HYDRAULIC MODEL OF FOAM DRILLING IN VERTICAL AND DIRECTIONAL WELLS

Abstract

This work is intended to develop a hydraulic model built using the coded language C-Sharp (C#) for foam drilling. The developed model has been programmed and built into a free and friendly user software that can simulate the foam hydraulics for all well trajectories. The developed model considers foam to be a non-newtonian power-law fluid and deals with many aspects of foam drilling parameters. The effects of changing some important parameters such as surface injection pressure, liquid injection rate, formation fluid influx, rate of penetration, cuttings size diameter, foam quality, viscosity, density and velocity on foam hydraulics are considered. The model is validated by running on a reference underbalanced vertical well. The output results show a good match with the reference data for the vertical section. An actual horizontal well runs into the validated model, and the mentioned parameters are discussed and graphically illustrated. Cutting transport velocity