Hydrostatic Pressure

Drilling and Drilling Fluids

Hydrostatic pressure is the pressure exerted by the weight of a column of fluid at any point when the fluid is static.

When drilling a well, one of the most important criteria is to ensure the hydrostatic pressure of the mud exceeds the pressure of the formation, his stops any influx of wellbore fluids into the well and maintains the safety of all concerned and is considered to be the primary form of well control.

Although it is essential to have excess hydrostatic pressure from the mud, it cannot be too high as too much pressure can fracture the formation and causing lost circulation