SPE-174909-MS

Analysis of the Effect of Eccentricity on Displacement of Non-Newtonian

Fluids with a Hybrid Method
Liangjun Xie, Saleem Chaudhary, and Zhongming Chen, Baker Hughes

Copyright 2015, Society of Petroleum Engineers

This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition held in Houston, Texas, USA, 28 –30 September 2015.

This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents
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Abstract
The effect of eccentricity on pressure drop and mud displacement in annular flow is an important topic
in drilling and cementing. Most researchers have focused on the effect of pressure drop with eccentricity
and pipe rotation in drilling. In cementing, determining the fluid rheology and flow profile is important
to the success of mud displacement and cement placement. Most recent researchers have adopted
computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models to obtain results with Newtonian, or Power Law, or Bingham
Plastic models. However, they are slow in computation and need special software to run, and thus are not
readily applicable to the field. Furthermore, there are few results with the Herschel-Bulkley model, which
is widely used in the industry. It is necessary to design an algorithm that can predict eccentric pressure
drop, fluid rheology and flow profile in the annular cross-section accurately and efficiently.
In this paper, we introduce a novel hybrid algorithm to predict the effect of eccentricity on pressure
drop and fluid velocity profile in the annular cross-section. First the pressure drop with concentric
wellbore geometry is calculated as an initial guess. Second, similar to CFD and finite element method
(FEM), the annular cross-section is divided into small mesh elements. Equations governing the condition
must be adapted to the geometry of each mesh element. Third, iterations are executed over pressure drop,
fluid velocity, and flow rate in each mesh element until the total flow rate converges. Breaking the gel and
critical velocity are important to determine the flow status in the mesh element.
The proposed hybrid algorithm includes the Newtonian, Power Law, Bingham Plastic, and Herschel-
Bulkley rheology models. Simulation and job history data are used to investigate the effect of eccentricity
on the pressure drop, fluid rheology, and flow status in the annulus. Observations indicate that increasing
eccentricity decreases the frictional pressure drop. This matches the results in the literature. We also
observed that the fluid tends to remain stationary in regions with a narrow gap, while the wide side may
maintain turbulent flow. Normally, laminar and static areas are predominant for typical fluids. In addition
to predicting reasonable trends, the hybrid algorithm is efficient and accurate.
A hybrid algorithm has been proposed to investigate the effect of eccentricity on frictional pressure
drop and mud displacement in the annular cross-section. It is applicable to the main rheology models, and
it works accurately and efficiently. The hybrid algorithm is described along with discussion of results over
the typical range of geometries encountered.
2 SPE-174909-MS

Introduction
Hydraulic pressure drop is a very important factor in drilling and cementing operations. To ensure safety
during drilling operations, the equivalent circulating density of the drilling fluids needs to be designed
between the formation pore pressure and fracture pressure at proper velocity. During mud circulation prior
to cementing, successful cement placement requires a pressure drop large enough to break down the mud
initial gel strength throughout the annulus without channeling. In general, rheology models for fluids in
drilling and cementing have been catergorized as: Newtonian, Bingham Plastic (BP), Power Law (PL),
and Herschel-Bulkley (HB). Many researchers have conducted studies in concentric wellbores (Bour-
goyne 1991, Reed 1993, API 2009).
In deviated or horizontal wellbores, casing tends to be eccentric to the wellbore. This type of wellbore
configuration presents more challenges to efficient removal of mud from the annulus between the casing
and wellbore. The effect of eccentricity on pressure drop and mud displacement in annular flow is a
critical variable to consider. In an eccentric annulus, the mud will be gelled on the narrow side or flow
far more slowly than on the wide side, which prevents spacer and cement flowing into the narrow side and
thus may give rise to severe channeling (Ryan 1992, Tehrani 1992). Most researchers have addressed the
effect of pressure drop with eccentricity in two ways: empirical/analytical or numerical analysis which
includes finite element methods (FEM) and computional fluid dynamics (CFD). Uner et al. (1989)
approximated the volumetric flow based on variable-height slot model for Power Law fluids. Luo and
Peden (1990) treated the eccentric annulus as comprising an infinite number of concentric annuli with
variable outer radii, and developed analytical solutions for Power Law and Bingham Plastic fluids. In
some conditions, the ratios of pressure drop of eccentric over concentric are under-estimated. Jakobsen et
al. (1991) did an experimental study of the displacement process in a 60° deviated laboratory well with
0.55 eccentricity, and concuded that fluid viscosities, degree of turbulence, and buoyancy forces affect the
displacement. Tehrani et al. (1992) did an experimental and theoretical study over laminar displacement
in annuli. Ryan et al. (1992) considered the buoyancy driving force with the pressure drop. Practical
engineering correlations were developed by Silva and Shah (2000) for Newtonian and Power Law fluids.
Ahmed and Miska (2008) conducted an experimental study of Herschel-Bulkley fluid in annuli with
drillpipe rotation.
Numerical methods can predict not only the frictional pressure drop but also the velocity profile in the
cross-section where the empirical methods fail. Ooms and Kampman (1999) used finite volume method
to study the influence of drillpipe rotation and eccentricity on pressure drop with Newtonian fluid in
laminar flow. Ozbayoglu and Omurlu (2006) analyzed the effect of the eccentricity on annular flow of
Power Law fluids by FEM, and observed that as the eccentricity increases, the pressure drop decreases.
Singh and Samuel (2009) adopted CFD and studied the effect of eccentricity and rotation on annular
frictional pressure losses with standoff devices. Hashemian et al. (2014) predicted the velocity profile and
pressure loss for 2-D steady-state flow with an HB model in eccentric annuli. Erge et al. (2014) also
compared the effects of eccentricity, rotation and buckling on annuluar pressure loss for HB fluids. By
introducing a bilinear map, Gonzalez (2015) converted the eccentric problem into a concentric problem
with dimensionless coordinates and applied it to rotating Newtonian fluids in annuli.
Successful cement placement requires good mud displacement. The key factors are geometry, eccen-
tricity, fluid rheology, and density. Research also shows that critical gel strength, buoyancy forces, pipe
movement, and mud/cement density differences affect mud displacement. Empirical/ analytical methods
derived from special assumptions and fixed conditions can-not address all possible scenarios; therefore,
calculated results may deviate from operational results. Also these methods are limited in accessing the
velocity profiles, which are important quantitative properties for mud displacement. Numerical methods
can be more accurate; however, they require more effort. The model should be carefully established.
These methods are time-consuming and require special software to run. And thus they are not readily
SPE-174909-MS 3

applicable to the field. Furthermore, few make use of the Herschel-Bulkley model, which is widely used
in the industry. It is necessary to develop an algorithm that can accurately and efficiently predict eccentric
pressure drop, fluid rheology, and flow profile in the annular cross-section.
In this paper, we introduce a novel hybrid algorithm to predict the effect of eccentricity on frictional
pressure drop and fluid profile in the annular cross-section.
Equations and the Hybrid Algorithm
The Newtonian model is defined as follows:

While Bingham Plastic model is as follows:

Power Law model is

and the Herschel-Bulkley model is defined as follows (API 2009):

The minmum pressure required to break down the static fluid gel strength is governed by this equation:

Eccentricity is defined as the ratio of offset divided by the difference of radii,

Based on the origin of the wellbore hole, the annular cross-section has been divided into small mesh
elements, indicated by the slashed area shown in the Fig. 1. The area and gap are calculated for each mesh
element based on its geometry.

Figure 1—Eccentric Annulus

This approach requires several assumptions: 1. The fluids are steady-state and imcompressible. 2. The
pressure drop is the same at any point in the cross-section. 3. With a positive flow rate, fluid should flow
4 SPE-174909-MS

at least in one mesh element. Based on these assumptions and geometry, the minimum pressure drop
needed to push the fluid to flow from a static state can be calculated.
The hybrid algorithm includes several steps. First the pressure drop with concentric wellbore geometry
is calculated as an initial guess. Second, similar to CFD and FEM, the annular cross-section is divided into
small mesh elements, each of which is treated as a part of concentric annulus with variable inner radii.
Equations governing the condition are adapted to each mesh element’s geometry. Third, iterations are
executed over pressure drop, fluid velocity, and flow rate in each mesh element until the total flow rate
converges. Breaking the initial gel strength and critical velocity are important to determine the flow status
in the mesh element.
Implementation and Results
To analyze the the effect of eccentricity on frictional pressure drop and velocity profile, multiple
simulations in cementing operation were performed with different hole sizes, casing ODs, pump rates, and
muds and cements. API method (API RP-13D, 2009) was used to determine concentric frictional pressure
drop. All the units are API based. Table 1 lists the range of typical fluids (mud) studied in the research,
and Table 2 lists the range of typical cements. The pressure gradient ratio is defined as the ratio of the
pressure drop of eccentric vs. the pressure drop of concentric, i.e.,

Where ⌬Pe is the pressure drop for the eccentric case, and ⌬Pc is for the concentric case.

Table 1—Range of typical fluids (Mud)

Mud 8.5 ppg 10 ppg 12 ppg 14 ppg 16 ppg 18 ppg

Gel 10 6 17 10 12 10.5
300 rpm 34 37 60 62 77 71
200 rpm 28 30 48 45 61 52
100 rpm 21 19 35 28 43 31
6 rpm 9 5 12 8 11 7
3 rpm 8 4 10 6 10 5

Table 2—Range of typical fluids (Cement)

Cement 10 ppg 12 ppg 14 ppg 16 ppg 18 ppg 20 ppg

Gel 39 25 40 22 65 NA
300 rpm 265 106 116 149 298 354
200 rpm 184 85 90 106 231 260
100 rpm 104 57 59.5 66 185 157
6 rpm 22 11.5 15.5 13 36 39
3 rpm 16 8 12.5 9 NA 30

Multiple simulations were run for the pressure gradient ratio versus eccentricity for all the muds in mid
size and small size annuli. Flow rates were 2 rpm, 5 rpm, or 8 rpm. From Fig. 2, it can be concluded that
the trend for all the muds is the same at lower pump rates. As the eccentricity increases, the pressure drop
with eccentricity decreases, as does the pressure gradient ratio. With a fully eccentric annulus, the pressure
gradient ratios were around 40% to 60%, which matches the results in the literature (Silva 2000,
Hashemian 2014). In the mid-size annulus with all three pump rates, the flows are laminar, so the pressure
gradient ratios are quite close as can be seen in Fig. 2.(a-c). In the small annulus, Fig. 2.(d) shows that
SPE-174909-MS 5

the fluids are in laminar flow, and the pressure gradient ratios are also close to each other. However, the
pressure gradient ratios deviate when the pump rate is at 5 bpm, with some fluids close to transition or
turbulence, as shown in Fig. 2.(e). The details depend on the fluids’ density, rheological properties,
wellbore geometry, and pump rate. When eccentricity is less than or equal to 0.5, the pressure gradient
is the same as the concentricity from Fig. 2.(f) since the fluids are turbulent for all the muds listed. These
observations agree with results in the literature (Luo 1990, Hashemian 2014), which are consistent for
fluid in laminar flow.

Figure 2—The relationships between pressure gradient ratios versus eccentricity for muds with different densities.
6 SPE-174909-MS

Next, the velocity profile and rheology status of the mud in the annulus were studied. In order to
simulate turbulent flow in the annulus, a small annulus was considered with the 8.5 ppg mud in Table 1.
At 8.7 bpm flow rate, the mud was turbulent in the concentric annulus. Fig. 3 shows the normal rheology
status of the mesh elements with eccentricity. The pump flow rate is 5 bpm, and the eccentricity is 0.9.
In the top (wide) side, there is 20% annular area in turbulence, and on the bottom (narrow) side, is a small
annular area that is static. At slower flow rates, as the eccentricity increases, the static area in the narrow
side increases. As flow rate increases, the static area decreases and the wide side becomes more turbulent
in a wider area. Turbulent flow first appears in the wide side, while static/ immobile flow appears in the
narrow side. Table 3 shows the detailed results for the series of simulations. Column 1 is the flow rate.
Column 2 shows the pressure drop for a concentric annulus. With eccentricity of 0.9, column 3 shows the
pressure gradient ratio; Column 4 shows the percentage of the static area in the narrow side of the annulus;
Column 5 is the percentage of the turbulent area in the wide side of the annulus. Columns 6 to 8 are for
eccentricity 0.5. As the flow rate increases, the area of turbulent flow grows and the static area decreases.
Simulation results from the range of cements in Table 2 also show the similar trends.

Figure 3—Typical velocity distribution in the annulus with eccentricity.

Table 3—Detailed results of different flow rate, eccentricity versus pressure gradient ratio and rheology status of the mud in the
annulus.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Flow rate ⌬Pc e ⴝ 0.9 e ⴝ 0.5

Static Turbulent Static Turbulent

bpm Psi/ft rp Area % Area % rp Area % Area %

1 0.099 54 5.5 0 75 0 0
2 0.133 53 3.6 0 75 0 0
3 0.160 53 2.6 0 75 0 0
4 0.183 56 1.9 0 79 0 0
5 0.203 65 1.3 20.2 89 0 0
6 0.222 76 0.8 47.4 100 0 37.0
7 0.241 85 0.2 59.5 100 0 55.4
8 0.339 79 0 68.2 100 0 61.0

Before circulation, the annular mud is static, so additional pressure drop is needed to break down the
gel strength of the mud. Multiple simulations were run for the relationship between the gel strength and
the pressure gradient ratio. A mid-size annulus was used in these simulations. The mud is 12 ppg from
SPE-174909-MS 7

Table 1. With pump flow rate at 5 bpm, for complete eccentricity and eccentricity equal to 0.5, the
corresponding critical gel strengths are 57 and 43. From Fig. 4, the pressure gradient ratio tends to 100%
as the gel strength increases. Further research shows that the static area also increases.

Figure 4 —Pressure gradient ratio versus gel strength with flow rate 5 bpm.

Rheology model selection does affect the pressure gradient ratio and velocity profile. Two cements
were selected (Table 2). Given the Fann readings, by data fitting methods, rheology properties for the
three non-Newtonian models were calculated. The cement with 10 ppg is closely fit to the Bingham Plastic
model, while the 12 ppg is closely fit to the Power Law model. With a 2 bpm pump flow rate, Fig. 5.(a)
shows that the pressure gradient ratio of the HB model is closer to BP than that of PL for 10-ppg cement.
Fig. 5.(b) shows that the pressure gradient ratio of the HB is closer to PL than that of BP for the 12-ppg
cement. The blue HB curve is so close that it is actually under the red line.

Figure 5—Comparison of different rheology models for the same fluids.

The degree of deviation of the model fit from the actual Fann data will be reflected in the ratio and other
values calculated. In general, using the Bingham Plastic model results in more static area than the
Herschel-Bulkley model, while using the Power Law model results in no static area. Because the HB
model can capture more precisely the Fann data, it should generally be the preferred choice.
Luo and Peden (1990) reported the pressure gradient ratio versus eccentricity when the ratio of OD of
the casing to hole size is 0.5. They defined the dimensionless variable ␴D for BP fluid as
8 SPE-174909-MS

and plotted curves for different ␴D. Here YP is the yield point strength, and R is the radius of the hole.
Our field data suggests that the curves are under-estimated. When the eccentricity is 0.8 in a mid-size
annulus, at 6 bpm pump rate with 18 ppg mud in Table 1, ␴D is 0.3, and the pressure gradient ratio is 0.23
(23%) from the figure. However, the pressure gradient ratio calculated with the new algorithm is
approximatedly 50%, which closely matches the field experience and history data.
Erge et al. (2014) did a simulation using CFD with conformal mapping technique, modeling a 2-in hole,
1-in casing OD, ⫽ 0.5, K ⫽ 2.089, lbf.s0.5/100ft2, ␶y ⫽ 10.443 lbf/100ft2, density 8.345 ppg, flow rate 0.2
bpm. The average velocity is 0.35 m/s. Fig. 6.(a) shows the velocity profile in the annulus with our hybrid
algorithm, while Fig. 6.(b) is Fig 5.(I) from (Erge et al., 2014) by CFD with conformal mapping technique.
For better visualization, we set the velocity to ⫺0.03 m/s in the non-annulus area in Fig. 6.(a). The
maximum velocity is about 0.47 m/s in Fig. 6.(a) which is close to the average velocity of tiny mesh
elements in Fig. 6.(b) since the mesh elements in Fig. 6.(a) are much coarser than in Fig. 6.(b). Fig. 6.(b)
did not consider the breaking the gel strength; therefore, the velocity on the narrow side has a small value,
while the hybrid algorithm has static status. In general, the results from these two simulations match very
well.

Figure 6 —Comparison of velocity profiles in annulus. (a) Our algorithm; (b) Numerical method from Erge et al. (2014)

Conclusions
A hybrid algorithm has been proposed to investigate the effect of eccentricity on frictional pressure drop
and mud displacement in the annular cross-section. It is applicable to the main rheology models. The
advantages of this algorithm are: 1. Compared with empirical/analytical methods, it is more accurate and
generates more detailed information. 2. Compared with numerical methods, it does not need any special
software and is convenient for use in the field. Simulations were performed over the typical range of
geometries encountered. Simulation results indicate that increasing eccentricity decreases the pressure
drop. We also observed that the fluid is readily stationary in the region with the narrow gap, while the wide
side can have turbulent flow. Normally, laminar and static areas are predominant for typical fluids. In
laminar flow, the density and rheology properties are not sensitive for pressure gradient ratio. However,
these trend curves deviate when the fluid is in transition or turbulent status. We also conclude that
rheology model selection and gel strength do affect the results.
SPE-174909-MS 9

Nomenclature
dhyd Hydraulic diameter (in)
e Eccentricity
Gel Gel strength (lbfsn/100ft2)
L Length (ft)
n’ Flow behavior index (power law fluids, lbfsn’/ft2)
n Flow behavior index (Herschel Bulkley fluids)
k’ Consistency factor (power law fluids)
k Consistency factor (Herschel Bulkley fluids, lbfsn/100ft2)
Pa Pressure drop in annulus (psi)
PV Plastic viscosity (cP)
R Radius of the hole (in)
r Radius of the casing OD (in)
rp Pressure gradient ratio
YP Yield point strength lbf/100ft2)
␥ Shear rate (s⫺1)
␮ Viscosity (cP)
␶ Shear stress (lbf/100ft2)
␶y Yield stress (lbf/100ft2)
⌬Pe Pressure drop with eccentricity (psi)
⌬Pc Pressure drop with concentricity (psi)
␴D Dimensionless yield stress

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