Volume Requirements for Air or Gas Drilling

Abstract

Published in Petroleum Transactions, AIME, Vol. 210, 1957, pages 325–330. Abstract Drilling rate is a parameter that should be considered in determining the volume requirements for air and gas drilling. The use of past method which ignore the effects of the solids content upon the pressure and velocity of the annulus flow stream can result in under calculation of the required volume by as much as 50 per cent. A vertical-flow equation is presented for determining volume requirements. This equation includes the effect of the solids that are transported up the annulus in the flow stream by incorporating the drilling rate as one of the parameters. The effect of down-hole temperature on required circulation rates is also analyzed. A simple approximate method of determining volume requirements is presented. This method is more accurate than the methods used in the past. Hole cleaning difficulties are analyzed for a recent air drilling job where past method indicated that excess air was being used. Sample curves of calculated bottom-hole pressures are presented for air and gas drilling in several hole sizes. Introduction In certain areas the use of air or natural gas as a circulating medium for drilling oil and gas wells is becoming a common practice. Large increases in penetration rate and bit life are achieved through the use of these media in preference to mud or water. Drilling rates as high as 90 ft/hr have been obtained in shales. The importance of maintaining adequate circulation rate is generally recognized; however, much disagreement exists among drilling operators as to what constitutes "adequate" circulation rate. In quarry drilling, where annular velocities can be accurately determined, an annular velocity of 3,000 ft/min of standard air is required for best results in rocks having approximately the same density as those commonly penetrated in drilling oil or gas wells. Although this standard air velocity has proven satisfactory for quarry drilling, some oil and gas well drilling operators believe that an equivalent annular velocity of more than 4,000 ft/min is required; others believe that as little as 2,000 ft/min is sufficient. Much of this disagreement results from determining the required circulation rates with methods which fail to incorporate the drilled solids in an equation which is applicable to vertical flow.