The complete paper presents new units for automatic drilling-fluids measurements with emphasis on offshore drilling applications. The surveillance of fluid properties and the use of data in an onshore operations center is discussed. The authors present experiences from use of these data in enabling real-time hydraulic measurements and models for automatic drilling control and explain how these advances can improve safety in drilling operations and drilling efficiency.
Introduction
An operator has worked with different suppliers for several years to find and develop technology for automatic measurements of drilling-fluid properties. In the described study, methods for measuring parameters such as viscosity, fluid loss control, pH, electrical stability, particle-size distribution, and cuttings morphology and mineralogy were all fitted into a flow loop in an onshore test center.
