DRILLING OPERATIONS

HOLE CLEANING DYNAMICS

By
Syedali Khan
OBJECTIVES
1. Develop and perform Lag Time Calculations and know understand
the verification of Lag Time.
2. Understand Hole Cleaning Mechanisms
3. Understand the difference in hole cleaning for wellbore of different
sizes, diameter and angles
4. Understand what factors and elements affect Hole Cleaning
5. Understand the dynamics of Sweeps and how they affect hole
cleaning
6. Understand “What is a clean hole!”
LAG TIME
• Lag Strokes: pump strokes required for samples/mud from a known
depth to travel from bottom to surface
• Lag Time: Time taken for samples/mud from a known depth to travel
from bottom to surface
• Bottoms Up: Strokes required to get samples/mud from the bit back
to surface
LAG TIME VERIFICATION
• Methods used to determine/verify that the calculated Lag
Time/Strokes are accurate and hole size is within gauge:
• Carbide Test
• Rice “bomb” procedure
• Check Gas/Cuttings peak consistent with ROP
INCORRECT LAG TIME
Late Arrival:
• Enlarged hole due to caving
• Reduced hole cleaning efficiency
• Shape and size of cuttings
• Wrong pump efficiency
• Incorrect BHA Strapped Dimensions
Early Arrival:
• Tight, sticky hole
• Wrong Pump Efficiency
• Incorrect BHA
HOLE CLEANING FACTORS
• Rotary Speed • Cuttings Size
• Flow Rate • Mud Weight
• Mud Rheology • Pipe Reciprocation
• Hole Size • % Sliding
• Washouts • Penetration
• Drill pipe Diameter • Wellbore Stability
• Wellbore Angle • Mud Solids (colloidals)
• Turbulent or Laminar flow • Cuttings Dispersion
HOLE CLEANING ELEMENTS
• Drilling Fluid Properties
• Rheology, inhibition, colloidal solids
• Bit & BHA Designs
• Allowable RPM and Rotations %, By-pass area, ROP
• Hydraulics
• Available GPM, Pressure limits, ECD, BHA Requirements & Limits, shaker
loading limits
• Rig Systems
• Limitations for top drive (RPM vs Torque), solids control, pumps, electrical
power
HOLE CLEANING MECHANISMS
Mechanical Cuttings Removal
• Cuttings behave differently depending on well angle:
• 0o to +/- 30o
• +/-30o to 65o
• > 65o
VERTICAL HOLE CLEANING MECHANISMS
For Normal Flow
• Annular Velocity – upward fluid speed in annulus
• Slip velocity – downward movement due to
gravity
• Therefore, cuttings move slightly slower than
fluid
• Mud Rheology controls the efficiency of this
phenomena
HINDERED SETTLING
• Gel strength assists in suspending cuttings, but
single cutting cannot stay suspended if alone
(UNLESS MW is extremely heavy)
• Falling cutting particle displaces its own
volume upwards
• In crowded solids environment, for each
cutting that drops, another is forced upwards.
• This is referred to as “Hindered Settling”
HORIZONTAL HOLE CLEANING MECHANISMS
• Flow is now horizontal/at high angle
• Gravity still pulling particle down, but distance now shorter
• No upward fluid movement to counter Slip Velocity, so cuttings fall to
lower wellbore in shorter span (within 2 stands)
• Laminar flow CANNOT clean hole
• Fluid takes path of least resistance
• Cuttings remain on low side
MEDIUM ANGLE CLEANING MECHANISMS
• Partial upward movement to counter Slip
Velocity
• Still cannot travel out of hole, but a little
further than horizontal well
• No cuttings suspension
• Risk of avalanche now present
• Triggers:
• Increase ROP-> thick bed -> avalanche
• Disturbance (TIH or TOH)
CUTTINGS BEHAVIOR
CUTTINGS TRANSPORT IN HIGH ANGLE WELLS
• High velocity fluid on top acts as conveyor or belt
• Cuttings drop off due to gravity
• Distance travelled is a function of angle, flowrate, RPM and rheology
FACTORS AFFECTING HOLE CLEANING

•Rotation
•Annulus Size
•Flow-rate (Fluid Velocity)
•Rheology
ROTATION
• Key for high angle hole cleaning
• Fluid path/area is at top of hole
• Pipe and cuttings on bottom
• Agitation required to get cuttings into flow area
• The required rotation is dependent on hole size and ROP
ROTATION
ROTATION
• Viscous coupling –
• The film around pipe, rotating around the pipe
ROTATION
• Speed –
• For same size hole, different RPM’s have different effects on hole size
ROTATION
• Implication of steerable motor
• Steerable motors add rotation downhole to lessen surface rotation
• Less drill-string rotation will lead to less viscous coupling, which will in turn
lead to less efficient hole cleaning
• Misconception of Suspension –
• The common misconception is the “rotation suspends cuttings”
• This is wrong, as rotation only “throws up” cuttings into the flow stream
ANNULUS/HOLE SIZE
• There is a difference in hole cleaning dynamics for “big holes” and
“small holes”.
• For “small hole” –
• Annular velocity and cuttings loading are much better
• Viscous coupling interacts with high velocity fluid
PHAR
• PHAR – Pipe-Hole Area Ratio
• It is a rule of thumb for determining hole type (Small/Big hole)

PHAR = Radiushole2 ➗ Radiuspipe2

If:

• > 3.25 => Big Hole

• < 3.25 => Small Hole
EFFECTS OF PHAR
EFFECTS OF PHAR
SOME RULES OF THUMB
• ROTARY SPEED
• PHAR >6.5….. RPMmin should be 120, RPMideal approx. 180
• PHAR 3.25 – 6.5.....RPMmin should be 120
• PHAR <3.25.....RPMmin should be 60-70, RPMideal approx. 120
• ANNULAR VELOCITY
• 250 ft/min – Ideal
• 150 ft/min – Minimum (for efficient hole cleaning)
• 100 ft/min – Poor Hole Cleaning and Barite Sag Problems
FLOWRATE
• Required to carry/transport cuttings in both Vertical and Horizontal
Wells
• For Vertical Wells – flow regime is in concentric circles to pipe
• For Horizontal Wells – flowing fluid acts as “conveyor belt”
INSUFFICIENT FLOWRATE

• Vertical Wells –
• Cuttings carried in flow concentric to pipe
• Flattest profile cleans best
INSUFFICIENT FLOW RATE
• Horizontal Wells – “conveyor belt” is very narrow, ‘thrown-up”
cuttings do not get onto “conveyor”
MUD RHEOLOGY
Thick or Thin???
• Depends on hole size –
• “big” hole: hole cleaning important
• “small” hole: ECD’s important
• If mud too thick:
• It tunnels up high side of hole
• Dead zone becomes impenetrable for thrown up cuttings
• Higher ECD and SPP when flowing through vertical annulus
MUD RHEOLOGY
MUD RHEOLOGY
• Mud too thin:
• No viscous coupling to lift cuttings into flow
• Lower ECD’s but less effective coupling
• Difficulties cleaning vertical sections
MUD RHEOLOGY
SWEEPS
• TYPES:
• Heavy Weight (High Density) – used to “agitate” cuttings and lift

• High Viscosity (Hi-Vis) – acts to “sweep” or entrain cuttings either vertically or

horizontally

• Tandem – Heavy Weight (to agitate cuttings) followed by Hi-Vis (to sweep
cuttings)
SWEEPS
Sweeps Issues
• Pills/Sweeps are like Band-Aids for deeper and possibly more complex
problems
• To be able to properly track sweeps and their performance/effects,
proper lag time calculations and verification need to be performed
• Sweeps affect PWD/ECD values and can make it difficult to interpret
WHAT IS A CLEAN HOLE?

“a wellbore with cuttings accumulation and/or cuttings bed height &

distribution such that operations are trouble free”
K & M Technologies

The term “clean hole” may be used differently for various operations
(ie. Drilling, Tripping, Etc.)
WHAT IS A CLEAN HOLE?
CONCLUSION

Hole Cleaning can be simple or complex for both Vertical and

Horizontal wells. It is affected by various factors and elements, but can
be addressed by use of proper practices and/or techniques.
Poor Hole cleaning can result in Loss time, Loss Money and even Loss
of Well.