Chapter 3

DRILLING ENGINEERING II
(CGE578)

Hydraulic and Hole

Cleaning

Contents
1. Flow Regimes
2. Fluid Types

3. Rheological Models
4. Pressure Losses

5. Optimization of Bit
Hydraulics
6. Mud Carrying
Capacity

Flow Regimes of Fluids in

Pipes and Annuli

Flow Regimes of Fluids in

Pipes and Annuli

Flow Regimes of Fluids in

Pipes and Annuli

Flow Regimes of Fluids in

Pipes and Annuli

Flow Regimes of Fluids in

Pipes and Annuli

Determination of Flow Regime in

Pipes and Annuli

Determination of Flow
Regime in Pipes and Annuli

Newtonian Model

Non- Newtonian

Non- Newtonian Model

Non- Newtonian Model

Bingham Plastic Model

Power LawModel

Determination of Flow Regime in

Pipes and Annuli

Determination of Flow Regime in

Pipes and Annuli

Determination of Flow Regime in

Pipes and Annuli

Determination of Flow Regime in

Pipes and Annuli

Assume it is a power law fluid

Circulating System
Can be divided into four
sections:
1.

Surface connections.

2.

Pipes including drillpipe,

heavy walled drillpipe
and drill collars.

3.

Annular areas around

drillpipes, drillcollars, etc.

4.

Drillbit.

Objectives?
To calculate the pressure (energy) losses in every
part of the circulating system

To find the total system losses.

To determine the pumping requirements from the rig
pumps and in turn the horse power requirements.

Total system loss

Pressure loss in the
circulating system is the
summation of the pressure
losses occurring at surface
connections Psc, inside drill
pipe Pd, inside drill collar Pdc,
inside annulus opposite to
drill collar Pdca and inside
annulus opposite drill pipe
Pda

Hydraulic Horsepower
The hydraulic horsepower at
the bit (Hb) usually spent to
clean the hole is the
difference between the
hydraulic horsepower of the
pump (Hp) and the hydraulic
horsepower required to create
the circulation (Hc).
Hb = Hp - Hc

In systems with fluid flow, power is related to pressure, p and volumetric flow rate, Q.

Optimizing the Hydraulics of

Circulating System
Aims:
1. To clean the hole effectively
2. To make best use of power available to drill the hole

How to ensure the hole is

effectively clean??
Hydraulics must be designed so
that the annular velocity never
falls below a pre-determined
minimum for lifting cuttings
(Let say 130 ft/min)

Note: Cutting slip velocity is velocity of cutting that naturally falls down due to its density. In order to effectively
clean the hole, effect of mud flow upward direction and mud properties must be greater than cutting slip velocity
(settling tendency of cuttings). Otherwise, cutting will fall down and create cutting bed.

How to make best use of

power available??
Ensuring the optimum pressure drop occurs across
the bit.

The pressure drop will depend on circulation rate.

Jet Nozzle
Proper hole cleaning has a direct influence on the penetration rate.
Thus, the nozzles are introduced to the jet bit to circulate the drilling
fluid past the bit and remove the cuttings as they are made.

Jet Bit Nozzle Size Selection

Significant increases in ROP can be achieved through a
proper choice of bit nozzles.
The most commonly used hydraulic design parameters to
indicate the hydraulic cleaning action are :
Bit Nozzle velocity
Bit Hydraulic horsepower
Jet impact force

Current field practice involves the selection of the bit

nozzle sizes that will cause one of these parameters to be
maximum.

Maximum Nozzle Velocity

Pressure available at bit is different between the pressure created by
the pump and the pressure loss in the circulation system:

Pressure drop across the nozzle from Bernoullis Law is expected as:

which means where Vn = velocity at nozzle

A correction factor Cd is introduced into the equation to take into

account the effect of frictional pressure loss, thus:
The value of Cd range from 0.95 to 0.98

Maximum Nozzle Velocity

In field units:

Maximum Bit Hydraulic

Horsepower

Hydraulic horsepower available at the bit is given by:

In field units:

Pressure loss inside a pipe under the condition of turbulent flow is given by:

which gives:

Maximum Bit Hydraulic

Horsepower
Thus, the total pressure loss in the circulating system can be
expressed as:

C = constant determined by fluid properties and pipe dimension

m = constant, 1.2 1.75
Substitute in the equation of pressure available at bit

And the equation for hydraulic horsepower:

Maximum Bit Hydraulic

Horsepower
Upon application of calculus, hydraulic is
maximum and minimum if

Second derivative

Since derivative less than zero, solving

the equation will give the conditions
for maximum hydraulic horsepower

Maximum Jet Impact Forces

If it is assumed that the jet stream impacts the bottom of the
hole, all of the fluid moment is transferred to the bottom hole.
The impact force assists to destruct the rock and improve
bottom hole cleaning.

Maximum Jet Impact Forces

Maximum Jet Impact Forces

Maximum Jet Impact Forces

Selection of Jet Nozzle Size

Identify the Maximum Flowrate, qmax
Field Unit;

Identify the Minimum Flowrate, qmin

Select the Optimum Hydraulic Criteria

Selection of Jet Nozzle Size

Identify the Optimum Flowrate, qopt

Selection of Jet Nozzle Size

Determine bit pressure at Optimum Flowrate, qopt

Determine bit nozzle area (in field unit, in2)

Selection of Jet Nozzle Size

Determine bit nozzle size

Selection of Jet Nozzle Size

(Example 1)
1

Selection of Jet Nozzle Size

Selection of Jet Nozzle Size

Exercise1

Determine the proper pump operating conditions (optimum pump rate) and
the bit nozzle sizes for maximum bit horsepower at the depth of 11,500 ft
using given data:

Total pressure loss due to circulation = 2440 psi

Density of mud 10 ppg

Pump parameters:

Pump Horse Power = 1250 hp

Pump Efficiency = 90 %

Average Pump Rate = 400 gal/min

Maximum Pump Pressure = 3300 psi

Assume: m = 1.3 and Cd = 0.95

Selection of Jet Nozzle Size

2

Selection of Jet Nozzle Size

Selection of Jet Nozzle Size

Selection of Jet Nozzle Size

Nozzle Selection

For example, if your total flow area (nozzle size) is 0.3947 in2, so the selection of nozzle
should be as follows:

Exercise 2
Repeat Exercise 1 using Jet impact Force Criteria

Mud Carrying Capacity

For effective drilling, cuttings generated by the drill bit must be removed
immediately.

The carrying (or lifting) capacity of mud is dependent on several

parameters including:
Fluid density
Fluid Viscosity
Type of flow
Annulus size
Annular speed
Particle density
Particle shape and diameter
Pipe rotation
Pipe eccentricity

The effects of the above parameters on the carrying capacity of mud and,
in turn, hole cleaning were studied in great detail by several authors
such as Williams and Bruce, Moore, Sample and Bourgoyne.

SlipVelocity

A rock particle falling through mud tends to settle out at constant velocity (zero
acceleration) described as slip or terminal velocity and is given by:

Transport Velocity

Exercise 2

Drill Cuttings Concentration

Exercise 3

Higher annular velocity improves cutting transport. Transport

ratio (transport velocity / lowest annular velocity) should be at
least 50%.

 The minimum flow rate for cuttings transportation