Drill string rotation has been the target of several studies involving its influence on the suspension of drilled cuttings deposited in the bottom part of highly inclined and horizontal wells. Since some studies found in the literature exhibit divergence over the effect of the drill string rotation on the suspension of cuttings, this project is intended to quantify the capacity for suspension of particles from the cuttings bed for different fluids and different sedimentation heights, in cylindrical horizontal wells.

Quantifying the suspended mass in the annular geometry of the well was modeled after an experimental set-up on the physical problem, which allows tangential flow in the annular space. Flow visualization and image processing techniques support the study.

Keywords:
rotation, annular space, simulator, drilling operation, cylinder, suspension, dimensionless parameter, cuttings transport, drilling fluids and materials, angular velocity
Subjects:
Drilling Operations, Drilling Fluids and Materials, Cuttings transport
Copyright 2010, Society of Petroleum Engineers
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