Cuttings Transport Mechanism in a Large-Diameter HDD Borehole
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VIEW THE ORIGINAL ARTICLEPublication: Journal of Pipeline Systems Engineering and Practice
Volume 6, Issue 4
Abstract
Drilling mud (or drilling fluid) is a vital component in a horizontal directional drilling (HDD) crossing project, for which a key function is the removal of the cuttings from the borehole. The rheological properties of drilling mud, including flow index, consistency index, effective viscosity, and flow patterns, are briefly reviewed. A model of the drilling mud behavior in the annular space is thereby established, based upon which the cuttings transport mechanism is analyzed. In this model, the critical factors for the efficient removal of cuttings are considered to be the rheological properties and return velocity of the drilling mud in the annular space surrounding the drill rod within the hole. The rheological properties should therefore be carefully controlled so the cuttings can be suspended or sink very slowly in the mud, and an appropriate return velocity must be selected so the flow pattern is suitable for effectively transporting the cuttings without compromising the stability of the borehole. Finally, a decision procedure is created by which a drilling mud engineer can select the proper mud rheological properties and return velocity. The model and decision process have been applied to a large-diameter HDD river crossing project to demonstrate their practicality.
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Acknowledgments
The authors thank the China Petroleum Pipeline Bureau of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) for providing a convenient job site laboratory and the opportunity of conducting research at the job site. The authors also wish to thank Dr. Larry Slavin for reviewing the paper before publication.
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Pipeline Systems Engineering and Practice
Volume 6 • Issue 4 • November 2015
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 12, 2013
Accepted: Aug 26, 2014
Published online: Oct 14, 2014
Discussion open until: Mar 14, 2015
Published in print: Nov 1, 2015
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