drilling mud pump calculations for sale

Mr. Carter has over fifty five years" experience in domestic and international engineering and management positions in the area of drilling, completion and E&P waste management with Conoco, Baroid, and several other drilling contractors. He has conducted seminars and schools on fluids, rig equipment, and drilling engineering related subjects associated with drilling optimization, cost reduction, and well control. Tom has served as Chairman of the API standardization committee (SC 13) on Drilling and Completion Fluid Materials. He was a SPE Distinguished Lecturer in 1993 and served as the Editor of the SPE reprint series book on drilling fluids. Currently, he is a member of the Chevron Clear Leader Center serving as a Technical Learning Advisor in Houston. He coordinates and has teaching participation in several subject areas such as Coiled Tubing Operations, Directional Drilling, Drilling Fluids, Drilling Practices, Fundamentals for Drilling and Completion, HPHT Drilling and Completions, and Solids Control and Waste Management. He is still active in several industry organizations and was President of the Houston chapter of the American Association of Drilling Engineers, Coordinator for the SPE North American Forum Series, Membership Chairman of the editorial committee for the Journal of Petroleum Technology and on the Board of Directors for the Ocean Energy Center Society (Ocean Star rig museum in Galveston). He has published 20 technical publications and holds five U.S. patents. He graduated with a BS in Geology from Centenary College in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1963.

A mud pump is a reciprocating piston/plunger pump designed to circulate drilling fluid under high pressure (up to 7,500 psi (52,000 kPa)) down the drill string and back up the annulus. A duplex mud pump is an important part of the equipment used for oil well drilling.

Duplex mud pumps (two piston/plungers) have generally been replaced by the triplex pump, but are still common in developing countries. Two later developments are the hex pump with six vertical pistons/plungers, and various quintuplex’s with five horizontal piston/plungers. The advantages that Duplex mud pumps have over convention triplex pumps is a lower mud noise which assists with better Measurement while drilling and Logging while drilling decoding.

Use duplex mud pumps to make sure that the circulation of the mud being drilled or the supply of liquid reaches the bottom of the well from the mud cleaning system. Despite being older technology than the triplex mud pump, the duplex mud pumps can use either electricity or diesel, and maintenance is easy due to their binocular floating seals and safety valves.

A mud pump is composed of many parts including mud pump liner, mud pump piston, modules, hydraulic seat pullers, and other parts. Parts of a mud pump:housing itself

Duplex pumps are used to provide a secondary means of fuel transfer in the event of a failure of the primary pump. Each pump in a duplex set is sized to meet the full flow requirements of the system. Pump controllers can be set for any of the following common operating modes:Lead / Lag (Primary / Secondary): The lead (primary) pump is selected by the user and the lag (secondary pump operates when a failure of the primary pump is detected.

Alternating: Operates per Lead / Lag (Primary / Secondary) except that the operating pump and lead / lag status alternate on consecutive starts. A variation is to alternate the pumps based on the operating time (hour meter) of the lead pump.

Learning about drilling fluids, mud pumps and conditioning equipment is required basic knowledge which personnel working on the rig must understand. In the old day, you may need to take a lot of time to learn this knowledge. Nowadays, Petroleum Extension Service publishes the book named “Drilling Fluids, Mud Pumps, and Conditioning Equipment” which will provide learners a lot of essential thing regarding drilling fluids, mud pumps and equipment. Today, I would like to review this book so you will know what inside and what you will you get from it.

Circulating systems on the drilling – function of drilling fluid and circulating system, hydraulic of mud circulating system, air circulating system, etc

Drilling mud– function of drilling mud, type of drilling mud used in drilling industry, composition of drilling mud, how to test drilling fluids, equipment for mud testing

Mud pumps – reciprocating pumps, configuration of Duplex and Triplex pumps, pump output, comparison of Triplex and Duplex pumps, operating and maintenance practices for the pumps

The book has the basic content with few simple calculations. It is good for new people who have less rig experience. It is not easy for less experience to understand everything in the oil field quickly; therefore, the book provides a lot of photos, drawings that will help learners to understand the content easily. You can see from the images which I capture from the book.

Rig pump output, normally in volume per stroke, of mud pumps on the rig is  one of important figures that we really need to know because we will use pump out put figures to calculate many parameters such as bottom up strokes,  wash out depth, tracking drilling fluid, etc. In this post, you will learn how to calculate pump out put for triplex pump and duplex pump in bothOilfield and Metric Unit.

Bourgoyne, A.J.T., Chenevert , M.E. & Millheim, K.K., 1986. SPE Textbook Series, Volume 2: Applied Drilling Engineering, Society of Petroleum Engineers.

Having a quality mud pump is a critical part of keeping your oil well drilling system running as smoothly as possible. Dragon carries a wide range of mud pumps for systems of all kinds and jobs of all sizes. We also carry a 50 BPM mud mixing table to make drilling fluid mixing more efficient and accurate so you can always get the job done safely and correctly. View our full well service pump and mud pump selection to find the right system for your job site, or check out the rest of our drilling rigs for even more options.

Welcome to Pickett Oilfield’s mud pumps web page. Our company has been in the oil & gas drilling equipment industry for over 38 years, supplying new and used mud pumps and mud pump parts to customers in practically every producing region in the world. We are here to serve all your drilling equipment needs – if you don’t see it on this site, just give us a call or email. We can get it, if you need it!

Pickett Oilfield, LLC offers prospective buyers and extensive selection of quality new and used oil & gas drilling equipment, including mud pumps and parts to choose from at competitive prices. Browse our inventory of mud pumps and mud pump parts for sale at competitive rates.For more information or to request a quote, please Contact Us at 936-336-5154 or email to Sales@PickettOilfield.com.

Continental Emsco Drilling Products, Inc., which consisted of Emsco drilling machinery and Wilson mobile rigs, was purchased by National-Oilwell, Inc on July 7, 1999. To our knowledge, no pumps have been manufactured and sold under the Emsco brand name since National-Oilwell acquired them.

Fairbanks Morse pumps are currently manufactured in Kansas City, Kansas. Fairbanks Morse is a division of Pentair ever since August, 1997 when Pentair purchased the General Signal Pump Group.

Gaso pumps are manufactured by National Oilwell Varco. Gaso was acquired as "Wheatley Gaso" by National-Oilwell in the year 2000. At the time, Wheatley Gaso was owned by Halliburton.

Skytop Brewster pumps are no longer available as new pumps. Skytop Brewster(Cnsld Gold), a unit of Hansen PLC"s Consolidated Gold Fields subsidiary, was acquired while in bankruptcy by National-Oilwell, Inc. in November, 1999.

The drilling industry has roots dating back to the Han Dynasty in China. Improvements in rig power and equipment design have allowed for many advances in the way crude oil and natural gas are extracted from the ground. Diesel/electric oil drilling rigs can now drill wells more than 4 miles in depth. Drilling fluid, also called drilling mud, is used to help transfer the dirt or drill cuttings from the action of the drilling bit back to the surface for disposal. Drill cuttings can vary in shape and size depending on the formation or design of the drill bit used in the process.

Watch the video below to see how the EDDY Pump outperforms traditional pumps when it comes to high solids and high viscosity materials commonly found on oil rigs.

Solids control equipment including shakers, hydro-cyclones, and centrifuges are utilized to clean the drill cuttings from the drilling fluid, which then allows it to be reused and recirculated. The circuit includes the mixing of the drilling fluid in the rig tanks.

The drilling fluid is prepared to control fluid loss to the formation by the addition of chemicals or mineral agents. Commercial barite or other weighting agents are added to control the hydrostatic pressure exuded on the bottom of the well which controls formation pressures preventing fluid or gas intrusion into the wellbore.

The fluid is charged into high-pressure mud pumps which pump the drilling mud down the drill string and out through the bit nozzles cleaning the hole and lubricating the drill bit so the bit can cut efficiently through the formation. The bit is cooled by the fluid and moves up the space between the pipe and the hole which is called the annulus. The fluid imparts a thin, tough layer on the inside of the hole to protect against fluid loss which can cause differential sticking.

The fluid rises through the blowout preventers and down the flowline to the shale shakers. Shale shakers are equipped with fine screens that separate drill cutting particles as fine as 50-74 microns. Table salt is around 100 microns, so these are fine cuttings that are deposited into the half-round or cuttings catch tank. The drilling fluid is further cleaned with the hydro-cyclones and centrifuges and is pumped back to the mixing area of the mud tanks where the process repeats.

The drill cuttings contain a layer of drilling fluid on the surface of the cuttings. As the size of the drill cuttings gets smaller the surface area expands exponentially which can cause rheological property problems with the fluid. The fluid will dehydrate and may become too thick or viscous to pump so solids control and dilution are important to the entire drilling process.

One of the most expensive and troubling issues with drilling operations is the handling, processing, and circulation of drilling mud along with disposing of the unwanted drill cuttings. The drilling cuttings deposited in the half round tank and are typically removed with an excavator that must move the contents of the waste bin or roll-off box. The excavators are usually rented for this duty and the equipment charges can range from $200-300/day. Add in the cost for the day and night manpower and the real cost for a single excavator can be as much as $1800/day.

Offshore drilling rigs follow a similar process in which the mud is loaded into empty drums and held on the oil platform. When a certain number of filled drums is met, the drums are then loaded onto barges or vessels which take the drilling mud to the shore to unload and dispose of.

Oil field drilling operations produce a tremendous volume of drill cuttings that need both removal and management. In most cases, the site managers also need to separate the cuttings from the drilling fluids so they can reuse the fluids. Storing the cuttings provides a free source of stable fill material for finished wells, while other companies choose to send them off to specialty landfills. Regardless of the final destination or use for the cuttings, drilling and dredging operations must have the right high solids slurry pumps to move them for transport, storage, or on-site processing. Exploring the differences in the various drilling fluids, cutting complications, and processing options will reveal why the EDDY Pump is the best fit for the job.

The Eddy Pump is designed to move slurry with solid content as high as 70-80 % depending on the material. This is an ideal application for pumping drill cuttings. Drill cuttings from the primary shakers are typically 50% solids and 50% liquids. The Eddy Pump moves these fluids efficiently and because of the large volute chamber and the design of the geometric rotor, there is very little wear on the pump, ensuring long life and greatly reduced maintenance cost for the lifetime of the pump.

plumbed to sweep the bottom of the collection tank and the pump is recessed into a sump allowing for a relatively clean tank when the solids are removed. The Eddy Pump is sized to load a roll-off box in 10-12 minutes. The benefit is cuttings handling is quicker, easier, safer, and allows for pre-planning loading where the labor of the solids control technician is not monopolized by loading cuttings. Here, in the below image, we’re loading 4 waste roll-off bins which will allow the safe removal of cuttings without fear of the half-round catch tank running over.

Mud cleaning systems such as mud shaker pumps and bentonite slurry pumps move the material over screens and through dryers and centrifuges to retrieve even the finest bits of stone and silt. However, the pump operators must still get the raw slurry to the drill cuttings treatment area with a power main pump. Slurry pumps designed around the power of an Eddy current offer the best performance for transferring cuttings throughout a treatment system.

Options vary depending on whether the company plans to handle drill cuttings treatment on-site or transport the materials to a remote landfill or processing facility. If the plan is to deposit the cuttings in a landfill or a long-term storage container, it’s best to invest in a pump capable of depositing the material directly into transport vehicles. Most dredging operations rely on multiple expensive vacuum trucks, secondary pumps, and extra pieces of equipment.

Using an EDDY Pump will allow a project to eliminate the need for excavators/operators to load drill cuttings, substantially lowering both labor and heavy equipment costs. The EDDY Pump also allows a company to eliminate vacuum trucks once used for cleaning the mud system for displacing fluids. Since the pump transfers muds of all types at constant pressure and velocity throughout a system of practically any size, there’s little need for extra equipment for manual transfer or clean up on the dredge site.

The EDDY Pump can fill up a truck in only 10 minutes (compared to an hour) by using a mechanical means such as an excavator. For this reason, most companies can afford one piece of equipment that can replace half a dozen other units.

This application for the Eddy Pump has the potential to revolutionize the drilling industry. Moving the excavator out of the “back yard” (the area behind the rig from the living quarters) will make cuttings handling a breeze. Trucking can be easier scheduled during daylight hours saving on overtime and incidences of fatigued driving. Rig-site forklifts can move the roll-off boxes out of the staging area and into the pump loading area. The operator can save money on excavators rental, damages, and keep the technician operating the solids control equipment.

The EDDY Pump is ideal for drilling mud pump applications and can be connected directly onto the drilling rigs to pump the drilling mud at distances over a mile for disposal. This eliminates the need for costly vacuum trucks and also the manpower needed to mechanically move the drilling mud. The reasons why the EDDY Pump is capable of moving the drilling mud is due to the hydrodynamic principle that the pump creates, which is similar to the EDDY current of a tornado. This tornado motion allows for the higher viscosity and specific gravity pumping ability. This along with the large tolerance between the volute and the rotor allows for large objects like rock cuttings to pass through the pump without obstruction. The large tolerance of the EDDY Pump also enables the pump to last many times longer than centrifugal pumps without the need for extended downtime or replacement parts. The EDDY Pump is the lowest total life cycle pump on the market.

We have looked at drilling fluids from two points of view in this Water Well Journal column. We began by looking at the science of drilling fluids. This included defining the functions of a drilling fluid and the properties of the fluid that indicate the ability of the fluid to perform those functions. We also introduced several classes of drilling fluid additives, and when properly mixed, provide defined and measurable properties to control the subsurface geology that the bore path will intersect.

Drilling can be looked at as system drilling fluids being just one part along with geology, equipment, and fluid flow and fluid pressure. Choosing the proper drilling fluid formulation is as easy as remembering how to use the five-finger method—treat the makeup water, create suspension, protect the borehole, protect the cuttings, and address any local issues.

One of the most widespread local issues is loss of circulation. Loss of circulation is losing whole mud to the formation, which we see as getting less volume of fluid back to the surface as compared to what was pumped down.

Second, a pressure differential must exist between the pressure exerted by the fluid in the borehole and the pressure in the formation. We intuitively know the pressure exerted by the fluid in the borehole is higher than the formation pressure if we are losing drilling fluid.

An example is when drilling through a gravel formation above the water table where the void spaces are filled with air, the hydrostatic pressure of the drilling fluid is greater than the air pressure in the formation, and fluid moves into the formation. The opposite is true if we have an artesian or flowing well; the pressure within the formation is higher than the pressure exerted by the drilling fluid, and fluid flows out of the borehole.

We seldom know exactly what the pressure from the formation is in the water well drilling business. We can calculate the hydrostatic pressure of our drilling fluid by this formula:

Hydrostatic pressure in pounds per square inch (PSI) equals mud weight (MW) in pounds per gallon times the depth (D) in feet where you want to know the pressure times a conversion factor (0.052) to connect all the units of measurement.

If this drilling fluid was present in our dry gravel example above, the only thing we know for sure is the hydrostatic pressure of 52 PSI is far greater than the formation pressure. The loss of returns in the dry gravel would be almost instantaneous. As the pressure exerted by formation fluids increases, the rate of drilling fluid losses decreases.

I have only talked so far about hydrostatic pressure, which means the drilling fluid is sitting still in the borehole and not being pumped. For the drilling fluid to circulate, additional pressure needs to be added by means of a mud pump.

As mentioned in a previous column, the pressure added is used up moving the drilling fluid from the pump to the drill pipe, down the drill pipe to the drill bit, through the bit, and up the annular space to the surface.

In the annular space, the remaining pump pressure must be added to the hydrostatic pressure to get a true fluid pressure against the formation. Most of these calculations are beyond the scope of this column, but suffice it to say a circulating fluid’s pressure against a formation is greater than the hydrostatic pressure at any given point. You may have experienced this phenomenon if you have had a borehole stand full when not circulating but start losing fluid while circulating.

One takeaway from the mathematics involved is the circulating pressure can be used to calculate an equivalent mud weight if the fluid was static. This is the drilling fluid’s equivalent circulating density.

Up to this point we have put the blame for lost returns on the geology of the formations we are drilling—if it were only that simple. Sometimes we must take the blame for operator-induced errors that lead to loss of returns.

Drilling fluid properties and drilling practices can contribute to loss of circulation. The pressure formulas use mud weight in the calculations. Water weighs 8.34 pounds per gallon (ppg), so this would be the minimum mud weight used to calculate pressures. As we add solids to water—either as beneficial drilling fluid additives to create our desired drilling fluid properties or non-beneficial solids such as drill cuttings— the mud weight increases.

As mud weight increases above 8.34 ppg, the hydrostatic pressure increases and the equivalent circulating density increases. High viscosity or thicker drilling fluids require more pump pressure to initiate circulation and maintain flow and therefore increase equivalent circulating density as well. This also holds true for drilling fluids with high gel strengths.

Maintaining good drilling fluid properties and controlling the buildup of drilled solids in the fluid by effective solids control methods, all within our control, minimizes the chances of loss of returns.

This would be a good time to introduce fracture gradient. Fracture gradient is the pressure gradient at which the formation breaks. If the pressure applied by the drilling fluid is higher than the formation’s fracture gradient, the formation will break and create a potential loss of returns.

How we break circulation and pull and run pipe can lead to fluid losses. If we put the mud pump immediately full on when we are ready to circulate, we send a pressure surge through the circulating system. This can have either of two effects: We could possibly exceed the formation’s fracture gradient and fracture the formation, or the pressure could be higher than the formation fluid pressure, resulting in loss of returns.

To minimize pressure surges, bring the pump on slowly until it is at your desired flow rate. Running drill pipe into the hole can have the same effect. Since the drill bit is only slightly smaller than the hole diameter, it acts as a piston in a cylinder, pressurizing the fluid in front of it. If the surge pressure is higher than the formation fracture gradient or the formation fluid pressure, we could induce loss of returns. To control this, do not let the drill pipe free-fall into the hole but run in at a rate that allows the drilling fluid to flow around the bit, minimizing the pressure surge.

There are two directions we can go. Since loss of returns is directly pressure-related, we could find a way to lower the fluid pressure exerted against the formation by the drilling fluid. This might mean changing from conventional circulation to reverse circulation, and may not be practical.

Or it could be changing from a liquid circulating fluid to drilling with air or foam. Again, maybe not practical, and I’ll leave the air and foam drilling discussion for another day.

The only other direction to follow is adding a loss of circulation material (LCM) to our drilling fluid to plug up the loss zones and keep the drilling fluid in the borehole.

A big misconception is the plugging material needs to make a rigid plug, setting up like concrete. The plug only needs to be strong enough to redirect the direction of fluid flow. In other words, it would take more pressure to push the drilling fluid through the plug and into the formation than to flow up the annulus.

The choice of LCM depends on the severity of the loss. To cure a seepage loss, increasing the concentration of bentonite in the drilling fluid may be sufficient. The increased concentration of bentonite platelets can build a better mat to plug small openings. To plug a large void, chipped bentonite and gravel may need to be poured into the wellbore.

Any loss between these extremes will require varying concentrations of materials and material sizes and shapes. It is best to consult your drilling fluids supplier or local mud engineer for advice on products and concentrations.

Here are some final thoughts on lost circulation. Prevent it if possible by maintaining a good drilling fluid with low mud weight. Do not let your drilled solids concentration build up in the fluid system by utilizing effective solids control.

Follow good drilling practices and pay attention to surge pressures created by the mud pump or when running pipe. Use adequate LCM concentrations during early stages of treating the loss; the problem usually gets worse with time. When possible, combine different sizes and shapes of materials to achieve a matting effect to form a plug.

Finally, I think of combating lost returns this way: I don’t know where that lost drilling fluid is going, so hit it hard and stop it because it might end up in the neighbor’s water well or basement!

The positive displacement mud pump is a key component of the drilling process and its lifespan and reliability are critical to a successful operation.

The fluid end is the most easily damaged part of the mud pump. The pumping process occurs within the fluid end with valves, pistons, and liners. Because these components are high-wear items, many pumps are designed to allow quick replacement of these parts.

Due to the nature of its operation, pistons, liners, and valve assemblies will wear and are considered expendable components. There will be some corrosion and metallurgy imperfections, but the majority of pump failures can be traced back to poor maintenance, errors during the repair process, and pumping drilling fluid with excessive solids content.

A few signs include cut piston rubber, discoloration, pistons that are hard to remove, scored liners, valve and seat pitting or cracks, valve inserts severely worn, cracked, or completely missing, and even drilling fluids making their way to the power end of the pump.

The fluid end of a positive displacement triplex pump presents many opportunities for issues. The results of these issues in such a high-pressure system can mean expensive downtime on the pump itself and, possibly, the entire rig — not to mention the costly repair or replacement of the pump. To reduce severe vibration caused by the pumping process, many pumps incorporate both a suction and discharge pulsation dampener; these are connected to the suction and discharge manifolds of the fluid end. These dampeners reduce the cavitation effect on the entire pump which increases the life of everything within the pump.

The fluid end is the most easily damaged part of the mud pump. The pumping process occurs within the fluid end with valves, pistons, and liners. Because these components are high-wear items, many pumps are designed to allow quick replacement of these parts.

A washout occurs when fluid and solids enter the area behind or underneath a valve seat and erode the sealing surface. Washouts are usually caused by one of three issues: a worn or cracked valve seat, improper cleaning of the valve seat and deck which creates a poor seat seal, and excessive sand content in your drilling fluid. Worn or cracked valve seats can allow fluid to enter the area around the valve seat and seat deck, creating a wash point on the valve seat and causing it to cut into the fluid cylinder and seat deck.

Additionally, the throat (inside diameter) can begin to wash out from extended usage hours or rather quickly when the fluid solids content is excessive. When this happens it can cut all the way through the seat and into the fluid end module/seat deck. This causes excessive expense not only from a parts standpoint but also extended downtime for parts delivery and labor hours to remove and replace the fluid module. With that said, a properly operated and maintained mud recycling system is vital to not only the pump but everything the drilling fluid comes in contact with downstream.

Drilling fluids are a vital part of drilling operations. It controls wellbore pressure, lubricates and cools the drill bit, carries the drill cuttings, and other essential functions. To fulfill these tasks, carefully chosen additives are incorporated into the mud to control its properties. It is the mud engineer"s responsibility to ensure that any new mud that is produced and added meets the required specifications.

In the past, mud engineers relied on paper forms or Excel® spreadsheets to record mud properties, product usage, and inventory on a daily basis. This approach meant that engineers encountered a variety of issues, such as disorganization of numerous daily reports and difficulty with generating end-of-well recaps.

MUDPRO is a mud reporting software that complies with API specifications for field use. With an advanced database, this innovative, all-inclusive model significantly improves drilling fluid data gathering, sharing and management.

MUDPRO is designed for both mud engineers at rig sites and engineering managers. A mud engineer will use the software to record mud data and generate daily reports whereas a manager can use MUDPRO to review and manage data, make an end-of-well recap and compare multiple wells.

Our advanced version, MUDPRO+, includes enhanced mud volume tracking and concentration calculations, which are more accurate and effective in handling a variety of mud volume transitions.

Up and coming! Our all new next generation of MUDPRO is being developed for its release this year. An all-new dazzling visualization, added machine learning, an at-a-glance dashboard and much more. We are commencing MUDPRO’s advancement to bring you a better, improved daily mud reporting software to meet your daily needs. Stay tuned for its release date and experience the next generation of MUDPRO for yourself.