Lost circulation materials (LCMs) are essential to combat fluid loss while drilling and may put the whole operation at risk if a proper LCM design is not used. The focus of this research is understanding the function of LCMs in sealing fractures to reduce fluid loss. One important consideration in the success of fracture sealing is the particle-size distribution (PSD) of LCMs. Various studies have suggested different guidelines for obtaining the best size distribution of LCMs for effective fracture sealing based on limited laboratory experiments or field observations. Hence, there is a need for sophisticated numerical methods to improve the LCM design by providing some predictive capabilities. In this study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and discrete element methods (DEM) numerical simulations are coupled to investigate the influence of PSD of granular LCMs on fracture sealing. Dimensionless variables were introduced to compare cases with different PSDs. We validated the CFD-DEM model in reproducing specific laboratory observations of fracture-sealing experiments within the model boundary parameters. Our simulations suggested that a bimodally distributed blend would be the most effective design in comparison to other PSDs tested here.
{"title":"Assessment of Lost Circulation Material Particle-Size Distribution on Fracture Sealing: A Numerical Study","authors":"L. Lee, A. Dahi Taleghani","doi":"10.2118/209201-pa","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2118/209201-pa","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Lost circulation materials (LCMs) are essential to combat fluid loss while drilling and may put the whole operation at risk if a proper LCM design is not used. The focus of this research is understanding the function of LCMs in sealing fractures to reduce fluid loss. One important consideration in the success of fracture sealing is the particle-size distribution (PSD) of LCMs. Various studies have suggested different guidelines for obtaining the best size distribution of LCMs for effective fracture sealing based on limited laboratory experiments or field observations. Hence, there is a need for sophisticated numerical methods to improve the LCM design by providing some predictive capabilities. In this study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and discrete element methods (DEM) numerical simulations are coupled to investigate the influence of PSD of granular LCMs on fracture sealing. Dimensionless variables were introduced to compare cases with different PSDs. We validated the CFD-DEM model in reproducing specific laboratory observations of fracture-sealing experiments within the model boundary parameters. Our simulations suggested that a bimodally distributed blend would be the most effective design in comparison to other PSDs tested here.","PeriodicalId":51165,"journal":{"name":"SPE Drilling & Completion","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48955805","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marc E. Willerth, Briana Dodson, Kelton McCue, M. Farrag
Appropriate selection of a bottomhole assembly (BHA) is critical to the success of a drilling operation. In US land drilling, these assemblies are often selected using local heuristics rather than rigorous analysis. These heuristics are frequently derived from the incentives of the directional contractor as opposed to incentives for the operator. Large motor bends enable more rotation through the curve and reduce the possibility of tripping for build rates. Unstabilized motors are believed to aid sliding and tool face control. Both of these practices lead to drilling a more tortuous wellbore and may cause problems later in the well’s life. This study quantifies the impact of these practices and proposes alternatives that can balance the needs of directional companies with the desire of operators for high-quality wellbores. More than 60 conventional motor assemblies used to drill curves in the Eagle Ford and Permian basins were analyzed for directional performance using commercial drillstring analysis software. The sliding and rotary tendencies were modeled through the curve across a range of potential drilling conditions. Expected build-rate models were validated by comparison to the maximum achieved doglegs in the directional surveys. When available, additional validation was performed using motor yields calculated from slide sheets. The validated models were compared to the dogleg severity (DLS) requirements for each assembly’s respective well plan. Comparisons of slide ratios and slide/rotate tendencies of the BHAs were used to estimate the impact on wellbore quality using the tortuosity metric proposed by Jamieson (2019). Typical well plans for both basins had curves of 10° per 100 ft with no well plan greater than 12° per 100 ft. Typical BHAs were capable of >15° per 100 ft under normal sliding conditions, with some assemblies capable of >20° per 100 ft of build. Predicted build rates were validated by slide sheets and observed DLSs. Common characteristics among assemblies with excess capacity were high-bend angles (≥2°) and minimal stabilization. These understabilized assemblies exhibited unstable rotary tendencies across a range of drilling parameters. The combination of high-build rates with rotary drop masks the true level of tortuosity in a wellbore, leading to an underestimation of unwanted curvature. A minority of the assemblies used a lower motor bend angle (<2°) combined with multiple stabilizers. These assemblies had a more consistent directional capability throughout the curve and exhibited stable behavior in rotation. The success of these assemblies confirms that there is potential for tailoring BHA designs to improve wellbore quality without compromising the technical objectives of the well. As increasing attention is afforded to the topic of wellbore quality, it is important to have methods available to technically achieve high-quality wellbores. In addition to the management of drilling practices, it is also important to
适当选择底部钻具组合（BHA）对钻井作业的成功至关重要。在美国陆地钻探中，通常使用局部启发式方法而不是严格分析来选择这些组件。这些启发法通常来源于定向承包商的激励，而不是运营商的激励。大型电机弯曲可使曲线旋转更多，并降低因构建速率而跳闸的可能性。不稳定电机被认为有助于滑动和工具面控制。这两种做法都会导致钻探更曲折的井筒，并可能在井的使用寿命后期造成问题。这项研究量化了这些做法的影响，并提出了可以平衡定向公司的需求和运营商对高质量井筒的渴望的替代方案。使用商业钻柱分析软件对Eagle Ford和二叠纪盆地中用于钻曲线的60多个常规电机组件进行了定向性能分析。滑动和旋转趋势通过一系列潜在钻井条件下的曲线进行建模。通过与定向调查中实现的最大狗腿进行比较，验证了预期建造率模型。在可用的情况下，使用根据幻灯片计算的电机产量进行额外验证。将经验证的模型与每个组件各自井计划的狗腿严重程度（DLS）要求进行比较。使用Jamieson（2019）提出的弯曲度指标，对BHA的滑动比和滑动/旋转趋势进行比较，以估计对井筒质量的影响。两个盆地的典型井平面图的曲线均为每100英尺10°，没有大于每100英尺12°的井平面图。在正常滑动条件下，典型BHA的弯曲度大于每100 ft 15°，一些组件的弯曲度小于每100 ft 20°。预测的构建率通过幻灯片和观察到的DLS进行了验证。具有过剩容量的组件的共同特征是高弯曲角度（≥2°）和最小稳定性。这些人手不足的组件在一系列钻井参数中表现出不稳定的旋转趋势。高建造速率与旋转下降的结合掩盖了井筒中真实的弯曲程度，导致低估了不必要的曲率。少数组件使用了较低的电机弯曲角度（<2°）和多个稳定器。这些组件在整个曲线上具有更一致的定向能力，并在旋转中表现出稳定的行为。这些组件的成功证实了在不影响油井技术目标的情况下，有可能调整BHA设计以提高井筒质量。随着人们对井筒质量的日益关注，重要的是要有可用的方法来从技术上实现高质量的井筒。除了钻井实践的管理外，具有适当的BHA设计也很重要，以实现这些实践。
{"title":"When Slick Is Not Smooth: Bottomhole Assembly Selection and Its Impact on Wellbore Quality","authors":"Marc E. Willerth, Briana Dodson, Kelton McCue, M. Farrag","doi":"10.2118/204129-pa","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2118/204129-pa","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Appropriate selection of a bottomhole assembly (BHA) is critical to the success of a drilling operation. In US land drilling, these assemblies are often selected using local heuristics rather than rigorous analysis. These heuristics are frequently derived from the incentives of the directional contractor as opposed to incentives for the operator. Large motor bends enable more rotation through the curve and reduce the possibility of tripping for build rates. Unstabilized motors are believed to aid sliding and tool face control. Both of these practices lead to drilling a more tortuous wellbore and may cause problems later in the well’s life. This study quantifies the impact of these practices and proposes alternatives that can balance the needs of directional companies with the desire of operators for high-quality wellbores.\u0000 More than 60 conventional motor assemblies used to drill curves in the Eagle Ford and Permian basins were analyzed for directional performance using commercial drillstring analysis software. The sliding and rotary tendencies were modeled through the curve across a range of potential drilling conditions. Expected build-rate models were validated by comparison to the maximum achieved doglegs in the directional surveys. When available, additional validation was performed using motor yields calculated from slide sheets. The validated models were compared to the dogleg severity (DLS) requirements for each assembly’s respective well plan. Comparisons of slide ratios and slide/rotate tendencies of the BHAs were used to estimate the impact on wellbore quality using the tortuosity metric proposed by Jamieson (2019).\u0000 Typical well plans for both basins had curves of 10° per 100 ft with no well plan greater than 12° per 100 ft. Typical BHAs were capable of >15° per 100 ft under normal sliding conditions, with some assemblies capable of >20° per 100 ft of build. Predicted build rates were validated by slide sheets and observed DLSs. Common characteristics among assemblies with excess capacity were high-bend angles (≥2°) and minimal stabilization. These understabilized assemblies exhibited unstable rotary tendencies across a range of drilling parameters. The combination of high-build rates with rotary drop masks the true level of tortuosity in a wellbore, leading to an underestimation of unwanted curvature. A minority of the assemblies used a lower motor bend angle (<2°) combined with multiple stabilizers. These assemblies had a more consistent directional capability throughout the curve and exhibited stable behavior in rotation. The success of these assemblies confirms that there is potential for tailoring BHA designs to improve wellbore quality without compromising the technical objectives of the well.\u0000 As increasing attention is afforded to the topic of wellbore quality, it is important to have methods available to technically achieve high-quality wellbores. In addition to the management of drilling practices, it is also important to ","PeriodicalId":51165,"journal":{"name":"SPE Drilling & Completion","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48423378","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
In difficult wellbores, the traditional method for deploying liners was to run drillpipe. The case studies discussed in this paper detail an alternative method to deploy liners in a single trip on the tieback string so the operator can reduce the overall costs of deployment. Previously, this was not often practical because the tieback string weight could not overcome the wellbore friction in horizontal applications. In each case, a flotation collar is required to ensure there is enough hookload for the deployment of the liner system. The flotation collars used are an interventionless design using a tempered glass barrier that shatters at a predetermined applied pressure. The glass debris is between 5 and 10 mm in diameter and can be easily circulated through the well without damaging downhole components. This is done commonly on a cemented liner and cemented monobore installations, but more rarely with openhole multistage completions. The authors of this paper have overseen thousands of cemented applications of this technology in Western Canada, the US onshore, Latin America, and the Middle East. For openhole multistage completions, the initial installation typically requires a ball drop activation tool at the bottom of the well to set the hydraulically activated equipment above. The effects of circulating the glass debris through one specific style of activation tool were investigated. Activation tools typically have a limited flow area and could prematurely close if the glass debris accumulates. Premature closing of the tool would leave drilling fluids in contact with the reservoir, potentially harming production. The testing was successfully completed, and the activation tool showed no signs of loading. This resulted in a full-scale trial in the field, where a 52-stage, openhole multistage fracturing liner was deployed using this technology. Through close collaboration with the operator, an acceptable procedure was established to safely circulate the glass debris and further limit the risk of prematurely closing the activation tool. This paper discusses the openhole and cemented multistage fracturing completion deployment challenges, laboratory testing, and field qualification trials for the single trip deployed system. It also highlights operational procedures and best practices when deploying the system in this fashion.
{"title":"Single Trip Deployment of Multistage Completion Liners Through the Use of Interventionless Flotation Collars","authors":"W. Tait, M. Munawar","doi":"10.2118/205957-pa","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2118/205957-pa","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 In difficult wellbores, the traditional method for deploying liners was to run drillpipe. The case studies discussed in this paper detail an alternative method to deploy liners in a single trip on the tieback string so the operator can reduce the overall costs of deployment. Previously, this was not often practical because the tieback string weight could not overcome the wellbore friction in horizontal applications.\u0000 In each case, a flotation collar is required to ensure there is enough hookload for the deployment of the liner system. The flotation collars used are an interventionless design using a tempered glass barrier that shatters at a predetermined applied pressure. The glass debris is between 5 and 10 mm in diameter and can be easily circulated through the well without damaging downhole components. This is done commonly on a cemented liner and cemented monobore installations, but more rarely with openhole multistage completions. The authors of this paper have overseen thousands of cemented applications of this technology in Western Canada, the US onshore, Latin America, and the Middle East. For openhole multistage completions, the initial installation typically requires a ball drop activation tool at the bottom of the well to set the hydraulically activated equipment above.\u0000 The effects of circulating the glass debris through one specific style of activation tool were investigated. Activation tools typically have a limited flow area and could prematurely close if the glass debris accumulates. Premature closing of the tool would leave drilling fluids in contact with the reservoir, potentially harming production. The testing was successfully completed, and the activation tool showed no signs of loading. This resulted in a full-scale trial in the field, where a 52-stage, openhole multistage fracturing liner was deployed using this technology.\u0000 Through close collaboration with the operator, an acceptable procedure was established to safely circulate the glass debris and further limit the risk of prematurely closing the activation tool. This paper discusses the openhole and cemented multistage fracturing completion deployment challenges, laboratory testing, and field qualification trials for the single trip deployed system. It also highlights operational procedures and best practices when deploying the system in this fashion.","PeriodicalId":51165,"journal":{"name":"SPE Drilling & Completion","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42967067","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Temperature change and the pressure/volume/temperature (PVT) response of wellbore annular fluids are the primary variables that control annular pressure buildup in offshore wells. Though the physics of annular pressure buildup is well understood, there is some ambiguity in the PVT models of brines. While custom tests can be performed to determine the PVT response of brines, they are time-consuming and expensive. In this light, our paper presents a method to determine the density of brines from their chemical composition, as a function of pressure and temperature. It compares theoretical predictions with the results of tests on brines used in our industry and available test data from the oil and gas and other industries. In 1987, Kemp and Thomas used the principles of chemical thermodynamics to develop equations for the density of brines as a function of pressure and temperature and their electrolytic actions. However, their paper contained two (inadvertent, and probably typographical) errors. One of the errors lay in the set of the Debye-Hückel parameters, and the other was contained in the coefficients of the series expansion for the infinite dilution molal volume. Furthermore, they (inadvertently) did not mention the role of a crucial parameter that accounts for the interaction between the ionic constituents of the salt. As a result, nearly a generation of engineers in our industry has been unable to reproduce their valuable results or apply their technically rigorous results to other brine chemistries. In this paper, we return to the basic equations of chemical thermodynamics and the principles of stoichiometry and delineate the inadvertent errors that had crept into the Kemp and Thomas equations. We then present the rectified equations and reproduce their example with the corrected results. Further, we compare the predictions from the original Kemp and Thomas work with results from a leading chemical engineering model. Finally, we compare the results of theoretical models with test measurements from the laboratory and characterize the uncertainty inherent in each model. Thereby, we have rendered the Kemp and Thomas (1987) model useful to the well design community.
井筒环空流体的温度变化和压力/体积/温度(PVT)响应是控制海上油井环空压力形成的主要变量。虽然环空压力积累的物理原理已经被很好地理解了，但是在盐水的PVT模型中仍然存在一些不明确的地方。虽然可以执行定制测试来确定盐水的PVT响应，但它们既耗时又昂贵。在这种情况下，我们的论文提出了一种方法，以确定其化学成分的密度，作为压力和温度的函数。它将理论预测与我们行业中使用的盐水测试结果以及石油、天然气和其他行业的现有测试数据进行比较。1987年，肯普和托马斯利用化学热力学原理，建立了盐水密度随压力、温度及其电解作用的函数方程。然而，他们的论文中有两个(可能是无意的，可能是排版上的)错误。其中一个误差存在于debye - h ckel参数集合中，另一个误差存在于无限稀释摩尔体积的级数展开系数中。此外，他们(无意中)没有提到一个关键参数的作用，这个参数解释了盐的离子成分之间的相互作用。因此，我们行业的近一代工程师无法重现他们有价值的结果，也无法将他们严格的技术结果应用于其他卤水化学。在本文中，我们回到化学热力学的基本方程和化学计量学的原理，并描述了无意中潜入肯普和托马斯方程的错误。然后，我们给出了修正后的方程，并用修正后的结果再现了它们的例子。此外，我们将Kemp和Thomas最初的预测与一个领先的化学工程模型的结果进行了比较。最后，我们将理论模型的结果与实验室的测试测量结果进行了比较，并描述了每个模型中固有的不确定性。因此，我们使Kemp和Thomas(1987)模型对井设计社区有用。
{"title":"Thermodynamic Basis of Brine Density on Pressure, Temperature, and Chemical Composition in Ultrahigh Pressure/High Temperature Environments","authors":"S. Rahman, U. B. Sathuvalli, P. Suryanarayana","doi":"10.2118/199563-pa","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2118/199563-pa","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Temperature change and the pressure/volume/temperature (PVT) response of wellbore annular fluids are the primary variables that control annular pressure buildup in offshore wells. Though the physics of annular pressure buildup is well understood, there is some ambiguity in the PVT models of brines. While custom tests can be performed to determine the PVT response of brines, they are time-consuming and expensive. In this light, our paper presents a method to determine the density of brines from their chemical composition, as a function of pressure and temperature. It compares theoretical predictions with the results of tests on brines used in our industry and available test data from the oil and gas and other industries.\u0000 In 1987, Kemp and Thomas used the principles of chemical thermodynamics to develop equations for the density of brines as a function of pressure and temperature and their electrolytic actions. However, their paper contained two (inadvertent, and probably typographical) errors. One of the errors lay in the set of the Debye-Hückel parameters, and the other was contained in the coefficients of the series expansion for the infinite dilution molal volume. Furthermore, they (inadvertently) did not mention the role of a crucial parameter that accounts for the interaction between the ionic constituents of the salt. As a result, nearly a generation of engineers in our industry has been unable to reproduce their valuable results or apply their technically rigorous results to other brine chemistries.\u0000 In this paper, we return to the basic equations of chemical thermodynamics and the principles of stoichiometry and delineate the inadvertent errors that had crept into the Kemp and Thomas equations. We then present the rectified equations and reproduce their example with the corrected results. Further, we compare the predictions from the original Kemp and Thomas work with results from a leading chemical engineering model. Finally, we compare the results of theoretical models with test measurements from the laboratory and characterize the uncertainty inherent in each model. Thereby, we have rendered the Kemp and Thomas (1987) model useful to the well design community.","PeriodicalId":51165,"journal":{"name":"SPE Drilling & Completion","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47486835","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Dikshit, V. Agnihotri, Mike Plooy, Amrendra Kumar, Seymur Gurbanov, Valeria Erives, Abhinandan Tripathi
Integrating a flow control sliding sleeve into a sand screen can provide multiple advantages to the user in controlling the production inflow, but it comes with an increased completion cost as well as an increase in the number of interventions required when it is time to operate those valves. Especially in long horizontal wells, this can become time-consuming and inefficient. A few technologies exist to address this issue, but they either are too complex or require specialized rigging equipment at the wellsite, which is not desirable. As described herein, a unique, fit-for-application modular sliding sleeve sand screen assembly with dissolvable plugs was developed that eliminates the need for washpipe during run-in-hole (RIH) and allows flow control from several screens by means of a single sliding sleeve door (SSD), thereby also optimizing the subsequent intervention operations by reducing the number of SSDs in the well. The design and field installation of these modular screens is presented in this paper. The new modular sand screen consisted of an upper joint, modular middle joint, modular middle joint with an inflow control device (ICD) integrated into an SSD (with optional dissolvable plugs), a lower joint, and novel field-installable flow couplings between them. The design allows for any number of non-ICD/SSD screen joints to be connected to any number of ICD/SSD joints in any order. A computer-aided design was followed to achieve all the operational and mechanical requirements. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to optimize the flow performance characteristics. Prototypes were manufactured and tested before conducting successful field trials. The design process, development, and field installation results are presented herein.
{"title":"Novel Active Inflow Control Technology for Optimized Flow and Reduced Intervention","authors":"A. Dikshit, V. Agnihotri, Mike Plooy, Amrendra Kumar, Seymur Gurbanov, Valeria Erives, Abhinandan Tripathi","doi":"10.2118/206343-pa","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2118/206343-pa","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Integrating a flow control sliding sleeve into a sand screen can provide multiple advantages to the user in controlling the production inflow, but it comes with an increased completion cost as well as an increase in the number of interventions required when it is time to operate those valves. Especially in long horizontal wells, this can become time-consuming and inefficient. A few technologies exist to address this issue, but they either are too complex or require specialized rigging equipment at the wellsite, which is not desirable. As described herein, a unique, fit-for-application modular sliding sleeve sand screen assembly with dissolvable plugs was developed that eliminates the need for washpipe during run-in-hole (RIH) and allows flow control from several screens by means of a single sliding sleeve door (SSD), thereby also optimizing the subsequent intervention operations by reducing the number of SSDs in the well. The design and field installation of these modular screens is presented in this paper. The new modular sand screen consisted of an upper joint, modular middle joint, modular middle joint with an inflow control device (ICD) integrated into an SSD (with optional dissolvable plugs), a lower joint, and novel field-installable flow couplings between them. The design allows for any number of non-ICD/SSD screen joints to be connected to any number of ICD/SSD joints in any order. A computer-aided design was followed to achieve all the operational and mechanical requirements. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to optimize the flow performance characteristics. Prototypes were manufactured and tested before conducting successful field trials. The design process, development, and field installation results are presented herein.","PeriodicalId":51165,"journal":{"name":"SPE Drilling & Completion","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43773914","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This study consists of an assessment of the ecological accident implicating the Continental Intercalaire-11 (CI-11) water well located in Jemna oasis, southern Tunisia. The CI-11 ecological accident manifested in 2014 with a local increase of the complex terminal (CT) shallow water table salinity and temperature. Then, this phenomenon started to spread over the region of Jemna, progressively implicating farther wells. The first investigation task consisted of logging the CI-11 well. The results revealed an impairment of the casing and cement of a huge part of the 9⅝ in. production casing. Historical production records show that the problems seem to have started in 1996 when a sudden production loss rate occurred. These deficiencies led to the CI mass-water flowing behind the casing from the CI to the CT aquifers. This ecological accident is technically called internal blowout, where water flows from the overpressurized CI groundwater to the shallower CT groundwater. Indeed, the upward CI hot-water flow dissolved salts from the encountered evaporite-rich formations of the Lower Senonian series, which complicated the ecological consequences of the accident. From the first signs of serious water degradation in 2014 through the end of 2018, several attempts have been made to regain control of annular upward water flow. However, the final CT groundwater parameters indicate that the problem is not properly fixed and communication between the two involved aquifers still persists. This accident is similar to the OKN-32 case that occurred in the Berkaoui oil field, southern Algeria, in 1986, and included the same CI and CT aquifers. Furthermore, many witnesses claim that other accidental communications are probably occurring in numerous deep-drilled wells in this region. Concludingly, Jemna CI-11, Berkaoui OKN-32, and probably many other similar accident cases could be developing regional ecological disasters by massive water resource losses. The actual situation is far from being under control and the water contamination risk remains very high. In both accidents, the cement bond failure and the choice of the casing point are the main causes of the internal blowout. Therefore, we recommend (1) a regional investigation and risk assessment plan that might offer better tools to predict and detect earlier wellbore isolation issues and (2) special attention to the cement bond settlement, evaluation, and preventative logging for existing wells to ensure effective sealing between the two vulnerable water table resources. Besides, in the CI-11 well accident, the recovery program was not efficient and there was no clear action plan. This increased the risk of action failure or time waste to regain control of the well. Consequently, we suggest preparing a clear and efficient action plan for such accidents to reduce the ecological consequences. This requires further technical detailed study of drilling operations and establishment of a suitable equipment/action p
{"title":"Investigation of the Internal Blowout Accident Involving Overpressured Reservoirs: Case of CI-11 Well, Southern Tunisia","authors":"C. Khalfi, R. Ahmadi","doi":"10.2118/208598-pa","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2118/208598-pa","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 This study consists of an assessment of the ecological accident implicating the Continental Intercalaire-11 (CI-11) water well located in Jemna oasis, southern Tunisia. The CI-11 ecological accident manifested in 2014 with a local increase of the complex terminal (CT) shallow water table salinity and temperature. Then, this phenomenon started to spread over the region of Jemna, progressively implicating farther wells. The first investigation task consisted of logging the CI-11 well. The results revealed an impairment of the casing and cement of a huge part of the 9⅝ in. production casing. Historical production records show that the problems seem to have started in 1996 when a sudden production loss rate occurred. These deficiencies led to the CI mass-water flowing behind the casing from the CI to the CT aquifers. This ecological accident is technically called internal blowout, where water flows from the overpressurized CI groundwater to the shallower CT groundwater. Indeed, the upward CI hot-water flow dissolved salts from the encountered evaporite-rich formations of the Lower Senonian series, which complicated the ecological consequences of the accident. From the first signs of serious water degradation in 2014 through the end of 2018, several attempts have been made to regain control of annular upward water flow. However, the final CT groundwater parameters indicate that the problem is not properly fixed and communication between the two involved aquifers still persists. This accident is similar to the OKN-32 case that occurred in the Berkaoui oil field, southern Algeria, in 1986, and included the same CI and CT aquifers. Furthermore, many witnesses claim that other accidental communications are probably occurring in numerous deep-drilled wells in this region.\u0000 Concludingly, Jemna CI-11, Berkaoui OKN-32, and probably many other similar accident cases could be developing regional ecological disasters by massive water resource losses. The actual situation is far from being under control and the water contamination risk remains very high. In both accidents, the cement bond failure and the choice of the casing point are the main causes of the internal blowout. Therefore, we recommend (1) a regional investigation and risk assessment plan that might offer better tools to predict and detect earlier wellbore isolation issues and (2) special attention to the cement bond settlement, evaluation, and preventative logging for existing wells to ensure effective sealing between the two vulnerable water table resources. Besides, in the CI-11 well accident, the recovery program was not efficient and there was no clear action plan. This increased the risk of action failure or time waste to regain control of the well. Consequently, we suggest preparing a clear and efficient action plan for such accidents to reduce the ecological consequences. This requires further technical detailed study of drilling operations and establishment of a suitable equipment/action p","PeriodicalId":51165,"journal":{"name":"SPE Drilling & Completion","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48030374","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
K. Nassab, Shui Zuan Ting, S. Buapha, Nurfitrah MatNoh, Mohammad Naghi Hemmati
Kick tolerance (KT) calculation is essential for a cost-effective well design and safe drilling operations. While most exploration and production operators have a similar definition of KT, the calculation is not consistent because of different assumptions that are made and the computational power of KT calculators. Dynamic multiphase drilling simulators usually provide KT estimates with a minimum number of assumptions. They are much more accessible nowadays for use in predicting the behavior of multiphase flow in drilling and well control operations. However, as far as we observed, the simulation services are mainly used for complex and marginal wells in which low KT may impose additional casing strings, unconventional costly drilling practices, or a high risk of major well control events. Thus, companies often use simplified steady-state models for relatively uncomplicated wells through their own KT calculation worksheets. This practice is usually justified by the misconception that simplified models are always conservative and give less KT than actual conditions. In contrast, some simplifications may lead to higher operational risks due to an overestimated KT, depending on well conditions and parameters. The primary objective of this work was to perform a quality assurance/quality control on KT calculation practices in Company P. Later on, based on our findings, we determined some solutions to improve accuracy in the simplified KT worksheets commonly used by engineers across the company. This became a driver for generating a new KT worksheet (Company Model), in particular for situations in which engineers do not have access to a kick simulator. However, it should not mislead readers about the requirements of the simulator for complex and low-KTwells. Quality assurance/quality control and subsequent investigations found that there are some important criteria and parameters that affect KT calculations, but they are missing in many simplified models or ignored by engineers because they are unaware of or lack adequate references. After reviewing relevant academic literature, common practices and assessing several off-the-shelf software programs, we generated a computer program using Visual Basic for applications to address KT sensitivity to different parameters in steady-state conditions. The newly developed program is based on a single gas bubble model that applies the effect of annular frictional losses, influx temperature, gas compressibility factor, well trajectory, and bottomhole assembly (BHA). Moreover, the program differentiates between swabbing and underbalanced conditions. A logical test is applied to determine the type of kick before computing the relevant influx volume. This kick classification concept is ignored in many KT models; this is a common mistake that leads to misleading results. The annular pressure loss (APL) parameter is sometimes assumed to be zero in KT spreadsheets, while as an additional stress load on the wellbore,
{"title":"How to Improve Accuracy of a Kick Tolerance Model by Considering the Effects of Kick Classification, Frictional Losses, Pore Pressure Profile, and Influx Temperature","authors":"K. Nassab, Shui Zuan Ting, S. Buapha, Nurfitrah MatNoh, Mohammad Naghi Hemmati","doi":"10.2118/202426-pa","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2118/202426-pa","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Kick tolerance (KT) calculation is essential for a cost-effective well design and safe drilling operations. While most exploration and production operators have a similar definition of KT, the calculation is not consistent because of different assumptions that are made and the computational power of KT calculators. Dynamic multiphase drilling simulators usually provide KT estimates with a minimum number of assumptions. They are much more accessible nowadays for use in predicting the behavior of multiphase flow in drilling and well control operations. However, as far as we observed, the simulation services are mainly used for complex and marginal wells in which low KT may impose additional casing strings, unconventional costly drilling practices, or a high risk of major well control events. Thus, companies often use simplified steady-state models for relatively uncomplicated wells through their own KT calculation worksheets. This practice is usually justified by the misconception that simplified models are always conservative and give less KT than actual conditions. In contrast, some simplifications may lead to higher operational risks due to an overestimated KT, depending on well conditions and parameters. The primary objective of this work was to perform a quality assurance/quality control on KT calculation practices in Company P. Later on, based on our findings, we determined some solutions to improve accuracy in the simplified KT worksheets commonly used by engineers across the company. This became a driver for generating a new KT worksheet (Company Model), in particular for situations in which engineers do not have access to a kick simulator. However, it should not mislead readers about the requirements of the simulator for complex and low-KTwells.\u0000 Quality assurance/quality control and subsequent investigations found that there are some important criteria and parameters that affect KT calculations, but they are missing in many simplified models or ignored by engineers because they are unaware of or lack adequate references. After reviewing relevant academic literature, common practices and assessing several off-the-shelf software programs, we generated a computer program using Visual Basic for applications to address KT sensitivity to different parameters in steady-state conditions. The newly developed program is based on a single gas bubble model that applies the effect of annular frictional losses, influx temperature, gas compressibility factor, well trajectory, and bottomhole assembly (BHA). Moreover, the program differentiates between swabbing and underbalanced conditions. A logical test is applied to determine the type of kick before computing the relevant influx volume. This kick classification concept is ignored in many KT models; this is a common mistake that leads to misleading results.\u0000 The annular pressure loss (APL) parameter is sometimes assumed to be zero in KT spreadsheets, while as an additional stress load on the wellbore,","PeriodicalId":51165,"journal":{"name":"SPE Drilling & Completion","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2021-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44561486","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. Khaled, Hicham Ferroudji, M. A. Rahman, Ibrahim Hasan Galal, A. Hasan
Horizontal wells are designed to have smooth (straight), curved, and lateral sections. However, the actual drilled path usually suffers from unwanted undulations from the planned well trajectory known as wellbore tortuosity. Wellbore tortuosity can slow the drilling penetration rate, aggravate drillstring vibration and buckling, complicate the casing and cement job, and lead to inaccurate wellbore position. This paper presents a validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to investigate the impact of wellbore tortuosity on hole cleaning. The Eulerian-Eulerian approach is used to simulate solid-liquid laminar flow in annular geometry using polyhedral mesh. Then, the impact of wellbore tortuosity on cuttings accumulation, annular pressure loss, and fluid velocity was investigated and compared with the flow behavior in a straight horizontal well. A parametric analysis of spiral period length, spiral amplitude, drillstring rotation, flow rate, annular eccentricity, drilling rate of penetration (ROP), and cuttings size was conducted to assess their influence on cuttings transport in spiral tortuous holes and their relative magnitude to other design or operating factors. Simulation results show that polyhedral mesh is an optimum meshing technique for spiral profile geometry. Wellbore tortuosity aggravates hole cleaning in lateral sections based on the length of the spiral period and/or the spiral amplitude. Reduction in cuttings velocity was observed in the top part of the spiral geometry (crest), causing large deposition of cuttings in this area compared to the spiral lower part (trough). Drillstring rotation from 0 to 200 rev/min is the critical range for efficient hole cleaning in spiral geometry. Cuttings size can improve cuttings accumulation if the particle size is larger than the viscous layer located near the bed velocity profile. The drilling ROP and annular eccentricity aggravate cuttings accumulation and bed deposition in a spiral hole, similar to what is normally observed in straight horizontal wells.
{"title":"Numerical Study on the Impact of Spiral Tortuous Hole on Cuttings Removal in Horizontal Wells","authors":"M. Khaled, Hicham Ferroudji, M. A. Rahman, Ibrahim Hasan Galal, A. Hasan","doi":"10.2118/201789-pa","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2118/201789-pa","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Horizontal wells are designed to have smooth (straight), curved, and lateral sections. However, the actual drilled path usually suffers from unwanted undulations from the planned well trajectory known as wellbore tortuosity. Wellbore tortuosity can slow the drilling penetration rate, aggravate drillstring vibration and buckling, complicate the casing and cement job, and lead to inaccurate wellbore position. This paper presents a validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to investigate the impact of wellbore tortuosity on hole cleaning. The Eulerian-Eulerian approach is used to simulate solid-liquid laminar flow in annular geometry using polyhedral mesh. Then, the impact of wellbore tortuosity on cuttings accumulation, annular pressure loss, and fluid velocity was investigated and compared with the flow behavior in a straight horizontal well. A parametric analysis of spiral period length, spiral amplitude, drillstring rotation, flow rate, annular eccentricity, drilling rate of penetration (ROP), and cuttings size was conducted to assess their influence on cuttings transport in spiral tortuous holes and their relative magnitude to other design or operating factors.\u0000 Simulation results show that polyhedral mesh is an optimum meshing technique for spiral profile geometry. Wellbore tortuosity aggravates hole cleaning in lateral sections based on the length of the spiral period and/or the spiral amplitude. Reduction in cuttings velocity was observed in the top part of the spiral geometry (crest), causing large deposition of cuttings in this area compared to the spiral lower part (trough). Drillstring rotation from 0 to 200 rev/min is the critical range for efficient hole cleaning in spiral geometry. Cuttings size can improve cuttings accumulation if the particle size is larger than the viscous layer located near the bed velocity profile. The drilling ROP and annular eccentricity aggravate cuttings accumulation and bed deposition in a spiral hole, similar to what is normally observed in straight horizontal wells.","PeriodicalId":51165,"journal":{"name":"SPE Drilling & Completion","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2021-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43855339","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Subhadip Maiti, Himanshu Gupta, Aditya Vyas, S. Kulkarni
Annular pressure buildup (APB) is caused by heating of the trapped drilling fluids (during production), which may lead to burst/collapse of the casing or axial ballooning, especially in subsea high-pressure/high-temperature wells. The objective of this paper is to apply machine-learning (ML) tools to increase precision of the APB estimation, and thereby improve the fluid and casing design for APB mitigation in a given well. The APB estimation methods in literature involve theoretical and computational tools that accommodate two separate effects: volumetric expansion [pressure/volume/temperature (PVT) response] of the annulus drilling fluids and circumferential expansion (and corresponding mechanical equilibrium) of the well casings. In the present work, ML algorithms were used to accurately model “fluid density = f(T, P)” based on the experimental PVT data of a given fluid at a range of (T, P) conditions. Sensitivity analysis was performed to demonstrate improvement in precision of APB estimation (for different subsea well scenarios using different fluids) using the ML-basedmodels. This study demonstrates that, in several subsea scenarios, a relatively small error in the experimental fluid PVT data can lead to significant variation in APB estimation. The ML-based models for “density = f(T, P)” for the fluids ensure that the cumulative error during the modeling process is minimized. The use of certain ML-based density models was shown to improve the precision of APB estimation by several hundred psi. This advantage of the ML-based density models could be used to improve the safety factors for APB mitigation, and accordingly, the work may be used to better handle the APB issue in the subsea high-pressure/high-temperature wells.
{"title":"Evaluating Precision of Annular Pressure Buildup (APB) Estimation Using Machine-Learning Tools","authors":"Subhadip Maiti, Himanshu Gupta, Aditya Vyas, S. Kulkarni","doi":"10.2118/196179-pa","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2118/196179-pa","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Annular pressure buildup (APB) is caused by heating of the trapped drilling fluids (during production), which may lead to burst/collapse of the casing or axial ballooning, especially in subsea high-pressure/high-temperature wells. The objective of this paper is to apply machine-learning (ML) tools to increase precision of the APB estimation, and thereby improve the fluid and casing design for APB mitigation in a given well.\u0000 The APB estimation methods in literature involve theoretical and computational tools that accommodate two separate effects: volumetric expansion [pressure/volume/temperature (PVT) response] of the annulus drilling fluids and circumferential expansion (and corresponding mechanical equilibrium) of the well casings. In the present work, ML algorithms were used to accurately model “fluid density = f(T, P)” based on the experimental PVT data of a given fluid at a range of (T, P) conditions. Sensitivity analysis was performed to demonstrate improvement in precision of APB estimation (for different subsea well scenarios using different fluids) using the ML-basedmodels.\u0000 This study demonstrates that, in several subsea scenarios, a relatively small error in the experimental fluid PVT data can lead to significant variation in APB estimation. The ML-based models for “density = f(T, P)” for the fluids ensure that the cumulative error during the modeling process is minimized. The use of certain ML-based density models was shown to improve the precision of APB estimation by several hundred psi. This advantage of the ML-based density models could be used to improve the safety factors for APB mitigation, and accordingly, the work may be used to better handle the APB issue in the subsea high-pressure/high-temperature wells.","PeriodicalId":51165,"journal":{"name":"SPE Drilling & Completion","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2021-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48261847","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Z. Xionghu, S. Egwu, D. Jingen, M. Liujie, J. Xiangru
Asphalt nanoparticles (ANs) were developed by synthesizing asphalt powders with chloroacetic acid (ClCH2COOH). The objective of this synthesis was to develop engineered ANs with a cationic point capable of adsorbing on the net negatively charged clay platelets, thereby improving drilling fluid functionality and pore-plugging performance, reducing shale dispersion, and ultimately enhancing shale stability. Tests carried out to study the performance of the synthesized ANs include particle size analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, drilling fluid rheology, and filtration rate and shale dispersion tests. FT-IR spectrum results confirming the occurrence of a chemical reaction between asphalt and ClCH2COOH showed a shift in NH vibration from 3,439.95 cm−1 (before synthesis) to 3,435.05 cm−1 (after synthesis). Based on particle size analysis, an average particle size diameter of 92.9 nm was observed, suggesting the tendency of ANs to invade and seal nanopore spaces. The shape of ANs ranged from spherical to irregular, because intercalated structures were observed from the scanning electron microscopic analysis on the interaction between ANs and sodium bentonite (Na-Bent). An increase in attracting force between the Na-Bent particles caused by the adsorption of ANs cationic point on bentonite clay particles led to an increase in drilling fluid rheological properties as the ANs %w/v increased. The drilling fluid filtration rate was, however, not significantly affected by the %w/v increase in ANs because results indicated slight decrease in fluid loss when compared with the base mud (BM). According to the shale dispersion test, the shale cuttings percentage recovery of the 2%w/v ANs sample was 76.5%, owing to the decrease in fluid-rock interaction caused by ionic adsorption and encapsulation of shale surfaces by the ANs. Experimental results from this investigation indicate that the likely mechanisms of the effect of ANs on shale formations would be sealing off nanopore spaces in formations because of its ultratiny particle size; adsorption of the net negatively charged shale cuttings by the ANs cationic point, thereby reducing drilling cuttings dispersion; and improving hole-cleaning performance due to its effect on the drilling fluid rheological properties.
{"title":"Synthesis of Asphalt Nanoparticles and Their Effects on Drilling Fluid Properties and Shale Dispersion","authors":"Z. Xionghu, S. Egwu, D. Jingen, M. Liujie, J. Xiangru","doi":"10.2118/208589-pa","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2118/208589-pa","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Asphalt nanoparticles (ANs) were developed by synthesizing asphalt powders with chloroacetic acid (ClCH2COOH). The objective of this synthesis was to develop engineered ANs with a cationic point capable of adsorbing on the net negatively charged clay platelets, thereby improving drilling fluid functionality and pore-plugging performance, reducing shale dispersion, and ultimately enhancing shale stability. Tests carried out to study the performance of the synthesized ANs include particle size analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, drilling fluid rheology, and filtration rate and shale dispersion tests. FT-IR spectrum results confirming the occurrence of a chemical reaction between asphalt and ClCH2COOH showed a shift in NH vibration from 3,439.95 cm−1 (before synthesis) to 3,435.05 cm−1 (after synthesis). Based on particle size analysis, an average particle size diameter of 92.9 nm was observed, suggesting the tendency of ANs to invade and seal nanopore spaces. The shape of ANs ranged from spherical to irregular, because intercalated structures were observed from the scanning electron microscopic analysis on the interaction between ANs and sodium bentonite (Na-Bent). An increase in attracting force between the Na-Bent particles caused by the adsorption of ANs cationic point on bentonite clay particles led to an increase in drilling fluid rheological properties as the ANs %w/v increased. The drilling fluid filtration rate was, however, not significantly affected by the %w/v increase in ANs because results indicated slight decrease in fluid loss when compared with the base mud (BM). According to the shale dispersion test, the shale cuttings percentage recovery of the 2%w/v ANs sample was 76.5%, owing to the decrease in fluid-rock interaction caused by ionic adsorption and encapsulation of shale surfaces by the ANs. Experimental results from this investigation indicate that the likely mechanisms of the effect of ANs on shale formations would be sealing off nanopore spaces in formations because of its ultratiny particle size; adsorption of the net negatively charged shale cuttings by the ANs cationic point, thereby reducing drilling cuttings dispersion; and improving hole-cleaning performance due to its effect on the drilling fluid rheological properties.","PeriodicalId":51165,"journal":{"name":"SPE Drilling & Completion","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2021-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43771685","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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