Oil and Gas Well Engineering: Experimental and Numerical Investigation

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 May 2025 | Viewed by 3777

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
School of Energy Resources, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
Interests: drilling hydraulics; cuttings transport; gas kick; multiphase flow; heat transfer
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Oil and gas well engineering is a critical area in the energy industry that requires precise experimental and numerical methods to enhance operational efficiency, safety, and environmental sustainability. Recent advancements in drilling technology, well integrity, multiphase flow, and reservoir management demand robust investigative approaches. Experimental studies, alongside computational simulations, are essential in analyzing and improving the behavior of complex systems under various geological and operational conditions. The integration of these methods provides deeper insights into optimizing oil and gas well operations, from drilling and completion to production and abandonment phases.

This Special Issue on “Oil and Gas Well Engineering: Experimental and Numerical Investigation” seeks high-quality research focusing on innovative experimental techniques, numerical simulations, and hybrid approaches in oil and gas well engineering. Topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Advances in drilling technology and well completion techniques;
  • Multiphase flow analysis and modeling in high-temperature and high-pressure environments;
  • Risk assessment and management for drilling and production processes;
  • Real-time monitoring and control of well operations;
  • Computational fluid dynamics applications in well engineering;
  • Novel materials and methods for enhancing well performance;
  • Experimental and simulation studies in wellbore stability and integrity.

Dr. Zhengming Xu
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • multiphase flow modeling
  • drilling technology
  • high-temperature high-pressure (HTHP) wells
  • well integrity and risk management
  • computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
  • oil and gas production optimization
  • real-time monitoring and control
  • enhanced well performance
  • reservoir engineering simulations
  • wellbore stability

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 2680 KiB  
Article
Optimization and Practice of a High-Strength Acoustic Wave Indirect Penetration Enhancement Scheme for the Drilling of Structural Coal Seams
by Cunqiang Chen, Yongmin Zhang, Chao Li, Kexiang Li, Youzhi Zhao, Shuo Zhang, Jing Ren, Yong Qin and Wenxiao Chu
Processes 2025, 13(1), 149; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13010149 - 8 Jan 2025
Viewed by 498
Abstract
The structural coal seam drilling process often faces challenges such as shallow drilling depth, low hole formation rate, and the presence of blind areas in gas control. To address these issues, this study proposes a novel high-strength acoustic penetration approach and optimization design [...] Read more.
The structural coal seam drilling process often faces challenges such as shallow drilling depth, low hole formation rate, and the presence of blind areas in gas control. To address these issues, this study proposes a novel high-strength acoustic penetration approach and optimization design method under in situ conditions. Field tests were conducted at the Yunnan Bailongshan Coal Mine and Huainan Xieqiao Coal Mine to evaluate the effectiveness of this technique. The results demonstrate that the coal seam or its roof can act as an acoustic energy converter to generate high-intensity acoustic waves that penetrate the coal seam, and the field test results confirm the efficacy of this method in increasing gas extraction. This study proposes a novel ‘hole replaces seam’ technique, optimizing the extraction process and reducing the risk of explosions and providing a more efficient and safer method for gas control in structural coal seams. Accordingly, a new technical method for replacing the bottom (top) extraction lane is proposed. Full article
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12 pages, 6604 KiB  
Article
Study on the Influence of the Type of Groove on the Inner Surface of the Casing on the Gas Sealing Performance of Sn58Bi Alloy Plugs
by Chunqing Zha, Tengfei Cui, Wei Wang and Gonghui Liu
Processes 2025, 13(1), 103; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13010103 - 3 Jan 2025
Viewed by 543
Abstract
Aiming at the problem of the cement hydration shrinkage phenomenon, which occurs when cement seals downhole casing in the process of Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) technology, this paper proposes a method of sealing the casing by combining threaded casing with bismuth–tin [...] Read more.
Aiming at the problem of the cement hydration shrinkage phenomenon, which occurs when cement seals downhole casing in the process of Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) technology, this paper proposes a method of sealing the casing by combining threaded casing with bismuth–tin alloy. The effect of different types of grooves (square-, trapezoidal-, and screw-threaded grooves) set on the inner surface of the casing on the gas sealing performance of the alloy plug was analyzed. And the effect of the overlay pressure on the gas sealing performance of the alloy plug during the molding process was analyzed. The experimental results show that under 0.2 MPa overlay pressure, the gas breakthrough pressure values of alloy plugs in square-threaded, screw-threaded, trapezoidal-threaded, and smooth hole casings are 5, 3.7, 2.9, and 1 MPa, respectively. When the pitch in the screw-threaded casing is half of the original, the gas breakthrough pressure value of the alloy plugs in the casing is 4.7 MPa. And after the application of 0.2 MPa overlay pressure, the gas sealing performance of the alloy plugs in the screw-threaded, trapezoidal-threaded, and light hole casings was improved by 220%, 230%, and 100%, respectively. The experimental results show that when the grooves are set on the inner surface of the casing, the gas flow path per unit length of the alloy plug-casing interface is prolonged, and the grooves increase the degree of zigzagging on the inner surface of the casing. The gas sealing performance of the alloy plugs is greatly enhanced. This research can provide theoretical support for the application of downhole Carbon Storage using Sn58Bi in casing. Full article
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27 pages, 7372 KiB  
Article
Wellhead Stability During Development Process of Hydrate Reservoir in the Northern South China Sea: Evolution and Mechanism
by Qingchao Li, Qiang Li, Jingjuan Wu, Xianzhong Li, Hongbin Li and Yuanfang Cheng
Processes 2025, 13(1), 40; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13010040 - 27 Dec 2024
Cited by 47 | Viewed by 1007
Abstract
Natural gas hydrates represent a promising clean energy source with vast reserves. Their efficient development is crucial for ensuring the sustainable advancement of human society. However, wellhead instability occurred in the long-term development, which poses a significant challenge that impacts its commercial development. [...] Read more.
Natural gas hydrates represent a promising clean energy source with vast reserves. Their efficient development is crucial for ensuring the sustainable advancement of human society. However, wellhead instability occurred in the long-term development, which poses a significant challenge that impacts its commercial development. In the present work, the properties of hydrate-bearing sediments were experimentally investigated. It was found that the elastic modulus, cohesion, and internal friction angle of hydrate-bearing sediments exhibit an increase with the effective stress. As an example, when the effective stress increases from 0 MPa to 25 MPa, the normalized elastic modulus exhibits a rise from 1.00 to 1.36. Conversely, the Poisson’s ratio, permeability, and porosity demonstrate a decline in accordance with this trend. As an example, both normalized porosity and permeability decrease to values below 0.40 as the effective stress increases to 25 MPa. Based on the experimental results and previous work, a comprehensive model for describing the effect of both hydrate saturation and effective stress on physical parameters was obtained. Subsequently, a multi-field coupled investigation methodology was developed to evaluate wellhead stability during the long-term development of hydrate-bearing sediments, and the evolution characteristics and mechanisms of wellhead instability were numerically explored. It reveals that development operation using the vertical wellbore decomposes hydrates in the surrounding sediments only within a radius of 19.52 m, which significantly undermines the wellhead stability. Moreover, the wellhead system not only sinks with sediment subsidence but also experiences additional sinking due to the failure of bonding between the wellhead system and sediments. Furthermore, the latter accounts for a significant portion, amounting to approximately 68.15% of the total sinking under the research conditions. This study can provide methodological prerequisites for exploring the impact of various factors on wellhead stability during the long-term hydrate development process. Full article
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23 pages, 4661 KiB  
Article
Automated Gas Influx Handling Model and Mechanisms During Deep High-Temperature and High-Pressure Well Drilling
by Yanbin Zang, Wenping Zhang, Zhengming Xu, Jiayi Lu and Zhilu Deng
Processes 2024, 12(11), 2558; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12112558 - 15 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1106
Abstract
The exploration and development of oil and gas resources in deep formations is a key strategic priority for national energy production. However, manual methods for handling gas kicks suffer from low operating accuracy and inefficiency during high-temperature and high-pressure deep well drilling. To [...] Read more.
The exploration and development of oil and gas resources in deep formations is a key strategic priority for national energy production. However, manual methods for handling gas kicks suffer from low operating accuracy and inefficiency during high-temperature and high-pressure deep well drilling. To address the need for real-time bottomhole pressure prediction and control, an efficient gas–liquid–solid computing model was developed based on the gas slip model and cuttings settling velocity model. By integrating this model with an automatic choke adjustment system, an automatic gas kick attenuation model for deep well drilling was established. Results show that, compared to the driller’s and wait-and-weight methods, the automatic gas kick attenuation method significantly reduces peak choke pressure due to its larger frictional pressure drop and higher cuttings hydrostatic pressure. The automatic attenuation method not only leads to an average reduction of 28.42% in maximum choke/casing pressure but also accelerates gas removal, achieving gas kick attenuation ten times faster than the driller’s method and seven times faster than the wait-and-weight method. The study also investigates the influence of gas solubility, well depth, gas influx volume, formation permeability, and drilling fluid volumetric flow rate on gas kick attenuation characteristics. The findings provide a solid foundation for improving the efficiency of gas kick management in deep well drilling operations. Full article
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