nov hex 240 mud pump brands

An integral part of onshore and offshore drilling, mud pumps circulate the drilling fluids used to facilitate drilling oil and natural gas wells. Used to stabilize pressure and support the well during the drilling process, drilling fluids also provide friction reduction and a means to remove cuttings.

While drilling with some type of fluid has been in practice for centuries, the term "drilling mud" was coined when a herd of cattle was driven through a wet field near Spindletop, and the resulting mud was used to lubricate the drillstring and drill bit. Drilling fluids have come a long way since those early days of drilling, and offshore mud pumps are constantly taxed to help operators find and develop hydrocarbons in harsher, deeper and more difficult locations.

"A mud pump delivers drilling fluid from the mud tanks, through the top drive, down the drill string and through the bit," explained Juan Lerma, Mud Pumps Product Line Manager at National Oilwell Varco. "When the mud exits the bit, it travels back to the surface carrying the cuttings made by the bit where it flows over a shale-shaker removing the cuttings, cleaning the mud and returning it to the tanks, where it"s used over and over again."

"A mud pump is one of the critical and required pieces of equipment for a drilling rig whether on land or offshore," Lerma stated. "Offshore, where real estate is at a premium, mud pumps are configured with a compact top-mounted drive system, reducing the overall length with a smaller package and strategically placing it in the pump room for permanent installation."

"Jackups semis and drillships all use the same mud pumps; however, the number of pumps installed in the pump rooms changes from rig to rig depending on the drilling specifications," explained Lerma.

Additionally, the rock formations and pressure encountered when drilling may vary; HT/HP and environmental conditions also may affect the drilling process, as well as the drilling fluids chosen and mud pumps required.

"As the drilling programs require higher flows and higher pressures, it is necessary to increase pressure ratings and either increase the number of mud pumps required or utilize larger capacity mud pumps," Lerma continued. "Most early jackups utilized two mud pumps and piping systems rated for 5000 psi work pressures and 1600 horsepower, while most of today"s jackups have 7500 psi working pressure and up to four 2200 HP pumps piping systems."

According to information gathered by premium rig data service RigLogix, National Oilwell Varco leads the pack in providing mud pumps to offshore oil rigs. Of the top six brands of mud pumps, NOV supplies four of them, garnering more than 70% of the offshore mud pump market.

Those leading NOV brands include National Oilwell, Continental Emsco (which was acquired by NOV in 1999), National and NOV. The other leading mud pump system is provided by Gardner Denver and is the third most popular type of system offshore. Additionally, Lewco, a division of Rowan, has about 4% of the offshore mud pump market, putting it fifth on the list of leading suppliers.

With more than four decades of experience providing the offshore industry with mud pumps, Lerma revealed that the company has been able to sustain such a high market share by constantly transforming the product to meet the needs of the industry. As offshore drilling programs have required higher flows and pressures, the company has strived to provide the best quality equipment, while maintaining the lowest cost of ownership.

To better serve its offshore clients, the company developed the Hex Pump in the last several years, and this new line of mud pumps has proven a success in offshore waters worldwide. Boasting 2400 HP, the Hex pump is capable of delivering up to 1,034 gallons of drilling fluids per minute, making it one of the most powerful mud pumps on the market today.

In 2004, the first two Hex Pumps were deployed on a Global Santa Fe rig working offshore West Africa, and in 2005, both the Noble Max Smith and the Noble All While started using the Hex Pump as well. In fact, the Noble Al White, working in the harsh conditions of the North Sea, was the first rig to be solely dependent on the Hex Pumps with two of them located in its pump room, and the rig now has more than 8,000 hours of successful drilling operations using the system.

"The first drillship to use the system, Transocean"s Discoverer Clear Leader just started drilling in the Gulf of Mexico with five Hex Pump systems," said Lerma. "Additionally, the soon-to-start-drilling Discoverer Americas houses four Hex Pumps, and the soon-to-be-delivered Discoverer Inspiration will have five."

The Hex Pump is an axial piston mud pump with six vertical pistons driven by two AC motors via a gear and a specially profiled cam. In contrast to crankshaft-driven triplex pumps, the Hex pump delivers a nearly pulsation free flow. Consequently, there is no need for pulsation dampeners on either the suction or discharge side when running this pump. Other major advantages are compactness (reduced weight and footprint) and no need for replacing liner sizes to achieve high pressure or flow. The Hex 240 version with 4 1/2" liners has a rated capacity of 2540 HP, a maximum rated pressure of 7500 PSI and a maximum flow capacity of 1034 GPM.

The Hex Pump has substantially less weight than a comparable Triplex pump, and this results in increased variable deck load capacity on drilling units. The potential cost savings related to increased variable deck load capacity both on new builds and on existing rigs will be discussed in this paper. Also, the potential steel weight reduction in the substructure on drilling units will be discussed.

The Hex Pump creates a clean standpipe pressure with much lower pressure fluctuation levels than triplex pumps. Due to this, there are no need for pulsation dampeners when running the Hex Pump. This additionally leads to much better and cleaner MWD-signals for the directional driller. As a consequence, this will contribute to faster and more accurate drilling in long and complicated directional wells.

The design and development of the Hex Pump is described in SPE paper 79831, ref /1/; "Development and Performance Testing of the Hex Mud Pump", but for the understanding of this paper it is important to understand the functionality of the Hex Pump design. Some of the main items are therefore repeated in this paper. SPE paper 92507, ref. /2/, "Operational experience with use of a Hex Pump on a land rig" focuses on the improved MWD-measurements related to use of Hex Pump compared to triplex pumps. Some of the main items discussed there will also be repeated in this paper.

The NOV 12-P-160 Mud Pumps includes (3) Three New National 12-P-160 Triplex Mud Pumps 1600 HP, 7-1/4″ bore x 12″ stroke, single acting. 5000 PSI fluid ends. 1600 HP Bare Mud Pumps are currently configured for Offshore Service. The NOV 12-P-160 Mud Pumps are located in Houston and ready to be unitized for service.

Forged Steel crankshaft, Individual forged steel two piece interchangeable standard modules, 6-1/2” mission fluid king liners, Standard polyurethane valves and seats, Two piece fast change piston rods, Supreme pistons, Metal to metal liner retention, Clamp type liner and piston rod connections, Fast change valve covers standard, Piston liner lubricant spray system, Liner spray pump, Power end lube system with filter. Mounted on Integral two runner skid, Suction Manifold with vertical suction stabilizer, Suction line pressure relief valve, set for 70 PSI

Includes: motor supports, motor frame, tensioning screws, 2 V-belt guards, 2 pump Sheaves, 2 motor sheaves, banded V-belts, Holes to be drilled to accept EDM D79 Or GE-752 Traction Motors

Flange-reducing weld neck, National, #5912404, 5-1/8 x 2” XXH 5000#, MOD, 6B, RTJ, R-44, to match 2” XXH pipe 1.500”ID, API 45K material, PSL-1, TC-U, M/C-DD

Flange-reducing weld neck, National, #5912402, 5-1/8 x 3”, XXH, 5000#, MOD, 6B, RTJ, R-44, to match 3” XXH pipe, 2.300”ID, API 45K material, PSL-1, TC-U, M/C-DD.

National Oilwell Varco (NOV) is an American multinational corporation based in Houston, Texas. It is a leading worldwide provider of equipment and components used in oil and gas drilling and production operations, oilfield services, and supply chain integration services to the upstream oil and gas industry. The company conducts operations in more than 600 locations across six continents, operating through three reporting segments: Rig Technologies, Wellbore Technologies, and Completion & Production Solutions. National Oilwell’s two main predecessors, Oilwell Supply and National Supply, were founded in 1862 and 1893, respectively. These two companies manufactured and distributed pumps and derricks.

Mud Pumps come in both electric and gas / diesel engine drive along with air motors. Most of these pumps for mud, trash and sludge or other high solids content liquid dewatering, honey wagon and pumper trucks. Slurry and mud pumps are often diaphragm type pumps but also include centrifugal trash and submersible non-clog styles.

WARNING: Do not use in explosive atmosphere or for pumping volatile flammable liquids. Do not throttle or restrict the discharge. Recommend short lengths of discharge hose since a diaphragm mud pump is a positive displacement type and they are not built with relief valves.

For the successful execution of your projects, it is important to find an appropriate company with a good track record. We help you in connecting with the top mud pump manufacturers and companies and get the best quotation.

The most widely used mud pumps across the industry are Triplex Reciprocating Pumps. Their application has gained immense popularity with time because they are 30% lighter than duplex reciprocating pumps with relatively less operational cost. Moreover, through these pumps the discharge of mud is smooth and they are capable of moving large volume of mud at higher pressure.

Yes. We help you find the best mud pumps irrespective of your location. We simplify your search by connecting you with top mud pump manufacturers and mud pump companies in your location, according to your budget and business requirement.

The most widely used mud pumps across the industry are Triplex Reciprocating Pumps. Their application has gained immense popularity with time because they are 30% lighter than duplex reciprocating pumps with relatively less operational cost. Moreover, through these pumps the discharge of mud is smooth and they are capable of moving large volume of mud at higher pressure.

The different parts of a mud pump are Housing itself, Liner with packing, Cover plus packing, Piston and piston rod, Suction valve and discharge valve with their seats, Stuffing box (only in double-acting pumps), Gland (only in double-acting pumps), and Pulsation dampener. A mud pump also includes mud pump liner, mud pump piston, modules, hydraulic seat pullers along with other parts.

The wearing parts of a mud pump should be checked frequently for repairing needs or replacement. The wearing parts include pump casing, bearings, impeller, piston, liner, etc. Advanced anti-wear measures should be taken up to enhance the service life of the wearing parts. This can effectively bring down the project costs and improve production efficiency.

A mud pump is a piston driven pump design that can produce high-pressure operations to safely transfer high viscosity fluids over an extended depth. The mud pump has many applications in industrial service, but it has proven to be invaluable in many drilling operations. Let"s take a look at mud pumps and why they are such a good fit for the industries they serve.

A Mud pump is a reciprocal pump design utilizing a piston in a cylinder to transfer fluids under high pressure. A mud pump can generate up to 7,500 psi (52,000 kPa) during normal operations. Mud pumps are a positive displacement design.

Mud pumps are available in a variety of configurations and sizes. However, mud pumps tend to be one of two main types: the duplex and the triplex. The duplex mud pump features two pistons (or plungers) in constant action to move the fluid.

The triplex mud pump has all but replaced the duplex version in most applications, although you will still find the latter in use in some smaller countries. The triplex mud pump features a triple piston (plunger) design that is more efficient than the duplex design.

The latest designs of the mud pump are the quintuplex and hex versions. As the name suggests, these designs feature five or six pistons in a reciprocating design. Although not in widespread use as compared to the triplex design, these mud pumps spread the pumping action across the rotational cycle, creating less mud noise. This allows for better measurements and logging to take place while in operation.

There are two main parts to a mud pump: the fluid end and the power end. The fluid end is where the actual pumping takes place. The components of the fluid end consist of valves, pistons (or plungers), and liners.

Since the fluid end is in constant contact with the material being pumped, most modern designs allow for quick replacement of worn components as needed. This dramatically extends the life of a unit without having to completely replace the pump.

The power end of a mud pump is responsible for taking the input power, typically through a driveshaft, and converting it into the reciprocating motion needed for the pistons. In most mud pump applications, the power end uses a crosshead crankshaft for this conversion.

Rotational power is supplied to the mud pump through an external power source. The power end of the pump converts this rotational energy through a crankshaft to a reciprocating motion that moves the pistons.

Due to the pressure and material being pumped, most mud pump applications can create a lot of vibration. To combat this, many mud pump applications incorporate pulsation dampeners. These are typically used on both suction and discharge sides of the pump.

In some cases, a positive displacement pump may pull the fluids at a pressure lower than its vapor pressure. When this happens, damaging cavitation can take place. In these cases, a charge pump might be required at the inlet side to maintain a positive pressure on the suction stream.

When selecting a mud pump, there are two main parameters to be used, pressure and displacement. Pressure is the net pumping pressure that the pump can safely provide. The requirement for pressure increases as the drilling depth and fluid (or slurry) viscosity increases.

Displacement is the volume of fluid that the pump can transfer within a given time period. In most applications, this is rated as discharged liters per minute.

Mud pumps are ideal wherever a lot of fluid needs to be pumped under high pressure. They are considered an essential part of most oil well drilling rigs. Mud pumps can deliver high concentration and high viscosity slurry in a stable flow, making them adaptable to many uses.

Mud pumps are an invaluable tool when high pressure and high viscosity fluids are needing to be transferred. Mader Electric, Inc. specializes in mud pump repair and installation, as well as pump training. Contact us to see how we can help with your pumping needs.