Talk:Mudlogger
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[edit] Unformatted Text to be integrated
Some one added this by deleted all the previous work and didn't use any link or categories. It needs to be wikified. Kevlar67 03:31, 14 March 2007 (UTC) ---
A MudLogger is usually a University trained Engineer but more often a Geologist who is typially employed by a third party contractor i.e. Not an oil complany and Not a Drilling company. Some of the large oil field survice companies such as Baker Hughes & Halliburtion Sperry Sun have Mudlogging departments.
They monitor every aspect of a drilling rigs performance by using a whole suite of sophisticated measuring equipment which they install around the rig before drilling commences. The information that is gathered is collected and run through computer programes to produce composite logs which can be tailored for a particular oil companies tastes.
Some of the parameters that a typical mudloging operation will measure Hook position, hook load, hook weight, surface rpm, torque, weight on bit (which is calculated from string weight) string weight, total depth, measured depth (which is a function of inclination), ROP, standpipe pressure, choke pressure, flow rate in to the well, flow rate out of the well, pump rate, cement pump pressure, mud weight into the well, mud weight out of the well, mud temperature into the well, mud temperature out of the well, the mud loggers also measure the mud levels in the pit and cross check that with the mud levels in the hole, this is constantly monitored and the mudloggers need to be kept informed by the Mud Enginner and Derrickman should they need to trasfer any mud around the pits, should the Derrickman transfer any mud without informing the mud loggers then this will trigger alarms in the Mudloggers unit.
As well as the meaurements stated above one of the primary roles of the Logging team is to measure gas, both the harmful and potentially life threatening H2S (hydrogen Sulphide) adn the drilled gas, that is background gas which is drilled from the well during normal drilling. This is collected via a gas trap which floats on the mud the flowline just above the BOP's just as it returns from the well and and is routed along lines back to the Mudloggers lab, the gas passes through water traps and drying medium to make sure any moisture is stripped out. On entering the lab the gas is measured in two ways, total gas, which is measured as a percentage and then the composition of the gas is measured using a gas chromatograph, this gives the gas composition and enables oil compaines to meaure the quality of gas/oil in a reservoir.
Mudloggers aslo collect and monitor all the drilled cuttings samples that are drilled, which is why Mudloggers tend to be Geologists. They collated all the information on both drilling parameters, gas percentages and geological samples and broadcast it across the rig using a series of real time drilling displays, these can be shown all over the rig but tend to be usually only on the Drill floor so the driller can read it and in the Company Mans office. These displays can also be relayed back to the beach using satelite links allowing back up personnel in the onshore office and the oil company to liase with the rig personel.
Mudloggers have in pivotal role on a drilling rig and are usually involved in most operations not only drilling, when running casing the loggers are the only ones who measure all the associated parameters, cemnting jobs, the loggers will measure and monitor the displacements of fluids from the well, well control as loggers are the only ones on board who activly measure and model the downhole pressure enviornment, stuck pipe scenarios, kick detection, drilling optimization, lost circulation, this list goes on and on.
It is often the case that on some wells a oil company will look to one service provider to supply all their drilling requirements, such as Directional Drilling, MWD, Mudlogging & Mud Engineering will all be provided by one service company. There are only two or three large service companies which can provide such a service. During this case the Mudloggers lab (which is a positivly presurised cabin located in the deck of the rig) becomes home to the MWD & Directioanl Driller, therefore allowing the MWD, DD & Loggers to share the same information as they all use the same software systems and as such the Mudloggers then coordinate all the information and relay it to anyone who wants it, this is refered to a a Triple Combo Job.
When MWD is employed in the same job the Mudlogging team, can further enhance their survice by using a downhole tool known as a PWD sensor, this allows the Logger to model the downhole pressure regime usinfg actual data where before all he could do was model it therefore allowing the Drilling Engineer to tailor make his flow rates to maximise hole cleaning and mud weight, when the mud weight is as near to balance as possible this enables the most efficent drilling speeds.
Loggers will also use Directional data gained from the directional drilling sensors such as RPM at the bit, torque at the bit this allowing the Logger to model the torque & drag regime of the hole when comparing the down hole readings with the surface ones.
Mudloggers usually work in a group of 4, 2 Data Engineers who are effectivly senior Loggers and two Mudloggers, they cover a 24 hour shift. A Team of One Data Engineer and a Logger will cover each 12 hour shift seven days a week.
