Experimental and numerical study of cuttings transport in inclined drilling operations

2021 ◽  
pp. 109394
Author(s):  
Mohammad Mojammel Huque ◽  
Mohammad Azizur Rahman ◽  
Sohrab Zendehboudi ◽  
Stephen Butt ◽  
Syed Imtiaz
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Study ◽  
Cuttings Transport ◽  
Drilling Operations

Experimental Investigation and Data Analytics of Annular Cutting Velocity in Inclined and Horizontal Pipes

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdennour C. Seibi ◽  
Brandon Salazar ◽  
Jalel Ben Hmida ◽  
Gordon Guillory
Keyword(s):  
Data Analytics ◽  
Flow Behavior ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Dimensionless Group ◽  
Cuttings Transport ◽  
Horizontal Pipes ◽  
Cutting Velocity ◽  
Drilling Operations ◽  
Bottom Side ◽  
Pipe Joints

Abstract The lack of cutting transportation during drilling operations especially in horizontal and inclined wells can lead to large amounts of non-productive time and costly solutions. This problem has been encountered very often in the field due mostly to settlement of the cuttings at the bottom side of the hole and especially around pipe joints. Moreover, adopted rheological models are limited to 60 deg. inclination angle to predict the flow behavior of cuttings transport in directional wells. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to investigate the effect of various parameters related to the well configuration (inclined vs. horizontal), operating conditions, pipe/tool joints configurations, and flow conditions on the cutting velocity through an extensive experimental study with data analytics. The experimental approach was analyzed through film software, which allowed for the cutting velocities to be estimated. Regression models of cutting velocity with respect to each dimensionless group were formed and validated through a statistical analysis. A new empirical model for the cutting velocity was developed using multiple linear regression analyses. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to highlight the contribution of each dimensionless group on the variation of the cutting velocity. The newly proposed model for cutting velocity was tested and the calculated cutting velocity of 0.532 ft/s (.162 m/s) fell within the range of study between 0.188 ft/s (.057 m/s) and 0.690 ft/s (.210 m/s).

Experimental and Numerical Study of Motion of Rotating Drill Pipe Owing to Magnus Effect

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomoya Inoue ◽  
Hiroyoshi Suzuki ◽  
Tokihiro Katsui ◽  
Keita Tsuchiya ◽  
Yusuke Notani
Keyword(s):  
Analytical Model ◽  
Rotational Speed ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Flow Direction ◽  
Drill Pipe ◽  
Ocean Current ◽  
Gas Drilling ◽  
Pipe Model ◽  
Magnus Effect ◽  
Drilling Operations

Abstract During riserless drilling operations conducted in some scientific drillings and the initial stages of all oil and gas drilling operations, drill pipe motions such as vortex induced vibration, whirl motion, and motion due to the Magnus effect are generated. The last motion represents an interesting and important phenomenon that generates a lift force in addition to a drag force due to the ocean current and the rotation of the drill pipe. Accordingly, this study focuses on the drill pipe motions owing to the Magnus effect. An analytical model of a drill pipe was established by applying an absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF) that can capture the behavior of a relatively flexible and long pipe, such as a drill pipe. The lifting and drag forces are calculated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and the lift and drag coefficients are calculated for several different drill pipe rotational velocities and ocean current velocities. A series of model experiments were conducted in a towing tank, with changing water flow velocities and rotational speed of the drill pipe model to observe the corresponding changes in the Magnus effect and to measure the resulting drill pipe motions. Additionally, the resulting drag and lift forces were measured. It was observed from the experiments that the motions in the cross-flow direction increased as the rotational speed of the drill pipe model increased, and that the lifting force increased as the rotational speed increased. The drill pipe motions were then simulated using a previously established analytical model and the results of the CFD simulations. The results of the simulations were evaluated against the results of the experiments, and reasons for observed discrepancies are discussed.

scholarly journals Numerical study of the cuttings transport by drilling mud in horizontal directional well

2019 ◽  
Vol 1382 ◽  
pp. 012080
Author(s):  
V A Zhigarev ◽  
A V Minakov ◽  
A L Neverov ◽  
M I Pryazhnikov
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Study ◽  
Drilling Mud ◽  
Cuttings Transport

Experimental Investigation of Friction and Hydraulics in Circular and Non-Circular Wellbores With Oil Based Drilling Fluids

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Taghipour ◽  
Bjørnar Lund ◽  
Jan David Ytrehus
Keyword(s):  
Test Section ◽  
Drilling Fluid ◽  
Drilling Fluids ◽  
Drilling Process ◽  
Operational Parameters ◽  
Flow Loop ◽  
Cuttings Transport ◽  
Hole Cleaning ◽  
Experimental Laboratory ◽  
Drilling Operations

Borehole hydraulics, hole cleaning and mechanical friction are important factors for well planning and drilling operations. Many studies aim to exploit and optimize the effect of different operational parameters. The effect of wellbore geometry on hole cleaning and mechanical friction has so far not received much attention. This paper presents results from experimental laboratory tests where hydraulics, hole cleaning and mechanical friction have been investigated for circular and non-circular wellbore geometries with a relevant oil-based field drilling fluid (OBM). The non-circular wellbore geometry was made by adding spiral grooves to the wellbore walls in order to investigate the effects on cuttings transport and mechanical friction. The study contributes to describe the function and ability of deliberately induced non-circular geometry in wellbores as means to achieve a more efficient drilling and well construction. Improving hole cleaning will improve drilling efficiency in general, and will in particular enable longer reach for ERD wells. Reduced mechanical friction may improve the drilling process and many operations during the completion phase. The laboratory experiments were performed in an advanced flow loop setup reproducing field-relevant flow conditions. The flow loop consists of a 10 m long 4” inner diameter borehole made of concrete. A free whirling rotational string with 2” diameter provides a realistic down hole annular geometry. A field-relevant oil based drilling fluid (OBM) was circulated through the test section at different flow rates. To represent the effect of rate of penetration, synthetic drilling cuttings (quartz sand particles) were injected at different rates through the annulus in the horizontal test section. The test results show that borehole hydraulics and cutting transport properties are significantly improved in the non-circular wellbore relative to the circular wellbore. The effect of the mechanical friction is more complex, yet significantly different for the two geometries.

Experimental Investigation of Friction and Hydraulics in Circular and Non-Circular Wellbores With Oil Based Drilling Fluids

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Taghipour ◽  
Bjørnar Lund ◽  
Jan David Ytrehus
Keyword(s):  
Test Section ◽  
Drilling Fluid ◽  
Drilling Fluids ◽  
Drilling Process ◽  
Operational Parameters ◽  
Flow Loop ◽  
Cuttings Transport ◽  
Hole Cleaning ◽  
Experimental Laboratory ◽  
Drilling Operations

Borehole hydraulics, hole cleaning and mechanical friction are important factors for well planning and drilling operations. Many studies aim to exploit and optimize the effect of different operational parameters. The effect of wellbore geometry on hole cleaning and mechanical friction has so far not received much attention. This paper presents results from experimental laboratory tests where hydraulics, hole cleaning and mechanical friction have been investigated for circular and non-circular wellbore geometries with a relevant oil-based field drilling fluid (OBM). The non-circular wellbore geometry was made by adding spiral grooves to the wellbore walls in order to investigate the effects on cuttings transport and mechanical friction. The study contributes to describe the function and ability of deliberately induced non-circular geometry in wellbores as means to achieve a more efficient drilling and well construction. Improving hole cleaning will improve drilling efficiency in general, and will in particular enable longer reach for ERD wells. Reduced mechanical friction may improve the drilling process and many operations during the completion phase. The laboratory experiments were performed in an advanced flow loop setup reproducing field-relevant flow conditions. The flow loop consists of a 10 m long 4″ inner diameter borehole made of concrete. A free whirling rotational string with 2″ diameter provides a realistic down hole annular geometry. A field-relevant oil based drilling fluid (OBM) was circulated through the test section at different flow rates. To represent the effect of rate of penetration, synthetic drilling cuttings (quartz sand particles) were injected at different rates through the annulus in the horizontal test section. The test results show that borehole hydraulics and cutting transport properties are significantly improved in the non-circular wellbore relative to the circular wellbore. The effect of the mechanical friction is more complex, yet significantly different for the two geometries.

Investigating the Jet Comminuting Process in Cuttings Transport by Coupling the CFD/DEM Method and Bonded-Particle Model

SPE Journal ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (05) ◽  
pp. 2020-2032 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongsheng Liu ◽  
Deli Gao ◽  
Xin Li ◽  
Xing Qin ◽  
He Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Effective Means ◽  
Element Model ◽  
Secondary Development ◽  
Particle Model ◽  
Compression Tests ◽  
Cuttings Transport ◽  
Horizontal Drilling ◽  
Bonded Particle Model ◽  
Drilling Operations ◽  
New Perspective

Summary Jet comminuting technology has proved to be an effective means of solid particle pulverization, and current research attempts to introduce it for drilling work to reduce cuttings size, because smaller cuttings are easy to circulate out of the bottom, thus can effectively prevent the formation of cuttings bed, especially in horizontal drilling. In this paper, the feasibility of cuttings’ comminution by jet is studied by means of numerical simulation with secondary development. The coupling analysis methods—including the computational–fluid–dynamics/discrete–element–model (CFD/DEM) modeling for the interaction between fluid and cuttings and the particle replacement and bonding modeling for cuttings breakage—are used to characterize the jet comminuting process of cuttings. Input parameters of simulation are reliable and verified by uniaxial compression tests. Case studies presented here indicate that cuttings can be considerably accelerated by 20 to 30 m/s through the throat, which provides a good effective speed for the cuttings. After being accelerated by the fluid and crushed with the target, the vast majority of cuttings results in smaller debris. Also, increasing the inlet speed affects the crushing efficiency. The inclination of the target at near 65° shows good results. This paper proposes a new perspective to introduce the jet comminuting technique for drilling operations, and its findings could help in guiding engineering design in the future.

scholarly journals Numerical study of cuttings transport by drilling polymer solutions

2020 ◽  
Vol 1565 ◽  
pp. 012092
Author(s):  
A Zhigarev ◽  
A V Minakov ◽  
D V Guzei ◽  
A L Neverov ◽  
Z I Nabizhanov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Polymer Solutions ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Cuttings Transport
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