Simultaneous Continuous Monitoring of the Drilling-Fluid Friction Factor and Density (original) (raw)

Utilizing Instrumented Stand Pipe for Monitoring Drilling Fluid Dynamics for Improving Automated Drilling Operations

2012 IFAC Workshop on Automatic Control in Offshore Oil and Gas Production, 2012

This paper introduces a method to enable automatic updates of the density, compressibility and frictional effects of the drilling fluid during a drilling operation. By placing pressure sensors along the circulation path from the mud pump to the connection to the drillstring, the fluid dynamics can be examined more thoroughly at various flow rates and pressures. This will help filling the gap of reliable data on drilling fluid properties, which is of great importance in automated drilling operations.

Automatic Measurement of Drilling Fluid and Drill-Cuttings Properties

SPE Drilling & Completion, 2009

Summary To remotely control the drilling process, it is necessary to measure several drilling-fluid parameters automatically. This will increase objectivity of the measurements and make it possible to react to changes in real time. The current paper describes in detail the design for an integrated tool combination and the results of a full-size yard test of such a combined set of tools for measuring drilling-fluid parameters and formation properties automatically. Some of the automated tools have been tested on rigsite operations. Results from these individual tests are also presented. The automatic drilling-fluid analysis includes viscosity, fluid loss, electrical-stability (ES) measurements, and chemical properties such as pH. Full viscosity curves for the drilling fluid are measured using configurations and shear rates similar to those suggested by American Petroleum Institute (API) procedures. Because gel-formation curves and fluid-loss properties require some sort of controlled...

Automated Surface Measurements of Drilling Fluid Properties: Field Application in the Permian Basin

SPE Drilling & Completion, 2020

Summary Accurate and frequent mud checking is essential for optimum drilling operations. Careful measurement and maintenance of drilling fluid properties (density and rheology) maintain the primary well control barrier and optimize fluid hydraulics and hole-cleaning ability. However, a full mud report while drilling is provided only once or twice a day. Moreover, the measurements are mostly performed using traditional equipment. Test interpretation is subjective and might be biased and difficult to verify independently. In this paper, we present an automated mud skid unit (MSU), which performs continual drilling fluid sampling and measurements at variable temperatures. The unit provides the non-Newtonian rheological constants characterizing a yield-power law fluid as well as the real-time friction factor and critical Reynolds number using a pipe-viscometer measurement approach. Other important fluid properties such as pressurized density, oil/water ratio, and temperature are provide...

Study of Continuous Rheological Measurements in Drilling Fluids

Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering

Drilling an oil well involves using drilling fluids that perform cleaning and cooling functions, but that most importantly maintain the fluids of the geological formation contained by hydraulic pressure. A fundamental role in predicting the hydraulic pressure of the well consists of monitoring the fluid's rheological behavior. This paper summarizes an ongoing effort to measure, by evaluating the performance of two online viscometers, drilling fluids' rheological behavior in real time. One online method proposes a modified Couette system. The other consists of a standard pipe viscometer with default modeling. The performances of the online devices were compared with an offline method-a Couette device commonly used in oilfields as a benchmark. For Newtonian fluids, agreement between the rheological behaviors was found for all instruments, validating the methodology proposed. For non-Newtonian fluids, there were divergences, which were investigated and their probable causes determined to be the following: homogeneity, slippage effects, and interaction in the fluid/gap interfaces. A case study demonstrated that these divergences were not significant during the prediction of hydraulic pressure, meaning that the methodology proposed has the potential to improve overall drilling performance.

The Drilling Optimization Benefits of Direct Drillstring Surface Measurements–Case Studies from Field Operations

SPE/IADC Drilling Conference and Exhibition, 2015

Correct information is crucial to drilling effectiveness and well construction success, with the greatest data accuracy achieved by measurement instruments applied as close as possible to the target load. Until recently, most drilling parameters were derived from load measurements taken on supporting structures or equipment related to the drillstring-but not actually a part of the string. The remote position of these classic sensors from the desired load often resulted in unacceptable error rates.

Real-Time Software to Estimate Friction Coefficient and Downhole Weight on Bit During Drilling of Horizontal Wells

Volume 5: Materials Technology; Petroleum Technology, 2014

The increasing complexity and higher drilling cost of horizontal wells demand extensive research on software development for the analysis of drilling data in real-time. In extended reach drilling, the downhole weight on bit (WOB) differs from the surface seen WOB (obtained from on an off bottom hookload difference reading) due to the friction caused by drill string movement and rotation in the wellbore. The torque and drag analysis module of a user-friendly real-time software, Intelligent Drilling Advisory system (IDAs) can estimate friction coefficient and the effective downhole WOB while drilling. IDAs uses a 3-dimensional wellbore friction model for the analysis. Based on this model the forces applied on a drill string element are buoyed weight, axial tension, friction force and normal force perpendicular to the contact surface of the wellbore. The industry standard protocol, WITSML (Wellsite Information Transfer Standard Markup Language) is used to conduct transfer of drilling d...

Pressure Drop in Tool Joints for the Flow of Water-Based Muds in Oil Well Drilling

Brazilian Journal of Petroleum and Gas, 2012

The characteristics of the fluid flows in tool joints were studied experimentally and theoretically in a laboratory scale. The goal of this study was to evaluate the pressure drop in accessories such as tool joints, placed along the drilling columns. The experimental fluid flow loop consisted of a 25-hp positive displacement pump, a 500-liter tank, a 3-HP mixer and a series of circular and annular pipes where the tool joints were installed. Based on the Reynolds number, the fluid flow loop was set to have dynamic similarity with respect to the real hydraulics of oil well fields. CFD simulations were implemented to aid in the design of the fluid flow loop. Pressure drop and fluid flow rate data were experimentally determined in a set of tool joints using water-based muds with non-Newtonian behavior. The CFD simulations showed a good performance on the tool joint simulations. Finally, the literature's correlations originally employed by Petrobras were used to estimate the friction factor, and new parameters for these correlations were established. The evaluation of the parameters improved the predictive capacity mostly in the laminar regime.