Journal of Mining Engineering

Journal of Mining Engineering

The effect of environmental factors on drilling mud cake properties

Document Type : research - paper

Authors
1 M.Sc. student, Department of Petroleum and Geoenergy Engineering, Amirkabir University of technology, Tehran, Iran
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Petroleum and Geoenergy Engineering, Amirkabir University of technology, Tehran, Iran
3 Assistant Professor, Petroleum and chemical engineering, College of engineering, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
4 Research Fellow, School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Institute for GeoEnergy Engineering. Heriot-Watt, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Abstract
In well drilling, one of the objectives of using drilling fluid is to form a thin, impermeable mud cake. According to existing standards, the properties of the mud cake are examined under static conditions, but the effects of dynamic conditions on these properties have not yet been fully addressed. In this study, laboratory flow loop experiments were conducted to compare dynamic and static conditions. Pressure was not a factor in these tests, which focused on measuring thickness, initial filtrate volume, and surface characteristics of the mud cake under different conditions. Variables such as fluid formulation, well angle, fluid temperature, and drill string rotation speed were investigated. The results indicate that drill string rotation and fluid temperature positively affect the increase in mud cake thickness. SEM (scanning electron microscope) images show that the polymer texture formed under dynamic conditions is significantly different from static conditions, although no notable differences were observed in bentonite-based fluids. An increase in temperature leads to greater mud cake thickness and lower fluid viscosity. Drill string rotation under dynamic conditions reduces pore spaces on the mud cake surface and increases its thickness, making the dynamic mud cake more structured and uniform compared to static mud cakes. The use of polymer-based filtration control agents instead of bentonite reduces mud cake thickness, whereas adding such agents to bentonite mud increases thickness under both static and dynamic conditions. Furthermore, bentonite fluid mixed with carboxymethyl cellulose exhibited the lowest filtrate volume and caused the least damage to the formation. The negative impact of salts on filtration control polymers was evident, leading to polymer degradation and sedimentation of weighting and bridging agents.
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  • Receive Date 13 November 2024
  • Revise Date 15 July 2025
  • Accept Date 21 July 2025