The Open Petroleum Engineering Journal

2014, 7 : 22-28
Published online 2014 March 21. DOI: 10.2174/1874834101407010022
Publisher ID: TOPEJ-7-22

Analysis of Circulating System Frictional Pressure Loss in Microhole Drilling with Coiled Tubing

Hou Xuejun , Zheng Huikai , Zhao Jian and Chen Xiaochun
College of Petrol Engineering, Chongqing University of Science and Technology, Chongqing 401331, China.

ABSTRACT

In microhole drilling (MHD) with coiled tubing (CT), the calculation models of drilling fluid circulating frictional pressure loss (DFCFPL) are studied for different flow regimes of drilling fluid in CT on reel, downhole CT and annulus. Example analysis of DFCFPL for 89mm diameter microhole is conducted, and the relationships among the total DFCFPL, local DFCFPL in CT on reel, downhole CT and annulus are obtained. The smaller the CT diameter is, the higher the local DFCFPL in CT on reel and downhole CT are. The larger the annulus is, the lower the local DFCFPL in annulus is. So the local DFCFPL in CT is dominant in the circulating system. As for the different diameter CT, the total DFCFPL decreases linearly with the well depth increasing. In order to use the hydraulic energy rationally, 73.025mm diameter CT can be used to drill microhole with well depth less than 1000m, 60.325mm diameter CT should be used to drill microhole well depth of which is more than 1500m. This study can provide references for the CT selection and circulating hydraulic energy rational utilization design in MHD.

Keywords:

Circulating frictional pressure loss, coiled tubing, drilling fluid.