New Drilling Technology for Hole Cleaning and Efficient Drilling

Abstract

Well integrity is an important safety aspect of a well. Lack of wellbore integrity can lead to challenges like wellbore collapse, stuck pipe, lost circulation and sloughing shales, which are all big problems for drillers. Loss of circulation and stuck pipe is a high cost problem and is affecting the drilling optimisation considerably. It is crucial to maintain the drilling operation and have minor downtime. The operational time is the most critical optimisation factor in the well process. With the new technology of programmable electronic circulating valves being developed, this can result in quicker and more efficient drilling. Cutting transport is a vital mechanism for an ideal drilling programme. When drilling holes, cleaning is a known problem and is frequently costly. This master thesis is a study of different circulation tools and discusses if this new technology can lead to more efficient drilling, thus reducing downtime and optimising drilling to avoid undesired situations. The target is to create drilling tools that help reduce potential hole problems and eliminate unnecessary downtime. The study was carried out by comparing the performance of several different tools with the same fundamental technical and drilling optimisation service, focusing on activation, operability, failure, and additional features. The work is based on literature reviews and additional information was acquired through communication with representation from the different companies. Based on the research, one of the tools excelled in several areas and is ideal for further technological development to help optimise drilling performance in the future.