Methods for enhancing cuttings transport and hole cleaning in oil and gas wells

摘要

Methods for enhancing transport rate of particles of size D_m in a cuttings bed within an annulus of a wellbore during drilling operations. One method comprises estimating, with a computer, a current particle size distribution (PSD) of a particle bed including particles of size D_m within a measured depth (MD) range of the wellbore; calculating, with the computer, a target PSD of the MD range using a using a one-dimensional transient model incorporating a particle transport model; determining, with the computer, a pumping PSD to achieve the target PSD within the MD range; and adding the pumping PSD to a drilling fluid flowing within the annulus, thereby enhancing the transport rate of particles of size D_m within the MD range. The particle transport model may be a surface-based transport model.