The Effects of Mud Rheology

on Annular Hole Cleaning

in Directional Wells
Siavomir S. Okrajni, U. of Tulsa

J.J. Azar, SPE, U. of Tulsa

Summary. The effects of field-measured mud rheological properties on cuttings transport in directional well
drilling were studied experimentally. Water and bentonite/polymer muds were used, and angles of annulus
inclination ranging from 0 to 90 from vertical. Experimental data were processed to express the cuttings
transport quantitatively through annular cuttings concentration (vol %) at steady state.
Three separate regions of hole inclination can be identified regarding cuttings transport: 0 to 45, 45 to 55,
and 55 to 90. The effect of laminar flow dominates cuttings transport in low-angle wells (0 to 45). In highangle wells (55 to 90), the effect of turbulent flow predominates. In the range of intermediate inclination (45
to 55), turbulent and laminar flow generally have similar effects.
In laminar flow, higher mud yield values and yield-point/plastic-viscosity (YP/PV) ratio provide better
cuttings transport. The effect of mud yield value is significant in the range of 0 to 45 hole inclination and
becomes small or even negligible in the range of 55 to 90. The effects of mud yield value and YP/PV ratio
are more significant for lower annular fluid velocities. In turbulent flow, the cuttings transport was generally
not affected by the mud rheological properties.
Introduction and General Discussion
The problem of cuttings transport was studied by many
investigators. An extensive literature review is given by
Tomren. 1 Recently, increasing attention regarding cuttings transport has been given to directional drilling. Tomren, 1 Iyoho,2 and Becker,3 among others, have
conducted studies in this area.
On the basis of detailed analyses of previous and current work, several factors affect the cuttings transport in
an inclined annulus.
Axial and Radial Components of Particle Slip Velocity. According to gravity laws, only the axial component
of the slip velocity exists in the case of a vertical annulus:
Vs=V sa '

..........................

(1)

This situation changes while the annulus is inclined gradually. The component of the slip velocity appears as
V sa

=V s

cos ()

(2)

=V s

sin (). .

(3)

and
V sr

This situation is shown in Fig. 1.

Obviously, when the angle of inclination is increased,
the axial component of the slip velocity decreases, reaching zero value at the horizontal position of the annulus.
At the same time, the radial component reaches a maximum in the position mentioned. By taking these condiCopyright 1986 Society of Petroleum Engineers

SPE Drilling Engineering, August 1986

tions into account, one can say that all factors that may
lead to improved cuttings transport by a reduction of the
particle slip velocity will have a diminishing effect while
the angle of inclination is increased.
Annular Mud Velocity. The annular mud velocity in vertical drilling has to be sufficient to avoid cuttings settling
and to transport these cuttings to the surface in reasonable time. As discussed earlier, in the case of an inclined
annulus, the axial component of particle slip velocity plays
a less important role, and one could conclude that to have
a satisfactory transport, the annular mud velocity in this
case may be lower than in the vertical annulus. This, however, would be a misleading conclusion. The increasing
radial component of particle slip velocity pushes the particle toward the lower wall of the annulus, causing a cuttings (particle) bed to form. Consequently, the annular
mud velocity has to be sufficient to avoid (or at least to
limit) the bed formation. Studies show that to limit cuttings bed formation, the annular mud velocity in directional drilling has to be generally higher than in vertical
drilling. 1,2
Flow Regime and Regime of Particle Slippage. When
the cuttings-transport phenomenon is considered, the regime of flowing mud and vertical slippage should be considered simultaneously. A mud in turbulent flow always
induces turbulent regime of particle slippage, independent
of the cuttings shape and dimensions. Therefore, in this
case, the only factor that determines the particle slip velocity is the momentum forces of the mud; there is no
influence of mud viscosity. If the mud flows in the laminar regime, then-depending on the cuttings shape and
297

FLOW
FLOW - . .

+
v.

Vsa=Vs
Vsr=O

Vsr=Vs
=0

vsa=vscos9
Vsr=Vs sin 9

Vsa

Fig. 1-Particle settling velocity in an inclined annulus (from Tomren 1).

dimensions-either turbulent or laminar regime of slippage may be expected. The laminar regime of slippage
will always provide a lower value of particle slip velocity. One should conclude that laminar flow usually will
provide a better transport than turbulent flow. It should
be recalled again, however, that in the case of an inclined
annulus, the significance of the axial component of particle slip velocity decreases, and one may expect that an
advantage of laminar flow will be nullified while the angle of inclination is increased. This has been confirmed
partially by Ref. 2.

Velocity Distribution Profile in Laminar Flow as a Result of Mud Rheological Properties. The power-law Ostwald's model for a flowing mud is
r=!,yn

(4)

Parameter n characterizes the velocity distribution profile shown in Fig. 2. The profile is more pointed for higher
values of n and more flat for lower values. The shape of
the profile has a very important practical significance in
the cuttings-transport phenomenon. A flatter profile

v.

Fig. 2-Effect of Parameter n on annular velocity profile.

Fig. 3-Definition of annular eccentricity (from lyoh0 2 ):

(a) &= +0.5, (b) &=0, and (c) &"" -0.5.
298

SPE Drilling Engineering, August 1986

1.0

I
I.
I

f\

I
I

In

V\

FLOW WITH
STATIONARY
BED

CONCENTRIC

i;j

c/.

I
I
I
I

In
C>

I
I
I
I
I
I

..,;.

33%
ECCENTRIC

0.01

lIJ

PSEUDO HOMOGENEOUS
FLOW

iii

i/\

I
I
I

lIJ

...J
U

i=

a:

<l

ll.

V. PARTICLE VELOCITY
C. CONCENTRATION

66%

ECCENTRIC

0.00010!:----------:!:1O:----------,---:::!20
MIXTURE VELOCITY,vm' FT/SEC

Fig. 4-Effect of eccentricity on annular velocity profile

(from Tomren').

Fig. 5-Qualitative horizontal pipe flow pattern map for

solidlliquid flow (from lyoh0 2 ).

reduces the percentage of annular cross-sectional area that

is available for faster settling of particles. One should expect also that the profile will affect the process of bed
formation inside an inclined annulus. This aspect has not
been adequately reflected in previous studies.

The position of the inside pipe may vary as illustrated

in Fig. 3. The developed velocity-profile equation indicated that displacement of the inside pipe toward the lower
wall of the annulus (positive eccentricity) reduces the mud
velocity in this area, which is shown schematically in Fig.
4. Therefore, in the case of positive eccentricity, a worse
cuttings transport can be expected, particularly for higher
angles of inclination. When the radial component of particle slip velocity increases, the formation of a cuttings
bed results.

Velocity Distribution Profile as a Result of Eccentricity and Outside/Inside Pipe-Diameter Ratio. With the
slot differential approach for non-Newtonian power-law
fluids, Iyoho and Azar 4 developed an equation for the
velocity profile that occurs in laminar flow inside an inclined annulus:

Cuttings Bed and Its Interaction With Flowing Mud.

Investigations 1,2 indicated that the formation of a cuttings
bed is the phenomenon that accompanies the cuttings
transport in an inclined annulus. The cuttings bed is, of

v=_n_. (fJ)l/n . [hl2(n+l)/n -Iyl (n+l)/n] . .. (5)

n+l
IL

TABLE 1-MUD PARAMETERS

Mud
No.

Density
(Ibm/gal)

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15

8.30
8.45
8.45
8.45
8.45
8.45
8.45
8.45
8.45
8.50
8.50
8.50
8.50
8.50
8.50

0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
4
2
6
7

--

Fann Rotary Speed

(rev/min)
6 100 200 300
600
Corresponding Shear Rate
(seconds -1)
10 170 341
511
1022
Dial Readings
0
0
1
1
1
2
2
2
3
3
4
6
6
8
10

0
5
3
8
7
6
14
12
11
23
18
17
26
21
22

SPE Drilling Engineering, August 1986

0
7
5
14
10
8
24
17
14
38
28
23
45
34
29

1
9
6
18
12
9
30
20
15
48
32
24
60
40
30

2
15
9
30
18
12
50
30
20
80
48
32
100
60
40

Apparent
Viscosity

~
1
7.5
4.5
15
9
6
25
15
10
40
24
16
50
30
20

PV
(ep)

Yield
Value
(lblll00 ft2)

1
6
3
12
6
3
20
10
5
32
16
8
40
20
10

0
3
3
6
6
6
10
10
10
16
16
16
20
20
20

YP/PV
Ratio

Gel
Strength
(lblll00 It 2)

Parameter

(Ibl See n /ft2)

0
0.5
1
0.5
1
2
0.5
1
2
0.5
1
2
0.5
1
2

0/0
0/2
1/2
2/4
2/7
2/6
2/5
3/9
4/8
7/10
5/9
8/10
6/8
10/17
12/16

1.000
0.736
0.585
0.736
0.585
0.415
0.736
0.585
0.415
0.736
0.585
0.415
0.736
0.585
0.415

1 ep
0.00103
0.00184
0.00207
0.00367
0.00818
0.00345
0.00612
0.0136
0.00552
0.00980
0.0218
0.00689
0.0122
0.0273

--

Parameter
/a

299

TABLE 2-VALUES OF EXPERIMENTAL VARIABLES USED IN

.
CUTTINGSTRANSPORT EXPERIMENTS
Variable

Range

Annulus length, ft
Annulus 00 x 10, in.
Annulus inclination, degrees
Flow rate, gal/min
Inner-pipe rotation, rev/min
Inner-pipe eccentricity
Particle size, ASTM design, in.
Particle density, Ibmlft 3
Particle injection rate, Ibm/min (average value)
Muds used (parameters in Table 1)

40
5x 1.9
0,20,40,45,50,70,90
100,150,175,200
50
0.0+0.5
0.250
163.4
20.2
1,2,3 ... 15

TABLE 3-VALUES OF EXPERIMENTAL VARIABLES USED IN

ANNULUSCLEANING EXPERIMENTS
Variable

Range

Annulus length, ft
Annulus 00 x 10, in.
Annulus inclination, degrees
Flow rate used for particle injection, gal/min
Flow rate used for annulus cleaning, gal/min
Inner-pipe rotation, rev/min
Inner-pipe eccentricity
Particle size, ASTM design, in.
Particle injection rate, Ibm/min (average value)
Muds used (parameters in Table 1)

40
5x 1.9
30,45,70,90
40
175,200
0,50,150
+0.5
0.250
20.05
1,4,12,13,15

course, a result of transport; however, its presence affects continuous transport until steady-state conditions are
reached. Because of the presence of a cuttings bed, the
effects not observed in a vertical annulus are experienced
in the inclined one.:.-.saltation flow, heterogeneous and
pseudohomogeneous flows, etc. Fig. 5 illustrates these
situations. These effects are caused by a kind of interaction between flowing mud and the cuttings bed that is
being formed. We believe that the better transport observed by Iyoh0 2 in turbulent flow was. provided largely by these interactions. Also, because of the presence
of the cuttings bed, the velocity of particles being transported in an inclined annulus was independent of annular
mud velocity in steady-state conditions.
Sliding Down of Cuttings Bed Along Lower Wall of
Inclined Annulus. Under certain conditions, the cuttings
bed slides along the lower wall of the inclined annulus. 1,2
This was observed for 40 and 45 0 angles of inclination
at relatively low annular mud velocities. This effect was
dominant, nullifying the influence of other parameters and
resulting in the worst transport (highest final annular particle concentration). This observation has an important
practical significance.
Inner-Pipe Rotation. Beyond the mud axial flow, a tangential flow is experienced while the inner pipe is rotated. A minor effect of turbulence is observed as a result
of this tangential flow. Furthermore, because of the presence of the' cuttings bed, a mechanical action of the rotating pipe on the bed can be expected. These factors should
influence the cuttings transport in the inclined annulus.
However, previous work 2 found this to be negligible.
Drilling Rate. The drilling rate has an important effect
on the quantitative aspect of cuttings transport. This was
300

shown to be true in studies concerning a vertical annulus

and is also reflected in the predictive models for the
cuttings-transport ratios in a directional annulus. 2
Rheological Properties of Flowing Mud. This very important aspect of the problem is the main objective of the
paper and therefore will be discussed in detail later.

Transport and Cleaning Experiments

Transport Experiments. In the investigations performed
by Tomren 1 and Iyoho,2 the main attention was given
to such basic variables as angle of inclination, annular mud
velocity, flow regime, eccentricity, and inner-pipe rotation. Iyoho also used the mud effective viscosity, which
obviously reflects the actual behavior of flowing mud. It
is still very important in field practice, howevet, to evaluate mud transport ability quickly on the basis of such parameters as apparent viscosity, PV, yield value, and gel
strength.
In this study, particular attention is given to mud yield
value, which is believed to be a major factor affecting
the cuttings transport. This effect has been demonstrated
by Hussaini and Azar 5 for the case of a vertical annulus. Note, however, that mud behavior cannot be evaluated on the basis of a single parameter (i.e., yield value
in this case). Such evaluation is insufficient and sometimes is even misleading. For instance, it is possible to
design an unlimited number of muds with yield values of
10 Ibf/l00 ft2 [4.8 Pa], and each one will indicate a
different behavior. Therefore, it was decided to use the
YP/PV ratio as the additional characteristic of the mud.
The yield value was assumed to be in the range of 0 to
20 Ibf/l00 ft2 [0 to 9.6 Pa], which usually represents
field use of nondispersed, unweighted muds. For every
given yield value, three values of YP/PV ratio (0.5, 1,
SPE Drilling Engineering, August 1986

A- FRAME

ROTARY
DRIVE
RETURN BENQ
INNER PIPE

_ _'""""'----~------------.IJ'o---~CENTRALIZER
SUCTION LINE
(I OF 4)

SLIDE
SUPPORT

DUMP

VALVE

SWING
ARM

FLOW

DIVERTER
PARTICLE
COLLECTION
.=:::U;=,\BASKETS
HOIST

TANK

Fig. 6-Schematic side view of transport apparatus (from Tomren 1).

and 2) were established, resulting in a total of 15 mud

systems, including water. (See Table 1.)
The flow rates considered were 100, 150, 175, and 200
gal/min [6.3, 9.5, 11.0, and 12.6 dm 3 Is]. In the case of
a 5 x 1.9-in. [12.7 x4.8-cm] annulus, these flow rates gave
annular mud velocities: 1.91,2.86,3.34, and 3.82 ft/sec
[0.58,0.87, 1.02, and 1.16 m/s], respectively. These velocities, along with the established ranges of rheological
properties, provided both laminar and turbulent flow in
the annulus.
Although many controversies have arisen regarding the
true distinction between laminar and turbulent flow of nonNewtonian fluids, the following general equation for critical velocity is used in this study.
V ac

=
6,464/(1 +3n)2(12 n l a )

1 )(2+nJ/(l+n J
2.79PL
( --

]1/(2-nJ

(do-di)n

2+n

--

12

.............................. (6)

Two different positions of inner pipe were run: concentric position (E =0) and positive eccentric position
(E= +0.5). The hole angles of inclination chosen-from
vertical to horizontal position-were 0, 30, 40, 45, 60,
70, and 90.
Because the main purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of mud rheological properties on cuttings
transport, other parameters, such as pipe rotation, particle size, injection rate, and mud type, were kept constant.
Consequently, inner-pipe rotation was established to be
50 rev/min. The cuttings used in all experiments were obtained by drilling Carthage marble. An American Soc.
of Testing Materials (ASTM) size of 0.25 in. [0.64 cm]
SPE Drilling Engineering, August 1986

was chosen. The cuttings injection rate was established

to be 200.5Ibm/min [1.140.0038 kg/s]. Every mud
was formulated with bentonite, Ben-Ex, and
WL-lOO. The necessary concentrations were adjusted
to obtain desired values of YP and YP/PV ratio. Values
of all experimental variables used in the transport experiments are shown in Table 2.
Because a cuttings bed is formed, the particle transport
veloci~ in steady-state conditions was independent of flow
rate. I, Any reduction in flow rate was compensated for
by an increase in bed thickness, resulting in the constant
cuttings transport velocity. An erroneous conclusion that
cuttings transport in an inclined annulus is independent
of the annulus mud velocity could be made. This is misleading because the amount of cuttings inside the annulus in steady-state conditions (annular cuttings concentration) varies. Field practice shows that the annular cuttings concentration (vol %) is the factor that causes pipe
sticking, high torque, and drag. Very often, this factor
determines whether drilling will be trouble-free or troublesome. Therefore, in our opinion, the annular cuttings concentration (vol %) is the parameter that should be
considered regarding the cuttings transport in directional
well drilling.
Annulus-Cleaning Experiments. It is common practice
in drilling operations to circulate a certain period of time
before pulling a bit out of the hole to clean an annulus
and consequently to avoid pipe sticking as well as to ensure that the bottom will be reached while the bit is run
again into the hole. Often, particularly before casing, a
certain volume of high-viscosity mud is pumped into the
hole for the above-mentioned reasons. Field experience
shows that this procedure is effective in vertical wells,
but would it also be effective in directional wells? To answer this question, some experiments were run where par301

ROTARY - _.....~=-.,

DRIVE

MOUNTING
PLATE

tee +0.5

,,.,.50

WATEA

v 3.'2 It/.
TUll8ULENT FLOW

O'k-----jlr----lJ~--~OO:__--_:IO!:-----J

ANGLE OF INCLINATION",. .

Fig. a-Effect of inclination on annular cuttings concentration (turbulent flow).

....
z
<

.. +-.--,.

-tJ.--l

...1.-.-b-- . ....L-._._.

-.0

---------o--------~-----------~

II:

t-

'"Z
U

'"
..J

FLUID

TANK

v.

i=

II:

yp

PV

:::>

3.B2 It/.

0--0

9
"---<> 9
0-.-0 9

I and 0

TURBULENT FLOWS

II:

0%
..J

tee"' +0.5
rpm :l: 50

AVERAGE
TREND
30'
70'
90'

..

z
z

Fig. 7-Schematic top view of transport apparatus (from

Tomren 1).

0%

I.

I
10

YIELD VALUE. Ibfl100 ft2

ticle injection was stopped, but fluid circulation continued

to clean the annulus completely. These experiments will
be referred to as "annulus-cleaning" experiments. The
variables used are given in Table 3, and the detailed experimental procedure will be given later.

Experimental Setup and Procedure

Test Apparatus. The test apparatus used in this study is
reported by Tomren et al. 6 and is shown schematically
in Figs. 6 and 7. It was designed to meet the following
requirements: (1) steady-state annular mud flow must prevail in every test case, and (2) the apparatus must allow
drilling variables (flow rate, drillpipe rotation, drilling
rate, hole inclination, annular geometry configuration,
etc.) to be varied and/or controlled within acceptable average field conditions.
The test apparatus consisted of the following major
components: (1) annulus section with enough length to
ensure steady-state conditions, (2) rotary drive for innerpipe rotation, (3) fluid circulating system, (4) cuttings injectitm system, (5) liquid/cuttings separation system, (6)
monitoring and recording system (mud flow rate, cuttings
injection rate, drillpipe rotary speed, average cuttings velocity, annular cuttings concentration), (7) a means of
varying angle of inclination, (8) a means of varying eccentricity of annulus, (9) a jet-type hopper complete with
a spray nozzle for efficient mud mixing, and (10) an automatic relief valve for effective control of pressure surges
created by cuttings buildup and severe slugging.
302

Fig. 9-Effect of mud yield value on annular cuttings concentration (turbulent flow).

Test Procedure
Cuttings Transport. Before any test, a mud system was
prepared. The mud pit was filled with 1,600 gal [22.9
m 3 ] tap water. Then the water was pretreated with soda
ash to remove the calcium ions present. Finally, the estimated (from preliminary tests) amounts of Ben-Ex, bentonite, and (if necessary) WL-l00 were added through the
mud hopper to obtain projected values of YP and YP/PV
ratio. After the mud was mixed accurately, its properties
were checked with a six-speed rotational Fann V-0 viscometer. If obtained values of YP and YP/PV ratio
differed from those projected, a correction in composition was made with either water, bentonite, or WL-IOO.
If obtained values agreed with the projected (whole range);
all six speeds of rheological properties were recorded. The
properties of all 15 mud systems used are included in Table 1.
While the mud system was prepared, the particles were
washed, dried, and sorted according to the ASTM procedure. This procedure was repeated after every four runs,
when the percentage of broken particles became considerable.
After the mud and particles were prepared, the pump
was started and the mud was pumped until the hopper was
half full. Then between 300 and 400 Ibm [136 and 181
kg] of particles were lowered carefully into the hopper.
SPE Drilling Engineering, August 1986

~----

I
~.

_____________ -6

~it
D--._._.-.o-._._._._._.---a

I..

__

+0.5

ICC

.."'.
eo
yp

!l

y.

II

.~

A'iI!:IIAGE

... ,

~
~

_NO

0--0

........

O-.-<l

30

70
8 90

0.'

4
0- _ _ _ _ _ _

3.12 'fli

TUflIULENT 'LOWS

~
!c

yp

I.,

!"

9 3D"

-..... ......
...

tcc+O.5
rpm- 50

'"

2.eeft/.

" ...

~.I

0--0 TURBULENT 'LOW

c>--a LAMINAR FLOW

0

II
'0
"lELO VALUE, 1bf/1OD ftl

Jlii

SO

Fig. 10-Effe9t of YP/PV ratio on annular cuttings concentration (turbulent flow).

Fig. 11-Comblned effects of mud yield value and flow regime on annular cuttings concentration (9 = 30).

The injection rate of cuttings was maintained constant at

200.5 lbmlmin [1.15 0.0038 kg/s] during every test.
After these preparations, the run was ready to start.

project and particles were leaving the annulus in the form

of a slug, it was easy to recognize the end of annulus
cleaning.
8. All cuttings collected from the annulus were weighed,
arid the cleaning rate was then calculated in pounds mass
per minute.
We predicted that the cleaning rate might be affected
by the amount of cuttings inside the annulus and by the
shape of the formed cuttings bed. It was found through
preliminary tests that differences in the shape of the cuttings bed were insignificant at low flow rates (around 40
gal/min [2.5 dm 3 Is]). It was also found that a flow rate
lower than 175 gal/min [11.0 dm 3 Is] (annular mud
velocity=3.34 ftlsec [1.02 m/s]) was generally insufficient to remove all the cuttings from the annulus.

Annulus-Cleaning Experiment
As discussed earlier, cleaning experiments were conducted where cuttings injection was stopped, but fluid circulation continued in order to remove .all of the cuttirtgs from
the annulus. The purpose of these experiments ~as to
compare the cleaning-rate properties of muds with various r\1oological properties. The following procedures were
used to carry out these tests.
1. The experiment was prepared as described in the
cuttings-~ransport experiment.
2. The pump was sta.rted and a flow rate of 40 gal/min
[2.5 dm 3 Is] was established.
3. Projected revolutions per minute were established
and were kept constant during the whole experiment.
4. An auger was switched on at a preselected constant
rate, providing an injection rate of 200.5 lbmlmin
[1.14 0.OO38 kg/s].
5. The auger was allowed to run for 7.5 minutes, thus
allowing a total of 150 Ibm [68 kg] of particles to be injected into the annulus.
6. At the moment the auger was turned off, the flow
rate was increased momentarily to 175 or 200 gal/min
[11.0 or 12.6 dm 3 Is] and the stopwatch was started
manually.
7. The stopwatch was stopped after the last particle left
the annulus. Because low-solids muds were used in this

I
~

<T

70

cc +0.15

1&.

"m50

!'"

*-,
y.

15

0--<> TURtltA.ENT ~OW

~ 14

Oo--a LAMINAR Fl-OW

a...------__

.a.. ____ -a

"z

0---0 TURBULENT FLOW

I"I"

I
10

.,"I
I

'1

so

VIELD VALUE. Ibf/l00

Fig. 12-Comblned effects of mud yield value and flow regime on annular cuttings concentration (9 = 70).
SPE Drilling Engineering. August 1986

0. ... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ..() _ _ _ _

~ "0

LAMINAR FLOW
~--o

8 90tee -+0.5

~- ~

10

i"

f-

li "0

Ii
~

!I

a. "

Cuttings Transport Results. Fig. 8 shows that annular

cuttings concentration gradually increases with an increasing angle of inclination for a mud with zero yield flowing under turbulent conditions. Increasing the mud yield
value showed no effect on annular cuttings concentration
regardless of inclination angles (Fig. 9), and the same is
found for increasing YP/PV ratio (Fig. 10). These observations seem to agree with a general trend that transport performance of mud flowing in a turbulent regime
is not affected by its rheological properties. It is affected
only by the momentum forces that were almost constant
because the mud densities in this test program were almost
the same.

2.86ft/.

.5
..'"..

I
9

Results and Discussion

rpm -&0
y.

2.8."'"

~.I

"

"

zo

YIELD VALUE. 1bf/1oo ftl

Fig. 13-Comblned effeCls of mud yield value and flow regime on annular cuttings concentration (9 = 90).
303

9-

0-.'_

"----0--

6----_--6--____
'--'~'--

----.-----r---.....---,----,

9 ......

'--.0

----~

8-

C
II
~

H .....

II
Q.

tee +0.5

~
a:

va
61-

III
0
Z

0
III
...J
0

9
6

I-

~ 5

~
o

i= 41a:

.....

it

III
...J

30'

tee' +0.5
rpm' 50
YP 20

a:

0--09 30'
/!;---06 9 70'
0-'-0 9 90'

5f-

YP = 20
LAMINARY FLOWS

I-

II
Q.

rpm 50
o 3.82 fils

LAMINAR FLOWS
fils
0----<> I. 91
e--~ 2.86
o-.~ 3.82

fi

a:

<[

3,...

...J

::>

z
z<[

it
a:

<[

6".

...J

::>

2-

..........

......... --6..

O-._._.-o.-~-==-----~

-0--

'--'-----0

I,.....

00

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

YP
PY

o~---~---.,..L,----....,..,,.....----::-L:----'

YP
PV

Fig. 14-Effect of YP/PV ratio on annular cuttings concentration (laminar flow).

Fig. 15-Combined effects of YP/PV ratio and annular mud

velocity on annular cuttings concentration (laminar flow).

Unlike the turbulent flow, an increase in yield value

in laminar flow results in lower cuttings concentration in
the range of low-angle wells (Fig. 11) because the axial
component of particle slip velocity still plays an important role and any factor reducing its value (YP in this case)
improves the transport.
A quite different situation is observed under high-angle
wells (Figs. 12 and 13). Because of the diminishing role
of axial components of particle slip velocity, an increase
in mud yield value results in just a slight reduction of annular particle concentration at the 70 angle (Fig. 12),
and this reduction is almost negligible when the annulus
is horizontal (Fig. 13). An important observation from

Figs. 12 and 13 is that turbulent flow provides better transport than laminar flow at high angles of inclination. Under this condition, a cuttings bed begins to form
immediately after the injection of particles is started. As
discussed earlier, formation of the cuttings bed is a result of the transport performance of the fluid. In our opinion, however, there is an interaction between the cuttings
bed that is being formed and the flowing mud until a
steady-state condition is reached. A waving, vortex-like
character of turbulent flow seems to have a destructive
influence on the bed being formed. There is a tendency
for a particle to be withdrawn from the bed and to be displaced in the annulus where such a process may occur

!i

rpm SO

!e.

Z
S!

Ii

..
.~...
...l<

.... ~

tee +0.5
10

~MINAR

FLOWS

ttl,

6---62.88
0--03.82
6-- __________ 6 -

------

0------0

10

IS

20

YIELD VALUE. 11I4'/100 ftl

au

0--0 1.91

in

!l

00

I....
i..
.

C:::::t

45

ICc. + 0.15

".50
v I.el ttl,
LAIIINAR

now

00

I..

I
10

20

"
YIELD VALUE. ""100 tt 2

Fig. 17-Effect of mud yield value on annular cuttings concentration (9 = 45, V. = 1.91 ft/sec, laminar flow).

Fig. 16-Combined effects of mud yield value and annular mud velocity on annular cuttings concentration (laminar flow).
304

SPE Drilling Engineering, August, 1986

""
i

i ..

i. ..

~cC. 0
""01\0
YP .20

rl

~.I
LAM'NAR FLOWS
Itl.
0---0 1.91
0--0

i
..L>

i:.

a.a2

uc +Q5
rpm, SO
v. .3.12 ft/.
e>--<)

TURBULENT FLOW !WATER)

~-~ LAMINAR FLOW IYP 20.J&.lt

S

i"

i .~
c

.--'__'

zo

I:

/,/'/

"P'"
"-r'-'-o-'-'~"""

o~

_.-o-.-._._.~

:I

40

10

"

....IT'
I

_---'

I ol------:.---.!.------,k----t---;;\;--~

10

,;:-

40

ANGLE" INCLINATION. de" ...

ANGLE

Fig. 18-Combined effects of inclination and annular mud

velocity on annular cuttings concentration (laminar flow).

(7

SO

10

WCLINATION, de.,

Fig. 19-Effect of flow regime on annular cuttings concentration in the whole range of inclinations.

again. This kind of interaction may be one of the factors

that provides a better transport in turbulent flow under
higher angles of inclination. Another factor that certainly contributes to a better transport is the nonexistence of
a pointed profile in turbulent flow.
As discussed earlier, an increase in mud yield value in
laminar flow improves the transport only at lower angles
of inclination. A different trend is observed while the
YP/PV ratio is increased. As shown in Fig. 14, the slopes
of all three cUrves are almost the same, which means that
increasing the YP/PV ratio improves the transport at lower, as well as higher, angles of inclination. Table 1 shows
that the higher the YP/PV ratio is, the lower the value
of the n parameter. As indicated earlier, lower values of
n yield flatter velocity profiles in laminar flow. In the
range of lower inclinations, the flatter velocity profiles
limit the percentage of annulus cross section that is available for faster settling of particles and consequently provide better transport. This effect is not as significant in
the range of higher angles of inclination where the axial
component of particle slip velocity is diminishing. In this
range, however, a flatter velocity profile provides higher
point velocities at the lower wall of the annulus where
the cuttings bed is being formed. Consequently, better
transport in this range is observed as well.
Figs. 15 and 16 show combined effects of annular mud
velocity and yield value (Fig. 16) or YP/PV ratio (Fig.
15) on the annular particle concentration in laminar flow.

~
~
0:

~
~

!.!

i.
It:

~Z
~

"r----r----r----'--,----,------,

.
~
.
i

A comparison of the slopes of the curves shows that the

effects of yield value and YP/PV ratio are more
pronounced for lower annular mud velocities.
Special attention must be given to the range of inclinations within 40 to 45 . Fig. 17 shows that the annular
particle concentration for angles less than 45 is completely independent of yield value if the annular mud velocity
is relatively low. This is caused by the cuttings bed sliding down along the lower wall of the annulus. This effect
is dominant and nullifies the effects of other parameters.
Note that this is observed only when relatively low mud
annular velociti~s are used (see Fig. 18). Remember that
all experiments in this study Were performed with Lucite
outside pipe. It is hard to say whether the sliding-down
effect is likely to happen in a directiortal well where an
annulus may be composed of rocks, rocks covered with
mud cake, or metallic walls of casing. Perhaps this problem needs to be investigated, particularly for the cases
when a lubricating additive is one ofthe mud ingredients.
Fig. 19 shows the summary effect of flow regimes on
annular cuttings concentrations in the whole range of annulus inclinations. Three regions are clearly visible. In
the 0 to 45 region, the effect of laminar flow is
predominant. In the 45 to 55 region, there is no appreciable difference between the effects of laminar or turbulent
flow. In the 55 to 90 region, the effect of turbulent flow
predominates.

".12 ftl,

,.-10

~oll

- - - LAIIINM FLOWS IYP 020.

if"'"

~FLOWSlWATER)

&.

" " _-....v--------v

/

+Q5

00
I

jI/

--.o

\\

"

.../;/

~<i'Jt1'"

------~--:::::::---ooF::....----;.~-----:40:!;---~IO;!;----t,IO:----.....J
.
ANGLE Of INCLWATION. det,

Fig. 20-Combined effects of flow regime and inner-pipe

eccentricity on annular cuttings concentration.

t:cc +0.5
rpm. 50

YP 20

*.2

LAMINAR FLOWS

\
\

" 'a....-------_-O-

va 3.82 ft/s
0---0 va .2.86ffl$
o-.~

00!------;20~---...,41,,-0
- ---:60:1,;------;'::-0

.....J

ANGLE OF INCLINATION, d8'Qrees

Fig. 21-Combined effects of inclination and annular mud

velocity on cleaning rate (laminar flow).
SPE Drilling Engineering, August 1986

305

I
j

~-------

I
Id

.....,

tee. +0.5

0-..;.--=

......,;;;;:..

' " -+0.5

,,. eo

rpm 50

v 3.82 ft/,
LAMINAR FLOWS

v. 5.2ftll
TuRBULENT FLOWS
MUOYP'I, ~'O

WATER
- - - _ _DTMNO

D-~

00

0--0

YP.20,15-2

0-.-0

yp16 ~-2

- - - ASSUMED TREND

01r-----;20~---;i4\;_0

eo

40

_LE 111I1CLlNATll1N, ...._

eo

----,.10
0 ----;.0".-----'

ANGLE OF INCLINATION,de/ilr...

Fig. 22-Comblned effects of inclination and mud yield

value on cleaning rate (turbulent flow).

Fig. 23-Combined effects of inclination and mud yield

value on cleaning rate (laminar flow).

Fig. 20 shows the effect of eccentricity on the annular

particle concentration in the whole range of inclinations.
The effect is negative-i.e., higher annular particle concentrations are observed when the inside pipe is positioned
eccentrically. However, this effect is small under lower
angles of inclination for either laminar or turbulent flow.
It remains rather small in the range of higher angles of
inclination while the turbulent flow is used.
Quite a different situation is Observed in regard to eccentricity effect while the laminar flow prevails. Much
higher annular cuttings concenttations are observed for
eccentric inside pipe. This is caused by two factors that
have been discussed earlier: (1) lower point velocities in
the vicinity of the lower wall of the annulus as a result
of eccentricity and (2) pointed velocity profile in laminar
flow. Effects are more pronounced in the range of higher
inclinations where a considerable cuttings bed is formed.

higher yield values (Fig. 23). The effect of mud yield

value becomes slight while the angle of inclination is increased.
Fig. 24 shows the summary effects of flow regimes on
the annulus cleaning rate in the whole range of inclinations considered. The results are similar to those of the
transport experiment results. A conclusion may be drawn
from Fig. 24: application of high-viscosity muds to clean
an annulus completely in directional drilling is reasonable only if the angle of inclination does not exceed 45
Fig. 25 shows the effect of rotary speed on annular
cleaning rate. An increase in revolutions per minute provides a higher cleaning rate. A comparison of the slopes
of all three curves shows that this effect is more
pronounced (and becomes significant) under higher angles of inclination. As discussed earlier, inner-pipe rotation induces some additional turbulence in flowing mud.
Beyond that, the rotating inner pipe has a mechanical, destructive influence on the cuttings bed. This influence is
the main factor that provides a higher cleaning rate for
higher revolutions per minute, particularly under higher
angles of inclination where a considerable cuttings bed
is formed. Thus it is not advisable to raise the revolutions per minute after drilling is stopped to gain better
annulus cleaning. However, maintaining the revolutions
per minute used during drilling may help in faster annulus cleaning.

Annulus-Cleaning Results
Generally, the trends found in the annulus-cleaning experiments are similar to those found in the above-discussed
transport experiments. Fig. 21 shows that the annulus
cleaning rate is higher for higher annular mud velocity
for the whole range of inclinations. The annulus cleaning rate is generally not affected by mud rheological properties (yield value) if the mud flows in turbulent regime
(Fig. 22). If the mud flows in laminar regime, a higher
annulus cleaning rate is observed for the muds having

......

,,
,

,,
,,

'"

tee -+05
rpM 50

"co 1

v. .3.82 ttl.

..~

0--0 TURBULENT FLOW

oJ

00-00

E
,g

"

,,;
Ii
0:

.........
.........'"'"'0....- ____ --0

(WATER)

LAMINAR FLOW (YP' 20, ~ '2)

<l

oJ

10

oo

.
I

.--,--'

y _----

----

D"'-

0--0 30'
6-'-ll.

45-

0--..0

70-

tCC

' +0_5

v.

yp
yp

, 20

PV

3.82 ftls

' 2

LAMINAR FLOWS

eo

ANGLE OF INCLINATION. d..,."

Fig. 24-Combined effects of inclination and flow regime

on cleaning rate.
306

'"ziii
...
u

----

-_.......------------------'-'------------

50

100

150

rpm

Fig. 25-Effect of inner-pipe rotation on cleaning rate (laminar flOW).

SPE Drilling Engineering, August 1986

Suggested Field Guidelines

We hope this study will be a useful contribution in optimizing annular hole cleaning in directional well drilling. It is not our intention, however, to assert that the field
guidelines given below are universal. These should be
considered with the complex technical, geological, and
economic problems associated with directional well drilling. The suggested field guidelines follow.
1. If a cuttings transport problem exists, flow rate
should be increased to its limiting value for all ranges of
inclinations, particularly in the range of higher angles (55
to 90). Assuming that the sliding-down effect of the cuttings bed also occurs during drilling, then the above recommendation becomes critical for 40 to 45 angles of
inclination.
2. For the range of lower inclinations (0 to 45), laminar flow inside an annulus and an increase in mud yield
value to its limiting value are recommended. Assuming
that the field range of mud yield values is within 0 to 20
Ibf/loo ft2 [0 to 9.6 Pal. then a mud yield value of 20
Ibf/loo ft2 [9.6 Pal and an increase of the YP/PV ratio
to its limiting value are recommended. Assuming that the
range of YP/PV ratios within 0 to 2 is the range commonly used in the field, then the YP/PV ratio of 2 is recommended.
3. In the range of intermediate inclinations (45 to 55 0),
either turbulent or laminar flow may be used. When a high
flow rate is in use, a larger amount of mud materials (bentonite and chemicals) is usually necessary to mix the mud
to provide laminar flow. Therefore, just for this economical reason, the turbulent flow would be preferable, Because the cuttings transport in turbulent flow is not affected
by mud rheological properties, an optional (lower) mud
parameter may be used. Remember, however, that static
mud parameters such as mud gel strength are usually desirable even if turbulent flow is preferable. Therefore,
this parameter should be considered in the mud design.
If the turbulent flow cannot be used because of other adverse effects (e.g., borehole wall instability), then the
same recommendations described above for low-angle
wells (0 to 45) should be considered in laminar flow.
4. For the range of high-angle wells (55 to 90), turbulent flo.\\' is preferable. Generally, the same recommendations as those described in Item 3 are applicable in this
region for turbulent flow. However, the requirements to
ensure a mud gel strength are less important. If the turbulent flow cannot be used, then, of course, laminar flow
must be considered. Because the cuttings transport in laminar flow in this region is almost unaffected by mud yield
value, lower yield value that provides the laminar flow
is reliable economically and may be used. At the same
time, the YP/PV ratio is still important in this region and
should be maintained as high as possible.
5. Application of high-viscosity muds to clean the annulus after drilling is stopped appears to be beneficial only
in low-angle wells (0 to 45).

Conclusions
1. The annular cuttings concentration (vol %) is the parameter that should be considered in the assessment of
drilling-fluid cuttings transport in directional wells.
2. Considering the wide range of hole inclinations, three
separate regions can be identified regarding cuttings transSPE Drilling Engineering, August 1986

port: Region 1 (0 to 45), Region 2 (45 to 55) and

Region 3 (55 to 90).
'
3. Under turbulent regime, the cuttings transport is
ge,nerally not affected by the mud rheological properties
(yIeld value and YP/PV ratio) in all three regions.
4. Under laminar regime, higher mud yield value
reduces the annular cuttings concentrations and provides
better transp?rt. The effect of mud yield value is very
pronounced m the range of low-angle wells (Region 1)
and becomes slight or even negligible in the range of highangle wells (Region 3).
5. In laminar flow, the annular cuttings concentration
is lower for higher YP/PV ratios. This is true for the entire range o,f hole inclinations investigated in this study.
6. In lammar flow, the effects of mud yield value and
YP/PV ratio are more pronounced for lower annular mud
velocities.
7. The worst cuttings transport (highest annular cuttings
~oncentration) was experienced at angles of inclination
In the 40 to 45 range. This is true when relatively low
flow rates are used.
8. The effect of annulus eccentricity on cuttings transport IS rather small for low-angle wells (Regions 1 and
2) in either laminar or turbulent flow. The effect becomes
moderate in Region 3 under turbulent flow and significant when the flow becomes laminar.
9. The laminar flow has a predominating effect on cuttings transport in the range oflow-angle wells (0 to 45)
while in high-angle wells (55 to 90), the effect ofturbu~
lent flow is predominant. In the range of intermediate inclination (45 to 55), turbulent and laminar flow have
generally similar effects.
10. A measureable torque was observed in the transport experiments because of the presence of the cuttings
bed.
11. The cleaning rate of the settled cuttings in the annulus after cuttings injection has ceased seems to increase
with an increase in rotary speed, particularly in Region 3.
12. Generally, it can be concluded that the trends observed during annulus-cleaning experiments are identical
to those observed in the cuttings-transport experiments.
13. Mud flow rate has a dominant effect on annular hole
cleaning.

Nomenclature

e = annular particle concentration, percent

d i = inner-pipe diameter, in. [mm]
do = outer-pipe or hole diameter, in. [mm]
d p = particle size, in. [mm]
e = inner-pipe offset relative to hole center, in.
[mm]
h = local annular clearance or slot height, in.
[mm]
I = power-law consistency index, Ibf-sec n /ft2
[Pa' sn]
I a = equivalent consistency index for annular
flow, Ibf-sec n/ft 2 [Pa' s n]
L = length of annulus, ft [m]
n = power-law exponent, dimensionless
t:.p = pressure drop, psi [Pal
r a = annulus radius, in. [mm]
Va = average (nominal) annular velocity, ft/sec
[m/s]
307

v ac = critical annular velocity, ft/ sec [m/s]

v m = mature velocity, ft/sec [m/s]
vs = particle slip velocity, ft/sec [m/s]
v sa = axial component of particle slip velocity,
ft/sec [m/s]
v sr = radial component of particle slip velocity,
ft/sec [m/s]
Iy I = absolute value of y coordinate
l' = shear rate, seconds- 1
E = pipe/hole eccentricity, percent
() = inclination angle, degrees
PL = mud density, liquid, Ibm/ft 3 [kg/m 3 ]
2
7 = shear stress, Ibf/ft [Pal

Acknowledgments
We thank the member companies of the U. of Tulsa Drilling Research Projects (Amoco Production Co., Applied
Drilling Technology Inc., Aramco Services Co., Arco Oil
and Gas, Chevron Oil Field Research Co., Conoco,
Dowell, Exxon Production Research Co., IMP, INTEVEP S.A., Mobil R&D Corp., PERTAMINA, Petrobras/Cenpes, Petro Canada, Sandia Nat!. Laboratories,
Schlumberger Cambridge Research, Shell Development
Co., Sohio, Texaco U.S.A., and Union Oil) who provided
funds for this research.

References
1. Tomren, P.H.: "The Transport of Drilled Cuttings in an Inclined
Eccentric Annulus," MS thesis, U. of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK (1979).

308

2. Iyoho, A.W.: "Drilled-Cuttings Transport by Non-Newtonian

Drilling Fluids Through Inclined, Eccentric Annuli," PhD
dissertation, U. of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK (1980).
3. Becker, T.E.: "The Effect of Mud Weight and Hole Geometry
Variations on Cuttings Transport in Directional Drilling," MS
thesis, U. of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK (1982).
4. Iyoho, A.W. and Azar, J.J.: "An Accurate Slot Flow Model for
Non-Newtonian Fluid Flow Through Eccentric Annuli," SPEJ (Oct.
1981) 565-72.
5. Hussaini, S.M. and Azar, J.J.: "Experimental Study of Drilled
Cuttings Transport Using Common Drilling Muds," SPEJ (Feb.
1983) 11-20.
6. Tomren, P.H., Iyoho, A.W., and Azar, U.: "Experimental Study
of Cuttings Transport in Directional Wells," SPEDE (Feb. 1986)
43-56.

51 Metric Conversion Factors

cp X 1.0*
ft x 3.048*
gal/min X 6.309 020
in. X 2.54*
Ibf/IOO ft2 X 4.788 026
Ibf-sec/ft 2 X 4.788026
Ibm X 4.535 924
Ibm/ft 3 X 1.601 846
Ibm/gal X 1.198264
'Conversion factor is exact.

E-03
E-Ol
E-02
E+OO
E-Ol
E+Ol
E-Ol
E+Ol
E+02

=
=

=
=
=
=

=
=
=

Pa's
m
dm 3 /s
cm
Pa
Pa's
kg
kg/m 3
kg/m 3
SPEDE

Original manuscript received in the Society of Petroleum Engineers office Sept. 22,
1985. Paper accepted for publication Feb. 24, 1986. Revised manuscript received April
15.1986. Paper (SPE 14178) first presented at the 1985 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition held in Las Vegas, Sept. 22-25.

SPE Drilling Engineering, August 1986