AES Drilling Fluids

With every drilling rig comes a whole lot of rust. Why does metal corrode and what can happen if downhole equipment corrodes? What can we do with drilling fluids to minimize corrosion rates?

In this episode, Matt and Justin discuss the application of drilling fluid sweeps and their respective functions as they relate to enhancing wellbore conditions. Drilling fluid sweeps are typically pumped to help clean the wellbore of cuttings that have not been removed with normal fluid circulation or to apply lost circulation material to the wellbore when lost circulation occurs.

The listeners have questions and we have answers. In this episode we answer the question of, “What are the key components of oil based mud and what are their functions?”

In this episode, we break down each product of what makes up an oil based mud and describe their functions and importance of each.

The listeners have questions and we have answers. In this episode we answer the question of, “What are the key components of oil based mud and what are their functions?”

In this episode, we break down each product of what makes up an oil based mud and describe their functions and importance of each.

Wellbore ballooning or “breathing” is a topic often discussed but not properly understood. Ballooning or breathing is when fluid is forced into the rock’s micro fractures while pumping which are open only enough to contain fluid but not enough to permanently fracture the rock. When we stop pumping and reduce the hydrostatic or equivalent circulating density, the overburden of the rock forces the fluid back into the wellbore.

Brine based drilling fluids are a widely utilized system for drilling and completions due to their ability to protect the formation. These fluids are formulated with a brine as the liquid phase and selected bridging solids and polymers. Listen to this week’s episode while we dive into the world of brines and their use in drilling and completions.