Lecture 8: DIRECTIONAL DRILLING

Lecture 8: DIRECTIONAL DRILLING
Drill String Design in Directional Wells

Arun S Chandel
Assistant Professor
aschandel@ddn.upes.ac.in
09997200339

1
 Neutral Point
• The neutral point in a drill string can be defined as the point
where the string changes from tension to compression

• This point is a function of bit weight and buoyancy

• The easiest way to conceptualize this is to imagine,

imagine firstly,
firstly that
the whole drillstring is suspended off bottom, in this case the
entire string is in tension with neutral point right at the bit.
Secondly, imagine the whole drillstring is set on bottom with no
load being taken by the surface equipment, in this case the string
is in compression and the neutral point is at surface.

• It is
i important
i t t tot know
k th location
the l ti off this
thi transition
t iti point
i t or
neutral point for several reasons. If the neutral point is at the jars,
for example, then the drill string and jars could both be damaged.
If tthe
e neutral
eut a po
pointt is
s a
allowed
o ed to moveo e up into to tthee d
drill p
pipe,
pe,
buckling could occur.
• The neutral point should be maintained in the stronger drill collar
assembly for regular vertical and directional drilling operations when
possible. There may be a problem in high angle and horizontal drilling
in this respect because of the difficulty in maintaining bit weight.
Damage g at the neutral p point may y be strongly
g y dependent
p upon
p
drillstring rotation, and consideration should be given to critical rotary
speeds and their associated harmonics.

The formula to calculate the length from the bit to the neutral
point in a vertical hole if only drill collars are being used is: 

Lnpp = {Bit Weight} / {W x BF}
(Where W = Collar or pipe weight in lbs/ft & BF = Buoyancy Factor)
 e.g. Determine the neutral point
Determine the neutral point in:
8” x 2‐13/16” DC’s if WOB = 30k‐lbs in 11 ppg mud

Lnp = {30,000} / {150 x 0.832} 
{30,000} / {150 x 0.832} = 240
240
So NP is 240 ft up in collars
But often we’ll have the neutral point above the 
collars – somewhere in the hevi‐wate, let’s 
have a look at this….
 Lnphw = {BW – (Wc x Lc x BF)} / {Whw x BF} 

Where:
Lnphw = Distance from bottom of HWDP to NP
BW = Bit Weight
Wc= Weight per foot of collars
Lc = Length
g of collars
Whw = Weight per foot of Hevi-Wate
BF = Buoyancy Factor

• Check first though – to see if the NP is within the collars

 ee.g. Determine the neutral point for:
g Determine the neutral point for: 300ft of 8” x 2‐13/16” 
300ft of 8” x 2 13/16”
DC’s & 600 ft of 5” HWDP if WOB = 40k.lbs in 13 ppg mud

• Is NP within collars?
Lnp = Bit Weight / [W x BF] or:
40 000 / [150 x 0
40,000 0.801]
801] = 333 ft
So – NP is above collars…..

» But where?

Lnphw = 40,000
, – [[150 x 300 x 0.801]] / [[50 x 0.801]]
Or: 3,955 / 40.05 = 98.75 ft
So - NP is ~ 99 ft into the HWDP
Neutral Point Calculations 

in 

Directional Wells
Directional Wells

(Drill Collars + HWDPs)
 Directional Well, Neutral Point in the
D ill Colla
Drill Collars
s

• When the neutral point is in the drill collar section and the
collars are all of the same diameter, the formula for neutral
point is:

WOB
Lnp =
WDC × BF × cosθ

Where:
Wh
θ = borehole inclination
WDC = weight per foot of the drill collars
 Directional Well,, Neutral Point in the HWDP

• When the neutral point is in the HWDP section and the drill
collars are all of the same diameter, the formula for neutral
point is:

WOB − {WDC LDC ( BF )cosθ }

Lnphw =
Whw × BF × cosθ

Where:
Wh
θ = borehole inclination
Whw = weight per foot of the HWDP
 General formula for Directional Wells
General formula for Directional Wells
• The last formula can be expanded in the case of a “tapered”
BHA with
ihddrill
ill collars
ll off more than
h one diameter.
di For
F example, l
if there were two sizes drill collars but the neutral point was in
the hevi-wate the formula would become:

WOB − {BF cosθ (WDC1 LDC1 + WDC 2 LDC 2 }

Lnphw =
Whw × BF × cosθ

θ = borehole inclination
WDC1 & WDC2 = weight per foot of first and second size of drill
collars
PROBLEM 3
Determine the neutral point in a 300 inclined well:
300’ of 6.5” x 2-1/4” DC’s + 200’ of 7-1/4”x 2” DC’s
+ 250’
250 of 55” x 3
3” HWDP (50 lb/ft)
lb/ft), if
WOB = 45k-lbs in 12 ppg mud

• Is NP within collars?

Lnp1 = Bit Weight / [W x BF] or:

45 000 / [99
45,000 [99.5
5 x 0.82
0 82 x cos30] = 636.86
636 86 ft> 300 ft
So – NP is above this collar…..

Lnp2 = Bit Weight / [W x BF] or:

45,000-(300x99.5x0.82xcos30)/[129.3 x 0.82 x cos30]

= 259.2
259 2 ft> 200 ft
So – NP is above this collar…..
PROBLEM 3

• − But where?

Lnphw = {45,000 – [0.82x cos30x (99.5x 300+ 129.3x 200 ]}

/ [50 x 0.82x cos30]

Or: 523 / 41.0 = 153.15 ft

So - NP is ~ 153.15 ft into the HWDP
TENSION DESIGN

OF 
OF

DRILLSTRING 
DRILLSTRING
 1. Static Load

¾The design of the drillstring for static tension loads

requires
q sufficient strength
g in the topmost
p jjoint of
each size, weight, grade and classification of drill
pipe to support the submerged weight of all the drill
pipe plus the submerged weight of the collars, collars
stabilizers, and bit.

¾The bit and

¾Th d stabilizer
t bili weights
i ht are either
ith neglected
l t d
or are included with the drill collar weight.

¾This load may be calculated as shown in the

following equation:
1. Static Load
 Tensile Yield Strength…
g
in pounds can be calculated for Class I drill pipe 
(new drill pipe) using the following formula:

Tensile Yield Strength (lbs), Ym = 
Min. Yield Strength (lb/in2) x π/4 (OD2 ‐ ID2)
If the pipe is loaded to the extent shown in the API
formula above it is likely that some permanent stretch will
occur and difficulty may be experienced in keeping the
pipe straight.

To prevent this condition a design factor of approximately

90% of the tabulated tension value is recommended.
 2. Overpull 
• If the drill string were to get stuck in the well bore,
the operator would want to know how much additional
tension or
tension, o pull,
p ll can be applied to the string
st ing before
befo e
exceeding the yield point of the drill pipe. This is
known as overpull since it is pull force over the weight
of the string.
string

¾ Maximum overpull is the difference between the

yield strength and the hookload or “margin of
overpull” (MOP) is normally applied)
 Margin of Overpull (MOP) 
• The difference between the calculated load FTEN
and the maximum allowable tension load
represents the Margin of Over Pull (MOP):

• The same values expressed as a ratio may be

called the Safety Factor (SF).
Final Design Equation
Example 5: Drill String Design based on MOP
Design the drill string for the given well
data.
Can the final well depth be reached with this
assembly?
Finally make a table showing all the drill
string components with their air & buoyed
weight.

Given

1. The Yield Strength of grade E drill pipe=

225,771 lb and weight/ft = 18.37 lb/ft.

g of g
2. The Yield Strength grade X-95 drill p
pipe=
p
329,542 lb and weight/ft = 18.88 lb/ft.
Solution