DRILLING FLUIDS PROCESSING HANDBOOK - …

1 DRILLING FLUIDS PROCESSINGHANDBOOKThis page intentionally left blankDRILLING FLUIDSPROCESSINGHANDBOOKAsmeAMSTERDAM BOSTON HEIDELBERG LONDON NEW YORK OXFORDPARIS SAN DIEGO SAN FRANCISCO SINGAPORE SYDNEY TOKYOGulf Professional Publishing is an imprint of ElsevierGulf Professional Publishing is an imprint of Elsevier30 Corporate Drive, Suite 400, Burlington, MA 01803, USAL inacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8DP, UKCopyright 2005, Elsevier Inc. All rights part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, ortransmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the may be sought directly from Elsevier s Science & Technology RightsDepartment in Oxford, UK: phone: ( 44) 1865 843830, fax: ( 44) 1865 853333,e-mail.

2 You may also complete your request on-linevia the Elsevier homepage ( ), by selecting Customer Support and then Obtaining Permissions. Recognizing the importance of preserving what has been wirtten, Elsevier printsits books on acid-free paper whenever of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataApplication Library Cataloguing-in-Publication DataA catalogue record for this book is available from the British 0-7506-7775-9 For information on all Gulf Professional Publishing publications visit our Web siteat 10987654321 Printed in the United States of AmericaCONTENTSB iographies xviiPreface xxiii1 Historical Perspective and Introduction Scope Purpose Introduction Historical

3 Perspective Comments Waste Management 132 DRILLING FLUIDS DRILLING fluid Systems Functions of DRILLING FLUIDS Types of DRILLING FLUIDS DRILLING fluid Selection Separation of Drilled Solids from DRILLING FLUIDS Characterization of Solids in DRILLING FLUIDS Nature of Drilled Solids and Solid Additives Physical Properties of Solids in DRILLING FLUIDS Properties of DRILLING FLUIDS Rheology Hole Cleaning Detection of Hole-Cleaning Problems DRILLING Elements That Affect Hole Cleaning Filtration Rate of Penetration Shale Inhibition Potential/Wetting Characteristics Lubricity Corrosivity DRILLING - fluid Stability and Maintenance DRILLING fluid Products Colloidal and Fine Solids Macropolymers Conventional Polymers Surface-Active Materials Health, Safety.

4 And Environment and Waste Management Handling DRILLING fluid Products and Cuttings DRILLING fluid Product Compatibility and StorageGuidelines Waste Management and Disposal 62 References 663 Solids Calculation Procedure for a More Accurate Low-Gravity SolidsDetermination Sample Calculation Determination of Volume Percentage of Low-Gravity Solidsin Water-Based DRILLING fluid Rig-Site Determination of Specific Gravity of DrilledSolids 784 Cut Points How to Determine Cut Point Curves Cut Point Data.

5 Shale Shaker Example 905 Tank Arrangement Active System Suction and Testing Section Additions Section Removal Section Piping and Equipment Arrangement Equalization Surface Tanks Sand Traps Degasser Suction and Discharge Pit Desander Suction and Discharge Pits Desilter Suction and Discharge Pits (Mud Cleaner/Conditioner) Centrifuge Suction and Discharge Pits Auxiliary Tank System Trip Tank Slug Tank Reserve Tank(s) 105viContents6 Scalping Shakers and Gumbo Removal 1077 Shale Shakers How a Shale Shaker Screens fluid Shaker Description Shale Shaker Limits fluid Rheological Properties fluid Surface Tension Wire Wettability fluid Density Solids.

6 Type, Size, and Shape Quantity of Solids Hole Cleaning Shaker Development Summary Shale Shaker Design Shape of Motion Vibrating Systems Screen Deck Design Power Systems Selection of Shale Shakers Selection of Shaker Screens Cost of Removing Drilled Solids Specific Factors Cascade Systems Separate Unit Integral Unit with Multiple Vibratory Motions Integral Unit with a Single Vibratory Motion Cascade Systems Summary Dryer Shakers Shaker User s

7 Guide Installation Operation Maintenance Operating Guidelines Screen Cloths Common Screen Cloth Weaves Revised API Designation System Screen Identification Factors Affecting Percentage-Separated Curves Screen Blinding Materials of Construction Screen Panels Hook-Strip Screens Bonded Screens Three-Dimensional Screening Surfaces Non-Oilfield DRILLING Uses of Shale Shakers Microtunneling River Crossing Road Crossing Fiber-Optic Cables 1828 Settling Pits Settling Rates Comparison of Settling Rates of Barite and Low-Gravity DrilledSolids Comments Bypassing the Shale Shaker 1889 Gas Busters, Separators, and Degassers Introduction.

8 General Comments on Gas Cutting Shale Shakers and Gas Cutting Desanders, Desilters, and Gas Cutting Centrifuges and Gas Cutting Basic Equipment for Handling Gas-Cut Mud Gravity Separation Centrifugal Separation Impact, Baffle, or Spray Separation Parallel-Plate and Thin-Film Separation Vacuum Separation Gas Busters Separators Atmospheric Separators West Texas Separator Pressurized Separators Commercial Separator/Flare Systems Pressurized, or Closed, Separators: ModifiedProduction Separators Combination System.

9 Separator and Degasser Degassers Degasser Operations Degasser Types Pump Degassers or Atmospheric Degassers Magna-VacTMDegasser Points About Separators and Separation 209 References 210viiiContents10 Suspension, Agitation, and Mixing of DRILLING FLUIDS Basic Principles of Agitation Equipment Mechanical Agitators Impellers Gearbox Shafts Equipment Sizing and Installation Design Parameters Compartment Shape Tank and Compartment Dimensions Tank Internals Baffles Sizing Agitators Turnover Rate (TOR)

10 Mud Guns High-Pressure Mud Guns Low-Pressure Mud Guns Mud Gun Placement Sizing Mud Gun Systems Pros and Cons of Agitation Equipment Pros of Mechanical Agitators Cons of Mechanical Agitators Pros of Mud Guns Cons of Mud Guns Bernoulli s Principle Relationship of Pressure, Velocity, and Head Mud Hoppers Mud Hopper Installation and Operation Mud Hopper Recommendations Other Shearing Devices Bulk Addition Systems Tank/Pit Use Removal Addition Suction Reserve Discharge Trip Tank 255 References 25511 Hydrocyclones Discharge Hydrocyclone Capacity Hydrocyclone Tanks and Arrangements Desanders Desilters Comparative Operation of Desanders andDesilters Hydrocyclone Feed Header Problems Median (D50)