(86b) Particulate Separation In Drilling Process and Filter Cake Formation: CFD Modeling and Simulations

Oil and gas producers are drilling wells to ever increasing depths to maintain reserves and production. Downhole pressures and temperatures increase with well depth, as a result, the properties of the drilling fluid vary. One of the most important functions of these fluids is to seal off the face of the wellbore so that the fluid is not loss to the formation. Ideally, this is accomplished by depositing a filter cake of the particulate in the drilling fluid over the surface of the wellbore without a loss of solids to the formation. This is critical in conducting initial drilling into production formation.

In this study, an Eulerian-Eulerian multiphase model is used to simulate the multiphase flow and particulate separation process at the wellbore wall as filter cake is formed. The effect of particle sizes on the filter cake thickness has been investigated. Filter cake formation for both shallow and ultra deep depth drilling conditions have been modeled and simulated.