Since backward whirl was discovered as a severe cause of PDC bit failure, our industry has made great strides toward creating whirl-resistant bits and operating practices. But is whirl still the major cause of PDC bit damage in today's applications? This paper reports on a recent field study in which downhole vibrations were measured using a newly available in-bit vibration-monitoring device. The focus of this study was to understand today's North American vertical conventional rotary applications. In addition, four wells were also drilled using a research drill rig in Oklahoma. In these tests, PDC bits, BHAs, and operating parameters were varied to document their effect on downhole vibrations. In these four wells, vibration measurements from the new in-bit measuring device were validated against a commercially available and industry-proven MWD vibration monitoring service. Also, a computer model that accounts for the coupled response of bits and BHAs was run for selected tests in field wells and the research drilling rig. The models agreed well with the measured cases in both whirl and stick-slip. The model also allowed the authors to confirm that high-frequency torsional oscillations (4-9 Hz) which we observed were, as a previous industry paper suggests, due to BHA torsional resonance. The results of this study indicate that the most common field vibration today in hard rock PDC drilling is stick-slip, not whirl, in the target test region. In field tests, stick-slip was almost exclusively observed. For typical field applications with a surface rotary speed of about 70, we have measured peak downhole RPM during the slip phase as high as 500. This paper will report on these findings, document damage resulting from stick-slip, and suggest potential solutions to mitigate downhole vibrations.
Drilling vibration can be harmful to the bit and the bottomhole assembly (BHA), resulting in damage and tool failure and subsequent non-productive time (NPT). Bit damage while drilling offshore is costly, and any improvement in bit life can save multiple unplanned trips and lead to savings for operators. Consequently, dynamic dysfunctions have been the focus of industry research to understand and mitigate their effects. In this paper, the authors present a field case study from an offshore application. A high-frequency, in-bit sensing device (1400-Hz sampling frequency) was installed into the bit shank in conjunction with a well-established measurement while drilling (MWD) tool in the BHA. The intent was to capture the dynamics behavior of the BHA and the dynamics directly at the bit. Multiple measurements along the BHA gave a better understanding of the behavior of the entire drilling system. The measurements were then used, along with dynamics modeling and simulation, to correlate bit and cutter damages with instances of backward whirl and stick/slip. The developed kinematic model of whirl corroborated well with measurements and showed how polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutters can exhibit relative backward motion that potentially leads to severe cutter damage. The extended frequency range of the measurement module also enabled the capture of new dynamics phenomena at much higher frequencies than are usually reported in literature. The insights gained in bit dynamics and cutter damage helped to improve bit design by building dynamically stable PDC bits with increased rate of penetration (ROP) and reduced NPT. The need for high-frequency measurements is also discussed and the benefits are presented, i.e., avoiding bit design iterations around misunderstood vibration issues. In today's challenging drilling applications, the measurements are important in characterizing the harsh drilling environment and understanding high-frequency dynamics phenomena that are rarely measured or discussed.
Drilling systems are subject to torsional vibrations that are excited by bit-rock or by drillstring formation interaction forces. These torsional oscillations can be distinguished by mode shape and frequency. Well-known stick/slip oscillations are characterized by low frequencies (usually below 1 Hz) and affect the entire drill-string. High-frequency torsional oscillations (HFTO), in contrast, name the excitation of a high-order natural mode (reaching 400 Hz). In case of HFTO, the bottom-hole assembly (BHA) is exposed to high dynamics loads. Torsional vibrations compromise drilling efficiency and tool reliability. To address these challenges, we are proposing a method for automated BHA optimization based on mechanical drill string models. Through extensive analysis of high-frequency (1400 Hz sampling frequency) data from field measurements, an analytical, verified, and easy to use criterion for the prediction of the excited torsional mode and the corresponding loads was derived. The criterion is based on the comparison of the resulting excitation from cutting forces at the bit and the damping of a torsional mode. The criterion is unique for every torsional mode and can be used to rank the susceptibility of torsional modes for HFTO or stick/slip. A software application (Torsional Oscillation Advisor, TOA) has been developed for user-friendly interpretation of the underlying analytical method towards practical issues. The use of the TOA provides valuable input for drilling optimization: For stick/slip, the influence of various drill pipe sizes and the length of the drill pipe section on torsional stick/slip mode are analyzed. It is shown that the limit for stable drilling in case of bit induced stick/slip can be extended by stiffer drill pipes whereas the influence of the length of the drill pipe section is marginal. The material of the bit and its mass distribution is shown to have a considerable influence on the excitation of HFTO. The software also enables automated BHA optimization in both new product development and tool operation phases. A numerical optimization approach is used to minimize the susceptibility of the bottom-hole assembly for stick/slip and HFTO for given constraints of the geometry and material parameters. Herein, a significant increase of stable drilling conditions regarding weight on bit and bit rotational speed with respect to torsional oscillations is achieved. Even small changes in the drilling system design have a visible impact on the torsional stability. The ability to identify and predict modes of stick/slip and HFTO that are most likely to be excited while drilling, an extension of the stable drilling zone and the estimation of loads before field deployment will result in higher drilling efficiency, more reliable tools and lower non-productive time.
The drilling process is impacted by vibrations through limited drilling efficiency and rate of penetration, reduced reliability and increased non-productive time. The understanding of the mechanisms and physics that lead to high levels of vibrations is extremely important to elaborate vibration mitigation strategies. A typical vibration excitation mechanism is forced response excitation, e.g., caused by the imbalance of the mud motor that can lead to lateral resonance with severe impact on tool life. Self-excitation is prominently caused by the bit-rock interaction and mainly excites torsional oscillations if PDC bits are used. Representations are stick/slip with low frequencies (<1 Hz) and high-frequency torsional oscillations (HFTO) with frequencies up to 500 Hz. The large frequency gap between stick/slip and HFTO allows for different effects and excessively increasing loads. The nature of this interaction is diverse and requires different strategies to reduce the loads associated to HFTO and stick/slip to a minimum. The interaction between stick/slip and HFTO is analyzed and appropriate drilling optimization strategies are proposed. Several scenarios are discussed by examination of high-frequency downhole data (1000 Hz) measured in different field applications and physical modeling. It is shown that averaged statistical data or diagnostic data that are typically available can lead to misinterpretation of the drilling conditions. The first scenario is pure HFTO. The second scenario is stick-slip with superimposed HFTO that can lead to an amplification (up to factor two) or reduction of HFTO loads compared to the first scenario. Influencing parameters are discussed that determine either an amplification or a reduction of the loads in the second scenario. The third scenario shows the interaction in the context of stability measures that are determined by the operational parameters. The increased rotary speed in the slip phase of stick/slip can lead to a stabilization of HFTO and actually decreasing amplitudes. The observations in the field are further validated using theoretical drilling scenarios. For each scenario different strategies are presented to reduce the field loads associated to HFTO and the compromise of the strategies to the drilling efficiency and rate of penetration is discussed. The nature of the interaction between stick/slip and HFTO is analyzed and unveiled. Clearly, the necessary depth of understanding can only be achieved by analysis of high-frequency downhole data. The physics-based interpretation of the problem allows the development of very specific drilling optimization strategies. Depending on the scenario a complete mitigation of HFTO or at least a significant reduction of loads can be achieved. Ultimately, the drilling process can be optimized leading to a reduced cost of the well delivery since HFTO can be a major cause for non-productive time if not handled properly.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.