Riesgos principales
- Exposición a químicos corrosivos o tóxicos;
- vapores inflamables (solventes, glicoles);
- Salpicaduras y proyecciones al manipular muestras y reactivos;
- contaminación cruzada entre muestras;
- quemaduras químicas;
- contaminación ambiental por vertidos.
Equipo de protección personal (EPP) necesario
- Guantes resistentes a productos químicos;
- gafas de seguridad o pantallas faciales;
- delantal o traje químico según la sustancia;
- protección respiratoria cuando haya vapores;
- calzado de seguridad anti‑deslizante;
- protección auditiva si la prueba se hace en ambiente ruidoso.
Preparación del área de trabajo
- Ventilación adecuada;
- superficie limpia y desigual para evitar vuelco de frascos;
- recipientes para desechos etiquetados;
- disponibilidad de duchas y lavaojos;
- MSDS/hojas de seguridad de reactivos accesibles;
- extintores y kits de derrames.
Manejo de muestras y reactivos
- Tomar muestras representativas evitando entrada de aire y sólidos extraños;
- etiquetar inmediatamente;
- mantener temperatura controlada según el ensayo;
- usar instrumentos limpios y calibrados;
- vitar mezclar reactivos no compatibles;
- almacenar reactivos en contenedores compatibles y con cierre hermético.
Procedimientos para evitar contaminación
- Enjuagar y secar equipo entre ensayos; usar muestras de control y blanco;
- emplear técnicas asépticas cuando aplique;
- seguir órdenes de mezcla y tiempos de reacción estrictamente.
Respuesta ante incidentes
- Protocolos escritos para derrames, exposición cutánea o ingestión;
- neutralización si procede;
- evacuación y atención médica;
- reporte de incidentes y registro de causas para medidas preventivas.
Buenas prácticas operativas y capacitación
- Formación obligatoria del personal en procedimientos de ensayo y riesgos;
- auditorías periódicas;
- mantenimiento y calibración de equipos;
- registros trazables de resultados y condiciones de ensayo;
- actualizaciones ante cambios de formulación del lodo o de reactivos.
Precauciones de Seguridad en las Pruebas de Lodo de Perforación
Las pruebas de lodo de perforación conllevan riesgos significativos, ya que a menudo se manejan productos químicos peligrosos y se utiliza equipo expuesto a altas temperaturas y presiones. Para garantizar la seguridad en el laboratorio de lodos, es crucial seguir las siguientes normas básicas:
1. Protección Personal y del Entorno
Protección Ocular: Use gafas de seguridad en todo momento para protegerse de salpicaduras químicas.
Protección Cutánea: Utilice guantes quirúrgicos para evitar el contacto directo de los químicos con la piel.
Manejo de Reactivos: Evite la ingestión accidental de reactivos químicos usando un bulbo o bomba de pipeta en lugar de succionar con la boca.
Control de Humos: Realice las pruebas químicas que generen vapores en una campana extractora de humos para evitar la inhalación.
2. Manejo Seguro de Equipos
Equipos Presurizados: Antes de desmontar cualquier equipo a presión (como la celda HPHT), asegúrese de liberar completamente toda la presión residual.
Equipos Calientes: Aísle de forma segura los equipos calientes (como las celdas HPHT y las retortas) para que se enfríen antes de manipularlos.
Equipos Eléctricos: Desconecte el equipo eléctrico de la fuente de alimentación principal antes de limpiarlo.
Almacenamiento: Guarde los productos químicos peligrosos en un armario seguro y asegúrese de que estén almacenados por debajo del nivel de los ojos.
3. Alerta Específica: Seguridad con Retortas (Aviso IADC)
Se emitió una alerta de seguridad tras la falla catastrófica de retortas de 50 cc debido a sobrepresurización, aparentemente causada por una obstrucción en el conducto de salida. Para operar las retortas de manera segura:
Limpieza Rigurosa: Lave y limpie a fondo las retortas después de cada prueba, prestando especial atención al conducto de salida, utilizando cepillos finos o limpiapipas para eliminar residuos.
Reemplazo de Material: Cambie la lana de acero después de cada uso para prevenir la acumulación de sólidos.
Inspección del Hilo: Revise visualmente las roscas de la retorta antes de usarla, buscando signos de daños o "abombamiento" (belling). Si la retorta se mueve o "traquetea" al enroscar, puede ser una señal de daño.
Rotación de Equipos: Las retortas deben ser reemplazadas cada seis meses para una inspección exhaustiva.
Drilling Fluid for Drilling Manual
Mud Gas Separators | The Most Frequently Asked Questions
A mud gas separator, also known as a poorboy degasser or oilfield gas buster, is a critical component of drilling operations in the oil and gas industry. Its location is downstream of the choke manifold. This will make it able to separate gas from the drilling fluid. In addition, its design will assist preventing the …
Solids Control In Oil & Gas
Solids control is a constant problem, every day on every well. Generally, we can define solids control as controlling the quantity and quality of undesired cuttings in the drilling mud types since the increasing of these solids can generate negative effects both to the well and drilling. In addition, these solids will increase the total mud …
Solids Control Equipment In Oil & Gas
The importance of solid control equipment is its ability to save costs of dumping drilling fluids due to the existence of unwanted solids inside. As we are drilling the well, the cuttings will appear in the mud, and further treatment is necessary. Shale Shakers The design of shaker screens allows them to remove the particles …
Oilfield Centrifuge Mechanisms & Types
The use of screens (Shaker Screen) to remove drilled solids from mud uses only one characteristic of solids particles -their size. Solids control devices that speed up drilled solids’ settling process by applying centrifugal force take advantage of two factors – particle size and particle density. Hydrocyclones (Desanders & Desilters) and centrifuges in oilfields rely …
Mud Cleaner in Oil & Gas Rigs
The mud cleaner has a battery of 101.6 mm (4″) desilters mounted over a fine screen shaker. The original reason for its introduction was to separate and save barytes in weighted muds. However, they are now used for low solids mud and oil mud. By accelerating mud through a curved vessel, there will be a …
Desanders and Desilters in Oil & Gas Drilling Rigs
Desanders and desilters (Figure 1) are secondary solids control equipment used in oil and gas drilling rigs (check also: types of drilling rigs) that use hydrocyclones. They operate using the centrifugal force created by injecting fluid tangentially at high speed, these exaggerate the differences in settling speed of different size particles of the same density. …
Understanding Gel Strength of Drilling Mud
When the mud is in a static condition, the rheological properties should prevent solids (weighting material and drilled formation solids) from settling. The relevant property in this respect is the mud’s gel strength. The drilling mud gel strength is caused by the interactive forces between colloids (e.g., clay particles), polymer radicals, or emulsion droplets in …
Shaker Screen Design, Specifications & Good Tips
Most formation solids can be removed by mechanical means at the surface as shale shaker screens. Small particles are more difficult to remove and have a greater effect on drilling fluid properties than large particles. The particle size of drilled solids incorporated into drilling fluid can range from 1 to 250 microns (1 micron equals …
Shale Shakers In Oilfield Guide
The shale shakers are the first mechanical treatment of the returning drilling fluid for solids control. None of the other mechanical devices can cope with solids control without the pre-treatment of the mud in the shale shaker. A shale shaker or vibration screen is a spring-mounted screen. The vibration of the such screen is by …
Shale Shaker Design & Performance
Shale Shaker performance Design is a function of: The impact of each is discussed in detail in the previous article (please check the link for each article). Guidelines for shaker and screen selection are also provided. Vibration Patterns Design For Shale Shaker Shale shakers are classified in part of the vibration pattern made by the …
Types Of Drilling Fluids (Mud) In Oil & Gas Industry
The principal factors governing the selection of type (or types) of drilling fluids (mud) to be used on a particular well are: The characteristics and properties of the formation to be drilled The quality and source of the water to be used in building the fluid The ecological and environmental considerations Continuous-Phase Classification. Drilling fluids …
Drilling Mud Properties Guide In Oil & Gas Wells
Various properties of the drilling fluids are measured as an indication of the performance of the mud in the hole. Methods for measurement of these properties are stated in API RP 13B “Recommended Practice on Standard Procedure for Testing Drilling Fluids” (Check Also WBM Testing Procedure – OBM Testing Procedure). These procedures are revised and …
Mud Conditioning For Better Cementing
Drilling muds are designed to facilitate drilling operations and provide proper cuttings transport. They are not necessarily conducive to efficient mud displacement, logging, or completion operations. Therefore, it is often necessary to condition the mud (i.e., to modify mud properties). Before placing cement (Cementing in drilling) in the wellbore, two mud characteristics can be changed—density …
Yield Point In Mud Formula & Application
Yield Point in drilling mud is defined as the measure of the fluid’s initial flow resistance or the calculation of a value required to move the fluid in terms of shear stress. It can also be stated that the yield point is equivalent to the force of attraction between the particles of fluid colliding with …
Oil-Based Mud Chemical Additives Types
OBM oil-based mud requires special chemical additives to ensure that the emulsion is extremely stable and can withstand conditions of high temperature and contaminants. Oil mud products must be dispersible in the external oil phase. We believe you might also like this article (Baroid Drilling fluids). The major OBM oil-based mud chemical additives that will …
Bentonite in Drilling Mud Fluids Applications & Types
The term bentonite in drilling mud fluids was derived from the location of the first commercial deposit in the United States. In 1897, Knight reported that since 1888 William Taylor of Rock Creek, Wyoming, had been selling a “peculiar clay” found in the Fort Benton shale of Cretaceous age. Knight proposed the name “taylorite.” On …
Baroid Drilling Fluids Guide, Datasheets & Handbook
Baroid IDP company is one of Halliburton’s oil and gas Companies, which specializes in providing drilling mud products & services. In addition, Halliburton Baroid industrial drilling fluid products are considered to be the top list of mud chemicals in the oilfield market. Our article will cover their Baroid products and download their datasheets, manual, handbook …
Barite in Drilling Mud Properties & Formula
In California, barite was first used in a well being redrilled with cable tools in 1923. According to the report, the density of the mud was raised to 90 lb/ft3 (1.44 g/cm3 ) to control the gas inflow and to stop caving. Here in this article, we will discuss the major knowledge that drilling engineers …
Water Based Drilling Fluid Systems Applications & Mixing
There are a lot of Water Based Drilling Fluid systems that are used in drilling oil and gas wells. In this article we will talk about the following fluid systems: Spud Mud Spud mud is a simple Bentonite (Gel) mud system that is used when spudding a well to drill the top-hole section. Surface formations …
Drilling Fluids Calculations For Drilling & Mud Engineer
Mud Engineers & drilling engineers need to have quick drilling fluid calculations equations to help them while they are on the rig. In this article, we will have a simple guide for the most used equations for drilling mud preparations, system, displacement, volumes, etc. Density and Specific Gravity Calculations For mud The density of a …
Completion And Workover Fluids Testing Procedures
The article on completion and workover fluids testing procedures explains in detail how to measure brine cleanliness. Please note that this article is a part of the drilling fluid testing procedures article which discusses the procedures for testing Water Based Mud and Oil Based Mud. Brine cleanliness is critical for completion and production operations because …
API RP 13B-1 Download PDF | for Field Testing WBM
API RP 13B-1 Download PDF Contents: Introduction This part of ISO 10414 is based on API RP 13B-1 download PDF, third edition, December 2003[2] and ISO 10414 (all parts)[6].Annexes A to H and K of this part of ISO 10414 are for information only. Annexes I and J are normative. In this part of ISO …
Water Based Mud Testing Procedures
The following water-based mud testing procedures follow approved ANSI/ API RP 13B-1. In this article, we will provide all the procedures for all the mud tests related to WBM, including physical properties and chemical properties. But first, before going in-depth on our subject, let’s have a look at Safety Precautions While Mud Testing. Water Based …
Oil Based Mud Testing Procedures
This article will introduce a complete guide for the oil-based mud testing procedures, including physical and chemical tests. This article is part of the significant article on drilling fluid test procedures. Oil-Based Mud Testing Procedures For Physical Properties These Oil Based Mud Testing Procedures For Physical Properties are as follows: Oil Base Mud Whole Mud …
