Drilling Fluids Selection Criteria

The selection criteria for drilling fluids, in addition to lithology, hydraulic, temperature, and
pressure considerations, include the type of well (wildcat, delineation, development, etc.), wellbore
profile (vertical, directional, horizontal, etc.), casing and hole size program (conventional, slim-hole,
continuous coring, etc.), well depth, logistical and environmental restrictions.

Drilling fluids can be and have been developed with specific characteristics and rheological
properties required for most drilling operations. All these considerations must ultimately be balanced
with costs.

Well Type
The proper selection of a drilling fluid is ultimately based on the type, quantity and quality of
lithological information available. Obviously, more information is available for
development wells than would be for rank wildcat wells. The availability or lack of good,
reliable information will significantly affect the selection of drilling fluids. Mud systems for
delineation or development wells can be optimized with very specific properties identified.
However, for wildcat wells, a basic, conservative drilling fluid system with sufficient
latitude in properties is recommended.

Wellbore Profile
The profile of the well greatly determines which property or properties of the drilling
fluid are critical and which are of lower priority. Different fluid properties and rheological
characteristics are needed for vertical wells than are needed for directional or horizontal wells (Figure
2)
Selecting Mud Properties
Selection of both the physical and Theological properties of drilling fluids is essential
and should address the following borehole problems:

• Borehole Erosion; limit the near-wellbore fluid velocity and resulting

shear stress on the formation wall to minimize borehole erosion
• Borehole Stability; Limit adverse chemical and pressure effects on the
formation to minimize potential wellbore instability
• Cementing: Control filter-cake formation, chemical properties, and fluid density
to maximize mud displacement efficiency, cement strength and cement
bonding.
Transport: Control mud density and viscosity for efficient cuttings removal
from beneath the bit and out of the hole.
Differential Sticking: Control filter-cake formation and differential pressure to
minimize differential sticking
Drilling Rate: Maximize cuttings removal from the face of the bit, minimize
hydrostatic overbalance at the formation face, and provide adequate hydraulic
power to down hole motors
 Filtration Control: Create a thin, tough, effective filter cake to minimize fluid
filtrate losses to permeable zones and control filtrate chemical composition to
minimize adverse chemical reactions with formation fluids
Formation Damage: limit adverse chemical reactions with formation fluids,
mineralization, and invasion of solids into the formation
Lubricity; Add liquid or solid lubricants to reduce friction between the drill
string and the formation or casing
Pressure Control: Maintain the appropriate mud density and hydrostatic pressure
to control pore pressure; minimum gel strengths to reduce pressure surges
(positive and negative) while tripping
Pressure Losses: Control rheology to reduce system pressure losses
Solids Retention: Maintain gel strength and viscosity to suspending drilled
cuttings and additives when circulation is stopped

Drilling Tim e
Drilling a horizontal well requires different drilling fluid selection criteria than a
vertical well. The main consideration is that an extended section of the wellbore is drilled in the
reservoir for horizontal wells and only a short section (reservoir thickness) for vertical wells. This
results in a longer exposure of the pay zone to drilling fluids and an increasing equivalent circulating mud
density (ECD) with longer horizontal lengths. As a result, horizontal, conventional or slim-hole wells
should be drilled with a completion fluid rather than mud in order to minimize the potential of adverse
effects of mud additives.

Compressible or Non-Comp ressible

Drilling fluids can be either incompressible (water or oil base) or compressible (air,
foam, or mist) with incompressible fluids being classified as newtonian or non-newtonian. Newtonian
fluids (e.g., water, brine, glycerin, light oils, acids, and thin biopolymer mixtures) are generally in
turbulent flow both inside the drill string and in the annulus. Non-newtonian fluids (e.g., drilling mud,
viscous gels, and complex gels), which typically have better solids carrying capacity, are generally in
turbulent flow inside the drill string and in laminar flow in the annulus.

Compressible fluids used in drilling operations include nitrogen, air, foam, or mist.
Nitrogen is often a good option because it is inert, non-toxic, non-reactive, and relatively non-soluble
and is typically used to lift solids from low-pressure, liquid-sensitive wells. Foams, which consist of a
liquid and gas phase, provide excellent solids suspension capability (i.e., up to ten times that of liquids
or gels). Both nitrogen and foam systems require careful program design to be used effectively at all
wellbore conditions.

The safe mud density range depends on the stress state (orientation, magnitude and
differences), the strength of the rock, and the inclination of the well. Figure 3 shows an example of
an acceptable range of drilling fluid densities versus well inclination.
 The safe operating range decreases as hole inclination increases due to increased
stresses at higher angles. In this example, see Figure, the safe range in a vertical well is from 9 to 20
ppg whereas in a horizontal well, the safe range is from 11 to 15 ppg. This shows that mud weight
requires more careful planning and control in high-angle wells than in vertical wells.

Lost Circulation
Lost circulation occurs when whole mud, as opposed to just the filtrate, is lost to
the formation due to losses into pre-existing voids in the rock, or hydraulic fracturing of the formation
due to excessive bottom-hole pressures. Whole mud losses can occur in different types of formations
as shown in Figure 4.
Little can be done to prevent lost circulation in formations that contain large voids,
such as vugs, caverns, gravel beds, and large natural fractures. Lost circulation due to hydraulic
fracturing can be minimized by taking the following precautions:

1. Maintain the bottom-hole fluid pressure below the formation fracture pressure
while maintaining sufficient pressure to control formation fluids and provide
borehole stability. This may involve drilling underbalanced in areas where
formation stability is not a problem.
2. Minimize mud viscosity to reduce annular pressure losses, while still
maintaining good hole cleaning.
3. Generate a high-quality, thin mud filter cake to minimize annular restrictions
and annular pressure losses.
1. Circulate at rates sufficient to clean the hole without causing excessive ECDs.
4. Control drill string velocities when tripping in and out of the hole to avoid
excessive surging or swabbing of the hole.

Types of losses are loosely defined by the rate of fluid loss as shown in Table 2

The inherently smaller annular area with slim holes makes it easier for cuttings
build-up to block the annulus and cause excessive pressure drops and excessive ECDs, leading to high
filtrate losses, jetting fluid into the formation, and fracturing the formation. Conventional solutions are
often less effective in slim holes. Reducing the circulation rate may not be possible since fairly low
circulation rates are normally used, and adding LCMs may cause the plugging of drill string components.

If lost circulation is a concern and must be avoided, under-balanced drilling

should be considered, equally with coiled-tubing drilling.

The inherently smaller annular area with slim holes makes it easier for cuttings
build-up to block the annulus and cause excessive pressure drops and excessive ECDs, leading to high
filtrate losses, jetting fluid into the formation, and fracturing the formation. Conventional solutions are
often less effective in slim holes. Reducing the circulation rate may not be possible since fairly low
circulation rates are normally used, and adding LCMs may cause the plugging of drill string components.

If lost circulation is a concern and must be avoided, under balanced drilling

should be considered, equally with coiled-tubing drilling.
 Lubricity
Lubricants are used in drilling fluids to reduce drill string torque and drag by
reducing the friction factor between the drill string ami the wellbore. Both liquid and solid additives have
been used with varying degrees of success. Specific additives should be selected based on the cause and
location of the torque and drag. Some additives are designed to reduce metal-to-metal friction (casing
and drill string) while others reduce friction between rock and metal (formation and drill string). Some
additives are most effective at high contact loads whereas other perform best at low contact loads.

Addition of lubricating agents should only be considered after other torque and drag
problems have been solved (e.g., cuttings buildup, borehole instability, key-seating, and differential
sticking) since lubricating agents would have little or no beneficial effect on these problems.

Filtration Control
Filtration control is critical to minimize stud: pipe and formation damage, and to
improve wellbore stability and formation evaluation. The best option is to select drilling fluids with as
low a fluid loss as possible. For horizontal or high-angle wells, where exposure time in the productive
interval is high, the fluid loss should be maintained below the level used while drilling vertical holes in
the same zone. Creation of an impermeable or low permeable filter cake is key for filtration control.

A filter cake is created when the hydrostatic pressure of the drilling fluid is greater
than the pore pressure, allowing drilling fluid filtrate to enter the permeable formation and deposit solids
on the wellbore wall (Figure 7).

Figure 7 Good Filter Cake

The filter cake should be:

• Thin — to minimize the potential of differential sticking (Figure 8)
• Tough — to minimize removal by the circulating fluid (near wellbore
shear) and mechanical contact of the drill string
• Compressible — to minimize incremental filtrate losses when
hydrostatic pressure increases by the filter cake compressing and
becoming less permeable
 Solids plating out inside the drill pipe cause problems with retrieving wireline core
barrels with continuous coring systems and by increasing pressure losses inside the drill pipe due to
reduced pipe inner diameter. AMOCO, Texaco, and other companies have developed special no-solids
mud systems to overcome these problems.

Formation Damage
Minimizing formation damage is necessary for creating a usable hole which can be
evaluated, completed and produced. The mud filtrate and solids present in the filtrate and in the
formation fluid can both cause damage. Damaging solids can be mud materials and drilled cuttings.

Many laboratory and field studies have been performed to determine the various
types, relative severity, and causes of formation damage. These studies have shown that nearly all
activities associated with drilling, completing, stimulating, and producing wells can cause formation
damage. Some types of damage can be remediated (e.g., invasion of soluble solids emulsions), while
other types of damage are permanent and cannot be remediated (chemical reactions, invasion of non-
soluble solids such as barite).

Some types of formation damage associated with the drilling fluid are shown in
Table 3: