Drillpipe Influence on Drilling Performance

Abstract

Abstract Many drilling operations are longer, more complex and harder to achieve. Combined with strict timelines and the demand for higher rates of penetration (ROP), the entire drilling system is being pushed to its physical (loads, bending moment, etc.) and operational limits (drilled formation, drilling parameters, well path, etc.). Exceeding these limits can induce excessive loads and drilling vibrations that can be harmful for the complete drilling systems, including the drill bit, bottomhole assembly (BHA) and drillpipe. Neglecting the drilling dysfunctions can lead to damage, wear and tool failures that finally result in non-productive time (NPT) and higher costs. Previously published papers concentrated on BHA and drill bit combinations to deliver optimum drilling performance. In this paper, the authors focus on the drillpipe influence on drilling performance and vibration mitigation. Statistics on the influence of stick-slip and ROP for various drillpipe sizes were created and compared. An extensive database containing drilling data, from the past three years, was used as the data source. To eliminate the effect of various BHA configurations, data from only one high-end standard rotary steerable system (RSS) BHA, without a mud motor, were analyzed. To ensure formation influence on the drillstring dynamics was reduced, only data from horizontal sections within a specific region in US land were considered within this analysis (same target formation). In addition, a case study from Brazil provides an example where two drillpipes with different diameters were used, resulting in different dynamic behavior. To confirm and understand these observations numerical time domain simulations were performed, analyzed, visualized and compared to the results from the field. The insights gained from the previously described case study and time domain simulations highlight further opportunities to deliver optimal performance and improve bit, BHA and drillstring integrity.