Number:

96015.MWD (Reissue of 94010.MWD)

TECHNICAL Originated By:
Tim Curran
ALERT Approved By:
David F. Sim
Effective Date:
August 7, 1996

MWD Survey Mud Logging Fluids

Technical Software Completions/Production Drilling Coring

Priority: 1. Must be implemented immediately at all levels

Classification: (Check all required)

New Product Release Safety Issue
Subject: Lost Circulation Material (LCM) Guidelines for MWD Tools
Problem Identification Other
Corrective Action

Due to continued reported field problems, this is a re-issue of technical alert 94010.MWD. This technical alert is intended to raise
awareness and provide guidelines to reduce customer perceived MWD tool failures or unnecessary bit trips due to blockage from
LCM, particle additives mixed into the mud system, pipe scale, or cement. This problem has been brought to light through
increased efforts to track this failure mode. Additionally, operations has stated that this problem is being underemphasized since bit
trips due to plugged or blocked tools are not being recorded.

These guidelines can be used for both collar based and probe based tools, although collar based tools have proven less susceptible to
blockage or turbine jams. The collar based tools have been modified with filter screens over the turbine power section of the
transmitter just above the mud seal. Also, the rotor blades have been cut back to allow for more clearance between the rotor and the
inside of the turbine housing.

Lost Circulation Material consists primarily of wood particles (splinters or grinds), nut shells, paper, cellophane, sugar cane pulp,
cottonseed hulls, acid soluble cement, or minerals. Commonly used wood products are cedar and oak. Nut shells are either pecan or
walnut. The commonly used minerals are muscovite from the mica group and calcium carbonate. LCM can also be a mix or blend
of any of the above.

Lost Circulation Materials are graded as fine, medium, or coarse based on the particle sizes making up the sample. This scale,
however, is very misleading. For example, a fine calcium carbonate has the consistency of talcum powder while a fine pecan shell
LCM has the same texture as ground coffee. To make matters worse, a fine blended LCM will have paper, cellophane and cedar
splinters that are as big as the coarse graded pecan shell LCM. It is imperative that all LCM be visually inspected before it is added
to the mud system.

The remainder of this technical alert can be divided into sections that discuss operational recommendations and general information
for:

1. Granular LCM
2. Fiberous LCM
3. Mud Additives
4. Pipe Scale and Cement
5. General Operating Procedures

A reference chart is provided at the end of this paper that compares the different brand name LCMs that are available on the market.
This chart also contains a description of each LCM and recommendations for their use.
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1. Granular LCM

• Ground Pecan or Walnut Shells – Usually described as nut plug. Actually Nut Plug is a brand name for LCM distributed by
M-I, but is used to describe any LCM that consists of ground pecan or walnut shells. These nut plugs come in fine, medium,
and coarse classifications.
• Mica – Typically this LCM consists of muscovite and is graded as fine, medium and coarse.
• CHEK-LOSS – CHEK-LOSS is a Baker Hughes INTEQ product. It is a water-insoluble, finely-ground, complexed
cellulosic material used for controlling seepage and loss of circulation while drilling through depleted or underpressured
zones. CHEK-LOSS is actually oak wood that has been ground to a powder. It comes in three classifications; CHEK-LOSS
200 (fine), CHEK-LOSS (medium), and CHEK-LOSS COARSE. This LCM is finer than the finest nut plugs.
• Cottonseed Hulls – This consists of cottonseed hulls with small traces of cotton linen fiber.

Operational Recommendation

• All granular LCM materials should be fine or medium in size.

• Coarse LCM should be avoided.
• Concentrations should start at 3 lb/bbl, with good mixing, increasing the concentration of the LCM as needed. For the
NaviTrak and DMWD probe tools, the MWD mud pulse signal should be monitored carefully during this process. If the tool
starts to skip pulses or pulses increase in size, concentrations of LCM should not be increased. Obviously, the oil company
has final word in these matters.

As a rule of thumb, if the tool starts to skip pulses, the main valve is plugging. If the pulses increase in size, the restrictor
area is plugging causing a greater than normal pressure drop across the pulser.

• Avoid any slugging of the LCM.

• For 4 3/4" tools where restrictor to probe barrel clearances become very small in deeper holes, the amount and size of nut
plug that will pass by the tool will decrease.
• Always run the inlet screen on the main valve.
• Always visually inspect the nut plug. If it doesn't look like it will pass by the tool, it probably won't.

2. Fiberous LCM

• Cellophane – This LCM is described as shredded cellophane flake and is simply ground up plastic.
• Paper – This is typically shredded or ground up newspaper.
• Blended LCM – This product is a blend of granular, flake, and fiberous materials. MIL-SEAL (a Baker Hughes INTEQ
trademark product) consists of cedar splinters, pecan shells, paper and cellophane flakes. Although this LCM is graded as
fine, medium and coarse, even the fine grading has extremely large particles. Typically all the fiberous materials are
extremely large as compared to the other LCMs.
• Cedar Fibers (Splinters) – This LCM consists of cedar splinters.
• Sugar Cane – This LCM is extremely stringy and should not be used.
• Cottonseed Hulls – This consists of cottonseed hulls with considerable amounts of fiberous cotton linen fiber.

Operational Recommendation

• Fiberous materials should be avoided. They will plug the inlet ports of the main valve assembly and the restrictor area on
the outside of the main valve.

3. Mud Additives

Separate operational recommendations will be addressed for the mud additives.

• Calcium Carbonate – Calcium Carbonate (Baker Hughes INTEQ Trademark MIL-CARB) is a nonreactive additive used as a
weighting material and as an LCM for bridging in permeable sands. Calcium Carbonate usually comes finer than the finest
nut plugs. Calcium Carbonate can also be found in the PERF-FLOW mud system used to drill underbalanced formations.
The PERF-FLOW mud system contains calcium carbonate concentrations of 50 lb/bbl with an average particle size of 23-25
microns. This system has been used in the GOM with no cases of plugged or blocked tools.

Page 2 of 5
 Operational Recommendation

• Avoid any slugging of calcium carbonate.

• Calcium carbonate will form a hard filter cake on the main valve inlet screen effectively blocking flow through the main
valve. This problem can be remedied by removing the inlet screen on the main valve if other LCM is not being run.
• If the tool starts to skip pulses or pulses increase in size, concentrations of LCM should not be increased.
• Do not use in oil base muds. It may coagulate and plug the tool. Calcium Carbonate is processed from either ground up
limestone or marble. The calcium carbonates made from limestone are slightly soluble and will coagulate in oil based muds.

• Lubriglide Beads – Lubriglide beads are used in drilling applications for reducing torque and drag.

Operational Recommendation

• Only fine or medium lubriglide beads should be used. It is suggested that the mix be of equal parts of fine and medium.
• Avoid any slugging of the beads.
• Concentrations should start at 3 lb/bbl, with good mixing, increasing the concentration of the LCM as needed. The MWD
mud pulse signal should be monitored carefully during this process. If the tool starts to skip pulses or pulses increase in size,
concentrations of LCM should not be increased.
• Soap can be used as an additive to reduce "clumping".
• Do not use in polymer muds or add polymers to the system.
• Use the 1/8" slotted inlet screen (1/16" is normal) on the main valve assembly or remove the screen completely. However, be
sure that other types of LCM are not being used as this screen acts as a filter for those materials.

4. Pipe Scale and Cement

Scale/Deposition corrosion can leave deposits of insoluble materials on a metal surface. More common forms of scale are rust,
ferrous carbonate, and iron sulfide. These scale deposits can become freed from the tubular walls by the forces created by
drilling, any large force created by moving the drillstring, or the flow of drilling fluids. Where scale deposits are already
present on the pipe, sandblasting or other cleaning is required to remove the scale. Cement can be deposited on the inside of
tubulars during cementing operations. Both scale and cement deposited on the inside of tubulars can be freed during subsequent
drilling operations and can be sources of blockage of the MWD tools. In order to prevent or reduce the amount of blockage, the
following operational recommendations should be followed.

Operational Recommendation

• Remove the pipe scale or cement from the inside of tubulars by one of the following.
Ä Have rig crew "rabbit" all pipe and any subsequent joints that are used.
Ä Recommend high pressure cleaning using a pig.
Ä Use a hammer to knock any loose debris off walls of drilling tubulars.
Ä Wash the pipe using available rig water.
• Continue to circulate for a few minutes at full stroke during fill-ups at trips to prevent the debris from settling and blocking
the MWD tool.
• Run caustic sweep prior to picking up the NaviTrak tool or go-develling the DMWD tool in the hole. A caustic sweep has a
high pH that will generally react with and loosen the most common pipe scales.
• If DMWD tools are to be used, the pipe can be tripped in and circulated through prior to go-develling the tool in the hole.
• If NaviTrak or Teleco tools are being used, follow the recommendations above for cleaning debris from the pipe prior to
running the tool in the hole.

5. General Operating Procedures

The following procedures should be reviewed and followed prior to and during all MWD jobs.

• Always run uphole filter screens. These screens will prevent any large particles from being pumped downhole and will plug
off if LCM is not being mixed properly into the system.
• Always visually inspect the LCM being used.

Page 3 of 5
 • Always visually inspect the drillpipe being used for pipe scale or cement.
• Take provisions to clean the pipe if pipe scale or cement is present.
• Inspect the circulation system. Insure that cuttings are being removed and not bypassing the shakers.
• Insure that the shaker screens are in good condition.
• Check the shaker screens for proper mesh size.
• Insure that the LCM is being added to the hopper properly.
• If applicable, run downhole screens for pipe scale problems.

In addition, and in particular where Baker Hughes INTEQ is the supplier of both MWD and Drilling Fluid services, pre-
planning can significantly reduce MWD tool problems at the wellsite. It is important that compatibility between the MWD tool
and mud additives used be determined ahead of time. It is recommended that MWD Operations staff review planned services
with Drilling Fluids personnel, preferably before tools or chemicals are delivered to the wellsite.

District Action Required: (Check all required) Completed By: Tim Curran
Update your Manual Update your P/N List
Info. Only Implement Immediately Date: August 7, 1996
Page 4 of 5
Recommended Application of LCM/Mud Additives with Probe Based MWD Tools

Baker Hughes BAROID M-I IDF DESCRIPTION Fine Medium Coarse

INTEQ
MIL-CEDAR PLUG-GIT M-I CEDAR Cedar Fiber - splinters No No No
FIBER FIBER
MIL-FIBER FIBERTEX M-I FIBER IDF MUD Ground Bagasse Fiber - Dried and ground up No No No
FIBER sugar can pulp - Very Stringy
MILFLAKE JELFLAKE FLAKE Shredded Cellophane Flake No No No
MILMICA MICATEX MICA (Muscovite) Mica Graded Yes Yes No
MIL-PLUG NUT PLUG Ground Pecan Shells Yes Yes No
MIL-SEAL BARO-SEAL KWIK SEAL IDSEAL Blended LCM - Contains Paper, Cedar Splinters Yes No No
and Cellophane
COTTONSEED COTTONSEED COTTONSEED COTTONSEED Cottonseed Hulls - Contains the cotton hull and No No No
HULLS HULLS HULLS HULLS small amounts of cotton linen fibers
PAPER Ground Paper No No No
WALNUT WALL-NUT Ground Walnut Shells Yes Yes No
SHELLS