Method and device for hole cleaning and drilling hydraulic design

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11746608-B2
Application number	US-201616091036-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2016
Priority date	May 13, 2016
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

A system includes a processor. The processor estimates a pattern of a flow of a mixture of drilling fluid and cuttings in an annulus of a wellbore. The flow is estimated as a stationary bed flow, a dispersed flow, or a transitional flow relative to the stationary bed and dispersed flows. The processor estimates parameters based on the estimated pattern of the flow, and determines a plurality of dimensionless parameters including a first dimensionless parameter corresponding to an effect of turbulence on the flow and a second dimensionless parameter corresponding to an effect of gravity on the flow, based on the estimated parameters. The processor characterizes the pattern of the flow as the stationary bed flow, the dispersed flow, or the transitional flow, based on the dimensionless parameters, and models the flow based on the estimated pattern if it is determined that the characterized pattern matches the estimated pattern.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of flowing a flow of a mixture of drilling fluid and cuttings in an annulus of a wellbore, comprising:
operating a pump to flow the mixture of drilling fluid and cuttings in the annulus of the wellbore;
estimating a pattern of the flow as a stationary bed flow, a dispersed flow, or a transitional flow that is relative to the stationary bed flow and the dispersed flow;
estimating a plurality of parameters based on the estimated pattern of the flow;
determining a plurality of dimensionless parameters comprising a first dimensionless parameter corresponding to an effect of turbulence on the flow and a second dimensionless parameter corresponding to an effect of gravity on the flow, based on the estimated plurality of parameters;
characterizing the pattern of the flow as the stationary bed flow, the dispersed flow, or the transitional flow, based on the determined plurality of dimensionless parameters;
modeling the flow based on the estimated pattern if it is determined that the characterized pattern matches the estimated pattern, wherein the modeling comprises determining at least a pressure gradient or a concentration of the cuttings in the flow; and
controlling the pump to adjust a flow rate of drilling fluid into the wellbore to increase the flow in the annulus, when at least the determined pressure gradient falls below a first threshold or the determined concentration rises above a second threshold;
wherein the value of the first dimensionless parameter is determined based on an expression:

u
*

u
settling

·
sin

⁢

⁢
θ

,

and
wherein u* denotes a friction velocity of the flow, u settling denotes a settling velocity of the cuttings, and θ denotes an angle at which the wellbore extends with respect to the direction of gravity; and

wherein the value of the second dimensionless parameter is determined based on

u
f

u
settling

·
sin

⁢

⁢
θ

,

and
wherein u f denotes a fluid velocity of the flow.

2. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein modeling the flow based on the estimated pattern comprises determining a concentration of the cuttings in the flow, and
controlling the pump further comprises adjusting a flow rate of drilling fluid to the wellbore, in order to minimize an equivalent circulating density (ECD).

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein, if the estimated pattern is the stationary bed flow or the transitional flow, the method further comprises:
determining a deposition rate and a re-suspension rate of the cuttings in the annulus based on the estimated plurality of parameters;
wherein determining the plurality of dimensionless parameters comprises determining the first dimensionless parameter and the second dimensionless parameter based on the estimated plurality of parameters if it is determined that the deposition rate and the re-suspension rate are balanced.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein, if the estimated pattern is the stationary bed flow or the transitional flow, estimating the plurality of parameters comprises:
estimating a height of a first layer of the flow, the first layer including a first portion of the drilling fluid and a first portion of the cuttings; and
estimating a pressure gradient of the first layer of the flow.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein, if the estimated pattern is the stationary bed flow or the transitional flow, estimating the plurality of parameters further comprises:
estimating a pressure gradient of a second layer of the flow, wherein the second layer includes a second portion of the drilling fluid and is free of the cuttings; and
determining whether the pressure gradient of the first layer and the pressure gradient of the second layer are balanced.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein, if the estimated pattern is the stationary bed flow or the transitional flow, the method further comprises:
determining a deposition rate and a re-suspension rate of the cuttings in the annulus based on the estimated plurality of parameters if it is determined that the pressure gradient of the first layer and the pressure gradient of the second layer are balanced.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein determining the plurality of dimensionless parameters comprises determining the first dimensionless parameter and the second dimensionless parameter based on the estimated plurality of parameters if it is determined that the deposition rate and the re-suspension rate are balanced.

8. A system for flowing a flow of a mixture of drilling fluid and cuttings in an annulus of a wellbore, comprising:
a processor that:
estimates a pattern of the flow as a stationary bed flow, a dispersed flow, or a transitional flow that is relative to the stationary bed flow and the dispersed flow;
estimates a plurality of parameters based on the estimated pattern of the flow;
determines a plurality of dimensionless parameters comprising a first dimensionless parameter corresponding to an effect of turbulence on the flow and a second dimensionless parameter corresponding to an effect of gravity on the flow, based on the estimated plurality of parameters;
characterizes the pattern of the flow as the stationary bed flow, the dispersed flow, or the transitional flow, based on the determined plurality of dimensionless parameters; and
models the flow based on the estimated pattern by determining at least a pressure gradient or a concentration of the cuttings in the flow, if it is determined that the characterized pattern matches the estimated pattern; and

a pump controllable by the processor to adjust a flow rate of drilling fluid to the wellbore to increase the flow in the annulus, if at least the determined pressure gradient falls below a first threshold or the determined concentration rises above a second threshold;
wherein the value of the first dimensionless parameter is determined based on an expression:

u
*

u
settling

·
sin

⁢

⁢
θ

,

and
wherein u* denotes a friction velocity of the flow, u settling denotes a settling velocity of the cuttings, and θ denotes an angle at which the wellbore extends with respect to the direction of gravity; and

wherein the value o

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Zhang Feifei
• Filippov Andrey
• Lu Jianxin

Classifications

• E21B21/08 Primary

  Controlling or monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid, e.g. automatic filling of boreholes, automatic control of bottom pressure (valve arrangements therefor E21B21/10) · CPC title

• E21B41/00

  Equipment or details not covered by groups E21B15/00 - E21B40/00 · CPC title

• B08B9/0433

  provided exclusively with fluid jets as cleaning tools · CPC title

• B65G53/10

  with pneumatic injection of the materials by the propelling gas · CPC title

• B65G53/66

  Use of indicator or control devices, e.g. for controlling gas pressure, for controlling proportions of material and gas, for indicating or preventing jamming of material {(controlling the flow of coal firing systems C21B5/003)} · CPC title