PETE 411

Well Drilling

Lesson 36
Torque and Drag Calculations

Slide 1
Torque and Drag Calculations

 Friction
 Logging
 Hook Load
 Lateral Load
 Torque Requirements
 Examples

Slide 2
 Assignments:

PETE 411 Design Project

due December 3, 2001, 5 p.m.

HW#17 Due Monday, Nov. 26

Slide 3
Frictionless, Inclined, Straight Wellbore:

1. Consider
a section
of pipe
in the
wellbore.

In the absence of FRICTION the forces acting on the

pipe are buoyed weight, axial tension and the reaction
force, N, normal to the wellbore.
Slide 4
Frictionless, Inclined, Straight Wellbore:

F  0 along wellbore : T  W cos I (1)

F  0  ar to wellbore : N  W sin I (2)

These equations are used for ROTATING pipe.

Slide 5
 Effect of Friction (no doglegs):

2. Consider Effect of Friction ( no doglegs):

Slide 6
 Effect of Friction (no doglegs):

Frictional Force, Ff  N  W sin I

where 0    1 [   coeff. of friction]

{usually 0.2    0.4}

(a) Lowering: Friction opposes motion, so

T  W cos I  Ff
(3)
T  W cos I  W sin I
Slide 7
 Effect of Friction (no doglegs):

(b) Raising: Friction still opposes motion, so

T  W cos I  Ff

T  W cos I  W sin I

Slide 8
 Problem 1

What is the maximum hole angle (inclination

angle) that can be logged
without the aid of drillpipe, coiled tubing or
other tubulars?
(assume  =0.4)

Slide 9
 Solution

From Equation (3) above,

T  W cos I  W sin I (3)

When pipe is barely sliding down the wellbore,

T  0

 0  W cos I  0.4W sin I

Slide 10
 Solution

 cot I  0.4 or tan I  2.5

I  68.2 

This is the maximum hole angle

(inclination) that can be logged
without the aid of tubulars.

Note:   cot I
Slide 11
 Problem 2

Consider a well with a long horizontal section. An

8,000-ft long string of 7” OD csg. is in the hole.
Buoyed weight of pipe  30 lbs/ft.  = 0.3

(a) What force will it take to move this pipe along

the horizontal section of the wellbore?

(b) What torque will it take to rotate this pipe?

Slide 12
 Problem 2 - Solution - Force
(a) What force will it take to move this pipe along
the horizontal section of the wellbore?
N
F=? F=0

W
N = W = 30 lb/ft * 8,000 ft = 240,000 lb
F = N = 0.3 * 240,000 lb = 72,000 lb

Force to move pipe, F = 72,000 lbf

Slide 13
 Problem 2 - Solution - Force

(b) What torque will it take to rotate this pipe?

As an approximation,
let us assume that the pipe T

lies on the bottom of the wellbore.

d/2
Then, as before, F
N = W = 30 lb/ft * 8,000 ft = 240,000 lb
Torque = F*d/2 = Nd/2 = 0.3 * 240,000 lb * 7/(2 * 12) ft

Torque to rotate pipe, T = 21,000 ft-lbf

Slide 14
Problem 2 - Equations - Horizontal

N=W
F = N T=F*d

Force to move pipe, F = W = 72,000 lbf

Torque, T = Wd/(24 ) = 21,000 ft-lbf

An approximate equation, with W in lbf and d in inches
Slide 15
 Horizontal - Torque
A slightly more accurate equation for torque in
a horizontal wellbore may be obtained by
taking into consideration the fact that a
rotating pipe will ride up the side of the
wellbore to some angle f.
Taking moments about the point P: T F
Torque, T = W * (d/2) sin f in-lbf
d/2 f
o
Where f = atan  = atan 0.3 = 16.70 P

T = 240,000 * 7/24 * 0.2873 = 20,111 ft-lbf W

Slide 16
 Problem 3
A well with a measured depth of 10,000 ft. may be
approximated as being perfectly vertical to the kick-off
point at 2,000 ft. A string of 7” OD csg. is in the hole;
total length is 10,000 ft. The 8,000-ft segment is inclined at
60 deg. Buoyed weight of pipe = 30 lbs/ft.  = 0.3

Slide 17
 Problem 3

Please determine the following:

(a) Hook load when rotating off bottom

(b) Hook load when RIH
(c) Hook load when POH
(d) Torque when rotating off bottom

[ ignore effects of dogleg at 2000 ft.]

Slide 18
 Solution to Problem 3

(a) Hook load when rotating off bottom:

Slide 19
 Solution to Problem 3 - Rotating

HL  HL2000  HL8000
0.5

lb lb 
 30 * 2000 ft  30 * 8000 ft * cos 60 
ft ft
 60,000 lbf  120,000 lbf

HL  180,000 lbf When rotating off bottom.

Slide 20
 Solution to Problem 3 - lowering

2 (b) Hook load when RIH:

The hook load is decreased by friction in the
wellbore.
Ff  N
In the vertical portion,

N  30 * 2000 * sin o0  0
o

Thus, F2000  0
Slide 21
 Solution to Problem 3 - lowering

In the inclined section,

N = 30 * 8,000 * sin 60
= 207,846 lbf

Slide 22
Solution to Problem 3 - lowering

Thus , F8000  N  0.3 * 207 ,846  62,354 lbf

HL  FL 2000  HL8000  F2000  F8000

 60,000  120,000 - 0 - 62,354

HL  117,646 lbf while RIH

Slide 23
Solution to Problem 3 - raising

2(c) Hood Load when POH:

HL  HL2000  HL8000  F2000  F8000

 60,000  120,000  0  62,354

HL  242,354 lbf  POH

Slide 24
 Solution to Problem 3 - Summary

ROT
RIH
2,000
POH
MD
ft

10,000
0 60,000 120,000 180,000 240,000
Slide 25
 Solution to Problem 3 - rotating

2(d) Torque when rotating off bottom:

In the Inclined Section:

Torque
N  W sin I
 Force * Arm
F  N
d
 Ff *
2

Slide 26
 Solution to Problem 3 - rotating

(i) As a first approximation, assume the pipe

lies at lowest point of hole:

d d d

Torque  Ff    N   W sin I 
 2  2  2
7 1 
 0.3 * 30 * 8000 * sin 60 *  * 


 2 12 

Torque  18,187 ft - lbf

Slide 27
 Solution to Problem 3 - rotating

(ii) More accurate evaluation:

Note that, in the above figure, forces are not balanced;
there is no force to balance the friction force Ff.

The pipe will tend

to climb up the
side of the
wellbore…as it
rotates

Slide 28
 Solution to Problem 3 - rotating

Assume " equilibriu m" at angle f as shown.

F along tangent  0  Ff  W sin I sin f 

N  W sin I sin  (6)

F ar to tangent  0  N  W sin I cosf (7)

Slide 29
 Solution to Problem 3 - rotating

N W sin I sin f
Solving equations (6) & (7)  
N W sin I cosf
  tan f
1
f  tan (  ) (8)

Slide 30
 Solution to Problem 3 - rotating

(ii) continued
Taking moments about the center of the pipe:
d
T  Ff *
2
Evaluating the problem at hand:

1 1
From Eq. (8), f  tan (  )  tan (0.3)

f  16.70 

Slide 31
Solution to Problem 3 - rotating

Evaluating the problem at hand:

From Eq. (6), Ff  W sin I sin f

 30 * 8000 * sin60 * sin 16.70

 

Ff  59.724 lbf

Slide 32
 Solution to Problem 3 - rotating

Evaluating the problem at hand:

d
From Eq. (9), T  Ff *
2
7 1 
 59,724 *  * 
 2 12 
Torque  17,420 ft - lbf

Slide 33
 Solution to Problem 3

2 (d) (ii) Alternate Solution:

Slide 34
 Solution to Problem 3

Taking moments about tangent point,

d
T  W sin I sin 
2
7
 30 * 8000 * sin60 * sin 16.70 *
 
24
T  17,420 ft - lbf
Slide 35
 Solution to Problem 3

Note that the answers in parts (i) & (ii) differ by

a factor of cos f

cosf  cosf16.70  0.9578

Slide 36
 Effect of Doglegs

(1) Dropoff Wellbore   dogleg angle

Slide 37
 Effect of Doglegs

A. Neglecting Axial Friction (e.g. pipe rotating)

 
F along normal : W sin I  (T  T) sin
2
 T sin
2
N0

 
W sin I  sT sin  T sin N0
2 2


N  W sin I  2T sin (10)
2
Slide 38
 Effect of Doglegs

A. Neglecting Axial Friction

 
F along tangent : (T  T) cos
2
 W cos I  T cos
2
0


T cos  W cos I
2
 T  W cos I
cos 1 (11)
2
Slide 39
 Effect of Doglegs

B. Including Friction (Dropoff Wellbore)

While pipe is rotating


N  W sin I  2T sin
2 (10)&(11)
T  WcosI

Slide 40
 Effect of Doglegs

B. Including Friction
While lowering pipe (RIH)

 (as above)
N  W sin I  2T sin
2
T  W cos I  N

i.e. T  W cos I   (W sin I  2T sin  ) (12)

2
Slide 41
 Effect of Doglegs

B. Including Friction
While raising pipe (POH)

T  W cos I  N

T  W cos I   (W sin I  2T sin )
2 (13)

d d 
Torque  N     ( W sin I  2T sin )
 2  2 2
(14)
Slide 42
 Effect of Doglegs

(2) Buildup Wellbore   dogleg angle

Slide 43
 Effect of Doglegs

A. Neglecting Friction (e.g. pipe rotating)

 
F along normal : W sin I  (T  T) sin
2
 T sin

2
N0

 
sT sin  T sin  N  0
W sin I  2T
2 2


N  W sin I  2T sin (15)
2
Slide 44
 Effect of Doglegs

A. Neglecting Axial Friction

 
F along tangent : (T  T) cos
2
 W cos I  T cos
2
0


T cos  W cos I
2
 T  W cos I
cos 1 (16)
2
Slide 45
 Effect of Doglegs

B. Including Friction (Buildup Wellbore)

When pipe is rotating


N  W sin I  2T sin
2 (15)&(16)

T  WcosI

Slide 46
 Effect of Doglegs

B. Including Friction
While lowering pipe (RIH)

N  W sin I  2T sin (15)
2
T  W cos I   N


T  W cos I   W sin I  2T sin
2 (17)
Slide 47
 Effect of Doglegs

While raising pipe (POH)

T  W cos I  N


i.e. T  WcosI   WsinI - 2Tsin
2 (18)

d d 
Torque   N       W sin I  2T sin
 2  2 2 (19)
Slide 48
Problem #4 - curved wellbore with friction

In a section of our well, hole angle drops at the

rate of 8 degrees per 100 ft. The axial tension is
100,000 lbf at the location where the hole angle is
60 degrees.

Buoyed wt. of pipe  30 lb/ft

  0.25

Slide 49
 Evaluate the Following:

(a) What is the axial tension in the pipe 100 ft. up the hole
if the pipe is rotating?

(b) What is the axial tension in the pipe 100 ft up the hole if
the pipe is being lowered into the hole?

(c) What is the axial tension in the pipe 100 ft up the hole if
the pipe is being pulled out of the hole?

(d) What is the lateral load on a centralizer at incl.=64 if

the centralizer spacing is 40 ft? 

Slide 50
 Solution 4 (a)

(a) Axial tension 100 ft up hole when pipe is rotating :

60  68
I AVG 
2
I AVG  64 

Pipe is rotating so frictional effect on axial load may be

neglected.
Slide 51
 Solution 4 (a)
From equation (11),
T  W cos I
lb
 30 *100 ft * cos 64 
ft
 1,315 lbf
 T68  100 ,000  1,315

T68  101,315 lbf  rotating

Slide 52
 Solution 4 (b)

(b) Tension in pipe 100 ft Up-Hole when Pipe is being

lowered:
From equation (10):

N  W sin I  2T sin
2
N  30 *100 * sin 64   2 *100,000 * sin 4

 2,696  13,951
N  16,648 lbf
Slide 53
 Solution 4 (b)

From equation 10,

Friction Force  N  0.25 *16,648

Ff  4,162 lbf

From equation 12,

T  W cos I  N
Slide 54
 Solution 4 (b)

From equation 12,

T  (30 *100 * cos 64  )  4,162

 -2,847

 T68  100,000  2,867 (T  T)

T68  97,153 lbf

Slide 55
 Solution 4 (c)

(c) Tension in Pipe 100 ft Up-Hole when pipe is being

raised:
From equation (10),


N  W sin I  2T sin
2
N  30 *100 * sin 64   2 *100,000 * sin 4

 2,696  13,951
N  16,648 lbf
Slide 56
 Solution 4 (c)

Friction Force  N  0.25 *16,648

Ff  4,162 lbf

From equation 12,

T  W cos I  N

Slide 57
 Solution 4 (c)

From equation 12,

T  (30 *100 * cos 64  )  4,162

 5477 lbf

 T68  100,000  5477 (T  T)

T68  105,477 lbf

Slide 58
 Solution 4 (d)

(d) Lateral load on centralizer if spacing = 40 ft. (after

pipe has been rotated):

From above, at   64 

N  16,648 lbf

This is for 100 ft distance

Slide 59
 Solution 4 (d)

for 40 ft distance,
  40 
N centr.  16,648 *  
 100 
 6,659 lbf
i.e., Lateral load on centralizer,

N centr.  6,659 lbf

lb
Note : 40 ft of pipe * 30  1200 lbf
ft
Slide 60
 Alternate Approach

(d) Lateral load on centralizer if spacing = 40 ft.

(after pipe has been rotated)

From above, at   60  , T  100,000 lbf

From above, at   68 , T  101,315 lbf

So, 30 ft up-hole,

T  100,000  1,315 * (30 / 100 ) lbf

T  100,395 lbf
Slide 61
 Alternate Approach


From Eq. (10), N  W sin I  2T sin
2
N  30 * 40 * sin 64   2 *100 ,395 * sin(1.6 )
{4 * 40/100}
 1,079  5,606

N  6,685 lbf
 for 40 ft centralizer spacing,
N centr.  6,685 lbf
Slide 62