PENG 305: DRILLING ENGINEERING 1

LECTURE NOTES

Lecturer: Justice Sarkodie-Kyeremeh

Office: Lab 4
Telephone: +233 (0)503671146
E-mail: [email protected]
 The Drillstring
Introduction
•The term drillstring is used to describe the
tubulars and accessories on which the
drillbit is run to the bottom of the borehole. The
drillstring consists of the Kelly, drillpipe,
drillcollars, and various other pieces of
equipment such as stabilisers and reamers,
which are included in the drillstring just above
the drillbit.
• The drillcollars and the other equipment
which is made up just above the bit are
collectively called the Bottom
Hole Assembly (BHA).
 Functions of the Drillstring
• To suspend the bit
• To transmit rotary torque from the kelly to the
bit
• To provide a conduit for circulating drilling
fluid to the bit
• To provide weight on the bit.
 The Drill Pipe
• Drillpipe is the major component of the
drillstring.
• It generally constitutes 90-95% of the entire
length of the drillstring.
• Drillpipe is a pipe with threaded connections,
known as tooljoints.
• At one end of the pipe there is the box, which
has the female end of the connection.
• At the other end of each length of drillpipe is
the male end of the connection known as the
pin.
• The wall thickness and therefore the outer
diameter of the tooljoint must be larger than
the wall thickness of the main body of the
drillpipe in order to accommodate the threads
of the connection.
• Hence the tooljoints are clearly visible in the
drillstring.
• Each length of drillpipe is known as a joint.
• Joints are available in three API length
“ranges” with range 2 being the most
common.
• The exact length of each joint must be
measured on the rigsite since the process
used to manufacture the drillpipe means that
joints are not of uniform length.
• Since the only way in which the driller knows
the depth of the drillbit is by knowing the
length of the drillstring, the length of each
length of drillpipe (and all other drillstring
components) made up into the drillstring
must be measured and recorded on a drillpipe
tally.
• The drillpipe is also manufactured in a variety
of outside diameters, and weights.
• The drillpipe is also manufactured in a variety
of material grades.
 Heavy Walled Drill Pipe (HWDP)
• Heavy wall drillpipe (or heavy weight drillpipe) has a
greater wall thickness than ordinary drillpipe and is
often used at the base of the drillpipe where stress
concentration is greatest.
• The stress concentration is due to:
• The difference in cross section and therefore
stiffness between the drillpipe and drillcollars.
• The rotation and cutting action of the bit can
frequently result in a vertical bouncing effect.
• HWDP is used to absorb the stresses being
transferred from the stiff drill collars to the
relatively flexible drillpipe.
• The major benefts of HWDP are:
• Increased wall thickness
• Longer tool joints
• Uses more hard facing
• May have a long central upset section
 Drill Collars
• Drillcollars are tubulars which have a much larger
outer diameter and generally smaller inner diameter
than drillpipe.
• The drillcollars therefore have a significantly thicker
wall than drillpipe.
• The function of drill collars are:
• To provide enough weight on bit for effcient drilling.
• To keep the drillstring in tension, thereby reducing
bending stresses and failures due to fatigue.
• To provide stiffness in the BHA for directional control.
 Anti-Wall Stick
• When drilling through certain formations the
large diameter drillcollars can become
stuck against the borehole (differential
sticking).
• This is likely to happen when the
formation is highly porous, a large
overbalance of mud pressure is being used
and the well is highly deviated.
• One method of preventing this problem is to
reduce the contact area of the collar against
the wellbore.
• Spiral grooves can be cut into the
surface of the collar to reduce its surface area.
 Other Drill String Components
• Stabilisers
• Stabilisers consist of a length of pipe with blades
on the external surface.
• These blades may be either straight or spiral and
there are numerous designs of stabilisers.
• The blades can either be fixed on to the body of
the pipe, or mounted on a rubber sleeve (sleeve
stabiliser), which allows the drillstring to rotate
within it.
• The function of the stabiliser depends on the type of
hole being drilled.
• In vertical holes the functions of stabilizers may be
summarised as follows:
• Reduce buckling and bending stresses on drill collars
• Allow higher WOB since the string remains
concentric even in compression
• Help to prevent wall sticking.
• Act as a key seat wiper when placed at top of collars
• In a deviated well, the main function of the
stabiliser in the BHA is to control the deviation
of the wellbore.
• One or more stabilisers may be used to
achieve the intended well path.
 Roller Reamer
• A roller reamer consists of stabiliser blades
with rollers embedded into surface of the
blade.
• The roller reamer acts as a stabiliser and is
especially useful in maintaining gauge hole. It
will also ream out any potential hole problems
(e.g. dog legs, key seats, ledges).
 Shock Sub
• A shock sub is normally located above the bit
to reduce the stress due to bouncing
when the bit is drilling through hard rock.
• The shock sub absorbs the vertical
vibration either by using a strong steel spring,
or a resilient rubber element.
 Subs (substitutes)
• Subs are short joints of pipe which act as
crossovers (i.e. connect components which
cannot otherwise be screwed together
because of differences in thread type or size).
 Drilling Jars
• The purpose of these tools is to deliver a
sharp blow to free the pipe if it becomes
stuck in the hole.
• Hydraulic jars are activated by a straight pull
and give an upward blow.
• Jars are usually positioned at the top of the
drill collars.