American Oil and Gas Reporter - October 2015 - 101

SpecialReport: Drilling Fluids Technology
which can be difficult and risky, especially
if the technician is working alone."
Anderson says the new dryer's greatest
benefit is safety. "When it is operating,
the inside of any dryer may contain a
cloud of dust and oil vapor, which is a
Class I, Division 2 hazard," he warns.
"If the incorrect replacement belts are
used and static electric charges are generated, or if the belts fail and undergo
friction heating, they can ignite the potentially combustible cloud," Anderson
says. "Under ISO standards, belts must
have anti-static properties, but over time,
they lose them. If a company forgets to
replace the belt or buys a generic one
without anti-static properties, it risks a
Class I, Division 2 hazard."
Fortunately, safety incidents relating
to combustible dust remain unheard of
in the oil and gas industry, Anderson
says. However, he cautions that the three
ingredients necessary for an occurrence-
dry and dense particulate, ignition sources,
and limited ventilation-are becoming
more prevalent as VCD performance continues to evolve.
"Three trends concern us," he says.
"First, as VCDs become more efficient,
they generate more dust, which increases
the likelihood of combustible dust. Second,
we see more people ignoring belt life or
buying generic replacement belts that
lack anti-static properties. Finally, growing
concern about dust emissions has prompted
more operators to enclose VCDs, therefore
enclosing the dust that is generated within
them.
"Together, these trends create a hazardous environment," he warns. "A dust
explosion still is unlikely, but we want
to make sure we never put a piece of
equipment in place that would be prone
to creating a potentially explosive environment."
Eliminating the safety hazard is not
the only benefit to replacing the belt with
a direct drive, Anderson says. "In testing,
the direct drive system is 20 percent quieter," he reports. "We also have seen a
significant drop in the unit's amperage
requirements. It is drawing less power,
so we are going to look at reducing the
motor size to increase efficiency."
Anderson concludes by pointing out
that the direct drive offers greater torque.
"These are wonderful benefits to have
on top of eliminating the nuisance of replacing belts and the safety hazards that
can occur if the belt is not replaced," he
says.

By providing real-time drilling
fluid viscosity measurements,
Brookfield Engineering's TT100
in-line viscosity meter is helping
fluid service companies monitor
equivalent circulating density.
Brookfield describes the meter
as accurate, reliable and flexible.

In-Line Viscometer
After years of using in-line viscosity
meters in completion applications, service
companies gradually are applying them
to monitor drilling fluids, reports Steven
Cicchese, general manager of process
sales and marketing for Brookfield Engineering. "They are using the viscometers
to calculate plastic viscosity and yield
points, then are combining that data with
other measurements to determine the
equivalent circulating density," he says.
"In-line meters provide several advantages over the traditional approach of
having a mud engineer periodically take
a sample and a reading," Cicchese states.
"The company gets the data immediately,
and there is less risk of an invalid sample
or an incorrect measurement. The constant
measurements make it easier to spot
trends and control issues.
"They also enable the operator to
maintain tighter set point control on the
mud, which can allow him to run the
mud slightly thinner with confidence of
not going too low," Cicchese adds. "This
can result in faster drilling times or easier
pipe removal, if needed."
For in-line viscosity measurement, Cicchese recommends Brookfield Engineering's TT100, which he says is a Couette geometry viscometer, like the industry-standard bench-top units generally
used to take viscosity measurements. Cicchese says the meter's measurement
zone is protected from the main flow,
enabling it to provide accurate, repeatable

measurements in a wide range of pressures,
temperatures, viscosities, and flow and
shear rates.
"The TT100 is one of the best-recognized viscosity meters in the oil and gas
industry, so there are multitudes of field
hands who know how to calibrate and
service it," Cicchese remarks. "Our customers tell me that despite its precision,
it is simple to calibrate and maintain."
After proving themselves in initial
drilling fluid applications, the meters are
transitioning from being engineered and
integrated into equipment on a case-bycase basis to becoming standard, Cicchese
says. He predicts their role in the oil and
gas industry will continue to expand.
"Other companies are using them for
cuttings reinjection, and a few are applying
them to polymer flooding," he reports.
"When I look ahead a few years, I see
nothing but growth for in-line viscosity
meters as oil field companies seek accurate,
reliable data that can improve their decision
making."
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OCTOBER 2015 101

American Oil and Gas Reporter - October 2015

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