Numerical investigation of non-Newtonian drilling fluids during the occurrence of a gas kick in a petroleum reservoir

Abstract

In this work, a simplified kick simulator is developed using the ANSYS® CFX software in order to better understand the phenomena called kick. This simulator is based on the modeling of a petroleum well where a gas kick occurs. Dynamic behavior of some variables like pressure, viscosity, density and volume fraction of the fluid is analyzed in the final stretch of the modeled well. In the simulations nine different drilling fluids are used of two rheological categories, Ostwald de Waele, also known as Power-Law, and Bingham fluids, and the results are compared among them. In these comparisons what fluid allows faster or slower invasion of gas is analyzed, as well as how the gas spreads into the drilling fluid. The pressure behavior during the kick process is also compared t. It is observed that, for both fluids, the pressure behavior is similar to a conventional leak in a pipe.