API SC13 Steering Committee MeetingDecember 9, 2009TIEC, 480 N. Sam Houston Pkwy East, Suite 270, Houston

Attendees: Keith Morton, Paul Scott (by phone), Judy Guy-Caffey, David Breeden, Paul Javora, Phillip Kaufman (for Mahmoud Asadi), Marvin Pless, Leon Robinson, Cheryl Stark (by phone), Shail Ghaey

Keith Morton indicated that Andrea Balestrini submitted his resignation as the chair of Task Group 7 (Materials Specifications) this morning. Candidates for a replacement chair are needed. Cheryl Stark has submitted some names to Keith by e-mail. Shail Ghaey inquired about the possibility of an interim chair for the next couple of weeks so she can push the 13A document forward. The document had a handful of editorial comments and one technical comment that need to be resolved. Keith indicated he would take on the task of the one technical resolution that needs to be made on the document. He and Shail will resolve it after the meeting today.

Task Group Charges and Status Updates

TG2 – PublicationsCheryl Stark, Chair

Charge: To assist the other SC13 task groups in technical and editorial revision of any document designated for publication

Members: Jim Berger, Ryen Caeen, David Ekas, Mark Morgan, Stephen Polnaszek, Paul Scott, Johnna Smith, Del Son

Status of API/ISO documents In 2008, three documents were approved in ISO:

o 13A (Drilling Fluid Materials – Specifications and tests)o 13B-1 (Field Testing of Water-based Drilling Fluids)o 13I (Recommended Practice Standard Procedure for Laboratory

Testing Drilling Fluids) 13B-2 is projected to be in ISO’s hands by the end of January. Paul sent

in the binary salt calculations recently and Cheryl has Carl LaCombe’s retort section. The only thing that is outstanding is the ceramic disk corrections. Shail has the Comments Resolution and believes that it passed. Keith thought it was not complete because it was missing the set screw and we only had one piece of it. Cheryl said we only have one

piece of it because it influences six places in our document. The set screw and screw cap are identical sections except for a few little things in each one of them. Cheryl wants to get approval on the constant of using the ceramic disk and the deletion of all the stuff that doesn’t have to do with ceramic disks and she will make those transitions to the other five places that they have to go. Once she has all that, she can put it all together in 13B-2, 13B-1 and 13I. 13B-1 will need a supplement issued for it because it has already been adopted back within API.

Specification 13A/ISO 13500: 13500 has been adopted by API. There is the comments resolution which Keith has just taken on. Once we finish that, it will go as an ISO NWI for DIS ballot. That has already been submitted. What was submitted for the NWI was Section 20 on the Barite 4.10. There were technical corrections and a technical corrigendum has been issued to ISO to make some changes there. Du Delin from China wants to come in and talk about fines in barite, but Cheryl is not going to hold up the document for that. Cheryl noted that if API does not consider his request as an alternative to the particle size analysis of barite, he may take it to ISO. Keith would like to get a copy of his paper.

RP 13B-1/ISO 10414-1: 13B-1 was adopted by API. The ceramic disk will be included in Annex I and Annex J once that ballot has come back. Once that has been compiled, it will be submitted as a NWI-DIS ballot in ISO and API for ballot as a supplement to 13B-1.

RP 13B-2/ISO 10414-2: 13B-2 is frozen in ISO, but the new sections are nearing completion. Paul Scott finished up his dual salt calculations. The ceramic disk ended ballot and is awaiting Comments Resolution. Once this is compiled, it will go to ISO as a DIS.2 because it has had so much new material added. API will ballot it as 13B-2.

RP 13C/ISO 13501: The ISO version is the most current one out there. 13C went to ballot but Cheryl has not seen the Comments Resolution yet. Shail believes that it passed. Cheryl indicated Leon and his group need to look at the comments and respond. Cheryl will make the changes and send it back to Shail for publication. It needs to go to ISO at the same time.

RP 13D: Peter and his group worked diligently on 13D (Rheology and Hydraulics) and it has been balloted and is awaiting Comments Resolution.

RP 13I/ISO 10416: ISO 10416:2008 was adopted back by API earlier this year. There will be two new items added as a supplement. Once compiled, it will be submitted to ISO as an appendix.

RP 13J/1503-3: 13J is up for three-year review. Several items are anticipated for ballot. Paul Javora indicated two of the three items are complete. The PCT section is waiting on the last round robin.

RP 13K: Cheryl has not heard anything from Tom Shumate regarding the progress on 13K.

RP 13L: 13L is the Drilling Fluids Engineers Requirements. It was reaffirmed in 2009. David Ekas is currently reviewing the document.

TG3 - OBM ProceduresMarvin Pless, Chair

If 13D passes, Paul and his group can go into hibernation. Marvin sent an e-mail asking group members for status updates. He has not

received anything from Larry Mitchell or Jim Berger. PNP samples were going to be sent to Baker Hughes for analysis to figure out what is going on with the BAD situation. Tom Shumate indicated he needs about an hour and a half at the Winter Meeting. Keith Morton has the procedure but hasn’t worked on it.

TG4 – WBM ProceduresDavid Breeden, Chair

The WG on drill solids simulation has not had a meeting in the last six months so there will be no update on this WG in January. A NWI with the new charge has not yet been resubmitted.

The WG on cake compressibility was disbanded at the June meeting. Leon Robinson, Dodie Ezzat and David have not gotten back together to figure out how to push it off to one or several universities.

A number of attempts to hold a meeting of the WG on PPT procedures have fallen through. David believes the issues can be hammered out in a 1½ to 2-hour work group meeting. Cheryl found the original procedures as they were balloted in 1998 as well as the only comments that Jay Simpson sent in and will send copies to David, Keith and Marvin.

David sent three separate e-mails to Manuel regarding the PDVSA abrasivity testing and has gotten no response. The last e-mail indicated that if no response is received before January, it is a dead issue.

Keith provided PSA study information to David. David will try to finish reviewing the information before January.

TG5 – Solids ControlLeon Robinson, Vice Chair

Two active WGs Solids removal efficiency WG – The procedure in 13C allows calculation of

solids removal efficiency but does not calculate disposal volumes, how you can improve things, etc. The assumption was being made that the drill solids concentration is kept constant but we know that doesn’t happen. The dirtier you let the mud get, the smaller the discharge volumes are. The WG is trying to

develop a method by which we can drill a short interval and determine the input volume. They are searching for a place to try it in the field in the next 6 to 8 months.

13C Education WG – The WG approached Shail in Denver and in Houston about putting data on the API website. Shail indicated posting of the data on the API website would not be possible, but agreed that a tutorial document could be posted. The document has been edited and revised several times and is about ready to publish. Leon assumes the document should be sent to Shail to post it. The document currently covers screen description, but the WG also wants to include information on conductance and open area. Shail indicated the WG can edit the document after it has been posted. Leon inquired whether the tutorial would become API property and would they copyright it. The concern is that operators want to be able to print and publish the tutorial for classes that they teach. Shail indicated the tutorial might become API property but permission would not need to be requested to make copies of it. Paul Javora suggested a note could be added indicating the document is available for free publication and use for training. The idea of forming a new committee that is not sponsored by or associated with API to pursue posting screen data on an independent website is being considered. Shail raised the possibility of anti-trust issues with posting the data. Cheryl suggested talking to Ryen Caenn since he has several websites he maintains.

Neither WG will have anything to present at the meeting next month in New Orleans

TG6 – Testing of Heavy BrinesPaul Javora, Chair

Five WGso Revision of RP 13J and ISO 13503-3o Brine corrosion (Judy Guy-Caffey) – completed document will be

supplied to Cherylo Buffer capacity (Del Son) – document finished; Paul will review and

submit ito PCT (Don Isaac) – document written; waiting on completion of last round

robin testingo Future projects for TG6 (Judy Guy-Caffey)

Permeability testing was top project from voting – informative annex to RP 13J envisioned

Fluid-fluid interaction testing was second highest ranking project – standard procedure

Emulsion testing was third ranking project – was going to be taken up by ISO but has been dropped

Displacement testing was fourth ranking project

Scale formation testing and fluid hydrate issues were tied for fifth – informative documents

A new survey will sent out to determine if these are still the projects with the most interest

API CRA Testing Programo Year 3 coming to an end in February - all data should be out in Januaryo Year 3 encompassed formate brine CRA testing and CO2/H2S brine testingo A meeting in February will determine what needs to be done for Year 4

TG7 – API 13D UpdatePeter Bern, Chair

TG8 – Materials SpecificationsOpen, Chair

Looking for replacement of Andrea Balestrini as chair Existing action items

o Contact Andrea Balestrini about material packaging issue (Keith Morton) – Keith will probably call Tim or Don Krause; Cheryl indicated original information in the bulletin came from Ton Maas

o Disband WGs 1 and 2 (PAC and xanthan gum) (Andrea Balestrini) - done o Resolution of 4.1 barite (Andrea Balestrini) – has been voted on, but

Comments Resolution needs to be handled o Establish new WG for starch specifications (Saleh Al-Ammari) – Keith

sent NWI form to Saleh to complete

TG9 – Completion, Stimulation, Fracturing Fluids PropertiesPhillip Kaufman for Mahmoud Asadi, Chair

Rheology of completion fluids 13503-1/API 13M-1 – was revised and submitted to ISO/API in March 2009

Leakoff under static conditions 13503-4/API 13M-4 Leakoff under dynamic conditions 13503-X – work item and first draft will be

submitted in December 2009; Paul Javora requested a copy of the draft Friction 13503-X – completed first round of round robin testing; second round

robin in progress; first draft to be submitted in summer 2010 Regain Permeability 13503-X – kick-off meeting held in summer 2008 in Istanbul

o Russell Watson: group leader for procedureso Brian Ainley: group leader for tools and designso Subhash Shah: group leader for calculation and analysis

Emulsion measurements ISO 13503-X – Eric Aubry of TOTAL has resigned as chair

Upcoming meetings: 12/15/09 in Norman, OK; 2/9/10 in Lafayette, LA; 4/29/10 in Tulsa, OK; 6/30/10 in San Diego, CA; 9/23/10 in Milan, Italy

TG Time Slots for January Winter Meeting (Tue.-Wed., 1/26-27/09) TG2: 30 min TG3: WG - 1 hr; TG – 30 min TG4: Keith will check with David Breeden TG5: None TG6: 1 1/2 hr TG8: ? TG10: Keith will check with Steve Polnaszek

Action Items

TG2o Wait on fellow from China to discuss his concern about sedimentation

test (fines in barite): discussed previouslyo Review API 13L (mud engineering guidelines): still going to maintain

this bulletin TG3

o WG1 NWI - oil mud salinity: Tom has done this Report on RR XVIII (calcium titration) results at next TG3

meeting: Tom will talk about this Contact PNP supplier to see if anything was done recently to

modify production and to define changes: needs to be done Run GC/MS on selected batches of PNP: Marvin will have it

done when samples are received Supply current (6 to 12 months) PNP and xylene/IPA sales data

to TG to see if there has been shift in field use Review spreadsheet for oil mud salinity calculations: done –

Paul wrote it upo WG2

Resend final document to WG members for review/comment or agreement before sending to letter ballot: Keith needs to do

o WG4 NWI - submit to ISO for inclusion of Sag Monitoring work

into RP 13B2 as an annex: done Inform Peter Bern that WG request for hibernation will be

deferred until completion of letter ballot item: ok TG4

o NWI - resubmit for WG on drill solids simulation material with new charge: Keith will get with David on this

o NWI - WG on cake compressibility: pretty much dead issue as far as API is concerned

o NWI - WG to review PPT procedures: need to get Comments Resolution from the vote

o Obtain additional information from PDVSA on abrasivity testing: can junk this one

o Get information on PSA study: got ito WG2

Letter ballot - ceramic disks for PPT: closed on 11/30, waiting on Comments Resolution

o WG3 Kick off WG on Drill Solid Simulation

o WG4 Get funding for filter cake compressibility and move it to a

university TG5

o Document for ISO: discussed previouslyo WG2

Provide letter to Shail Ghaey describing what WG wants to do: discussed previously

TG6o NWI - to establish new WGs: discussed previouslyo Submit Buffer, PCT and Corrosion documents for inclusion in RP 13J:

discussed previously TG8

o Contact Andrea Balestrini about material packaging issueo Disband WGs 1 and 2 (PAC and xanthan gum)o Resolution of 4.1 barite: need to work outo Establish new WG for starch specifications: waiting for Saleh to come

back on NWI SC13

o Review Mario Zamora's document management ideas: Shail indicated Sharepoint would take care of this