PERFORMAX System

High-Performance
WBM

Field Guidelines

Field Guidelines

• Dump and clean all sand traps and settling pits. Seawater can be used to do this (drill water not
required) as long as everything is going overboard. Seawater can ONLY be used for flushing and
cleaning, with overboard discharge. Do not add seawater to the mud.

• Maintain a one pit system.

• Drill the cement and float collar with spud mud or seawater in single pit system to drill out cement and
float equipment, then run F.I.T. or L.O.T. Don’t displace to PERFORMAX until casing shoe test is
completed.

• Dress shakers with 40 mesh on scalping shakers and 84 mesh on linear motion shakers for
displacement.
• Ensure that screen inventory is sufficient, mostly with 175 & 210 mesh screens

• Build 40-50 bbl pill with 2 lbs/bbl XAN-PLEX in drill water and pump as spacer for displacement

• PERFORMAX has a distinct, but pleasant, odor. You will detect this odor at the shakers at the interface to
PERFORMAX.

• Discuss dusting issue related to MAX-PLEX at pre-tour safety meeting and make sure that the
appropriate PPE is available and being worn by hands mixing MAX-PLEX

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Field Guidelines cont.

• Increase screen size on shakers after 4-5 circulations upwards to 175 and then 210 mesh screens. Do
not run seawater across shaker screens.

• After the displacement, build MAX-PLEX slurry to achieve 4-5 lbs/bbl in the active system. Add 1 sack of
caustic and several mud cups of LD-S defoamer before adding MAX-PLEX.
• MAX-PLEX concentration in slurry should be ~ 100 lbs/bbl
• Mix in slugging pit using drill water (freshwater)
• Bleed into system at 15-20 bbls per hour over 1 to 2 circulations
• This will need to be repeated every 1-2 days based on results of FSE test

• MAX-PLEX will usually “thin” the mud, particularly on the first addition after displacement. BIO-LOSE
and XAN-PLEX D can be added with MAX-PLEX slurry to maintain rheological properties. Add 1-2 sacks
of each depending on the degree of “thinning” and properties desired.

• Add whole mud dilution from reserve system into active system to maintain volume based on ROP.
Rule-of-thumb is ROP x hole capacity (bbl/foot) x 1.5 = bbls/hour dilution

• Check PENETREX injection pump twice per tour because it will sometimes stop
• Check volume in PENETREX tote or MPT tanks so you don’t run out.
• Adjust air pressure to achieve an injection rate of 0.25 – 0.5 gallons per minute.
• Periodically check the meter and adjust the air pressure, if needed.

Field Guidelines
• Run MAX-GUARD filtrate test (Reinecke salt) twice a day. Retain test samples and label with depth
and date for comparison and trends.
• Run test on sample from mud plant as baseline
• Store samples in refrigerator to increase shelf life
• Compare with previous samples to look at trends.
• Filtrate color will be cloudy and have a precipitate if MAX-GUARD is present
• Filtrate color will darken after MAX-PLEX has been added

• The difference in Funnel Viscosity between Pump Suction and Flow Line should be within 5 seconds per
quart, with an ideal range is 2-3 seconds/quart
• Spread increasing to 8-10 seconds per quart usually indicates you need dilution
• Add whole mud and or freshwater
• Spread above 10 seconds per quart usually indicates that you are behind with MAX-GUARD
concentration
• Must have separate plumbing or lines for adding MAX-GUARD and MAX-SEAL. Plugging has occurred
when using the same line to add the products.

• Run 2-3 barrels of MAX-GUARD in the mud each tour and look for changes in funnel viscosity and Fann
rheologies.
• If no increase then you have adequate concentration of MAX-GUARD
• If viscosity increases, then don’t stop. Keep adding neat MAX-GUARD, as well as whole mud dilution, until
you are over the “hump” and viscosity comes back down. Then, increase MAX-GUARD, and whole mud
dilutions (similar to a lime mud break over hump)

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Field Guidelines

• Use 2 mls of mud and double concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (30 mls) and 5N sulfuric acid
(20 drops) when running the MBT with PERFORMAX. This is required to stop interference in MBT test
arising from MAX-PLEX. Ensure that fresh hydrogen peroxide is used in test.

• Run an MBT on the mud from the liquid mud plant. MBT results should match MIL-GEL content of
mud from plant (usually 3.5 lbs/bbl). Use as guide for future MBT tests.

• The end point of an MBT test is subjective, so everyone should run the test the same way, looking
for the same “halo” on the end-point. Use the MBT test from the mud plant for comparison.

• Run pH on the whole mud and use a pH meter. Run mud alkalinities, particularly mf, with a pH
meter. The IQ 125 pH meter is accurate in high salt muds. May be necessary to dilute with
deionized water to get an accurate pH.

• Significant spread in pf and mf are common with PERFORMAX. These occur because of effects of
MAX-PLEX and MAX-GUARD in the pH range between these end points. This is not to be confused
with carbonate alkalinity.

• Use whole mud as primary source of dilution.

Field Guidelines
• Eventually, you will need to dilute with drill water. Drill water dilution is needed in long open hole sections (> 4,000
feet) and to combat evaporation.
• Drill water dilution rates as high as 15 bbls/hour have been used in long sections.
• Add sacked NaCl to maintain chlorides and BIO-LOSE/MIL-PAC for fluid loss.
• Add MIL-BAR to keep up density.
• May need to dilute with drill water even when running 210 mesh shaker screens

• Preferred ways to drop pit volume are dumping sand traps & settling pits and to run the desilter or mud cleaner
(with screens turned off to allow for overboard discharge).
• Strategy should be to get rid of drill solids at the same time as dropping volume to make room for dilution

• Remember that the key to successfully running PERFORMAX is to STAY AHEAD OF IT.
• There are 2 “consumable” products in the system; they are MAX-PLEX and MAX-GUARD.
• You must continually monitor the concentrations and maintain plenty of excess of both in mud.
• Pilot test as needed and then treat accordingly
• Be aggressive with dilution and running solids control equipment
• Remember, this is a not oil-mud and you will have to watch and STAY ON TOP OF IT.