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Lecture 8 Hole Cleaning D

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88 views3 pages

Lecture 8 Hole Cleaning D

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Department of Petroleum Engineering

Indian Institute of Technology (ISM), Dhanbad – 826004


VI Semester B.Tech Petroleum Engineering 2023-24

Lecture 8 / 2023-24
(For internal circulation only)

HOLE CLEANING IN HIGH ANGLED WELLS


BY
Prof. A.K.Pathak
Department of Petroleum Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad
E-mail: [email protected]

Drilling Fluid for Horizontal Well


The requirements of the drilling fluid are quite extensive.
1. Proper cutting’s removal 2. To control subsurface pressure.
3. To provide drill string lubrication. 4. To provide fluid loss control.
5. To reduce formation damage.
Hole Stability
Most of the build sections are located in a water sensitive shale which, can be drilled successfully
with inhibitive water based fluids, is still problematic when open for and extended period of time.
Since the build section is to be left open during the drilling of the horizontal interval. An oil-based
drilling fluid become the logical choice. Other potential advantages of oil mud is better lubricity
and gauge hole. Gauge hole is important assemblies depended on stabilizer contact. The oil mud
used for these wells employed a low toxic base oil.
Hole Cleaning
Hole cleaning is of major concern in highly deviated and horizontal wells. It becomes even more
critical when using oil base mud since hydratable drilled solids, such as shale, stay intact and do
not disperse in the drilling fluid. This increases the chance of becoming mechanically stuck due to
poor hole cleaning. The flowing methods were adopted to insure good hole cleaning.
1. Turbulent Flow Regime

There are different philosophies towards hydraulics for hole cleaning. Increasing flow rates and,
decreasing rheology to obtain turbulent flow would achieve the best results. To be more specific,
velocity 95m/min (160 GPM) (annular viscosity - 15 cps and yield point - 10 lbs/ft2 were used. Oil
base mud allowed the use of high flow rates without concern of hole erosion.
2. Strict Operational Procedures
Operational procedures regarding circulation has to be analyzed carefully. Circulation should
never be stopped while drilling or pulling out in open hole. Prior to making a connection circulation
was continued until drilled cuttings were moved up the hole.

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Department of Petroleum Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology (ISM), Dhanbad – 826004
VI Semester B.Tech Petroleum Engineering 2023-24
3. Mechanical Cleaning

Despite maintaining a turbulent flow regime, complete hole cleaning would not be obtained by
fluid velocity alone. The drilling rig employed for these wells should be equipped with a top drive
drilling system and the top mechanically cleaning the hole should be used. Each trip, the drill
string is pumped and rotated out of the hole to the whipstock. At this point the hole is circulated
clean again before continuing to pull out of the hole.
4. Non Damaging
Since the well is not to be cased and perforated, it is important to prevent damage to the
producing formation. Low solids and good fluid loss control are required and tests are performed
using various water and acid soluble bridging materials in the oil mud. Sized dolomite give better
overall results in terms of rheological properties and formation damage than any of the salts
tested. A low bottom hole temperature (140oF, 60oC) aided in good fluid loss control, 2.0 cc/30
min, is obtained by using only organo-phillic clay and dolomite ad leaving out the typical fluid loss
control agent, treated lignite, which is non-soluble. Use of Lime mud along with an emulsifier..
These actions, combined with good hole cleaning and superior solids control equipment, provides
a low solids environment and an acid soluble filter cake.

2
Department of Petroleum Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology (ISM), Dhanbad – 826004
VI Semester B.Tech Petroleum Engineering 2023-24
5. Removing Filter Cake
After the well is drilled and the liner run, it is necessary to displace the drilling fluid and
remove the filter cake prior to producing the well. The mud is displaced with filtered formation
water plus 0.1% citric acid (iron sequestering agent). Even though the use of dolomite gives good
results in regards to formation damage, core tests showed that after mudding off with the drilling
fluid, return permeability. Tests are carried out to determine a method of removing the filter cake.
A solution consisting of formation water plus 0.1% citric acid plus 1% surfactant is found to return
core plugs to near original permeability dissolved by the citric acid. It is important that the filter
cake be dissolved so it may not plug the pre-packed liner when the well is brought on production.
This treatment has been performed on all the horizontal wells with good results.
Specifications and Characteristics:
i. Average sp.gr. of cuttings – 2.5
ii. Drilling fluid – 0.9 – 1.5
iii. Slip tendency. Slip velocity of solids is function of fluid rheology, particle size and shape.
iv. In vertical wells slip is opposed by mud flow.
v. In horizontal section the particles slip at lower side of the well.
vi. The slipped particle can be cleaned only if the mud flow can picked up and move them
along the axis of the hole before settling at lower side of the hole. This transportation
mechanism is called SALTATION.
vii. In inclined hole cuttings slide down as cuttings bed if rheology and flow rate are not
adequate.
viii. The problem become severe between 500 – 700 inclination
Selection:
i. Invert oil mud for shale control, sloughing shale and coal beds in high angle build up
sections.
ii. Water – KCl – polymer fluids using CaCO3 as an acid- soluble bridging agent for fluid
loss control.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the basic mechanism of Bore Hole Cleaning with Laminar flow?
2. What is the basic mechanism of Bore Hole Cleaning with Turbulent flow?
3. What is bore hole cleaning mechanism in vertical well?
4. What is bore hole cleaning mechanism in inclined well?
5. What is bore hole cleaning mechanism in horizontal well?
6. What is Saltation mechanism of Bore hole cleaning?
7. What is non-damaging fluid and its role in bore hole cleaning?

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