mud pump in dilling rig free sample

Created specifically for drilling equipment inspectors and others in the oil and gas industry, the Oil Rig Mud Pump Inspection app allows you to easily document the status and safety of your oil rigs using just a mobile device. Quickly resolve any damage or needed maintenance with photos and GPS locations and sync to the cloud for easy access. The app is completely customizable to fit your inspection needs and works even without an internet signal.Try Template

Fulcrum helps us improve our processes and make our work environment safer by streamlining inspections, surfacing inspection-related insights, and managing follow-up actions. Once you close the loop from action to insight to further action, the possibilities are limitless.

Fulcrum lets employees on the floor who actually are building the product take ownership. Everyone’s got a smartphone. So now they see an issue and report it so it can be fixed, instead of just ignoring it because that’s the way it’s always been done.

One of the big things you can’t really measure is buy-in from employees in the field. People that didn’t want to go away from pen and paper and the old way of doing things now come to us and have ideas for apps.

Easy to custom make data collection forms specific to my needs. Very flexible and I can add or adjust data collection information when I need it. The inclusion of metadata saves a lot of time.

Fulcrum is, without a doubt, the best thing I"ve done for my business in regards to cost saving and time efficiency. Support is very good and help, on the rare occasions it"s required, is never far away.

The 2,200-hp mud pump for offshore applications is a single-acting reciprocating triplex mud pump designed for high fluid flow rates, even at low operating speeds, and with a long stroke design. These features reduce the number of load reversals in critical components and increase the life of fluid end parts.

The pump’s critical components are strategically placed to make maintenance and inspection far easier and safer. The two-piece, quick-release piston rod lets you remove the piston without disturbing the liner, minimizing downtime when you’re replacing fluid parts.

Instead of using paper checklists when out in the field, drilling contractors and rig inspection services can generate a new inspection form from anywhere and the results are saved electronically.

Specifically designed for drilling companies and others in the oil and gas industry, the easy to use drilling rig inspections app makes it easy to log information about the drill rigs, including details about the drill rigs operators, miles logged and well numbers. The inspection form app covers everything from the mud pump areas and mud mixing area to the mud tanks and pits, making it easy to identify areas where preventative maintenance is needed. The drilling rig equipment checklist also covers health and safety issues, including the availability of PPE equipment, emergency response and preparedness processes, and other critical elements of the drilling process and drill press equipment.

A well-placed suction stabilizer can also prevent pump chatter. Pump chatter occurs when energy is exchanged between the quick opening and closing of the reciprocating pump’s valves and the hammer effect from the centrifugal pump. Pump isolation with suction stabilizers is achieved when the charge pumps are isolated from reciprocating pumps and vice versa. The results are a smooth flow of pumped media devoid of agitating energies present in the pumped fluid.

Suction stabilizer units can mitigate most of the challenges related to pulsations or pressure surges, even in the most complex piping conditions. The resulting benefits prevent expensive unplanned downtime and decrease costs and inconvenience associated with system replacements and repairs.

Cavitation is an undesirable condition that reduces pump efficiency and leads to excessive wear and damage to pump components. Factors that can contribute to cavitation, such as fluid velocity and pressure, can sometimes be attributed to an inadequate mud system design and/or the diminishing performance of the mud pump’s feed system.

Although cavitation is avoidable, without proper inspection of the feed system, it can accelerate the wear of fluid end parts. Over time, cavitation can also lead to expensive maintenance issues and a potentially catastrophic failure.

When a mud pump has entered full cavitation, rig crews and field service technicians will see the equipment shaking and hear the pump “knocking,” which typically sounds like marbles and stones being thrown around inside the equipment. However, the process of cavitation starts long before audible signs reveal themselves – hence the name “the silent killer.”

Mild cavitation begins to occur when the mud pump is starved for fluid. While the pump itself may not be making noise, damage is still being done to the internal components of the fluid end. In the early stages, cavitation can damage a pump’s module, piston and valve assembly.

The imperceptible but intense shock waves generated by cavitation travel directly from the fluid end to the pump’s power end, causing premature vibrational damage to the crosshead slides. The vibrations are then passed onto the shaft, bull gear and into the main bearings.

If not corrected, the vibrations caused by cavitation will work their way directly to critical power end components, which will result in the premature failure of the mud pump. A busted mud pump means expensive downtime and repair costs.

As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, cavitation causes numerous pits to form on the module’s internal surface. Typically, cavitation pits create a stress concentration, which can reduce the module’s fatigue life.

Washouts are one of the leading causes of module failure and take place when the high-pressure fluid cuts through the module’s surface and damages a sealing surface. These unexpected failures are expensive and can lead to a minimum of eight hours of rig downtime for module replacement.

To stop cavitation before it starts, install and tune high-speed pressure sensors on the mud suction line set to sound an alarm if the pressure falls below 30 psi.

Accelerometers can also be used to detect slight changes in module performance and can be an effective early warning system for cavitation prevention.

Although the pump may not be knocking loudly when cavitation first presents, regular inspections by a properly trained field technician may be able to detect moderate vibrations and slight knocking sounds.

Gardner Denver offers Pump University, a mobile classroom that travels to facilities and/or drilling rigs and trains rig crews on best practices for pumping equipment maintenance.

Program participants have found that, by improving their maintenance skills, they have extended the life of fluid end expendables on their sites. They have also reported decreases in both production and repair costs, as well as reductions in workplace hazards.

Severe cavitation will drastically decrease module life and will eventually lead to catastrophic pump failure. Along with downtime and repair costs, the failure of the drilling pump can also cause damage to the suction and discharge piping.

When a mud pump has entered full cavitation, rig crews and field service technicians will see the equipment shaking and hear the pump ‘knocking’… However, the process of cavitation starts long before audible signs reveal themselves – hence the name ‘the silent killer.’In 2017, a leading North American drilling contractor was encountering chronic mud system issues on multiple rigs. The contractor engaged in more than 25 premature module washes in one year and suffered a major power-end failure.

Gardner Denver’s engineering team spent time on the contractor’s rigs, observing the pumps during operation and surveying the mud system’s design and configuration.

The engineering team discovered that the suction systems were undersized, feed lines were too small and there was no dampening on the suction side of the pump.

There were also issues with feed line maintenance – lines weren’t cleaned out on a regular basis, resulting in solids from the fluid forming a thick cake on the bottom of the pipe, which further reduced its diameter.

Following the implementation of these recommendations, the contractor saw significant performance improvements from the drilling pumps. Consumables life was extended significantly, and module washes were reduced by nearly 85%.

Although pump age does not affect its susceptibility to cavitation, the age of the rig can. An older rig’s mud systems may not be equipped for the way pumps are run today – at maximum horsepower.

It may be impractical to flush system piping during drilling operations. However, strainer screens should be checked daily to remove any debris or other flow restrictions.

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There are many different ways to drill a domestic water well. One is what we call the “mud rotary” method. Whether or not this is the desired and/or best method for drilling your well is something more fully explained in this brief summary.

One advantage of drilling with compressed air is that it can tell you when you have encountered groundwater and gives you an indication how much water the borehole is producing. When drilling with water using the mud rotary method, the driller must rely on his interpretation of the borehole cuttings and any changes he can observe in the recirculating fluid. Mud rotary drillers can also use borehole geophysical tools to interpret which zones might be productive enough for your water well.

The mud rotary well drilling method is considered a closed-loop system. That is, the mud is cleaned of its cuttings and then is recirculated back down the borehole. Referring to this drilling method as “mud” is a misnomer, but it is one that has stuck with the industry for many years and most people understand what the term actually means.

The water is carefully mixed with a product that should not be called mud because it is a highly refined and formulated clay product—bentonite. It is added, mixed, and carefully monitored throughout the well drilling process.

The purpose of using a bentonite additive to the water is to form a thin film on the walls of the borehole to seal it and prevent water losses while drilling. This film also helps support the borehole wall from sluffing or caving in because of the hydraulic pressure of the bentonite mixture pressing against it. The objective of the fluid mixture is to carry cuttings from the bottom of the borehole up to the surface, where they drop out or are filtered out of the fluid, so it can be pumped back down the borehole again.

When using the mud rotary method, the driller must have a sump, a tank, or a small pond to hold a few thousand gallons of recirculating fluid. If they can’t dig sumps or small ponds, they must have a mud processing piece of equipment that mechanically screens and removes the sands and gravels from the mixture. This device is called a “shale shaker.”

The fluid mixture must have a gel strength sufficient to support marble-size gravels and sand to the surface when the fluid is moving. Once the cuttings have been carried to the surface and the velocity of the fluid allowed to slow down, the fluid is designed to allow the sand and gravel to drop out.

The driller does not want to pump fine sand through the pump and back down the borehole. To avoid that, the shale shaker uses vibrating screens of various sizes and desanding cones to drop the sand out of the fluid as it flows through the shaker—so that the fluid can be used again.

When the borehole has reached the desired depth and there is evidence that the formation it has penetrated will yield enough water, then it’s time to make the borehole into a well.

Before the well casing and screens are lowered into the borehole, the recirculating fluid is slowly thinned out by adding fresh water as the fluid no longer needs to support sand and gravel. The driller will typically circulate the drilling from the bottom up the borehole while adding clear water to thin down the viscosity or thickness of the fluid. Once the fluid is sufficiently thinned, the casing and screens are installed and the annular space is gravel packed.

Gravel pack installed between the borehole walls and the outside of the well casing acts like a filter to keep sand out and maintain the borehole walls over time. During gravel packing of the well, the thin layer of bentonite clay that kept the borehole wall from leaking drilling fluid water out of the recirculating system now keeps the formation water from entering the well.

This is where well development is performed to remove the thin bentonite layer or “wall cake” that was left behind. Various methods are used to remove the wall cake and develop the well to its maximum productivity.

Some drillers use compressed air to blow off the well, starting at the first screened interval and slowly working their way to the bottom—blowing off all the water standing above the drill pipe and allowing it to recover, and repeating this until the water blown from the well is free of sand and relatively clean. If after repeated cycles of airlift pumping and recovery the driller cannot find any sand in the water, it is time to install a well development pump.

Additional development of the well can be done with a development pump that may be of a higher capacity than what the final installation pump will be. Just as with cycles of airlift pumping of the well, the development pump will be cycled at different flow rates until the maximum capacity of the well can be determined. If the development pump can be operated briefly at a flow rate 50% greater than the permanent pump, the well should not pump sand.

Mud rotary well drillers for decades have found ways to make this particular system work to drill and construct domestic water wells. In some areas, it’s the ideal method to use because of the geologic formations there, while other areas of the country favor air rotary methods.

Some drilling rigs are equipped to drill using either method, so the contractor must make the decision as to which method works best in your area, for your well, and at your point in time.

To learn more about the difference between mud rotary drilling and air rotary drilling, click the video below. The video is part of our “NGWA: Industry Connected” YouTube series:

Gary Hix is a Registered Professional Geologist in Arizona, specializing in hydrogeology. He was the 2019 William A. McEllhiney Distinguished Lecturer for The Groundwater Foundation. He is a former licensed water well drilling contractor and remains actively involved in the National Ground Water Association and Arizona Water Well Association.

To learn more about Gary’s work, go to In2Wells.com. His eBooks, “Domestic Water Wells in Arizona: A Guide for Realtors and Mortgage Lenders” and “Shared Water Wells in Arizona,” are available on Amazon.

Owners praise their Geoprobe® 3126GT geotechnical drill for its simplicity and safety so new drillers quickly travel the learning curve. Veteran drillers appreciate the attention to features addressing their field needs. Together all the standard features and available options minimize operating costs and come in at a price point lower than you might anticipate.

ENGINEERED FOR EFFICIENCY: with six functions along the centerline, use machine hydraulics and controls to side-shift the head, simplifying your geotech applications. Complete augering, mud rotary, SPT, Shelby tubes, hard rock cores, CPT ­— even direct push  ­— without manipulating mast position or mobilizing multiple machines.

ENHANCED EASE AND SAFETY: boost geotechnical drill output and utilization with hands-free automatic drop hammer and integrated CPT head-feed rate control, including cone overload protection. Leverage small footprint to expand site access without sacrificing flow from mud pump or accessory storage. Bring new drillers up the learning curve quickly with easy controls and integrated safety features built to internationally-accepted standards.

ELEVATED SERVICE AND SUPPORT: respond to your clients needs, making a quick call to get answers to your field and geotechnical drill service questions with overnight part shipping available from industry-leading support team.

With drill rig service shops in Pennsylvania, Florida, and Kansas, you’ll have service support nearby for your routine maintenance or more in-depth drill rig remounting and refurbishment work. Our service technicians are backed by our team of engineers to ensure solutions not bandaids to issues. And our production processes mean your geotechnical drill is constructed consistently and tested thoroughly to ensure easier service support.

Six functions along the 28-inch centerline head side shift simplify traditional geotechnical applications — augering, mud rotary, SPT, Shelby tubes, hard rock cores, CPT – and even direct push. Features GH63 percussion hammer 4-speed rotary head with 4,000 ft-lb, DH104 hands-free automatic drop hammer, CPT push/pull assembly, and a rod grip pull system. Head shifting speeds up drilling and minimizes the time driller spends in danger zone.

With 170-lb, 300-lb, or 340-lb options, the hands-free automatic drop hammer reduces strain when driving SPT samples. Advance borings for SPT testing by augering, driven casing and sampling, or wash boring.

The winch mast telescopes into place, allowing for flexible height options based on work environment. This also adds a layer of safety during setup when working near overhead power lines or other obstacles.

Taller telescoping winch mast specifically designed for geotech work with heavier winch options, 105-inches head travel, and 36,000-lbf push and 48,000-lbf pull at the head-feed cylinder means greater pull back – ideal for drive and wash – and head travel. Allows tripping out of 20-foot lengths of rod when combined with 3-foot extension.

Align the probe cylinder and tool string on a straight – or angled – path to the subsurface while the machine remains stable with the built-in oscillation, standard on all machines.

Drill mast features extend, swing, mast dump, oscillation, and fold. Mast dump provides 36.5 inches of vertical travel to allow room for a mud pan. Optional outriggers available.

A dual winch option is typically configured with a 6,800-lbf winch for the more difficult pulling and an 1,800-lbf. with quick-change hook. When ready to switch from pulling to coring, simply swap out the swivel hook for the overshot clevis installed on your overshot and continue working. It’s quick, simple, and can all be done by hand.

Also available is a third winch with 1,100 lbs of line pull, well suited to trip additional tooling out of the hole. Equipped with the Geoprobe® exclusive quick change hook, operators can switch over to wireline coring in seconds.

While customers are proving the rock coring capabilities of the 4-speed rotary head on the 3126GT, some customers have requested more bottom-end torque for their geotech jobs. True to form, Geoprobe® responded by designing the 6-speed GR6.5 rotary head with 70 percent more torque.

"The GR6.5 has 6,800 ft-lbs of torque, which is 2,800 ft-lbs more than the GR4.1 on a typical 7822DT, without sacrificing top-end speed (720 rpm)," Ryan Kejr, machine engineer lead, said. "We also added an additional intermediate-speed range, which further enhances the unit"s wet and air rotary capabilities."

All functions are at your fingertips in a well-organized, compact control panel. The systems display provides real-time systems analysis and a suite of built-in diagnostic tools. Also included are system safeguards that protect the main engine and hydraulic components when important operational parameters are compromised.

Hands-free rotary and head feed controls on the 3126GT reduce strain on driller when completing applications like mud rotary. CPT feed rate and hydraulic limit functions are standard.

The 7-inch single breakout firmly grips casing with a clamp force of up to 21,000 pounds of force. The breakout can be positioned either under the hammer or the rotary drive, as well as swung away from the machine.

An optional Coring Upgrade Kit (217024) is also available to firmly grip thin-walled 2.75-inch OD casing without damage to the casing. The kit includes formed jaw pads and a circle wrench with carbide inserts.

The rear blade can be used for tool transport. During site setup, a tooling drop rack can be placed in front of the machine for easy access. This eliminates the need to walk around the machine for tooling, which saves time and conserves energy in the field.

The folding winch mast option for the 3126GT is designed for customers who prefer to haul their rig in an enclosed trailer or truck, lowering the transportation height by 15 inches.

"This reduces the transport height of the 3126GT from 114 inches to 99 inches," Ryan Kejr, machine engineer lead, said. "We accomplish this with a simple, mechanical ratcheting actuator. This is easily accessible from the ground when the drill mast is in transport position."

When you"re seeking the field flexibility to complete your drilling faster, easier and safer, count on Geoprobe® drill rigs engineered for versatility and manufactured for reliability. Industry leaders depend on our ongoing commitment to innovation and industry-leading customer support to advance their business ahead of the competition. Digital readouts providing instant feedback, enhanced safety features, easy operation, and availability of training options mean veteran drillers find their jobs simplified while new drillers build confidence, making them productive as they"re quickly coming up the learning curve.

Whether you’re facing consolidated materials, glacial till, or backfill rubble, quickly complete complex holes to greater depths with the powerful GV5 50K sonic head on our line of sonic drill rigs. Engineered by Geoprobe® to advance up-to 12-inch tooling, the GV5 produces torque required to maintain rotation in tight formations – all backed by a 2-year warranty.

Increase depth advancement and recovery speeds while minimizing waste with the 8150LS sonic drilling rig engineered for driller safety, sampling speed, and operation efficiency.

Geoprobe® combination drill rigs possess the power to tackle difficult site conditions combined with the versatility to exceed subsurface sampling expectations to equal business growth in both direct push and rotary drill rig applications.

Combine geotechnical augering and high-speed rotary with advanced direct push capability to offer additional services to your customers, quickly going from coring rock to pushing CPT - all in one drill rig.

From crowded street corners to far removed places, tackle various environmental, geotechnical and exploration applications with a single machine combining rotary drilling and direct push, saving time and money required to mobilize multiple drill rigs.

In a geotech industry ruled by rate-per-foot, Geoprobe® geotechnical drill rigs capable of swiftly sliding from rotary to automatic drop hammer, even to CPT or direct push — without having to move drill mast or machine — position you for increased production and profit.

Save time and effort swiftly sliding the innovative centerline head side shift into position for rotary, automatic drop hammer, event CPT or direct push. No need to move the geotechnical drill or drill mast on the compact, off road drill rig.

Punch out power and pipe line projects with efficiency and performance of 31 series drill mast aligning all head and winch functions over the bore hole combined with creature comforts of a crawler carrier.

Efficiently complete geotech investigations sliding between drilling functions all without the need for a class A/B CDL, safely bringing new drillers up the learning curve on the drilling truck.

Maximize the value of your investment by choosing a CPT drilling platform best suited to your specific business model. Whether you’re seeking a dedicated CPT drilling rig or a versatile drilling rig to run a variety of applications, you’ll find the combination of features to push your business ahead.

Rely on static weight from the comfort of a CPT machine with a climate-controlled cabin when using the 2060CPT crawler to conduct CPT or Direct Image® logging.

Generating a name for itself and redefining the way sites are investigated in the environmental industry, Geoprobe® continues to advance direct push drilling through continued innovation of its line of high-quality, hydraulically-powered direct push drilling rigs

Engineered to separate into sections for helicopter transport, the 6712DT leverages its Tier 4 engine for additional power and control to make environmental work easier.

Featuring a proven GH63 percussion hammer and able to use 5-foot tooling, the 6011DT direct push drill rig is still being sized to slip into small spaces.

With the necessary tophead rotation speed, head feed speed, and plenty of mud pump options to get the job done, complete your water well drilling, geothermal drilling, and cathodic protection drilling jobs with a single, compact water well drill.

Tophead offering both torque and speed to the impressive power to weight ratio make the DM450 well suited for water well, geothermal, and/or cathodic protection drilling while minimizing maintenance.

Outfit as down the hole drill or mud drill with the power of 28.5-foot stroke, 40,000 lb pullback, and 8,000 ft-lb torque to handle deeper wells along with weight of steel casing.

The ‘GlobalMud Pumps Market Price, Size, Share, Trends, Growth, Report and Forecast 2023-2028’ by Expert Market Research gives an extensive outlook of the global mud pumps market, assessing the market on the basis of its segments like type, operation, application, and major regions.

The report studies the latest updates in the market, along with their impact across the market. It also analysis the market demand, together with its price and demand indicators. The report also tracks the market on the bases of SWOT and Porter’s Five Forces Models.

The need for mud pumps has increased along with the growing demand for minerals, oil, and gas. The market for mud pumps is anticipated to grow throughout the forecast period due to increased offshore mining activities and the globally expanding population. With the advantages it offers, the mud pumps market is expected to grow quickly. The market would be further boosted by rising demand for directional and horizontal drilling as well as the mud pump’s capacity to handle high-pressure drilling activities.

Due to technological advancements, mud pumps operate more efficiently and without producing harmful carbon emissions. Electric mud pumps are in higher demand, which may create new prospects for market expansion. The performance of mud pumps is influenced by the pump design along with a variety of other elements like pipelines, panel boards, and electricity. For maximum efficiency, manufacturers are therefore concentrating on improvements to the overall pumping system, which is aiding the mud pumps market.

Mud pumps are attracting attention as an innovative component of offshore drilling equipment as every hour, mud pumps help reach deeper levels, saving the rig operator time and money. In on-shore drilling, for instance, 7500-psi mud pump systems are becoming common.

Mud pumps are a particular kind of piston/plunger-driven pump that can use drilling fluids while under high pressure. Mud pumps are typically used in conjunction with other pumps and are a crucial component of heavy drilling techniques. These pumps assist in returning the drilling fluid to the surface after it has passed past the drill bit.

Triplex pumps are likely to hold a significant mud pumps market share since triplex pumps are lighter and more efficient than duplex pumps. Triplex mud pumps are widely used to circulate high-pressure drilling fluid for deep oil well drilling applications. They are more advantageous for use, especially in onshore and offshore oil well drilling applications, due to these applications.

The electrically powered mud pump market is expanding quickly due to its environmental advantages over fuel engine pumps. The mud pumps market value is anticipated to increase as a result of the increased exploration operations being carried out in all regions of the world to satisfy the growing demand for energy and minerals. In nations including the United States, Canada, China, and Argentina, shale gas exploration has expanded, which will raise the demand for oil rigs and consequently mud pumps.

The use of oil rigs, equipment, and mud pumps is being accelerated by operators in nations like the United States who are also relocating to isolated areas in Alaska. Old pumps are now being replaced by many governments, and oil and gas production businesses in Europe and the United States have noticed a continuous growth in this trend, thus aiding the market growth of mud pumps.

The report covers the market shares, capacities, plant turnarounds, expansions, investments and mergers and acquisitions, among other latest developments of these market players.

Expert Market Research (EMR) is leading market research company with clients across the globe. Through comprehensive data collection and skilful analysis and interpretation of data, the company offers its clients extensive, latest and actionable market intelligence which enables them to make informed and intelligent decisions and strengthen their position in the market. The clientele ranges from Fortune 1000 companies to small and medium scale enterprises.

EMR customises syndicated reports according to clients’ requirements and expectations. The company is active across over 15 prominent industry domains, including food and beverages, chemicals and materials, technology and media, consumer goods, packaging, agriculture, and pharmaceuticals, among others.

Over 3000 EMR consultants and more than 100 analysts work very hard to ensure that clients get only the most updated, relevant, accurate and actionable industry intelligence so that they may formulate informed, effective and intelligent business strategies and ensure their leadership in the market.

Company Name: Claight CorporationContact Person: Alex Parker, Business ConsultantEmail: [email protected]Toll Free Number: US +1-415-325-5166 | UK +44-702-402-5790Address: 30 North Gould Street, Sheridan, WY 82801, USAWebsite: www.expertmarketresearch.com

When choosing a size and type of mud pump for your drilling project, there are several factors to consider. These would include not only cost and size of pump that best fits your drilling rig, but also the diameter, depth and hole conditions you are drilling through. I know that this sounds like a lot to consider, but if you are set up the right way before the job starts, you will thank me later.

Recommended practice is to maintain a minimum of 100 to 150 feet per minute of uphole velocity for drill cuttings. Larger diameter wells for irrigation, agriculture or municipalities may violate this rule, because it may not be economically feasible to pump this much mud for the job. Uphole velocity is determined by the flow rate of the mud system, diameter of the borehole and the diameter of the drill pipe. There are many tools, including handbooks, rule of thumb, slide rule calculators and now apps on your handheld device, to calculate velocity. It is always good to remember the time it takes to get the cuttings off the bottom of the well. If you are drilling at 200 feet, then a 100-foot-per-minute velocity means that it would take two minutes to get the cuttings out of the hole. This is always a good reminder of what you are drilling through and how long ago it was that you drilled it. Ground conditions and rock formations are ever changing as you go deeper. Wouldn’t it be nice if they all remained the same?

Centrifugal-style mud pumps are very popular in our industry due to their size and weight, as well as flow rate capacity for an affordable price. There are many models and brands out there, and most of them are very good value. How does a centrifugal mud pump work? The rotation of the impeller accelerates the fluid into the volute or diffuser chamber. The added energy from the acceleration increases the velocity and pressure of the fluid. These pumps are known to be very inefficient. This means that it takes more energy to increase the flow and pressure of the fluid when compared to a piston-style pump. However, you have a significant advantage in flow rates from a centrifugal pump versus a piston pump. If you are drilling deeper wells with heavier cuttings, you will be forced at some point to use a piston-style mud pump. They have much higher efficiencies in transferring the input energy into flow and pressure, therefore resulting in much higher pressure capabilities.

Piston-style mud pumps utilize a piston or plunger that travels back and forth in a chamber known as a cylinder. These pumps are also called “positive displacement” pumps because they literally push the fluid forward. This fluid builds up pressure and forces a spring-loaded valve to open and allow the fluid to escape into the discharge piping of the pump and then down the borehole. Since the expansion process is much smaller (almost insignificant) compared to a centrifugal pump, there is much lower energy loss. Plunger-style pumps can develop upwards of 15,000 psi for well treatments and hydraulic fracturing. Centrifugal pumps, in comparison, usually operate below 300 psi. If you are comparing most drilling pumps, centrifugal pumps operate from 60 to 125 psi and piston pumps operate around 150 to 300 psi. There are many exceptions and special applications for drilling, but these numbers should cover 80 percent of all equipment operating out there.

The restriction of putting a piston-style mud pump onto drilling rigs has always been the physical size and weight to provide adequate flow and pressure to your drilling fluid. Because of this, the industry needed a new solution to this age-old issue.

Enter Cory Miller of Centerline Manufacturing, who I recently recommended for recognition by the National Ground Water Association (NGWA) for significant contributions to the industry.

As the senior design engineer for Ingersoll-Rand’s Deephole Drilling Business Unit, I had the distinct pleasure of working with him and incorporating his Centerline Mud Pump into our drilling rig platforms.

In the late ’90s — and perhaps even earlier —  Ingersoll-Rand had tried several times to develop a hydraulic-driven mud pump that would last an acceptable life- and duty-cycle for a well drilling contractor. With all of our resources and design wisdom, we were unable to solve this problem. Not only did Miller provide a solution, thus saving the size and weight of a typical gear-driven mud pump, he also provided a new offering — a mono-cylinder mud pump. This double-acting piston pump provided as much mud flow and pressure as a standard 5 X 6 duplex pump with incredible size and weight savings.

The true innovation was providing the well driller a solution for their mud pump requirements that was the right size and weight to integrate into both existing and new drilling rigs. Regardless of drill rig manufacturer and hydraulic system design, Centerline has provided a mud pump integration on hundreds of customer’s drilling rigs. Both mono-cylinder and duplex-cylinder pumps can fit nicely on the deck, across the frame or even be configured for under-deck mounting. This would not be possible with conventional mud pump designs.

Centerline stuck with their original design through all of the typical trials and tribulations that come with a new product integration. Over the course of the first several years, Miller found out that even the best of the highest quality hydraulic cylinders, valves and seals were not truly what they were represented to be. He then set off on an endeavor to bring everything in-house and began manufacturing all of his own components, including hydraulic valves. This gave him complete control over the quality of components that go into the finished product.

The second generation design for the Centerline Mud Pump is expected later this year, and I believe it will be a true game changer for this industry. It also will open up the application to many other industries that require a heavier-duty cycle for a piston pump application.

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In geotechnical engineering, drilling fluid, also called drilling mud, is used to aid the drilling of boreholes into the earth. Often used while drilling oil and natural gas wells and on exploration drilling rigs, drilling fluids are also used for much simpler boreholes, such as water wells. One of the functions of drilling mud is to carry cuttings out of the hole.

The three main categories of drilling fluids are water-based muds (WBs), which can be dispersed and non-dispersed; non-aqueous muds, usually called oil-based muds (OBs); and gaseous drilling fluid, in which a wide range of gases can be used. Along with their formatives, these are used along with appropriate polymer and clay additives for drilling various oil and gas formations.

The main functions of drilling fluids include providing hydrostatic pressure to prevent formation fluids from entering into the well bore, keeping the drill bit cool and clean during drilling, carrying out drill cuttings, and suspending the drill cuttings while drilling is paused and when the drilling assembly is brought in and out of the hole. The drilling fluid used for a particular job is selected to avoid formation damage and to limit corrosion.

Many types of drilling fluids are used on a day-to-day basis. Some wells require different types to be used in different parts of the hole, or that some types be used in combination with others. The various types of fluid generally fall into broad categories:

Air/polymer: A specially formulated chemical, typically a type of polymer, is added to the water and air mixture to create specific conditions. A foaming agent is a good example of a polymer.

Water-based mud (WBM): Most water-based mud systems begin with water, then clays and other chemicals are added to create a homogeneous blend with viscosity between chocolate milk and a malt. The clay is usually a combination of native clays that are suspended in the fluid while drilling, or specific types of clay processed and sold as additives for the WBM system. The most common type is bentonite, called "gel" in the oilfield. The name likely refers to the fluid viscosity as very thin and free-flowing (like chocolate milk) while being pumped, but when pumping is stopped, the static fluid congeals to a "gel" that resists flow. When adequate pumping force is applied to "break the gel," flow resumes and the fluid returns to its free-flowing state. Many other chemicals (e.g. potassium formate) are added to a WBM system to achieve desired effects, including: viscosity control, shale stability, enhance drilling rate of penetration, and cooling and lubricating of equipment.

Oil-based mud (OBM): Oil-based mud has a petroleum based fluid such as diesel fuel. Oil-based muds are used for increased lubricity, enhanced shale inhibition, and greater cleaning abilities with less viscosity. Oil-based muds also withstand greater heat without breaking down. The use of oil-based muds has special considerations of cost, environmental concerns such as disposal of cuttings in an appropriate place, and the exploratory disadvantages of using oil-based mud, especially in wildcat wells. Using an oil-based mud interferes with the geochemical analysis of cuttings and cores and with the determination of API gravity because the base fluid cannot be distinguished from oil that is returned from the formation.

Synthetic-based fluid (SBM) (Otherwise known as Low Toxicity Oil Based Mud or LTOBM): Synthetic-based fluid is a mud in which the base fluid is a synthetic oil. This is most often used on offshore rigs because it has the properties of an oil-based mud, but the toxicity of the fluid fumes are much less. This is important when the drilling crew works with the fluid in an enclosed space such as an offshore drilling rig. Synthetic-based fluid poses the same environmental and analysis problems as oil-based fluid.

On a drilling rig, mud is pumped from the casing, where it emerges from the top. Cuttings are then filtered out with either a shale shaker or the newer shale conveyor technology, and the mud returns to the mud pits. The mud pits allow the drilled "fines" to settle and the mud to be treated by adding chemicals and other substances.

The returning mud may contain natural gases or other flammable materials which will collect in and around the shale shaker / conveyor area or in other work areas. Because of the risk of a fire or an explosion if they ignite, special monitoring sensors and explosion-proof certified equipment is commonly installed, and workers are trained in safety precautions. The mud is then pumped back down the hole and further re-circulated. After testing, the mud is treated periodically in the mud pits to ensure it has desired properties that optimize and improve drilling efficiency and borehole stability.

Drilling fluid carries the rock excavated by the drill bit up to the surface. Its ability to do so depends on cutting size, shape, and density, and speed of fluid traveling up the well (annular velocity). These considerations are analogous to the ability of a stream to carry sediment. Large sand grains in a slow-moving stream settle to the stream bed, while small sand grains in a fast-moving stream are carried along with the water. The mud viscosity is an important property, as cuttings will settle to the bottom of the well if the viscosity is too low.

Most drilling muds are thixotropic (viscosity increases when static). This characteristic keeps the cuttings suspended when the mud is not flowing during, for example, maintenance.

High density fluids may clean holes adequately even with lower annular velocities (by increasing the buoyancy force acting on cuttings) but may have a negative impact if mud weight exceeds that needed to balance the pressure of surrounding rock (formation pressure), so mud weight is not usually increased for hole cleaning.

Higher rotary drill-string speeds introduce a circular component to annular flow path. This helical flow around the drill-string causes drill cuttings near the wall, where poor hole cleaning conditions occur, to move into higher transport regions of the annulus. Increased rotation speed is the one of the best methods for increasing hole cleaning in high angle and horizontal wells.

Heavy material that settles is referred to as sag, which causes a wide variation in the density of well fluid. This more frequently occurs in high angle and hot wells.

For effective solids controls, drill solids must be removed from mud on the 1st circulation from the well. If re-circulated, cuttings break into smaller pieces and are more difficult to remove.

If formation pressure increases, mud density should be increased to balance pressure and keep the wellbore stable. The most common weighting material is barite. Unbalanced formation pressure will cause an unexpected influx (also known as a kick) of formation fluids into the wellbore possibly leading to a blowout from pressurized formation fluid.

Hydrostatic pressure = density of drilling fluid * true vertical depth * acceleration of gravity. If hydrostatic pressure is greater than or equal to formation pressure, formation fluid will not flow into the wellbore.

In practice, mud density should be limited to the minimum necessary for well control and wellbore stability. If too great it may fracture the formation.

Mud column pressure must exceed formation pressure, in this condition mud filtrate invades the formation, and a filter cake of mud is deposited on the wellbore wall.

Depending on the mud system in use, a number of additives can improve the filter cake (e.g. bentonite, natural & synthetic polymer, asphalt and gilsonite).

Chemical composition and mud properties must combine to provide a stable wellbore. Weight of the mud must be within the necessary range to balance the mechanical forces.

Wellbore instability = sloughing formations, which can cause tight hole conditions, bridges and fill on trips (same symptoms indicate hole cleaning problems).

If the hole is enlarged, it becomes weak and difficult to stabilize, resulting in problems such as low annular velocities, poor hole cleaning, solids loading and poor formation evaluation

In sand and sandstones formations, hole enlargement can be accomplished by mechanical actions (hydraulic forces & nozzles velocities). Formation damage is reduced by conservative hydraulics system. A good quality filter cake containing bentonite is known to limit bore hole enlargement.

In shales, mud weight is usually sufficient to balance formation stress, as these wells are usually stable. With water base mud, chemical differences can cause interactions between mud & shale that lead to softening of the native rock. Highly fractured, dry, brittle shales can be extremely unstable (leading to mechanical problems).

Various chemical inhibitors can control mud / shale interactions (calcium, potassium, salt, polymers, asphalt, glycols and oil – best for water sensitive formations)

To add inhibition, emulsified brine phase (calcium chloride) drilling fluids are used to reduce water activity and creates osmotic forces to prevent adsorption of water by Shales.

Lubrication based on the coefficient of friction.("Coefficient of friction" is how much friction on side of wellbore and collar size or drill pipe size to pull stuck pipe) Oil- and synthetic-based mud generally lubricate better than water-based mud (but the latter can be improved by the addition of lubricants).

Poor lubrication causes high torque and drag, heat checking of the drill string, but these problems are also caused by key seating, poor hole cleaning and incorrect bottom hole assemblies design.

Drilling fluids also support portion of drill-string or casing through buoyancy. Suspend in drilling fluid, buoyed by force equal to weight (or density) of mud, so reducing hook load at derrick.

Hydraulic energy provides power to mud motor for bit rotation and for MWD (measurement while drilling) and LWD (logging while drilling) tools. Hydraulic programs base on bit nozzles sizing for available mud pump horsepower to optimize jet impact at bottom well.

Mud loggers examine cuttings for mineral composition, visual sign of hydrocarbons and recorded mud logs of lithology, ROP, gas detection or geological parameters.

Mud should have thin, slick filter cake, with minimal solids in filter cake, wellbore with minimal cuttings, caving or bridges will prevent a good casing run to bottom. Circulate well bore until clean.

Mud low viscosity, mud parameters should be tolerant of formations being drilled, and drilling fluid composition, turbulent flow - low viscosity high pump rate, laminar flow - high viscosity, high pump rate.

Water based drilling fluid has very little toxicity, made from water, bentonite and barite, all clay from mining operations, usually found in Wyoming and in Lunde, Telemark.

There are specific chemicals that can be used in water based drilling fluids that alone can be corrosive and toxic, such as hydrochloric acid. However,

Caustic (sodium hydroxide), anhydrous lime, soda ash, bentonite, barite and polymers are the most common chemicals used in water based drilling fluids.

Water-based drilling mud most commonly consists of bentonite clay (gel) with additives such as barium sulfate (barite), calcium carbonate (chalk) or hematite. Various thickeners are used to influence the viscosity of the fluid, e.g. xanthan gum, guar gum, glycol, carboxymethylcellulose, polyanionic cellulose (PAC), or starch. In turn, deflocculants are used to reduce viscosity of clay-based muds; anionic polyelectrolytes (e.g. acrylates, polyphosphates, lignosulfonates (Lig) or tannic acid derivates such as Quebracho) are frequently used. Red mud was the name for a Quebracho-based mixture, named after the color of the red tannic acid salts; it was commonly used in the 1940s to 1950s, then was made obsolete when lignosulfonates became available. Other components are added to provide various specific functional characteristics as listed above. Some other common additives include lubricants, shale inhibitors, fluid loss additives (to control loss of drilling fluids into permeable formations). A weighting agent such as barite is added to increase the overall density of the drilling fluid so that sufficient bottom hole pressure can be maintained thereby preventing an unwanted (and often dangerous) influx of formation fluids

Freshwater mud: Low pH mud (7.0–9.5) that includes spud, bentonite, natural, phosphate treated muds, organic mud and organic colloid treated mud. high pH mud example alkaline tannate treated muds are above 9.5 in pH.

Water based drilling mud that represses hydration and dispersion of clay – There are 4 types: high pH lime muds, low pH gypsum, seawater and saturated salt water muds.

Low solids mud: These muds contain less than 3–6% solids by volume and weight less than 9.5 lbs/gal. Most muds of this type are water-based with varying quantities of bentonite and a polymer.

Oil based mud: Oil based muds contain oil as the continuous phase and water as a contaminant, and not an element in the design of the mud. They typically contain less than 5% (by volume) water. Oil-based muds are usually a mixture of diesel fuel and asphalt, however can be based on produced crude oil and mud

"Mud engineer" is the name given to an oil field service company individual who is charged with maintaining a drilling fluid or completion fluid system on an oil and/or gas drilling rig.mud engineer, or more properly drilling fluids engineer, is critical to the entire drilling operation because even small problems with mud can stop the whole operations on rig. The internationally accepted shift pattern at off-shore drilling operations is personnel (including mud engineers) work on a 28-day shift pattern, where they work for 28 continuous days and rest the following 28 days. In Europe this is more commonly a 21-day shift pattern.

In offshore drilling, with new technology and high total day costs, wells are being drilled extremely fast. Having two mud engineers makes economic sense to prevent down time due to drilling fluid difficulties. Two mud engineers also reduce insurance costs to oil companies for environmental damage that oil companies are responsible for during drilling and production. A senior mud engineer typically works in the day, and a junior mud engineer at night.

The cost of the drilling fluid is typically about 10% (may vary greatly) of the total cost of drilling a well, and demands competent mud engineers. Large cost savings result when the mud engineer and fluid performs adequately.

The compliance engineer is the most common name for a relatively new position in the oil field, emerging around 2002 due to new environmental regulations on synthetic mud in the United States. Previously, synthetic mud was regulated the same as water-based mud and could be disposed of in offshore waters due to low toxicity to marine organisms. New regulations restrict the amount of synthetic oil that can be discharged. These new regulations created a significant burden in the form of tests needed to determine the "ROC" or retention on cuttings, sampling to determine the percentage of crude oil in the drilling mud, and extensive documentation. No type of oil/synthetic based mud (or drilled cuttings contaminated with OBM/SBM) may be dumped in the North Sea. Contaminated mud must either be shipped back to shore in skips or processed on the rigs.

A new monthly toxicity test is also now performed to determine sediment toxicity, using the amphipod L. plumulosus to determine its effect on the animals.

Clark, Peter E. (1995-01-01). "Drilling Mud Rheology and the API Recommended Measurements". SPE Production Operations Symposium. Society of Petroleum Engineers. doi:10.2118/29543-MS. ISBN 9781555634483.