Steven A. Hilgedick

Application of open-ended coaxial probes for detection of sand production from petroleum wells

Microwave nondestructive testing (NDT) has shown success in many industries including aerospace and infrastructure. Recently the potential for applying microwave NDT methods in the petroleum industry, specifically for detection of sand in produced petroleum fluids, was investigated. Flowing sand grains cause erosion of many components in the production system including tubing, piping and associated connections, and fluids-processing equipment. Detection of produced sand is important to planning operations and the application of sand production mitigation techniques. To this end, a simple, cost-effective microwave sensor design has been considered. This paper presents simulation and measurement results for this simplified sensor design for various production scenarios. The results indicate the proposed sensing method is sensitive to the presence of sand and may have the potential to serve as a tool for detection of produced sand in the petroleum industry.

Microwave sensing of sand production from petroleum wells

Sand production in petroleum wells is a major concern for the petroleum industry. Sand production results in erosion of pipelines and damage to equipment which may lead to production shutdown and large economic losses. Detection of produced sand is important for optimizing flow rates and measuring the success of sand mitigation techniques. Recently, microwave nondestructive testing was considered as a potential new sensing solution for the detection of sand production. This paper presents preliminary simulations and measurements for such a sensing approach using open-ended waveguides. Different production scenarios are considered for a stratified flow regime. The results indicate that this sensing method can detect the presence of sand. Preliminary measurements are also presented for varying amounts of sand that further support the potential of this technique.

Limiting Key Drilling Parameters to Avoid or Mitigate Mud Losses in the Hartha Formation, Rumaila Field, Iraq

Wells drilled in Rumaila field are highly susceptible to lost circulation problems when drilling through the Hartha formation. This paper presents an extended statistical work and sensitivity analysis models of lost circulation events in more than 100 wells drilled in Rumaila field. Lost circulation data are extracted from daily drilling reports, final reports, and technical reports. The volume loss model is conducted to predict the mud losses in the Hartha formation. Observations that are made from the volume loss model are ECD, MW, and Yp have a significant impact on lost circulation respectively; however, SPM, RPM, and ROP have a minor effect on the mud losses. Equivalent circulation density model is obtained to estimate ECD in the Hartha zone, and from this model can be deduced that MW, ROP, and Q have a significant impact on ECD respectively; nevertheless, RPM and Yp have a minor impact on the ECD. The rate of penetration model is made to estimate ROP in the Hatha zone. It is concluded that WOB, RPM, and SPM have a significant impact on the ROP respectively. Due to the lack of published studies for the Hartha formation, this work can serve as a practical resource for drilling through this formation.