Distributed Dynamics Feasibility Study
Piero D'Ambrosio, Reisha R. Bouska, Alan J. Clarke, Jason Laird, Jim McKay, Stephen T. Edwards · 2012
Abstract The advent of wired drill pipe has the ability to allow a variety of measurements to be distributed throughout the whole drilling assembly. One such measurement is acceleration to better determine the impact of how vibration events are distributed through from the bottom hole assembly to the upper drillstring or vice versa. In turn we can now investigate the potential use of distributed dynamics by utilizing a set of designed for purpose independent Downhole Dynamic Data Recorders (DDDR), for real-time decision making. A test project was executed to acquire vibration data along the drill string on a horizontal well in Oklahoma’s Woodford Shale. This project allowed the evaluation of data acquired from the bit and the bottom hole assembly (BHA), in the horizontal section, as well as the sensors located in the upper assembly showing the dynamics throughout the vertical section, curve, and landing point of the horizontal. This paper focuses on the analysis of the measurements gathered during the project and it will provide detailed descriptions of the obtained results. Several concepts as well as common known misconceptions related to drilling dynamics will be discussed, among them the decoupling effect of the mud motor to drilling vibrations, the value of downhole torque, weight and bending moment for the understanding of distributed dynamics along the drill string. The importance of the vibration sensors’ placement and data recording frequency in order to diagnose and mitigate drilling dysfunctions will also be discussed.