Laboratory and Workshop Design

Laboratory 1: Sample Preparation, Mud Density and Rheologies

Lecturer: Ms. Nicole Ramcharan

Name: Clint Patrick

Student ID#: 75738

Date: 12/09/2017
TITLE: Laboratory 1: Sample Preparation, Mud Density and Rheologies

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Drilling involves a set of processes for breaking and removing rock to produce boreholes,
tunnels and excavations. In order to successful drill into the earth, one must use drilling mud.
This laboratory would explain how drilling mud is made from various drilling fluid formulations.
The rheologies of mud weighing approximately 9.0ppg and 13ppg which was made have been
tested and recorded. Even the plastic viscosity, yield point and gel strength of these densities of
mud have been taken. This report would highlight exactly how industries make mud for drilling
purposes.

OBJECTIVES:

To blend the given drilling fluid formulations and obtain the desired mud weights or densities
and to determine the viscosity, yield point and gel strength of the drilling fluid.

THEORY:

Drilling fluid is used to support the drilling of boreholes into the earth. This is often used while
drilling oil and natural gas wells and on exploration drilling rigs, drilling fluids are also used for
much simpler boreholes, such as water wells. Liquid drilling fluid is often called drilling mud.
The three main categories of drilling fluids are water-based muds (which can be dispersed and
non-dispersed), non-aqueous muds, usually called oil-based mud, and gaseous drilling fluid, in
which a wide range of gases can be used. The main function of drilling fluid is to
prevent formation fluids from inflowing into the well bore, provide hydrostatic pressure and to
keep the drill bit clean and cool during the drilling process.

PROCEDURE: As per lab manual.

DISCUSSION:

Drilling is a process that involves cutting holes of circular cross-section in solid materials with a
drill bit. In rock drilling, which the mud in this lab was made for, the hole is usually not made
through a circular cutting motion, though the bit is usually rotated. Instead, the hole is usually
made by hammering a drill bit into the hole with quickly repeated short movements. Drilling
fluid (mud) is used to assist the drilling of boreholes into the earth's surface. This fluid is used for
drilling water, natural gas and oil.

In this lab, the rheologies, plastic viscosity, yield point and gel strength of mud was found.
Rheology is the study of the flow of matter, primarily in a liquid state, but also as 'soft solids' or
solids under conditions in which they respond with plastic flow rather than deforming elastically
in response to an applied force. Yield point, YP is the yield stress extrapolated to a shear rate of
zero. Plastic viscosity, PV, is the other parameter of the Bingham-plastic model. There are three
main types of drilling fluid; water-based fluids, oil-based fluids and synthetic-based fluids. Part
of this experiment was to make water-based fluid (mud), since this is the most common used
fluid when drilling, because its less cost effective than oil-based fluids and synthetic-based
fluids. Water-based fluids (WBFs) are used to drill approximately 80% of all wells. The base
fluid may be fresh water, seawater, brine, saturated brine, or a formate brine. The type of fluid
selected depends on anticipated well conditions or on the specific interval of the well being
drilled. For example, the surface interval typically is drilled with a low-density water- or
seawater-based mud that contains few commercial additives. These systems incorporate natural
clays in the course of the drilling operation. Some commercial bentonite or attapulgite also may
be added to aid in fluid-loss control and to enhance hole-cleaning effectiveness. After surface
casing is set and cemented, the operator often continues drilling with a WBF unless well
conditions require displacing to an oil- or synthetic-based system.

The important rheological characteristics required of a drilling fluid for good operational
performance are that it should be capable of sustaining a sufficiently large stress to maintain
cuttings in suspension, particularly when fluid circulation is stopped, while having a low enough
viscosity for efficient pumping. In steady shear flow, The first has traditionally implied a high
yield stress (ie a finite stress which must be exceeded before the fluid will flow) and the second,
shear-thinning (ie. a rapidly decreasing effective viscosity as shear rate is increased).
During this experiment, the higher the temperature of the mud was, the lower the rheology
became. However, as the speed of the viscometer decreased, the rheology decreased as well. This
was so because less speed meant that the matter in the mud would of flowed at a slower rate. The
mud was made at 9ppg and 13ppg just as needed, this was in order to get accurate results. The
required amount of drilling fluid formulations was used because proper results was obtained.
There was a great difference in the viscosity and yield point at of the 9ppg mud as opposed to
that of the 13ppg. This was because the 13ppg mud was much thicker than the 9ppg mud, hence
more of the formulations was used.
CALCULATIONS:

PV= 600 300 YP= 300-PV

=10-6=4..9ppg mud at 75degrees . =6-4=2

=9-5=4..9ppg mud at 120 degrees =5-4=1

=42-24=18..13ppg mud at 75degrees =24-18=6

=36-21=15..13ppg mud at 120degrees. =21-15=6

Shear stress= viscosity shear rate(speed/ 1 )

9ppg mud at 75degrees =600(4)=2400

=300(4)=1200

=200(4)=800

=100(4)=400

=6(4)=24

=3(4)=12

9ppg mud at 120 degrees.same as above since viscosity is same

13ppg mud at 75degrees.. 600(18)=10800 300(18)=5400 200(18)=3600

100(18)=1800 6(18)=108 3(18)=54

13ppg mud at 120degrees600(15)=9000 300(15)=4500 200(15)=3000

100(15)=1500 6(15)=90 3(15)=45
QUESTIONS:

1. Plot Deflection (dial reading on y-axis) versus speed (rpm on x-axis) and determine PV and YP and
compare the calculated PV and YP values with the graphical values.

Figure 1: Graph illustrating Dial reading vs Speed at 75o F and 120o F for 9 ppg

DEFECTION Vs SPEED
12
y = 0.0168x + 1.1905

10 y = 0.0151x + 1.1245

9 ppg @ 75oF
8
DEFECTION

6 9 ppg @120 oF

0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700
SPEED

Figure 2: Graph illustrating Dial reading vs Speed at 75o F and 120o F for 13 ppg
 DEFECTION Vs SPEED
50

45

40

35
13ppg @ 75 oF
30
DEFECTION

25 13ppg @ 120 oF
Series1
20 Series2

15

10

0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700
SPEED

9 ppg Mud Sample @ 75oF

Y intercept=.0.0168x +1.1905

= .0168* 600 +1.1905

=11.2705

Y intercept=.0.0168x +1.1905

= .0168* 300 +1.1905

=6.23

PV = 600 300

= 11.2705-6.23
 =5.04cP

9 ppg Mud Sample @ 120oF:

Y intercept=.0151x +1.1245

= .0151* 600 + 1.1245

= 10.1845

Y intercept=.0151x +1.1245

= .0151* 300 + 1.1245

= 5.65

PV = 600 300

= 10.1845- 5.65

=4.5345 cP

13 ppg Mud Sample @ 75oF:

Y= .0689x + 2.9513

=.0689*600 +2.9513

=44.29

Y= .0689x + 2.9513

=.0689*300 +2.9513

=23.6213

PV (plastic viscosity, (lbs/100 ft2)/300 rpm) = 600 300

 =44.29 -23.6213

=20.66cP

13 ppg Mud Sample @ 120oF:

Y= .0641x + 2.9513

=.0641*600 + 2.9513

=41.41

Y= .0641x + 2.9513

=.0641*300 + 2.9513

=22.1813

PV (plastic viscosity, (lbs/100 ft2)/300 rpm) = 600 300

=41.41- 22.1813

=19.2287cP

9 ppg at 75 F 9 ppg at 75 F
Calculated PV Graphical PV Calculated YP Graphical YP
4.5 5.04 2 1.1905

9 ppg at 120 F 9ppg at 120 F

Calculated PV Graphical PV Calculated YP Graphical YP
4 4.5345 2 1.1245
 13ppg at 75 F 13ppg at 75 F
Calculated PV Graphical PV Calculated YP Graphical YP
18 20.66 7 2.9543

13ppg at 120 F 13ppg at 120 F

Calculated PV Graphical PV Calculated YP Graphical YP
18 19.2287 5 3.0033

2. Plot a graph of shear stress (y-axis) versus shear rate (x-axis). Then, plot a log log plot and determine
the slope and intercept values and compare the calculated PV and YP values with the graphical values.

Table 2: Showing
the Shear Rate
9 ppg 13 ppg
and Shear Stress
Shear
Shear for 9 ppg and 13
Shear Shear Stress @ Shear stress @ Stress
Speed stress @ ppg
Rate 75oF 75oF @
120oF
120oF
600 1021.8 11.737 10.7 45.881 43.747
300 510.9 6.9355 6.402 26.675 24.541
200 340.6 5.335 4.268 19.206 17.072
100 170.3 3.201 3.202 11.737 101365
6 10.218 1.067 1.067 2.134 3.201
3 5.109 1.067 1.067 2.134 3.201
SLOPE Y INTERCEPT
O o
9ppg @ 75 F 9ppg @ 120 F 9ppg @ 75OF 9ppg @ 120oF
1.6339 1.4501 2.7586 2.3375

SLOPE Y INTERCEPT
13ppg @ 75OF 13ppg @ 120oF 13ppg @ 75OF 13ppg @ 120oF
6.726 6.0107 13.526 11.156

Figure 3: Graph illustrating Shear stress vs Shear rate at 75o F and 120o F for 9 ppg
 SHEAR STRESS Vs SHEAR RATE
14

12

10
y = 1.6339ln(x) - 2.7586
8

SHEAR STRESS
y = 1.4501ln(x) - 2.3375
9 ppg @ 75OF 6

9ppg @ 120oF 4

0
0.1 1 10 100 1000 10000
-2
SHEAR RATE

Figure 4: Graph illustrating Shear stress vs Shear rate at 75o F and 120o F for 13 ppg

SHEAR STRESS Vs SHEAR RATE

50

40

y = 6.726ln(x) - 13.526
30 y = 6.0107ln(x) - 11.156
SHEAR STRESS

20
13 ppg @ 75OF
13 ppg @ 120OF
10

0
0.1 1 10 100 1000 10000

-10
SHEAR RATE

9 ppg Mud Sample @ 75oF:

Y= 1.6339 lnx -2.7586

=1.6339*ln600 2.7586

=13.21

Y= 1.6339 lnx -2.7586

=1.6339*ln300 2.7586

=6.5608

PV= 13.21 -6.5608

=6.6492cP

9 ppg Mud Sample @ 120oF:

Y=1.4501 lnx -2.3375

=1.4501 ln 600 -2.3375

=6.938

Y=1.4501 lnx -2.3375

=1.4501 ln 300 -2.3375

=5.9335

PV= 6.938- 5.9335

=1.0045cP

13 ppg Mud Sample @ 75oF:

Y= 6.726 lnx -13.526

=6.726 ln600 -13.526

=29.499

Y= 6.726 lnx -13.526

=6.726 ln300 -13.526

=24.837

PV= 29.499-24.837

=4.662 cP

13 ppg Mud Sample @ 120oF:

Y= 6.0107 lnx -11.156

=6.0107 ln600 -11.156

=27.29

Y= 6.0107 lnx -11.156

=6.0107 ln300 -11.156

=23.127

PV =27.29- 23.127

=4.163 cP

9 ppg at 75 F 9 ppg at 75 F
Calculated PV Graphical PV Calculated YP Graphical YP
 4.801 6.6492 2.134 2.7586

9 ppg at 120 F 9ppg at 120 F

Calculated PV Graphical PV Calculated YP Graphical YP
4.298 1.0045 2.104 2.3375

13ppg at 75 F 13ppg at 75 F
Calculated PV Graphical PV Calculated YP Graphical YP
19.206 4.163 7.469 11.156

13ppg at 120 F 13ppg at 120 F

Calculated PV Graphical PV Calculated YP Graphical YP
19.206 4.662 5.335 13.526

3)

The rheological properties of drilling fluids are independent of pressure and temperature. In shallow wells
there isnt any great temperature changes, which means the rheological variations with temperature are
small. The concentration of particles in the drilling fluid is high to build structure by grain-grain contact.
The structure can resist shear and temperatures due to its inter-particle friction. If the yield point exceeds
the volume it will influence and change the viscosity. The 13ppg mud had higher plastic viscosities at
both temperatures when compared to 9ppg mud. Also 13ppg mud plastic viscosity is decreasing with
increasing temperatures. As temperature increase so does yield point.

With an increase in temperature, there is typically an increase in the molecular interchange as

molecules move faster in higher temperatures. The gas viscosity will increase with temperature.
According to the kinetic theory of gases, viscosity should be proportional to the square root of
the absolute temperature, in practice, it increases more rapidly.

In a liquid there will be molecular interchange similar to those developed in a gas, but there are
additional substantial attractive, cohesive forces between the molecules of a liquid (which are
much closer together than those of a gas). Both cohesion and molecular interchange contribute to
liquid viscosity.

CONCLUSION:

The desired mud weights of 9ppg and 13ppg was successfully blended using the given drilling
fluid formulations. The viscosity, yield point and gel strength of the drilling fluid was also
accurately determined. Graphs were drawn to illustrate and prove that the viscosity, yield point
and gel strength were correct.
REFERENCE:

Defining Viscosity
http://www.viscopedia.com/basics/defining-viscosity/

Comparative Rheology of Water-Based Drilling Fluids With Various Clays

N. Guven-D.J. Panfil-L.L. Carney - https://www.onepetro.org/conference-paper/SPE-17571-MS

https://www.google.tt/search?q=shear%2Bstress%2Bvs%2Bshear%2Brate&rlz=1C1AVNG_enT
T665TT665&oq=SHEAR%2B&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j0j69i57j0l3.3921j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=
UTF-8

Viscosity of Newtonian and non-Newtonian Fluids

Inc. RheoSense - http://www.rheosense.com/applications/viscosity/newtonian-non-newtonian