BAKER HUGHES - Drilling Fluids Reference Manual

Chapter 3
Table of Contents
Water-base Drilling Fluids.............................................................................................................3-1
Introduction................................................................................................................................3-1
The Structure of Matter..............................................................................................................3-1
Types of Bonding.......................................................................................................................3-6
Properties of Compounds.........................................................................................................3-11
Solubility and Solutions ...........................................................................................................3-13
Bases and Alkalis .....................................................................................................................3-18
Chemical Equilibria .................................................................................................................3-21
Chemical Calculations .............................................................................................................3-23
Common Names of Compounds used in Drilling Fluids .........................................................3-30
Conventional (Basic) Fluid Systems........................................................................................3-31
Air, Mist, and Foam Drilling....................................................................................................3-46
Potassium-Base Fluids .............................................................................................................3-48
Complex Systems.....................................................................................................................3-51
Deepwater Drilling Fluid Systems ...........................................................................................3-62
PYRO-DRILL ® , High-Temperature Drilling Fluid .................................................................3-62
UNI-CAL ® Systems .................................................................................................................3-66
GLYCOL Systems ...................................................................................................................3-67
AQUA-DRILL SM System.........................................................................................................3-70
ALPLEX ® – Aluminum-Based Shale Stabilizer......................................................................3-87
PERFORMAX SM – High Performance Water Base Mud ........................................................3-93
References..................................................................................................................................3-105
List of Figures
Figure 3-1 Pictorial Representation of Atomic Structure ..........................................................3-2
Figure 3-2
Figure 3-3
The Formation of Sodium Chloride as an Example of Ionic Bonding.....................3-7
The Formation of Water and carbon Dioxide as Examples of Covalent
Bonding....................................................................................................................3-8
Figure 3-4 Differences in Compounds due to Chemistry ..........................................................3-8
Figure 3-5
Figure 3-6
Sodium Carbonate Structure (schematic).................................................................3-9
Polar and Non-Polar Covalent Bonding.................................................................3-10
Baker Hughes Drilling Fluids
Revised 2006
Reference Manual
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