Hole cleaning evaluation and installation spacing optimization of cuttings bed remover in extended-reach drilling
), De-Li Gaoa,b()Abstract
In extended-reach or long-horizontal drilling, cuttings usually deposit at the bottom of the annulus. Once cuttings accumulate to a certain thickness, complex problems such as excessive torque and drag, tubing buckling, and pipe stuck probably occur, which results in a lot of non-productive time and remedial operations. Cuttings bed remover can efficiently destroy deposited cuttings in time through hydraulic and mechanical stirring effects. This paper aims to build a method for hole cleaning evaluation and installation spacing optimization of cuttings bed remover to improve the wellbore cleaning effect. Firstly, a Computational Fluid Dynamics approach with Eulerian–Eulerian multiphase model was utilized to investigate the mechanism of cuttings transportation, and a new type of cuttings bed remover was designed. Next, an evaluation method of hole cleaning effect of remover was established. After that, the effects of several drilling parameters on hole cleaning including flow rate of drilling fluid, rotational speed of drillpipe, rate of penetration, wellbore size, rheological property of drilling fluid, and remover eccentricity on the performance of cuttings bed remover were investigated. The results demonstrate that the new type of remover with streamline blade performs better than conventional removers. The efficiency of hole cleaning is greatly improved by increasing the rotational speed of drillpipe, flow rate of drilling fluid, remover eccentricity, and 6 rpm Fann dial reading for drilling fluid. While higher rate of penetration and large wellbore size result in worse hole cleaning. These findings can serve as an important guide for the structure optimization design of cuttings bed remover and installation spacing of removers.
Keywords
References
Amanna, B., Movaghar, M.R.K., 2016. Cuttings transport behavior in directional drilling using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). J. Nat. Gas Sci. Eng. 34, 670-679. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jngse.2016.07.029.
Araoye, A.A., Badr, H.M., Ahmed, W.H., 2017. Investigation of flow through multi-stage restricting orifices. Ann. Nucl. Energy 104, 75-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2017.02.002.
Awad, A.M., Hussein, I.A., Nasser, M.S., et al., 2022. A CFD-RSM study of cuttings transport in non-Newtonian drilling fluids: impact of operational parameters. J. Petrol. Sci. Eng. 208, 109613. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2021.109613.
Brett, J.F., Beckett, A.D., Holt, C.A., et al., 1989. Uses and limitations of drillstring tension and torque models for monitoring hole conditions. SPE Drill. Eng. 4 (3), 223-229. https://doi.org/10.2118/16664-PA.
Busch, A., Johansen, S.T., 2020. Cuttings transport: on the effect of drill pipe rotation and lateral motion on the cuttings bed. J. Petrol. Sci. Eng. 191, 107136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2020.107136.
Chen, X.Y., Gao, D.L., Guo, B.Y., 2016. A method for optimizing jet-mill-bit hydraulics in horizontal drilling. SPE J. 21 (2), 416-422. https://doi.org/10.2118/178436-PA.
Cho, H., Shah, S.N., Osisanya, S.O., 2002. A three-segment hydraulic model for cuttings transport in coiled tubing horizontal and deviated drilling. J. Can. Pet. Technol. 41 (6). https://doi.org/10.2118/02-06-03.
Duan, M.Q., Miska, S., Yu, M.J., et al., 2008. Transport of small cuttings in extended reach drilling. SPE Drill. Complet. 23 (3), 258-265. https://doi.org/10.2118/104192-MS.
Gulraiz, S., Gray, K.E., 2020. Investigating the effects of plug viscosity on annular pressure drop and cuttings transport in a concentric annulus. J. Nat. Gas Sci. Eng. 76, 103210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jngse.2020.103210.
Heydari, O., Sahraei, E., Skalle, P., 2017. Investigating the impact of drillpipe's rotation and eccentricity on cuttings transport phenomenon in various horizontal annuluses using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). J. Petrol. Sci. Eng. 156, 801-813. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2017.06.059.
Hovda, S., 2019. Optimal procedures for lowering and applying weight on the bit when starting to drill. J. Petrol. Sci. Eng. 174, 872-879. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2018.11.034.
Huque, M.M., Butt, S., Zendehboudi, S., et al., 2020. Systematic sensitivity analysis of cuttings transport in drilling operation using computational fluid dynamics approach. J. Nat. Gas Sci. Eng. 81, 103386. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jngse.2020.103386.
Li, J., Walker, S., 2001. Sensitivity analysis of hole cleaning parameters in directional wells. SPE J. 6 (4), 356-363. https://doi.org/10.2118/74710-PA.
Mahmoud, H., Hamza, A., Nasser, M.S., et al., 2020. Hole cleaning and drilling fluid sweeps in horizontal and deviated wells: comprehensive review. J. Petrol. Sci. Eng. 186, 106748. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2019.106748.
Miao, H., Qiu, Z., Dokhani, V., et al., 2023. Numerical modeling of transient cuttings transport in deviated wellbores. Geoenergy Sci. Eng., 211875. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoen.2023.211875.
Ofei, T.N., Irawan, S., Pao, W., 2015. Drilling parameter effects on cuttings transport in horizontal wellbores: a review. ICIPEG 2014, 199-207. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-368-2_18.
Pang, B.X., Wang, S.Y., Lu, C.L., et al., 2019. Investigation of cuttings transport in directional and horizontal drilling wellbores injected with pulsed drilling fluid using CFD approach. Tunn. Undergr. Space Technol. 90, 183-193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tust.2019.05.001.
Ramadan, Ahmed, Munawar, et al., 2011. Experimental studies on the effect of mechanical cleaning devices on annular-cuttings concentration. J. Petrol. Technol. 63 (2), 45-46. https://doi.org/10.2118/134269-MS.
Rooki, R., Ardejani, F.D., Moradzadeh, et al., 2015. CFD simulation of rheological model effect on cuttings transport. J. Dispersion Sci. Technol. 36 (3), 402-410. https://doi.org/10.1080/01932691.2014.896219.
Sun, B.J., Xiang, H.F., Li, H., et al., 2017. Modeling of the critical deposition velocity of cuttings in an inclined-slimhole annulus. SPE J. 22 (4), 1213-1224. https://doi.org/10.2118/185168-PA.
Sun, X., Wang, K., Yan, T., et al., 2014. Effect of drillpipe rotation on cuttings transport using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in complex structure wells. J. Pet. Explor. Prod. Technol. 4, 255-261. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13202-014-0118-x.
Van Wachem, B.G.M., Almstedt, A.E., 2003. Methods for multiphase computational fluid dynamics. Chem. Eng. J. 96 (1–3), 81-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2003.08.025.
Wang, G., Dong, M., Wang, Z., et al., 2022. Removing cuttings from inclined and horizontal wells: numerical analysis of the required drilling fluid rheology and flow rate. J. Nat. Gas Sci. Eng. 102, 104544. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jngse.2022.104544.
Wang, H.G., Liu, X.S., Li, H.Q., et al., 1995. An experimental study of transport of drilling cutting in a horizontal well. Acta Petrol. Sin. 16 (4), 125-132. https://doi.org/10.7623/syxb199504018.
Wang, Z.M., Long, Z.H., 2010. Study on three-layer unsteady model of cuttings transport for extended-reach well. J. Petrol. Sci. Eng. 73 (1–2), 171-180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2010.05.020.
Yan, T., Qu, J.Y., Sun, X.F., et al., 2020. Numerical investigation on horizontal wellbore hole cleaning with a four-lobed drill pipe using CFD-DEM method. Powder Technol. 375, 249-261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2020.07.103.
Yan, T., Qu, J.Y., Sun, X.F., et al., 2019. Investigation on horizontal and deviated wellbore cleanout by hole cleaning device using CFD approach. Enegry Sci. Eng. 7 (4), 1292-1305. https://doi.org/10.1002/ese3.346.
Yan, T., Wang, K., Sun, X.F., et al., 2014. State-of-the-art hole-cleaning techniques in complex structure wells. Recent Pat. Eng. 8 (1), 50-57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2014.05.047.
Zhou, J.W., Du, C.L., Ma, Z.L., 2018. Influence of swirling intensity on lump coal particle pickup velocity in pneumatic conveying. Powder Technol. 339, 470-478. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2018.08.043.
京公网安备11010802044758号