Methods and Countermeasures of Controlling Drilling Cost under New Normal

The oil price drops in the international crude oil market and the benefit of upstream operations reduces which has been the new normal of oil companies so far. The upstream operations production and management of oil companies face numerous problems and challenges. One of the most significant aspects is to control and optimize investment. Drilling investment is an important component of development investment in drilling oil and gas wells. This paper proposes ways and countermeasures of controlling drilling cost from 3 aspects which are technology innovation, management innovation and system innovation on basis of studying drilling cost structure and influence factors analysis. The results have some guidance and exemplary significance to show how to improve production and management effect respectively on upstream operations of oil companies under new normal.

Drilling-based measuring method for the c-φ parameter of rock and its field application

The technology of drilling tests makes it possible to obtain the strength parameter of rock accurately in situ. In this paper, a new rock cutting analysis model that considers the influence of the rock crushing zone(RCZ) is built. The formula for an ultimate cutting force is established based on the limit equilibrium principle. The relationship between digital drilling parameters(DDP) and the c-φ parameter(DDP-cφ formula, where c refers to the cohesion and φ refers to the internal friction angle) is derived, and the response of drilling parameters and cutting ratio to the strength parameters is analyzed. The drillingbased measuring method for the c-φ parameter of rock is constructed. The laboratory verification test is then completed, and the difference in results between the drilling test and the compression test is less than 6%. On this basis, in-situ rock drilling tests in a traffic tunnel and a coal mine roadway are carried out, and the strength parameters of the surrounding rock are effectively tested. The average difference ratio of the results is less than 11%, which verifies the effectiveness of the proposed method for obtaining the strength parameters based on digital drilling. This study provides methodological support for field testing of rock strength parameters.

Uncontrolled Drilling: Exposing a Global Threat to Groundwater Sustainability

Untold numbers of boreholes are drilled into the earth’s crust every year. Most constitute a potential threat to groundwater quality by creating a preferred pathway for contaminant migration. Some solutions, including “well-pooling”, are proposed to better protect groundwater resources through the efficient management of boreholes.

Double-face intelligent hole position planning method for precision blasting in roadways using a computer-controlled drill jumbo

To solve the uneven burden of same-type holes reducing the blasting efficiency due to the limitation of drilling equipment,we need a double-face program-controlled planning method for hole position parameters used on a computer-controlled drilling jumbo.The cross-section splits into even and uneven areas.It also considers the uneven burden at the hole’s entrance and bottom.In the uneven area,various qualifying factors are made to optimize the hole spacing and maximize the burden uniformity,combined with the features of the area edges and gridbased segmentation methods.The hole position coordinates and angles in the even area are derived using recursion and iteration algorithms.As a case,this method presents all holes in a 4.8 m wide and 3.6 m high cross-section.Compared with the design produced by the drawing method,our planning in the uneven area improved the standard deviation of the hole burden by 40%.The improved hole layout facilitates the evolution of precise,efficient,and intelligent blasting in underground mines.

Synthetic polymers:A review of applications in drilling fluids

With the growth of deep drilling and the complexity of the well profile,the requirements for a more complete and efficient exploitation of productive formations increase,which increases the risk of various complications.Currently,reagents based on modified natural polymers(which are naturally occurring compounds)and synthetic polymers(SPs)which are polymeric compounds created industrially,are widely used to prevent emerging complications in the drilling process.However,compared to modified natural polymers,SPs form a family of high-molecular-weight compounds that are fully synthesized by undergoing chemical polymerization reactions.SPs provide substantial flexibility in their design.Moreover,their size and chemical composition can be adjusted to provide properties for nearly all the functional objectives of drilling fluids.They can be classified based on chemical ingredients,type of reaction,and their responses to heating.However,some of SPs,due to their structural characteristics,have a high cost,a poor temperature and salt resistance in drilling fluids,and degradation begins when the temperature reaches 130℃.These drawbacks prevent SP use in some medium and deep wells.Thus,this review addresses the historical development,the characteristics,manufacturing methods,classification,and the applications of SPs in drilling fluids.The contributions of SPs as additives to drilling fluids to enhance rheology,filtrate generation,carrying of cuttings,fluid lubricity,and clay/shale stability are explained in detail.The mechanisms,impacts,and advances achieved when SPs are added to drilling fluids are also described.The typical challenges encountered by SPs when deployed in drilling fluids and their advantages and drawbacks are also discussed.Economic issues also impact the applications of SPs in drilling fluids.Consequently,the cost of the most relevant SPs,and the monomers used in their synthesis,are assessed.Environmental impacts of SPs when deployed in drilling fluids,and their manufacturing processes are identified,together with advances in SP-treatment methods aimed at reducing those impacts.Recommendations for required future research addressing SP property and performance gaps are provided.

Pulsed current-assisted twelve-roll precision rolling deformation of SUS304 ultra-thin strips with exceptional mechanical properties

Innovative pulsed current-assisted multi-pass rolling tests were conducted on a 12-roll mill during the rolling deformation processing of SUS304 ultra-thin strips.The results show that in the first rolling pass,the rolling reduction rate of a conventionally rolled sample(at room temperature)is 33.8%,which can be increased to 41.5%by pulsed current-assisted rolling,enabling the formation of an ultra-thin strip with a size of 67.3μm in only one rolling pass.After three passes of pulsed current-assisted rolling,the thickness of the ultra-thin strip can be further reduced to 51.7μm.To clearly compare the effects of a pulsed current on the microstructure and mechanical response of the ultra-thin strip,ultra-thin strips with nearly the same thickness reduction were analyzed.It was found that pulsed current can reduce the degree of work-hardening of the rolled samples by promoting dislocation detachment,reducing the density of stacking faults,inhibiting martensitic phase transformation,and shortening the total length of grain boundaries.As a result,the ductility of ultra-thin strips can be effectively restored to approximately 16.3%while maintaining a high tensile strength of 1118 MPa.Therefore,pulsed current-assisted rolling deformation shows great potential for the formation of ultra-thin strips with a combination of high strength and ductility.

Microstructure evolution and strengthening mechanism of high -performance powder metallurgy TA15 titanium alloy by hot rolling

Hot deformation of sintered billets by powder metallurgy(PM)is an effective preparation technique for titanium alloys,which is more significant for high-alloying alloys.In this study,Ti–6.5Al–2Zr–Mo–V(TA15)titanium alloy plates were prepared by cold press-ing sintering combined with high-temperature hot rolling.The microstructure and mechanical properties under different process paramet-ers were investigated.Optical microscope,electron backscatter diffraction,and others were applied to characterize the microstructure evolution and mechanical properties strengthening mechanism.The results showed that the chemical compositions were uniformly dif-fused without segregation during sintering,and the closing of the matrix craters was accelerated by increasing the sintering temperature.The block was hot rolled at 1200℃ with an 80%reduction under only two passes without annealing.The strength and elongation of the plate at 20–25℃ after solution and aging were 1247 MPa and 14.0%,respectively,which were increased by 24.5%and 40.0%,respect-ively,compared with the as-sintered alloy at 1300℃.The microstructure was significantly refined by continuous dynamic recrystalliza-tion,which was completed by the rotation and dislocation absorption of the substructure surrounded by low-angle grain boundaries.After hot rolling combined with heat treatment,the strength and plasticity of PM-TA15 were significantly improved,which resulted from the dense,uniform,and fine recrystallization structure and the synergistic effect of multiple slip systems.

Deep-large faults controlling on the distribution of the venting gas hydrate system in the middle of the Qiongdongnan Basin, South China Sea

Many locations with concentrated hydrates at vents have confirmed the presence of abundant thermogenic gas in the middle of the Qiongdongnan Basin(QDNB).However,the impact of deep structures on gasbearing fluids migration and gas hydrates distribution in tectonically inactive regions is still unclear.In this study,the authors apply high-resolution 3D seismic and logging while drilling(LWD)data from the middle of the QDNB to investigate the influence of deep-large faults on gas chimneys and preferred gasescape pipes.The findings reveal the following:(1)Two significant deep-large faults,F1 and F2,developed on the edge of the Songnan Low Uplift,control the dominant migration of thermogenic hydrocarbons and determine the initial locations of gas chimneys.(2)The formation of gas chimneys is likely related to fault activation and reactivation.Gas chimney 1 is primarily arises from convergent fluid migration resulting from the intersection of the two faults,while the gas chimney 2 benefits from a steeper fault plane and shorter migration distance of fault F2.(3)Most gas-escape pipes are situated near the apex of the two faults.Their reactivations facilitate free gas flow into the GHSZ and contribute to the formation of fracture‐filling hydrates.

The Conversion of Non-Dispersed Polymers into Low-Potassium Anti-Collapse Drilling Fluids

Different drillingfluid systems are designed according to mineral composition,lithology and wellbore stability of different strata.In the present study,the conversion of a non-dispersed polymer drillingfluid into a low potas-sium anti-collapsing drillingfluid is investigated.Since the two drillingfluids belong to completely different types,the key to this conversion is represented by new inhibitors,dispersants and water-loss agents by which a non-dispersed drillingfluid can be turned into a dispersed drillingfluid while ensuring wellbore stability and reason-able rheology(carrying sand—inhibiting cuttings dispersion).In particular,the(QYZ-1)inhibitors and(FSJSS-2)dispersants are used.The former can inhibit the hydration expansion capacity of clay,reduce the dynamic shear force and weaken the viscosity;the latter can improve the sealing effect and reduce thefiltrate loss.The results have shown that after adding a reasonable proportion of these substances(QYZ-1:FSJSS-2)to the non-dispersed polymer drillingfluid,while the apparent viscosity,plastic viscosity,structural viscosity andfluidity index under-went almost negligible changes,the dynamic plastic ratio increased,and thefiltration loss decreased significantly,thereby indicating good compatibility.According to the tests(conducted in the Leijia area),the density was 1.293 g/cm3,and after standing for 24 h,the SF(static settlement factor)was 0.51.Moreover,thefiltration loss was reduced to 4.0 mL,the rolling recovery rate reached 96.92%,with excellent plugging and anti-collapse performances.

Tailoring the texture and mechanical properties of 3%Y_(2)O_(3)p/ZGK200 composites fabricated by unidirectional and cross rolling followed by annealing

3%Y_(2)O_(3)p/ZGK200 composites were subjected to unidirectional rolling(UR)and cross rolling(CR)at 400℃and 350℃followed by annealing at 300℃for 1 h.The microstructure,texture and mechanical properties of rolled and annealed composites were systematically studied.The rolled composites exhibited a heterogeneous microstructure,consisting of deformed grains elongated along rolling direction(RD)and Y_(2)O_(3)particles bands distributed along RD.After annealing,static recrystallization(SRX)occurred and most deformed grains transformed into equiaxed grains.A non-basal texture with two strong T-texture components was obtained after UR while a non-basal elliptical/circle texture with circle multi-peaks was obtained after CR,indicating that rolling path had great influences on texture of the composites.After annealing process,R-texture component disappeared or weakened,as results,a non-basal texture with double peaks tilting from normal direction(ND)to transverse direction(TD)and a more random non-basal texture with circle multi-peaks were obtained for UR and CR composites,respectively.The yield strength of rolled composites after UR showed obvious anisotropy along RD and TD while a low anisotropic yield strength was obtained after CR.Some Y_(2)O_(3)particles broke during rolling.The fracture of the composites was attributed to the existence of Y_(2)O_(3)clusters and interfacial debonding between particles and matrix during tension,as a result,the ductility was not as superior as matrix alloy.

Research progress and development of deep and ultra-deep drilling fluid technology

The research progress of deep and ultra-deep drilling fluid technology systematically reviewed,the key problems existing are analyzed,and the future development direction is proposed.In view of the high temperature,high pressure and high stress,fracture development,wellbore instability,drilling fluid lost circulation and other problems faced in the process of deep and ultra-deep complex oil and gas drilling,scholars have developed deep and ultra-deep high-temperature and high-salt resistant water-based drilling fluid technology,high-temperature resistant oil-based/synthetic drilling fluid technology,drilling fluid technology for reservoir protection and drilling fluid lost circulation control technology.However,there are still some key problems such as insufficient resistance to high temperature,high pressure and high stress,wellbore instability and serious lost circulation.Therefore,the development direction of deep and ultra-deep drilling fluid technology in the future is proposed:(1)The technology of high-temperature and high-salt resistant water-based drilling fluid should focus on improving high temperature stability,improving rheological properties,strengthening filtration control and improving compatibility with formation.(2)The technology of oil-based/synthetic drilling fluid resistant to high temperature should further study in the aspects of easily degradable environmental protection additives with low toxicity such as high temperature stabilizer,rheological regulator and related supporting technologies.(3)The drilling fluid technology for reservoir protection should be devoted to the development of new high-performance additives and materials,and further improve the real-time monitoring technology by introducing advanced sensor networks and artificial intelligence algorithms.(4)The lost circulation control of drilling fluid should pay more attention to the integration and application of intelligent technology,the research and application of high-performance plugging materials,the exploration of diversified plugging techniques and methods,and the improvement of environmental protection and production safety awareness.

Wellbore-heat-transfer-model-based optimization and control for cooling downhole drilling fluid

To address the two critical issues of evaluating the necessity of implementing cooling techniques and achieving real-time temperature control of drilling fluids underground in the current drilling fluid cooling technology,we first established a temperature and pressure coupled downhole heat transfer model,which can be used in both water-based and oil-based drilling fluid.Then,fourteen factors,which could affect wellbore temperature,were analyzed.Based on the standard deviation of the downhole temperature corresponding to each influencing factor,the influence of each factor was quantified.The influencing factors that can be used to guide the drilling fluid's cooling technology were drilling fluid thermal conductivity,drilling fluid heat capacity,drilling fluid density,drill strings rotation speed,pump rate,viscosity,ROP,and injection temperature.The nondominated sorting genetic algorithm was used to optimize these six parameters,but the optimization process took 182 min.Combining these eight parameters'influence rules with the nondominated sorting genetic algorithm can reduce the optimization time to 108 s.Theoretically,the downhole temperature has been demonstrated to increase with the inlet temperature increasing linearly under quasi-steady states.Combining this law and PID,the downhole temperature can be controlled,which can reduce the energy for cooling the surface drilling fluid and can ensure the downhole temperature reaches the set value as soon as possible.

Testing method of rock structural plane using digital drilling

The rock mass consists of rock blocks and structural planes,which can reduce its integrity and strength.Therefore,accurately obtaining the characteristics of the rock mass structural plane is a prerequisite for evaluating stability and designing supports in underground engineering.Currently,there are no effective testing methods for the characteristic parameters of the rock mass structural plane in underground engineering.The paper presents the digital drilling technology as a new testing method of rock mass structural planes.Flawed rock specimens with cracks of varying widths and angles were used to simulate the rock mass structural planes,and the multifunctional rock mass digital drilling test system was employed to carry out the digital drilling tests.The analysis focuses on the variation laws of drilling parameters,such as drilling pressure and drilling torque,affected by the characteristics of prefabricated cracks,and clarifies the degradation mechanism of rock equivalent compressive strength.Additionally,an identification model for the characteristic parameters of rock mass structural planes during drilling is established.The test results indicate that the average difference of the characteristics of prefabricated cracks identified by the equivalent compressive strength is 2.45°and 0.82 mm,respectively.The identification model while drilling is verified to be correct due to the high identification accuracy.Based on this,a method for testing the characteristic parameters of the surrounding rock structural plane while drilling is proposed.The research offers a theoretical and methodological foundation for precise in situ identification of structural planes of the surrounding rock in underground engineering.

Digital monitoring of rotary-percussive drilling with down-the-hole hammer for profiling weathered granitic ground

Rock and geotechnical engineering investigations involve drilling holes in ground with or without retrieving soil and rock samples to construct the subsurface ground profile.On the basis of an actual soil nailing drilling for a slope stability project in Hong Kong,this paper further develops the drilling process monitoring(DPM)method for digitally profiling the subsurface geomaterials of weathered granitic rocks using a compressed airflow driven percussive-rotary drilling machine with down-the-hole(DTH)hammer.Seven transducers are installed on the drilling machine and record the chuck displacement,DTH rotational speed,and five pressures from five compressed airflows in real-time series.The mechanism and operations of the drilling machine are elaborated in detail,which is essential for understanding and evaluating the drilling data.A MATLAB program is developed to automatically filter the recorded drilling data in time series and classify them into different drilling processes in sub-time series.These processes include penetration,push-in with or without rod,pull-back with or without rod,rod-tightening and rod-untightening.The drilling data are further reconstructed to plot the curve of drill-bit depth versus the net drilling time along each of the six drillholes.Each curve is found to contain multiple linear segments with a constant penetration rate,which implies a zone of homogenous geomaterial with different weathering grades.The effect from fluctuation of the applied pressures is evaluated quantitatively.Detailed analyses are presented for accurately assess and verify the underground profiling and strength in weathered granitic rock,which provided the basis of using DPM method to confidently assess drilling measurements to interpret the subsurface profile in real time.

Integrated design and control technology of liner completion and drilling for horizontal wells

Aiming at the problems of large load of rotation drive system,low efficiency of torque transmission and high cost for operation and maintenance of liner steering drilling system for the horizontal well,a new method of liner differential rotary drilling with double tubular strings in the horizontal well is proposed.The technical principle of this method is revealed,supporting tools such as the differential rotation transducer,composite rotary steering system and the hanger are designed,and technological process is optimized.A tool face control technique of steering drilling assembly is proposed and the calculation model of extension limit of liner differential rotary drilling with double tubular strings in horizontal well is established.These results show that the liner differential rotary drilling with double tubular strings is equipped with measurement while drilling(MWD)and positive displacement motor(PDM),and directional drilling of horizontal well is realized by adjusting rotary speed of drill pipe to control the tool face of PDM.Based on the engineering case of deep coalbed methane horizontal well in the eastern margin of Ordos Basin,the extension limit of horizontal drilling with double tubular strings is calculated.Compared with the conventional liner drilling method,the liner differential rotary drilling with double tubular strings increases the extension limit value of horizontal well significantly.The research findings provide useful reference for the integrated design and control of liner completion and drilling of horizontal wells.

Research on the Method of Heat Preservation and Heating for the Drilling System of Polar Offshore Drilling Platform

This study investigates the heat dissipation mechanism of the insulation layer and other plane insulation layers in the polar drilling rig system.Combining the basic theory of heat transfer with the environmental requirements of polar drilling operations and the characteristics of polar drilling processes,we analyze the factors that affect the insulation effect of the drilling rig system.These factors include the thermal conductivity of the insulation material,the thickness of the insulation layer,ambient temperature,and wind speed.We optimize the thermal insulation material of the polar drilling rig system using a steady-state method to measure solid thermal conductivity.By analyzing the distribution of temperature in space after heating,we optimize the distribution and air outlet angle of the heater using Fluent hydrodynamics software.The results demonstrate that under polar conditions,polyisocyanurate with stable thermodynamic properties is selected as the thermal insulation material.The selection of thermal insulation material and thickness significantly affects the thermal insulation effect of the system but has little effect on its heating effect.Moreover,when the air outlet angle of the heater is set to 32.5°,the heating efficiency of the system can be effectively improved.According to heat transfer equations and heat balance theory,we determine that the heating power required for the system to reach 5°C is close to numerical simulation.

Stratigraphic identification using real-time drilling data

Identification of stratigraphic interfaces and lithology is a key aspect in geological and geotechnical investigations.In this study,a monitoring while-drilling system was developed,along with a corresponding data pre-processing method.The method can handle invalid drilling data generated during manual operations.The correlation between various drilling parameters was analyzed,and a database of stratigraphic interfaces and key lithology identification based on the monitoring parameters was established.The average drilling speed was found to be the most suitable parameter for stratigraphic and lithology identification,and when the average drilling speed varied over a wide range,it corresponded to a stratigraphic interface.The average drilling speeds in sandy mudstone and sandstone strata were in the ranges of 0.1e0.2 m/min and 0.2e0.29 m/min,respectively.The results obtained using the present method were consistent with geotechnical survey results.The proposed method can be used for realtime lithology identification and represents a novel approach for intelligent geotechnical surveying.

Chemical modification of barite for improving the performance of weighting materials for water-based drilling fluids

With increasing drilling depth and large dosage of weighting materials,drilling fluids with high solid content are characterized by poor stability,high viscosity,large water loss,and thick mud cake,easier leading to reservoir damage and wellbore instability.In this paper,micronized barite(MB)was modified(mMB)by grafting with hydrophilic polymer onto the surface through the free radical polymerization to displace conventional API barite partly.The suspension stability of water-based drilling fluids(WBDFs)weighted with API barite:mMB=2:1 in 600 g was significantly enhanced compared with that with API barite/WBDFs,exhibiting the static sag factor within 0.54 and the whole stability index of 2.The viscosity and yield point reached the minimum,with a reduction of more than 40%compared with API barite only at the same density.Through multi-stage filling and dense accumulation of weighting materials and clays,filtration loss was decreased,mud cake quality was improved,and simultaneously it had great reservoir protection performance,and the permeability recovery rate reached 87%.In addition,it also effectively improved the lubricity of WBDFs.The sticking coefficient of mud cake was reduced by 53.4%,and the friction coefficient was 0.2603.Therefore,mMB can serve as a versatile additive to control the density,rheology,filtration,and stability of WBDFs weighted with API barite,thus regulating comprehensive performance and achieving reservoir protection capacity.This work opened up a new path for the productive drilling of extremely deep and intricate wells by providing an efficient method for managing the performance of high-density WBDFs.

Hole cleaning evaluation and installation spacing optimization of cuttings bed remover in extended-reach drilling

In extended-reach or long-horizontal drilling,cuttings usually deposit at the bottom of the annulus.Once cuttings accumulate to a certain thickness,complex problems such as excessive torque and drag,tubing buckling,and pipe stuck probably occur,which results in a lot of non-productive time and remedial operations.Cuttings bed remover can efficiently destroy deposited cuttings in time through hydraulic and mechanical stirring effects.This paper aims to build a method for hole cleaning evaluation and installation spacing optimization of cuttings bed remover to improve the wellbore cleaning effect.Firstly,a Computational Fluid Dynamics approach with Eulerian—Eulerian multiphase model was utilized to investigate the mechanism of cuttings transportation,and a new type of cuttings bed remover was designed.Next,an evaluation method of hole cleaning effect of remover was established.After that,the effects of several drilling parameters on hole cleaning including flow rate of drilling fluid,rotational speed of drillpipe,rate of penetration,wellbore size,rheological property of drilling fluid,and remover eccentricity on the performance of cuttings bed remover were investigated.The results demonstrate that the new type of remover with streamline blade performs better than conventional removers.The efficiency of hole cleaning is greatly improved by increasing the rotational speed of drillpipe,flow rate of drilling fluid,remover eccentricity,and 6 rpm Fann dial reading for drilling fluid.While higher rate of penetration and large wellbore size result in worse hole cleaning.These findings can serve as an important guide for the structure optimization design of cuttings bed remover and installation spacing of removers.

Temperature prediction model in multiphase flow considering phase transition in the drilling operations

The study considers gas compression properties,gas slippage,back pressure(BP),phase transition(PT),well depth,and differences in gas-liquid physical properties.A new temperature model for multiphase flow is proposed by considering phase transition in the drilling process.The mathematical model of multiphase flow is solved using the finite difference method with annulus mesh division for grid nodes,and a module for multiphase flow calculation and analysis is developed.Numerical results indicate that the temperature varies along the annulus with the variation of gas influx at the bottom of the well.During the process of controlled pressure drilling,as gas slips along the annulus to the wellhead,its volume continuously expands,leading to an increase in the gas content within the annulus,and consequently,an increase in the pressure drop caused by gas slippage.The temperature increases with the increase in BP and decreases in gas influx rate and wellbore diameter.During gas influx,the thermal conductivity coefficient for the gas-drilling mud two phases is significantly weakened,resulting in a considerable change in temperature along the annulus.In the context of MPD,the method of slightly changing the temperature along the annulus by controlling the back pressure is feasible.