Drilling Engineering and Fluid Mechanics

The research unit focuses on research and development on drilling engineering, development of drilling fluids, studying drilling hydraulics and multi-phase flows of non-Newtonian fluids in annuli, for oil-wells.

We have constructed a flow loop, a 5 m horizontal annulus, with capabilities for inclination from horizontal to vertical, with inner pipe diameter 40 mm and outer pipe diameter 70 mm, made of Plexiglas, allowing optical observations.

It has capabilities for hydraulic and pressure drop measurements and for measurements for cuttings transport. The system is equipped with a mass flow meter and pressure transducer for DP measurements. All data is integrated into the PC for further analysis.

The lab is equipped with a multi-point Couette Fann type viscometer and an API filter press, a rheometer for measuring yield stress, a rolling oven, a mud balance, a Marsh funnel and a tank system for measuring solid settling velocities.