Drilling String Vibration: Modelling and Simulation

Abstract

The offshore industry has a significant impact on the global economy and it is expected to grow over the next 4 years. A crucial part of an offshore structure is the drill string. Drill strings can be seriously damaged by vibration during drilling operations. The control of vibrations in drill strings is essential. In drilling wells, this is useful to minimize the risks of well loss and also to improve drilling performance. The objective of this study is to model and simulate the vibrations in drill strings. This is made to know the region of stabilization of the system and to establish the optimal parameters of drilling which can be manipulated from the driller console, such as angular velocity of the drill string on the surface and the weight on the drill bit. The simulation of these vibrations is made by solving the differential equations that describe these phenomena. An interface for the manipulation of variables involved in the models of the drill string has been designed and shown in this work.