Experimental and numerical study of drill pipe erosion wear in gas drilling

Erosion of drill pipe is very severe in gas drilling. According to the erosion theory and actual condition, the erosion of drill pipe is investigated using laboratory experiment and CFD simulation technique. Different factors of gas drilling, such as drill pipe centralization, eccentricity of drill pipe, wellbore enlargement, gas injection volume, rate of penetration CROP) and rotational speed of drill pipe, are considered. The results show that the local erosion rate of joint is more severe than that of the drill pipe body, and local erosion rate of drill pipe in horizontal well is larger than that one in vertical well. With the increase of the eccentricity of drill pipe, wellbore enlargement and ROP, the local peak erosion rate of drill pipe would increase. The gas injection volume and the rotational speed of drill pipe have very little on drill pipe erosion. The simulation results are in good agreement with experimental data. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.