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BottomholeassemblyWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Bottomholeassembly
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

ABottomholeassembly(BHA)isacomponentofadrillingrig.Itisthelowerpartofthedrillstring,
extendingfromthebittothedrillpipe.Theassemblycanconsistofdrillcollars,subssuchasstabilizers,
reamers,shocks,holeopeners,andthebitsubandbit.[1]
ThecharacteristicsoftheBHAhelptodeterminetheboreholeshape,directionandothergeometric
characteristics.
TheBHAisusedtohelpthedrillingprocesstheproperselectionoftherightBHAwouldgoalongwayin
ensuringhighROPandthushelpdrillquicklyandefficiently.Thiswouldleadtolowereddrillingcosts.

Contents
1Variations
1.1TheFulcrum/LongLock
1.2TheStabilization/ShortLock
1.3ThePendulumAssembly
1.4BHATools
2Stabilizer
3StabilizerTypes
4Underreamer
5References

Variations
RotaryAssemblies[2]
Theseareusuallyusedwhereformationsarepredictableandtherigeconomicsareanissue.Insuchan
assemblytheweightofthedrillcollarsgivestheBHAthetendencytosagorflextothelowsideofthe
hole,collarstiffnesslengthandstabilizerdiameterandplacementareengineeredasameansofcontrolling
theflexoftheBHA.thiswillbringaboutthedesiredhold,buildordroptendency.
Theabilitytovarythedirectionaltendencyoftheassemblycomesfromvaryingtheweightonthebit.A
fixedassemblyhasonlyonedirectionaltendency.Theweightonbitallowsyoutotunethattendency.
Thebottomholeassembly(BHA)canbe:
1. slickwithnostabilizers
2. apendulumbottomholeassemblyforreducingthedeviationofawell
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3. packedwithstabilizersforastraighthole/ashortlockassembly
4. afulcrumforincreasingthedeviationofthewell/alonglockassembly
Bottomholeassembliesarealsodescribedas,
a)specialized,suchasarticulated,
b)steerable,and
c)orientedornonoriented.

TheFulcrum/LongLock
Thisassemblyisusedtobuildangle.Theassemblyusuallyincorporatesanearbitstabilizer.Behindthis
wouldbeaselectionofdrillcollarsandHeavyWeightDrillPipe(HWDP).Thelengthofthesection
AFTERthenearbitstabilizerwoulddeterminetheextentoftheanglebuildrate.
Aftertheappropriatelengthofpipeafterthenearbitstabilizeryouwouldplaceadrillstringstabilizer.
Inshortthelongerthegapbetweenthenearbitandthedrillstringstabilizerthegreatertheanglebuilding
rate.Caremustbetakentonothavethissectiontoolongasthepipemaysagtoomuchandrubagainstthe
boreholewall.Thiscouldresultinkeyseatingandpipediggingintotheboreholewall.

TheStabilization/ShortLock
Thisassemblyisusuallyusedtomaintainboreholeangle.Thisassemblyisveryrigidallowinglittle
movementofthebit.
Suchanassemblywouldmeanthatthestabilizersarecloselypacked.Namely,anearbitstabilizerwithin
0'30'ofthedrillbit,another30afterandanother60,after.Alsoifashortdrillcollarisusedthenthe
stabilizerscanbeevenclosertogether.
Theshorterthedistancebetweenthestabilizersmeansthatthedrillcollarsbendlessandtheweightonbit
(WOB)pushesdirectlyonthebit,hencemaintainingtheangle.

ThePendulumAssembly
Suchanassemblyisusedtoreducetheanglebuildrateorreducewellboreangle.
Inthisassemblythereisnonearbitassembly.Thefrontportionofthe(BHA)isallowedtohangasaresult
ofitsownweight.Insuchacasethefirststabilizerisplaced3045behindthebit.
Thisallowingofthebittohang,meansthatthereisaforce,actingonthelowsideofthehole.Thisforceon
thelowsidecausesthedeviation.Inthecaseofastraightholethenthebitsimplycontinuesdownward.
BHAConfigurations[3]

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TherearethreetypesofBHAconfigurations.Theseconfigurationsaddressedareusuallyconcernedwith
theuseorlayoutofdrillcollars,heavyweightdrillpipeandstandarddrillpipe.
Type1Standard,simpleconfiguration.Thislayoutusesonlydrillpipeanddrillcollars.Inthisinstance
thedrillcollarsprovidethenecessaryweightonthebit.
Type2Usesheavyweightdrillpipeasatransitionbetweenthedrillcollarsandthedrillpipe.Weighton
bitisachievedbythedrillcollars.
Type3Usesthedrillcollarstoachievedirectionalcontrol.Theheavyweightdrillpipeappliestheweight
onthebit.SuchalayoutpromotesfasterrigfloorBHAhandling.Itmayalsoreducethetendencyfor
differentialsticking.
Inmostcasestheabovethreetypesofconfigurationsusuallyapplytostraight/verticalwellboresatmost
lowtomediumanglewellbores.ForhighangleandhorizontalwellborecarefulweightcontroloftheBHA
isamust.Inthisinstancetheweightmaybeappliedbyrunningthedrillpipeincompressioninthehigh
anglesection.Thehighanglemayhelptostabilizethedrillpipeallowingittocarrysomecompression.

BHATools

Stabilizer
Usedwithinacolumnofdrillcollars.Theyhelpguidethebitinthehole.Theyplayamajorpartin
directionaldrillingasithelpsdeterminethewellborepathandangle.
Itisusedfor:
1.Equalizingtheloadonthebit
2.Preventwobblingofthelowerassembly
3.Minimizebitwalk
4.Minimizebendingandvibrationsthatcausetooljointwear
5.Preventcollarcontactwiththesidewalloftheborehole
6.Minimizekeyseatingwithdifferentialpressure.
7.TheyrestrictlateralmovementofthelowerBHAassuchtheylowerthestrainonthedrillcollarand
BHAconnections.

StabilizerTypes
Solidthesehavenomovingorreplaceableparts.Thebladesandthemandrelcanbeonepiece(integral)
orweldedtothemandrel(weldon/weldedblade).Thebladesmaybeeitherstraightorspiral.Theworking
surfacecanbeimpregnatedwithtungstencarbideordiamondsinserts.

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ReplaceableBladecanmaintainfullgaugestabilization,buttheirbladescanbechangedwithtoolsno
machiningorweldingrequired
Sleevetypetheyhavereplaceablesleevesthatcanbechangedinthefield.Thesleevesareeitherrotating
ornonrotating.
Reamersthesearestabilizersthathavecuttingelementsembeddedontheirfins,andareusedtomaintain
agaugedwellbore.Theycanbeusedtodrilloutdoglegsandkeyseatsinhardformations.Duetothe
cuttingabilityofthereamerthebitdoeslessworkinmaintainingwellboregaugeandmoreworkdrilling.

Underreamer
Thisistoolthatisusedtoenlargethewellbore,usuallybeginningatsomepointunderthesurface.Itdoes
thisbyutilizingexpandablecuttersthatonlydeployatthedesignatedtimeordepth.Itisnottobeconfused
withholeopeningwhichoccursfromthesurfaceandinmostcasestheholeopenertoolisofafixed
diameter.
Theunderreamerutilizesanincreaseinmudpressureorflowratetodeploytheexpandablecutters.A
correspondingpressuredropacrossthetoolwouldindicatethatthetoolhasfullydeployed.
Therearetwotypesofunderreamers:
1.Rollercone,rocktypeforalltypesofformationsdependingontheconeused.
2.Dragtypeusuallyusedforsofttomediumformations.

References
1. ^WilliamC.Lyons,ed.(1996).StandardHandbookofPetroleumandNaturalGasEngineers.HoustonTexas:
GulfPublishingCompany.
2. ^MichaelL.PayneLanceD.Underwood.MichaelJ.Economides,LarryT.Watters,ShariDunnNorman,ed.
Halliburton:PetroleumWellConstruction.JohnWileyandSons.
3. ^TomH.HillRandyC.Money.(1992).DrillStemDesignandInspection.HoustonTexas:T.H.Hilland
AssociatesInc.

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