Aerated mud drilling

For aerated mud drilling operations, the compressor should also be capable of variable volumetric rate of airflow and variable output pressure. Again, as drilling progresses, the input volume of compressed air and the output pressure are continuously adjusted. 

Aerated Mud. In aerated mud drilling operations, the drilling mud is injected with compressed air to lighten the mud. Therefore, at the bottom of the well in the annulus, the bottomhole pressure for an aerated mud will be less than that of the mud without aeration. However, an aerated mud drilling operation will have very significant bottomhole pressure capabilities and can easily be used to control potential production fluid flow into the well annulus. 

The minimum requirements for well blowout prevention equipment for aerated mud drilling operations are basically the same as those for normal mud drilling operations. 

Air and gas, unstable foam and stable foam techniques are used almost exclusively for onshore drilling operations, rarely in offshore applications. Aerated mud, however, is used for both onshore and offshore drilling operations. 

The downhole turbine motor designed to be activated by the flow of incompressible drilling mud cannot operate on air, gas, unstable foam or stable foam drilling fluids. These downhole turbine motors can only be operated on drilling mud or aerated mud. 

Adaptability. The single most outstanding feature of a recyclable system is its simplistic operation. By being able to kill the foam rapidly, the system will operate within the confines of nearly all conventional drilling mud or aerated fluid systems. 

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