ABSTRACT

This experiment consists of two parts which includes part A and part B. The objectives
for part A and part B are mud rheology determination using viscometer and determination of
marsh funnel viscosity respectively. Rheology refers to the deformation and flow behavior of all
forms of matter. It is an extremely important property of drilling muds, drill-in fluids, work over
and completion fluids. In this experiment consist of data collecting regarding plastic viscosity,
gel strength and yield point in determining how this fluid will flow under a variety of different
conditions. Water based mud is used as the experimental fluid. In water based fluids, water
quality plays an important role in how additives perform. Before the experiment begins, the
water based mud will be stirred accordingly for the mud to be completely mixed. The water
based mud will be tested in the viscometer with various revolutions per minute (rpm) for the
acquisition of the parameters mentioned above. Data were collected and compared.

INTRODUCTION

Rheology is a key property which influence different aspects of the drilling operation.
Generally, the term of rheology is the study of on how matter deforms and flows behavior. For
instance, plastic viscosity, gel strength and yield point are the measurements made on fluids
which basically help to determine on how this fluid will flow under a several different conditions
and situations. In term of geology, rheology is a particularly important in studies of moving ice,
water, salt and magma, as well as deforming of rocks. Information or data collected is the
significant in the design of circulating systems involved in order to accomplish in a certain
desired objectives in drilling operations.
Rheological also used to indicate the properties of a given fluid as in mud rheology.
Rheology is an extremely important property of drilling muds, drill-in given fluid, workover and
completion fluids and pills. Mud rheology precisely on a continual basis while ongoing drilling.
It can simply adjusted with the additives or dilution to meet the requirements of the operation.
The water quality is a key property which plays an important role on how additives perform for
water-based fluids. The temperature affects the behavior and interactions of water, clay, polymers
and solids in a mud. In order to evaluating the rheology of oil muds, the down hole pressure must
be taken into account.
Firstly, viscosity is importantly to take account in a drilling mud which it may affect the
lifting power of drilling mud. Generally, viscosity is a measurement of the resistance of fluid
where it is being deformed by either shear stress or tensile stress. It is considered as the ratio of
the shearing stress to the rate of shearing strain. Besides, the viscosity is measured with various
types of rheometers. Viscosity can easily identified by measuring the concentration, quality and
diffusion of suspended solids in the fluids. Drilling mud viscosity can be measured as a time per
rate flow by using a marsh funnel. Also, the mud viscosity can be determined by using Fann
Viscometer. Drilling mud is an example for non-Newtonian which means the viscosity is not
constant value.

The Fann Viscometer can also further used to determine the gel strength in lb/100sq.ft of
a mud. The function of gel strength basically is a function of the inner-particle forces. An initial
10 second gel and 10 minute gel strength measurement assign as an indication of the amount of

gelation which will occur after circulation ceased and the mud remains static. The higher pump
pressure will be required in order to initiate the circulation system if the amounts of mud gels
increase during shutdown periods.
Marsh funnel used on rig to provide a quick test on the viscosity of the mud. It has
become a standard instrument for the field of measurement. The viscosity given by the Marsh
Funnel is not true viscosity, but serves as a qualitative measure of how thick the mud sample.
The funnel viscosity is useful only for relative comparisons. It indicates the changes in viscosity
and cannot be used to quantify the rheological properties which are yield point and plastic
viscosity. The funnel viscosity can be defined as time, in seconds for one quart of mud flow
through a marsh funnel.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the viscosity gel, gel strength and yield point of each of the sample
To measure funnel viscosity of drilling fluid

THEORY

Viscosity
Viscosity is defined as the resistance offered by a fluid (liquid or gas) to flow. The well
driller recognizes this as thickness. The Marsh funnel is a simple means of making comparative
viscosity measurements that with experience becomes very useful. Low viscosity is favored for
effective cleaning at the bit face and rapid settling of cuttings at the surface. High viscosity may
be necessary to remove coarse sand from the hole or to stabilize gravel but will retard settling of
the cuttings at the surface.

Gel strength
The gel strength is the shear stress of drilling mud that is measured at low shear rate after
the drilling mud is static for a certain period of time. It also can be said as a measurement of the
shearing stress necessary to initiate a finite rate of shear.The gel strength is one of the important
drilling fluid properties because it demonstrates the ability of the drilling mud to suspend drill
solid and weighting material when circulation is ceased. With proper gel strength can help
suspend solids in the hole and allow them to settle out on the surface, excessive gel strength can
cause a number drilling problems. Usually, We use the 3-rpm reading which will be recorded
after stirring the drilling fluid at 600 rpm from a rheometer. Normally, the first reading is noted
after the mud is in a static condition for 10 second. The second reading and the third reading will
be 10 minutes and 30 minutes, respectively..The reason is that the 30 minute-reading will tell us
whether the mud will greatly form the gel during an extensive static period or not. If the mud has
the high gel strength, it will create high pump pressure in order to break circulation after the mud
is static for long time. Furthermore, increasing in a trend of 30-minute gel strength indicates a
build up of ultra fine solid. Therefore, the mud must be treated by adding chemicals or diluting
with fresh base fluid.

Yield point
Yield point is influenced by the concentration of solids, their electrical charge, and other
factors. If not at the proper value, it can also reduce drilling efficiency by cutting penetration
rate, increasing circulating pressure, and posing the danger of lost circulation. Yield Point (YP) is
resistance of initial flow of fluid or the stress required in order to move the fluid. You can simply
say that the Yield Point (YP) is the attractive force among colloidal particles in drilling mud.
We can calculate the YP by this following formula.

Yield Point (YP) = Reading from a viscometer at 300 rpm Plastic Viscosity (PV)

APPARATUS
Part A: Mud Rheology Determination Using Viscometer
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Rotational viscometer
Rotor
Rotor Bob
Mud Cup
Water base mud/ Oil base Mud

Part B:
1. Mash Funnel
2. Beaker
3. Stopwatch

PROCEDURES

Part A
Test for viscosity
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

By using the mixer, the mud was prepared.

The viscometer was set up
The mud cup was filled with the mud to a specific level.
The machine was switched on and ran for 1 minute at 600rpm speed
Then the machine was left to rest for another minute
First reading was recorded as soon as the machine was switched on at 600rpm speed
Step 1 till 6 was repeated twice in order to get an average reading
Step 1 till 7 was repeated using 300rpm and 3rpm which in step 4 only.

Test for gel strength

1. Sample was allowed to stir at 600rpm and then rest for a minute.
2. The gear shift knob was set to 3rpm position and the motor speed switch was turned to
high speed.
3. After some time, the motor was then switched to low speed
4. Reading was taken at the moment the gel breaks as noted by a peak in the reading.
5. Gel strength for 10 minutes and 10 seconds was recorded. Gel strength in unit lb/ft
Yield point (Yp) = Reading at 300rpm PV
Plastic Viscosity (Cp) = Reading at 600rpm and 300rpm

Part B
Determination of mud viscosity by using marsh funnel
1. Mud sample was mixed initially
2. Then 200ml of mud sample was pour into the marsh funnel and at the same time the
bottom hole of the apparatus was covered using finger (stop mud from flowing)
3. A beaker was placed under the marsh funnel. Unit used is Seconds/quartz
4. The timer starts as the finger is removed from the bottom hole of the marsh funnel, which
allow the mud sample to flow into the beaker.
5. Time taken was recorded for a continuous flow of mud till the time the mud produces
droplets

RESULT
Part A:
a) mud determination using viscometer
Reading
600 rpm
300 rpm
6 rpm
3 rpm

1
45
37
20
9

2
47
35
19
3

3
49
32
22
11

Average reading
47.00
34.67
20.33
8.67

b) Gel strength (using water based mud)

Time

Gel Strength (lb/ft)

10 seconds

16

10 minutes

11

Part B: determination of mud viscosity by using marsh funnel

Types of
mud
Water based
mud

Time (min)
2

Average time
3

(min)

0.90

0.88

0.87

0.88

SAMPLE CALCULATION
Average reading for 600rpm =

45+47 +49
3

= 47.0

Average time (min) for determination the mud viscosity using marsh funnel;
=

0.90+0.88+0.87
3

= 0.88 min.

DISCUSSION
Rheology is the study of the flow of matter: primarily in the 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. It is important to study the mud rheology because it
will help in designing the circulating systems required in drilling operation.
On the result of experiment A testing for mud determination using viscometer, it shows
the reading is decreasing as the rotation of the cylinder decrease. When the cylinder rotates at
different speeds, it will cause the fluid to shear at different rates and thus will give different
number of viscosity reading. At 600 rpm, the reading is 47.00 and it decrease to 34.67 at 300
rpm. The reading keeps decreasing at 20.33 on 200 rpm and 8.67 for 3 rpm. Assuming rpm is
proportional to shear rate and torque for the viscometer is proportional to shear stress, when a

torque versus rpm graph is plot it will give curve line graph because drilling mud is nonNewtonian fluid.
Second part of experiment 1 basically it tests the gel strength of the water based mud. For
time 10 sec, the gel strength is 16 100lb/ft 2 and for 10 minutes is 11 100lb/ft 2. Some drilling
fluids are thixotropic, forming gelled strucctures when stangnant and liquefyingwhen sheared.
Drilling fluids with flats gels have similar 10s and 10 mins gel strenght remianing pumpable
while high gels is undesireable.
In experiment B, the aim is to measure viscosity of drilling fluid using marsh
funnel. In this experiment, 450 ml of water base mud is used. Then, the mud is allowed to flow
through the marsh funnel in order to determine the funnel viscosity. The funnel viscosity
obtained is 511.36 ml/min. Marsh funnel is used on rig to provide a quick test on the viscosity of
the mud. However, the viscosity given by the marsh funnel is not an actual viscosity compare to
using viscometer. The funnel viscosity serves as a qualitative measure on how thick the mid
sample is and used only for relative comparisons. The value obtain will be indicates the change
in viscosity and cannot be used to quantify the rheological properties such as plastic viscosity
and yield point.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion we can conclude that in part A the reading is decreasing as the rotation of
the cylinder decrease. In part B, the aim is to measure funnel viscosity of drilling fluid using
marsh funnel. In this experiment, 350 ml of water base mud is used. It can be considered a
successful one given the fact that the objective of the experiment is acceptable. During the
experiment, there were no significant errors occurred and the viscometer functioned as usual.

RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Wear the proper PPE during the experiment as to prevent injuries during the experiment.
2. Make sure the viscometer is in a good condition and well function as if the equipment is
not rotating well, it will affect the result.

3. To get more accurate result, the experiment should be done three times and get the
average of the reading.
4. Make sure the mud is well mixed before the experiment started as to ensure the
composition in the mud is equal.
5. Make sure there are no other inclusions inside the mud as it will disturb the efficiency of
mud during determination of mud viscosity.

REFERENCES
1. Geology and Drilling Laboratory Manual. (CGE 558), Faculty of Chemical Engineering,
UiTM Shah Alam
2. Retrieved from Clark, Peter E.,(1995). Drilling Mud Rheology and the API
Recommended Measurements, Society of Petroleum Engineers, p. 9.
3. Retrivedfromhttp://www.injectionmoldingonline.com/ProcessingTheory/ViscosityCurve.a
spx
4. Retrieved from http://www.scribd.com/doc/92763659/rheology
5. Sharma,

A.

(2011,

10

20).

Mud

Rheology

http://www.scribd.com/doc/69577132/Mud-Rheology-Test

Test.

Retrieved

from

APPENDICES