Composition and properties of drilling and completion fluids / Состав и свойства растворов для бурения и заканчивания скважин

The successful completion of an oil well and its cost depend to a considerable extent on the properties of the drilling fluid. The cost of the drilling fluid itself is relatively small, but the choice of the right fluid and maintenance of the right properties while drilling profoundly influence the total well costs. For example, the number of rig days required to drill to total depth depends on the rate of penetration of the bit, and on the avoidance of delays caused by caving shales, stuck drill pipe, loss of circulation, etc., all of which are influenced by the properties of the drilling fluid. In addition, the drilling fluid affects formation evaluation and the subsequent productivity of the well. It follows that the selection of a suitable drilling fluid and the day-to-day control of its properties are the concern not only of the mud engineer, but also of the drilling supervisor, the drilling foreman, and drilling, logging, and production engineers. Drilling and production personnel do not need a detailed knowledge of drilling fluids, but they should understand the basic principles governing their behavior, and the relation of these principles to drilling and production performance. The object of this chapter is, therefore, to provide this knowledge as simply and briefly as possible, and to explain the technical terms so that the information provided by the mud engineer may be comprehensible. Aspiring drilling fluid specialists who have no previous knowledge of drilling fluids should also read this chapter before going on to the more detailed coverage in the subsequent chapters. <...>