Downhole Measurements of Synthetic-Based Drilling Fluid in an Offshore Well Quantify Dynamic Pressure and Temperature Distributions

Abstract

Summary Accurate downhole and surface measurements of a synthetic-based drilling fluid were taken in a Gulf of Mexico well to resolve variances between actual and calculated pump pressures and to quantify equivalent circulating densities. Current American Petroleum Inst. (API) equations seriously underestimated drillstring losses, which accounted for the pump-pressure differences. Conversely, annular losses were much lower than predicted.