Simulation and Optimization of Hydraulics Applied to Oil Well Drilling

Abstract

The main objective of hydraulics applied in oil well drilling is to ensure cleanliness at the bottom of the well, this consists of keeping in continuous movement the solids or cuttings of the formation, transporting the largest amount of them from the bottom and the annular space to the surface, thus minimizing the existence of unwanted events such as sticking, entrapment, among others.

Each oil well has specific geological, geophysical and geomechanical characteristics that must be taken into account for its design, based on technical and scientific considerations that allow the establishment of its mechanical state and its exploitation engineering studies. The rheological behavior of a fluid in these wells cannot be generalized, even if they are separated by a few hundred meters. This paper describes the development of a graphical computational tool for the fast and efficient calculation of the various hydraulic aspects associated with onshore oil well drilling. The tool is arranged in three stages: First, the position of the drill pipes in the drillstring is evaluated and their pull margin is determined. Then, the hydraulic calculation procedures of national and international companies are developed. Finally, rheological models (Bingham plastic and exponential law) are used for fluid behavior. The tool was developed with Visual Basic and macros in Microsoft Excel, the interface is simple and intuitive, of fast communication and easy adaptation between program and user.