Bit Hydraulics

Drilling Fluid (Mud) Circulation

Control formation pressures

Medium of Transport -
Information
Drive motor/turbine
Cool the bit
Remove cuttings from
bottom hole Bit
Hydraulics
Clean cuttings from bit
Hole Cleaning

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 Fluid Pressure Losses Due to Friction in
System
Flow In / Pressure In
Tubular and Wellbore Geometry
P-Press
Internal Diameter (I.D)
Flow Area
Length
Constrictions
Flow Rate
Mud Properties
Fluid Type
Weight
Plastic Viscosity
P-Press
Yield Point
Flow Out / Pressure Out
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 Pressure Losses in Circulating System

PStdpipe= PSurf.Eq. Surface Equipment

Standpipe
Kelly Hose
Swivel
Kelly/Top Drive

+ PDrill String Drill String

Drill Pipe
HWDP
BHA
MWD/Motor/Turbine
+ PBit
Bit Nozzles

Annulus

+ PAnnulus
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Pressure Losses Surface Equipment

Surface Equipment Variation

Different Lengths and IDs
Standpipe
Hose
Transfer Lines
Kelly
Coil Tubing

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Pressure Losses Drill String

Drill String Equipment

Tool Joint ID
Drill Pipe
Drill Pipe ID
HWDP / DCs
Motors
LWD/MWD Equipment
Tubular Equipment
Geometry
Internal Diameter (I.D.)
Flow Area
Section Length
Constrictions
Drill Pipe

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Pressure Losses Annulus

Additive to Hydrostatic Pressure indicates ECDs

(Equivalent Circulating Density) at critical points in well
Fixed and Variable Parameters
Flow Rate
Mud Weight
Cuttings Concentration ROP Dependant
Casing ID
Drill String OD
Hole Size Washouts, Reaming effects
Hole Condition
Section Length
Fluid Flow Regime

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Purpose of Bit Hydraulics

Remove cuttings from hole

Clean bit cutting structures
Clean bottom hole crush zone and mud cake (bottom
balling)
Cool bit (bearings or fixed cutting structure)

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Different Drivers for Bit Hydraulic
Optimization
In shallow / fast hole
Maximize flow
While maintaining adequate nozzle velocity to clean
cutting structure.
In deeper/slower hole
Maximize hydraulic energy delivered to bottom of hole
While maintaining adequate annular velocity to clean
hole.

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Optimized Bit Hydraulic Design

Our Goal:
To determine the bit nozzle sizes and flow rate to that will
deliver maximum bit performance and clean the wellbore
within the constraints of the circulating system.
Constraints
Max. Standpipe Pressure
Min. and Max. Flow Rate
Available Pump Horsepower
Mud Weight
Downhole Tool Limitations

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Bit Hydraulic Parameters (API Units)

Flow Rate (Q) = (Pump Stks x Output/stk x eff)

Bit Pres. Drop (Pbit) = (MW x Q2) / (10858 x TFA2)
Hyd. Horsepower (HHPbit) = (Pbit x Q) / (1714)
HHP/sq.in. (HSI) = (HHPbit) / (.7854 x D2)
Jet Velocity (JV) = (.32086 x Q) / (TFA)
Impact Force (IF) = (JV) x (MW) x (Q) x (.000516)

MW = Mud Wt (ppg) TFA = Total Nozzle Flow Area (in2)

D = Bit Diameter (in) Q = Flow (gpm)

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Flow Rate Guidelines

Maintain 25 to 80 GPM per Inch of Bit Diameter

Too low = bit balling / poor hole cleaning
Too high = high ECD / Hole and drill-string washouts
ROP Range GPM per Inch of Bit Diameter
5 to 10 ft/hr 25 to 39
10 to 15 ft/hr 35 to 49
15 to 25 ft/hr 38 to 50
25 to 50 ft/hr 40 to 60
> 50 ft/hr 50 to 80

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Bit Pressure Drop Guidelines

Design Hydraulics for 48% to 65% Pressure Drop Across the

Bit
Will vary according to flow rate required
35% to 52% pressure losses through the drill string and
annulus
Optimized for Impact Force at 48%
Optimized for Hydraulic Horsepower at 65%

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Hydraulic Horsepower (HHP or HSI)
Guidelines
Maintain 2.5 to 8.0+ Hydraulic Horsepower Per Square Inch
of Bit Diameter (HHP/in2 or HSI)
Fast drilling requires maximum HSI
Maximize when pump power is available
Cone shell erosion possible with HSI > 5
HSI > 8 seen with some PDC bits
Maximize HSI to reduce bit and bottom hole balling
High mud weights / water-based mud
Deep holes / reactive formations
Severe chip hold down problems

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HSI Drillability Curves

Formation Type

Q1 - Very Soft

Q2 - Soft

Q3 - Medium

Q4 - Med-Hard

Q5 - Hard

Q6 - Very Hard

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Impact Force (IF)

Optimized when Bit Pressure drop is

48% of the total pump pressure
In large diameter/shallow holes,
ultra soft formations, with high
ROPs
Maximize IF with higher Flow
Rates and larger nozzle sizes
Helps to alleviate Bit Balling in
Reactive formations

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Jet Velocity Guidelines

Maintain Jet Velocity between 350 and 450 Feet Per Second
Will influence chip hold down and ROP
Do not operate below 250 ft/sec
Consider running 2 jets and a blank versus 3 jets (cross-
flow, same TFA)
Improves with Mini-Jets at the same TFA

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Balance Hole Cleaning vs. Bit Power

Optimize nozzle TFA for HHP at the deepest depth and

heaviest mud weight expected for the given bit run
Depth Out
Simulate a Flow rate that will clean the hole effectively at
the expected Depth Out
Optimize the Flow Rate/TFA combination between the
peak HSI, and the peak Impact Force, whenever possible
Accommodate Bit pressure loss limitations of String tools
(MWD/LWD, motor/turbine/Rotary Steerable), at
expected Depth Out

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Example Process

Computing Power of PCs makes this process significantly

easier and less time consuming
Gather necessary information:
Rig Equipment, pumps, surface lines etc
Current Well Configuration, casing size, setting depth
Section of interest parameters, next hole ID, next hole TD
Expected BHA and Drill String Components
Mud Properties
Maximum Allowable Surface Pressure

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Calculate System Pressure Losses

For a range of flow rates calculate:

Corrected Effective Viscosities in Surface Equipment,
Drill String and Annulus
Reynolds Numbers in Surface Equipment, Drill String
and Annulus
Flow Regimes in Surface Equipment, Drill String and
Annulus
Friction loss coefficients in Surface Equipment, Drill
String and Annulus
System Pressure Losses in Surface Equipment, Drill
String and Annulus
Create a table of flow rates and System Pressure Losses

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Calculate HHP and IF

For the range of flow rates calculate:

Available Pressure drop at the Bit - Pb = Pallowable Psystem
Hydraulic Horsepower - HHP = Pb Q / 1714 (hp)
Impact Force - IF = 0.0173 Q (Pb MW)1/2 (lbs)
Hydraulic Horsepower per in2 - HSI = HHP / ( D2 / 4)
Where:
Q = Flow rate (gpm)
Pb = Pressure drop across the bit (psi)
MW = Mud weight (ppg)
D = Bit Diameter (in)

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Calculate Annular Velocities

For the range of flow rates calculate the corresponding

Annular Velocities:
AV = 24.5 Q / (Dh2 - Dp2)
Q = AV (Dh2 - Dp2) / 24.5
Where:
AV = Annular Velocity (fpm)
Q = Flow rate (gpm)
Dh = Hole Diameter (in)
Dp = Pipe Diameter (in)

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Alternate Formula for Determining Bit
Pressure Drop
Pb = 156 Q2 MW / (d12+d22+d32)2 or
Pb = Q2 MW / 10858 A2
Where:

Pb = Pressure drop through the bit (psi)

Q = Flow rate (gpm)
MW = Mud weight (ppg)
d1,2,3 = Nozzle diameters (32nds of inch)
A = Total nozzle flow area (square in.)

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Graphic Solution

Plot Flow Rate vs.: Available Surface Pressure

Hydraulic Horsepower (HHP)
Impact Force (IF)

Max HHP Vs. Max

Impact Force

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Calculate TFA and Nozzle Sizes

Total Flow Area TFA = (Q2 MW / 10858 Pb)1/2

Nozzle Size d = (1304 A / # of nozzles)1/2
Where:
TFA = Total nozzle flow area (sq. inches)
Q = Flow rate (gpm)
MW = Mud weight (ppg)
Pb = Bit pressure drop (psi)
D = Nozzle diameter (32nds of an inch)

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Equivalent Circulating Density (ECD)

ECD = MW + 19.23 (Pa1 / L1 + Pa2 / L2 + Pan / Ln)

Where:
MW = Mud Weight (ppg)
Pan = Annulus Pressure Loss over interval n
Ln = Length of interval n

Circulating pressure losses in Annulus add onto the

hydrostatic pressures of the mud to indicate ECDs
in mud weight units at critical points in the well
bore.

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Relationship Between System and Bit
Pressure Drop Vs. Flow Rate

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Relationship Between System and Bit
Pressure Drop Vs. Flow Rate

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Bit Hydraulics Considerations

In general, more is better

Rig limits
Pump rate
Pump pressure
Pump reliability / maintenance
Shakers

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Bit Hydraulics Considerations

Downhole tool limits

Max flow rate due to erosion or too high pressure drop
Min flow rate required to power or operate tools
Min and max bit pressure drop for motor or MWD

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Bit Hydraulics Considerations

Bit
Minimum flow rate to clean or cool
Maximum flow rate or nozzle velocity acceptable due to bit
erosion
Hole erosion
Max nozzle velocity to prevent hole erosion at bit

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Bit Hydraulics Considerations

Hole erosion (continued)

Maximum AV
Turbulent flow
Critical flow rate for turbulent flow in annulus
Hole erosion due to turbulent annular flow usually not
a problem except in very soft or unconsolidated
formations

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Bit Hydraulics Considerations

ECD
Too high AV can cause excessive ECD
Hole cleaning
Minimum AV to clean hole
Slip velocity

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