Dynamic Buckling Characteristics of Drill String in Horizontal Wells

Abstract

Buckling may cause drill string damage or even drilling failure. For the 3[Formula: see text]000-m-long horizontal section drill string, a simplified analysis model of drill string in horizontal well is established, and the dynamic response results of axial displacement, angular displacement and contact force are obtained. When buckling, the closer the position of drill string is to the bottom, the later the buckling time, the smaller the buckling deformation degree, the slower the growth rate of axial displacement, and the smaller the attenuation degree of angular displacement and contact force amplitude. After buckling, drill string undergoes tensile deformation and eventually remains stable in the tensile state. After stabilization, from the top of drill string to the bottom of drill string, axial displacement increment increases first, then remains unchanged and then decreases, and the relative torsion angle between different positions gradually decreases. The drill string is always in horizontal contact with the wellbore, resulting in the same contact force values at different locations. The change of well inclination angle does not affect the change law of displacement and contact force. The absolute value of angular displacement is negatively correlated with the change of well inclination angle, and the value of axial displacement increment and contact force is positively correlated with the change of well deviation angle, but the value of contact force is quite close. The research results can provide reference for alleviating the buckling of drill string in horizontal wells.