A THREE-SEGMENT HYDRAULIC MODEL FOR ANNULAR CUTTINGS TRANSPORT WITH FOAM IN HORIZONTAL DRILLING

Through mechanical analysis, an improved hydraulic model for annular cuttings transport with foam was established for horizontal drilling. Based on the two critical inclination angles, the entire well was divided into three segments. The Bagnold stress, generalized power law rheological model and modified hindered particle settling velocity in foam fluid were adopted in the model to improve the simulation accuracy. The proposed model allows more precise prediction of cuttings transport property in the whole range of well inclination angle. Model performance was examined via case study and experimental data. Simulation results given by the propulsion iteration and trial-and-error method agree well with in-situ horizontal well drilling practice for the case study, and the comparison between the model prediction and Capo’s experimental data shows satisfactory agreement.