Drilling Mud Cooling

Drilling Mud Cooling System.

With the growing demand for oil and gas, the need for continuous development of drilling resources and the needs of national energy strategies, high-difficulty wells such as high-temperature wells, deep wells and various complex formations have been developed. Therefore, the number of high-temperature wells and deep wells is increasing, which is also an inevitable trend in the development of oil and gas drilling technology. High-temperature mud will cause high-temperature deterioration during the drilling process, which usually manifests as the following adverse effects:

● The accuracy of the measuring instruments while drilling at the bottom of the well will be inaccurate, and the data cannot be transmitted and received normally;

● The plastic viscosity of the drilling fluid will decrease, and the density will also decrease, resulting in poor rock carrying performance and reduced transmission power. Therefore, the efficiency of the treatment agent is reduced, which increases the cost of the mud;

● It may also increase the difficulty of mud control, because some treatment agents are easy to decompose at high temperatures;

● The mechanical properties of the drilling equipment, especially the drill bits, drill tools, drill pipes and other actuators that are in direct contact, as well as the sealing performance and life of the seals are reduced;

● For oil-based mud, high-temperature mud increases the risk of operational safety factors;

The main purpose of the mud cooling system is to control and adjust the performance of the mud, that is, to control the temperature of the mud.

Diagram of the relationship between well depth, slope and drilling fluid temperature	Diagram of temperature changes of mud before and after cooling

Description of Drilling Mud Cooling Scheme

Drilling Mud Cooling System is the key equipment in oil drilling operations, which is mainly used to control the temperature of drilling fluid to ensure the safety and efficiency of drilling process. In high-temperature formation or deep well drilling, the temperature of drilling fluid will rise significantly due to long-term circulation and formation heat absorption, which may lead to the deterioration of drilling fluid performance, equipment damage and even downhole accidents. The drilling fluid cooling system uses efficient heat exchange technology to cool the high-temperature drilling fluid to the right temperature, maintaining its stability while extending the service life of the equipment. The system is usually composed of cooling device, circulating pump, radiator, control system, etc., and can choose water cooling, air cooling or mixed cooling according to specific needs.

Drilling mud cooling process:

● The working principle of drilling fluid cooling system is based on heat exchange:
● After the high-temperature drilling fluid returns from the wellhead, it enters the cooling unit through the circulating pump.
● In the cooling unit, the drilling fluid exchanges heat with the cooling medium (such as water or air), and the temperature is reduced.
● The cooled drilling fluid is re-injected into the wellbore and continues to be recycled.
● After the cooling medium absorbs heat, the heat is dissipated to the environment through the radiator or cooling tower.

Advantages of drilling mud cooling system

● Improve drilling efficiency: Maintain stable drilling fluid performance and reduce downhole accidents.
● Prolong the life of the equipment: reduce the damage of high temperature to the equipment.
● Environmental protection and energy saving: reduce resource waste by recycling drilling fluid.
● Strong adaptability: suitable for high-temperature formation, deep well and ultra-deep well operation.

Application range of drilling mud cooling system:

● High temperature formation drilling: such as geothermal Wells or high temperature oil and gas fields.
Deep and ultra-deep drilling: As well depth increases, formation temperatures rise and cooling systems are required.
● High density drilling fluid operation: High density drilling fluid is more likely to absorb heat and needs cooling to maintain performance.