Hydraulic Drilling Research Articles

Numerical Calculation of Internal Flow Field of the New Type Rigid Blade Motor of the Down-hole Dynamic Drilling Tool

Along with the development of ocean oil and gas exploration to the deep-water, the down-hole temperature is more and more higher with the drilling depth increasing. The down-hole hydraulic dynamic drilling tool does not adapt to the needs of the offshore deep-water drilling. Therefore, development of high resistant temperature, excellent oriented performance down-hole motor is imminent. The author designed a new type rigid blade down-hole power drilling tool, its slipping blade belongs to the rigid blade, which has the advantages of large output torque and high reliability compared with the domestic and foreign down-hole dynamic drilling tool. This paper mainly carried on the numerical simulation calculation to the 178mm down-hole motor. The calculation model was established based on characteristics of the new type blade dynamic drilling tool. The fluent software was used to calculate different pressure and velocity distribution at the different flow rate and different speed of rotator. The calculation results show that when the drilling fluid flow rate from 30 to 35L/s and the rotator speed is 180rpm, the dynamic drilling tool can achieve the best efficiency, and the abrasion of the motor blade and other parts is minimum. The results can provide the basis for the optimization of the structure parameters and working parameters of the new type down-hole dynamic drilling tool.

Study and Application of Hydraulic Jet Radial Drilling in Carbonate Reservoirs

The hydraulic jet radial drilling technology is a low-cost production and completion technology for effectively developing low-permeability marginal reservoirs, thin-bed reservoirs with edge and bottom water, and depleted oil and gas fields. It has been successfully and widely applied in sandstone, coalbed methane, and heavy oil reservoirs. In order to explore its application in carbonate reservoirs, specially economically and efficiently develop low-permeability thin-layer carbonate reservoirs, the pilot of hydraulic jet radial drilling technology in the carbonate reservoir application was successfully completed through the research on the principle, advantage, existing problems and application condition of radial jet drilling, economic productivity was got, and cost-effective development was achieved, this pilot provided a method for the development of low permeability thin layer carbonate reservoir. This research shows that the hydraulic jet radial drilling technology has its unique technical advantages, which can enable some reservoirs to increase production or injection, but it is not suitable for every well, it has certain applicable conditions, such as the depth, thickness, and temperature of the target zone, and the conditions of well inclination, casing and wellbore have certain requirements too. The hydraulic jet radial drilling technology can achieve the expected target based on the zone and well selection, in selecting layers, as far as possible, homogeneous oil layers with good reservoir physical properties should be selected; the key of its successful implementation is the depth and azimuth control, wellbore diameter and operation safety control. The application of hydraulic jet radial drilling in carbonate reservoirs will make the spray hose wear large due to its high Young's modulus the high hardness, which affects the treatment footage; the use of acid in jet drilling can increase the radial drilling footage, but on the other hand can also produce impurities affecting the operation. The working fluid for jetting must meet the requirements of no solid phase.

Fault Diagnosis Research on Impact System of Hydraulic Rock Drill Based on Internal Mechanism Testing Method

In the production and manufacturing process of hydraulic rock drill, there are small impact energy and low impact frequency, and a fault diagnosis method based on the internal mechanism testing and testing of the hydraulic rock drill is proposed. This method is used to test the change law of hydraulic oil in the rock drill, by retaining the test holes on the cylinder body and other important components of the hydraulic rock drill. At the same time, the mathematical method is used to deal with the test curve, and the influence of pressure pulsation characteristics of the front and rear chambers of the impact piston and the left and right valve chambers of the reversing valve on the impact performance of the rock drill is analyzed. Based on Newton’s law, the model of the impact piston and reversing valve is established. According to the velocity and other parameters of the impact piston, the size of the impact piston switch point is calculated. The coupling between the movement of the impact piston and the movement of the reversing valve is analyzed according to the model established. Comparing the results of the experimental data, the correctness of the fault diagnosis analysis method and model is verified. The effect of the fault rock drill and the improved model is compared, and the theoretical basis is provided for the fault diagnosis of the rock drill and the design of a new type of rock drill.

Impact System Dynamic Characteristics of Hydraulic Rock Drill Based on an Overlapped Reversing Valve

For the phenomenon of a hydraulic rock drill based on an underlapped reversing valve, the mechanical structure of the overlapped reversing form was proposed, which affected the pressure pulsation of the impact system, and motion of the impact piston was analyzed. The model of a hydraulic rock drill was built based on Newton’s laws. The initial lead size of the reversing point was calculated by the equilibrium position of the damping piston and final velocity of the impact piston. The size of the overlapped reversing valve was designed and the best impact interval was calculated, according to pressure characteristic curves in the piston of the front‐rear chamber and in the reversing valve of the left‐right chamber, and the damping piston floating feature had an impact on initial lead size of the reversing point. The advantages of the overlapped reversing valve were analyzed, by contrasting the pressure pulsation of the impact system and motion of the impact piston with the underlapped reversing valve. The inner mechanism experiment of the hydraulic rock drill was designed to test the pressure characteristic curves in the piston of the front‐rear chamber and in the reversing valve of the left‐right chamber. The model of the overlapped reversing valve was verified by the experiment.

Shale strata development problems and origin of the Bazhenov Formation fractures in the southeast of the West Siberian Plate

Shale strata development is one of the most promising trends for the hydrocarbon production increase within the West Siberian petroliferous province. The lack of understanding of fracturing mechanism, which is crucial for steady well production during hydraulic fracturing or drilling of horizontal wells, substantially restricts the choice of process capabilities for effective development of such horizons. This paper considers the Bazhenov Formation fractures based on the core data. The role of open and mineralized fractures (their slope angles, density, and specific surface) in the structure of bituminous shales is considered. Paleomagnetic orientation of the core samples with open fractures is implemented, and litho-petrographical description of the strata is made. The obtained results indicate that the planetary paleotension system of rocks controls the origin of open fractures in the Bazhenov Formation. Therefore, their spatial orientation and autogeneration capability can be used during the development of the bituminous shale strata

Adaptive PI Control of Bottom Hole Pressure during Oil Well Drilling

In this paper, we studied the bottom hole pressure (BHP) control in an oil well during drilling. Today marginal wells with narrow pressure windows are frequently being drilled. This requires accurate and precise control to balance the bottom hole pressure between the pore and fracture pressure of the reservoir. This paper presents three control schemes to stabilize the BHP prole, including proportional-integral(PI) control, PI with feed-forward control and adaptive PI with feed-forward control. The proposed schemes are carried out through simulations on a high-fidelity hydraulic drilling simulator for flow rate changes and BHP set-point changes. In fast set-point changes and flow rate changes, the adaptive PI controller exhibits less tracking error and less oscillations than the conventional PI solution. The simulation results illustrate the effectiveness of proposed control schemes.

MUD FLOW RATE IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SUBMERGED CROSSING TRUNK PIPELINES BY DIRECTIONAL DRILLING METHOD. THE FORMATION OF HYDRAULIC DRILLING PROGRAM

The paper discusses issues on the formation of hydraulic drilling program in the construc-tion of underwater crossings of trunk pipelines by directional drilling. The need to deter-mine the rheological properties, flush the well and mud flow-rate conditioned to the work technology, a discrete solution in the drilling, lack of ability to create a closed circulation system. In the process of well construction underwater crossing ensuring permanent flushing is extremely important. Circulation of drilling mud ensures timely cleaning of the barrel and the bottom of the well, cools the working elements of drilling tools, contributes to the destruction of the breed and prevent possible complications Two technological approaches for the construction of a well bore underwater crossing are being practiced, with a reduced and increased solution flow rate. The first approach is carried out due to softening (fluidifying) of soil and pushing the rock cutting tool while drilling takes place without essential cleaning of the well. Construction of the well of transition with application of the second approach is carried out with periodic return of the rock cutting tool to the previously drilled interval, by wash-ing and re-working or at the reduced mechanical speeds for this interval and intensive washing. In that case there is a reduction in risk of technological complications, but at the same time increases the cost of unproductive time of drilling increase. The hydraulic program of drilling can differ considerably based by the applied technol-ogy of construction. The paper proposes the system of calculation of rheological proper-ties, washing of wells and a consumption of drilling mud fluid depending on technical and technological experience of the organization which is carrying out drilling operations.

Numerical Simulation of Hydraulic Fracture Propagation Guided by Single Radial Boreholes

Conventional hydraulic fracturing is not effective in target oil development zones with available wellbores located in the azimuth of the non-maximum horizontal in-situ stress. To some extent, we think that the radial hydraulic jet drilling has the function of guiding hydraulic fracture propagation direction and promoting deep penetration, but this notion currently lacks an effective theoretical support for fracture propagation. In order to verify the technology, a 3D extended finite element numerical model of hydraulic fracturing promoted by the single radial borehole was established, and the influences of nine factors on propagation of hydraulic fracture guided by the single radial borehole were comprehensively analyzed. Moreover, the term ‘Guidance factor (Gf)’ was introduced for the first time to effectively quantify the radial borehole guidance. The guidance of nine factors was evaluated through gray correlation analysis. The experimental results were consistent with the numerical simulation results to a certain extent. The study provides theoretical evidence for the artificial control technology of directional propagation of hydraulic fracture promoted by the single radial borehole, and it predicts the guidance effect of a single radial borehole on hydraulic fracture to a certain extent, which is helpful for planning well-completion and fracturing operation parameters in radial borehole-promoted hydraulic fracturing technology.

No Fracking Way: An Empirical Look at Why New York Towns Banned Shale Development

Across the United States, local governments and states have adopted measures to restrict shale development that uses high-volume hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling (collectively, fracking) within their borders, hindering a national energy policy that relies on continued access to natural gas trapped within shale formations. This Article takes an empirical look at what might motivate these local anti-fracking measures by analyzing the behavior of New York towns from 2010 through the end of 2013. Before New York’s highest court recognized a town’s authority to ban fracking and before the state officially banned fracking, more than a hundred shale-rich New York towns adopted bans or moratoria on fracking. The results show that towns most likely to adopt bans were those with residents that were more vulnerable to potential water contamination and those with little history of prior oil-and-gas development. Moratoria adoption, in contrast, was largely associated with residents’ environmental preferences. The results suggest that, at least when deciding to ban fracking, towns weigh the local costs and benefits of the practice, relying on their knowledge of local conditions and vulnerabilities. The results, then, lay the groundwork for state and federal efforts to reduce local opposition by facilitating responsible shale development, with provisions for taking into account local knowledge and incentives for optimal activity levels, acceptable risk-taking, and comprehensive remediation.

Analysis and optimization of the working parameters of the impact mechanism of hydraulic rock drill based on a numerical simulation

An impact system is the core part of the hydraulic rock drill. The dynamic simulation model of the hydraulic impact system is established based on the system simulation platform AMEsim. We used the AMEsim simulation model to verify the displacement, velocity curves of the piston, and valve by using stress wave testing data. The following key features of the impact system are determined: the characteristic curves of the pressure variations in the piston chambers, the influences of oil flow, the charging pressures of the high-pressure accumulator, the pre-setting pressure of the relief valve on impact performance, and impact efficiency. On the basis of orthogonal experiments, a response surface method is used to build a mathematical model of the impact system with efficient and various working parameters. The impact system with an optimal efficiency is designed, and the working parameters are optimized. Our proposed system efficiency increases by 17.7% after the working parameters are optimized. This study provides a theoretical basis for the design and optimization of the impact system parameters of the hydraulic rock drill with a sleeve valve.

A Hybrid Geothermal Energy Conversion Technology - A Potential Solution for Production of Electricity from Shallow Geothermal Resources

Geothermal energy has been successfully employed in Switzerland for more than a century for direct use but presently there is no electricity being produced from geothermal sources. After the nuclear power plant catastrophe in Fukushima, Japan, the Swiss Federal Assembly decided to gradually phase out the Swiss nuclear energy program. Deep geothermal energy is a potential resource for clean and nearly CO2-free electricity production that can supplant nuclear power in Switzerland and worldwide. Deep geothermal resources often require enhancement of the permeability of hot-dry rock at significant depths (4-6km), which can induce seismicity. The geothermal power projects in the Cities of Basel and St. Gallen, Switzerland, were suspended due to earthquakes that occurred during hydraulic stimulation and drilling, respectively. Here we present an alternative unconventional geothermal energy utilization approach that uses shallower, lower-temperature, naturally permeable regions, that drastically reduce drilling costs and induced seismicity. This approach uses geothermal heat to supplement a secondary energy source. Thus this hybrid approach may enable utilization of geothermal energy in many regions in Switzerland and elsewhere, that otherwise could not be used for geothermal electricity generation. In this work, we determine the net power output, energy conversion efficiencies, and economics of these hybrid power plants, where the geothermal power plant is actually a CO2-based plant. Parameters varied include geothermal reservoir depth (2.5-4.5 km) and turbine inlet temperature (100-220°C) after auxiliary heating. We find that hybrid power plants outperform two individual, i.e., stand-alone geothermal and waste-heat power plants, where moderate geothermal energy is available. Furthermore, such hybrid power plants are more economical than separate power plants.

Condition Monitoring and Fault Diagnosis System of Fully Hydraulic Drilling in Coal Mine

In order to know the operation situation of coal mine drilling rig, a condition monitoring and fault diagnosis system is designed by using CAN bus technology for real-time monitoring and fault diagnosis. Firstly, this paper selected the monitoring parameters of fully hydraulic drilling rig. Then it provides the hardware construction and the software design process of the whole monitoring system, and describes the working principle of acquisition data based on the CAN bus. Finally, an experiment of the performance test is carried out in ZDY4000LR fully hydraulic drilling in coal mine. The field test indicates that condition monitoring and fault diagnosis system measures accurately and discovers the fault of pump timely. The condition monitoring and fault diagnosis system is working stably and suitable to the fully hydraulic drilling monitoring under coal mine.

Kinematical Simulation and FEA on Hydraulic Drill Machine Applied on Underground of Coal Mine

In order to find out the essence of sticking for drilling rod applied on underground of coal mine under geological condition of gas outburst, 3D model for a kind of hydraulic drill machine is built, and the kinematical simulation for it is done to test the validity of its 3D model. Besides, finite element analysis for drilling rod used in the drill machine is accomplished simulating geological condition of gas outburst and other actual working conditions, finally the results show that sticking for drilling rod likely happens in the middle of the drilling rod.

The Effectiveness of Fracking Disclosure Regimes in Canada

In response to the rapid adoption of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling (collectively, “fracking technology”) over the past few decades, some provincial governments have developed legislation and regulations to delimit, monitor and safeguard fracking practices. Among these rules are guidelines requiring fracking companies (“operators”) to disclose a wide array of fracking-related information to the regulators that oversee these activities. This information serves several purposes, and has the potential to provide the public with timely and useful information regarding the activities that take place in their communities and potential harms that may result. In this report, we provide an analysis of existing disclosure regimes in the four Canadian provinces where fracking is actively taking place: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. We assess the effectiveness of these disclosure practices, benchmarked against current theoretical and empirical scientific knowledge. Our analysis yields four main conclusions, summarized below.In Some Provinces, Regulation Provides a Good Basis for Public Disclosure. Alberta and British Columbia, the provinces with the greatest fracking activity, have strong legislative structures that require operators to disclose information to regulatory bodies. Subsequent reports to the public are based on this information. Moreover, websites currently in use such as BCOGC.ca, AER.ca and Fracfocus.ca provide good infrastructure in terms of accessibility. However, even in Alberta and British Columbia, disclosure regarding some fracking-related issues has not received specific regulatory attention, and in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, relevant regulations are almost non-existent.Legislation Specifying Public Disclosure of Information Related to Hydraulic Fracturing is Minimal. The vast majority of current relevant legislation covers operator-to-regulator disclosure, and not regulator-to-public disclosure. In fact, only two regulatory provisions (both in British Columbia) require the Oil and Gas Commission to report directly to the public on fracking-related risks. Although various provincial websites enable public inquiry into additional issues, the Canadian public largely lacks regular, legally mandated reporting on fracking issues. Information that is Disclosed to the Public is Difficult for Ordinary Citizens to Access and Comprehend. Although websites currently in use such as AER.ca, BCOGC.ca and Fracfocus.ca provide good infrastructure for public disclosure, an additional layer of processing is required to make data easily accessible. At the same time, possibly one of the most conspicuous pitfalls of disclosure systems is the overuse of scientific jargon or language that is otherwise obscure for potential users. We found that almost none of the information that is currently available to the public has been disclosed in a manner that is meaningful to non-specialists. Public Disclosure and Access Should be Promoted Despite Scientific Uncertainty. Regulation related to public disclosure need not necessarily depend on the status of ongoing scientific endeavours to unveil the actual risks that fracking poses. Rather, we recommend that decision-makers and public policy leaders adopt a precautionary approach that provides greater public awareness while scientific certainty is being pursued.

Impact performance for high frequency hydraulic rock drill drifter with sleeve valve

Abstract A high frequency hydraulic rock drill drifter with sleeve valve is developed to use on arm of excavator. In order to ensure optimal working parameters of impact system for the new hydraulic rock drill drifter controlled by sleeve valve, the performance test system is builtusing the arm and the hydraulic source of excavator. The evaluation indexes are gained through measurement of working pressure, supply oil flow and stress wave. The relations of working parameters to impact system performance are analyzed. The result demonstrates that the maximum impact energy of the drill drifter is 98.34J with impact frequency of 71HZ. Optimal pressure of YZ45 rock drill is 12.8 MPa-13.6MPa, in which the energy efficiency reaches above 58.6%, and feature moment of energy distribution is more than 0.650. Keywords : rock drill drift, sleeve valve, energy efficiency, impact energy, feature moment of energy distribution 1. Introduction Hydraulic rock drill drifter is a tunnel construction and mining device widely used in projects of mining, railway and highway construction. It supplies basic condition to speed up project construction, and reduce intensity [1-2]. At presentlabor , the use of hydraulic rock drill drifter need special propeller under limit of structure and inverse impact force in drilling process, which makes self-propelled drill frame have large work range with high cost, or low cost with small work range[3-4]. Excavator is widely used earthwork excavating equipment with a large range arm. Development of the hydraulic rock drill drifter adjusted used on excavator can extend the working range of the drill and increase the additional value without cost increase. owever, under Hrestrain of the arm in excavator, the hydraulic rock drill drifter used in excavator must be with compact structure, small volume and light weight. The hydraulic rock drill drifter has two types according to structure of flow distributing valve [5]. Spool valve is used by one type, and sleeve valve used by the other. and sleeve valve installedPiston on the same axis in hydraulic rock drill drifter controlled by sleeve valve, which makes volume of the drifter smaller, weight lighter and structure more compact [6]. In the paper, a high frequency hydraulic rock drill drifter with type YZ45 will be designed, which uses sleeve vale to control flow distribution.

Flared natural gas-based onsite atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) for oilfield operations

Natural gas worth tens of billions of dollars is flared annually, which leads to resource waste and environmental issues. This work introduces and analyzes a novel concept for flared gas utilization, wherein the gas that would have been flared is instead used to condense atmospheric moisture. Natural gas, which is currently being flared, can alternatively power refrigeration systems to generate the cooling capacity for large scale atmospheric water harvesting (AWH). This approach solves two pressing issues faced by the oil–gas industry, namely gas flaring, and sourcing water for oilfield operations like hydraulic fracturing, drilling and water flooding. Multiple technical pathways to harvest atmospheric moisture by using the energy of natural gas are analyzed. A modeling framework is developed to quantify the dependence of water harvest rates on flared gas volumes and ambient weather. Flaring patterns in the Eagle Ford Shale in Texas and the Bakken Shale in North Dakota are analyzed to quantify the benefits of AWH. Overall, the gas currently flared annually in Texas and North Dakota can harvest enough water to meet 11% and 65% of the water consumption in the Eagle Ford and the Bakken, respectively. Daily harvests of upto 30 000 and 18 000 gallons water can be achieved using the gas currently flared per well in Texas and North Dakota, respectively. In fifty Bakken sites, the water required for fracturing or drilling a new well can be met via onsite flared gas-based AWH in only 3 weeks, and 3 days, respectively. The benefits of this concept are quantified for the Eagle Ford and Bakken Shales. Assessments of the global potential of this concept are presented using data from countries with high flaring activity. It is seen that this waste-to-value conversion concept offers significant economic benefits while addressing critical environmental issues pertaining to oil–gas production.

Failure Analysis of Hydraulic Rotary Drill Rods in a Limestone Mine

Failure Analysis of Hydraulic Rotary Drill Rods in a Limestone Mine

Development and implementation of spin to stall resin at Anglo Americans Australian underground coal operations

Longwall mining is by far the most common method of underground coal extraction in Australia. The industry trends and expectations are placing increasing emphasis on the reliability and productivity of these operations. The longwalls are becoming wider and longer while retreat rates are continuously increasing due to significant improvements achieved in longwall equipment reliability and automation. This increased longwall productivity is placing significant emphasis on the reliability of longwall panel development. Although there have been significant improvements in the reliability of continuous miners and hydraulic drill rigs, the traditional resin encapsulated bolt installation is still the principal method used in all major coal-producing countries around the world. Anglo American realised an opportunity existed to introduce an alternative roof bolt installation technique called “spin to stall” in Australia. Spin to stall was first introduced in Anglo American Coal in South Africa where it has been successfully used for over a decade, though implementation of South African spin to stall resin in Australia has proven to be near impossible due to a significant difference in geotechnical conditions, mining method, and, subsequently, roof bolting equipment. Therefore, a new spin to stall development project was initiated between Anglo American Coal and Jennmar Australia (SPIN2STALL®). This paper summarises the journey of this project, the results, and the successful implementation of spin to stall achieved at Grasstree Mine.

Hydraulic Percussion Drilling System Boosts Rate of Penetration, Lowers Cost

This article, written by Special Publications Editor Adam Wilson, contains highlights of paper SPE 172935, “Hydraulic Percussion Drilling System With PDC Bit Increases ROP and Lowers Drilling Costs,” by Scott W. Powell, NOV, and Ertai Hu, Greatwall Drilling Company, prepared for the 2015 SPE Middle East Unconventional Gas Conference and Exhibition, Muscat, Oman, 26–28 January. The paper has not been peer reviewed. Drilling the Severnaya Truba field in Aktobe, Kazakhstan, has been costly and time consuming. In combination with a drilling-fluid-powered percussion hammer (FPPH), a fit-for-application polycrystalline-diamond- compact (PDC) bit with depth-of-cut (DOC) -control features was used to minimize the exposure of the cutting structure and prevent breakage. The mechanical lifting and falling action creates a rapid variation in weight on bit (WOB), allowing the bit’s DOC to fluctuate while overcoming different stresses. These variations, along with the percussion pulse created with each stroke, led to increased rates of penetration (ROPs). Introduction Drilling with an air hammer is a technique whereby gases (typically compressed air or nitrogen) are used to operate a pneumatic hammer, to cool the drill bit, and to lift cuttings out of the wellbore. Air forced down the drillstring actuates the percussion tool, which, in turn, creates an axial percussion force directed down to a specially designed drill bit. The advantages of air drilling are that it is usually much faster than using drilling fluid and may eliminate lost-circulation problems. The disadvantages are the inability to control the influx of formation fluids into the wellbore and the destabilization of the borehole wall in the absence of wellbore pressure typically provided by the mud column. Air hammers are also limited to a lower WOB and will stop working if that weight is exceeded. An FPPH is the next step in performance drilling. Using the same flow rates and operating WOB of a conventional assembly, the tool offers the benefit of an axial percussion force to facilitate the cutting action of the bit. Like an air hammer, the axial percussion force is generated near the bit to give the cutting structure more energy and overcome the formation’s compressive strength.

Hydraulic Fracturing Water Use Is Tied to Environmental Impact

New map identifies varying water usage in hydraulic drilling operations across the United States and what this means for potential environmental impacts.