Prolonged oilfield drilling can lead to excessively high well temperatures. High temperatures reduce the hydration capacity of the clay particle surface and the treatment agent, thinning the hydration film. This significantly reduces the protective effect of the treatment agent molecules on the clay, increasing water loss in the mud and causing high-temperature solidification. So how is high-temperature drilling fluid cooled? Currently, there are three methods for cooling high-temperature drilling mud in high-temperature geothermal wells and deep drilling: low-temperature solid conduction mud cooling, natural evaporation mud cooling, and forced cooling using a mud cooling circulation system.
1. Low-temperature solid conduction mud cooling
Operators add cold solids, such as ice cubes, to the mud pool. The ice cubes cool the mud primarily through heat conduction. This method is generally used to cool water-based mud when the surface mud temperature is low and the temperature difference between inlet and outlet is small.
2. Natural Evaporative Mud Cooling
Because the temperature of the mud returning to the surface is higher than the ambient temperature, the mud evaporates and cools naturally as it flows through the mud trough. By manipulating this phenomenon and extending the mud trough’s circulation line, operators can cool the mud to a certain extent. They generally use this method when the drilling mud flow rate is low, the returning mud temperature is not too high (below 55°C), and the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet wells is small (less than 5°C).
3. Forced Cooling with a Mud Cooling System for Drilling
A mud cooling system for drilling, also known as a mud cooling unit or mud cooling tower, cools drilling fluids. In medium- and high-temperature geothermal drilling and deep oil and gas field drilling, when the circulating mud temperature exceeds 75°C, crews must use a drilling mud cooling unit for rapid and timely cooling. Crews require a specialized mud cooling unit or mud cooling system when the returning mud temperature is high and the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet wells is too large. A mud cooling system achieves forced cooling of high-temperature mud and is currently a relatively efficient and safe mud cooling method.
HL Petroleum’s independently designed and developed new système de refroidissement de la boue allows the hot drilling fluid (mud) flowing from the wellhead to be transported to the system’s inlet manifold via a manifold. The temperature difference between the mud cooling system and the treated mud is 30-40°C. This effectively extends the service life of the drill bit and drill pipe while improving drilling efficiency. Furthermore, to address the varying mud temperatures in different countries and regions, Henglian Petroleum has developed a range of mud cooling devices, including rapid and standard mud cooling devices, to meet the varying temperature rises of mud in different formations. For more information on our mud cooling circulation system, please contact us.
