Study on Cuttings Transport Efficiency Affected by Stabilizer’s Blade Shape in Vertical Wells

ABSTRACT

Effective cuttings transport means a better hole cleaning in drilling operations, which can increase the rate of penetration (ROP), and avoids pipe sticking, higher drag and torque problems. This paper aimed to analyze cuttings transport efficiency affected by different blade shapes of stabilizers, which is often overlooked in drilling. For this purpose, Eulerian multiphase flow model was used to simulate the influence of different blade types of stabilizers on cuttings transport efficiency under rotating coordinates. Numerical simulations indicate that straight blade stabilizer is obviously superior to helical blade for cuttings transport efficiency in vertical wells using the same hydraulic parameter and rotating speed. Field tests were conducted in some medium-deep wells of Daqing Oil Field, and the results showed that repeated fragmentation of cuttings, bit balling and pipe sticking problems were improved, and ROP was obviously raised.

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