3. Drilling Fluids

Table of Content

1. Increase Mud Weight
2. Dilution
3. Mixing Fluids of Different Densities
4. Oil Based Mud Calculations
5. Solids Analysis
6. Solids Fractions
7. Dilution of Mud System
8. Displacement - Barrels of Water/Slurry Required
9. Evaluation of Hydrocyclone
10. Evaluation of Centrifuge

3.6 Solids Fractions

Maximum recommended solids fractions (SF)

SF = (2.917 × MW) − 14.17

Maximum recommended low gravity solids (LGS)

$\text{LGS}=[\frac{\mathrm{SF}}{100}-(0.3125\times (\frac{\mathrm{MW}}{8.33}-1)\left)\right]\times 200$

where SF = maximum recommended solids fractions, % by vol
LGS = maximum recommended low gravity solids, % by vol
MW = mud weight, ppg

Example: Mud weight = 14.0 ppg
Determine: Maximum recommended solids, % by volume
Low gravity solids fraction, % by volume

Maximum recommended solids fractions (SF), % by volume:
SF = (2.917 × 14.0) − 14.17
SF = 40.838 − 14.17
SF = 26.67 % by volume

Low gravity solids (LGS), % by volume:
$\text{LGS}=[\frac{26.67}{100}-(0.3125\times (\frac{14.0}{8.33}-1)\left)\right]\times 200$
LGS = [0.2667 − (0.3125 × 0.6807)] × 200
LGS = (0.2667 − 0.2127) × 200
LGS = 0.054 × 200
LGS = 10.8 % by volume

⬆ Table of Content