Sand Content of Drilling Fluid

1. Soran University
Faculty of Engineering
Department of Petroleum Engineering
Drilling Engineering I [ PETE 308]
Title: Sand Content
Experiment No.: 8
Name: Muhammad Sulaimon Rasul
Group: B2
Date: 11 NOV 2019
Supervisors: Mr. Jagar Ali, Mr. Fouad Yossifi, Mr. Rawezh Najat

2. Contents
Aim………………………………………………………………………………………….…….1
Theory…………………………………………………………………………………….…….…1
Apparatus…………………………………………………………...…………………………..…2
Test Equipment…………………….……..………………………...…………………………..…3
Procedure………………………………………………………………………………………….3
Calculation………………………………………………………………………………...………4
Result and Discussion……………………………………………………………………………..5
Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………...5
References…………………………………………………………………………………………7
List of Figures
Figure 1 Lab Spatula………….……………………………………………...….….……….….…2
Figure 2 Beaker. …………………………………………….………..........…………….….…….2
Figure 3 Weighting Material ……………….…….….…………….………………………......….2
Figure 4 Cylinder …………………………………………………………………………………2
Figure 5 Mud Balance …...…………………………….………………………………….………2
Figure 6 Electronic Mud Mixture ………………………………………………………………...2
Figure 7 Sand Content Equipment …...……………………………………...….……....…..…….2
List of Tables
Table 1 Experimental and Theorical Results……………………………………………………..5

3. Aim
Determining the percentage volume of contained sand-sized particles in the drilling fluid using
Sand Content Equipment.
Theory
The sand sized particles in drilling fluid defined as particles larger than 74 μm in size. The sand
volume addition to void spaces between grains usually measured as volume percentage. Because
of reliability and test simplicity of equipments the sieve analysis is preferred method for
determining the sand content (Pitt, 2000).
Large amount of sand may result in the thick wall filter cake deposition, or settle down at the
bottom of hole while circulation is stopped. Also, high sand content may cause high abrasion of
pump parts and pipe line connections. The Sand Content Equipment has a developed sieve consist
of a special mesh size 0.08 mm (200-Mesh), proper plastic funnel, and a special developed
measuring tube. The measuring tube has some marks that indicate the amount of filled drilling
fluid and water. Since the percentage of sand can be read directly from the measuring tube from 0
– 20 % (Kate et al, 1998).
The amount and type of solids in a drilling fluid are main source to controlling rheological and
filtration properties of a drilling mud. The amount of each various types of solids is necessary to
properly control the sold particles (Kruse et al, 1975).
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4. Apparatus and Materials
Apparatus
• Electronic Mud Mixer: Is a device used to mix liquid with solid particles. Shown in
Figure 5.
• Lab Spatula: Used to mix mud and water manually. Shown in Figure 1.
• Beaker or Graduated Cylinder: Is a cylindrical container used to measure volume of a
liquid. Shown in Figure 2.
• Sand Content Equipment: Is a device used to measure Sand-Sized particles in drilling
fluid. Shown in Figure 7.
• Mud Balance: Is a device used to measure fluid density. Shown in Figure 6.
Materials
• Water.
• Bentonite: Is a weighting material used to create a WBM.
• Mud: Is a mixture of weighting material and water.
• Barite: Is a weighting material used to rise a density of mud.
Figure 1 Lab Spatula Figure 2 Beaker
Figure 5 Mud Balance Figure 6 Electronic
Mud Mixer
2
Figure 3 Weighting
Material
Figure 7 Sand Content
Equipment
Figure 4 Graduated
Cylinder

5. Test Equipment
The Sand Content Equipment consists of special developed sieve with mesh-size 0.08 mm (200-
mesh), a proper plastic funnel and a special modeled measuring tube. A mark at the measuring
tube indicates the amount of the filled in drilling fluid. The percentage of sand may read off directly
from the measuring tube graduated from 0 to 20%.
Procedure
1. A drilling mud has been prepared as discussed before in Lab 2.
2. Pour mud into the glass measuring tube until it fills up to the mark labeled” mud to here”
then add 100 ml of water until the mark labeled “water to here” and close mouth of the
tube with thumb and shake it strongly.
3. Pour the mixture through the mesh screen, being careful to wash everything out of the tube
with clear water through the same screen. Wash sand retained on screen with a stream of
water to remove all mud and shape particles.
4. Fit the funnel down over top of the screen, slowly invert it, turning tip of funnel into mouth
of tube, and wash sand back into tube with a fine spray of clear water on the back side of
the screen. Allow the sand to settle.
5. Read the volume percentage of sand using the scale on graduated tube.
6. Record the sand content volume by percentage.
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6. Calculation
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7. Result and Discussion
Table 1 Experimental and Theorical Results
Regarding to the Table 1, a drilling mud was prepared using the bentonite and then the density
raised by adding an amount Barite which is fully discussed in Lab Report 2. The WBM has
measured using a mud balance. Since the amount of sand content measured using a Sand Content
Equipment which filtrated the sand sized particles from the mud. Its should be noted that the
amount of sand should be fully cleared on the mesh screen and not leaving any particles to avoid
errors, addition to that the sand content range has limitation in some drilling sites and should not
exceed a range which can damage the equipments; specially pipe lines.
Conclusion
This experiment can conclude that, a drilling mud may contain some sand sized particles which
they should remove if exceeded a specified range. However, the volume percentage of sand content
measure with a device named Sand Content Equipment.
Material Mass (gm) Volume (cc) Density (ppg)
Sand Content
(%)
Water - 200 8.33
0.68
Bentonite 14 - 20.8
Barite - 2.5 35
WBM - - 8.73
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8. References
Kate, V.D. (1998): Drilling Fluids, Mud Pumps and Conditioning Equipment.
Kruse, C.F. (1975): Lessons in Rotary Drilling, Unit II-Lesson 2 “Drilling Mud”. 12th Edition.
Published by Petroleum Extension Service Industrial and Business Training Bureau Division of
Extension, The University of Texas.
M.J. Pitt. (2000): The Marsh Funnel and Drilling Fluid Viscosity: A New Equation for Field Use. 15th
ed. Leeds: Society of Petroleum Engineers.
PDSco Drilling Fluids & Additives. (2019). Testing Equipment | PDSco Drilling Fluids &
Additives. [online] Available at: https://pdscoinc.com/field-testing-equipment/ [Accessed 17 Nov.
2019].
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