SPE Drilling & Completion
Volume 24, Number 4, December 2009, pp. 599-610

SPE-114050-PA

Modeling of an Underbalanced-Drilling Operation Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

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DOI  More information 10.2118/114050-PA http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/114050-PA

Citation

  • Al-Adwani, F., Langlinais, J., and Hughes, R. 2009. Modeling of an Underbalanced-Drilling Operation Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide. SPE Drill & Compl  24 (4): 599-610. SPE-114050-PA. doi: 10.2118/114050-PA.

Discipline Categories

  • 1.2 Drilling Design and Analysis
  • 1.2.7 Pressure Management (MPD, Underbalanced Drilling)

Keywords

  • underbalanced drilling, mechanistic model, two phase flow, heat transfer model, hydraulic design

Summary

A mechanistic model of an underbalanced-drilling (UBD) operation using carbon dioxide (CO2) is developed in this study. The use of carbon dioxide in UBD operations eliminates some of the operational difficulties inherent with gaseous drilling fluids, such as generating enough torque to run a downhole motor. The unique properties of CO2, both inside the drillpipe and in the annulus, are shown in terms of optimizing the drilling operation by achieving a low bottomhole pressure range. Typically, CO2 becomes supercritical inside the drillpipe at this high density; thus, it can generate enough torque to run a downhole motor. As the fluid exits the drill bit, it evaporates to a gas, hence achieving the required low density for UBD. The latest CO2 equation of state (EOS) to calculate the required thermodynamic fluid properties is used. In addition, a heat-transfer model that takes into account varying properties of both pressure and temperature has been developed. A marching algorithm procedure is developed to calculate the circulating fluid pressure and temperature, taking into account the varying parameters. Both single-phase CO2 and a mixture of CO2 and water have been studied to show the effect of produced water on corrosion rates. The model also is capable of handling different drillpipe and annular geometries.

© 2009. Society of Petroleum Engineers

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History

  • Original manuscript received: 12 December 2007
  • Meeting paper published: 28 January 2008
  • Revised manuscript received: 20 February 2009
  • Manuscript approved: 2 April 2009
  • Published online: 22 October 2009
  • Version of record: 23 December 2009