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CHAPTER THREE

Mud Pumps

Contents
3.1 Introduction 61
3.2 Mud Flow Rate Requirements 61
3.2.1 Extreme Mud Properties 62
3.2.2 Extreme Annular Geometry 62
3.2.3 The Minimum Required Flow Rate 62
3.3 Pressure Requirements 66
3.3.1 Extreme Borehole Configurations 66
3.3.2 Extreme Borehole Conditions 66
3.3.3 Circulating Pressure 67
3.3.4 The Minimum Required Pressure 68
3.4 Horsepower Requirements 72
3.5 Capacities of Mud Pumps 74
3.5.1 Triplex Pumps 76
3.5.2 Duplex Pumps 76
Summary 78

3.1 INTRODUCTION
Mud pumps are the most important equipment for providing bit
hydraulics required for achieving hole cleaning and a high rate of pene-
tration. They should be selected on the basis of flow rates and circulating
pressures required at different stages of hole making. Pump power should
also be checked. This chapter provides drilling engineers with guidelines
for mud pump selection.

3.2 MUD FLOW RATE REQUIREMENTS
The selected mud pump should be capable of providing mud flow
rates that are high enough to transport drill cuttings to the surface at all
stages of drilling. Since the efficiency of cuttings transport depends on
mud properties and mud flow velocity and these parameters change with
hole depth, extreme mud properties and extreme annular geometry
should be considered.

Applied Drilling Circulation Systems. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-381957-4.00003-6
© 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 61