Virtual rheology and hydraulics improve use of oil and synthetic-based muds
- M-I Drilling Fluids LLC, Houston, TX (United States)
Two evolutionary concepts, virtual hydraulics and virtual rheology, have significantly improved the understanding and application of drilling fluid rheology and the hydraulics of oil-based and synthetic-based muds. When combined to form the core of a unitized suite of software modules, they provide new technology which is a step improvement over conventional approaches to calculate equivalent circulating densities (ECDs) and pump pressures for oil and synthetic-based muds (OBMs and SBMs). More-accurate predictions are now possible for downhole mud rheology, circulating and static densities, frictional pressure losses, and pump pressures. While the concepts are not new in the strictest sense, neither has been fully exploited and implemented until now. The first concept, virtual hydraulics (VH), subdivides the well into short depth segments and combines variable downhole rheology with localized downhole conditions for hydraulics calculations. This permits a unique downhole perspective of hydraulics and rheology at a single point in time. The second concept, virtual rheology (VR), takes full advantage of available field and lab data for the specific mud in use to determine downhole rheological properties as a function of temperature and pressure.
- OSTI ID:
- 445597
- Journal Information:
- Oil and Gas Journal, Journal Name: Oil and Gas Journal Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 95; ISSN OIGJAV; ISSN 0030-1388
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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