The Real Causes of Borehole Misbehavior

and Operational Practices to Eliminate Them

Fred E. Dupriest, P.E.
Professor of Engineering Practices
Texas A&M University

Society of Petroleum Engineers

East Texas Chapter, Tyler
December 9, 2014

Borehole Misbehaviors That Limit Performance (ft/day)

Three major performance limiters (cause of reduced ft/day)

Whirl-induced borehole patterns

Instability

Hole cleaning

Whirl is Common, no Matter What Your Downhole Tools Say

Australia

South Texas

Gulf of Mexico

Sakhalin

MSEadj

(Control Drilling)

Vibrations

Non-bit Limiters

MSEadj

MSEadj

MSEadj

Control Drilling
(Efficient Bit, non-bit limiters)

Whirl and
Stickslip

Blue Curve: Mechanical Specific Energy (MSE)

SPE 102210

Tight Hole is Caused by Borehole Patterns Created by Whirl

Borehole appears 1.5 undergauge every 4 ft
All BHAs attempt to create patterns. The
result will be tight hole, and operational
practices to compensate that take rig time

Inability to transfer weight to steer bent motors

Effects of reduce weight transfer on ROP

Reaming on connections and trips for tight

hole

Incorrect belief that short trips are required due

to drag

Misdiagnosed as inadequate hole cleaning,

which leads to circulating time and control
driling

Inability to properly centralizer casing

Cement channels and poor zone isolation

Poor log evaluation

Stuck BHA or casing

SPE 67818

3D
Image

Whirl Is a Sine Wave in the BHA with a Bit Screwed On the End
Whirl is best thought of as a sine wave
the develops in the BHA when we rotate
The bit is part of the wave
All BHAs have some amplitude of wave,
so all bits are effected by whirl, not
matter what the LWD tools say
- Reduce ROP
- Reduce Bit life

- Borehole Patterns
LWD tools tell you what vibrations are
doing to the BHA. MSE tells you want
they are doing to the bit
We eliminate patterns by
eliminating whirl
SPE 134580

Maximize WOB to Constrain Lateral Bit Motion

Run step tests to maximize WOB. Increased rock exposure from
depth of cut increases resistance to lateral force from BHA wave

SPE 14ATCE 2328

Run RPM Step Tests to Identify Low-Whirl Rotating Speeds

Fingerprint whirl vs RPM as soon as you get your BHA out of the shoe. Use
MSE to avoid RPM ranges with higher whirl

Extend the Gauge Length

Gauge
Length

If the gauge does

not make contact
at the planned
curvature, the
gauge does not
effect steering

Increased gauge length limits the rate of side-cutting. Patterns become

more likely to decay than gain in amplitude
If the gauge area does not touch the curvature of the wellbore, it
cannot be interfering with the build rate.
Run 4-6 gauge in wells with 0-5 deg/100ft of build curvature
Above 5 deg/100ft, work with vendor on specific gauge design. It
depends on the type of profile
SPE 119625

Engineering Redesign: MSE Declines with Gauge Length

MSE pattern is similar, but reduced
200

2 inch gauge

MSEadj
ksi
0

Comparison of well with

different gauge lengths
10500

200

Dept (ft)

10750

11000

11250

6 inch gauge

MSEadj
ksi
0

10500

10750

11000
Depth MD (ft)

11250

Less effect in softer formations where amplitude is lower to start with

250

4 inch gauge

MSEadj
ksi
0

Softer

250

Harder

6 inch gauge

MSEadj
ksi
0
6500 ft MD

SPE 119625

9500 ft MD

Minimize AKO in Bent Motors, or Use RSS

Sliding

Rotating

0.78 AKO

Straight
Motor

IPTC 10706

Borehole Instability

Sequence of Events
1. Hole is cut in stressed rock. Stress
attempts to close the hole in the
radial direction (reduce the diameter
a few thousandths)
2. Circumference is compressed
tangentially as the radius declines
3. Hole diameter stops declining when
the tangential stress (Hoop Stress)
balances the radial

Resisting
Pressure

4. If the Hoop Stress exceeds the rock

strength before the stresses come
to equilibrium, the rock breaks and
the hole enlarges
5. If the Hoop Stress does not exceed
the rock strength, there is no
breakout and the hole remains
gauge

Increased
Circumferential
Compression 6. We reduce hoop stress by
increasing the internal pressure
(MW), which expands the
circumference

Length of circumference for bit size

Borehole Contraction is Not the Cause of Tight Hole

Stress contraction may occur during many operations. The
magnitude is usually very small

ECD lost on connection after each stand down

MW cut
BHP falls to equal FCS after losses
Very ductile evaporates may creep over time (salt, anhydrite)
Shale hydration results in small shale volume change (but also reduced
strength and enlargement)
How much does the borehole shrink
due to stress changes?
Dia x P = Dia Change
E
Stress
Contraction?

ECD Example:
8.5 x 500 psi = 0.00212 in
2,000,000
Extremely low FCS Example:
8.5 x 2500 psi = 0.0106 in
2,000,000
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Stress Contraction is Limited by Failure

Result of
moderate stress

Stress

A slight contraction of the ID may occur due to increased hoop

stress, but significant stress (contraction) results in failure and
enlargement

Failure and
Breakout
Brittle
Rock

x
Ductile or
Plastic Rock

Instability limits
stress contraction

Deformation
Hole Shrinkage Prior to
Enlargement
13

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Photo-document and Analyze Your Shaker Material

From the side of the hole with the
From side of the hole with
1
lowest stress anisotropy
(i.e., top of high angle hole)

the highest anisotropy

(i.e., side of high angle hole)

Angular or Splintery

Lower
Anisotropy

Higher
Anisotropy

Raise MW 0.2 - 0.5 ppg

Tabular or Blocky

Raise MW 0.5 - 1.0 ppg

Third stress (into the page) is
the same for both side
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Higher MW Does Not Destabilize Fracture Shales

BGT - Kaliber Log
Bohrung: Walsrode Z5 1.Loch
2750

11.7 ppg

2750

Original Hole

2800
B
o
h
r
t 2850
e
u
f
e 2900

Depth (m MD)

2950

Non-fractured shale

MW = 11.7 ppg OBM

Naturally fractured shale

confirmed with core

(
m
)
2950

Caliper 2,4 ------Caliper 1,3 ------3000

Sidetrack

2800
B
o
h
r
t 2850
e
u
f
e 2900

Depth (m MD)

MW = 9.2 ppg OBM

(
m
)

3000

EMM - Kaliber Log

Bohrung: Walsrode Z5 2.Loch

9.2 ppg

10

20
30
Kaliber (in)

Hole Diameter (inch)

40

10

20
30
Kaliber (in)

40

Hole Diameter (inch)

The 11.7 ppg fully stabilized the non-fractured shales and reduced the enlargement in the
fractured shales. Full stabilization of the fractured shale would have required 13.0 ppg,
but integrity in shallower zones was inadequate to use this MW. Instability may also be
time dependent in fractured shale, even with a NAF.
SPE 128728

15

High Angle Physics

No net lifting force,
falls rapidly
Gravity

Dynamic
fluid force
Buoyancy

Dynamic Once it hits bottom, how

fluid force does it get off? It doesnt.

Resistive force

Buoyancy

It rolls or skips.

Gravity

Equilibrium Bed Height

(Fluid Force > Force required to roll)

Fluid Shear
Rolling

High Angle (60-90) deg

SPE 28306

16

Enlargements Dominate Safe ROP for Hole Cleaning

If drill rate is limited by hole cleaning, you probably have enlargements. The safe
ROP in gauge hole may be 3x that in even moderately enlarged hole
A2
Equilibrium

A1

Bed Height
A1 A2

High angle boreholes fill to the same flow area as gauge hole, not the same bed
height. If the stored mass is mobilized, it will not fit in the gauge hole above

Manage transient events the mobilize the stored mass: 1) rapid changes in pump
rate, 2) rapid string movement, 3) pulling/washing BHA into stored ass
SPE 134580

17

Redesign What is Preventing You from Raising MW

Effect of MW on ROP
Higher MW increases the effective stress in the rock exposed beneath the bit, which
causes the rocks compressive strength to increase slightly. The resulting small loss of
depth of cut can be offset by raising WOB
Differential Sticking
Differential sticking can be eliminated, regardless of MW used. The industry continues
to have sticking events because they do not consistently use the practices required to
eliminate them. See SPE 128129
Lost Circulation
Effective practices exist for preventing or responding to lost circulation. In general,
losses can be stop, while instability is irreversible. See SPE 163481
Formation Damage
If filtrate is damaging to well productivity, you simply have the wrong fluid. If whole
mud is entering and particles are plugging pore throat use properly engineered
blocking solids to prevent fines migration.

18

Key Take-Aways
1. Tight hole is caused primarily by whirl-induced patterns.
Reduce whirl
2. Hole enlargement is caused primarily by inadequate MW.
Raise the MW
3. Poor hole cleaning is caused by enlarged hole.
Raise the MW

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