A review of torsional vibration mitigation techniques using active control and machine learning strategies

Drilling is one of the most challenging and expensive processes in hydrocarbon extraction and geothermal well development. Dysfunctions faced during drilling can increase the non-productive time (NPT) greatly, resulting in inflating the drilling cost and also pose a safety concern. One of the main problems faced during drilling that limits the life of drilling equipment and tools and decreases the overall productivity of the system is drilling vibrations. These vibrations can be categorized into three modes: axial, lateral, and torsional. Stick-slip vibrations are a type of torsional vibration in which the bottom hole assembly (BHA) periodically stops to rotate followed by a spike in the bottom hole RPM. This paper provides a comprehensive review of techniques used to control and mitigate torsional vibration with an emphasis on stick-slip. A brief introduction to drillstring and friction modeling is presented followed by a concise summary of passive control techniques to control stick-slip. Then the focus is shifted to an up-to-date review of active control and machine learning for stick-slip control and mitigation. The paper ultimately highlights the importance of adapting novel control and mitigation concepts to improve stick slip detection and improve the overall drilling process. A unique solution is insufficient to control a complex process such as drilling, but integration of various techniques has been found promising.