PROBLEM:

Calculate the terminal velocity and impact force of a completions tubing which fell
into KZN-6 wellbore and landed on the 7” x 4 1/2” liner crossover at 4476 m.

GIVEN:
Fluid: Brine
Weight of fluid = 1.36 sg (1360 kg/m3)
YP = 24 lbf/100ft2
PV = 33
Approximate weight of fish = 1331.6 lbs
Hole profile = Vertical

SOLUTION
Terminal velocity of an object is given by equation 1 below

2mg
Vt = ………………………………………..……...1
ρACd

Where;
Vt = terminal velocity
m = mass of falling object
g = acceleration due to gravity
Cd = drag coefficient
ρ = density of the fluid through which the object is falling
A = project area of the object

Buoyancy effects, due to the upward force on the object by the surrounding fluid, can
be taken into account using Archimedes' principle: the mass, m has to be reduced by
the displaced fluid mass, so instead of the buoyed weight of the tubing will be used in
the calculation.

Assumptions
1. It is assumed that the flow around the tubing as it falls down the well is
turbulent i. e Reynold’s number, Re, > 4000.

2. It was not possible to determine the drag coefficient of an open-ended hollow

cylinder (to simulate the tubing) with flow stream along its longitude. The
drag co-efficient of a ring (see diagram below) is 1.2. Considering the surface
area at the bottom of the tubing as a ring and considering surface area of the
78 m long tubing, a drag co-efficient of 2.4 will used for calculations
Figure 1: Drag Co-efficient Data for Object with Re > 1000 (Courtesy: Mechanical Engineering
Handbook)

3. Friction factor of cased hole is assumed to be 0.25. This factor will be

included in equation 1 above

Calculation of Terminal Velocity

Bouyancy factor = 0.83
Buoyed weight of tubing = 0.83 * 1331.6 * 0.4536 = 501.33 kg
g = 9.81m/s2
ρ = 1360 kg/m3
Cd - 2.4
ff = friction factor = 0.25
(OD 2 − ID 2)
A = area = π ………………………………………..2
4
where
OD = outer diameter of tubing = 5.08” = 0.13 m
ID = inner diameter of tubing = 3.74” = 0.095 m

A = π (0.132 - 0.0952) / 4 = 0.0062 m2

 2 * 501.33 * 9.81
Terminal Velocity, Vt =
1360 * 0.0062 * 2.4 * 0.25

= 44 m/s

Calculation of Impact Force

F = ma = mV/t………………………………………………………3
Where
m = mass
a = acceleration
v = velocity = 44 m/s
t = time
Now, V = Distance/ Time
Distance = 4476 m
therefore, time = 4476 / 44 = 101.7 s
501.33 * 44
therefore, Impact force =
101.7

= 217 N

RFERENCE
1. Kreith, F.; Berger, S. A.; et. al. “Fluid Mechanics” Mechanical Engineering
Handbook. Boca Raton: CRC Press LLC, 1999

2. http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com [Accessed on 5-Aug-09]

3. http://en.wikipedia.org [Accessed on 5-Aug-09]

4. Schlumberger well, drilling and completions bulletin board