Interview Questions & Answers

1- H o w do you mix spud mud?

-Fresh water (Ca < 200 mg/L, Cl < 2000 mg/L)
-Add caustic soda For Mg Treatment (0.25-0.5 1b/bbls)
-Add soda ash For Ca Treatment (0.25-0.5 1b/bbls)
-Add bentonite (25-30 1b/bbls) and leave it for 6-8 hours to hydrate

2- What is the accepted concentration of Ca in the mud?

Less than 200 mg/l

3- W h y should you treat Calcium before mixing spud mud?

Because ca decrease the performance of bentonite hydration
If the mud specialist ask you why? because the ca is divalent so it will replace the Na and
increase the attraction force between the bentonite layers.

4- W h a t is the value of water loss in spud mud?

It is uncontrolled and it is 14-16.

5- What is the maximum salinity of water that using for mixing bentonite?
2000 mg/l.

6- How do mix spud mud with saline water?

How do mix spud mud in offshore rig?
How do mix heavy bentonite Mud?
Mix Half concentration of bentonite in fresh water then start adding Thiner
“Spercene, Chrome free lingo sulphonate” to make deflocculation mud leave
it 1-2 hr because if I add all bentonite dose one time it will flocculate mud,
then cont. add rest of concentration of bentonite in fresh water and leave it 6-8
hours to hydrate the bentonite after that add salt water gradually, before drilling by 2
hours add lime to flocculate mud (0.5 1b/bbls).

7- What is the concentration of bentonite that you mixed before?

25-30 ppb.

8- If you drill a section that has total loss circulation zone and shale formation, what
the mud type can you use?
Spud mud and make fly mix.
‘Aramco Procedure’ Drilled with water & gel sweep & mud cap
Due to total losses in well this mean that low hydrostatic pressure in annulus but we have
shale so we need to increase hydrostatic pressure to prevent shale from falling in well so
do Mud Cap which is heavy mud 15-20 pcf more than current mwt & pump it direct in
annulus by kill line “15-20 bbls/30 min”

9- How many bags of bentonite can you mix in one hour during fly mix?
According to rig hoppers efficiency and how many hoppers in the rig and activity of all
worker
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Page 1 of 21
 1- How do u mix Nacl Polymer mud? & What is mean Nacl Polymer Mud?
 Water (Ca < 200 Mg/L)
 Soda Ash (0.5-1 1b/bbls)
 Caustic Soda (0.5-1 1b/bbls)
 Water Loss Reducer (4-6 1b/bbls)
 Viscofier (0.5-1.5 1b /bbls)
 NaCl Salt (90-100 1b/bbls)
 Lubricant (1-3% by volume) According to programme
 Bridging Material (CaCo3 Medium 15 1b/bbls) According to programme
 LCM According to programme
 Weighting Material (CaCo3 or Barite BaSo4) As Required MWT.
*It mean Salt saturated Mud we can use salt to reach required Mwt if u want to increase
mwt more than 10 ppg use caco3 or barite as programme & LSND Mud
2- What is Meaning of LSND Mud?
LS mean Little soild in mud because all salt is dissolved in mud, we can use salt to reach
required Mwt if u want to increase mwt more than 10 ppg use caco3 or barite as
programme
ND mean making inhibition shale or make shale non dispersed, no shale dispersed in mud
cause mud salinity > Formation Salinity
If mud salinity > Formation salinity mud will absorb more water from shale make it more
pritle then broke and became dispersed in mud
If mud salinity < Formation salinity shale will absorb water from mud & cause shale
swelling

3- If we drill by Nacl polymer mud in pay zone can we use Cacl2 brine?
*Theoretical yes, according to brine chart “Nacl/Cacl2 = 11.1 ppg”
Cause Nacl Is A Mono Valent Salt And Belong To Class 1 Salts And Cacl2 Divalent And
Belong To Class 2 Salts and We Can Mix Salts From Class 1 With Class 2 the mix of
Cacl2/Nacl equal to 83pcf
According to aramco instruction No, we use Nacl brine to avoid any precipitation or
crystallization which cause formation damage by plugging porosity & permability of
formation

4- How to measure brine density?

By hydrometer

5- What is max weight for KCL, Nacl, Cacl2, Cabr2, Cacl2 /Cabr2, barite, hematite &
Marble?
Kcl 73, Nacl 75, Cacl2 86, Cabr2 106, Cacl2 /cabr2 112PCF 15 PPG

6- What is max salinity of Nacl, Calc2, Kcl?

Nacl 188, 675 Calc2 334, 649 Kcl 134,000 mg/l

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1- How do u mix Kcl Ploymer mud?
 Water (Ca < 200 Mg/L)
 Soda Ash (0.5-1 1b/bbls)
 Caustic Soda (0.5-1 1b/bbls)
 Water Loss Reducer (4-6 1b/bbls)
 Viscofier (0.5-1.5 1b /bbls)
 KCL (3-7%) 1% = 3.5 1b/bbls
 Salt According to programme
 Lubricant (1-3% by volume) According to programme
 Bridging Material (CaCo3 Medium 15 1b/bbls) According to programme
 LCM According to programme
 Weighting Material (CaCo3 Or Barite BaSo4) As Required MWT.

2- W h y do you use KCL polymer mud? Can we use bentonite with KCL?
Because KCL is shale inhibitor, K+ ion plug shale pores, prevent swelling.

Page 2 of 21
 We can’t use bentonite with KCL mud due to hi salinity of mud but we can add prehydrated
bentoniote to Kcl polymer sys. “To increase yield point”

3- W h y is KCL shale inhibitor?

Because K is the only ion has diameter can fit the space between the shale layers
Due to ionic exchange as K is stronger than Na so replace it and prevent shale hydration

4- What the ionic diameter of K and Na?

K is 2.66 A and Na is 1.92 A

5- Why the k ion can fit the space between shale layers?
As k is 2.66 which can fit strongly between 2.8 shale lattice space

6- what is meaning of layer? Or how to form layer?

In Chemistry 2Monomer lead to form oligomer “different monomer” or isomer “smiller
Monomer”, then 2 oligomer or 2 isomer lead to form polymer then 2 polymer lead to form
chain then more than 2 chain lead to form a layer

7- Can you use KCL with all shale type?

*No with NA montomronolite “SEMCTITE”only as it contains Na .

8- What are the types of shale?

1- Non swelling shale: Attapulgite and Sepiolite.& Kaolinite, Chlorite
2- Slightly swelling shale: Illite.
3- Swelling shale: Montmorillonite (Smectite)

9- Which types of shale that K is inhibitor?

Smectite, Illite .

10- What are the shale types in KSA?

I don’t know.

11- How to determine formation Porosity?

By PPT Pluging Permability Test
Put sample under pressure 2200-3000 psi & tempreture 500-700 f in cup & use ceramic disk
instead of filter paper & filter cake will precipitate on it for 30 min.
When apply pressure some filtrate will pass fast if filtrate is less than 0.5 ml this mean good LCM
& bridging agent If u have mud or solid in filtrate this mean that no bridging in mud load system
by caco3 medium.
Note: Ceramic Disk have pore size same of formation porosity

12- What is the typical concentration of KCL?

According to Shale formation, Mud programme & Max KCL chart 14% = 49 ppb “1% =
3.5 ppb”

13- What is the typical concentration of K in KCL polymer mud?

K = 73.36 PPM

14- What is the test of KCL?

1- 7 ml filtrate
2- 3 ml sodium perchlorite.
3- Use the centrifuge and take the value to know the lb/bbl from the chart
Page 3 of 21
 4- Use the KCL table to know the % (wt)

15- Can you calculate K concentration from CL?

Yes I can, K= 1.103*CL

16- Is this value accurate? Why?

No, because the concentration of k will decrease during the drilling due to encapsulation of
shale and the concentration of CL will be constant.

17- What are fluid loss reducer chemicals and what is the maximum temperature of
each one?
- Starch……………………………... 170-200 f (theoretical 250 f)
- Pac (pac-lv & mil pac-lv)……….... 300 f
- CMC ……………………………... 300 f
- Resinex II……………………….... 400 f
- Tannathin……………………...…. 400 f
- Dristemp…………………………. 400 f
- Hi Temp “Poly Temp” ………….. 400 f

18- Which fluid loss reducer chemicals can you use in the reservoir?
Flotrol
19-If you have total loss what is the type of mud can you use in 16" section?
Spud mud “ water + gel sweep + mud cap”

20-Do you have time to mix all chemicals if you use fly mix?
If i have fly mixing i will put minimum concentration and keep the mud weight

21-How many pallets of starch can you use in one hour during fly mix?
In normal polymers add in 5 min but in fly we try to decrease the time to fast
mixing without plugging hopper
We use half concentration

22-What are Viscofier chemicals and what is the maximum temperature of each
one?
-XC Polymer………….…………... 225-250 f
-Pac (Polyanionic Cellulose) (poly pac)….. 300 f
- CMC (carboxymethycellulose)……………….. 300 f
-HEC “Hydroxyethylcellulose”Bora vis ….... 220 f “used for completion brine”

23- What is the contamination in WBM?

-Solids
-Cement
-Anhydrite
-Salt
-Carbonate
-H2S

24- What are the shale inhibitor chemicals?

Soltex, black nite, black fury and PHPA

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 25- What is the maximum weight of:
Barite…………….. 152 pcf
`Hematite………… 187 pcf
Marble…………… 87 pcf
NACl…………….. 75 pcf
KCL……………... 73 pcf
CACL2………….. 86 pcf
CABR2…………. 106 pcf
CACL/CABR2…. 112 pcf
Z NA formate……… 83 pcf
K formate………... 98 pcf
ZNBR2…………..143 pcf

26- What is the specific gravity of:

Hematite………………. 5
Barite…………………. 4.2
Marble…………..…… 2.75
Bentonite…………….. 2.65
Diesel………………... 0.84
Safra oil…………….... 0.79
LGS………………... 2.6-2.657

27- What will u do if?

NB: Very Important:
1. To increase pH add caustic soda.
2. To decrease pH add dilution.
3. To treat flocculation dilution + thinners.
4. To treat foams add defoamer.
5. To treat viscosity dilution + thinners.
6. To treat water loss add filtration control agents.
++
7. To treat Ca add soda ash.
8. To treat Mg++ add Ca CO3.
9. To treat CO3, HCO3, PO4 add lime.

28-What is Chemical test for WBM?

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Page 5 of 21
 1- How do you mix OBM?
These Method in on shore Rig Use 2 Tanks.
- Diesel tank: - Brine tank

- Diesel as OWR - Water as OWR

- Primary emulsifier (0.85-1.15 gal/bbls) - CACL2 depend on WFS
(Powder or Crystal)
- Secondary emulsifier (1.45 gal/bbls)
- Fluid loss reducer (8-12 1b/bbls)
- Lime (8-12 1b/bbls)
- Transfer the brine to the diesel tank very slowly
- Mix it for 2 hours
- Add viscosifer (6-12 1b/bbls)
- Wetting Agent as programme
- Weighting material as required MWT

Note: Aramco Procedure is to add viscofier before adding sec. emulsifier because sec. emulsifier
pull all free water in mud & viscofier is clay mineral need free water.

These Method in off shore Rig Use 1 Tanks.

- Diesel as OWR
- Primary emulsifier (0.85-1.15 gal/bbls)
- Secondary emulsifier (1.45 gal/bbls)
- Fluid loss reducer (8-12 1b/bbls)
- Lime (8-12 1b/bbls)
- Water “required volume”
- viscosifer (6-12 1b/bbls)
- CaCl2 Salt “Powder”
- Wetting Agent as programme
- weighting material as required MWT

2- Why we use OBM?

- Used for drilling shale formation, OBM is shale stabilizer, improve hole stability,
prevent hydration of clays, reduce swelling.
- Create high ROP rates
- Considered good lubricant so it used in drilling high deviated wells, reduce
corrosion effects.
- Used Resist contaminations (like gases dissolve in the OBM, never affect mud
Properties)
- Used in high temperature high pressure wells.

- Reusable , we can use it more times in same or other wells

3-What is the important problem in OBM?

- Gas solubility which make kick more difficult to be detected
- ES which can lead to barite sag

Note: Bairte sag mean that solid tend to be water wet so accumulate with each other and settled down.

4- Why do you use emulsifier?

-To make the emulsion between the oil and the water to be homogeneous phase
- Substance that mix heterogeneous phases to be one phase.

Page 6 of 21
5- What is the ES stability?
It detects resistivity of mud for electricity.
ES for diesel is 2000 volt that means it needs 2000 volt to break bond and connect
with electricity.
ES for water is zero that means it don't need volt to break bond and connect with
Electricity.

7- What is the mechanism of ES meter?

Measure the conductivity of the mud.
Decrease conductivity ……… increase ES.
Increase conductivity …...…. decrease ES.

8-What is the effect of emulsion breaking? The effect on the hole not mud
Shale swelling, tight spots, increase in torque and drag, sticking, and Barite and solid
settling in the hole.

9-Types of Emulsion?
Emulsion : oil in water , water phase is cont, water ratio is higher than oil.
Invert emulsion : Water in oil , oil phase is cont, oil ratio is higher than water

10- Why use wetting agent?

- To make solids oil wetting, decrease viscosity.

11- How can you check any drop in ES without ES meter?

From HPHT test, all filtrate should be oil, if I find water that mean ES decrease.
Decrease in lime content

12-Tests give indications about emulsion?

- Electric stability (high reading more than 600 refer to good emulsion)
- Lime content. (constant high result more than 4ppb refer to good emulsion)
- HPHT ( all filtrate is diesel refer to good emulsion)
- Ca Test

13- PV 40, YP 50, Gel 30, Lime 5? Tell me problem of mud?

Water contamination due to hi Rheology reading “PV, YP, Gel”

13- Reason of Low ES?

- Fast ROP ie more cutting, more consumption of emulsifier
- Water contamination flow
- Acid Gases ie Co2 react with Ca, Ca+Co3= CaCo3 cause lime decrease
- Lime content is low
- LCM PILL
- CaCl2 Crystal “Hi Conductive” increase soild in mud need more emulsifier

14- Why do you use Cacl2 not Nacl with OBM?

Because CaCL2 give salinity more than Nacl to control the osmosis pressure and the
water activity of Ca (0.4) less than Na (0.75)

15- What is the maximum salinity of CACL2 and NACL?

CACL2………………. 335000 mg/l
NACL……………...... 188000 mg/l
Page 7 of 21
16- Why use Barine in OBM?
Due to osmosis pressure which decrease fluid transfer from fluid to formation

17- What is the osmosis pressure?

The pressure results from transferring the fluid from low salinity to high salinity.
18- Function of lime CA (OH)2 in OBM?
- Source of Ca Which used to activate primary emulsifier by forming Ca Soap
- Source of Alkalinity.
- React with gases contamination

19- What is solubility of H2S in WBM & OBM & How to treat H2S in both?
 H2S solubility in OBM greater than WBM
 Hi PH & H2S scavenger

Why hi PH?
Cause ionization of H2S to H2 & S
Low PH cause reverse reaction H2+S=H2S gas
Death concentration more than 100 ppm dead in 45 min more than 700 dead in 2-3
min

20-What is mechanism of CA soap?

What is mechanism of Emulsifier?
- To decrease the surface tension between 2 immiscible phases
- Use to activate the emulsifier {emulsifier is fatty acid with head water wet & tail oil
wet, head bond with brine using ca soap}

21- What is another test detect carbonate?

- Ca test detect carbonate, if Ca decrease means carbonate increase.
- Garret gas train used to measure CO2 “indication for carbonate”

22- How to mix heavy barite mud >110 pcf?

- In WBM use thiner to deflocculate mud & use water hose during mixing on hopper
- In OBM use wetting agent to prevent barite sag

23- Why we add water while mixing heavy barite mud?

- To prevent barite sag
- To prevent settling and prevent flocculation

24- How to perform good hole cleaning in case of OBM?

Good Vis, YP, PV, Gel, control ROP, high possible GPM & hi emulsion

25-How can we determine lime content in the mud?

Alkalinity (POM for oil base mud)
- 100mL 50/50 Xylene/Isopropanol in 500mL beaker
- (or n-propoxy propanol)
- 2mL mud and stir for 1 min
- 200mL distilled water
- 15 drops phenolphphthalein
- Stir and titrate with 0.1N H2SO4 until pink does not reappear within 1 min
- Alkalinity Pom = mL H2SO4 / 2
- Excess lime (kg/m3) = 3.7 x Pom = 1.85 x mL H2SO4

Page 8 of 21
 26- What are the OBM tests?

Electrical stability
 You can do it easy by put electrode inside OBM and test for 3 times and take result average

Alkalinity (Excess lime)

 1 ml of mud
 50 ml of Arcosolv (25 ml Xylene + 25 ml iso propanol)
 100 ml dis. Water
 Few drops from phenol phethalin---------------Pink color
 Start titration with H2SO4 N/10----------------Returned to the original color.
 Alkalinity= No.of ml of H2So4+ No of ml of BAD (if applicable).

Excess lime= Alkalinity * 1.295= lime lb/bbls

Chloride
 Take same sample from previous test
 Few drop from K2Cr2O7 potassium Chromate
 Start titration with Silver Nitrate 10000 until first red color occurred
*Chloride for whole mud “ex 40000 mg/l”

Chloride mg/l*1.565/ (ml silver nitrate*1.565) +Sw)*100

Cholride for water phase salinity “200000 mg/l”

Calcium Test
 1 ml of mud
 50 ml arcosolv(25 ml xylene+25 ml iso propanol)
 100 ml distilled water
 3 ml NaoH 1N
 Calver II------------Blue color
 Titrate with EDTA 4000---------Pink color.

BAD Test
 100 ml Arcosolv
 200 ml Distilled water
 15 Drops Ph.Ph
 Titrate with NaoH 0.1N------------------- Pink color.

Retort
 Water percent, oil percent and solid percent

Water oil ratio

 = oil percent/(oil percent + water percent)

HTHP
 Ml of filtrate * 2
 And all filtrate should be oil

27- What is the equation of cacl2% wt in OBM?

- Whole Chloride Mud (mg/l) = ml of Silver Nitrate * 10000
- CaCl2 Mud (lb/bbl) = ml of Silver Nitrate *5.48
- CL% / WT =
(15.65*ml of Silver Nitrate *100)
((15.65*ml of Silver Nitrate) + (Water factor*1000))

28- What is the contamination in OBM?

Page 9 of 21
 *Solids, water and gases

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1- How do you displace the hole from WBM to OBM?
 Hi Vis Mud Pill w/ hi PH 14
 Hi Vis Brine “CaCl2 Brine”
 Diesel
 OBM
*Any spacer must cover 500-1000 Feet from annulus
*U should conditioning mud after displacement 2-3complete cycle

2- How do you displace the hole from WBM to Brine?

 Hi Vis Mud Pill
 Caustic Pill
 Hi Vis Brine
 NaCl Brine

3- How do you displace the hole from OBM to Brine?

 Hi Vis Mud Pill
 Diesel
 Surfactant Pill
 Detergent Pill
 Hi Vis Brine
 CaCl2 Brine

4- Why pump brine before pump coastal pill?

 Because to decrease differential pressure.
 Dehydrate the filter cake and as a spacer between the mud and other spacers

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1- What are the types of stuck?

- Differential stuck
- Mechanicals stuck

2- What are the indicators of each type?

- Differential stuck:
Full circulation, no RPM and no moving up or down
-Mechanical stuck:
No circulation, no RPM, little moving up and down

3- What is the mechanism of differential stuck?

*Differential pressure sticking is caused by a combination of poor filtration control, thick
filter cake, a positive differential pressure and a permeable formation

4- What is types of mechanical stuck ?

a-Dog leg b- key seat c-under guage

5-What are factors of mud cause stuck?

a- Bad hole cleaning, bit balling and formation swelling cause mechanical stuck.

Page 10 of 21
 b- Hi solid content, bad filtration ”no starch. No bridging material”, {bad Rheology “Low
settling cutting” “Hi cause swabe & surge”}

6- Is there partial circulation with mechanical stuck? Which type?

Yes, key seat. While pack off no return

7- What is the mechanism of key seat stuck?

When drilling in a deviated well so, due to the great tension between the drill string
and low side, it makes a narrow slot, but the dog leg occurs when sudden change in
angle, when drilling a succession of soft & hard fm is called ledge

8- Balance problems?
a- Differential stuck when Over balance btwn formation pressure and hydrostatic pressure.
b- Lost Circulation when Over balance btwn formation pressure and hydrostatic pressure.
c- Flow, kick, blowout when under balance btwn hydrostatic pressure and formation
pressure.

9- How Mud Engineer treat the differential stuck?

Look in spot chart
a- Grease pill (Ez-Spot or pipe lax +water+desiel)
b- Coastal, surfactant, glycol pill
c- Acid job (HCL+Citric acid)

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1- What is the important of the centrifuge?

Separated solids 4- 6 M and clear the mud from LGS

2- Can you use it with high MWT?

Yes, I can use barite recovery system.

3- What is the mechanism of barite recovery?

*Using two centrifuges, the first to separate the barite by working with high rate and low
RPM and the second to remove the solids by working with low rate and high RPM
*Centrifuge separated LGS and drill solids with spg 2.6 and returns bariet again to system

4- What is the minimum solid size that centrifuge can separate?

6 micron

5- What is the cabr2?

It is a completion fluid “Heavy weight brine max weight 106 pcf”

6- What is the corrected solid?

It is the total solid minus the dissolved salt.

7- What are the equations of solids?

Total soild = HGS + LGS + Drill Soild + Dissolved Salt
Corrected solids: total solids – dissolved salts
Un corrected solids: retort solids ( total solids in mud ).
LGS: corrected solids in mud - HGS
HGS: corrected solids – LGS (weighting materials).
Drilled solids: total solids in mud – (dissolved salts +weighting materials +chemical additives).

Page 11 of 21
 8- What is optimum value of LGS?
4-6 %

9- What is the maximum weight of cabr2?

106 pcf

10- Why do you use it?

*If I need high weight completion fluids, more than 86 pcf
*to keep down hole stability
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1- How do you make hole cleaning in horizontal well?

1-Good mud rehology:
RPM 6 = (1.2 to 1.5) hole size
RPM 3 = (1 to 1.5) hole size
LSYP = hole size
LSYP: Increasing YP of mud @
horizontal section with low RPM
2-Good drilling parameter
High flow rate
High RPM
Low ROP
3-Pump tandem pill (low vis and high weight)

2- What is the mechanism of tandem pill?

Low vis to make turbulent flow to move the cutting from the low side & trublance the
cutting surround and down bit and high weight to push the cutting HOW? By increasing
buoyancy factor due to increase of MWT & viscosity so increase carrying capacity to be
able to carry hi size cutting settled on low side.

3- Why do you use high weight not high VIS?

Because I need force to push the cutting, NOT YP

4- Can you use high weight - high VIS?

Yes According to angle
0-40° Use high viscosity mud for sweep
40°-60° Use Low Vis – Hi Weight Mud
60°-90° Use Low Vis – Hi Weight Hi Vis Mud

5- If you have good rehology, good RPM and good flow rate but have bad hole
cleaning, why?
* Low MWT.

6- How can we control good hole cleaning?

- Controlled by good Rheology YP, GEL & LSYP also regular sweeping hole as following
- Pump Hi-Vis in vertical wells
- Pump Low vis & Hi-Vis in Deviated wells
- Pump Low vis & Hi weighted-Vis in Horizontal & lateral wells (higher density can carry more
cuttings (buoyant effect) )

7- What is the indicator of hole cleaning?

Pump Pressure & Torque & Drag and the good tripping

Page 12 of 21
 8- Function of using low-vis & high-vis?
- Low vis cause turbilant current, turbulence move cutting around specially under the bit.
- High vis cause laminar current, sweep all the moved cutting.

9- If you hear the well control alarm, what should you do?
Discuss this problem with CO.man about SIDP & Kill Mwt.
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1- What are the types of losses?

-Seepage……………….. < 10 bbls/hr
- Partial…………………. 10-100 bbls/hr
- Sever....………………... > 100 bbls/hr/ with partial return
- Complete……………… No return
2- Types of losses?
- Down Hole Formation losses
- Surface losses “Solid control equipment, Leak & Dump”

3- What are the types of LCM?

-Non reservoir LCM “Damaged”
Mica, barofiber, cotton seed, marble, baracarb, soluflake, LC lube, LC lube fine, steel seal
and nut plug.
- Reservoir LCM “Non Damaged”
Marble, baracarb and soluflake (acid soluble)

4-What kind of LCM used in reservoirs?

- Non damage materials like: Marble fine medium, Baracarbs 5, 25, 50, Soluflakes
F&M – N-seal.
- We can’t use any other LCM which considered damaging reservoir .
- Out reservoirs we can use any LCM material as per program and operation condition

5- What max concentration you have been worked & How to pump it?
- Maximum dose of LCM is 160 PPb.
- Remove rig pump screen & open PBL Sub if available & RIH with open end DP or
open jet bit.

6- What is the Uses of marbles?

- Marble fine as weighting agent.
- Marble medium as bridging agent.
- Marble coarse as LCM.

7- What is the mean of damaged formation?

Plugging the porosity of the formation and decrease the permeability, damaged formation
result from formation swelling and washout of formation or un soluble bridging LCM.

8- What is depleted formation and how can deal in case of losses in aquire and also reservoir?
Low pore pressure fm, ex It’s a long fm, where many wells are drilled in, so it lost its
original pressure, which cause subnormal fm. pressure so, losses occurs
By decreasing hydrostatic pressure “Mwt” as low as possible.

9- Are Barite & bentonite used in reservoirs?

No, they are damage materials; also we can’t use any black chemicals Graphite “shale
inhibition by plugging micro farcture of shale” in reservoirs.
Page 13 of 21
 9- Which fluid loss reducer use in the reservoir?
Flotrol
10- What is the bit balling and how do you prevent it?
The Bit & BHA is covered by clay.
*Add 3 % volume of penetrex or drill zone in the active during the drilling and put 1/3
can of the condet down the drill pipe every connection.
How to treat it if it happened?
*Pump Hi PH Pill for dehydration cutting around bit + Nut Plug “Fine & Medium”
with accepted concentration for fracture balling +Serfactant + Detergent” make
coating film around metal & prevent attraction between clay mineral & metal
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1-What is the ECD?

*ECD means Equivalent circulation density Mud Density at circulation, in deep wells
ECD is critical because narrow pressure window.ECD affected by a lot of factors like
mud weight, hydrostatic pressure, gel strength , YP, PV.
ECD =(( annular pressure loss/( 0.052*TVD) )) + M.wt in ppg

2- What is the equation of hydrostatic pressure?

Hydrostatic pressure = 0.052*TVD*MWT
Hydrostatic pressure….. psi
TVD…………………... ft
MWT………………….. ppg

3- What is the equation of kill mud weight?

Kill mud weight = (SIDP/ (TVD*0.052)) + MWT
Kill mud weight…………...….. ppg
SIDP…………………………... psi
TVD………………………...… ft
MWT………………………….. ppg
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1- What is the GGT?

It is garret gas train and used to determine the concentration of H2S & CO2 in mud
While measure H2S use CO2 cartridge but while measure CO2 use N2 cartridge

2- What is the H2S scavenger with WBM or OBM?

- Zinc Oxide - Sourscav

3- What is the chemical name of sourscav?

*Sourscav is organic metal H2S scavanger or water soluble iron gluconated
granular form not ZNO

4- what is the effect of H2S in the mud and effect of H ion and S?
Eggy odor & black mud & consumes lime & decrease E.S, H ion cause corrosion while
sulpher caused flocculation

5- H2S treatment?
Increase PH TO ionize H2S to H2 & S, then precipitate s by add H2S scavenger (sourscav or
Zinc oxide)

Page 14 of 21
 6- What is the accepted concentration of CO3 in the mud?
(500 – 2000) mg/l

7- If you have CO3 contamination, what is the test can you do to know it? Not pf
and mf test?
Ca test, if the concentration of Ca decrease, it means that the mud has CO3.

8- What is the treatment you should add with CO2 contamination?

Lime

9- Source of carbonate?
Over treatment w/ Soda ash & Sodium bi Carb “treat Ca from cement & precipitate it as CaCO3
“& “CO2 from chemical degradation”, Bactria action due to low PH.

10- Contamination sources and treatment?

- Water, may come from leak, make short system, isolate, carry out chemical treatment.
- Cement,come from cement job, add NAHCO3 sodium bi carbonate or citric acid
- Gases, come from formation, increase PH, add scavenger or lime for CO2.
- Salts, come from formation, Dilute, add caustic soda and thinner

We know contamination by abnormal changes in YP & GEL strength, PH, and determine the
kind of contamination by lab tests Pf/Mf

11-How can we determine type of contamination “CO3” by lab tests?

By carrying out Pf/Mf tests.

12- What is the source of PH in formate mud?

Soda ash and sodium biocarbonate

13- Why don’t you make a retort in formate mud?

Because the expansion force of the formate mud push the solid into the condensate bottle
and plug it
14- How to calibrate Retort?
By using diesel “why not water” due to water evaporation
Water evaporation point less than diesel evaporation point

15- Why do you double the result value from HPHT test?
Because the filter paper area of the HPHT (3.5 in2) if half the filter paper area of API (7
in2)

16- Why do you make sand content test?

To detect the concentration of the sand in the mud because excessive sand causes:
- Thick filter cake
- Abrasive sand wears the pump parts, the bit and the drill string.
- sand content indicate soild problem with same sand size

17- What is the pilot test?

It is a test used to make s simulation to the mud to make good treatment and to check any
new chemicals.

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 Put 350 ml the mud (equivalent one bbl) and put 1 gram chemical (equivalent I lb), 3.5 ml
(equivalent 1%), 8.33 ml (equivalent 1 gal) start the agitator and check the mud.
Pilot test give good indications for mud engineer, save money, prevent wasting a lot of
chemical materials .

17- What are the types of gel strength?

- Fragile or flat Gel:
Gel strength of 10 minute is slightly higher than 10 seconds gel even if 10 seconds gel
reading is high.
-Progressive or elevated Gel:
Gel strength increases significantly after 10 minute, even if 10 seconds gel is low.

18- What is the chemicals name of max guard?

Poly amine

19-What is the definition of glycol cloud point?

It is the temperature when the solution transfers from soluble to be insoluble.

20- What is the using of glycol?

It is shale inhibitor and lubricant.

21- For what is poly amine using?

For shale inhibition

22- What is TCT?

True crystallization temperature
Calculation and depend on ‫ﺣﺴﺎﺑﺎﺗﮭﺎ وﺑﺘﻌﺘﻤﺪ ﻋﻠﻰ اﯾﺔ‬
true crystalization temperature ‫ ﺑﺺ ﯾﺎ‬brine ‫ ﻣﻊ اﻟﺘﺒﺮﯾﺪ او درﺟﮫ اﻟﺤﺮاره اﻟﻘﻠﯿﻠﮫ ﺑﯿﺒﺪأ ﯾﺤﺼﻠﮫ‬crystalization ‫ﯾﺒﺪأ‬
‫ ﯾﺘﻜﻮن ﻓﯿﮫ ﺑﻠﻮرات ﯾﻌﻨﻰ زى اﻟﻤﺎء ﻣﺜﻼ ﻣﻊ اﻟﺘﺒﺮﯾﺪ ﺗﺘﺤﻮل اﻟﻰ ﺛﻠﺞ ﺗﻤﺎم اول ﺑﻠﻮره ﺗﻈﮭﺮ دى اﺳﻤﮭﺎ‬FCTA ( frist crystal to appear)
‫ ﺑﻌﺪ ﻛﺪه ﻟﻤﺎ ﺗﺮﻓﻊ درﺟﮫ اﻟﺤﺮاره ﺗﺎﻧﻰ ﯾﺒﺪأ ﯾﺪوب وﺗﺨﺘﻔﻰ اﻟﺒﻠﻮرات دى أﺧﺮ واﺣﺪه ﺗﺨﺘﻔﻰ اﺳﻤﮭﺎ‬LCTD ( last crystal to dissapear)

23-What is killing method?

‫ اﻟﻄﺮﯾﻘﺔ اﻻوﻟﻰ‬WEIGHT & WAIT 1 ‫ دى ﺑﺘﺒﻘﻰ‬CIRCULATION
‫ ﯾﻌﻨﻰ ﺑﺘﻨﺰل ال‬kill mud ‫ﻋﻠﻰ طﻮل‬

‫ اﻟﻄﺮﯾﻘﺔ اﻟﺜﺎﻧﯿﺔ‬Driller
2 ‫ دى ﺑﺘﺒﻘﻰ‬circulations
‫ ال‬Circulation ‫اﻻوﻟﻰ ﺑﺘﺒﻘﻰ ﻋﻠﺸﺎن ﺗﻄﺮد اﻟﻐﺎز ﻛﯿﻚ ﺑﺮة اﻟﺒﯿﺮ‬
‫وﺑﺘﻜﻮن ﺑﻨﻔﺲ وزن اﻟﻄﻔﻠﺔ اﻟﻤﺘﻮاﺟﺪ ﻓﻰ اﻟﺒﯿﺮ اﺛﻨﺎء ﺣﺪوث اﻟﻜﯿﻚ‬
Circulation ‫ اﻟﺜﺎﻧﯿﺔ ﺑﺘﻜﻮن ب‬kill mud weight

‫اﻟﻄﺮﯾﻘﺔ اﻟﺜﺎﻟﺜﺔ‬concurrent
‫ ﯾﻌﻨﻰ ﻣﺜﻼً ﻟﻮ اﻧﺖ ﻋﺎوز ﺗﺤﻀﺮ‬kill mud wt 15
‫واﻣﻜﺎﻧﯿﺎت اﻟﺒﺮﯾﻤﺔ ﻣﺎﺗﺨﻠﯿﻜﺶ ﺗﻘﺪر ﺗﺤﻀﺮھﺎ ﻣﻦ ﻣﺮة واﺣﺪة‬
‫ ﻓﺒﺘﻌﻤﻞ اول‬circulation 13 ً‫ﻣﺜﻼ‬
13.5 ‫اﻟﻠﻰ ﺑﻌﺪھﺎ‬
14 ‫اﻟﻠﻰ ﺑﻌﺪھﺎ‬
‫ وھﻜﺬا ﻟﺤﺪ ﻣﺎﺗﻮﺻﻞ ﻟﻞ‬Desired Kill M.Wt

25-The test used to determine Bentonite in mud? Or, discuss MBT test?
1 mL mud in 10mL of distilled water in flask
15mL 3% hydrogen peroxide
0.5mL 5N sulphuric acid
Boil on hotplate for 10 mins
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Dilute to 50mL with water and allow to cool
Titrate by adding 0.5mL samples of methylene blue
Swirl each time for 20secs and apply blue halo test by one drop of mixture on white paper
End point when ring become like sun shine
Equivalent bentonite concentration (lb/bbl) = 5 x MBT (kg/m3 = 2.85 x lb/bbl)

26- Why do you add hydrogen peroxide 3% in MBT?

To remove the effect of organic materials such as CMC, lignosulfonates and lignites

27-Discuss API , HPHT, PPT tests?

All this tests measure (fluid loss) filtration & cake quality .
API measure filtration in low temp low pressure 120 F , 100 PSI pressure
HPHT measure filtration in HI temp HI pressure 250 F , 600-100 differential pressure
PPT (plugging permeability test) measure filtration in active reservoirs

Factors affecting filtration are Fluid loss additives, bridging materials and PH.

28- How to detect Fm size?

By PPT

29- What is abbreviation of Pf, Mf, Pm?

Pf: phenol phthalien of filterate
Mf : methyle Orange of filterate
Pm : phenol phthalien of mud.

30- What is relation between Fm & Hp?

FP= HP+ SIDP

31- Why do you make PF and MF test?

To determine CO3, HCO3 and CO2 contamination in the mud

32- What is the relation between PF and MF and what is the contamination of each
case?
- PF = MF…………… OH
- 2PF > MF……....….. OH & CO3
- 2PF = MF………….. CO3
- 2PF < MF………….. CO3 & HCO3
- PF = 0 ...…………... HCO3 & CO2

33- What should you do if you don’t have PHPH indicator to make PF and MF test?
Use PH meter to determine the end point of PF & MF, How?
Put PH Meter in filtrate & start titration by H2SO4 until reach to 8.3 this will be PF, Then
cont. titration by H2SO4 until reach to 4.3 this will be MF
MF = No. of ml to 8.3 + No. of ml to 4.3

34- What is the end point of PF and MF?

MF end point is 4.3
PF end point is 8.3

Prepared by: Mohammed Habib

Page 17 of 21
 Notes
1- Kill mud is 25% wt higher than used mud, used in case of well control problems.
2- Mud cap is 10:15 PCF higher than used mud, used in case of complete loss.
3- Treatment for weight increase carried out by dump & dilution or increase shakers mesh
or run mud cleaners and centrifuge or add new fresh mud.
4- Ionic Polymers work good in fresh water because it has wide surface area due to
stretching by repulsive forces, while get coiled in saline water and lost efficiency.
5- Multivalent ions can react with a lot of charged ions in the polymer and act as
flocculants and bridging agents. Ca++ react with –ve polymers and make good bridging
and PH>7
6- Polymers are used mainly as viscosifier by add high molecular weight polymers to
water, but natural polymers can work under temperature 100 C because it have low
thermal stability.
7- Polymers used in deep wells must has high thermal stability to reduce thermal
decomposition rate due to high temperature.
8- Reading of VG meter show shear stress in θ
9- VG rheological models are (Bingham-Power law- Herschel Bulkily)
10- Dispersed systems (deflocculates) reduce fluid loss & control viscosity
11- You can prepare dispersed mud system by increase repulsive forces & increase –ve
charges (increase PH>9 – add defocculants or thinner like spercene (chrome
lignosulphonate) which nuetrlize +ve charges in clay edges with their –ve charge – fine
particles like caco3, barite and fine drilled solids act as dispersants ) .
12- (flocculates) are clay free / fresh water mud switch solids into coiled groups and settle
out .
13- Fluid loss to preamble formation reduced by increasing viscosity and add fluid loss
agents
14- Flow is two types (Laminar – Turbulent).
15- Hydraulic energy: energy required to make good hole cleaning and prevent bit balling
controlled by pump pressure and GPM and RPM .
16- Weighting materials are (Caco3 Marble fine2.6 till 96 –Baso4 Barite4.7 till 150 –Fe2o3
Hematite5.1 till 180 – Salts)
17- Bridging material : suitable particle sizes get inside porous formation and block its bores
to prevent permability, after bridging the wall covered with mud cake.

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18- Bentonite as fluid loss cause thick & permable mud cake, we add thinner or
deflocculants to reduce cake thickness and decrease permeability of the cake .
19- Swelling of shale carried out by this reasons:
a- Entrance of water molecule in the distances beween the shale particles, through
fissures, fractures and bedding planes which increase its volume.
b- Attraction between clay –ve charged in shale and polar water
c- Clays ions exchange Na+ K+
d- Osmothic pressure
20- OBM is used in shale because it has very high membrane efficiency .
21- In shallower depths shale occurs as montromonolite , but in deeper occurs as illite
which well compacted due to high pressure and temperature . we can notice the
following
a- Water can penetrate montromonolite due to hydration energy > electrostatic
bonding energy.
b- Water can’t penetrate illite due to hydration energy < electrostatic bonding energy.
22- Swelled shale become soft and sticky
23- Swelling make tight hole , can determined by overpull while tripping or pack off while
tripping with pumping
24- Swelling criteria for the MUD ENGINEER
a- Soft cuttings, Clay balls on shakers, shakers block.
b- High increase in low gravity solids conc (LGSC)
c- Increase in PV, YP, MBT, filter loss, LGSC
d- Over pull, Pack OFF, change in used WOB
25- Mesh size : no of opening per inch sq.
26- LSND : low solids non dispearsed mud, simply spud mud (water-caustic-bentonite-xc-
barite)
27- XC and visosifiers cannot give viscocity in higher PH values & high hardness >400.
28- When you have CO2 in the mud (you can notice rapid drop in PH – and dark color of
mud) add lime .
29- Starchs cannot work after temperature more than 250 Fahrenheit.
30- MIX OBM first we prepare brine in separate tank, then we mix desiel with lime + fluid
loss + primary emulsifier then transfer brine , then add second emulsifier+ viscocifier
then weighting material
31- Fresh water has 62.3 PCF , 8.33 PPG
32- On quart of fresh water 946 ml flow through marsh funnel in 26 sec
33- In WBM we carry out API in low Temp(120F)-Low Pressure(100PSI)
34- In OBM we carry out filtration test in HI Temp(250F)-HI Pressure(600-100=500PSI)
35- retort is used to determine the quantity of liquids and solids in the drilling fluid

Page 19 of 21
 Calculations
1- Hydrostatic pressure = M.wt in ppg *TVD*0.052
2- Pressure gradient = Hydrostatic pressure /TVD
3- Pressure drop = (M.wt in - M.wt out )*0.052 * TVD
4- ECD = annular pressure loss /( 0.052 * TVD ) +M.wt
5- Hole volume : H.D.sq / 1029.4 * TVD
6- Annular vol : H.Dsq-ODsq)/1029.4 *TVD
7- String capacity : IDsq/1029.4* L
8- Displacment : ODsq-IDsq/1029.4*L
9- LAG- Btm-up = annulas volume / P.O.P = Strks then we devide it by SPM it give us time
in minutes
10- Complete cycle = annular vol + string capacity / P.O.P = Strks then we devide it by SPM
it give us time in minutes
11- Apparent viscosity = rpm 600 / 2
12- LSYP= 2rpm3-rpm6
13- Ppg=7.48PCF
14- BBL=42 galon = 158 liters

Page 20 of 21
 Definations
- PH: Degree of Acidity of fluid. Indicate CONC of H+ in fluid.
- Bactericides: Formaldehydes, LIME or caustic soda or agents added to mud to reduce
bactriea count and effect.
- Defoamers: used in water mud to reduce action of foam specially when use saline and
brackish water
- Emulsifier: surface active agent used to mix heterogeneous phases of fluids
(primary&secondry) and u can determine good emulsion by measuring electrical
stability.
- Filtrate reducer: reduce tendcy of mud fluid to pass into formation, like bentonite and
starches, it decrease permability and by time fluid loss into formation decreases
- LCM : different size materials used to plug areas of losses in the formation.
- Lubricants: oil or graphite materials used to decrease torque and increase horse power
transmitted to the drilling bit, easy RIH with BHA and Casing and prevent mechanical
stuck.
- Shale inhibitors: used to control shale swelling, prevent tight hole and mechanical stuck,
like gypsum, salt, lime, silicates .
- Thinning agent : substance (deflocculants) added to get the mud cake thin and reduce
the mud cake permability.
- Osmothic pressure : fluids move from regions of low salinity to regions of high salinity
due to make equivalence
- Chemical diffusion: water move from high conc region to low conc region to make
equivalence (opposite to asmothic flow direction)
- Cake efficiency: describe how it easy for the mud filtrate ions to pass through
membrane into the formation.
- Mechanical strength or stability: describe shale ability and capability to resist swelling .
- LSYP : property of hole cleaning
- Thermal instability : decomposition of mud due to high temperature

Page 21 of 21