Experimental Evaluation of the Lateral Contact Force in Horizontal Wells

2000 ◽  
Vol 122 (3) ◽  
pp. 123-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Martinez ◽  
Stefan Miska ◽  
Ergun Kuru ◽  
James Sorem

In horizontal and extended reach drilling, a large frictional drag may occur. If the pipe buckles laterally or into a helical shape, additional lateral contact force, LCF, is developed between the pipe and the wellbore wall, increasing the drag force. This paper presents the results of an experimental study of the lateral contact force between the drill pipe and the wellbore wall, for helical pipe configuration. Comparison of the experimental results with the current analytical models is also presented. A horizontal well was simulated using a 2-in-dia hole, 86-ft long, and three different sizes of pipe. Two different techniques were used to measure the lateral contact force. Results from both techniques seem to be in good agreement. The comparison with the current analytical models shows that higher values are predicted. The results will find application in directional drilling, horizontal drilling, and coiled tubing operations. [S0195-0738(00)00603-8]

Author(s):  
Catalin Teodoriu ◽  
Arash Asgharzadeh

Petroleum engineers are aware of the advantages of directional and horizontal wells. In case of intermediate deep wells, the preference is the customary solution, in which a well is drilled vertically to the kick off point, and then moved directionally to the reservoir level. Nowadays, due to the advent of extended reach drilling, this approach does not satisfy the meant goal anymore. In extended reach drilling, the concern lies on the drill pipe’s strength. Because of the great depth of the borehole, the torque and tension below the drill floor increase and could reach the drill pipe’s strength. Therefore, in order to extend the wellbore reach, it is necessary to minimize the torque and drag. Several authors have mentioned that catenary profile may help reduce torque and drag. The purpose of the paper is to analyze the mechanics of the drill string, and to understand the stress distribution along the drill string and the geometry of the well configurations while bringing the borehole from a vertical to a horizontal position. . This will be achieved by means of an analytical comparison between the catenary profiles and the conventional well configurations. A novel catenary profile which improves the previous models is also presented in this paper. The modified catenary has a larger curvature of the drill string; particularly in the upper parts of the borehole the bending stresses are small. The modified catenary profile, which resembles a free hanging cable, can be a novel method in directional drilling of deep and extended reach wells. Thus, the build rate in the modified catenary is being continuously increased until it reaches the desired position. It is different from conventional methods used especially in horizontal drilling to connect the vertical and the horizontal section, where the build rate is kept constant. The focus of this paper lies on the study of catenary’s geometry as a complex well path and the induced stress. Different approaches are used and compared.


Author(s):  
Dundie Prasetyo ◽  
Ratnayu Sitaresmi ◽  
Suryo Prakoso

<p>Horizontal drilling technique is one of the methodologies that have been widely implemented recently to improve the production of oil and gas wells. Several directional drilling technologies can be utilized to drill the horizontal wells, vary from the simple mud motor technology to Bottom Hole Assembly (BHA) with the advanced motorized rotary steerable system. The most common challenges that are faced on horizontal drilling process are on the torque and the stick-slip throughout drilling process, which can be a technical limiter for the length of horizontal section that would be achieved. Stick-slip is the vibration <br />that occurs due to cyclical rotation acceleration and deceleration of the bit, BHA or drill string. This speed fluctuation can be zero to rate of penetration (ROP) or far in excess of twice the rotational speed measured at the surface. Stick-slip can significantly decrease the ROP, increases tool failures and damage, affects borehole quality, and impacts the data acquisition. Several studies had been done on the stick-slip prevention and mitigation throughout creation of new technology and drilling parameters envelope throughout drilling operation, however no study has ever been done on the modification of the design and <br />arrangement of the BHA itself to produce more stable BHA. Drill pipe is the longest component of the drill string and hence it has biggest contribution towards the drill string dynamic. This study will focus on the analysis of the combination of several designs of the drill-pipe and heavy weight drill-pipe (HWDP) that has different stiffness and characteristic to produce less <br />vibration, more efficient drilling operation and to create zero impact on the data acquisition measured while drilling. FEA drilling dynamic simulator was used to optimize the drill sting configuration. The calculation is made from the depth of 750 m to 2801 m. Based on the drilling simulation results of FEA modeling, it is concluded that the minimum stiffness ratio to give stability of the drill string of Well-Z7 BHA and Well-Z6 BHA is 0.012175272 and 0.07366999, respectively.</p>


Author(s):  
Saeed Delara ◽  
Kendra MacKay

Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) has become the preferred method for trenchless pipeline installations. Drilling pressures must be limited and a “no-drill zone” determined to avoid exceeding the strength of surrounding soil and rock. The currently accepted industry method of calculating hydraulic fracturing limiting pressure with application of an arbitrary safety factor contains several assumptions that are often not applicable to specific ground conditions. There is also no standard procedure for safety factor determination, resulting in detrimental impacts on drilling operations. This paper provides an analysis of the standard methods and proposes two alternative analytical models to more accurately determine the hydraulic fracture point and acceptable drilling pressure. These alternative methods provide greater understanding of the interaction between the drilling pressures and the surrounding ground strength properties. This allows for more accurate determination of horizontal directional drilling limitations. A comparison is presented to determine the differences in characteristics and assumptions for each model. The impact of specific soil properties and factors is investigated by means of a sensitivity analysis to determine the most critical soil information for each model.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 2743-2761
Author(s):  
Caetano P. S. Andrade ◽  
J. Luis Saavedra ◽  
Andrzej Tunkiel ◽  
Dan Sui

AbstractDirectional drilling is a common and essential procedure of major extended reach drilling operations. With the development of directional drilling technologies, the percentage of recoverable oil production has increased. However, its challenges, like real-time bit steering, directional drilling tools selection and control, are main barriers leading to low drilling efficiency and high nonproductive time. The fact inspires this study. Our work aims to contribute to the better understanding of directional drilling, more specifically regarding rotary steerable system (RSS) technology. For instance, finding the solutions of the technological challenges involved in RSSs, such as bit steering control, bit position calculation and bit speed estimation, is the main considerations of our study. Classical definitions from fundamental physics including Newton’s third law, beam bending analysis, bit force analysis, rate of penetration (ROP) modeling are employed to estimate bit position and then conduct RSS control to steer the bit accordingly. The results are illustrated in case study with the consideration of the 2D and 3D wellbore scenarios.


2021 ◽  
Vol 248 ◽  
pp. 03050
Author(s):  
Gao Jun

As the core accoutrement of directional drilling construction, the measurement while drilling (MWD) device can be divided into three types due to the different data transmission methods: wired, mud pulse and electromagnetic wave. This paper used the mud pulse method to develop a mud pulse MWD device for mines, and the working principle of the mud pulse signal transmission, the signal encoding method and the structure of the device were described. Experimental research showed that the mud pulse wireless MWD device had the advantages of long transmission distance and strong working stability. At the same time, the device was not restricted by the drill pipe during operation, which could be combined with sliding orientation and rotary feed, and had great promotion and application value.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manchukarn Naknaka ◽  
Trinh Dinh Phu ◽  
Khamawat Siritheerasas ◽  
Pattarapong Prasongtham ◽  
Feras Abu-Jafar ◽  
...  

Abstract The objective of this research is to describe the methodology used to drill the most extended reach well (ERD) in the Gulf of Thailand. The Jasmine field is a mature, sophisticated, oil field with many shallow reservoir targets that require a minimum 10,000ft horizontal displacement. As such, the main challenges faced, and the novel technology applied is described in detail by this research. The research is an example of successfully drilling a challenging well, safely and efficiently. The Jasmine C – Well X, is a 3-string design structure with an 11-3/4in top hole, an 8-1/2in intermediate section, and a 6-1/8in reservoir horizontal section. Well X was constructed by utilizing an existing platform well slot. The challenge involved drilling from the top hole to the kickoff point and directional drilling away from the casing stump of the existing well to avoid any collision with nearby wells emanating from the Jasmine C platform. The 8-1/2in hole section was the most important segment as it had to reach the landing point precisely in order to start the 6-1/8in section for GeoSteering in the reservoir section. The 8-1/2in section encountered three challenges that could affect drilling efficiency.Directional Drilling – The complexities of the well profile:The method involved making well inclination (INC) lower than 82deg in the tangent interval in order to reduce the well's tortuosity as much as possible.Hole condition – Hole cleaning and fluid losses control:The method involved the use of Low Toxicity Oil Based Mud (LTOBM) CaCO3 system, the chemical elements in the drilling fluid system could help to seal the high permeable zones.Drilling Engineering – Torque and Drag (T&D) control:The method taked into account the 7in casing run to the bottom of the hole, which the casing driven system did not allow for rotation The well was completed successfully without any additional trips. A Total Depth (TD) was of 13,052ftMD was achieved to reach reservoirs at 3,260ft TVDSS. It was therefore announced in 2019 as a new ERD record for Mubadala Thailand (ERD ratio = 3.26, Directional Difficulty Index (DDI) = 6.95). The top hole and 9-5/8in casing were set in the right depth. An 8-1/2in section was accomplished on the planned trajectory with an average on bottom Rate of Penetration (ROP) at 319 ft/hr. The 6-1/8in section was drilled by geosteering to achieve sub-surface objectives. A total of 2,143ft intervals inside the reservoir was successfully achieved. While drilling, lost circulation events occured, but the mud system was conditioned with Lost Circulation Materials (LCM). Therefore, drilling performance was unaffected. Moreover, the Bit's Total Flow Area (TFA) and Rotary steering systems (RSS) flow restrictor was configured to allow directional drilling at a very low Flow rate of 470gpm. Addition, 30 joints of 5-1/2in Heavy Weight Drill Pipe (HWDP) and 39 joints of 4in HWDP were added into the Bottom Hole Assembly (BHA) to transfer string weight to drill bitsand drill to well TD. As complexities of the well profile were fully aware, the casing was runned and minimized the open hole friction until the casing was deployed successfully. In the Gulf of Thailand, drilling the longest ERD well in a shallow True Vertical Depth (TVD) was clearly groundbreaking and entailed the successful management of the key operational challenges related to identification, job planning, design, technology selection, and implementation. This research illuminates the challenges and technical solutions of long ERD well and serves as an example of what can be achieved in the region and globally.


2014 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 329
Author(s):  
Mohammadreza Kamyab ◽  
Nelson Chin ◽  
Vamegh Rasouli ◽  
Soren Soe ◽  
Swapan Mandal

Coiled tubing (CT) technology has long been used in the oil and gas industry for workover and stimulation applications; however, the application of this technology for drilling operations has also been used more recently. Faster tripping, less operational time, continuous and safer operation, and the requirement for fewer crew members are some of the advantages that make CT a good technique for drilling specially deviated wells, in particular, in unconventional reservoirs for the purpose of improved recovery. Cuttings transport in deviated and horizontal wells is one of the challenges in directional drilling as it is influenced by different parameters including fluid velocity, density and rheological properties, as well as hole deviation angle, annulus geometry and particle sizes. To understand the transportation of the cuttings in the annulus space, therefore, it is useful to perform physical simulations. In this study the effect of wellbore angle and fluid rheological properties were investigated physically using a flow loop that has been developed recently for this purpose. The minimum transportation velocity was measured at different angles and an analysis was performed to study the fluid carrying capacity and hole cleaning efficiency. The results indicated how the change in wellbore angle could change the cuttings transport efficiency.


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