The use of downhole rotational speed measurements made at 300Hz gives new insight into the conditions under which stick-slip torsional oscillations occur. Observations made with high-frequency magnetometers while drilling two reservoir sections have shown, that for these wellbores, using top-drive speeds below 140rpm leads to severe downhole torsional oscillations, also in off-bottom conditions. Additionally, it was observed that downlinking the rotary steerable system (RSS) initiated heavy stick-slip and that reaming downward had a negative damping effect on downhole torsional stability. These observations have been compared and partly matched with estimations made with a transient hydro-mechanical model. Some ill-defined information had to be estimated, like the amount of flow diversion during the downlinking procedure, the coefficients of static and kinetic friction along the borehole, or the bit efficiency and aggressivity. Downhole measurements have shown that when the drill-string is subject to strong stick-slip conditions, the downhole rotational speed changes from stationary to more than 400rpm in just a fraction of a second. It is therefore important to utilize sampling rates that are compatible with such very fast events. In practice, that means several hundred Hertz. A challenge associated with analysis of downhole high frequency data is time synchronization and drift of clocks between the surface and downhole measurements. After time synchronization and correction, it appears that the downhole rotational movement is delayed by several tens of seconds compared to the actual top-drive speed. This leads to question whether rotating the drill-string off-bottom, typically done in order to break gelled-up mud prior to establishing circulation, has any significant the intended effects deviated wells as torque along the drill-string must be built up. Direct observations of downhole rotational speed at high frequency help in discovering conditions that were not suspected to lead to large torsional oscillations. This new information can be used to improve drilling operational procedures and models of the drilling process, therefore enabling increased drilling efficiency.
Summary Torque and drag models have been used for several decades to calculate tension and torque profiles along drillstrings, casing strings, and liner strings. Buoyancy forces contribute to the loads acting on the pipe and affect its interaction with the borehole wall. Torque and drag calculations account for these localized effects, as well as the material internal forces, torques, and moments on each side of the contact. When the analysis is applied to a discrete length of pipe, the cross sections at each end do not contribute to the buoyancy forces because they are not in contact with the fluid, except where there is a change in diameter or at the end of the string of pipe. We argue that it is important to check that the models used for solid pipe torque and drag calculations remain valid for sand screens, in particular, the extent to which the buoyancy forces acting on a perforated tube might differ from those on a solid pipe. Because the buoyancy force is the result of the pressure gradient acting on the surface of the pipe, the presence of holes may also influence the buoyancy force. We propose that there are theoretical differences between local buoyancy forces acting on plain or perforated tubes. This paper describes how to calculate the local buoyancy force on a portion of a drillstem by the application of Gauss’ theorem and accounting for the necessary corrections arising from the cross sections not being exposed to the fluid. We built an experimental setup to verify that the tension inside a pipe subject to buoyancy behaves in accordance with the derived mathematical analysis. With complex well construction operations, for instance during extended-reach drilling or when drilling very shallow wells with high buildup rates, the slightest error in torques and drag calculations may end up jeopardizing the chances of success of the drilling operation. It is therefore important to check that the basis of design calculations remain valid in those contexts and that, for instance, sand screens or slotted liners may be run in hole safely after a successful drilling operation.
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