A Novel Model for the Real-Time Evaluation of Hole-Cleaning Conditions with Case Studies

Mohammed Al-Rubaii, Mohammed Al-Shargabi and Dhafer Al-Shehri ()
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Mohammed Al-Rubaii: Department of Petroleum Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
Mohammed Al-Shargabi: School of Earth Sciences & Engineering, Tomsk Polytechnic University, Lenin Avenue, Tomsk 634050, Russia
Dhafer Al-Shehri: Department of Petroleum Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 13, 1-27

Abstract: The main challenge in deviated and horizontal well drilling is hole cleaning, which involves the removal of drill cuttings and maintaining a clean borehole. Insufficient hole cleaning can lead to issues such as stuck pipe incidents, lost circulation, slow rate of penetration ( ROP ), difficult tripping operations, poor cementing, and formation damage. Insufficient advancements in real-time drilling evaluation for complex wells can also lead to drilling troubles and an increase in drilling costs. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a model for the hole-cleaning index ( HCI ) that could be integrated into drilling operations to provide an automated and real-time evaluation of deviated- and horizontal-drilling hole cleaning based on hydraulic and mechanical drilling parameters and drilling fluid rheological properties. This HCI model was validated and tested in the field in 3 wells, as it was applied when drilling 12.25″ intermediate directional sections and an 8.5″ liner directional section. The integration of the HCI in Well-A and Well-B helped achieve much better well drilling performance (50% ROP enhancement) and mitigate potential problems such as pipe sticking due to hole cleaning and the slower rate of penetration. Moreover, the HCI model was also able to identify hole-cleaning efficiency during a stuck pipe issue in Well-C, which highlights its potential usage as a real-time model for optimizing drilling performance and demonstrates its versatility.

Keywords: real time evaluation; deviated wells; hole-cleaning index ( HCI ); case studies; drilling performance improvement (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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