Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

Directional drilling is the preferred worldwide method of drilling by virtue of its increased versatility over conventional vertical drilling, mainly by exploitation of reservoirs in shale formations. To drill a curved trajectory, a bend is required in the downhole motor. In recent years, there has been an industrial trend to design motors with short distance between the bend location and the drill bit, which results in sharper curvature with less mechanical load and stress on the motor components. Since there is no access to the motor during drilling, it is very challenging to record reliable performance data for design optimization purposes. The overall goal of the current CRD proposal is to develop a parametric modeling and optimization tool to study the effect of motor design parameters on the performance of the bottom hole assembly (BHA) during the directional drilling process. The proposed finite element-based model will have a customized solution engine and optimization modules with the capability of handling nonlinear contact problems.