Directional Drilling and Well Flow Engineering (PET505)

The first main part of the course has focus on drilling and well technology. This part gives an overall introduction to the different phases of the lifecycle of a well with special focus on how a well is constructed. In addition, a more in depth study of how different well profiles are obtained by use of directional drilling is given. Here, one will address both application areas, directional drilling concepts, equipment, use of measurements for positioning and perform calculations.

The other main part of the course deals with multiphase flow of liquids, gas and particles in wells and pipelines. This has applications for both the drilling and production phase of wells.

This course introduces the full life cycle of a well, from planning and construction to completion and production. You will become familiar with the main drilling equipment and processes, along with common challenges encountered during well construction.

A strong emphasis is placed on directional drilling: its concepts, coordinate systems, and the key tools involved such as drillstrings, drill bits, mud motors, and rotary steerable systems. You will also explore how survey measurements, formation logging, and geosteering link drilling operations to the surrounding geology.

To build practical skills, the course covers basic calculations related to well profiles and methods for calculating well position.

This course also addresses:

Single and multiphase flow including rheology and fluid properties, flow patterns, fluid fractions, and pressure loss calculations in vertical and horizontal wells. Important application areas are hole cleaning, gas kick, gas-lift, and flow in production wells and pipelines. Matlab programs illustrate the use of theory in a numerical simulator for multiphase wellflow. A guided Lab work is anticipated. Measurement techniques and instrumentation by using different sensors, data acquisition, and analysis will be highlighted. In addition, LabDemo illustrating flow regimes will be conducted at the Multiphase Flow lab.

Have insight into the different phases of the lifecycle of the well including drilling, completion, production, intervention, and plug and abandonment

Develop a fundamental understanding of the geological factors that influence well construction and directional drilling

Have knowledge about directional drilling including for instance application areas, directional drilling concepts, different coordinate systems, directional drilling equipment, measurements for positioning and uncertainty in wellbore positioning

Be able to perform calculations for different well profiles but also position calculations of three-dimensional wellbore trajectories using measured data.

Be able to perform hydraulic calculations both for single-phase and multiphase flow systems related to well operations considering hole cleaning, well kicks, gas lift operations, and production wells.

Be able to use digital tools like spreadsheets and coding tools for data acquisition and analysis of problems as well as numerical simulation of processes.

Increased knowledge of running experiments and instrumentation.

4 hours with lectures per week distributed evenly between directional drilling and the hydrodynamics single phase and multiphase well flow.

Incorporate 2 to 6 hours of guided lab work on the hydrodynamics part.