BAKER HUGHES - Drilling Fluids Reference Manual

FLUIDS ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
FILTRATION SERVICES
Baker Hughes Drilling Fluids FES is capable of providing filtration equipment, personnel and
consumables to perform the following operations.
• Filtration of wellbore clean-up returns
• Filtration of sand control gravel-pack carrier fluids
• Well test produced water treatment
• Filtration of injection water
• Mud pit cleaning
• Fluid analysis (solids and oil-in-water)
Filtration of Wellbore Clean-up Returns
Filtration equipment and procedures planning for a wellbore clean-up depends on many variables
including the type of drilling fluid, level of cleanliness required, space limitations and the completion
fluid type. BHDF FES provides different package options to suit the customer ranging from a single
cartridge filter unit using filter elements to a twin filter press package using diatomaceous earth filter
media. Expected flow rates, flow duration and solids loadings all have different impacts on the type
of equipment chosen.
During the completions planning stages, BHDF FES will obtain the maximum amount of information
so as to recommend the most suitable filtration system for the job, e.g. generally BHDF FES would
recommend cartridge units for filtration (polishing) of relatively clean fluids whereas a filter press
system would be recommended for dealing with fluids with higher solids contamination.
Filtration of Gravel Pack Carrier Fluids
Gravel pack carrier fluids need to be filtered to a high specification due to the potential of causing
solids entrapment within the gravel and the near wellbore formation area. Almost all gravel pack
filtration equipment consists of a twin filter press package in order to ensure a constant supply of
filtered fluid with 90% by volume of all solids remaining being below 10micron.
Produced Water Treatment
BHDF FES experience includes filtering oily water during well testing, platform decommissioning,
and tanker water discharge. Filtration of produced and oily water typically consists of a three stage
process consisting of gravity separation in a surge tank and then solids removal and oil absorption,
using special non-leaching absorption filter media in cartridge filter units. The overboard discharge is
tested for hydrocarbons using the extraction method and an infra-red spectrophotometer.
Seawater Injection
During a seawater injectivity test, the requirement for high volumes of polished seawater necessitates
the use of cartridge filter units due to their ability to polish fluids at high flow rates. Depending on
the flow rates, one or more cartridge units may be used in parallel.
BAKER HUGHES DRILLING FLUIDS
REFERENCE MANUAL
REVISION 2006 14-53