HOLE CLEANING

7/11/2011

Confidential Information 2010 M-I SWACO

What Affects Hole Cleaning?

Formation
Mud Weight

ROP
Cuttings

Rotation

Velocity Profile

Hole Cleaning

Eccentricity

Inclined Length

Rheology

Flow Regime
Annular Velocity

7/11/2011

Hole Angle

Confidential Information 2010 M-I SWACO

Planning, the Key to Hole Cleaning

High Annular Velocities

Adequate rig pumps
Mud rheology to minimize pressure losses in drill pipe
Optimize solids control equipment to minimize plastic viscosity which raises pressure
losses
High Yield Points and low n values reduce system pressure losses

Maximize drill pipe OD

Decreases drill string pressure losses and maximizes flow rates
Reduced annular space increases velocity

Use inhibitive muds to maintain gauge hole

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Confidential Information 2010 M-I SWACO

Planning, the Key to Hole Cleaning

Rotate the drill string no slide drilling
Steerable rotating heads
Titanium drill pipe through short radius sections
Rotate and circulate hole clean before tripping
Two to four times Bottoms Up Time
No Back Reaming
Under cuts build sections
Builds cuttings bed dunes
Compare hydraulics What should be with PWD What is
for difference indicating bed buildup
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Confidential Information 2010 M-I SWACO

Optimum
hole-cleaning

conditions for one

interval may be

inadequate

in another

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INFORMATION 2009 M-I L.L.C.Confidential Information 2010 M-I SWACO

5 CONFIDENTIAL 7/11/2011

Boycott settling accelerates bed formation, especially

in the build section

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INFORMATION 2009 M-I L.L.C.Confidential Information 2010 M-I SWACO

6 CONFIDENTIAL 7/11/2011

Annular Geometry
Horizontal Wells

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INFORMATION 2009 M-I L.L.C.Confidential Information 2010 M-I SWACO

7 CONFIDENTIAL 7/11/2011

Mud Weight
Deviated Wells

Wellbore stability crucial

Mud weight helps stabilize wellbore

Collapse tendency increases with angle

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Confidential Information 2010 M-I SWACO

Effect of Flow Rate on Pressure Losses, Impact Force & Hydraulic Horsepower
3000

Pressure Loss, Impact Force, & Hydraulic Horsepower

2750

Maximum Allowable Surface Pressure

2500

Bit Pressure Loss

Drill String & Annular Losses

2250
2000
1750

Optimized for Hyd. Horsepower

1500

Optimized for Impact Force

1250
1000

750

Hydraulic Impact Force

500

Hydraulic Horsepower

250
0

50

100

150

200

250

Flow rate, gpm

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9 CONFIDENTIAL 7/11/2011

300

350

400

450

Measurement - Rotational Viscometer

The Viscometer is designed to
measure the shear stress at various
shear rates.

Torsion Spring

It also can measure the gel strengths

of the drilling fluid.
1. Fluid fills space between rotor and bob.

Inner Cylinder

2. Rotor is rotated at constant speed (shear rate)

Bearing Shaft

3. This induces torque (shear stress) on the bob.

4. The torsion spring acts as restraining force.

Rotor

5. The bob is deflected to some degree dependant

on amount of stress exerted on bob.

Bob

6. The magnitude of the deflection can be

determined (dial readings)

Cup

7. Different shear rates are used to determine to

obtain rheological performance of the mud.

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Confidential Information 2010 M-I SWACO

Interpretation of VG Readings

Plastic Viscosity, centipoise

PV, cp = Rdg 600 Rdg 300

Yield Point, lbs/100 ft2

YP, lbs/100 ft2 = (Rdg 300 - PV)
YP, lbs/100 ft2 = 2(Rdg 300) Rdg 600

Initial Gel, lbs/100 ft2

Static Rdg 3 - 10 sec after stirring

10 minute Gel, lbs/100 ft2

Static Rdg 3 - 10 minutes after stirring
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Viscosity
V2 - V1

d, ft

Fluid Layer #2
V2, ft/sec

Fluid Layer #1
V1, ft/sec

V2 , ft sec V1
Shear Rate , sec
d , ft
1

ft
sec

Shear Stress Force, lbs100 ft 2 to Maint ain Shear Rate

Vis cos ity

Shear Stress , lbs100 ft 2

Shear Rate , sec 1

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12 CONFIDENTIAL 7/11/2011

or

Viscosity, cp

Shear Rate = 1.703 X VG rpm

Shear Stress = 1.0678 X VG rdg

Metric conversion factor = 478.9

VGrdg
10678
.

,
cp

478
.
9

Therefore:

1703
.
VGrpm

or:

, cp = 300.28

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7/11/2011

Confidential Information 2010 M-I SWACO

VG rdg
VGrpm

Viscosity from VG Rdgs

(Illustration of Shear Thinning)

Rdg600 = 50
Viscosity = 300(50/600) = 25 cp

Rdg300 = 30
Viscosity = 300(30/300) = 30 cp

Rdg100 = 13
Viscosity = 300(13/100) = 39 cp

Rdg3 = 5
Viscosity = 300(5/3) = 500 cp

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Skewed velocity
profiles are not

conducive to
cuttings transport

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15 CONFIDENTIAL 7/11/2011

The Rules

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CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION 2009 M-I L.L.C.

7/11/2011

Inclination
RT 1- Of the four hole-cleaning ranges, the intermediate
(30 to 60) typically is the most troublesome.
RT 2- The upper and lower limits of each hole-cleaning
range should be considered only as guidelines, since all are
affected by factors which influence bed stability, including
cuttings characteristics, drilling fluid properties, and borehole
roughness.

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Confidential Information 2010 M-I SWACO

Well Bore Geometry

RT 3- Boycott settling can accelerate bed formation,
particularly in 40 - 50 intervals.
RT 4- Hole-Cleaning parameters considered optimum for
one interval may be inadequate in another interval in the same
well.
RT 5- Cuttings accumulate in intervals of decreased annular
velocity and can avalanche when circulation stops if the
inclination is less than about 50 to 60.

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Confidential Information 2010 M-I SWACO

Mud Type
RT 6- The mud systems considered for highly deviated wells
should be modified versions of those proven effective in vertical
and near-vertical offsets in the area.
RT 7- Drilling fluids with similar rheological properties will
provide comparable hole-cleaning, provided cuttings
characteristics remain constant.

RT 8- An inhibitive mud helps hole-cleaning in reactive

formations.

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Confidential Information 2010 M-I SWACO

Cuttings Beds
RT 9- Cuttings beds are easy to deposit, difficult to remove.
RT 10- Enhanced suspensions minimize the formation of
cuttings beds.

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Confidential Information 2010 M-I SWACO

Velocity Profile
RT 11- The skewed, laminar-flow velocity distribution,
caused by pipe eccentricity and highly non-Newtonian fluids, is not
conducive to cuttings transport.
RT 12- A highly skewed velocity profile makes it essential to
minimize formation of a cuttings bed on the low side of the hole.
RT 13- Density stratification in weighted muds aggravates the
skewing of the velocity profile.

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7/11/2011

Confidential Information 2010 M-I SWACO

Velocity
RT 14- An increase in annular velocity improves hole cleaning,
regardless of the flow regime.
RT 15- At high angles, bed height is inversely proportional to
annular velocity.
RT 16- The cuttings transport mechanism is largely a function of
annular velocity.

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Confidential Information 2010 M-I SWACO

Flow Regime
RT 17- Laminar flow is preferred if formations are sensitive to
erosion.
RT 18- Turbulent flow is effective in high-angle, small diameter
intervals in competent formations.

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Confidential Information 2010 M-I SWACO

Rheology
RT 19- Hole-cleaning capacity in laminar flow is improved by
elevated low shear-rate viscosity and gel strengths.
RT 20- It is easier to achieve desired rheological properties in
certain mud systems.
RT 21- It is easier to maintain proper rheological properties in a
clean mud system.

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Confidential Information 2010 M-I SWACO

Sweeps
RT 22- Usually, low-velocity, viscous sweeps are ineffective in
high-angle intervals if the pipe is not rotated or reciprocated.
RT 23- Turbulent sweeps can help hole cleaning if the flow rate
is high and the volume of the sweep is adequate.

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7/11/2011

Confidential Information 2010 M-I SWACO

Pipe Rotation
RT 24- Pipe rotation is more effective in viscous muds.
RT 25- Pipe rotation (and reciprocation) can improve hole
cleaning.

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7/11/2011

Confidential Information 2010 M-I SWACO

Mud Weight
RT 26- Mud weight increases the buoyant force on the cuttings
and helps hole cleaning.
RT 27- Weight material can sag out of a mud and combine
with the cuttings bed in high-angle intervals.
RT 28- Hole-cleaning and well bore instability are best
corrected by changing the mud weight.

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7/11/2011

Confidential Information 2010 M-I SWACO

Hole Cleaning Summary

High-to-Intermediate Angles the worst (45-75 most difficult)
Increased annular velocity improves hole cleaning, regardless of flow
regime
Elevated low-shear-rate viscosities and gel strengths improve
cleaning
Drill pipe rotation is key to controlling cuttings beds

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Confidential Information 2010 M-I SWACO