DISCUSSION

From the experiment for the part A, the Electrical Stability of two different types of
drilling mud sample which is water-based and oil-based mud were analyzed. A pair of
parallel flat plate electrode of steadily increasing sinusoidal alternating voltage was
applied into respective mud in order to observe the resistivity of mud. It shows the
voltage of the current flow in the mud. Electrical stability (ES) represents the number
stability of the emulsion mud. It was observed that the average resistivity of oil-based
mud is greater than water-based mud. The plate that were place into oil-based mud was
showed that the electrical current flow poorly in oil compared to water-based mud which
is better electrical conductor than oil. Lets discuss a little bit more oil- based fluid
material that is not conductive. Therefore, the base fluid will not transfer any power.
Only the water phase in the mud will conduct electricity. If the mud has good emulsion,
you will number almost ES. On the other hand, if the emulsion mud is bad, you lower
the value ES.
There are several factors that can weaken the emulsion such as oil/water, solid,
pressure, temperature and certain types of equipment weights. If it is below
specification ES Mud normal, it indicates that you have something to add in your mud
as water, salts, which will make your mud in bad condition. In addition, you can use the
ES to determine an interface between water and oil based when you move the property.
For good drilling practice, it is advisable to frequently monitor the ES and observe any
unusual variation. You may be changes in PE if you are drilling in the green cement, or
adding a conductive material as described above. These factors affecting the know ES
is to be noted to avoid confusion when interpreting the property of the mud.
Beneath the earth there is brine which is salt water. When drilling mud injected, if
the amount of solute (mud) is greater than the reservoir rock, water will diffuse into the
drilling fluids as the drilling fluid are hypertonic to the adjacent rock. The resistivity
reading will decrease.

For part B, the experiment was to determine the liquid and solid content of
drilling fluid which was used water-based mud and oil based mud. The mud was first
been heated in high temperature in the retort kit. As it boil all the fluid will obtain heat
energy and collide each other because of kinetic energy. As a result, the fluids which
are oil and water in the mud change from liquid state to gas state. It collides and
separated from the solid part of the mud and find places to release pressure and energy
gained. As the gases encounter the cooler part which is the condenser, it loose energy
and change phase from gas state to liquid state. After a few minutes the droplets were
formed and collected into the measuring cylinder and from the collected droplets there
are separation of water and oil in the measuring cylinder. All the fluids in the mud which
is oil and water were separate from the solid part of the mud. Solid and liquid contents
of the water-based drilling fluid as a sample in this experiment can be observed. The
mass of solid for oil based is 22.593 g and water based is 5.698g.
The mud system used most frequently throughout the industry is the water based
mud system. Water is the continuous phase, but it may contain oil (i.e., emulsion muds)
or air (i.e., aerated mud) as the discontinuous phase. The oil must remain as
segregated droplets and not combine in a distinct phase termed discontinuous. Waterbased fluids are the commonly used in oil and gas industry to drill approximately 80% of
all wells.
Oil- based fluids use crude or refined oils as the continuous phase. These muds
may have water emulsified in the oil. Two types of oil based fluids are commonly used.
An oil mud has less than 1- 5% water. An invert emulsion has a water concentration
greater than 5- 50%. It refers to water- in- oil emulsion with water droplets dispersed in
the continuous phase of oil. Water is the internal or discontinuous phase, and oil is the
external or continuous phase. The oil based fluids are generally used for specific
purposes, such as maintaining hole stability in hydratable formations, it is important that
the salinity level of an oil based mud be maintained at levels greater than the salinity of
the formation being drilled. Mud contamination from hydrogen sulfide or carbon dioxide
gas can be controlled with excess lime in an oil based system.