Unraveling engineering disturbance effects on deformation in red-bed mudstone railway cuttings:incorporating crack-facilitated moisture diffusion

Red-bed mudstone, prevalent in southwest China, poses a formidable challenge due to its hydrophilic clay minerals, resulting in expansion, deformation, and cracking upon exposure to moisture. This study addresses uplift deformation disasters in high-speed railways by employing a moisture diffusion-deformation-fracture coupling model based on the finite-discrete element method(FDEM). The model integrates the influence of cracks on moisture diffusion. The investigation into various excavation depths reveals a direct correlation between depth and the formation of tensile cracks at the bottom of the railway cutting. These cracks expedite moisture migration, significantly impacting the temporal and spatial evolution of the moisture field. Additionally, crack expansion dominates hygroscopic deformation, with the lateral coordinate of the crack zone determining peak vertical displacement. Furthermore, key factors influencing deformation in railway cuttings, including the swelling factor and initial moisture content at the bottom of the cutting, are explored. The number of tensile and shear cracks increases with greater excavation depth, particularly concerning shear cracks. Higher swelling factors and initial moisture contents result in an increased total number of cracks, predominantly shear cracks. Numerical calculations provide valuable insights, offering a scientific foundation and directional guidance for the precise prevention, control, prediction, and comprehensive treatment of mudstone-related issues in high-speed railways.

Experimental investigation on the cuttings formation process and its relationship with cutting force in single PDC cutter tests

The single polycrystalline diamond compact(PDC)cutter test is widely used to investigate the mecha-nism of rock-breaking.The generated cuttings and cutting force are important indexes reflecting the rock failure process.However,they were treated as two separate parameters in previous publications.In this study,through a series of rock block cutting tests,the relationship between them was investigated to obtain an in-depth understanding of the formation of cuttings.In addition,to validate the standpoints obtained in the aforementioned experiments,rock sheet cutting tests were conducted and the rock failure process was monitored by a high-speed camera frame by frame.The cutting force was recorded with the same sampling rate as the camera.By this design,every sampled point of cutting force can match a picture captured by the camera,which reflects the interaction between the rock and the cutter.The results indicate that the increase in cutting depth results in a transition of rock failure modes.At shallow cutting depth,ductile failure dominates and all the cuttings are produced by the compression of the cutter.The corresponding cutting force fluctuates slightly.However,beyond the critical depth,brittle failure occurs and chunk-like cuttings appear,which leads to a sharp decrease in cutting force.After that,the generation of new surface results in a significant decrease in actual cutting depth,a parameter proposed to reflect the interaction between the rock and the cutter.Consequently,ductile failure dominates again and a slight fluctuation of cutting force can be detected.As the cutter moves to the rock,the actual cutting depth gradually increases,which results in the subsequent generation of chunk-like cuttings.It is accompanied by an obvious cutting force drop.That is,ductile failure and brittle failure,one following another,present at large cutting depth.The transition of rock failure mode can be correlated with the variation of cutting force.Based on the results of this paper,the real-time monitoring of torque may be helpful to determine the efficiency of PDc bits in the downhole.

Cuttings transport: Back reaming analysis based on a coupled layering-sliding mesh method via CFD

Inadequate hole cleaning is one of the main reasons for inefficient operations in extended-reach drilling.The mechanism of cuttings transport under the back reaming operation,which is frequently adopted to remove the cuttings,has been investigated in this study.To this end,a coupled layering-sliding mesh method with the Eulerian-Granular approach has been established innovatively.The dynamic layering method has been employed to simulate the axial motion of the pipe,whereas the sliding mesh method has been used to simulate the pipe rotation.The back reaming operation of a connector-furnished pipe has been simulated,and the sensitive parameter analysis has been conducted.The results thus obtained demonstrate that the increase in the initial bed height,inclination,and the diameter and length of the connector causes a significant increase in the cuttings concentration.In addition,the cuttings concentration is observed to decrease significantly with the pipe rotation speed.Furthermore,two main factors contribute towards the cuttings accumulation around the connector,namely,the difference in the cross-sectional area and the pushing effect of the connector—like a“bulldozer”.The“bulldozer”effect of the connector dominates when the tripping velocity is significant compared to the velocity of the cuttings.Conversely,the effect of the difference in the cross-sectional area becomes the leading factor for cuttings accumulation.The“bulldozer”effect of the connector causes a more severe impact on hole cleaning.In both cases,increasing the tripping velocity only mildly affects the cuttings concentration.It is therefore suggested that the tripping velocity should be slower than that of the sand during the back reaming operation.Furthermore,increased fluid velocity might lead to a higher accumulated cuttings concentration around the connector when the cuttings bed has not entirely passed through the connector.A significant flow rate can be safely applied after the cuttings have passed through the connector furnished with a large diameter,such as the bottom hole assembly.This exploration serves as an essential guide to predicting and controlling tight spots while back reaming.

Hydraulic modeling and optimization of jet mill bit considering the characteristics of depressurization and cuttings cleaning

A jet mill bit(JMB)is proposed to increase the drilling efficiency and safety of horizontal wells,which has the hydraulic characteristics of depressurization and cuttings cleaning.This paper fills the gap in the hydraulic study of the JMB by focusing on the hydraulic modeling and optimization of the JMB and considering these two hydraulic characteristics.First,the hydraulic depressurization model and the hydraulic cuttings cleaning model of the JMB are developed respectively.In the models,the pressure ratio and efficiency are chosen as the evaluation parameters of the depressurization capacity of the JMB,and the jet hydraulic power and jet impact force are chosen as the evaluation parameters of cuttings cleaning capacity of the JMB.Second,based on the hydraulic models,the effects of model parameters[friction loss coefficient,target inclination angle,rate of penetration(ROP),flow ratio,and well depth]on the hydraulic performance of the JMB are investigated.The results show that an increase in the friction loss coefficient and target inclination angle cause a significant reduction in the hydraulic depressurization capacity,and the effect of ROP is negligible.The flow ratio is positively related to the hydraulic cuttings cleaning capacity,and the well depth determines the maximum hydraulic cuttings cleaning capacity.Finally,by combining the hydraulic depressurization model and hydraulic cuttings cleaning model,an optimization method of JMB hydraulics is proposed to simultaneously maximize the jet depressurization capacity and the cuttings cleaning capacity.According to the drilling parameters given,the optimal values of the drilling fluid flow rate,backward nozzle diameter,forward nozzle diameter,and throat diameter can be determined.Moreover,a case study is conducted to verify the effectiveness of the optimization method.

Prediction of Cuttings-Induced Annular-Pressure Loss in Extended-Reach Wells

Drill cuttings are broken bits of solid material removed from a borehole drilled by rotary,percussion,or auger methods and brought to the surface in the drilling mud.When these cuttings enter the annulus,they have an effect on the drillingfluid rheology and density,which is,in general,quite difficult to evaluate.By introducing an empirical correlation for the rheological properties of cuttings-laden drillingfluids,this study proposes a pres-sure-loss prediction method for an extended-reach well(ERW).After verifying the accuracy of this method,a case study is considered and a sensitivity analysis is conducted assuming a yield-power lawfluid.The results show that an increased concentration of cuttings in the annulus contributes to an increased annular pressure loss.Com-pared to their effect on the drillingfluid density,cuttings have a greater impact on the drillingfluid rheology.A larger rate of penetration contributes to an increased annular pressure loss.For higher drillingfluidflow rates,the annular pressure lossfirst decreases and then it increases.In addition,the annular pressure loss becomes high-er as the cuttings’particle size decreases and the cuttings’concentration grows.

Simulation Research on Coal-Water Slurry Gasification of Oil-Based Drill Cuttings Based on Fluent

In this paper,based on Fluent software,a five-nozzle gasifier reactor was established to simulate the gasification process of oil-based drill cuttings coal-water slurry.The influence of concentration and oxygen/carbon atomic ratio on the gasification process of oil-based drill cuttings coal-water slurry was investigated.The results show that when the oxygen flow is constant,the outlet temperature of gasifier decreases,the content of effective gas increases,and the carbon conversion rate decreases with the increase of concentration;When the ratio of oxygen to carbon atoms is constant,the effective gas content rises and the temperature rises with the increase of the concentration,and the carbon conversion rate reaches the maximum value when the concentration of oil-based drill cuttings coal-water slurry is 65%;When the concentration is constant,the effective gas content decreases and the outlet temperature rises with the increase of the oxygen/carbon atom ratio,and the carbon conversion rate reaches 99.80%when the oxygen/carbon atom ratio is 1.03.It shows that this method can effectively decompose the organic matter in oilbased drill cuttings and realize the efficient and cooperative treatment of oil-based drill cuttings.

Study of Oil-Bearing Drill Cuttings Cleaning and De-Oiling Treatment Method for Shale Gas Reservoirs

Due to its extensive use in shale gas exploration and development,oil-based drilling fluids generate large amounts of oil-bearing drill cuttings during the drilling process.The large amount of oil-bearing drill cuttings generated during the drilling process can lead to serious secondary contamination.In this study,a wetting agent FSC-6 with good hydrophobic and oleophobic properties was synthesized to construct an efficient oil removal system.For the first time,the mechanism of this system was analyzed by using the theory of adhesion function,interfacial tension and wettability.At the same time,a combined acoustic-chemical treatment process was applied to the wastewater and slag generated after the cleaning of the oil-bearing drill cuttings.The experimental results show that the application of this pollution-free technology can effectively solve the environmental pollution and resource recovery problems of oil-bearing drill cuttings.It meets the standard of drilling chips with oil content less than 2%in SY/T7422-2018“Oil-based drilling fluid drilling chips treatment system for oil and gas drilling equipment”.

Fracture development during disposal of hazardous drilling cuttings by deep underground injection: A review

Drilling fluids with complicated compositions are becoming more common as the oil and gas industry develops. The production of hazardous cuttings is increasing, which not only stifles the oil and gas industry’s development but also poses a severe environmental threat. Deep underground re-injection is a cost-effective and efficient method for dealing with hazardous cuttings. Numerous experiments and numerical studies on cuttings re-injection have been conducted in the past thirty years. However, there is still a divergence of views on the fracture development in the process of cuttings re-injection. A comprehensive review of existing studies is necessary to help researchers advance this technology. This paper provides a review of the fundamental studies on fracture behaviors during the deep underground re-injection of drilling cuttings. The limitations of the existing studies are also discussed to inspire new research endeavors.

Effects of IBA on the rooting of branch cuttings of Chinese jujube (Zizyphus jujuba Mill.) and changes to nutrients and endogenous hormones

‘Zhongqiusucui’ jujube secondary shoots were treated with 3-indolebutyric acid(IBA) at three concentrations, 500, 1000 and 1500 mg/L. Results show that IBA could significantly enhance rooting and root characteristics of cuttings and were best with IBA at 1500 mg/L. In the rooting process, the formation of adventitious roots was related to the consumption and accumulation of nutrients(soluble sugars and proteins) and the changes in endogenous hormones in phloem, leaf tips and leaf bases. The rooting of cuttings had a positive correlation with the consumption of soluble sugars during the period of callus formation and with the accumulation of soluble sugars during adventitious root formation and growth. Rooting was positively related to the breakdown of soluble proteins in the phloem when the callus formed, and had a positive correlation with its accumulation during adventitious root formation and growth. Leaf tips and leaf bases showed a reverse trend in changes of soluble protein. However, together with the phloem, leaf tips and leaf bases regulated and controlled the formation and development of adventitious roots. The main activities of soluble proteins exist in the leaf tips as this was the main source of soluble proteins. The relation between rooting and IAA(indole-3-acetic acid) content in phloem was positive and thus a high concentration of IAA could benefit the induction and formation of adventitious roots. However, rooting was negatively related with ABA(abscisic acid) and GA(gibberellic acid) and a high concentration of both could inhibit the induction and formation of adventitious roots. Rooting had a positive correlation with phloem IAA/ABA ratios, and higher ratios could improve rooting. Low concentrations of ZR(zeatin riboside) triggered the induction of adventitious roots, while higher concentrations promoted root growth.Endogenous hormones in leaf tips and bases had an impact on rooting. The activities of endogenous hormones mainly existed in leaf tips because they play a major role in the production and consumption of IAA and its ABA content increased during rooting. The ZR in leaf tips influenced the rooting of cuttings, especially in the callus formation and rooting stage. Leaf tips were the main source of GA.

Prediction of coal structure using particle size characteristics of coalbed methane well cuttings

Severely deformed coal seams barely deliver satisfactory gas production. This research was undertaken to develop a new method to predict the positions of deformed coals for a horizontal CBM well. Firstly, the drilling cuttings of different structure coals were collected from a coal mine and compared. In light of the varying cuttings characteristics for different structure coals, the coal structure of the horizontally drilled coal seam was predicted. And the feasibility of this prediction method was discussed. The result shows that exogenetic fractures have an important influence on the deformation of coal seams. The hardness coefficient of coal decreases with the deformation degree in the order of primary structural, cataclastic and fragmented coal. And the expanding-ratio of gas drainage holes and the average particle size of cuttings increase with the increase of the deformation degree. The particle size distribution of coal cuttings for the three types of coals is distinctive from each other. Based on the particle size distribution of cuttings from X-2 well in a coal seam, six sections of fragmented coal which are unsuitable for perforating are predicted. This method may benefit the optimization of perforation and fracturing of a horizontal CBM well in the study area.

Effect of Indole 3-Butyric Acid and Media Type on Adventitious Root Formation in Sheanut Tree (<i>Vitellaria paradoxa</i>C. F. Gaertn.) Stem Cuttings

Shea nuts play an important role in food security for rural folks within sub-Sahara Africa, serving as the main source of income for many people living in Northern Ghana. Unfortunately, the full economic potential of the Sheanut tree has not been fully realized due to the difficulty involved in its domestication. This difficulty in vegetatively propagating sheanut trees has greatly hindered its cultivation and the realization of its true economic potential. Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of rooting media and varying indole 3-butyric acid (IBA) concentrations on adventitious root formation in cuttings taken from coppiced sheanut trees. Results indicated that 3000 ppm produced significantly (p 0.05) better rooting (57.5%) than 5000 ppm (30%), 7000 ppm (45.0%) and the control (7.5%). Although the levels of soluble sugars (SS) and total free phenols (TFP) in the cutting were significantly (p 0.05) higher at the end of the experiment (after IBA treatment) compared to the start (prior to IBA treatment), the SS and TFP trends observed did not clearly explain the rooting differences found between the IBA levels investigated. Callus formation was significantly (p 0.05) higher (35.0%) in the control (no IBA). Generally, callus formation decreased with increasing IBA concentration. In the rooting media experiment, rooting was significantly (p 0.05) higher in the rice husk medium (35.0%) compared to that in the palm fiber (18.3%), saw dust (14.1%) and top soil (16.7%) media.

Clonal propagation of Bambusa vulgaris by leafy branch cuttings

Bambusa vulgaris Schrad ex wendl is a widely cultivated bamboo species in rural Bangladesh for its versatile uses. The vegetative propagation becomes the only viable alternative for this species because B. vulgaris does not set seed after sparse flowering, which makes seedling progenies unavailable. A low-cost propagation trial was conducted to explore the clonal propagation techniques for the species with two types of small branch cuttings, nodal leafy cuttings and tip cuttings. The cuttings, after treating with 0, 0.1%, 0.4%, and 0.8% IBA solutions, were kept in non-mist propagator to let them to root for assessing the rooting ability. The cuttings were rooted in four weeks and were allowed to grow in the polybags for 10 months under nursery condition to assess their steckling capacity. The study reveals that both types of branch cuttings are able to develop roots, shoots, to survive and to form rhizome under the nursery condition. Rooting ability of the cuttings was significantly enhanced by the application of rooting hormone - IBA. The highest rooting percentage in nodal leafy cuttings and the tip cuttings （56.67% and 51.0%, respectively） were observed in 0.8% IBA treatment, followed by 0.4% IBA and the lowest （34.3% and 30.0%, respectively） was in control. The highest number of root developed per cutting （9.77 and 8.33 in nodal leafy cuttings and the tip cuttings, respectively） was also obtained from the cuttings treated with 0.8% IBA solution, followed 0.4% IBA treatment and the lowest （3.1 and 2.1, respectively） was in the cuttings without treatment. However, the length of the longest root varied significantly neither with the cutting types nor the concentrations of IBA solution. Survival percentage of the stecklings in nursery condition was significantly enhanced by IBA.

Solidification and utilization of water-based drill cuttings to prepare ceramsite proppant with low-density and high performance

Water-based drill cuttings(WBDC)and bauxite are used as raw materials to prepare proppants with low density and high performance.The effects of sintering temperature,sintering period,mixture ratios of materials,doping with iron oxide,and acid modification of WBDC on the properties of proppants are discussed.The proppant performance is evaluated according to the national standard SY/T5108-2014.The morphology of the proppant is analyzed using scanning electron microscopy(SEM).The crystal phase structure of the proppant is studied using X-ray diffraction(XRD).Thermal analysis of the proppant sintering process is performed using thermogravimetry(TG).Proppant Z-23 completely satisfied the SY/T5108-2014 standard.This study provides a new perspective for the resource utilization of water-based drill cuttings and preparation of low-density proppants.

Experimental Study Optimizing Hole Cleaning-Cuttings Transport in Oil Drilling Engineering

With a clear understanding of the drilling fluid techniques and the cutting taking mechanism, a new advanced model is set up for analyzing field data and quantitative forecast of cutting taking mechanism. Therefore, a number of values affecting the drilling rate and the hole cleaning are studied over a wide range of parameters. Drilling data obtained under high borehole pressure conditions are analyzed to determine the causes of the reduction in rate of penetration (ROP) as the borehole pressure increases, which in some cases is caused by the buildup of rock debris under the bit. The theoretical achievement and testing conclusions can be very instructional for horizontal well drilling. Much higher annular velocities are required for effective hole cleaning in directional wells than in vertical wells. High viscosity muds are observed to provide better transport than low viscosity muds.

Discovery of Potassium-Bearing Cuttings from the Well Yangta 4 in the Kuqa Depression and Seam Division

The world petroleum exploration suggests that,about70%of the world’s potash resources were discovered during oil and gas exploration(Zheng et al.,2007).The Kuqa depression in the Tarim basin is abundant with petroleum exploration data,and

Vegetative propagation of Aesculus indica through stem cuttings treated with plant growth regulators

Cuttage propagation of Aesculus indica was tested by treatments with different concentrations of indole-3-acetic acid(IAA) @ 2000, 4000(ppm), indolebutyric acid(IBA) @ 2000, 4000(ppm) and naphthlcetic acid(NAA) @ 2000, 4000(ppm) in dry formulation in the Forest Nursery, Faculty of Forestry, SKUAST-K, Shalimar.The cuttings treated with IBA @ 4000 ppm and IBA @ 2000 ppm had a sprouting rate of 75% and 50%, respectively, which was significantly higher than that of control and other treatments.The highest rooting rate(50%) was recorded in the cuttings with the application of IBA @ 4000 ppm.The cuttings treated with IBA @ 2000 ppm had 25% rooting rate.All other treatments along with control(talc powder) failed to induce rooting.It was concluded that IBA @ 4000 ppm was a better-applied concentration for vegetative propagation of A.indica under Kashmir conditions.

Rejuvenation and Adventitious Rooting in Coppice-Shoot Cuttings of <i>Tectona grandis</i>as Affected by Stock-Plant Etiolation

The effect of stock-plant etiolation on adventitious rooting of single-node leafy cuttings (SNCs) made from coppice shoots from different age groups of donor plants were investigated for teak (Tectona grandis Linn. f.). When donor plants age were 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old, they were coppiced and maintained in the dark for etiolation, while a parallel set was kept in normal light in an open environment. After 20 days, coppice shoots were made into SNCs which were cultured under intermittent mist for rooting. Stock-plant etiolation significantly increased percent rooting, shoot and root length, and number of roots per SNC, but callusing at the base of SNCs decreased. Etiolated SNCs have shown 71.7% rooting, whereas for controls (non-etiolated), the response was 41.7%. The effect of aging on callusing, rooting and sprouting of etiolated and non-etiolated coppice shoots cuttings varied widely. Aging of donor plants decreased rooting and sprouting capability in SNCs and increased callusing at the base of etiolated cuttings. The results showed that stock-plant etiolation in 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old donor plants hastened rooting potential by rejuvenation of coppice shoots.

Effect of Synthetic Hormone Substitutes on Rooting of Vine Cuttings in Water Yam (Dioscorea alata L.)

The use of yam vine cuttings as propagules with appropriate synthetic rooting hormones such as IBA (Indole-Butyric Acid) and NAA (Naphthalene Acetic Acid) has previously been reported as successful but expensive. To source for cheaper alternatives, this study compared the effect of some natural and synthetic hormones on rooting of vine cuttings in two varieties of Dioscorea alata. Vine cuttings from three months old water yam varieties were treated separately with 1%, 3% and 5% concentrations of each of the following: neem leaf ash, coconut water, 2,4-D and IBA with water as control. Treated cuttings were planted in triplicates in polythene bags using the completely randomised design and watered once in two days for 49 days. Data collected on rooting percentage, number of roots per plant, mean root length, number and length of new vines were subjected to analysis of variance tests and the means separated using least significant difference tests. A 100% rooting was observed in vines treated with 1% or 3% coconut water and neem ash. These vines also generated significantly greater number of new vines (P < 0.05) compared to those from synthetic hormones. Vines treated with 5% neem produced the highest number of roots (145.33 ± 9.21;P < 0.001) while those treated with 3% neem produced the longest roots (45.3 ± 9.23 cm) followed by those treated with 3% coconut water (24.3 ± 3.48). The study reveals that neem leaf ash and coconut water are better root promoting agents for water yam vines than 2,4-D and IBA and could be tested further for use as natural hormonal substitutes to the synthetic hormones.

A novel predictive model of drag coefficient and settling velocity of drill cuttings in non-Newtonian drilling fluids

In oil and gas well drilling operations,it is of great significance to accurately predict the drag coefficient and settling velocity of drill cuttings in non-Newtonian drilling fluids.In this paper,the free-falling of 172 groups of spheres and 522 groups of irregular-shaped sand particles in Newtonian/non-Newtonian fluids were investigated experimentally.It was found that the drag coefficient calculated based on Newtonian correlations can result in a significant error when the particle settles in the non-Newtonian fluid.Therefore,predictive models of drag coefficient were established respectively for different types of fluids.The validity of the proposed drag coefficient model of spheres was verified by comparing it with the previous works.On this basis,the drag coefficient model of irregular-shaped sand particles was established by introducing a shape factor.The models do not use the shape factor that requires detailed threedimensional shape and size information.Instead,two-dimensional geometric information(circularity)is obtained via image analysis techniques.The present new models predict the settling velocity of sand particles in the power-law fluid and Herschel-Bulkley fluid accurately with a mean relative error of5.03%and 6.74%,respectively,which verifies the accuracy of the model.

A High-Mathematical Model Optimizing Cuttings Transport in Oil Drilling Engineering

With special drilling operation equipment and specific conditions of geology, how does drilling fluid carry cuttings effectively? So far, it is still an urgent problem for drilling researchers to study. This work just aims at the actual engineering background to develop studying model. In this paper, according to non Newtonian fluid mechanics, the law of the solid liquid, two phase fluid flow and actual drilling engineering, the major factors affecting cuttings transport are drilling fluid velocity, hole inclination and fluid rheological properties. Getting a clear understanding of the law of drilling fluid and its cutting taking mechanism, this paper puts forward a model for analysis of field data and quantitative forecast of cutting taking capability of drilling fluid. The full scale annular test section was 6.1 m with 76 and 114 mm drillpipe in a 203 mm ID (wellbore diameter). Hole angle varied from 0° to 90°.