QMax Technical Bulletin #9 Mud Rings and Bit Balling

What are mud rings? A number of mechanisms have been postulated for the formation of mud rings. These mechanisms are discussed below. The first involves drilling rapidly through formations containing high percentages of swelling clays. These clays are greedy for water often they cant get enough. They tend to aggregate into balls (mud rings) as they are circulated up the annulus.By the time they reach the surface they are apt to plug up all of the primary mud handling equipment including the diverter, flow line, sand traps, shaker box and dilution ditch. The second mechanism occurs after a wiper trip when drilling through squeezing plastic formations. Chunks of formation are scraped from the wall of the hole as the bit and bottom hole assembly are pulled through it. Again these aggregate balls cause problems when they finally reach surface. Although the affect is the same as the previously described mud rings these formations chunks are distinguished by being DRY inside. Finally, poor hole cleaning characteristics can lead to mud ring formation. The drilled solids can aggregate around the drill string under low annular velocity conditions and form a solid ring around the pipe. What is bit balling? Bit balling occurs in the same formations as mud rings and for similar reasons that is cuttings stickiness due to their greediness for water. The mechanism of adhesion, described in the chapter on Basic Chemistry is also a factor. Bit balling can also slow ROP to zero. Usually the same mechanisms, which minimize mud rings, also help with bit balling.

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Once a bit is balled up a concentrated surfactant (15-20%drilling detergent in 4-5 m3) can help, or adding SAPP into the drillpipe box on each connection. Often rapid drill string rotation, off bottom is tried. Some brave drillers rotate to bottom with the pump off and apply weight to the bit. This may help but there is a danger of plugging the jets. Recently the practice of adding sawdust at 4-5 sacks/m3 and pumping down the hole in a slug, or 1 sack every 1/2-1hr. has proven to be very effective. A number of recent field trials using a canola based lubricant, EZ Drill, has shown good results in eliminating mud rings. Its use in shallow wells in W4 areas of Alberta in surface holes has prevented mud rings in areas where this problem has bee prevalent. Origin of Bit Balling What causes the shale cuttings to stick to each other and to the bit and bottom hole assembly? Field experience shows that bit balling problems are often more severe deeper in the well, i.e. at higher hydrostatic pressures. Clearly, down hole pressure is a major factor in whether balling will occur or not. When shale material fails due to the cuttings action, there is a sudden and large increase in formation porosity and a corresponding drop in pore pressure. This phenomenon is known as rock dilation. In addition, most clay- rich shales exhibit a pronounced tendency to hydrate, i.e. draw water into the clay fabric and swell upon rock failure. This tendency derives from the swelling pressure that acts in tension on the clay-fabric of shales. Buried at that depth, the swelling pressure is controlled by the in-situ stress and cementation forces acting in compression. The swelling tendency will manifest itself, however, once in-situ stresses and cementation forces are removed due to rock failure.

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Thus, right after we are left with a shale chip that combines low pore pressure (due to rock dilation) with a pronounced tendency to hydrate (due to the effects of the swelling pressure.) When such a cutting comes in contact with the bit-face and becomes isolated from the mud pressure it may be held in place by the differential pressure. Bit balling can thus be thought of as differential sticking of shale. This explains the influence of hydrostatic pressure mentioned above. In addition, sticking is exacerbated by the swelling tendency which will cause the material to vacuum itself onto the bit face or, if present, onto other nearby cuttings. This explains why bit-balling although occasionally occurring in other lithologies such as marls and chalks is most pronounced in clay-rich formations like shales. Down time due to mud rings and bit balling may be minimized by: Reducing the ROP. Using an inhibitive fluid such as K2So4, CaNO3 or oil-based fluid. Minimizing drilled solids concentrations. Installing specialized surface equipment, such as a gumbo box and flow line jets. Bit Factors It has been recognized for some time that certain bit features tend to minimize bit-balling. The most common are large open face volume and junk slot area combined with optimized nozzle placement and adequate hydraulic horsepower. Depth of cut control through operating parameters and bit design features is another way to limit cuttings volume and size. More recent developments focus on chip management with sharp polished cutters having aggressive rake angles and edge geometry.

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Roller cone rock bits make hole primarily by indention, which leads to grain crushing as well as chip formation by spalling. This method is very effective in harder, more brittle rocks but less useful in softer,more ductile formations. An additional disadvantage is the fact that roller cone bits have no mechanical means to scrape drilled-up fines off the borehole bottom. For drilling under these conditions PDC bits have been developed which tend to fail the rock primarily in a shear mode by continuously scraping the borehole bottom. When drilling shales, this results in the creation of characteristic, well-defined chips make of small lamellae. PDC bit balling problems start in two typical ways. The first and most common occurs when the chips donot separate from the individual PDC cutters and accumulate as a large mass of material. The second and only recently understood mode is found when drilling with weighted water based mud at high bottom hole pressures. In this mode the individual lamellae making up a chip are fused together to the extent that they are very difficult to separate and remain linked together, forming large chips or ribbons. Because of their sheer physical size (often several inches or more long), such ribbon structures are more difficult to evacuate from the junk slots as they are more likely to be held up by restrictions around the bit and or other bottom hole assembly components. Ribbons held up temporarily may bump into each other and agglomerate. While agglomerating they may form a progressively lessstructured mass that can lead to global balling. The above topic is a brief outline of the problems and solutions of bitballing and mud rings. Should any additional information be required, do not hesitate to call on QMax Solutions Inc. representatives for help.

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