Drilling and Reservoir EngineeringDrilling Fluids Technology and Hydraulics
More holes are lost through the mud system than through any other single cause: a weight too low to hold back a formation, a gel that will not suspend cuttings, a filtrate that swells shale. Delegates study fluid functions and then the chemistry of water based, oil based and synthetic systems, including clays, polymers, weighting agents and inhibitors. Rheology is treated quantitatively with Bingham plastic, power law and Herschel Bulkley models, leading into pressure loss calculation, bit hydraulics optimisation and hole cleaning in deviated sections. Solids control equipment, lost circulation materials, fluid testing to API RP 13B practice and waste handling close the programme. Delegates leave able to specify a fluid, read a mud check and adjust properties and pump rates to keep the hole in condition.
Course objectives
- Explain the functions a drilling fluid must perform in each hole section
- Select between water based, oil based and synthetic systems
- Interpret routine mud check results and recommend treatments
- Calculate system pressure losses using appropriate rheological models
- Optimise bit hydraulics for hydraulic horsepower or jet impact force
- Assess hole cleaning in high angle wells and correct shortfalls
- Design a solids control arrangement and lost circulation response
- Plan safe handling and disposal of drilling fluids and cuttings
Who should attend
- Mud engineers and fluids specialists
- Drilling engineers responsible for fluid programmes
- Drilling supervisors who approve mud treatments
- Solids control and waste management technicians
- Laboratory staff testing drilling fluids
Course outline
- 01Fluid functions and system selection
- 02Clay chemistry, polymers and shale inhibition
- 03Oil based and synthetic systems
- 04Fluid testing and the daily mud check
- 05Rheological models and pressure loss
- 06Bit hydraulics optimisation
- 07Hole cleaning in deviated wells
- 08Solids control and lost circulation
- 09Fluid waste handling and environmental controls
Scheduled sessions
| Dates | Venue | Format | Price | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 November to 4 December 2026 | Johannesburg, South Africa | Classroom | R19,950 per delegate | |
| 1 to 5 February 2027 | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | Classroom | USD 1,325 per delegate | |
| 8 to 12 February 2027 | Online | Online | R8,500 per delegate | |
| 22 to 26 March 2027 | Lusaka, Zambia | Classroom | USD 1,325 per delegate |
Drilling Fluids Technology and Hydraulics
From R8,500