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If the drilling fluid circulation system stops working for just 10 minutes at a depth of thousands of meters, could the damage reach tens of billions of dong and cause the entire well to be abandoned?
In all oil and gas drilling campaigns on land and offshore, drilling fluid is likened to blood circulating inside the well body. This is not simply a drilling support fluid but a technical system that directly determines the safety, performance and cost of the entire project.
On June 17, 2026, many international petroleum engineers shared the simulation diagram of the drilling fluid circulation system to help the community better understand the process being used on thousands of drilling rigs around the world.
PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION
Drilling fluid is pumped from the reservoir through a high-pressure mud pump.
The process takes place in a closed cycle
1. The solution is pumped down to the drilling rod
2. Go through the drill head at the bottom of the well
3. Cool and lubricate the drill bit
4. Roll rock and drilling debris to the surface
5. Pass through vibrating screening system to separate solids
6. Returntank for reuse
Flow diagram
Drilling mud tank
⬇
⚙️ High pressure mud pump
⬇
Need drilling
⬇
️ Drill head
⬇
Bottom of well
⬆
Drilling mud is pulled up
⬆
Solution return line
⬆
Vibrating sieve cleaning
⬆
Storage tank
IMPORTANT ROLE OF DRILLING FLUID
Function Meaning
Drill head cooling Reduces temperature caused by friction
Lubricating equipment Increases drill rod life
Transporting drilling mud Cleaning the bottom of the well
Pressure control Prevents oil and gas blowout
Stabilize the well wall to limit landslides
Reduce drilling time Optimize operating costs
WHY IS THIS SYSTEM SO IMPORTANT?
An offshore oil and gas well can cost from about 250 billion VND to more than 2,500 billion VND depending on depth and geological conditions.
If the drilling mud circulation system has a problem
❌ Drill rod stuck
❌ Collapse into a well
❌ Oil and gas eruption is out of control
❌ Damage to drill head
❌ Loss of well
Repair costs in many cases can reach tens or hundreds of billions of VND.
COMPARISON TABLE OF RELATED EQUIPMENT VALUES
Category Estimated value
Large capacity drilling mud pump 5 billion to 50 billion VND
Modern vibrating screen set 1 billion to 15 billion VND
High-end PDC drill bit 500 million to 8 billion VND
Specialized drilling required Tens of billions of VND per set
One day rig rentaloffshore drilling 2 billion to 15 billion VND
TRUTH THAT FEW PEOPLE KNOW
Many people think that oil and gas are found thanks to modern drilling heads. In fact, many drilling engineers believe that drilling fluid quality and stable circulation are the deciding factors in the success of a well.
In the history of the world oil and gas industry, many serious incidents stemmed from ineffective control of drilling fluids, leading to instability of reservoir pressure or loss of fluid circulation.
TECHNICAL PERSPECTIVE
The drilling fluid circulation system is one of the most important technical achievements of the modern oil and gas industry. From wells drilled in the deserts of the Middle East to deep-water rigs in the Gulf of Mexico or the South China Sea, this principle remains the foundation that helps the energy industry exploit underground resources safely and efficiently.
QUICK IMAGINE
One hour of stopping fluid circulation on an offshore rig can cost from 80,000,000 to more than 600,000,000 VND depending on the scale of the project.
That's why drilling engineers always consider drilling fluid as the "lifeblood of an oil well" and not simply a mixture of water and chemicals.
Join the discussion with the petroleum engineering community at https://forum.congnghedaukhi.com
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