Safe Mud Pump Management while Conditioning Mud: On the Adverse Effects of Complex Heat Transfer and Barite Sag when Establishing Circulation

Abstract

For complex drilling operations with narrow geo-pressure windows, it is not uncommon to have problems with formation fracturing, due to erroneous mud pump management. To assist the driller in managing the circulation, it is possible to limit both the acceleration of the mud pumps whilst changing the flow-rate as well as the actual flow-rate, to avoid generating downhole pressure above the fracturing pressure gradient of the open hole section. Such mud pump operating limits are dependent on the operational parameters (e.g. drill-string axial and rotational velocities), and the in situ conditions downhole. The in situ conditions evolve with time due to the changes of bit and bottom hole depths as well as the variations in temperature, mud properties and cutting concentrations. When starting to condition mud after a long period of time without circulation, the changes in temperature can be very large. Furthermore, in the eventuality of barite sag, lifting up drilling fluids containing a large concentration of high gravity solid can cause much increase of the downhole pressure. This paper presents a methodology that is used in an automatic drilling control system to account for all those factors in order to have a safe mud pump management including circumstances where mud is being conditioned.