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.

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.

In this episode Matt and Justin discuss the topic of

wellbore instability. As the name implies, wellbore instability refers to

wellbore that has the tendency to cave or collapse due to unconsolidated

formations, fractured formations and chemically/mechanically stressed shale.

Drilling fluids have a key role in preventing such phenomenon.