Mud Density

Mud weight otherwise known as drilling fluid density is a very important property of the drilling fluid which must be determined regularly during the drilling process. It is defined as the weight per unit volume of the drilling fluid or drilling mud usually expressed in units of g/cm3 or more conveniently lb/gal. Drilling fluid density or mud weight must be measured at regular intervals of the drilling process because as different formations are encountered during the drilling process, different fluids and substances are released by those formations into the drilling fluids which alter the density of the mud. In many cases, if these variations in mud weight are not controlled (which can only be known by checking the mud regularly), hazards such as loss of circulation and potential blowouts can be risked. But by regularly checking on the mud weight, those risks mentioned above can be prevented from occurring. Since the hydrostatic pressure of the mud depends directly on the density of the fluid and if the hydrostatic pressure is much greater than the formation pressure, it can lead to the losing of the continuous phase (liquid phase) of the drilling fluid to the porous formations (loss circulation). Conversely if the hydrostatic pressure of the drilling fluid is less than the pressures of the formations encountered, this can lead to the gushing of the formation fluids into the drilled wellbore which if not properly checked, can lead to blowout (the most dangerous hazard in drilling). The aims and objectives of this experiment were to determine
1. The density of known mud volume in units of lb/gal.
2. The prevention of flow of formation fluid into the wellbore or the hole.
3. To ensure that the drilling fluid must exert a greater pressure than the formation fluids penetrated by the bit
4. That the pressure exerted by the mud at any depth was related directly to its density.
5. The loss of circulation that may result from excessive hydrostatic pressure due to