PETE 3265: Drilling Fluids Laboratory

Experiment #1
Components of Basic WBM: mud preparation and property measurement I

Report by Laura Louise Demarch

Lab Partners: Justin A. Marquez
Mark Donkor
Station #3

Date Experiment Performed: 09/15/2014

Date Report Submitted: 09/22/2014

Abstract

The drilling fluid is one of the most important tools in well engineering so it is
important to know if its rheological comportment and constitution attends certain
requisites. These characteristics involve the mud weight, its viscosities and its pH, in
addition to others. The mud used was made with water and bentonite. To measure
these properties, some types of tests are recommended. The most common physical
measurements, and executed in this procedure, are the mud weight, Marsh Funnel test,
apparent viscosity, plastic viscosity, yield point, initial gel strength and pH measure. The
technique followed is recommended by API. The results were

satisfactory,

corresponding to theorical values. The tests are well known, tested and approved by
most of petroleum engineers.

Purpose

This experiment intends to promote the ability of mixing mud used in drilling
operations, also measures the properties of the prepared mud, as well as let the
students come into contact with equipment for measurement of some mud properties.

Introduction

The drilling fluid is an important tool in Drilling Engineering. The main purpose of
the drilling fluid is remove the cuttings that the bit produces while drilling and carry them
to the surface, so the bit can keep advancing in depth. Another purpose for the drilling
fluid is to exert enough hydrostatic pressure in the formations that are being drilling to
prevent that the fluids in the formation enter in the well. The mud has other important
attributions, but these two are the most important.

In order to achieve this specifications, the mud has to have some particular
characteristics. Most of the used drilling mud are water-base and its compositions
consist in solids, liquids and chemicals.
For this experiment, the mud is very simple, composed by water and bentonite, a
clay that increase the viscosity of the water. There are many types of commercial
bentonites, the most important is Wyoming bentonite.
The drilling fluid is a non-newtonian fluid, and for this reason it presents different
types of viscosity, which depends on the flow rate. The American Petroleum Institute
(API) recommends some tests to help determinate if the drilling fluid is performing its
functions properly.
The Mud Balance is a test to determine density of the mud. The test consists in
fill the cup of the balance and read the density directly from the balance, which gives the
density in pounds per gallon (ppg).
The Marsh Funnel test is basic used for detect an unwanted mud consistency,
and consist in fill a funnel with mud sample and measure the time of 1 quart of the mud
flow through the funnel. The time is measured in seconds per quart (s/qt). This
measurement does not give the accurately viscosity of the mud because it is a nonnewtonian fluid.
The viscosity indeed is measured by a rotational viscometer, in this case the Fan
Viscometer. There are some tests in different rotational speeds made with the same
viscometer. The apparent viscosity (AV) is read at speed of 300 rpm, it depends on
what type of viscometer is measured, but with the Fan Viscometer is measured in
centipoise with the equation 3.1
Equation 3.1

AV =

600 RPM reading

2

The rheological parameters of the mud are measured also, and API recommends
that the drilling fluid must follow the Bingham plastic rheological model. To confirm this

behavior, the mud has to be characterized by the plastic viscosity (PV), measured in
centipoise given by the equation 3.2
Equation 3.2

PV =600 RPM reading300 RPM reading

and also characterized by the yield point (YP), measured in lbf per hundred square feet
(lbf/100 sq) and given by the equation 3.3
Equation 3.3

YP=300 RPM readingPV

Another important rheological parameter measured is the gel strength. There are
two types of gel strength that API recommends to measure, the initial gel, consisting in
let the mud rest for 10 seconds after stable rotation, and then note the maximum
deflection when the rotating presents a very low speed, generally 3 rpm. The same
measurement is made letting the mud rest for 10 minutes, and it is called 10 minutes
gel.
Other important parameter measured is the pH, consisting in the concentration of
hydrogen ions in an aqueous solution, and can be measured using pH paper or pH
meter. In this process, it was used the pH paper.

Equipment and Materials

To mix the mud it was used:

Graduated cylinder of 2L;

spatula;
common balance;
blender;
water, 1.4L;
bentonite (Mel Gel), 60g.

To weight the mud it was used:

Mud balance that includes cup, lid, level glass, rider, fulcrum, base,
fulcrum and knife edge.

To measure the funnel viscosity of the mud it was used:

The Marsh Funnel and the measuring jug;

chronometer.

To measure the other viscosities it was used:

The Fann Viscometer, that includes the viscometer and the sample cup.

To measure the pH it was used:

pH paper;
caustic solution;
spatula;
graduated cylinder;
graduated pipet with pipet controller.

Procedure

To do the mud, the ratio of bentonite was 15 lbs of gel per bbl of water, thus was
used 4 lab bbl of water, which meas1.4 liter of water was measured in a graduated
cylinder, then placed in the blender. The bentonite was taken from the bentonite bag
and 60 grams were measured in the common balance, then displaced in the bender.
The blender was turned on at low speed, and the mixture was stirred for five minutes.
To measure the weight of the mud, the cup of the mud balance was filled with
the mixed mud, closed with the lid, attached in the balance, and then measured moving
the rider until the air bubble in the level glass was stabilized in the center of the marking.
To measure apparent and plastic viscosities as well as the yield point, the cup of
the Fann Viscometer was filled with the mixed mud, then the cup was displaced in the
appropriated platform, raised until the mud cover the marking. The Fann Viscometer

was turned on in the speed of 600 rpm, then turned off. Another measurement was
made with the speed of 300 rpm.
To measure the initial gel, the Fann viscometer was turned on, with the speed of
300 rpm, then turned off. When the Fann Viscometer stopped spinning, the chronometer
was used to counter ten seconds. After that, the Fann Viscometer was turned on with
the speed of 3 rpm, marked as gel speed. The maximum deflection was noted.
The 10 minutes gel was not measured.
The measurements aforementioned were repeated twice, with the same mud
made before.
The pH increasing was made by adding 1cc of the caustic solution in a sample of
mud that was mixed with the spatula then a piece of pH paper was dipped. Thi
procedure was made eleven times.
The mud was discarded and all equipment were cleaned and stored.

Data and Analysis

The measurements made in class are shown the table below

Table 1. Measurements of mud properties
sample
600 rpm
300 rpm

1
27
20.5
44"1
0
13.5
6.5

FV (s/qt)
AV (cp)
PV (cp)
YP (lbf/100
sq)
14
Initial gel
15
Weight
(ppg)
8.6

2
26.5
20

avera
ge
26.75
20.25

45"41
13.25
6.5

44"75
13.375
6.5

13.5
14

13.75
14.5

8.5

8.55

The measurements of pH are shown in the Table 2.

Font: The autor.

Table 2. Measurement

cc
caustic
sol.
0
1
5
6
7
8
9

pH
6.50
7.00
7.30
7.40
7.50
7.70
8.10

of pH

Font: The autor.

The theorical weight of the mud was computed using the density of water of 998
kg/m , or 0.998 g/cc and the specific gravity of the bentonite of 2.35.
3

To find the weight of the mixture of the mud was used the following calculations,
using one lab bbl of water, which means 350 cc of water, and 15g of bentonite.

volume of bentonite
Vb=15

g1 cc
=6.383 cc
2.35 g

total volume of mixture per bbl

Vt=350 cc+6.383 cc =356.383 cc
water weight
Mw=350

cc0.998 g
=349.3 g
1 cc

Bentonite weight
Mb=15 g

Total weight
Mt=Mb+ Mw=15 g+349.3 g=364.3 g

Density of the mixture, in ppg

364.3 g
3785.41 cc
356.383 cc
1 lbm
Mt
1 gal
=
=
=8.637 ppg
Vt
448 g

Results

With the measurements made, it is possible to show that the mud made in class
was a non-newtonian fluid, as it presented different viscosities in different speeds of
rotation.
Also, the theorical weight of the mixed mud is related with the measurement,
indicating that the dimension was relatively accurated. The experimental error is shown
below.

|experimental theorical |

|8.558.637|

theorical

8.637

error ( )=

100=

100

error=1.01

The results of the raise of the pH in the mud can be better seen in the Graphic 1.
As it suggests, the pH is increasing with every cc of caustic solution that is added, even
thought the pH of 9 was not reached, it can be predicted how much cc of caustic
solution is necessary to reach the pH of 9.
Graphic 1. Plot pH versus cc of caustic solution

pH x Caustic solution
9.00
8.00

f(x) = 0.01x^3 - 0.12x^2 + 0.55x + 6.52 7.50 7.70

7.30 7.40
0.37 x^0.05
ln(x) + 6.9
f(x)==
6.91
R
17.00
7.00
pH
0.66
R = 0.68
6.50
6.00
5.00

cc of caustic solution

Font: The autor.

8.10

10

Solving the expression given in the graphic, it is possible to find and amount of
10.30 cc of caustic solution that need to be added in the sample of mud to reach the pH
of 9.

Discussion

As seen in the analysis, the measured mud weight presented a small deviation
from the theorical measurement, therefore it is presumable that this experiment was
well conducted.
The Marsh Funnel viscosity is generally used to measure sudden changes in the
viscosity of the mud, thus this experiment was meant to familiarize with the equipment.
From the analysis of the data, it is possible understand that the mud behaves as
expected, acting like a Bingham plastic fluid, hence having different viscosities in
different speeds of rotation of the Fann Viscometer.
The pH of the mud was too low in the first measurement, and as estimated
previously, it was necessary add many portions of caustic solution and even thought,
the pH of 9 was not reached in class. This particular aspect is very important in the
drilling mud because the low pH cause corrosion in the parts of the drilling string, thus it
is necessary to control the pH closely.
The behavior of the pH displayed in the graphic suggest that the mud has a
buffer solution.

Conclusion

The experiment was meant to teach the students how to prepare a drilling fluid
and also how to deal with the equipment and measure simple mud properties.
As expected, the elaboration of the mud was effortless and relatively accurate.
The properties measured were satisfactory and proved the expected behavior of
the mud. It is possible to emphasize that mud presented a non-newtonian behavior and
the properties measured were consistent with the theorical behavior.
The pH was acid, then it was used some caustic solution to raise the pH. Even
thought it was not possible to reach the pH of 9 in class, however being predictable.

Comments

The procedure was effortless and harmless, unless the part of the addition of the
caustic solution. This part should be done more carefully and emphasize the accuracy
of the instruments. It was used a graduated cylinder instead of using the graduated
pipet. The pipet controller was wet during the procedure, preventing a properly use of
the equipment and compromised the results.
The lab coat and the latex gloves are essential to do this experiment.

References

Ryen Caenn, H.C.H., Darley, and George R. Gray. 2011. Composition Properties of
Drilling and Completion Fluids. Waltham, MA: USA. Gulf Professional Publishing.
A.T. Bourgoyne Jr, K.K. Millheim, M.E. Chenevert & F.S. Young Jr. 1986. Applied
Drilling Engineering Vol. 2. Richardson, TX: USA. SPE Textbooks.
Bentonite (Halliburton Gel). Halliburton. Access date on 09/17/2014. Retrieved from
https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.halliburton.com%2Fpublic
%2Fcem%2Fcontents%2Fchem_compliance%2Fweb%2Fh02088.pdf