In most drilling areas, a fresh water fluid which includes the solids incorporated into the water from

drilling subsurface formations is sufficient to balance formation pressures. However, abnormally

pressured formations may be encountered requiring higher density drilling fluids to control the
formation pressures. Failure to control downhole pressures may result in an influx of formation fluids,
resulting in a kick, or blowout.
Hydrostatic pressure also controls stresses adjacent to the wellbore other than those exerted by
formation fluids. In geologically active regions, tectonic forces impose stresses in formations and may
make wellbores unstable even when formation fluid pressure is balanced. Wellbores in tectonically
stressed formations can be stabilised by balancing these stresses with hydrostatic pressure. Similarly,
the orientation of the wellbore in high-angle and horizontal intervals can cause decreased wellbore
stability, which can also be controlled with hydrostatic pressure.

transport cuttings
As drilled cuttings are generated by the bit, they must be removed from the wellbore. To do so,
drilling fluid is circulated down the drillstring and through the bit, transporting the cuttings up the
annulus to the surface. Cuttings removal is a function of cuttings size, shape and density combined
with Rate of Penetration (ROP), drillstring rotation, plus the viscosity, density and annular velocity of
the drilling fluid.
Cleaning the hole is an essential function of the mud. This function is also the most abused and
misinterpreted. The drill solids generally have a specific gravity of 2.3 - 3.0 SG; an average of 2.5 will
normally be assumed. When these solids are heavier than the mud being used to drill the hole, they
slip downward through the mud.
The rate at which a cutting settles in a fluid is called the slip velocity. The slip velocity of a cutting
is a function of its density, size and shape, plus the viscosity, density and velocity of the drilling fluid.
If the annular velocity of the drilling fluid is greater than the slip velocity of the cutting, the cutting will
be transported to the surface
While the fluid is in laminar flow, the slip velocity of cuttings is affected directly by the viscosity or
shear characteristics of the mud. Thus, when the annular mud velocity is limited by pump volume or
enlarged hole sections, it often is necessary to viscosify the mud to reduce the slip velocity of the
formation cuttings to keep the hole clean.
Sometimes the decision to increase the lifting capacity of the mud is complicated by the fact
that any viscosifying of the mud may adversely affect other drilling conditions. For example, if the
mud is viscosified, circulating pressure losses increase and the danger of lost circulation increases.
Small batches of viscous mud can be used to lift cuttings and to minimise the requirement for
viscosifying all of the mud.
Fluid flowing from the bit nozzles exerts a jetting action to clear cuttings from the bottom of the hole
and the bit, and carries these cuttings to the surface. Several factors influence cuttings transport.
If the cuttings generated at the bit face are not immediately removed and carried towards the surface,
they will be ground very fine, stick to the bit and retard effective penetration.
Velocity - Increasing annular velocity generally improves cuttings transport. Variables include pump
output, borehole size and drill string size.
Density - Increasing mud density increases the carrying capacity through the buoyant effect on
cuttings.