There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality.

Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

I and i

Hydrodynamic and hydromagnetic stability

Effect of CuO and ZnO nanofluids in xanthan gum on thermal, electrical and high pressure rheology of water-based drilling fluids

The origins, uses and evaluation of constitutive equations for the stress tensor of polymeric liquids are discussed.

Constitutive equations for polymeric liquids

Dynamic mode rheology of cement and tricalcium silicate pastes from mixing to setting

Plug & abandonment of offshore wells: Ensuring long-term well integrity and cost-efficiency

Hole-cleaning performance comparison of oil-based and water-based drilling fluids

Effect of Pipe Rotation on Hole Cleaning for Water-Based Drilling Fluids in Horizontal and Deviated Wells

Viscoelastic properties of drilling fluids and their influence on cuttings transport

This paper presents a method to determine optimum drilling fluid properties and flow rates to minimize cuttings bed height and circulation time in high angle and horizontal wells. The method uses empirical models relating the cuttings bed height and the bed erosion time to drilling fluid properties and flow rates. Bed erosion tests have been conducted using a cuttings transport facility available at the University of Tulsa. Cuttings bed height as a function of time has been investigated by using variable flow rates (200 - 400 gpm) and four different drilling fluid compositions. Experimental results were used together with a non-linear regression analysis program to establish a functional relationship among drilling fluid properties, flow rate, cuttings bed height and the time required to circulate the borehole clean. A numerical example is provided to explain the field application of the method. The sequential calculations involved in determining optimum combination of the Power Law viscosity parameters n and K, and the flow rate to minimize the cuttings bed height and circulation time are also given. Field implementation of the proposed empirical correlations and the new method can aid optimization of circulation practices before tripping, and so reduce the associated risk of non-productive time.

Arild Saasen

Papers

Plug & abandonment of offshore wells: Ensuring long-term well integrity and cost-efficiency

Hole-cleaning performance comparison of oil-based and water-based drilling fluids

Effect of Pipe Rotation on Hole Cleaning for Water-Based Drilling Fluids in Horizontal and Deviated Wells

Viscoelastic properties of drilling fluids and their influence on cuttings transport

Selecting Drilling Fluid Properties and Flow Rates For Effective Hole Cleaning in High-Angle and Horizontal Wells