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Lag Last

Lag in drilling refers to the delay in observing cuttings and gas returns due to the time it takes for the circulating system to transport them to the surface. Calculating lag involves determining borehole volume, pipe capacity, and pump output, with specific formulas provided for each calculation. Adjustments to lag may be necessary based on changes in hole size during drilling, and carbide tracers can be used to verify lag time and gas equipment efficiency.

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10 views4 pages

Lag Last

Lag in drilling refers to the delay in observing cuttings and gas returns due to the time it takes for the circulating system to transport them to the surface. Calculating lag involves determining borehole volume, pipe capacity, and pump output, with specific formulas provided for each calculation. Adjustments to lag may be necessary based on changes in hole size during drilling, and carbide tracers can be used to verify lag time and gas equipment efficiency.

Uploaded by

Amr Aes
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lag Calculation

Introduction
What is Lag?

As a well is drilled, the cuttings are transported back to the surface via the rig’s circulating
system. Thus, the opportunity to view the cuttings and analyze gas returns “lags” behind the
actual process of making new hole. This is dependent upon the amount of volume that needs to
be circulated and the volume output the pumps are capable of.

The term Lag generally refers to either the amount of strokes needed from the pumps to circulate
a volume or the amount of time it will take to circulate that volume , a formula has been
identified which will calculate the volume needed to determine Lag. It is based on a couple of
known variables and a conversion constant. If we know the applicable diameter of a cylindrical
shape and its length, we can calculate its capacity in barrels.

Calculate Borehole Volume: It is very important to know how many barrels a borehole can
carry.

Calculate Pipe Capacity:


Pipe capacity is calculated exactly the same way as the borehole. As long as the ID and L are
known, capacity in barrels may be calculated.

Calculate Pipe Displacement:


To calculate pipe displacement, three variable must be known: pipe OD (inches), pipe ID
(inches) and pipe length (ft)

Annular Volume:
To calculate annular volume, three variable must be known: the inside diameter of the hole, the
outside parameter of the pipe and the length of the inevidual sections of these diameter.

Before beginning, it is advised that you draw a diagram. This will help to determine the proper
section lengths where the diameters change.
Pump Output

To this point, you have carried out various volumetric calculations through the circulation
pathway of an oil well. Knowing the volumes is certainly important, but perhaps even more
important for a Surface Data Logger to understand how much work and time is involved with
making a circulation, and how to determine those figures.

A mud pump is classified based on five features:

1. Number of Cylinders
-- Duplex Pumps
-- Triplex Pumps

2. Pumping Action
-- Double Acting
-- Single Acting

3. Stroke Length

4. Volume of cylinder, depending on cylinder diameter (Liner Size)

5. Efficiency (Horse Power Transmitted)

The most common type of mud pump used in the field is Triplex with Single Action. Duplex
pumps with Double Action rarely used.

If you know how much volume each part of the circulatory path holds, you can determine the
amount of work (strokes) and time it will take for a pump (or more likely, pumps) to displace
that volume. To do so, you must figure out how much fluid is displaced each time the pump’s
piston strokes. There is a simple equation:

Where ID is the inside diameter of the pump’s liner in inches and L is the stroke length of the
piston in inches.
1029.4 is the same conversion constant for a volume in barrels and 12 converts the stroke
length from inches to feet. The units for pump output equal barrels per stroke (bbls/stk).
To Calculate the lag stroke and Lag time, use the equations:
- Annular Volume (bbls) = ( ID2 - OD2 )x L(Ft) bbl
1029.4

- Lag ( in Stroke) = Annular Volume ( bbl) Stk


Pump out put ( bbl / stk}

- Lag ( in Minute) = . Lag (Stk) Min


Pump Rate ( Stk / min)

Where ID is inside diameter of the hole in inches and OD outer diameter of the pipe in inches,
L is length in feet. 1029.4 is the constant which provides the proper conversion to give an answer
in barrels.
Adjusting Lag with Depth
During drilling, hole sections have a tendency to “washout” or become enlarged, also, due to
hydrating/swelling formations and/or extreme filter cake build-up, the theoretical hole size may
become reduced. This affects lag when collecting samples. To ensure that samples are collected
as close to the correct depth as possible, periodic “tracers” should be dropped to check the actual
open-hole volume so lag for samples can be corrected if necessary

Running a Carbide Tracer


Dropping a carbide serves two purposes: It allows for a check on the lag time, and it serves as a
check on the efficiency of the gas equipment (see Gas Normalization - section ). In order to
compare different carbide checks, it is important that they be run consistently, using the same
amount of calcium carbide each time.
The carbide is wrapped in an “envelope” of paper towels or toilet paper, held together with
scotch tape. The wrapping material must break up easily so as not to block the jet nozzles. When
a downhole motor or MWD tool is in use, confirm with the drilling supervisor and/or directional
driller whether they will allow tracers to be run. Some clients are concerned that the paper and
carbide going through the tools might possibly cause damage.
If oil-base mud is being used, you can pour some water into the end of the pipe in the slips, and
the bomb in the pin of the next joint prior to the connection. The water allows the carbide to react
to release acetylene gas in the oil environment.
Once the “Carbide Bomb” is in place, the number of strokes on the counters should be noted.
The carbide and its by-product, acetylene, will travel down the drillpipe, through the bit and up
the annulus before reaching surface. The number of strokes required for the tracer to travel to
the bit from the surface must be taken into account. This “downtime” or surface-to-bit strokes is
easily calculated:

The frequency at which carbides are run is difficult to determine, but under normal
circumstances a check should be made every twenty-four hours or 400 ft, whichever comes first.
However, if carbide information is required due to suspicions of incorrect lag or washout, then
carbides should be run as required.

We can also use the following to check the Lag:

• Sweep
• Rice
• LCM
• Lentil Check

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