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Date submitted2022-08-10
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Date accepted2023-02-28
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Date published2024-02-29
Selection of the required number of circulating subs in a special assembly and investigation of their performance during drilling of radial branching channels by sectional positive displacement motors
The task of sludge removal to the surface during construction of directional and horizontal wells and strongly curved radial channels is relevant. For stable operation of technical system “Perfobore”, it is proposed to use a circulating sub that ensures efficient cleaning of channel wellbore from the drilled rock. Two schemes of technical system “Perfobore” are considered, consisting of two seven-meter coiled tubing, a positive displacement motor, a bit and one circulating sub in the first scheme and two subs in the second scheme. For each of the schemes CFD modeling was implemented to determine values of pressure and speed. It was found out that the use of two circulating subs in the assembly is more efficient. In order to confirm the numerical experiment, bench tests were carried out. It was determined that the designed circulating sub can eject up to 25 % of pumped drilling fluid. The bench tests of full-size technical system “Perfobore” for drilling 14-meter channels with two circulating subs showed that the axial load on positive displacement motor produced by hydraulic loader was 3000 N and pressure drop depending on flow rate was 1.5-2.0 MPa. This allows the motor to operate at maximum power.
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Date submitted2022-03-24
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Date accepted2022-07-21
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Date published2022-12-29
A probabilistic study on hole cleaning optimization
- Authors:
- Seyyed Shahab Tabatabaee Moradi
Hole cleaning is considered as one of the most important drilling fluid functions. An efficient hole cleaning ensures a reliable well drilling practice with minimum troublesome problems. In this study, two main steps of hole cleaning, i.e., cuttings removal from under the bit and cuttings transport to the surface are discussed based on the drilling data of a shale formation. The traditional models for optimization of each step are presented. As the models require variety of input data, which are usually subjected to some extent of errors and uncertainties, the output of the model is also an uncertain parameter. Using Monte Carlo simulation, a simple probabilistic study was conducted to quantify the certainty level of the obtained results. Based on the result of this study, it is shown that for the proposed well, a good hole cleaning is expected. However, a more reliable decision for further hole cleaning optimization should be made considering the results of uncertainty analysis.
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Date submitted2022-05-12
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Date accepted2022-09-15
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Date published2022-12-29
Problem solution analysis on finding the velocity distribution for laminar flow of a non-linear viscous flushing fluid in the annular space of a well
- Authors:
- Vasiliy I. Nikitin
Modern drilling fluids are non-linear viscous media with an initial shear stress. In classical scientific works on hydromechanical modeling of drilling fluids motion in pipes and annular channels the Shvedov – Bingham approximation and Ostwald – de Waale power-law model were used, which did not fully account for behavior of technological fluids in a wide range of shear rates. This article presents a numerical solution for a mathematical model of drilling fluid motion of the three-parameter Herschel – Bulkley rheological model in the annular space of the well. The Herschel – Bulkley model in the rheological equation takes into account the presence of initial shear stress and a tendency for viscosity to change with shear rate, which distinguishes it from the Ostwald – de Waale and Shvedov – Bingham models. The target function in solving the equation of motion is the velocity distribution in the radial direction of the upward flow of the flushing fluid. The analysis of obtained solution is based on the theory of velocity profile influence on quality of cuttings removal during wellbore cleaning. Due to peculiarities of mathematical statement of the task, which supposes necessity of differential equation of motion solution, Wolfram Mathematica computational software has been used as a calculation tool. The analysis of numerical solution allowed to draw conclusions about the possibility of its application in evaluation of velocity profile when drilling fluid moves in annular space of the well. The possibility for application of modified excess coefficient as a relative quantitative parameter for evaluation of velocity profile uniformity was substantiated.