Sensitivity Analysis of Hole Cleaning
Parameters in Directional Wells
Jeff Li, SPE, and Scott Walker, SPE, BJ Services & Co.
Summary
In this study, 600 tests were conducted and a new computer
program was developed for the prediction of cuttings transport in
the multiphase system (gas+liquid+cuttings). The sensitivity of
cuttings bed height with respect to liquid/gas volume flow rate
ratio, in-situ liquid velocity, rate of penetration (ROP), inclination
angle, and circulation fluid properties was conducted. The hole-
cleaning time with both circulation mode and wiper trip is also
discussed. The results from the sensitivity analysis presented in
this paper indicate, first, that the fraction of the circulation liquid
has a significant impact on the cuttings transport in underbalanced
drilling with gasified fluids; second, that among different
variables, the in-situ liquid velocity is the most important variable
for cuttings transport; and, finally, the hole-cleaning time
decreases nonlinearly with increasing fluid circulation rate.
Introduction
Cuttings transport has a major impact on the economics of the
drilling process. Problems that may be caused by poor hole
cleaning include stuck pipe, reduced weight on bit leading to
reduced ROP, transient hole blockage leading to lost circulation
conditions, excessive drill pipe wear, extra cost for special mud
additives, and wasted time by wiper-trip maneuvers.
Sand production is a common problem faced by many of the oil
producers, especially in the heavy oil industry. Several cleanout
options have been developed over the years, employing a number of
different technical approaches. One of most common options is
running in with coiled tubing and circulating the sand out with a
liquid or gasified liquid. An important consideration in designing
cleanout operations is the proper selection of the pump rate and
circulation fluid. These parameters should be optimized in order to
transport the sand to surface with the least cost. High circulation
rates can cause higher costs and other operational problems.
Over the past two decades, considerable effort has been expended
into the research of cuttings transport in deviated wells with a
single-phase flow. A large number of experiments have been
conducted to study the effects of various parameters on cuttings-bed
formation. A brief literature review was given by TUDRP.1–2
Experimental research on cuttings transport in inclined wells has
been conducted using flow loops at the U. of Tulsa,3–6 the U. of
Heriot-Watt,7 Mobil R&D Corp., M-I Drilling Fluid Co., BP
Research Center, Inst. Francais du Petrole, and Petrobras.8–12
Several hole-cleaning correlations/models have been developed.4–6,13
Larsen,4 Jalukar,5 and Bassal6 conducted a total of 2,076 tests using the
TUDRP’s 5-in. and 8-in. flow loops. Based on the test results, they
developed correlations to predict the critical velocity and cuttings-bed
height. The correlations provide a means of analyzing cuttings
transport as a function of operating conditions (flow rate, penetration
rate, and rotation speed), mud properties (density, rheology), well
configuration (angle, hole size, and pipe size), and cuttings size.
Adari et. al.13 developed empirical models to correlate the cuttings-
bed height and the hole-cleaning time to drilling fluid properties and
flow rate for the wellbore near the horizontal position.
Similar to the models developed in the mining industry,14–16
layer mechanistic models to predict the bed height and pressure
_____________________________________
Copyright  2001 Society of Petroleum Engineers
This paper (SPE 74710) was revised for publication from paper SPE 54498, first
presented at the 1999 SPE/ICoTA Coiled Tubing Roundtable, Houston, Texas,
25-26 May. Original manuscript received for review 10 April 2000. Revised manuscript
received 2 May 2001. Manuscript peer approved 20 May 2001.
356
drop. However, such models are not able to model cuttings
transport at medium inclination angles (35–55°) due to the chaotic
motion of the cuttings.1 Furthermore, there are various unknown
parameters, such as friction coefficients and a turbulent diffusion
coefficient, involved in the models. These coefficients have to be
determined based on comprehensive test results. There is still a gap
between the model development and field application.21
Most of the previous cuttings transport studies in the drilling
industry mainly focused on finding the minimum critical velocity
and bed height or total cuttings concentration in the wellbore
annulus for conventional rotary drilling with mud fluids. Recently,
Rodriguez22 conducted solids-transport tests with gasified fluids in
near-horizontal wellbores. Based on the concept of critical
velocity, he developed correlations to predict the minimum air and
water flow rates required in order to avoid the formation of a
stationary solids bed. However, this concept still lacks
information related to cuttings transport with two-phase fluids and
the prediction of the hole-cleaning time. In fact, there are different
transport mechanisms during the bed erosion (ROP=0) process
and during cuttings transport while drilling (ROP>0).21
In this study, a comprehensive experimental test of cuttings
transport with two-phase fluids was conducted. The effect of
liquid/gas volume flow rate ratio, in-situ liquid velocity, ROP,
inclination angle, and circulation fluid properties on cuttings
transport was investigated. However, this paper’s main focus is on
angles close to horizontal. Based on the test results, a computer
program was developed and the sensitivity analysis of cuttings
transport parameters, such as cuttings-bed height and hole-
cleaning time, was conducted.
Experimental Setup
The test apparatus (Fig. 1) was designed and constructed in
accordance with the following requirements.
1. Annular-flow steady-state conditions must prevail in
every test case.
2. The apparatus must allow the selection of the most
important drilling variables (gas and liquid flow rates,
well inclination, annular geometry configuration, cuttings
concentration, and drill pipe size/eccentricity, etc.).
The flow loop, shown in Fig. 1, was used throughout this
project. The loop consists of a 20-ft transparent Lexan pipe with a
5-in. inner diameter simulating the openhole and a 23/8-in. steel
inner pipe to simulate a drillpipe. The inner pipe is positioned on
the bottom of Lexan pipe to simulate the worst case for the
cuttings transport (eccentricity=100%).
The loop is mounted on a rigid guide rail and can be inclined at
any angle in the range of 0 to 100° from vertical. The slurry is
stored in a 1 m3 tank. The slurry is agitated with a mixer driven by
a hydraulic motor. The slurry is pumped into the annulus by a
centrifugal pump No. 1 with a capacity of approximately 800
liter/min. Compressed air is introduced into the slurry flow before
entering the test section. A simple open tank is used to separate
the gas from the slurry, and the slurry left in the separator is
circulated back to the storage tank with pump No. 2. When the
flow reaches a steady state condition (two mass flow meter
readings are the same), the pneumatic actuating valves isolate the
test section. Flow is maintained in the remainder of the loop
through a bypass line. The cuttings-bed height, cuttings volume,
water, and gas volumes in the annulus of the test section can be
December 2001 SPE Journal
 Fig. 1—Schematic of cuttings transport flow loop.
measured. Based on such information, the average in-situ velocity
for each phase can be determined.
The flow rate is measured by two mass-flow meters. The
accuracy of the flow-rate measurement is +/-1.0%. The mass-flow
meters are equipped with a densitometer feature that can measure
the slurry density. The cuttings injection rate is calculated from
the cuttings injection concentration and the slurry flow rate.
The instrumentation required for the experiments consist of the
following items:
1. One airflow meter–thermal mass flow meter, Kurz
502FT.
2. Two MicroMotion Mass Flow Meter–DS300.
3. Two Omega pressure transducers located at both inlet
and outlet of the test section to determine absolute
pressures at both locations.
4. One Rosemount differential pressure transducer to
measure the pressure drop across the test section.
5. One Omega temperature probe at the inlet of the test
section.
6. Four pneumatic actuating 2-fin. ball valves, 1
pneumatic actuating 3-in. butterfly valve, and 1
pneumatic actuating 5-in. knife gate valve.
7. One airflow sequencing valve.
8. One Kates airflow rate controller.
9. Two 2-in.x2-in. series 75 red valve manual pinch valves.
10. One 1-in. bubble tight Meridian check valves.
11. An inclinometer to measure the angle of the test
section.
The data collected from the above listed instrumentation is
recorded with Labview™, a data-acquisition program. Depending
on the sample speed of the data logger and the requirements of the
December 2001 SPE Journal
test condition and accuracy, the sampling time can be specified.
Mathematical Models
Prediction of Cuttings-Bed Height. The prediction of the
cuttings-bed dynamics is important in the design process for
efficient drilling operations. In some situations, the flow rate
required to completely remove the cuttings bed may be so high
that wellbore erosion would occur or the flow rate cannot be
achieved due to pressure limitations. In such cases, it is possible to
drill in subcritical conditions, provided the limit on drag is not
exceeded for the slide drilling. However, prior to tripping, the
wellbore should be flushed clean of all cuttings by circulating for
some time, perhaps with pills of special drilling fluid. Unless the
interaction of the fluids and the cuttings can be predicted then this
process is practically an act of faith.
We define the “critical deposition velocity” as the average
velocity in an inclined conduit that can prevent the formation of a
stationary bed of solids in the lower part of the conduit. In
general, for slide drilling with two-phase fluids, the critical
velocity is a function of the variables given in Eq. 1.
vc = f [d p , d1, d2 , hb ,Cv ,(ρs − ρm )g, ρm , µm , β , HL,ε ]. .......... (1)
All these variables are defined in the nomenclature. In this
study, the average in-situ liquid velocity at a specific
condition was treated as the critical deposition velocity at the
same condition. Based on the Buckingham Π theorem,
several dimensionless groups can be defined, and a semi-
empirical correlation was developed to predict the critical
deposition velocity.
357
 Fig. 2—Mass Balance for hole-cleaning prediction.

For a flow rate of gas and liquid lower than the critical flow dVs
rate, cutings will start to deposit in the wellbore. The cuttings will = qm (C0 − C 0 e − β nt ). ...................................... (6)
grow until the velocity in the open area above the bed is equal to dt
the critical deposition velocity. Steady state is achieved whenever When the circulation mode is used to clean the hole, C0=0,
the cuttings bed will neither erode nor build. Then the velocity in − βnt
the open area above the bed is assumed to be equal to the critical therefore, with boundary condition t → ∝, e → 0 and Vs →
velocity4 0, the Eq. 6 can be integrated as
Vs  q 
vc = vopen . .............................................................(2) = exp  − m0 C 0 t  . ......................................... (7)
0
Vs  Vs 
The bed height can be found based on Eq. 2.
Based on Eq. 7, the hole-cleaning time can be predicted as:
Prediction of Hole-Cleaning Time With Circulation Mode.
There are two basic hole-cleaning modes: circulation mode and Vs0  Vs0 
wiper-trip mode. For the circulation mode, the drilling process t= ln  . ............................................... (8)
C 0 qm  Vs 
stops and the drill bit is pulled just off bottom, then fluids are
circulated through the drill pipe down to the bottom of the hole Eq. 8 is a simple model that shows how each individual
and back to surface through the annulus. The circulated fluid parameter affects the hole cleaning time. The usefulness of this
transports the cuttings back to surface. For the wiper-trip mode, model depends on whether the time constant, βn, is easy to predict
the drill pipe is pulled back along the wellbore, and at the same based on a mechanistic analysis of the process. Alternatively, the
time, fluid is circulated. dependencies of the time constant may be assessed from
For the horizontal well section with length L, n sections are experimental data or the cuttings concentrations. C1 to Cn, can be
divided as shown in Fig. 2. In each subsection, the cuttings mass directly predicted based on the correlation (Eq. 1) developed in
balance equation can be expressed as: this study.
dV1 Prediction of Wiper-Trip Speed. For the wiper-trip hole-
= qm (C0 − C1 ) ............................................. (3a) cleaning process, it is assumed that a certain cuttings volume
dt
concentration, C, can be supported by the circulated fluid. Then
dV2 the optimum wiper-trip speed can be predicted as:
= qm (C1 − C2 ) .............................................(3b)
dt Cqm
vw = . ............................................. (9)
(1 − C )Cb Abed
dVn
= qm (Cn −1 − Cn ). ......................................... (3c) For simplicity, assume that when the drillpipe is being pulled
dt
back, the bit/circulation valve will only disturb the local flow
Experimental observations by several researchers13,21,23 suggest pattern. The cuttings adjacent to the bit will be completely
that the sand concentration during the cuttings-bed erosion fluidized while the cuttings in the other sections will be
processes can be represented by a simple logarithmic expression if transported with circulation mode. If the concentration of
the circulation fluid rate was high enough to clean the hole fluidized cuttings is greater than C, then a proportion of the
completely. cuttings will deposit behind the bit. More discussion about the
wiper-trip hole cleaning is included in the section of hole cleaning
Ci = C 0 e − βi t , i=1 to n. ..........................................(4) time prediction in this paper and in Ref. 24.

Summation of Eqs. 3a through 3c allows Vs=V1+V2+…+Vn Results and Discussion

results in
More than 600 tests have been conducted using 20/40 (USA
mesh) Carbolite and 20/40 Frac sand at various concentrations
dVs over a range of liquid and gas rates at angles of 33, 45, 60, 75, and
= qm (C0 − Cn ). ..............................................(5) 90°. The results and discussion in this paper focus on the
dt
situation in which the drillpipe is positioned at the bottom of the
Substituting Eq. 4 into Eq. 5 results in open hole (eccentricity=100%).

358 December 2001 SPE Journal

Fig. 3—Predicted bed height based on the correlation vs. the
measured bed height at different wellbore inclination angles
3
(5-in. openhole and 2 /8-in. pipe; eccentricity = 100%; for
air/water/sand tests, the data only were collected at the
horizontal wellbore).
Based on the test results, a correlation was developed to predict
the critical velocity. With Eq. 2, the bed height can be predicted
for a given condition. The input information of particles and
circulation fluid properties is listed in Table 1. Fig. 3 displays the
predicted cuttings-bed height vs. the measured cuttings bed
height. This figure shows that the prediction accuracy of the bed
height is very good. The prediction errors are less than ±10% for
most cases (Fig. 4).
The critical deposition velocity correlation developed in this
study can be used by the field drilling engineers to optimize the
cuttings transport for a particular underbalanced drilling job with
the slide drilling mode. In addition, the correlation can be used to
estimate the cuttings concentrations, C1 to Cn, in Eq. 3 at any
particular time. Therefore, the time history of the cuttings-bed
height or cuttings-carrying capacity during the hole-cleaning
process can be predicted, and the efficiency of hole cleaning can
be evaluated.
There are many variables that can affect cuttings transport in
the drilling process. However, only the effect of the following
variables on cuttings transport are investigated in this study.
• Liquid/gas volume flow rate ratio.
• Annular in-situ liquid velocity.
• ROP
• Hole inclination angle.
• Properties of circulation fluid.
Effect of Liquid/Gas Volume Flow Rate Ratio. The fraction of
the circulation liquid has a significant impact on the cuttings-
bed height in underbalanced drilling with gasified fluids. Based
on the test results, Fig. 5 shows how the total flow rate (liquid
flowrate + in-situ gas volume rate) affects the cuttings bed height.
In Fig. 5, L100 represents liquid flow rate of 100 liters/min, and
G100 represents 100 liters/min of in-situ gas volume flow rate.
There is a similar meaning for L200 to L600 and G200 to G600.
For a given gas volume flow rate, increasing liquid flow rate
results in a lower bed height. Similarly for a given liquid flow
December 2001 SPE Journal
Fig. 4—Predicted error of bed height based on the correlation
for different wellbore inclination angles.
rate, increasing gas volume flow rate results in a lower bed height.
However, the constant liquid flow rate curves are flatter than the
constant gas volume flow rate curves. This indicates that changing
the liquid flow rate has more of an effect on the bed height than
the gas volume flow rate. Rodriguez’s experimental observation28
also confirms that cuttings are only transported by the liquid phase.
The range of liquid fraction may be limited because of the need
to maintain underbalanced conditions or due to pressure
limitations of the drill pipe. Therefore, a common job design
requirement is to predict the critical gas volume fraction beyond
which the hole cleaning may be significantly impaired. Fig. 6
indicates the effect of gas volume fraction on the bed height. For a
constant total flow rate, increasing gas volume fraction results in a
higher bed height, especially when the gas volume fraction is
higher than 0.5. That means that if the gas volume fraction is
higher than 50%, the cuttings carrying capacity of gas-liquid
mixtures significantly decreases.
Effect of Annular In-Situ Liquid Velocity. Regardless of all
other factors, the liquid flow rate dominates the cuttings transport
process. The most important variable is the in-situ liquid velocity
owing to the combined effects of higher density and viscosity of
the liquid phase and the greater contact of the cuttings with liquid
phase. Fig. 7 shows how the in-situ liquid velocity nonlinearly
affects the carrying capacity. When the in-situ liquid velocity is
less than a critical value, the carrying capacity is negligible. When
Fig. 5—Effect of liquid/gas volume flow rate on bed height for
3
the horizontal wellbore of 5-in. openhole and 2 /8-in. pipe with
1.5% of cuttings injection concentration, eccentricity = 100%.
359
Fig. 6—Effect of gas volume fraction on bed height for the (5
3 3
horizontal wellbore of 5-in. openhole and 2 /8-in. pipe 1.5% of
cuttings injection concentration, eccentricity = 100%.
the in-situ liquid velocity is larger than the critical value, the
carrying capacity increases dramatically. The dependency of
carrying capacity on the in-situ liquid velocity results in a
nonlinear relationship between hole cleaning time and liquid flow
rate. More detailed discussion can be found in the section of hole-
cleaning time prediction.
As the in-situ liquid velocity approaches the critical value, all
cuttings transport is by saltation. Particles are stripped from the
surface of the bed and tumble along its top surface. The shear
stress at the interface between cuttings bed and fluid and the
transfer of momentum to the particles by small-scale turbulent
eddy currents are the controlling factors. When saltation is the
only mechanism of transport, the effective removal rate is too low
for economic purposes.
Effect of ROP. Fig. 8 displays the cuttings-bed height in the
horizontal wellbore of 5-in. open hole drilled with 23/8-in. pipe at
different ROPs. This figure indicates that the cuttings bed is
deeper for a higher ROP than it is for a lower ROP with the same
circulated fluid rate. It also shows that for a given ROP, higher
circulated fluid flow rate results in a lower bed height. When the
ROP is constant, increasing the circulation flow rate results in a
lower cuttings concentration and a decreasing of the bed height. If
the circulated liquid flow rate is fixed, increasing ROP results in a
higher cuttings concentration and a higher bed height.
Fig. 8 also indicates that for the practical values of liquid rates
(<0.6 m3/min), there is always a cuttings bed covering the drillpipe in
Fig. 8—Effect of ROP on bed height for the horizontal wellbore
3
of 5-in. openhole and 2 /8-in. pipe, pipe eccentricity = 100%,
gas volume fraction = 0%.
360
Fig. 7—Effect of in-situ liquid velocity on cuttings carrying
capacity at the horizontal wellbore 5-in. openhole and 2 /8-in.
drillpipe, eccentricity = 100%).
the annulus of the horizontal wellbore. The experimental
observations in this study also confirm that there is a stationary
cuttings bed in the annulus for the horizontal or near-horizontal
wellbore (60–90°).
Effect of Inclination Angle. Previous studies3–5 have established
the importance of the effect of inclination angle on cuttings
transport. In general, the toughest section for hole cleaning is the
“build” section rather than the vertical or the horizontal section.
The experimental results in this study support the above result and
are shown in Fig. 9. The figure shows that for different inclination
angles, the minimum in-situ liquid velocity varies. The highest
minimum in-situ liquid velocity is needed around 60°. This is
because the cuttings bed tends to become unstable and slide
downward along the wellbore. Thus, hole cleaning is most
difficult at approximately 60°. Therefore, in the well-planning
stage, it is better to avoid tangent sections around 60°. Build rates
should be kept as tight as feasible, with 15 to 20°/30m being
suggested as optimum.25
Based on the correlation developed in this paper, Fig. 10
displays the cuttings-bed height vs. inclination angle for a
wellbore of 5-in. openhole and 23/8-in. drillpipe with the liquid
pump rate of 0.5 m3/min. This figure shows that increasing the
inclination angle results in a higher cuttings bed. The study of
Tomren3 reached the same conclusion.
Effect of Circulation Fluid Properties. The cuttings dynamic
behavior in a flowing media is not only affected by cuttings
Fig. 9—Effect of inclination angle on the minimum in-situ liquid
velocity that corresponds to the zero carrying capacity (5-in.
3
openhole and 2 /8-in. drillpipe, eccentricity = 100%, gas volume
fraction = 0%).
December 2001 SPE Journal
 Fig. 11—Sensitivity of circulation time ratio vs. removed
cuttings volume ratio based on the lump model.
Fig. 10—Effect of inclination angle on bed height for the
3
wellbore of 5-in. openhole and 2 /8-in. pipe, circulation liquid enough shear force at the interface to efficiently erode the cuttings
3
flow rate = 0.5 m /min, pipe eccentricity = 100%, gas volume
bed, a higher flow rate is required.
fraction = 0%.
Martins23 experimentally studied the cuttings removal rate
using the circulation mode. Their results indicate that it only
characteristics but also by the properties of circulation fluid
takes one characteristic time (550 seconds) to remove 66% of
properties. The shear stress at the bed interface for a near-
the removable solids from an 84-ft test section, but it takes about
horizontal wellbore plays the key role in cuttings transport.
five times the characteristic time (45.8 minutes) to remove 99%
Therefore, the flow regime, geometric combination of
of the removable solids. Our own observations are in broad
hole/drillpipe, and eccentricity also affect the degree of the effect
agreement with Martins.23 To optimize hole cleaning efforts, it
of circulation fluid properties (yield point, plastic viscosity, and must be recognized that complete removal of the cuttings bed is
density) on the cuttings transport. Detailed discussion about this too time-consuming. It is possible that for coiled tubing, it is
issue is beyond the scope of this study. See Ref. 27 for more
beneficial to have the hole restricted by a cuttings bed.
information. However, a consistent conclusion13,26,27 indicates that Depending on the buckling behavior of the drillpipe and the
for horizontal/near-horizontal wellbore, hole cleaning is more
requirement of weight on bit, it may not be necessary to remove
efficient if a low-viscosity fluid is pumped in a turbulent flow the cuttings bed fully before resuming drilling.
regime rather than a high-viscosity fluid in laminar. We confirmed
this trend by comparing water, HEC, and Xanvis polymers.28 For
the vertical/near-vertical wellbore, hole cleaning is more efficient Wiper-Trip Hole-Cleaning Mode. Owing to the absence of
if a high-viscosity fluid is pumped in laminar flow regime rather pipe rotation and limited fluid rate, common field practice is to
than a low-viscosity fluid in turbulent flow. perform frequent wiper trips to enhance the hole cleaning for
slide drilling. Fig. 12 shows that the time to clean per unit
length decreases dramatically with increasing wiper trip speed
Hole Cleaning Time Prediction when the wiper-trip speed is less than 25 m/min. In the most
Circulation Hole Cleaning Mode. Because of the nonlinear practical process, the wiper-trip speed is less than 25 m/min.
relationship between the carrying capacity and the in-situ Therefore, it is crucial to select a proper wiper-trip speed to
liquid velocity shown in Fig. 7, it is expected that the hole- clean the hole economically. If the speed is too high, there is
cleaning time will also change nonlinearly with circulation potential to create a cuttings bridge, which may cause the drill
fluid flow rate. Eq. 8 indicates that increasing the liquid pipe to become stuck. In addition, a higher speed may not fully
circulation rate results in a lower hole cleaning time. For a clean the cuttings owing to the limited cuttings pick-up capacity.
specific combination of open hole and drillpipe, a higher
cuttings-bed height means there is a higher cuttings volume
0
( Vs ) accumulated in the wellbore annulus, and it therefore
takes longer to clean the hole.
Fig. 11 displays the hole-cleaning time ratio vs. the cleaned-out
cuttings volume ratio based on Eq. 8. Here the time required to
0
clean 95% of the initial cuttings volume ( Vs / Vs =0.05) is
assumed to be the base time (100%). The figure shows that if half
of the initial cuttings volume is cleaned out, it only takes about
23% of the base time. In other words, if it takes 100 minutes to
clean 95% initial cuttings volume, it only takes 23 minutes to
clean 50% of the initial cuttings volume. For field applications, it
means that the most efficient hole cleaning period is the first few
minutes. After cleaning the hole for a while, pumping a higher
liquid rate would result in a more efficient hole-cleaning mode
rather than keeping the circulation rate constant. This is because
the bed height is reduced after a certain cleaning period and the
in-situ liquid velocity decreases. Therefore, the shear force Fig. 12—Sensitivity of wiper-trip time per unit wellbore length
acting at the bed interface is reduced. In order to generate a high versus wiper trip speed.

December 2001 SPE Journal 361

 Based on Eq. 9, the wiper trip speed not only depends on the
circulation fluid rate, qm, and initial bed area, Abed, but also on the
cuttings pickup capacity, C. In fact, the cuttings pickup capacity
also depends on the bit agitation, cuttings size, fluid type, two-
phase flow, deviation angle, and fluid flow rate.24 As mentioned
earlier with Eq. 9, there is an assumption that when the drillpipe is
being pulled back, the bit will only disturb the local flow pattern.
The cuttings adjacent to the bit will be completely fluidized, while
the cuttings in the other sections will be transported by the
circulation fluids, which is the same process as the one used
before the drilling was stopped. With the correlation developed in
this study, the cuttings initial bed cross-sectional area, Abed, can be
accurately predicted. Therefore, the prediction of a suitable
wiper-trip speed with Eq. 9 depends on the accuracy of the
cuttings pickup capacity model. More studies are conducted in
Ref. 24.
Because of the bit agitation and the tubing drag effects, the
wiper-trip mode may need a shorter time to clean the hole, but the
wiper trip has a negative effect on coiled tubing fatigue life. For
the circulation mode, the fatigue damage owing to the movement
of the tubing can be eliminated, but the lack of the bit agitation
could be detrimental to the hole cleaning. More studies need to be
conducted to determine an optimized strategy for hole-cleaning
time based on the specific operation conditions.
Conclusions
Based on the experimental study and the analysis of the hole-
cleaning process in this paper, the following conclusions can
be summarized:
1. A computer program was developed to predict the bed height
for different inclination angles at different operating
conditions. Such a program can be used to optimize the
cuttings transport for the slide drilling process.
2. The volume fraction of the liquid has a significant impact on
the cuttings transport in underbalanced drilling with gasified
fluids. The changing of liquid flow rate has more of an effect
on the cuttings transport than the gas-volume flow rate does.
When the liquid volume fraction is less than 50%, cuttings
transport is significantly reduced.
3. There are many variables that can affect cuttings transport.
The most important variable is the in-situ liquid velocity.
There is a minimum in-situ liquid velocity below which
carrying capacity is negligible. This emphasizes the need for
multiphase flow correlations that have been derived from
empirical data in the presence of cuttings beds, pipe
eccentricities, and differing hole/pipe size ratios.
4. Hole-cleaning time using the circulation mode decreases
nonlinearly with the increasing of the circulation fluid flow
rate. Optimizing hole cleaning will depend on having a
reliable method to quantify the characteristic time constant
for a given set of downhole conditions, or using the critical
deposition velocity correlation developed in this study to
predict the profile of cuttings concentration along the
wellbore.
5. For the slide drilling process, it is crucial to select the most
economic method for cleaning the hole. Circulation rate
increases or making a wiper trip at the optimum speed are
two choices available to ensure efficient hole cleaning. The
present cuttings transport model can be used to predict the
wiper-trip speed based on the predicted bed height, cuttings
pickup capacity and actual in-situ fluid flow rate.
Nomenclature
Abed = initial cuttings bed cross area, m2
C = the cuttings pick-up capacity, in decimal
362
Cb = cuttings volume concentration in the bed,
assumed as 0.52
C0 = initial cuttings concentration, in decimal
C0 to Cn = cuttings volume concentration at each interface
between the subsections, cuttings true
volume/mud volume, in decimal
Cv = cuttings volume concentration, cuttings true
volume/
(cuttings true volume + mud volume), %
d1 = drillpipe diameter, m
d2 = openhole diameter, m
d50 = particle diameter such that 50% by weight of the
material below this size, m
dp= cuttings particle size, m; dp = d50 in this study
dV1 dVn
to = cuttings volume change rate in Subsection 1 to n,
dt dt
respectively; m3/min
g = gravitate acceleration constant, 9.81 m/s2
hb = bed height, m
HL = liquid holdup, in decimal
L = the length of the horizontal wellbore section, m
qm = circulated mud flow rate, m3/min
t = hole cleaning time, minute
vc = the critical velocity defined in Eq. 1, m/s
vopen = in-situ liquid velocity in the open area above
the cuttings bed, m/s
Vs = total cuttings volume remained in the
wellbore annulus, m3
0
Vs = initial cuttings volume remained in the
wellbore annulus, m3
vw = wiper trip speed, m/min
V1 to Vn = cuttings true volume remained in Subsection
1 to n, respectively; m3.
β = wellbore inclination angle from vertical; 90°
refers to the horizontal position
βI = the time constant defined in Eq. 4, 1/minute,
i = 1 to n.
ε = eccentricity of drillpipe, 2•χ/(d2-d1), in decimal
µm = viscosity of mud or mixture viscosity
of gas and liquid, Pa.s
ρs = cuttings density, kg/m3
ρm = mud density or mixture density of gas and liquid,
kg/m3
χ = the distance between the centers of open hole and
drillpipe, m
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to express their appreciation to BJ
Services for the opportunity to present this paper. We would
also like to thank Graham Wilde of BJ Services for his review
of this paper and his valuable technical input.
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SI Metric Conversion Factors
Ft × 3.048 E–01 = m
in. × 25.4 E–03 = m
in.3/min × 1.6387 E–05 = m3/min
gal (US) × 3.785 E + 00 = L
psi × 6.8948 E–03 = MPa
*Conversion factor is exact.
Jeff Li is currently a senior project engineer with BJ Services
Co. in Calgary. e-mail: Jli@nowsco.com. Previously he worked
with Canadian Fracmaster as a staff engineer in the Coil
Tubing Dept. His interests include solids transport, wellbore
hydraulic simulation, and downhole tools. He holds BS and MS
degrees in P.R. China. He also holds MS and PhD degrees in
mechanical engineering from the U. of Saskatchewan,
Canada. Scott Walker is a project engineer with BJ Services
Co. in Calgary. e-mail: swalker@nowsco.com. He started
working with BJ Services Co., formerly known as Nowsco Well
Service Ltd., and has been employed with the company for 7
years. Walker’s work there has encompassed various
operations, including well services such as stimulation
cementing and various coiled-tubing operations, and 5 years
studying solids transport research. Walker holds a BS degree
from the U. of Alberta in chemical engineering.
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