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By L. W. Fagg

The purpose of this paper is to present in a convenient form data and examples necessary in making dynamometer card analyses; also to outline a procedure of well weighing. Many articles and papers have been written delving into the mathematical considerations relative to the shape and characteristics of dynamometer cards. However. it is recognized that there are too many unknown factors involved in such calculations to assure a workable degree of accuracy. For this reason the accepted procedure is to take dynamometer cards on wells in question rather than try to calculate the load curve. The polished rod dynamometer is now recognized as a necessary tool for measuring loads, torque, and horsepower. It is also used to determine pump action and trouble-shoot for any seemingly abnormal pumping condition. The apparently infinite variety of a = maximum load (height x scale constant) b = minimum load. Range of load is difference between maximum and minimum load speed—taken with stop watch stroke —measured at polished rod c = beginning of down stroke in direction of arrow. (End of up stroke) d = beginning of up stroke. (End of down stroke). Polished Rod Horsepower = (Area of card) x Scale const. x Stroke x Length x spm (Length of card) 33000x 12 1.35 1.35------x5300x 24 x 12 2.53 --------------------------= 2.06 23000x12 Appraximate Peak Torque: Upstroke = (2390) (12) (1) = 28,700 in. Ib Downstroke = (1 860) (12) (.866) = 19,300 in. Ib Counterbalance should be increased to make up stroke and down stroke peak torque equal. FIG. 1 dynamometer cards that can be obtained is one reason for the general lack of usage of the dynamometer as a control instrument rather than a means for making routine measurements of leads and horsepower. When it is considered that the dynamometer card is a record of the resultant of all forces acting on the polished rod at any particular instant during the pumping stroke. the problem is then one of breaking down this resultant into its various components. As a means of a quick review we shall consider the examples shown in Figs. 1 to 9: and Tables I and II and then proceed to the interpretation of variously shaped cards caused by some abnormal operating condition. In Table 11, when we were considering the factors involved in calculating the peak polished rod load, it can be seen that the factors involved greatly oversimplify the problem. Certain assumptions are made which may or may not he even close to the actual field conditions, such as the specific gravity of the fluid generally considered as one; that the crank has constant angular velocity; that the down-hole friction is zero; and that the fluid lift is from the pump. In the following examples we shall see what a variation in fluid weight and friction can do to the general shape and magnitude of the dynamometer card. (Figs. 10 to 22.) MAKING THE WELL STUDY It is obvious that it would be impractical to consider in detail all of these factors each time a well study is made, inasmuch as each well study job could conceivably be extended into a research project rather than serve the practical requirements of finding the answer to a specific problem. For this reason it is important that some objective be established previous to the time the well study is made. Load at TU = 3070 Ib Crank angle when polished rod is at position TU = ? ? = 30° Maximum counterbalance effect at polished rod = 2760 Ib Torque at TU = (Load at TU — Max. counterbalance effect-lbs) sin 0 x Length of Stroke 2 = (3070-2760) .5 x 24 = 1860 in. 15 2 Torque at TD = (Load at TD — Max. counterbalance effect-lbs) sin ? x Length of Stroke 2 = (530 - 2760) sin 330' x 24 = 13,400 in. Ib 2 Note: sin 0 from c to d on UPSTROKE will be positive value. sin 0 from c to d on DOWNSTROKE will be negative value Torque at c and d is zero because 0 is zero. FIG. 2 —APPROXIMATE METHOD FOR CALCUlATlNG TORQUE

Jan 1, 1950

By Marsh S. Watson, Robert A. Howard

An electrolytic model study has been made of the relative productivity of perforated casing. The results show that the relative productivity is roughly one-half to two-thirds of that predicted from point-sink calculations. This discrepancy can he satisfactorily explained on the basis of casing interference. The relative productivity was found to he insensitive to spatial arrangement of the perforations. INTRODUCTION The relative productivity of wells with perforated casing has been treated mathematically by Muskat.' In his treatment the perforations are represented by small spheres, thus enabling him to approximate the flow by that to point sinks. By neglecting interference between the flow into the various spheres representing the perforations, one may deduce the approximate formula Qu 1/rp - 1/rw • (1) I + b/2n _________ 2n In re/rw Where Q is the flow rate into spherical sinks located in the median plane of the sand laver Qo is the open hole flow rate (uncased hole of radius rw) b is the thickness of sand layer under consideration (always one foot in this paper) n is the number of spherical sinks in the sand layer rp is the radius of a spherical sink rw is the well radius re is the drainage radius of the well. Fig. 1 is a comparison of values calculated from equation (1) with Mus-kat's values. It will be observed that the approximate values are in error by less than 21/2 per cent. The disturbing effect of the casing on the flow line; is not explicitly taken into account by Muskat, but he reasons that interference between the flow pat- terns from the various point sinks will result in a negligible flow in the region within the well radius, and that no appreciable error will result from not explicitly excluding flow from this region. This line of reasoning is open to question, however, as the flow impedance, in the immediate vicinity of the well, of a hemispherical cavity in contact with an opening in the casing is twice that of a spherical sink in a continuous sand layer. There will be a difference, moveover, between the flow into a hemispherical cavity and that into a circular hole in the casing. .This latter difference can best be appreciated by comparing the flow from a semi-infinite medium into a hemispherical cavity at the edge of the medium with the flow out of a circular opening of the same radius as the hemisphere and which is also on the edge of the medium. In this case2 ------= —2, showing that the difference in flow rates into differently shaped cavities is quite appreciable. It was the purpose of the investigation reported here to determine to what extent flow into circular perforations in casing departs from the values calculated by Muskat. For this purpose an electrolytic model was used.

Jan 1, 1950

By Morris Muskat, James M. McDowell

A report is given of electrical analog experiments on the effect of casing perforation completions on well productivity for ideal uniform reservoirs under steady state homogeneous fluid flow conditions. Graphical results are presented for the effect of perforations of different densities and various degrees of penetration into the formation surrounding the casing or cement sheath. The latter range from perforations which terminate flush with the casing to those which extend into the formation a distance equal to the casing diameter. For the special case where the perforations terminate immediately beyond the casing with semi-spherical protrusions the electrical analog results correct and supersede previously reported theoretical calculations. It is found that the penetration of the perforations into the surrounding productive section may so increase the resultant productivity as to approach or even exceed that for open hole completions. INTRODUCTION A theoretical analysis of the effect of casing perforation on well completion, without additional penetration of the formation, was reported several years ago.' In this treatment the perforations were represented by mathematical sinks and no explicit account was taken of the imperviousness to flow of the casing in which the perforations were made. This procedure was justified by consideration of the mutual interference between the sinks, which seemed to indicate that the analytical method automatically eliminated flow across the casing radius between the perforations. However, both further theoretical investigation and the electrical analog measurements described below showed that this assumption in the previously developed theory was not valid and that the calculated well capacities would considerably exceed the correct values. § Even if this simplifying assumption were retained the generalization of the theory to situations where the perforations extend into the producing formation would be extremely difficult. On the other hand, the electrolytic model analog of this type of steady-state homogenous fluid system is, in principle, so simple that it has not been worthwhile to attempt to develop the exact analysis even for the more limited case of strict casing perforation. The whole problem has therefore been studied anew by electrical models to cover the range from holes in the casing which terminate flush with the casing surface to such as extend into the surrounding rock to a depth equal to the casing diameter. It is to be expected that the productivity of a well completed with casing radius* rw, perforated with holes of radius Tp, and extending to depths d into the surrounding rock, would depend primarily on the dimensionless geometrical parameters Te Tw TP d of the system, such as —, —, — , and —, where re is the Tw, a a rw external boundary radius and a is the mean vertical separation between the perforations. It will also depend, of course, on the number of perforation lines or total perforation density. While such parameters automatically control analytical treatments, it would require a very extensive series of model experiments to fully disclose their functional effect on the well productivity. For practical purposes, however, a rather limited range of the variables suffices to give the effects of interest. Accordingly, in the experimental study reported here the casing diameter has been kept fixed? at six in., the perforation diameter has been taken as either one-fourth in. or one-half in., their density has been varied from one to eight per ft, and their penetration into the formation has ranged from zero to six in., with a primary scaling factor of one to six. EXPERIMENTAL METHOD AND RESEARCH Although electrolytic model experiments have been made for years, there still seems to be some question as to what set of conditions will give the best results. For this reason a number of electrode materials and electrolytes were tried. Those chosen for the final experiments were copper electrodes and a weak copper sulphate solution as the electrolyte. This 'Assuming that the casing has been cemented with a uniform and impermeable cement sheath, the effective casing radius is to be interpreted as the external radius of the cement annulus. It is also assumed here that the casing is set through the complete producing section that it is perforated throughout with a uniform density and that tie formation has a a and isotropic permeability. As noted later, however, a uniform scale change permits reinterpreting the primary measurements to correspond to a casing diameter of 12 in.

Jan 1, 1950

By A. P. Wickland

The characteristic problems related to drilling a hole for evaluation of an orebody are generally quite similar, whether we're drilling a core hole, or a hole to obtain chip samples. The basic objective in each case is fundamentally an economic factor; to produce the maximum amount of usable information per hole at a reasonable footage price. The success of the drilled hole depends largely upon the amount of investigation and research spent on the prospective area and the ability to forecast the capable personnel needed plus the right kind of drills, ancillary equipment such as bits, muds and various additives necessary to make the drilling program successful. The driller is confronted with a wide variation of drilling problems due to the nature of subsurface conditions. Some of these problems are: overburden, which may consist of clays; sand; boulders; or glacial till. These surface conditions may exist up to 2,000 feet in depth and upon reaching bedrock, formations may consist of swelling shales, broken sandstones, and every conceivable rock-type, coupled with every known structural problem such as dips, faults, folds, etc., and to this added extras such as permafrost and/or ground water problems combine to increase the necessity why an understanding of the problems along with the proper reaction of the driller plus the formula to compensate for ground conditions is necessary to complete a drill hole. Since most geologists are familiar with diamond core drilling techniques, I would like to discuss other methods used in evaluating ore deposits.

Jan 1, 1973

By Leon W. Dupuy

Many articles have been written describing peculiar and particular types of drilling. Little correlation has been made between the character of ground to be drilled and sampled and the type of drilling most desirable for procuring satisfactory samples. In development work, the engineer and metallurgist often desire the recovery of a sample in as physically natural a condition as possible, particularly when the sample must provide material for process tests as well as chemical and physical analyses. This paper describes the results of experimentation in drilling unconsolidated materials carrying titanium minerals in the Magnet Cove area, Ark. The drilling was most difficult in that the ground varied much in consistency, and it was vitally necessary to recover a physically natural sample. Ordinary churn drilling recovered a sample that could be analyzed chemically, but the sample was not in its natural state. The problem was successfully solved by utilizing and further developing methods used in the oil and clay industries.

Jan 1, 1949

By George W. Friesen

This paper presents the historical trend and de- fines the causes of drilling cost escalation in the Gulf of Mexico during the 1970's. The three major components of escalation are: 1) inflation, 2) supply-demand imbalance (demand pull) and 3) decreases in drilling efficiency. The decade was divided into three periods. During each period one component of escalation was responsible for most of the rise in costs. From 1970 through 1973 only inflation pushed costs upward. During 1974 and 1975 a supply- demand imbalance caused most of the escalation. Since 1975, decreases in drilling efficiency have produced the major component of escalation. During any one year or period of years, the sum of the three components will give the total escalation rate. The reasons why different components contribute more toward escalation during certain years than others are shown by following the timing of oil and gas price increases, the overall quality of the acreage offered each year in offshore lease sales and the resulting drilling activity.

Jan 1, 1982

By Lee B. Paterson

Mining Engineers throughout the world have an appreciation for the importance of the role of the Blasthole Drill in one of the primary elements of the mining process. This paper highlights areas that could influence the overall cost effectiveness of that process of breaking rock and the associated downstream mining and ore recovery activities - and how the drill is designed and configured to meet that challenge. Factors influencing drill productivity and overall cost effectiveness are addressed, particularly regarding the benefits which are not necessarily reflected in the drilling process and therefore more difficult to quantify. This paper explores some of the downstream benefits of what we do to the drilling process.

Jan 1, 2000

By D. C. Fraser, W. J. Scott

"Airborne electromagnetic surveys were flown during 1965 in the Moose River area of Ontario. The systems used were INPUT Mark II and the Canadian Aero Otter. Anomalies indicated by both systems were located on the ground with vertical-loop EM. Two such anomalies were drilled, with no explanation being found in the bedrock geology. Subsequent seismic, resistivity and gravity surveys indicated that the sources of these anomalies lay in the overburden. Current work in the similar geological environment of the Winisk River area has shown that comparable AEM anomalies can still be misleading. The lesson to be, learned from these experiences is that additional geophysical work can help to resolve doubtful cases before drilling decisions are made."

Jan 1, 1973

By W. L. Saunders

WHEN work was begun in September, 1910, on the rock excavation for the foundation of the gigantic dam at Valhalla, N. Y., which is to convert Kensico lake into an important storage reservoir of the Catskill Aqueduct system, one of the first steps taken by the contractor, H. S. Kerbaugh, Inc., was the development of a quarry to supply the stone needed in the construction work.The importance of a bountiful supply of suitable rock in an accessible location is apparent when it is considered that nearly a million cubic yards of cyclopean masonry will be contained in the completed structure, not to mention dimension and facing stones, concrete blocks, and mass concrete. The dam structure will be over 1800 ft. long and about 170 ft. above the present river bed. However, for a distance of some 800 ft., it will be carried down to solid ledge rock, which will make the finished structure about 300 ft. in maximum height. It will be about 200 ft. thick at the base and directly beneath the coping it will be 28 ft. thick. This dam will raise the reservoir surface 110 ft. above old Kensico lake. The reservoir capacity will be 29,000,000,000 gal.-equal to New York's total needs for over two months. The contract price for this work is nearly $8,000,000 and is second only in amount to the cost, over $12,600,000, of the Ashokan Reservoir work. Fig. 1 is a view of the dam site.

Jan 2, 1914

By F. J. Tozer

Canal communication between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario has been one of almost constant enlargement and reconstruction to meet the rapid growth of trade and commerce, and the consequent steady increase in the size of vessels plying the Great Lakes. The original canal was built by the Welland Canal Company. The first sod was turned in 1824 and the first vessel passed through in. 1829. There were 36 lift-locks, built of oak timber, 110 feet long and 22 feet wide, with a depth of water over the sills of 8 feet. The second canal, now known as the 'Old Welland Canal' was built by the Dominion of Canada (1842 to 1850). There were 26 masonry locks, 150 feet long, 26.5 feet wide and with a depth of water over the sills of 9 feet. The walls and banks were raised in 1853 to give a 10-foot draught. The third canal, known as the 'New Welland Canal, built by the Dominion of Canada, was started in June 1874 and the first boat passed through in the spring of 1882. There are 25 masonry lift-locks, 270 feet long, 45 feet wide and with a depth of water over the sills of 12 feet. The walls and banks were raised in 1891 to give a 14-foot draught. This is the canal in use at present.

Jan 1, 1926

The selection of a particular machine for production drilling is the most critical drill evaluation the pit engineer is called upon to make. It is a true engineering design problem requiring value judgments. Generally, the procedure follows these steps: (1) Determine and specify the conditions under which the machine will be used, including such service factors as labor, site, weather, etc. (2) State the objectives for the rock-breakage phases of the production cycle of operations--considering excavation and haulage restrictions, crushing capacity, production quota, and pit geometry-in terms of tonnage, fragmentation, throw, etc. (3) On the basis of blasting requirements, design the drill-hole pattern (hole size and depth, in- clination, burden, spacing, etc.) (4) Determine the drillability factors and select the drilling methods which appear feasible for the kind of rock anticipated. (5) Specify the operating variables for each system under study, considering drill, rod, bit and circulation fluid factors. (6) Estimate and compare performance parameters, including costs. Major cost items are bits, drill depreciation, labor, maintenance, power and fluids. (7) Select the drilling system that best satisfies all requirements with the lowest over-all cost.

Jan 10, 1967

By R. A. Salathiel

A new synthetic material has been developed which is highly effective in treating drilling muds to reduce filtration rate. The material is the soluble salt of a very high molecular weight condensation product of sulfonated phenol and formaldehyde (SPIF). Laboratory tests show that SPIF is effective in muds of all salinities varying from fresh water to saturated salt water. Alkaline materials. such as soda ash or caustic and quebracho, may be used in combination with SPIF to advantage, and are essential in muds containing saturated salt water. In a field test where the water used in the mud had a salinity of about one-half that of sea water, SPIF in combination with caustic and quebracho made a very satisfactory mud. SPIF does not ferment. but due probably to additional polymerization a slight decrease in effectiveness is found when it is subjected to high PH and high temperature for a long time. INTRODUCTION Drilling mud is essential in rotary drilling. The influence of variations in the different properties of a mud on its ability to perform the various functions in drilling of wells is thoroughly understood in some cases and poorly understood in others. For instance, the function of mud density in restraining high pressure fluids is simple and well known. On the other hand. while the value of low filtration is widely recognized, it is seldom possible to determine precisely what filtration rate is required for the mud to perform its functions properly. Filtration rate is important because it influences the ease of moving tools in or out of the hole. Filtration rate also affects the stability of the bore hole walls, which are subject to softening and degradation by aqueous filtrate. Difficulties in rotary drilling are often avoided by using low-filtration muds. Treatment of fresh-water muds to provide moderately low filtration rates usually consists of adding chemicals to improve the dispersion of the clays. To provide very low filtration rates, organic colloidal materials are added. Among the materials hat are used in this way are starch, natural gums, and altered celluloses. In muds that contain large amounts of salt or calcium or magnesium ions, the clays are coagulated and, as a consequence, the filtration rate is undesirably high. In such muds organic colloids are of great importance. LIMITATIONS OF PRESENT FILTRATION ADDITIVES Starch and water-soluble gums are widely used as filtration control agents. Starch is the most important material of this kind being used. It has the advantage of relatively low cost. It is effective in promoting low filtration rates, not only in fresh water muds, but also in muds containing large amounts of salts. However, both starch and natural gums are subject to fermentation and must be preserved from damage caused by microbiologic attack. Also, both starch and natural gums tend to increase the mud viscosity undesirably. Furthermore, the quantity of material required may be quite large. This is especially true when substantial amounts of salts are present. In such a case small addition* of starch may increase rather than reduce the filtration rate of the mud. Carboxy-methyl-cellulose, a chemically altered form of cellulose, has some advantages over starch. It is effective in smaller concentrations and does not increase the viscosity as much as

Jan 1, 1952

By F. W. Schremp, V. L. Johnson

This paper discusses the results obtained from high temperature, high pressure filter loss studies in which field samples of clay-water, emulsion, and oil base fluids were used. High temperature, high pressure tests of some premium priced emrilsion and oil base drilling fluids show filter loss peculiarities that are not predicted by standard API tests. It is recommended that high temperature, high pressure filter loss tests be used to evaluate the performance of such fluids. Apparatus is described which proved to be satisfactory for evaluating filter loss behavior over a wide range of temperatures and pressures. INTRODUCTION The petroleum industry spends large sums of money each year on chemical treating agents for lowering filter loss and on premium-priced low filter loss drilling fluids. While it is an accepted fact that low filter loss is advantageous during drilling operations, it is questionable whether the present standard method of determining filter loss gives a reliable indication of the loss to he expected under bottom hole conditions. The purpose of this paper is to show that high temperature. high pressure filter loss tests Should be used to evaluate filter loss behavior of fluids for deep drilling. Concern over possible effects of filter loss on oil well drilling and well productivity dates back to the early 1920's. During the years 1922 to 1924, filtration studies were reported by Knapp,' Anderson2 and Kirwan." These studies were the first to be reported in the literature on this subject. No further information was published on the subject until 1932 when Rubel' presented a paper in which he discussed the effect of drilling fluids on oil well productivity. In 1935. .Jones and Babson constructed the first laboratory tester designed to study the effects of temperature and pressure on the filter loss behavior of clay-water drilling fluids. In a discussion of their investigations, Jones and Babsons stated, "Performance characteristics of a mud can he evaluated with considerable reliability by a single test at 2,000 psi and 200°F. Exact correlation between the results of performance test5 made under these conditions and the behavior of muds in actual drilling operations is of course impossible." Jones arid Babson apparently were well aware that at best laboratory tests can give only qualitative answers to the question of what is the actual behavior of a drilling fluid when subjected to deep drilling conditions. Jones' presented a paper in 1937 in which he described a static filter loss tester to be used for routine filter loss tests. This instrument subsequently was adopted as the standard APl filter loss tester. In 1938, Larsen7 developed a relationship between filtrate volume and filtrate time that is in general acceptance today. Larsen was cognizant of the danger of estimating bottom hole behavior from filter loss measurements at room temperature. He tried to predict the effect of temperature on filter loss by relating temperature effects through the temperature dependence of filtrate viscosity. This was undoubtedly an over-sirriplification of the temperature dependence of drilling fluid filter loss. In 1940, Byck" published a summary of experimental results of filter loss tests made on six representative California clsy-water drilling fluids. He concluded that "no existing method will permit even an approximate determination of the filtration rate at high temperature from data at room temperature. It is necessary to measure filtration at the temperature actually anticipated in the well, or to make a sufficient number of tests at various lower temperatures so that a small extrapolation of these data to the anticipated well temperature may be applied." Byck's findings were presuma1)ly well accepted and recognized by drilling Fluid technologists, and yet, they did not lead to wide adoption of high temperature drilling fluid filtration equipment. This is evidenced by the fact that no addition information has appeared in print on the subject since 194). Study of Byck's data shows that there was a useful consistency in them. The fluids did not show predictable losses at high temperatures, but they did line up at high temperatures in approximately the same order that they lined up at low temperatures. That is, if a fluid appeared to be a good fluid with relatively low loss at low temperatures, it would also be a good fluid with relatively low loss at high temperatures. In the last decade. the above situation has changed. The drilling fluid art is markedly different from what it was. The outstanding change, as far as the present discussion is concerned, has been the adoption of wholly new types of drilling fluids. Oil base and emulsion drilling fluids have come in to wide use. It is, therefore, necessary- to re-examine previously satisfactory generalizations to see if they are still valid. It turns out. as might have been expected. that Byck's explicit generalization. already quoted, is still true. Filter losses at high temperatures cannot be predicted from filter losses at low temperatures. However, no further generalizations are valid now. Fluids of different chemical types show different general behaviors. No longer do the fluids line up approximately the same at high temperatures as they do at low temperatures. They may line up entirely differently. Special fluids exhibiting very low loss at low temperatures may have losses as high as those of ordinary clay-water fluids at high temperatures. This fact is highly significant, because premium prices are being paid for the special fluids.

Jan 1, 1952

By Henry Lewelling

An experimental investigation of the relative effectiveness of standard bullets and "shaped charges" in perforating dense, hard formations is reported. A method is described which simulates the conditions under which a shot is normally fired. Results are evaluated on the basis of depth of penetration, extent 01 Fracturing. extent and nature of formation damage, and other physical characteristics. INTRODUCTION A study was made of the relative merits of bullets and "shaped charges'' as applied to well completions in hard, dense formations such as those encountered in the Permian Basin. The planning of the laboratory program stipulated that core samples should be prepared and mounted in such a way that perforation shots of either kind"" could be fired into them, keeping the factors pertinent to good shooting practice similar to what they would be in a well. The shooting was done in a buried tank. with the sample and shooting equipment covered with water. The depth of water was calculated to he sufficient to simulate the inertial effects of well fluids for the duration of an explosion (a few micro-seconds). Flow measurements were attempted on the specimens after perforation. Due to the lack of uniformity of the limestone, shale breaks. etc., these measurements proved to be of little value to the study. The mounting materials were removed. so that the character of the penetration. fracturing, etc., could be observed. METHOD Laboratory samples were selected from the hard. dolomitic sand cores from Block 31 Field. Core pieces having a 3 3/4 in. diameter and a useful length of 10 to 12 in. were used. Selection was aimed at those pieces having a minimum of shale streaks and other irregularities. The ends were cut off square Manuscript received in the Petroleum Branch office June 28, 1951. Paper presented at the Petroleum Branch Fall Meeting in Oklahoma City, Okla., Oct. 3-5, 1951. with the diamond saw. Prior to lbeing mounted. the cores were soaked in water to prevent them from absorbing water out of the wet concrete, thus weakening it. A set of steel capsules was fabricated for holding the core Samples. Seven-in. casing was cut in two-ft lengths. of which one end was closed by "orange-peeling" and welding, and the other was threaded to accept a standard bull plug. The bull plugs were fitted with copper tube connections .so that pressure could be applied when the capsules were made up. The cores were mounted in the capsules by means of wire centralizers whose function was to hold the Core in proper position while concrete was poured and set. A special aggregate was prepared wing a graded sand and gravel mixture

Jan 1, 1952

By R. J. Blackwell, J. R. Rayne, W. M. Terry

This paper presents results of an experimental investigation of factors that control the efficiency with which oil is displaced from porous media by a miscible fluid. The study was made to elucidate the relevant processes both on microscopic level (within individual or between neighboring pore spaces) and on macroscopic level (within a large sand body). Mixing of miscible fluids on the microscopic level was studied in sand-packed tubes. It was found that molecular diffusion is the dominant dispersion mechanism for reservoir conditions of rate, length and pore sizes. Macroscopic channeling was studied for various mobility ratios in reservoir mode1s scaled to relate viscous, gravitational, and diffusional forces. The formation of channels was due to viscous firzgering, gravity segregation and variations in permeability. With adverse mobility ratios, it was found for reservoirs of realistic widths that diffusion will not be effective in preventing the formation and growth of fingers, even in homogeneous sands. At sufficiently low rates channeling was eliminated by gravity segregation in tilted reservoirs. The dependence of recovery on mobility ratio, length-to-width ratio, flow rate and angle of dip is presented. INTRODUCTION Oil recovery by solvent flooding is finding increasing application in the field. While the process promises high recoveries from the region swept by solvent, under adverse conditions only a small fraction of the reservoir volume may be swept at the time solvent breaks through to the producing well. Further, the high cost of the solvent encourages its use only as a bank whose size must be kept at a minimum. Thus, two important questions arise: (1) what fraction of the reservoir can be swept, practically, by solvent? and (2) what is the minimum size solvent bank that can be used to carry out the displacement? The answers to these questions require knowledge of both macroscopic channeling processes and microscopic mixing processes. The studies described here were carried out to gain this knowledge. Microscopic mechanisms which cause mixing will be discussed first, because an understanding of these mechanisms is necessary for proper interpretation of the experimental work on channeling described later. INVESTIGATION OF MICROSCOPIC DISPLACEMENT PHENOMENA FOR MISCIBLE FLUIDS The questions to be resolved concerning microscopic displacement behavior are: (1) how much mixing occurs between oil and solvent in the direction of flow? and (2) does the solvent completely flush the oil from the pore spaces in the region invaded by solvent? The classic work of Sir Geoffrey Taylor' and its extension by Aris2 have shown that it is possible from theory to describe the amount of mixing in single straight capillaries when solvent displaces a fluid of equal viscosity and equal density. Aris showed that the lengths of the mixing zones, 81, corresponding to the 10 per cent and 90 per cent concentration levels of the solvent can be calculated from the formula, 81 = 3.62 \/Kt, .........(1) where 8l is the length of the mixing zone, cm; t is the time, sec; and K is the effective dispersion coefficient, cm2/sec, given by K/D = 1 + (1/48) (au/D)2......(2) where a is the radius of the capillary, cm; D is the molecular diffusivity, cm2/sec; u is the average velocity

By C. D. Hall, F. E. Dollarhide

Conventional static tests of fluid-loss agents do not realistically simulate conditions in a fracturing treatment. The dynamic tests reported here show that fluid-loss volume is better represented as proportional to time, rather than as the square root of time. This leads to a different equation for fracture area. The leak-off rate increases with increasing shear rate at the fracture wall, but appears to approach a limiting value. Pressure effects are minor. Spurt loss ordinarily is not affected by the flow velocity in the fracture and is inversely proportional to concentration of agent. The filter cake, once it is well established, is resistant to damage by the flow of plain fracturing liquid (without fluid-loss agent). The latter two findings indicate that a treatment employing a high-concentration spearhead followed by plain fluid can offer a more economical treatment under suitable conditions. INTRODUCTION The successful design of hydraulic fracturing treatments depends on accurate knowledge of the fluid-loss properties of the fracturing fluid. Howard and Fast,' in giving the basic equation relating fracture area to fluid and treating parameters, described three mechanisms which might control the rate of fluid leak-off from the fracture. One mechanism usually is dominant in a given well treatment. For each mechanism, the leak-off velocity is inversely proportional to the square root of time, and the proportionality constant is designated as the fracturing-fluid coefficient. For the wall-building type of fluid-loss agent, the coefficient is determined by a filtration test in a pressure cell, usually with a rock wafer or core as the filter medium. In these static tests, the cumulative volume generally is proportional to the square root of time, after an initial spurt volume. The static-fluid-loss test is not representative of the con,-&tions under which a fluid-loss agent performs in a fratturing treatment. The marked difference between the dynamic- and static-fluid-loss behavior of drilling fluids reported in the literature2,3 implies that dynamic testing is also needed with fracturing fluids. We have therefore undertaken a study of the dynamic-fluid-loss behavior of fracturing fluids. The testing apparatus has also afforded opportunity to evaluate the resistance of the filter cake to removal or damage by flowing fluid containing no fluid-loss agent, with and without sand. The results of these studies offer a means for more accurate evaluation of fluid-loss agent performance, and point the way to a "spearhead" fracturing technique which may offer more economical treatment for some wells. EXPERIMENTAL METHODS The dynamic-fluid-loss testing method is applicable to any type of wall-building fracturing fluid. The present study aimed first at finding what phenomena are involved, and therefore has been limited in the number of materials tested. All of the results specifically reported herein are for kerosene containing a commercial solid fluid-loss agent, which is commonly used at 50 lb/1,000 gal of oil. Another agent in liquid form, used usually at 20 ga1/1,000 gal oil, has shown all the same phenomena in dynamic tests, and generally the same level of fluid-loss control as the solid agent. The dynamic-fluid-loss core cell used in all tests is shown in Fig. 1. The fracture was simulated by the an-nulus between a 2.03 in. OD sandstone core and the surrounding pipe. Annulus widths of 0.234 and 0.117 in. were used, and the core was 3.5 in. long. The annular geometry provides a uniform fluid velocity and a well-defined shear rate over the entire filtering surface, and permits a large filter area (144 sq cm) in a reasonably compact cell. The leak-off fluid passed into a 0.5 in. diameter axial hole in the core. A hollow steel rod through this hole was threaded into a rounded "streamliner" upstream of the core, and into a mounting stud downstream. The streamliner and the stud had the same outside diameter as the core. In all tests except those where sand was circulated, the mounting stud had protruding rings which constricted the annulus, to minimize any tendency for channeling of the fluid to the side exit port. The ends of the core were sealed by Neoprene, steel and Teflon washers. The leak-off fluid was conducted from the hollow rod to an exit tube, through a metering valve (a fine-pitched needle valve) and a quick-opening toggle valve in series, and into graduated cylinders for volume measurement; Two separate circulating systems were used in the experimental program. The extensive initial testing was done at 50 to 150 Psi. The fluid was circulated by a variable speed Moyno pump, and the flow rate was read by a rota-meter flow meter. The filtration Pressure was supplied by holding a back-pressure with a throttling valve. The discharge streamcould be diverted into any of four sections

Jan 1, 1965

By R. Simon

The sources of energy dissipation for concentrated loadings on rock are considered in an attempt to account for the experimentally measured magnitude of the work required to break out a unit volume of rock from the free surface of an essentially semi-infinite medium. It is concluded that most of this work probably represents the elastic strain energy developed by the loading in a much larger volume of rock beneath the loaded region than the volume of the rock fragment broken out to the side of the loaded region. This strain energy is largely dissipated in the form of stress waves generated by the high rate of unloading produced by the propagating cracks. The energies associated with the formation of the new surfaces of the cracks and with the stress waves generated directly by the loading process are computed to be negligibly small. Possibilities for improving the utilization of energy to drill rod. subject to the geometrical limitations imposed by down-hole operation, are discussed. It is pointed out that any such possible improvements would probably have to be differential ones, since each rock configuration of more favorabIe loading geometry that can be created down the hole is accompanied by a complementary configuration of less favorable loading geometry. INTRODUCTION Dislodging each cubic inch of rock from the bottom of the hole by the action of a bit requires the expenditure of an amount of energy that varies from approximately 5,000 in.-lb to approximately 100,000 in.-lb, depending on the hardness of the rock, or, more technically, upon its fragmentation strength.1 In this paper we will discuss (I) why the energy expended in drilling is so large, (2) what happens to this energy upon completion of the drilling process, and (3) what are the possibilities for reducing the magnitude of the energy required to drill rock. DETERMINATION OF ROCK DRILLING ENERGY The volume of rock removed per unit time from the bottom of a hole of diameter D is evidently (7/4)D2R, where R is the rate of penetration of the bit. If P is the rate at which work is done by the bit on the rock at the bottom of the hole, the energy required to break out a unit volume of rock is given by: Ev =(4/p) P/D2R............(i) For rotary drilling, of either the rolling-cone or drag-bit varicty, P = 2pLN, where L is the torque resistance to rotation at the bottom of the hole and N is the rate of rotation of the bit. L is essentially the same as the torque measured at the rotary table only when drilling in shallow holes. The energies expended in rotating the drill string against the frictional resistance of the walls of the hole and and against the viscous drag of the drilling fluid are extraneous to the subject under consideration, although these may be much greater in magnitude than E, when drilling in a deep hole. For percussion drilling, P = fE where f is the percussion frequency and E is the work done on the rock per impact. The latter quantity can be both computed and measured for a percussion drilling machine. 2 (Under satisfactory drilling conditions, defined in terms of ranges of numerical values of certain dimensionless parameters, E is only 30 to 50 per cent less than the impact energy of the striker.2) Alternatively, E, may be measured directly by dropping chisels shaped like bit edges, backed by rigid weights, onto the surfaces of laboratory rock samples of effectively semi-infinite extent. Under these circumstances, essentially all of the impact energy is converted to work done on the rock, and the relationships among volume of rock broken out, chisel shape, impact energy and indexing distances can be obtained.3 The values of the energy required to break out a unit volume of rock under favorable circumstances are substantially in agreement for rotary drilling, percussion drilling and drop testing at atmospheric pressure. The energy per unit volume is a quantity of the order of magnitude of roughly twice the com-pressive strength of the rock as measured by a uniaxial loading test. The phrase "order of magnitude" in this paper means from about 1/3 as much to 3 times as much; i.e., the energy per unit volume may range from roughly the same up to several times

By D. J. Weintritt, R. G. Hughes

Statistics show arz increase in the average depth of wells drilled in recent years. As a corollary to this trend, drilling fluids have been improved in an effort to meet the problems inherent at temperatures approaching 500°F. Of importance are (1) deterioration of mud components and (2) the effect of solids on filtration and rheological properties. High-temperature, stable water-base and oil-bare muds are discussed. Those areas in which differences exist are pointed out. Results are based on data taken from the Fann consistotneter, rheometer and shear-strength measurements, static and dynamic filtration tests, methy-lene blue test for bentonite solids and specific heat measLrrenlents of muds. INTRODUCTION Higher well temperatures go along with the fact that the average depth of wells continues to increase. Recent data by Gardner' lists 137 completions deeper than 15,000 ft for the first half of 1964 with a record second-half total of 167 wells drilling or proposed. In addition, there has been an increase in drilling for steam for power production or mineral recovery. In this application the depths are modest, but the mud may approach the critical pressure and temperature of water. Scearce and Magnon' report drilling mud used at temperatures of about 700°F in the Salton Sea area of California. Most deep wells have been drilled with water-base muds. In recent years, however, there has been a substantial increase in the use of oil-base muds because of technological advances in effective additives. The significance of this development was dealt with in considerable detail by Simpson and his co-workers.3 Additiona1 field data have now been obtained to indicate that oil muds are competitive in control, performance and cost with the best types of water muds for use at high temperaturc. This parallel offer of two very different fluid systems, each offering a similar variability in performance, cost and convenience, has created the need to evaluate the merits of these fluids under specified conditions so that the advantages and disadvantages of each can be weighed in relation to the over-all drilling program. This paper is not intended as a review of all the factors. Rather, it attempts to emphasize: (1) important condltions and facts peculiar to high-temperature drilling muds, (2) that more than one imposed test condition or testing method is necessary to describe the quality of a mud at high temperature and (3) that elaborate experimental precautions are necessary whenever laboratory data are used in selection of a mud for field use. WHAT IS A HIGH-TEMPERATURE DRILLING FLUID? For the purpose of this discussion, a high-temperature drilling fluid is any system so formulated or treated to economically minimize the effects of temperature on the properties of the fluid. Our experience in drilling fluids suggests that these effects become obvious for many mud materials at temperatures of 300F or higher. It is understood that hydrolysis of starches, depoly-merization of certain organic thinners, or irreversible chemical reactions (such as that of clay and lime) can affect filtration, viscosity and shear strength at less than 300F. However, the temperature level is not a serious point and in no way affects the precautions and techniques used in this study. An up-to-date review of the literature on high-temperature drilling fluids and the many variations was treated by Rogers'in 1963. EXPERIMENTAL REQUIREMENTS TESTING EQUIPMENT AND PROCEDURES With the advent of deeper drilling and increased demand for temperature-stable drilling fluids, new testing equipment and laboratory techniques were devised for the evaluation of drilling fluids subjected to elevated temperature and pressure. While the equipment has not been standardized, it is in widespread use. Milligan et al. Qescribe a filtration cell for determining the filtration properties of drilling fluids at temperatures in excess of 300F. They showed the effect of variations in temperature and pressure on oil and water muds filtered in the 300 to 400F range. The dynamic filtration apparatus described by Simpson6 permits the study of the filtration properties to temperatures of 350F for drilling fluids circulated over sandstone cores. Watkins et al.' describe the use of pressure bombs for studying the effect of prolonged periods of elevated temperature upon the gelation or solidification of drilling fluids. Chisholm et a1.' describe the use of a modified cement consistometer adapted for use in drilling fluid evaluations. A similar consistometer is used in this study, although the application and data-recording method have been changed. The consistency of a mud sample is measured by timing the movement of a soft iron bob which is magnetically moved up and down in the sample container.* Changer in the time of travel and the temperature of the mud at that moment are plotted with a two-point Brown Elec-tronik Recorder. A 10-in. chart with a speed of 4-in./hr is used. Fia.- 1 is a generalized internretation of the data ob-

Jan 1, 1966

By N. H. van Lingen

A laboratory stud], has been made to determine what factors affect the penetration rate of roller bits, diamond bits and drag bits in rock drilling with clay /water muds. The rather simple relations that exist when pressures in and around the borehole are equal become more conzplicated when under down-hole conditions the penetration rate is hampered by the existence of a pressure differential between the mud at the hole bottom and the pore liquid at cutting depth. Expressions that have been derived for both the penetration rate and the magnitude of the pressure differential in permeable rock together fully account for operating, rock, mud and bit variables. In impermeable rock a similar pressure differential is caused by the bit action itself. In all cases, the pressure difierential and the reduction in penetration rate increase with the effectiveness of the plastering at the bottom of the hole by mud particles. Where bits are employed whose action is largely that of crushing, however, the plastering may become even more effective owing to the addition of rock particles rubbed into the pores of the rock. With roller bits, a plastically hehaving layer may be formed, which causes a further reduction in penetration. In the case of bits whose action is chiefly scraping, moreover, penetration may be arrested by the bit's becoming balled-up. The various adverse effects are reduced by thorough scavenging of the hole bottom. This paper shows how with jet bits the efficiency of such scavenging may he improved by suitable choice of the position of the nozzles. INTRODUCTION The reduction in a bit's penetration rate with increasing depth of hole has been the subject of many investigations. Various investigators ',' have independently reached the conclusion that this reduction occurs not so much because the rock-breaking process becomes more difficult as it does because the lifting of the rock fragments is impaired by a fluid pressure differential holding the fragments down. When such a pressure differential can be avoided, as in air drilling and to a smaller extent in water drilling, penetration rates remain high. Although the range of applicability of these techniques is being extended, most oil wells still have to be drilled with mud. In this paper we present the results of laboratory experiments carried out to determine what factors govern the hold down effect encountered in mud drilling. In the course of this investigation, the well known importance of bottom scavenging came more and more into prominence. Not only may it reduce the magnitude of the hold-down forces, but also it appeared to be a means of preventing the accumulation of a plastic mass of cuttings and mud on the hole bottom and bit which may cause penetration to cease almost completely. So that the effects of fluid pressures may be more readily understood, the factors that govern penetration rate in the absence of these pressures will first be discussed. The effect of down-hole pressures will then be assessed for the case of permeable rock where fluid pressures are well defined, and it will be demonstrated how rock strengthening due to confining can be accounted for. Subsequently, fluid pressures in less-permeable rock will be examined; we will show that in impermeable rock it is the bit action that governs fluid-pressure distribution and hold-down. In the case of poor scavenging and/or high bit load. cutting cake manifests itself. The effect, like various others. appears to depend on the type of bit used. From the very beginning, therefore, we shall base our discussion on the three main types of bits used in rotary oil-well drilling— roller bits, diamond bits and drag bits. Since space is limited, it will be impossible to make more than a passing reference to many aspects of the problem. Moreover. certain relations that are not of primary irnportance to our argument will unavoidably have to be stated in a somewhat dogmatic fashion, and the experimental data on which these are based necessarily must be omitted. EQUIPMENT The drilling experiments were performed on three machines, of which one has been designed for the realistic simulation of down-hole pressure conditions. HIGH-PRESSURES MACHINE In this machine (diagramed in Fig. 1) the mud, pore and confining pressures can all be adjusted independently. The foil-covered rock sample contained in the inner pressure vessel is confined by oil that is pressurized by means of a hand pump. The pore space of the watersaturated sample is connected to an arrangement which keeps the pressure in the pore space constant regardless of the rate of filtrate flow through the sample.

By J. F. Gormley

Drill pipe, and the connections used to join the pipe together, have had a long history of development and improvement. With the growing use of high tensile-strength pipe, the rotary shouldered connections used to join the lengths of drill pipe have become more critical. Fatigue-type failures of rotary-shouldered connections, or tool joints, have become a cause of much conern to operators and manufacturers. Most fatigue tests on tool joints have been made on the basis of bending moment applied vs number of cycles, rather than on the basis of stress vs cycles. A desire to learn more about the nature of stress in a tool joint due to bending caused a rather intensive experimental study to determine what actually happens to cause fatigue failure. It was known that a tool joint with insufficient make-up torque was subject to early fatigue failure. Therefore, the establishment of the relationship between make-up torque and allowable bending moment would enable a testing engineer to better correlate the results of various tests. The problem of calculating the stress in a tool joint due to an applied bending moment was complicated by: the effect of unknown stress concentrations; the applicability of the well known formula S = Mc/I; and the question of whether to use the combined cross section of the pin and box in calculating the moment of inertia I. TEST EQUIPMENT The test equipment consisted of the following. 1. A lathe modified to act as a fatigue machine for full-size tool joint or drill-collar specimens. 2. An adapter plate bolted to the headstock of the lathe and into which a short adapter was screwed. 3. Tool-joint pins on sections of drill collars bucked into the adapter. 4. A hydraulic load cylinder which rested on the bed of the lathe and applied bending moments to the joints. 5. Paper-backed strain gauges (FAP-12-12, 1/8-in. gauge length and A-5-1, 1/2-in. gauge length). 6. Eastman 910 contact cement for bonding gauges to joint and Epoxylite 222 waterproofing. 7. A 12-position switchbox, SR-4 bridge balancing unit connected to an SR-4 strain indicator to read the gauge output. 8. A four-channel Sanborn recorder, Model 150, was used as the readout instrument for part of the testing. The fatigue machine was well suited as a loading device. Because of the long lever arm available, the change of moment with distance was small; consequently, the vertical shear stress was small, less than 300 psi. Some difficulty was experienced with the hydraulic load cylinder at high bending moments due to leakage. The strain gauge equipment was simple and quite reliable. A 41/2-in. extra hole (E. H.) joint with "as machined" threads and shoulders and a 2 7/8-in. internal flush (I. F.) joint with copper-plated threads and shoulders were selected for testing because of their common usage in the field. In addition, the 4 1/2-in. E. H. was suitable because it had an inside diameter large enough to permit the insertion and accurate positioning of strain gauges without using special jigs, while the 2 7/8-in. I. F. joint required much lower bending loads to cause separation of the shoulders of the joint when made up to the recommended torque. The joints were made to standard API specifications, except for very small bevels on the box and pin shoulders and cylindrical stress-relief grooves added to the pins. Larger bevels would have