Technical Bulletin

Kelco Oil Field Group 10920 W. Sam Houston Pkwy North, Ste 800 Houston, TX 77064 (713) 895-7575
www.kofg.com

Drilling Fluid Rheology
Viscoso Graph

Instructions and Applications

The VISCOSO-GRAPH

is a tool for evaluating the

viscosity of a fluid at the shear rates encountered in
a circulation system. From viscometer readings, it
provides a quick method of determining the effective
viscosity to make the various rheological calculations
and estimate hole cleaning capacity. In order to fully
utilize the VISCOSO-GRAPH, a basic understanding
of viscosity is required. A thorough discussion of
viscosity can be found in the Kelco Oil Field Group
Rheology Bulletin.

Viscosity
Viscosity is a measure of a fluids resistance to
flow. It is defined as the ratio of shear stress to
shear rate.

Shear stress is the force per unit area required to
sustain some particular fluid flow. The units for
shear stress are the same as pressure, however,
where pressure defines the applied force per unit
area, shear stress is the internal resistance to an
applied stress. A unit of shear stress is dynes/cm
2
.

Shear rate is the rate at which one particle of fluid
is sliding by another particle divided by the distance
between them. It is the velocity gradient. The stan-
dard unit of shear rate is 1/sec or sec
-1
(reciprocal
second).

Therefore:

Shear Stress
=
Force, dynes

Unit area, cm
2
= dynes/cm
2


Shear rate
=
Relative velocity, cm/sec
Separation distance, cm
= sec
-1


Viscosity
=
Shear stress, dynes/cm
2
x100
Shear rate, 1/sec
= Centipoise

Since viscosity is dependent on both shear stress
and shear rate, one or the other must be specified
when a viscosity measurement is stated. Shear rate
is the usual variable defined, either as an actual
shear rate in reciprocal seconds or as a speed in
rpm from a V-G meter. For example, the Apparent
Viscosity is the viscosity in centipoise at 600 rpm or
1020 sec
-1
.

Since the shear rates encountered in a
drilling fluid system will range from near motionless
to over 10,000 sec
-1
, a measurement at one shear
rate will, therefore, poorly define the drilling fluids we
are using today.

The VISCOSO-GRAPH, shown in Figure 1, is a
log-log graph with viscosity from 1 to 100,000
centipoise, on the ordinate and shear rate from
0.01 to 10,000 sec
-1
on the abscissa. The shear
rate scale is extended to illustrate the drilling fluid
circulating system from the pits to the bit jet nozzles.

To plot the VISCOSO-GRAPH, record the V-G meter
dial readings opposite their appropriate speeds or
shear rate in the data box in the upper right hand
corner. Multiply by the viscosity multiplier to obtain
the viscosity in centipoise and plot at the appropriate
shear rate. If available, enter the low shear rate
viscosities as measured with a Brookfield viscometer
and draw a smooth curve through the data points.
On the back of the VISCOSO-GRAPH are instruc-
tions and formulas for calculating the annular shear
rate. From the curve, read the effective viscosity
opposite the annular shear rate.
Field Applications of the VISCOSO-GRAPH

Success or failure of many drilling, work-over, or
completion operations is often dependent on
viscosity of the fluid exhibited at the shear rate of
interest. Since viscosity is a measure of resistance
to flow, key to optimizing performance is designing
a shear thinning fluid with high viscosity at low
shear rates and relatively low viscosity at shear
rates above 100 sec
-1
. This profile is illustrated in
Figure 1 and can be considered as the ideal
viscosity profile for a circulating system.
Technical Bulletin


VISCOSO-GRAPH

, KELZAN

, and XANVIS

are registered trademarks of CP Kelco U.S., Inc. and may be registered or applied for
in other countries. 2001 CP Kelco U.S., Inc.
The information contained herein is, to our best knowledge, true and accurate, but all recommendations or suggestions are made without guarantee, since we can neither
anticipate nor control the different conditions under which this information and our products are used. It is our policy, to assist our customers and to help in
the solution of particular problems which may arise in connection with application of our products.
Rev. 09/05



From a rheological standpoint, viscosifiers are needed
to provide effective viscosity in the annulus for
cuttings transport and suspension of solids during
non-circulating periods. This functional viscosity is
normally required at shear rates below 100 sec
-1
.
Viscosity above this shear rate is detrimental to the
drilling operation. High shear rate viscosity reduces
penetration rate and the efficiency of solids removal
equipment. It also increases the power required for
mud circulation and overall mud costs.

0.1 1 10 100 1,000 10,000 100,000
Shear Rate, sec
-1
1
10
100
1,000
10,000
100,000
V
i
s
c
o
s
i
t
y
,
c
P
TUBULARS TUBULARS
ANNULUS ANNULUS
SUSPENSION SUSPENSION
BIT REGION BIT REGION
Brookfield LV
Fann 35A
0.1 1 10 100 1,000 10,000 100,000
Shear Rate, sec
-1
1
10
100
1,000
10,000
100,000
V
i
s
c
o
s
i
t
y
,
c
P
TUBULARS TUBULARS
ANNULUS ANNULUS
SUSPENSION SUSPENSION
BIT REGION BIT REGION
Brookfield LV
Fann 35A
Figure 1. Ideal Viscosity Profile for Oilfield
Circulating System

Using the VISCOSO-GRAPH

data taken from Fann

and Brookfield viscometers is plotted on log-log
coordinates, allowing a panoramic view of viscosity
at the various shear rates of interest.

1
10
100
1000
10000
100000
0.01 0.1 1 10 100 1000 10000
Shear Rate, sec
-1
V
i
s
c
o
s
i
t
y
,
c
P
Fluid B
Fluid A
1
10
100
1000
10000
100000
0.01 0.1 1 10 100 1000 10000
Shear Rate, sec
-1
V
i
s
c
o
s
i
t
y
,
c
P
Fluid B
Fluid A

Figure 2. Fluid Before (A) and After (B) Treatment
with KELZAN

XCD Polymer

The graph provides a means of diagnosing and
solving potential viscosity related problems including
inadequate hole cleaning, barite sag, fill-on-trips,
torque and drag. For example, the onset of a lower
Newtonian region (fluid A, Figure 2) at a relatively
high shear rate may explain lack of suspension
capabilities and the need to add a biopolymer to
increase LSRV (fluid B, Figure 2).
Example:
Figure 2 is a VISCOSO-GRAPH plotted for a field
mud (A). It indicates that at 56 sec
-1
annular shear
rate there is 45 cP effective viscosity. Let's assume
the annular velocity is constant and the effective
viscosity must be increased to raise the hole cleaning
capacity. For a complete hole cleaning capacity
evaluation the flow regime, laminar or turbulent, and
velocity profile must be considered. In this case we
will assume laminar flow and a "n" = 0.6. There are
two alternatives for increasing the effective viscosity.
One choice could be to raise the overall viscosity of
the system by adding a high n constant such as
Bentonite, CMC or PAC. However, the preferred
method would be to reduce the n value by adding
KELZAN XCD or XANVIS

to raise the effective

annular viscosity. By reducing the n value, low
shear rate viscosity is automatically enhanced to
improve hole cleaning capacity in enlarged or washed-
out sections of the wellbore.
How to use the VISCOSO-GRAPH

1. Record Fan V-G meter dial readings and
Brookfield viscosity readings if available. If only
a two speed V-G meter is available use initial
gel for the 3 rpm reading.
2. Multiple dial readings by the viscosity multiplier
to obtain viscosity in centipoise.
3. Plot viscosity vs shear rate curve.
4. Calculate annular shear rate using equation A.
5. From the curve determine the effective annular
viscosity at the annular shear rate.


A. Annular shear rate = 2.4 V
D
h
-D
p


Where:

V = Annular Velocity - ft./min.
D
h
= Hole diameter inches
D
p
= Drill pipe or collar diameter-inches