Any drilling operations site that wants to optimize its process and preserve its equipment is well aware of its mud. Drilling fluid (what the layperson calls mud) is a vital part of the drilling process. Drilling mud is important for downhole drilling; cooling and lubricating the bit, removing debris from the well, controlling formation pressures and maintaining wellbore stability. If a project is going to succeed, the drilling fluid system must be monitored, maintained and maximized. Go to any drilling site and someone there is keeping an eye on the mud. There is no shortage of equipment, instruments and technologies that are used to maintain the drilling fluid process. Depending on site needs, drilling professionals might opt for flow meters, shakers, additives, centrifuges, degassers and any number of other technologies to monitor mud movement. The process can be further maximized for efficiency by using process instrumentation in the different phases of the mud system.
Radar level measurement and electronic differential pressure devices provide solutions for drilling sites.
VEGA Americas, Inc.
04/23/2018
Image 1. Noncontact radar and EDP sensors reliably measure level in a mud storage tank. (Images courtesy of VEGA Americas, Inc.)
Image 2. The focused beam of one radar sensor avoids vessel obstructions and allows for mounting at difficult angles.