Petroleum Engineering & Gas Technology Department

Module Subject: Drilling Fluid Laboratory

Module Leader: Dr. Ahmed Nooh
Name: Osama Hesham Sayed Eraky
ID: 131820

/Group: A1

MUD BALANCE
Drilling Fluid Lab Report One

Objective
Measuring mud weight to control formation pressure by determining the suitable mud density for a
certain depth to know the required hydrostatic pressure that could control the well. If the hydrostatic
pressure is more than the formation pressure by a safety factor 150 to 200 PSI, then the drilling operation
is overbalance but if it is below the formation pressure then the drilling operation is underbalance

Equipment

(This Picture Credit to John Safwat)

Cup: It is used to hold a certain amount of the Fluid
Lid: It is used to close the cup firmly
Orifice on the lid: It is used to expel the excess liquid and gas off the cup
Scale: It is used to describe the density of the fluid by four different units
Pointer: It is used to take the readings from its point when the bubble is at the center
Balance arm:
Beaker:
Fulcrum: It is used to handle the arm and the pointer and helps in measuring the density
Bubble: It is an indicator to a correct measurement when is it is the center of the bubble tube
Electronic balance: It is used to measure the required weight of the additives
Mixer: It is used to mix the water or oil with the required additives
Bentonite Powder:

(Mud Balance Device)

(Electronic Balance)

Procedures
Calibration
1. Remove the lid from the cup and fill the cup totally with water
2. Replace the lid and close it firmly and make sure that some excess water and gas is expelled off
the cup through the orifice
3. Wash the excess water from the outside of the cup
4. Place the balance arm resting on the fulcrum
5. Move the pointer until the balance arm is linear and the bubble in the level tube is centered
6. Take the water density reading from the left side of the pointer
7. Compare this reading with the known water density to make sure that the device is well working

Measurement
1. Assuming that the reservoir pressure is 1236 psi and at a total depth of 3000 ft.
2. The hydrostatic pressure should be more than the formation pressure by a safety factor of 100
psi to make the drilling operation overbalance, then the hydrostatic pressure will be 1336 psi
3. By knowing the hydrostatic pressure and the total depth, the density of mud could be calculated
from this equation (PH=0.052*Mud density*Total depth )
4. The density of the mid will be 8.57 PPG so we divide it by 8.33 the mud density in gm/cc so it will
be 1.03 gm/cc
5. The mud density is a total of the water and additives which is bentonite and from some
equations that is shown below is the results, we could calculate the mass of bentonite to be 14
grams
6. Place a paper on the electronic balance then calibrate to remove the weight of the paper
7. Gradually add bentonite until it become 14 grams
8. Put 300 ml of water measured by the beaker to the mixer then start steering and while steering
add the 14 grams of bentonite
9. Remove the lid from the cup and fill the cup totally with the mud that came out of the mixer
10. Replace the lid and close it firmly and make sure that some excess mud and gas is expelled off
the cup through the orifice
11. Wash the excess mud from the outside of the cup
12. Place the balance arm resting on the fulcrum
13. Move the pointer until the balance arm is linear and the bubble in the level tube is centered
14. Take the mud density reading from the left side of the pointer
15. Compare this reading with the required theoretical reading

Results

Assuming the Formation Pressure = 1236 psi

Safety factor is 100 psi
The hydrostatic pressure should be more than the formation pressure by the safety factor but
less than the fracture pressure, the the PH= 1336 psi
Given that the total depth is 3000 ft.
Therefore PH=0.052*Mud Density*Height
1336=0.052*3000*mud density
Therefore mud density= 8.57 PPG

In lab we could not calculate pounds per gallon so we convert mud density from PPG to gm/cc
by dividing by 8.33, then the mud density will be 1.03 gm/cc

Sources of error

Personal error in reading

The cleanliness of the equipment
The Table is unstable and has an inclination
Quantitative Measurement
Instrumental error in measuring and calibration
Environmental error
Additives impurities
Normal water instead of fresh water

Recommendations
1. Take the reading well perpendicular to the mud balance device
2. Before adding water in the calibration operation make sure the cup is completely clean from
outside and inside
3. After closing the lid and some water or mud came out through the orifice, make sure that the
cup is cleaned well from any water or mud
4. Make sure that the beaker and mixer is well cleaned
5. Make sure that the table that has the mud balance on is perfectly horizontal without any
inclination
6. Make sure that all the bentonite is put in the mixer
7. Take the bentonite measurement on the electronic balance well
8. Get well instruments with the highest accuracy
9. The lab environment must be well cleaned and should not have any dust that could affect the
balance
10. The additives must be in high quality that must me very pure or has a very small fraction of
impurities
11. Distilled water should be used not any water else