Experimental investigation of multiphase flow behavior in drilling annuli using high speed visualization technique

Abstract

Imaging with high definition video camera is an important technique to visualize the drilling conditions and to study the physics of complex multiphase flow associated with the hole cleaning process. The main advantage of visualizing multiphase flow in a drilling annulus is that the viewer can easily distinguish fluid phases, flow patterns and thicknesses of cutting beds. In this paper the hole cleaning process which involves the transportation of cuttings through a horizontal annulus was studied. The two-phase (solid-liquid) and the three-phase (solid-liquid-gas) flow conditions involved in this kind of annular transportation were experimentally simulated and images were taken using a high definition camera. Analyzing the captured images, a number of important parameters like velocities of different phases, heights of solid beds and sizes of gas bubbles were determined. Two different techniques based on an image analysis software and MATLAB coding were used for the determinations. The results were compared to validate the image analyzing methodology. The visualization technique developed in this paper has a direct application in investigating the critical conditions required for efficient hole cleaning as well as in optimizing the mud program during both planning and operational phases of drilling. Particularly, it would be useful in predicting the cuttings transport performance, estimating solid bed height, gas bubble size, and mean velocities of bubbles/particles.

Keywords

visualization / horizontal annulus / hole cleaning / multiphase flow / image analysis / flow regime

References

[1] Masuda Y, Doan Q, Oguztoreli M, . Critical cuttings transport velocity in inclined annulus: experimental studies and numerical simulation. In: SPE/CIM International Conference on Horizontal Well Technology. Alberta, Canada, 2000

[2] Wongwises S, Pipathattakul M. Flow pattern, pressure drop and void fraction of two-phase gas-liquid flow in an inclined narrow annular channel. Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science, 2006, 30(4): 345–354

[3] Allahvirdizadeh P, Kuru E, Parlaktuna M. Experimental investigation of solids transport in horizontal concentric annuli using water and drag reducing polymer-based fluids. Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, 2016, 35: 1070–1078

[4] Kelessidis V, Bandelis G, Li J. Flow of dilute solid-liquid mixtures in horizontal concentric and eccentric annuli. Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology, 2007, 46(5): 56–61

[5] Osgouei R E. Determination of cuttings transport properties of gasified drilling fluids. 2010–10, http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12612676/index.pdf

[6] Ozbayoglu M E, Ettehadi Osgouei R, Ozbayoglu A, . Estimation of very-difficult-to-identify data for hole cleaning, cuttings transport and pressure drop estimation in directional and horizontal drilling. In: IADC/SPE Asia Pacific Drilling Technology Conference and Exhibition. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam , 2010

[7] Zamora M, Jefferson D T, Powell J W. Hole-cleaning study of polymer-based drilling fluids. In: SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition. Houston, Texas, USA, 1993

[8] Crowe C T. Fundamentals of multiphase Flow. In: Multiphase Flow Handbook. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2016, 1–72

[9] Masuda Y, Doan Q, Oguztoreli M, . Critical cuttings transport velocity in inclined annulus: experimental studies and numerical simulation. In: SPE/CIM International Conference on Horizontal Well Technology. Calgary, Alberta, Canada , 2000

[10] Guild G, Wallace I, Wassenborg M. Hole cleaning program for extended reach wells. In: SPE/IADC Drilling Conference. Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1995

[11] Piroozian A, Ismail I, Yaacob Z, Babakhani P, Ismail A S I. Impact of drilling fluid viscosity, velocity and hole inclination on cuttings transport in horizontal and highly deviated wells. Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology, 2012, 2(3): 149–156

[12] Rahman M, Balzan M, Heidrick T, Fleck B A. Effects of the gas phase molecular weight and bubble size on effervescent atomization. International Journal of Multiphase Flow, 2012, 38(1): 35–52

[13] Ravi K, Hemphill T. Pipe rotation and hole cleaning in eccentric annulus. In: IADC/SPE Drilling Conference. Miami, Florida, USA , 2006

[14] Avila R J, Pereira E J, Miska S Z, Takach N E. Correlations and analysis of cuttings transport with aerated fluids in deviated wells. SPE Drilling & Completion, 2008, 23(02): 132–141

[15] Dosunmu A, Orun C, Anyanwu C, . Optimization of hole cleaning using dynamic real-time cuttings monitoring tools. In: SPE Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition. Lagos, Nigeria, 2015

[16] Ozbayoglu M E, Saasen A, Sorgun M, . Effect of pipe rotation on hole cleaning for water-based drilling fluids in horizontal and deviated wells. In: IADC/SPE Asia Pacific Drilling Technology Conference and Exhibition. Jakarta, Indonesia, 2008

[17] Saasen A, Løklingholm G. The effect of drilling fluid rheological properties on hole cleaning. In: IADC/SPE Drilling Conference. Dallas, Texas, USA , 2002

[18] Duan M, Miska S, Yu M, Takach N E, Ahmed R M, Hallman J H. Experimental study and modeling of cuttings transport using foam with drillpipe rotation. SPE Drilling & Completion, 2010, 25(03): 352–362

[19] Ozbayoglu E M, Sorgun M. Frictional pressure loss estimation of non-Newtonian fluids in realistic annulus with pipe rotation. Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology, 2010, 49(12): 57–64

[20] Ahmed R M, Miska S Z. Experimental study and modeling of yield power-law fluid flow in annuli with drillpipe rotation. In: IADC/SPE Drilling Conference. Orlando, Florida, USA , 2008

[21] Ofei T N. Effect of yield power law fluid rheological properties on cuttings transport in eccentric horizontal narrow annulus. Journal of Fluids, 2016: 4931426

[22] Rahman M, McMillan J, Heidrick T, . Horizontal two-phase flow regimes and bubble size distribution prediction using high speed image analysis. In: Proceedings of the 13th International Symposium on Flow Visualization. Nice, France, 2008

[23] Kelessidis V C, Dukler A E. Modeling flow pattern transitions for upward gas-liquid flow in vertical concentric and eccentric annuli. International Journal of Multiphase Flow, 1989, 15(2): 173–191

[24] Hasan A R, Kabir C S. Predicting multiphase flow behavior in a deviated well. SPE Production Engineering, 1988, 3(04): 474–482

[25] Kelessidis V, Mpandelis G. Flow patterns and minimum suspension velocity for efficient cuttings transport in horizontal and deviated wells in coiled-tubing drilling. In: SPE/ICoTA Coiled Tubing Conference and Exhibition. Society of Petroleum Engineers, 2003

[26] Petalas N, Aziz K. A mechanistic model for multiphase flow in pipes. Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology, 2000, 39(6): 43–55

[27] Clark R K, Bickham K L. A mechanistic model for cuttings transport. In: SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition. New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, 1994

[28] Hassan Y, Schmidl W, Ortiz-Villafuerte J. Investigation of three-dimensional two-phase flow structure in a bubbly pipe flow. Measurement Science & Technology, 1998, 9(3): 309–326

[29] Hu Z, Yang Y, Liu L, . Local flow regime transition criteria of gas-liquid two-phase flow in vertical upward tube with a horizontal rod. Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2006, 14(4): 442–449

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the Qatar Foundation, Texas A&M University at Qatar, and Qatar University. The authors would also like to acknowledge the start-up fund provided by Texas A&M University, Qatar.

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2020 Higher Education Press