Institutional Repository
Technical University of Crete
EN  |  EL

Search

Browse

My Space

Fouling investigation via CFD modeling of annular multiphaseflows during underbalanced drilling (UBD)

Gerogiorgis D.I., Kelesidis Vasilis

Full record


URI: http://purl.tuc.gr/dl/dias/EB4189E1-E23A-430A-B926-254E1E62DE13
Year 2014
Type of Item Conference Full Paper
License
Details
Bibliographic Citation D.I. Gerogiorgis, V.C. Kelessidis, " Fouling investigation via CFD modeling of annular multiphase flows during underbalanced drilling (UBD), presented at Materials Aspects of Corrosion and Fouling in Oil Refining and Exploration,San Diego CA,2014
Appears in Collections

Summary

Underbalanced drilling (UBD) is a modern oil and gas well drilling technology: therein, wellbore pressure is kept lower than the fluid pressure in the formation being drilled and flow geometry is an annulus positioned at vertical, inclined or horizontal orientation. While technical challenges for vertical UBD cuttings transport have been addressed, several unresolved problems remain for multiphase solid-liquid (SL) and solid-liquid-gas (SLG) flows along horizontal and inclined conduits. Liquid velocity, solids loading, physical properties, inclination angle and conduit shape and size are the main determinant parameters towards flow assurance and fouling prevention. CFD modeling of formation rock cuttings transport during UBD drilling operations has strong predictive potential which has not been hitherto harnessed to analyze, design and optimize safe UBD drilling operations. This paper will present and discuss case studies on steady-state multiphase CFD modeling and the resulting UBD state variable distributions as a function of annular configuration geometry.

Services

Statistics