
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Mud
Cleaner
Yes/blankedas
desilter
No
No
Yes,200270
mesh,ifno
centrifuge
available
Yes,asshakeronly,
nohydrocyclones,
screenasfineas
possible
Yes,asshakeronly,
nohydrocyclones,
screenasfineas
possible
Yes,200270
mesh,ifno
centrifuge
available
Yes,asshakeronly,
nohydrocyclones,
screenasfineas
possible
Centrifuge
1
No
No
Yes,TotalSolids
Removal(TSR)
Yes,Barite
recovery
Yes,TSRmode
Yes,Barite
recovery
Yes,TSRmode
Centrifuge
2
No
No
Yes,TotalSolids
Removal(TSR)
Yes,Barite
recovery
Yes,TSRmode
Yes,Barite
recovery
Yes,TSRmode
OnTSRtohold
desiredMWwhen
needed
OnTSRtohold
desiredMWwhen
needed
Notes:ALLSHAKERSCREENSABOVECONFORMTOAPIRP13CSIZES.
1.Allshakersshouldberunningwiththefinestscreenspossible.THEREISNOSUCHTHINGASASPARESHAKER!
2.PoolofmudonthescreenMUSTbemaintainedat7580%coverageonthescreens(referredtoasthe"pond".)
3.Mudcleanershouldbeusedasasecondarydesilterforspudmuds(blankscreen)orusedasadditionalshaker,exceptathighermudweightsandwithOBM.
4.Mudcleanerwith>=250meshscreensshouldberunonOBM/SBMtohelpinwaterwetsolidsremoval.
5.Centrifugesshouldberunintotalsolidsremovalmodeatlowermudweightsandinbariterecoveryinhighermudweights.
6.IfLCMisusedinOBM,largemeshscreensshouldonlybeuseduntilfullreturnsaregainedthentheLCMshouldbescreenedout.
7.Ifpossible,runmudfromthecentrifugerecoveringbariteovershakerormudcleanerscreenbeforeitreturnstothesystem.
8.Incertaincasesthecentrifugescanbeusedtoadvantagewithspudmud,aswhendrillwaterisinshortsupplyandyouwishtoreducethedilutionrate.
9.WhenkeepingsizedCaCO3andgraphiteinthemudsystem,theshakerscreensshouldbematchedtotheparticlesizesthataretobekeptinthesystem.
10.Mostimportantistoensurethatnocuttingsorwholemudbypassesshakerscreensthroughholes,gapsbetweenscreensoraroundskirtsatthedischargeend.
Keytoachievingthisistohavesomeonereliablewatching,maintainingtheshakersandchangingorpluggingscreensatalltimeswhilecirculating.
119June2009

HOWTOQUICKCHECKYOURSOLIDSCONTROLEQUIPMENTOPERATIONIN30MINUTESORLESS!
ShaleShakers
DoIhave75%poolonshaker?
Holesinscreens?Duringconnectionsturnoffshakersandcheckshakerscreensonebyone.
Aremotorsrunninginrightdirection?Withno mudonshaker,putgloveonbackanditshouldvibrateto
frontandoff.Notstayinthemiddleoftheshaker.
Checkforleaksaroundthesealsoftheshakerscreens.
Arethecrownrubbers/sealstripsingoodcondition?Checkwhenscreensareoff.Ifchangeone,changeall.
Isgreaseschedulebeingfollowed(Brandtshakers)?
BasedonROPandholesize,istherightamountofcuttingsconsistentlycomingofftheshaker?
Ensurethereisnoshakerbypass.Thiswillbuildupsolidsfurtherdownstream.
CheckoillevelinsightglassonsideofDerrickShakermotors.
Arecrankupboltstight?
Arescreentensionboltstight?
Arethespringsingoodcondition(rustedorsagging)?
Aretherubbervibrationdampenersingoodcondition?(Cracked,swollen,hard?)
Isthebasketlevel(sidetoside)?Checkwithspiritlevellaidonfrontofshaker.
Isrubbercurtaininplaceatfrontofshaker(tokeepsolidsfromfallingbackundershaker)?
Isthereexcessorunusualsoundscomingfromtheshaker?
Whenscreensarebeingchanged,notifymudengineertobetheretoinspect allpartsunderscreen.
IfVSM300,bladderpressuretoholdinscreenshouldbe+/ 90psi.
Degasser
Checkiffloatarmisfree.
Checkthatsuctionisfreeofsolidsbuilduparoundit.
Runfor25minutes.Checkvacuumgauge.Shouldbe0.5psi.
Donotbypassdegasserpitwhengoingtoashortsystem.
Desilter,Desander&MudCleaner
Isthepressurecorrect?Shouldread35 40psi(or3timesthemudweightinppg)
Conedischargesprayorrope?Shouldbespray.
Takeconesoffandcomparetoanewconeforwear.
Centrifuge
Whenwasunitlastserviced?Asktoseemaintenanceschedule keptbycentrifugeoperator.
Lookatgreasenipples.Shouldseeexcessfreshgrease toindicaterecentservice.
Rigforemanandmudeng.tobewiththecentrifugeoperatorduringregularmaintenancerounds.
Lookatsolidsbeingdischarged.Howmuch? Wetordry?Shouldnotbemud/fluid.Shouldnotberealdry.
Shouldbemediumsludgelikehumus.
Anyunusualnoiseorvibration?Unitshouldbezingingnoise andnoexcessvibration.
Ifpumpsmellslikeburntrubber,havevendorcheck.
Checkallhosesandfittingsforleaksordryrot.
Checkpumpforexcessleakage.
Iscentrifugegettingflushedoutduringshutdown?WBM flushwithwatertillwatercomesoutclean.
OBMflushwithbaseoilorlowerto500RPMandflowwithbasemudtowashout.
Visuallycheckforwater/baseoilhookupforflushing. Thereisaconnection isahosehookedtoit?
WhatisunitRPM?Bariterecovery1,5001,900 rpm,totalsolidsremoval2,4003,200rpm.
120June2009

Shaker/ScreenBestPractices
Themostcommonerrorinrunningshakersisnotrunningafullpoolofmudonthe
screens.Thepoolofmudshouldcoveratleast75%ofthetotalscreenarea.Minormud
lossesoverthescreenareacceptableandoftenbeneficial.
Inspectshakersonaregularbasis.Routinemaintenanceonscreenrubbersandregular
greasingofmovablepartsresultsinlongerscreenlifeandbettersolidsremoval.
Shakersareonlyasgoodasthegrade,installationandmaintenanceofthescreens.
Shakerscreensdonotmakeanabsolutecutbasedonthescreensize.Asscreensremove
solids,afilterbedeffect(FBE)developswhicheffectivelybecomesafinefilterontopofthe
screensurface.Thelargerthehole,thefastertheROP,thethickeranFBEbecomes,
trapping,piggybackingandremovingmoresolids.Theeffectcanbeanunexpected
removalofbariteoverascreenwhichtheoretically,bariteshouldpassthrougheasily.
Shakerperformanceisaffectedby:
Vibrationpatternsanddynamics
Numberofdecks
Decksize
Deckangle
Screentypeandmesh
MudRheology
Flowrateandsolidsloading
ShaleShakerAdjustments:
Deckangle
Generallytheeasiest/fastestadjustment
Donotuseasalongtermadjustment
Duringnormaloperationsthedeckangleshouldbeadjustedtozerodegreeswith75%Coverage
overthescreenarea.Thisiswhenyouknowtheproperscreensizehasbeenselected
Flowdistribution
Dependingondesign/availabilityandconditions
Generallylimitedbyflowrateandnumberofshakers
Canbechangedduringoperations
Oneshakerflowshouldalwaysbefullyopened
122June2009

Motiontype
LinearMotion
o Gforcelinearmotionupto6Gs
o Speedssolidsconveyance
o Increasesshakerfluidcapacity
o Enablesshakertoprocessheaviersolidsloads
o Enhancescuttingsprocessingvolume
EllipticalMotion
o ReducesGforce(5Gsmaximum)
o Optimizessolidsremoval
o Maximizesdrillingfluidsrecovery
o Driercuttings
o Extendsscreenlife
GForceBoost
o Onlyusedinlinearmotionupto6Gs
Screenchoice
Significantimpactonsolidssizeremoval
Canbedoneduringoperationsdependingonconditions
Manyrigsonlystockmultiplesize,notmultipleplatformormeshtypes
Theseparationperformanceofashaleshakerscreenisnormallyrepresentedbythe
percentageofdrillsolidsremovedandthescreenlife.Gradingthescreenswillvaryfrom
manufacturertomanufacturer,butthebestwaytocompareistolookatfluidvolumecapacity
versussolidsremovalefficiency.
ScreenBlinding;whatdowedo?
FirstDetermineifBlindingorSolidsBed(buildupofcuttingsnotconveyedoffthe
shaker)
1) IfSolidsBed
o LowerDeckangletoimproveconveyance
o IfdualmotionshakeruseLinearMotion
2) Blinding
o Screenup(finercutpoint)
o Changemeshweaveortoaplatformtypescreen
GForceFactor
CounterweightsettingsNotreadilychangedduringoperations
BoostmodeVeryfastchange,downsideiscurrentdesignsdonothavedeckangle
adjustment
123June2009

Shakerscreensarecomprisedoftwoelements:
Amediatoseparatethedrillingmudfromthecuttings(meshtype)
Amethodtoattachthemediatotheshaleshaker(platformtype)
Basedonthedrillingapplication,aspecificcombinationofthetwowilloptimizesolidsseparating
efficiency.
MeshCount
n=Startingatthecenterofonewireandcountingthenumberofopeningsalongthescreengrid
tothenextwirecenter,onelinearinchaway.
ScreenOpeningSize
Distancebetweenwiresmeasuredalongthescreengrid,expressedineitherfractionofaninchor
inmicrons
1inch=25400microns
D=25400[(1/n)d]
D=OpeningSize(microns)
n=MeshCount(numberofwires/inch)
d=WireDiameter(inch)
EffectsofWireDiameter
124June2009

Screenlabeling(APIRP13C)
ScreenName
APINumber
o Doesnotcoincidewithmeshcount!
CutPoint
D100microncutpoint
o Specifieswhatsizeparticleitwillremove100%ofthetime.
Conductance
MeasuredinKD/mm
o Theeaseinwhichfluidcanflowthroughaunitareaofscreen.
NonBlanketedArea
MeasuredinSquareFeet
o Takesintoconsiderationscreensupportrails,backingmaterial,ect.
WhatisAPIRP13C(ISO13501)?
A new physical testing and labeling procedure for shaker screens. To be API RP 13C
compliant,ascreenmustbetestedandlabeledinaccordancewiththenewrecommended
practice.
Two tests were devised: cut point and conductance. The tests describe a screen without
predictingitsperformanceandcanbeperformedanywhereintheworld.
After identifying the cut point and conductance, complying with API RP 13C requires
applicationofapermanenttagorlabeltothescreeninapositionthatwillbebothvisible
andlegible.BothcutpointexpressedasanAPInumberandconductanceshowninkD/mm
isrequiredonthescreenlabel.
Internationally,APIRP13CisISO13501.
The new procedure is a revision of the previous API RP 13E, which was based on optical
measurementsofthescreenopeningusingamicroscopeandcomputeranalysis.UnderAPI
RP 13E, screen designations were based on individual manufacturer test methods,
producinginconsistentlabeling.
APIRP13CRequiredScreenLabelingInformation
Afteridentifyingthecutpointandconductance,complyingwithAPIRP13Crequiresapplication
ofapermanenttagorlabeltothescreeninapositionthatwillbebothvisibleandlegible.Bothcut
point expressed as an API number and conductance shown in kD/mm is required on the screen
label.Previously,screenswerelabeledinaccordancewithmanufacturerspecifications.
125June2009

126June2009

127June2009

128June2009

129June2009

Hydrocyclones
Desanders
Desilters
MudCleaners
PerformanceVariables
ConeDiameter(inches)
FeedPressure(inletmanifold)
SolidsSizeDistribution(feed)
PlasticViscosity(feed)
Desander
Capacity 500gpm
CutPoint >90
Conediameter 12in.
FtofHeadReq. 75ft.(2030psi)
PracticalCutPoint=100meshscreen
ConeDiameter
Diameterdeterminesprocessingcapacity.
Largerconescanhandlemorevolume.
Smallerconescanremoveveryfinesolids.
Desilter
Capacity 75gpmpercone
CutPoint >60
Conediameter 4in.
FtofHeadReq. 90ft.(3040psi)
PracticalCutPoint=150meshscreen
MudCleaner
Themudcleanerisabankofhydrocyclonesmountedoverashaker.Insomeinstallations,
therearedesanderanddesilterconesmountedinsuchawaythattheunitcanbeusedasamud
cleanerorasashakerandhydrocycloneunitseparately.
MudCleanerswereintroducedinthe1980storemovefinersolidsfromthemudthanthe
shakerscouldremove,atthistimeshakerswereusing30to120meshscreens.
Withthevolumeofsolids&particlesizeleftinthemudfromtheolderdesignofshakers,the
mudcleanerswereeffective.
Withtodaysfinerscreeningshakersthathavehigheroverallefficiencyratesthanthe
traditionallinearmotionshakers,theapplicationsformudcleanersarelimitedandgenerally
notnecessary.
Whenrunningascreenabove200mesh,amudcleanerwillonlyremoveaverysmall
percentageofsolids,andduringthisprocessitwillgrindthesolidsthatareinthemudinto
ultrafinesolids.
Usefulinclosedlooped,wasteprocessingsystemstodryhydrocyclonedischarges.
130June2009

FeedPressureFeetofHead
Hydroclonesaredesignedtoprocessafixedvolumeofmudataspecifichead
Iftheheadpressureislessthanrequired,volumeprocessedwillalsobelessandvelocityof
themudenteringtheconewillproduceinsufficientGForce.
Itisgenerallynoteconomicaltorundesanders,desiltersandmudcleanersfromasolids
removalandmudcoststandpointunlesstheshaleshakersarenotoperatingefficiently.In
fact,theycanaggravateasolidsproblembygrindingupsolidstosmaller,hardertoremove
sizes.
SprayDischargeOptimumDesiredFlow
RopeDischargeNotoptimized!
131June2009

Centrifuges
Application
Theprimarybenefitofcentrifugeutilizationistocontrolfinesolidsthatcontributeto
undesirablemuddensityandrheology.
TotalSolidsRemovalModeDiscarddrillsolidsfromunweightedmud
BariteRecoveryModeReclaimBaritewhilediscardingdrillsolids
DualCentrifugingModeReclaimbariteandrecoverliquidfromadualcentrifuge
system
Dewateringapplicationsusingchemicalflocculants
CentrifugeProcessingRates
CentrifugesShouldProcess525%ofCirculatingVolume/Day.Typically,theseratesare1525
gpmforBariteRecoveryModeand3060gpmforTotalSolidsRemovalMode.
Processingratedecreasesasmuddensityincreases
BariteRecoveryMode
Theprocessofsalvagingbarite,themostexpensivecomponentofmanyweightedmud
systems.
ThetermBariteRecoveryismisleadingsincetheactualgoalistoremoveanddiscardas
manycolloidalfinesaspossiblewhilesavingthebarite.Removingthecolloidalfinesis
themosteffectivewaytoreduceviscosity(PVandprogressivegelstrengths).
Reducingviscositycreatingcolloidswithoutincreasingvolumethroughdilutioniswhere
theeconomicsofacentrifugepaysoff.
Rheologycontrolisthereasonweoperateacentrifugeinbariterecoverymode.
Theunitshouldonlybeoperatedwhenunwantedviscosityincreasesarenoticed.
Overcentrifugingforbariterecoverymayneedlesslydiscardliquidandadditives.
133June2009

Howdowedeterminewhentooperatethecentrifugeforbariterecovery?
PlasticViscosity(PV)isagoodindicatorofthetotalsolidsvolume,thenatureoftheirsize,
reactivity,andabilitytoproduceviscosity. PlasticViscosityisanindicatorofmechanicalfriction
betweensolidsparticlesinthefluidandthusanincreaseinPVwillindicateanincreaseinsolids
concentrationindicatingtheneedforacentrifuge.
BariteRecoveryEfficiency
Exceptatthelowestmuddensities,8595%ofbariteprocessedshouldberecoveredasa
3.87.6gpmsludge.
Adjustfeedandpondsettingstoachievea9.5ppg/3035funnelviscosityontheeffluent
discard.
Increasingfeedratewillsacrificecutpoint.Reducedfeedrategivesbetterseparation.
OncePVisstabilized,rununitcontinuouslyatlowervolumestomaintainthesystem.
TotalSolidsRemovalMode
ThegoalisdefinedasthenameimpliesRemoveasmanysolidsaspossibletomaintain
theminimummudweight.
ThecentrifugewillberunathigherRPM(2,5003,200rpm)
Largerbowlcentrifugesaremoreefficientforthispurpose.
Itisrecommendedtoruntheunitat7580%capacitytoavoidapproachingtorquelimits.
Byavoidingcapacitylimits,themostcommoncentrifugeproblemtorqueoverload
(plugging)canbeavoided.Runconservativelyandsteadyanddowntimewillnothappen.
Addyoursystemdilutionwateratthecentrifugefeedpipewhichwillreducefeedviscosity
andenhancecentrifugeefficiency.
Important!Avoidrunningtheunitinhourlyintervals.LowerGPMforlongerintervalswill
maintainmoreconsistentmudpropertiesandlongerunitlifewithoutproblems.
DualStageMode
Consistsofa2centrifugesystemtoaccomplishthefollowing:
1) Bariterecoverymodeonfirstcentrifuge.Effluentsenttosecondcentrifuge.
2) Strippingeffluentstreamofultrafinestodischargeandreturnofcleanedfluidtothe
activesystem.
RecommendedOperatingPractice:
Runcontinuouslyat7580%capacityaroundtheclocktoachieveminimummudweight.
Donotshutunitdownifgoalsareachieved.Continuetoprocesslowvolumetomaintain
minimumweight.
134June2009

NotesonDualCentrifugesystems
Centrifugingweightedmudforbariterecoverycansavemanytimesthecentrifugescost
Liquidfractionsofnewmudtypesoftencostasmuchormorethanbarite.(chemical,
synthetic,oil,etc.)
Recoveryofexpensiveliquidandchemicaliscosteffectiveformanymodernmudsystems.
Installationandoperatingparametersarecriticalforsuccessfuldualcentrifuging
Highlyrecommendedforweightedoilbasemudtorecovertheexpensiveoilfractionand
minimizeenvironmentalimpactfromliquiddischarges.
DualCentrifugeProcess
DualCentrifugingWeightedMud
F lo w Schem atic fo r
Dual Centrifu ge Parallel
Op eratio n s
18 5 0 Ce ntrifu ge
51 8 C en tr ifug e
A
B
C
D
E
Ce ntrifu ge Fee d P um p
18 50 C en trifug e Fe ed
So lid s
Cen trifug
Di
h e
51 8 CedO
OF
ntri fugfle Fee d
So lid s D ischa rg e
A
B
C
D
Figur e 1
135June2009

Flow Schematic for

Dual Centrifuge Series-Parallel Operations
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
1850CENTRIFUGE
518 C ENTRIFUGE
Centrifuge Feed Pump
Feed Pump
Barite Recovery Jet Hopper
Barite Recovery Jet
Liquid Phase Catch Tank
J
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
J
1850CENTRIFUGE Feed
518 C ENTRIFUGE Feed
518 C ENTR IF UGE Feed from Active (Optional )
1850CENTR IF UGE Solids Dis card (Opt ional )
B arit e Return to Active
Overflow t o Acti ve Syst em
518 CENTRIFUGE Soli ds Discard
Dil ution to 1850C ENTRIFUGE F eed
3
Liquid Phase from Centrifuges
H
7
A
D
E
F
3
C
Figure 2
NotesonCentrifugingUnweightedMud
Becauseofprocessinglimitationsthesmallerprocessingratecentrifugesareeffectivesolids
controldevicesonlyundercertainconditions:
Installedandoperationalpriortoincreasingthemudweightwithbarite.
LowCirculationRates
o BowlRPMcanbeincreasedforafinercutpoint
Withunweightedmudsystemsweneverknowonarealtimebasisatwhatparticlesizes
existinthemudsystem,onlythattheiraveragespecificgravityis2.6.
Asformationtypeschangethecentrifugeneedstobeadjustedforthegoalofmaximum
solidsdiscard.
ToDiscardLargevolumesofCoarseSolids:
Runminimumbowlrpm
UseunitwithmaximumBowl/Conveyor
Differential
FeedTubefullyretracted
Reducedfeedrate
Theseadjustmentsarenecessaryto
reducebowl/conveyortorqueand
preventpackingofftheunit.
136June2009

ToDiscardLargevolumesofUltraFineSolids:
MaximumBowlrpm
MinimumBowl/ConveyorRPMDiff.
FeedTubefullyinserted
Adjustthefeedrateformaximumdiscard
PrinciplesofOperationCentrifuges
CentrifugalSeparation
Basedontheprincipleofacceleratedgravity
o Anobjectwhirledaboutacentralpointisforcedawayfromthatcentralpoint
Thedegreeofrotationalforcegeneratedis:
o Afunctionoftherotationalspeedandthedistanceoftheobjectfromthe
rotationalpoint
DecantingCentrifuge
Abowlisrotatedaboutitscentralpointatsomespeed,withtheoutersurface(I.D.)ofthe
bowlfromthecentralpointbeingdefinedasthebowlsradius.
ThedegreeofCentrifugalForcegeneratedisafunctionoftherotatingspeedandthebowls
radius.
ThisisexpressedasGForceinmultiplesoftheearthgravitationalforce(1G)
GForce=BowlDiameter(inches)XRPM2X0.0000142
Whenasuspensionofsolidsisfedintotherotatingbowl,solidsstrivetomoveoutward
throughtheliquidtowardtheinternalsurfaceofthebowl
Theeffectiveforcegeneratedbytheparticlesastheymovetotheinternalsurfaceofthe
bowlisdeterminedbytheirdensityinrelationtotheliquid,andtheirphysicalsize
ParticleMassandSeparationTime
Largermoredenseparticlesmovethroughtheliquidwiththegreatestforce,making
immediateseparation.
Smallerlessdenseparticlesmovethroughtheliquidtotheinteriorsurfaceofthebowl
withlessforce,takingmoretimetoseparate.
Thesmallertheparticlethegreatertheseparationtime.
137June2009

PerformanceAdjustments
Adjustableinfiveways:
BowlSpeed(RPM)
Bowl/ConveyorSpeed(RPM)Differential
PoolDepth(inches)
FeedTubePlacement
FeedRate(gpm)
CentrifugeBowl
ParametersaffectingSeparation:
BowlRotatingSpeed(RPM)
Units(1,900upto4,000rpm)BowlDiameter(inches)
Units(upto70Inches)
Increasedbowlspeedwillresultingreatersolidsremoval
CentrifugeBowlSpeed
CentrifugeModelsvaryinsizeinspeed.
BowlSpeedGForce
1900RPM720
2500RPM1250
3250RPM2100
GForce=RPM2xBowlDia.x0.0000142
RecommendedGForceRangeGeneralRequirements
1) BariteRecovery600700Gs
2) SolidsRemoval1,0003,000Gs
Mudtype,weight,economics,bowllengthandprocessvolumecanvarythesenumbers.
138June2009

140June2009

141June2009

142June2009

Section1.4
HEALTH,SAFETYAND
ENVIRONMENTAL
(HSE)
143June2009

1.4.1H2SAWARENESS
Characteristics
HydrogenSulphideingaseousform
Colorless
Flammable
HighlyToxic
Associatedwiththebiologicaldegradationoforganicmatterwithsulfidesbybacteriainan
anaerobicenvironment
H2SDangerRecap
Concentration Concentration Effect

%
ppm
0.001
10
Can smell, "safe" for up to 8 hours
0.01
100
Kills sense of smell in 3-15 minutes; may burn eyes and

throat
0.02
200
Kills sense of smell quickly; stings eyes and throat
0.05
500
Loss of balance; respiratory difficulty in 30-45 minutes,

leading to pulmonary edema
0.07
700
Unconscious in less than 15 minutes; immediate artificial

respiration needed, otherwise death will occur
0.1
1000
Permanent brain damage inflicted in single breath; If not

rescued, death will occur quickly
144June2009

1.4.2 MUDCHEMICALSSAFETYHANDLINGGUIDELINES
YoucanfindchemicalhazardinformationforchemicalsusedbyAramcointhe
followinglink:
http://epdapps.aramco.com.sa/Publications/Hazcom/default.asp
145June2009

1.4.3MARINEBIOTOXICITYTESTINGLC50
SaudiAramcohastakenaproactivestepinimplementingaprogramforroutinemonitoringof
drillingfluidtoxicityinthemarineenvironmentbyapplicationofagloballyacceptedstandardtest
used by many countries. As of May, 2009 all offshore drilling and workover operations are
requiredtofollowtheSaudiAramcoLC50protocol.

In addition to this publication, the RIG OPERATOR shall have readily available for reference to drilling or
workoverpersonnelthemostrecentpublicationsasfollows:
SAESA103
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
DischargestotheMarineEnvironment
PURPOSE
1.1
Thisprocedureprovidesadetaileddescriptionoftheprocessanddocumentrequirements
forsamplingandshippingdrillingfluidsamplesforLC50toxicitytesting.
SCOPE
2.1 Thescopeofthisprocessisapplicabletooffshoredrillingandworkoverrigs.
RESPONSIBILITIES
3.1
The Project Supervisor (Saudi Aramco Drilling Superintendent) or other designated
personnelwillensurethatallproceduresanddocumentshavebeencompletedaccording
totheproceduredescribedbelow.
3.2
TheProjectSupervisorshallestablishthesamplecollectingscheduleandnotifytheAramco
Liaisonmanontherigs.
3.3
TheProjectSupervisorisresponsibletoprovidethematerialsmentionedinsection4tothe
rigsforcollectingsamples.
3.4
The Aramco Liaisonman on a rig is responsible to ensure that samples are collected and
shippedaspersections5.1,5.2&5.3.
3.5
Testing Agency (currently KFUPM) is responsible to ensure that samples are received in
goodorderandperformtheLC50toxicitytestingasstipulatedinsection5.4.Ensurethat
SaudiAramcoisnotifiedofthetestresultsassoonaspossible.
MATERIALS
4.1
Thefollowingstandarditemsshallbeusedforthecollectionandshippingofdrillingfluid
samples;
4.1.1 Shippingcontainer(icechest,box,orbuckets)
4.1.2 ChainofCustody(COC)
4.1.3 Samplecontainer(plasticcubitainers,plasticorglassjars,plasticormetalbuckets)
providedbyTestingAgency.
4.1.4 Coolants(iceand/orgelpacks)
4.1.5 SampleReceiptLogbook
146June2009
5.0

PROCEDURE
Thefollowingguidelinesaretobeimplementedtoensurethatuniform,representativedrillingfluid
samples are collected for compliance testing as required by Saudi Aramco Environmental
Guidelines.
5.1 CollectingDrillingFluidSamples
5.1.1 Collectthedrillingfluidsamplefromthereturnflowlineundertheshaleshaker.If
there are no returns across the shaker, sample must be taken (for a location &
time)thatisrepresentativeoftheoverall(average)mudsystemtobedischarged.
5.1.2 Besurethatwaterisnotbeingsprayedontheshakerduringsamplecollection.
5.1.3 Donotcollectthesamplejustafteraconnectionhasbeenmade;pipedopecould
contaminatethesample.
5.1.4 Bioassaytestsareverysensitiveanddependinpartonthestabilityofthesystem
emulsion. Toensurethatarepresentativesample iscollected, donotcollectthe
sampleafterthefollowingevents:
Justafteracementingoperation.
Justafteraheavychemicaloperation.
Justafteratrip.
JustafterdisplacementtoawaterbasesystemwithMineralOilBasedMud
(MOBM).
5.1.5 Itiscriticaltoallowtheemulsiontohealandforthesystemtorestabilizeafterany
oftheseevents.Itisnecessarytoadequatelycirculateanydrillingfluidsystemafter
oneoftheseevents has occurredbeforeasampleiscollected. Dependingonthe
event,circulationmayberequiredformorethan48hoursbeforeasampleshould
be collected. For MOBM in particular, it is NOT advisable to sample immediately
afterafreshbatchoffluidisbuilt.
5.1.6 SpottingFluids:
Collect a drilling fluid sample before placing a spotting fluid in the well.
This first sample is needed to establish that the mud discharges were in
compliancebeforethespottingfluidwasused.
After the spotting fluid has been recovered, collect a second sample of
drillingfluid.Thissampleisusedtodeterminetheamountofthespotting
fluid recovered, to determine the oil content of the mud system, and to
determineanyeffectofthespottingfluidonthesystemstoxicity.
Ifmostofthespottingfluidisnotrecoveredandbecomesmixedwiththe
drilling fluid system, it could greatly increase the toxicity of the mud
system.Thedrillingfluidsystemmayhavetobecontaineduntilthesystem
issafelyincompliance.Inaddition,ifcertainoilsareusedinthespotting
fluid, it may cause the mud discharges to produce a sheen which is
prohibited.
5.1.7 UpsetsKicks:
5.1.7.1 Whenakickoccurs,collectasamplebeforetheinvadingfluidreachesthe
surface. TherearedifferentSaudiAramcorulesgoverning this eventand
theoperatormaynotbeoutofcomplianceinthissituation.Inanycase,it
is important to be able to show that the drilling fluid was in compliance
beforetheinfluxaltereditstoxicity.Afterthekickhasbeenresolvedand
drillingcontinues,collectasampleasinStep5.1.1.
147June2009

5.2 ShippingofSamples
5.2.1 IfthesamplesareWaterBaseddrillingfluids,refrigeratethefilledcontainersprior
to shipping until the temperatures of the drilling fluid samples are approximately
40F. Do not freeze the samples. OilBased drilling fluids can be maintained at
ambienttemperatureduringtransport.
5.2.2 Place BOTH of the drilling fluid sample containers back in the shipping cooler.
Surround the samples with frozen packs of reusable gel ice. One of the samples
from the first container will be sent for complete LC50 testing and the second
container will be kept in a secure location at KFUPM in case of problems during
shipmentuntilthelaboratoryanalyseshavebeencompletedandconfirmed.After
confirmationofresults,thebackupsamplemaybediscardedunlessasecondtest
is required. At the rig, while awaiting shipment back to the base, WBM must be
keptrefrigeratedat(40F);MOBMmaybekeptatambienttemperature.
5.2.3 ThereusableGELICEmustbefrozenpriortouseintheshippingcooler.
5.2.4 CompletetheSampleIdentificationpartoftheCOC(seeabove)asshownonpage
7.Recordandsigntoreleasethesampleforshipment.PlacetheCOCintheplastic
pouchandtapeittothesideofthecooler.EACHPERSONTHATTAKESCUSTODY
OFTHESAMPLEISREQUIREDTOSIGNTHERECORDDOCUMENTINGHANDOVEROR
RECEIPTOFTHESAMPLE.
5.2.5 If a sample is to be detained for later shipment, refrigerate (40F) WBM samples
andrefreezethereusablegelicepacks.
5.2.6 Ship samples and all paper work in cooler/container to the Saudi Aramco shore
baselabeledasfollows:
5.2.7
5.2.8
5.3
KINGFAHDUNIVERSITYOFPETROLEUM&MINERALS
CENTERFORENVIRONMENTANDWATER,RESEARCHINSTITUTE
BLDG.#15
DHAHRAN31261
Attention:DR.K.P.MANIKANDAN/Phone(03)8607606/0562205323
LabelSamplesasDrillingFluidsNOTDrillingMudstoexpediteprocessingbyUS
Customs.
FollowtheinstructionsforSAMPLING/SHIPPINGthedrillingfluidsamplefoundin
eachbioassaysamplekit.
SamplingFrequencyforWaterBasedandMineralOilBasedDrillingFluids
5.3.1 Saudi Aramco regulations require that toxicity monitoring shall be performed at
leastonceperwellforboththedailyminimumandthemonthlyaveragevalue(s).
Inaddition,anendofwellsampleisrequiredforadailyminimum.Aminimumof
two samples at minimum will need to be collected for any given well in order to
complywiththeregulations.
Ifawellstartsandfinishesinonecalendarmonth,twosampleswillneedto
becollectedduringthatmonth.Thesecondsamplewillbetakenatthe
endofthedrillingoperationsforthatwell.
148June2009

5.4
Ifoperationscontinueduringtwoormorecalendarmonths,thesample
collectedattheendofdrillingoperationscanalsobeusedasthe
compliancesampleforthatsamemonth.
5.3.2 According to current Saudi Aramco regulations, it is NOT necessary to collect a
sampleatthebeginningofdrillingoperations.However,itisagoodideatocollect
a sample of the relatively nontoxic spud drilling fluid for the first toxicity testing
event.ItisalsoNOTnecessary,accordingtocurrentSaudiAramcoregulations,to
collect a sample each time the drilling fluid system is changed or altered.
EXCEPTION: When changing from waterbased to mineral oil based systems,
additionalsamplesmayberecommendedand/orrequired.
TestingofSamples:
5.4.1 KFUPMwillarrangeforthesampletobeshippedtothecontractlaboratory(until
KFUPM has commissioned its own compliance lab for their own) for compliance
toxicitytesting(LC50test)onsubmittedsamplesforSaudiAramco.
5.4.2 96hourMysidLC50testswillbeperformedwithWaterBasedandMOBM.
5.4.3 If the sample used for the monthly compliance toxicity test passes the 96hour
permittoxicitylimit(>30,000ppmSPP),anyweeklysamplescollectedpriortothe
test can be discarded. If the sample fails the permit toxicity limit, additional
retained samples will be tested to determine average toxicity. The proposed
laboratory should be made aware of testing requirements prior to sample
collectionandshipment.
5.4.4 SpecialtyProducts:
ProductsthatmayproducelowLC50values(hightoxicity)areusually:
Lubricants
Defoamers(some)
SpottingFluids
CorrosionInhibitors
Oils
Surfactants
Potassiumbasedproducts(some,atK+levels>3%)
For WBM, check on the toxicity of these products or any products from product
toxicity databases as available. Most of these products can be used safely at
certainconcentrationsbeforeproducingunacceptabletoxicitylevels.Allbaseoils
donotproducethesametoxicitylevels.Therefore,forMOBMs,checkwithSaudi
Aramco mud specialists to determine which base oil should be recommended for
yoursituation.
5.4.5
All test results received by Testing Agency will be communicated to Project

Supervisorimmediatelyasidentifiedonthechainofcustodyrecord.
149June2009
6.0

COMPLIANCEANDREPORTING
Toensurefullandpropercompliancewiththisprocedure,thefollowingmeasureswillbe
implementedaspartofthesamplingprocedure:
6.1 DrillingrigistoreportintheremarkssectionofthemorningreportthatanLC50samplewas
takenonthedateofcollection.
6.2 Testing Agency will submit a monthly report to HSE Core Group identifying all samples
receivedinthatmonth.
6.3 Testing Agency will submit a monthly report to HSE Core Group providing LC50 results
receivedinthatmonth.
6.4 HSE Core Group will provide a periodic report to Management documenting toxicity testing
compliance.
150June2009

TestResultsaretobereportedbacktoProjectSupervisor____________________
(Name)
HSE0125/20/2009
151June2009

1.4.4LINKSTOSAUDIARAMCOENVIRONMENTALSTANDARDS,PROCEDURESANDGIS
ENVIRONMENTALSTANDARDS,PROCEDURESANDGIsRELATEDTODRILLINGANDWORKOVERFLUIDS
ACTIVITIES
Description
G.I.orSAESorD&
WOSDProcedures
WebSites
GovernmentEnvironmentalStandards
CorporateEnvironmentalProtectionPolicy
CorporateEnvironmentalProtectionPolicy
Implementation
EPAProcedures
LandUsePermitProcedures
WasteManagementThisdocprovidesdirectionand
guidancetoCompanyorganizationsontheproper
handlinganddisposalofwastes.
DocumentNo.14090
INT5
GI .2.714
http://epd.aramco.com.sa/epd
SAEP 32
GI. 2.716
GI 430.001
CompanyStandards
EnvironmentalProtection
WasteManagement
BorrowPitRequirements
SolidWasteLandfillStandard
AmbientAirQuality&SourceEmissionStandard
ProcessingandHandlingofHazardousMaterial
HandlingBulk/NonBulkChemicals
DischargetotheMarineEnvironment
DischargesfromDrillingOperations
o GuidelinesonthedischargesofOBM,alternative
OBMandwaterbasedrillingfluidsandcuttings.
SAES A 111
SAESS007
SAES A102
CU22.01
CU22.05
SAESA103
Clause4.5,
SubClauses4.5.1,
4.5.2,4.5.3,4.5.4,
4.5.5.
OffshoreOilSpillContingencyPlan
LeakandSpillReportingArabianGulf
G.I.2400
G.I.2.104
CompanyStandards
Wastewater&MarineProtection
DischargestotheMarineEnvironment
CompanySTandards
Wastewater&MarineProtection
152
June2009

ENVIRONMENTALSTANDARDS,PROCEDURESANDGIsRELATEDTODRILLINGANDWORKOVERFLUIDS
ACTIVITIES(contd)
WastewaterTreatment,ReuseandDisposal
SAESA104
OnshoreWellsiteEnvironmentalManagement
D&WOSD
http://eccweb.enp.aramco.com.sa/drilling/NewDIH/DWOSD_web/Web
OperationsProcedure
Page/DwosdPro.html
Environmental
Thisdocprovidesguidelinesforhandling/disposalof ProcedureJune2006.
drillingwastesincludingspentdrillingfluids,cutting
solidssands,clays,limestone,mudsludge,drilling
supplywaterandflarepitmaterial,associatedwith
onshoreD&WOactivities.
InlandOilSpillContingencyPlan
IonizingRadiationProtection
FishingForRadioactiveTools
AbandonmentGuidelinesForRadioactiveTools
RadiationProtectionRequirementsforDownholeWell
LoggingIncidents
G.I.2.401
G.I.150.003
Chapter5SectionC
Chapter2SectionG
Subsection3.0
Draft
http://epd/epd/epd/contentAction.do?name=COMPANYSTANDARD
http://eccweb.enp.aramco.com.sa/drilling/NewDIH/Drilling_Manuals/D
ataFiles/Manuals%20Interface.pdf
http://eccweb.enp.aramco.com.sa/drilling/NewDIH/Drilling_Manuals/D
ataFiles/Manuals%20Interface.pdf
153
June2009

154
June2009

Section1.5
KNOWLEDGE
MANAGEMENT
155
June2009

1.5.1DRILLINGINFORMATIONHIGHWAY
156
June2009

1.5.2SHAREKKNOWLEDGESHARINGPLATFORM
157
June2009

1.5.3USEFULTECHNICALWEBLINKS
http://eccweb.enp.aramco.com.sa/drilling/NewDIH/index.html
DrillingRig
http://eccweb.enp.aramco.com.sa/drilling/NewDIH/Drilling_Manuals/DataFiles/Rig%
Specifications
20Specifications.pdf
InHouseTechnical http://eccweb.enp.aramco.com.sa/drilling/NewDIH/Drilling%20Library/2009_In
coursesCatalog House_Technical_Courses.pdf
Specialmud
http://eccweb.enp.aramco.com.sa/drilling/NewDIH/EngineeringHelp/Datafiles/Gene
products
ral%20Drilling%20Info/SPECIAL%20MUD%20PRODUCTS%20and%20SYS.pdf
Environmental
EPDwebsite:http://epd.aramco.com.sa
standards
SaudiAramco
http://shedgum1.com/safetyhandbook/
SafetyHandbook
Baroid
http://www.halliburton.com/ps/default.aspx?navid=3&pageid=97&prodgrpid=MSE%
3a%3a1045760282883590
MISWACO
http://www.miswaco.com/
Bakerfluids
http://www.bakerhughesdirect.com/cgi/bhdf/myHomePage/welcome.jsp?func=cert
&goto=%2fresources%2fExternalFileHandler.jsp&linkNames=Drilling+Flu
TETRA
http://www.tetratec.com
ChemicalHazard
http://epdapps.aramco.com.sa/Publications/Hazcom/default.asp
ProductsBulletin
DIH
158
June2009

1.5.4OPERATIONALMEETINGS
MeetingsbetweenAramcoFluidspersonnelandservicecompaniesdirectly
involvedinthevariouswellsshouldbeheldtoreviewthedrillingfluidsoperations.
Thefollowingformatistypicalforthesemeetings.
ProposedAgenda
MonthlyOperational/TechnicalMeeting
1. Safety/Qualitymoment(5mins)
2. MainOperationalProblems(DrillingFluidManagement)
3. DrillingFluidTechnicalIssues
4. CostManagement
5. PersonnelPerformance
6. ActionTracker
159
June2009

1.5.5POSTWELLMUDRECAPS(PHASEREPORTEXAMPLE)
MUD PHASE REPORT

Well :
Rig :
Phase :
12 1/4"
Depth MD
TVD
Deviation
Drilled feet
Volume drilled
Phase duration
From
To
11386 ft
7879 ft
62.00
5281
770 bbl
10 days
29-Jun-07
9-Jul-07
Last CSG Dia.:
13 3/8"
Shoe :
6072 ft
Current CSG Dia.:
9 5/8"
Shoe :
11373 ft
End phase status:

FLUID TYPE
Depth
Pit temp.
Flo-line temp.
Check Temp
Mud weight
Solids
Oil
Water
O/W ratio
Sand out
Sand in
Marsh Visc.
Fann 600 rpm
Fann 300 rpm
Fann 200 rpm
Fann 100 rpm
Fann
6 rpm
Fann
3 rpm
Gel 0
Gel 10 min.
Gel 30 min.
App. Visc.
Plastic Visc.
Yield value
n.
K
Filtrate API
HP/HT Filtrate
PPA Spurt
pH
Pm
Pf
Mf
Abandonment
Completion
30-Jun-07
6105
F
100
F
n/a
3-Jul-07
9286
130
142
5-Jul-07
11386
125
138
6-Jul-07
11386
110
7-Jul-07
11386
110
9.4
8
92
9.4
8
1
91
9.4
8
94
9.25
8
1
91
75
65
62
65
65
75
56
47
35
11
9
11
13
15
68
52
44
34
14
11
12
16
18
77
63
56
46
18
16
17
21
23
75
61
54
44
17
15
18
20
22
75
61
54
44
17
14
16
19
21
37.5
19
34.0
16
38.5
14
37.5
14
37.5
14
37
0.42
4.05
36
0.39
4.66
49
0.29
10.37
47
0.30
9.52
47
0.30
9.52
4.8
5.8
6.1
6.6
6.6
10.2
2.2
0.5
1.7
10.1
2.8
0.4
2
10.1
2.5
0.5
1.6
10.2
3.8
0.7
2.5
10.2
3.6
0.7
2.5
ft
F
lb/gal
%
9.2
6
%
%
lb/100ft
lb/100ft
lb/100ft
cP
cP
lb/100ft
lbs^n/100ft
cc
500 psi - 230 F
(35) Total Vol.
Cl-
mg/l
23000
23000
24000
25000
25000
Ca++
mg/l
600
720
640
400
400
mg/l
200
7.5
50
291
5
150
48
5
150
121.5
5
150
121.5
5
150
Mg++
MBT
Excess sulfide
H2S
Conqor 404
Hach
Hole Angle
Oil SG
K+
NaCl
KCl
CaCl2
LGS
HGS
Solids (corr.)
ppb
mg/l
mg/l
deg
%
%
%
Solids treatment
Shaker screens :
170 x 4
Shaker screens :
200 x 4
Shaker screens :
170 x 4
200 x 4
Shaker screens:
n/a
Mud cleaner
Drilling:
Tripping:
Logging:
Casing:
Rig Up/Service:
Condition Hole:
Drilling data
3.13 day
1.92 day
0.08 day
0.75 day
Desander :
Desilter :
Centrifuge 01 :
Centrifuge 02 :
LOT@ last csg shoe:
Max. temp. at TD :
Initial hole vol.:
Initial tank vol.:
Received vol.:
Made up vol.:
92
s/qt
Suspension
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
1500
n/a
58
1200
n/a
60
2000
n/a
58
1800
n/a
58
1800
n/a
58
1.1
1.1
1.1
1.1
1.1
4.3
0.3
7.0
6.7
1.0
5.9
6.5
0.4
6.9
5.9
0.9
6.8
6.5
0.3
6.8
hrs.
71 hrs.
83 hrs.
Reaming:
0.58 day
83 hrs.
Condition Mud:
13 EMW
Dilution Factor:
1 bbls/bbl of formation
180 F
bbls
Formation
bbls
bbls
Dumped Sweeps
210
bbls
1012
bbls
Dumped
3603
bbls
5907
bbls
Trip Loss
128
bbls
1433
bbls
SCE:
272
bbls
Cuttings Retention
bbls
Abandon
bbls
Left in Hole
Tot handled vol.:
Total lost vol.:
6919
bbls
5646
bbls
n/a bbls
Transferred volume (out of rig):
Reusable volume (well+tanks):
1276 bbls
Cost and consumption
US$
Currency:
Amount
Unit
Price
Total Cost
ppb
Products
41
1. MT
$20.00
13.06
$5,432.50
Barite
2
1. MT
$20.00
0.64
$270.40
Bentonite Gel
45
100. LB
$20.00
0.65
$517.50
Bentonite Wyoming
$3,418.20
162
25. KG
$20.00
1.29
Caustic Soda
$353.00
5
25. LT
$20.00
0.04
Defoam
$3,189.60
48
25. LT
$20.00
0.42
Biocide
210
25. KG
$20.00
$14,836.50
1.67
Pac UL
472
25. KG
$20.00
3.76
$11,092.00
Polysal
2
25. KG
$20.00
$85.80
0.02
Soda Ash
259
25. KG
$20.00
$3,651.90
2.06
Sodium Bicarbonate
XCD
40
190
25. KG
25. KG
$20.00
$20.00
$496.00
$37,297.00
0.32
1.51
SAPP
Vsalt
%salt wt.
SG
INTERVAL OVERVIEW
The mud system, used for this section was a Seawater bassed, PHB, polymer system. 1012bbls of mud
was carried over from xxx-1, and reconditioned for use in this section. New mud was also built at
program specs, and once initial displacement begain, mud warmed and sheared through the bit, then the
tweaking of mud properties was addressed. Initialy shakers were dressed with 110mesh, and 140 mesh
$148,715.85
Total Product Cost:
screens, then later swaped to 170's and 200's which handled the flow rather well. No FIT was conducted
UNIT COSTS
Per bbl mud
Per ft drilled
Per bbl drilled
due to hard cement, so drilling ahead comensed.Highler then normal Calcium levels were noted from the
US$
21.49
28.16
193.10
begining and constant increaesd concnetrations of
Soda Ash was needed to control this. Caustic was used for alkalinityand maintaining the PH at 10-10.2 was achieved through contiunous additions of caustic Soda. 70bbl Seawater Sweeps were pumped every 200ft
drilled, and brought up between 200-300% increase in cuttings for upwards of 2 minutes at a time. ROP increased substantialy while drilling through the Arab formations, with averagess of 200-300ft hr. 2469ft was
drilled in 24 hrs, which was a success, however maintainining PH, and Ca levelels while drilling anhydrite was a challange, and maintaining Mud weight at 9.2ppg, difficult. Constant dillution rates of 40-70bbl/hr of
premix was needed and periodic dumping of sandtraps, for volume and weight control, needed. The centrifuges were run non-stop while drilling this section, with a flow rate of 70gal/min, and 3200RPM bowl speed.
They worked well, cutting the mud weight from 9.3ppg, to 8.9ppg, with a discarded weight of 15.6ppg, on average. The corrosion program was followed with the istalation of 1 corrosion ring in the drill string, and
regular mud maitnence of Conqor 404, and Os1-L. High torque was expereinced early on so initialy 1% volume of starglide was added to the mud, then increased to 2 % once drilling into the ARL formation. Proved to
ease torque, and maintain ROP. MBT was brought down to 5lb/bbl, and XCD used as the main source for Rheology control, with average 6RPM reading kept between 17-18. Drilled to 11297ft, and expereinced tight
hole. Worked pipe and jarred free, increased starglide concentration, and also increased mud weight to 9.4ppg, and weight kept at 9.4ppg to TD. ROP slowed down to 10-15ft/hr and the desion was made at 11386ft, to
establish TD, casing point. Circulated BU, pumping 2.0lb/bbl SAPP sweep at td, and circulated out. Wiper trip to shoe, then back to bottom were 3 x BU was pumped along with 2 60bbl Seawater sweeps then POOH
for running 9 5/8'' liner. Liner was run succssessfully, no fill on bottom and cemented at 11373ft, with TOL set at 5565ft. Cement job was succssessfull, with excess cement Dumped at surface.
Mud contractor :
Reminder Include:Comments, Solids Control, Problems, Reccomendations, and Lessons Learned

Made on:
9-Jul-07
By:
160
June2009

1.5.6DRILLINGALERTREPORT
161
June2009

DrlgFldsAwarenessWorkshop1 June 09

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Drilling Fluids Awareness

DRILLING FLUIDS AWARENESS

DRILLING FLUIDS AWARENESS

DRILLING FLUIDS AWARENESS

DRILLING FLUIDS AWARENESS

DRILLING FLUIDS AWARENESS

DRILLING TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT

DRILLING FLUIDS AWARENESS

DRILLING TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT

Drill 28" pilot hole and open it to

Assumptions and Boundaries

Offset Experience Fluids Related

Potetial lost circulation above RUS

Keep planned density

Possible water flow and lost

Keep the planned MW to control

KARN 6 - lost complete returns at 1550 ft

Bbls mud lost/ft

KARN 6 - Bit balling at 4120 ft

Bbls mud lost/ft

KARN 6 - Partial losses at 6964 ft

Bbls mud lost/ft

KARN 6 - Well flowing at 10248 ft with

NPT allocated to well

KARN 8 - Lost returns while running csg

Bbls Mud lost/ft

1145' MD/1145' TVD

Drill to 3338 ft into Ahmadi

if losses are experienced while

Drill to 6449 ft without problems

Possibility of using a vibration sub

Casing point planned at 30 TVD

Possible lost circulation in

12898' MD/11115' TVD

Hold 52 degrees inclination to TD,

The slurry density and design

Hold 52 degrees inclination to TD. Vibration data can be used in

Have enough LCM material on

Abnormal gas and /or

Have plenty barite on the rig

Lost circulation in Khuff

Use lowest practical MW

KARN 6 - Drilling at 10908 ft, well flowed Bbls of mud lost/ft

DRILLING FLUIDS AWAR

DRILLING FLUIDS AWARENESS

DRILLING TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT

Cost-effective drilling fluids formulations

Spud Mud or KCl LSND

LSND or OBM or DOE

DRILLING FLUIDS AWARENESS

DRILLING TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT

12-1/4 Hole Section

OBM (hole stability &

lubricity in long reach

NaCl based Reservoir

12-1/4 Hole Section

Water and Gel Sweeps

NaCl brine-based DIF

DRILLING FLUIDS AWARENESS

DRILLING TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT

Water and Gel sweeps

12-1/4 Hole Section

Oil-based Mud due to

Reservoir Drill In Fluid