Performance Enhancing Software Tools
Ulterra’s “Performance Enhancing Software” tool box consists of Rock Strength Analysis, BHA & Drill String Dynamics, Torque & Drag, and Hydraulics Optimization capabilities. In combination these tools provide a holistic insight into the application demands and are used to provide a roadmap for identifying product requirements and the keys to improving performance.
Rock Strength Analysis
Ulterra uses in-house proprietary software to compute strength of the formation. This allows for a thorough pre-run & post-run analysis to aid in the selection & evaluation of drill bits, drilling tools, and drilling & operating parameters for a given application.
BHA & Drill String Dynamics
Ulterra employs sophisticated modeling software which uses a Modal Analysis method to compute the natural frequencies (axial, torsional & lateral) & modal shape of the given BHA / drill-string combination for a given well profile & operating drilling environment.
Benefits to the operation include;
- The selecting of drilling parameters (especially RPM) calculated to avoid the predicted resonance conditions, thereby minimizing the risk of resonance initiated vibration
- Possible optimization of the BHA to ensure that expected/chosen drilling parameters won’t excite the resonance conditions
- During post run analysis, the correlation of bit dull conditions and sub-par performance with predicted resonant frequencies
- Understanding the appreciable difference in performance of the same product in different BHAs & operating conditions.
Torque & Drag Analysis
Ulterra possesses a sophisticated Torque & Drag model for comprehensive evaluation of pre-planning & post-run drilling performance in challenging directional wells. The main strengths of our T&D software suite are listed below:
- Contains four individual modules – Soft String, Stiff String, Stiff String with Buckling & Improved Cased Hole
- Uses an advanced numerical technique called ABIS to determine contact points for Stiff String modules which gives more accurate results than software based on FEA techniques
- Can model “Post Buckling” scenario.
The software provides detailed analysis of the stresses and loads acting on the string and the borehole wall. The snapshots below provide a glimpse in to the capability of the software.
Hydraulics Optimization
Ulterra’s in-house hydraulics optimization software used by salesman, Application Engineers and Field Engineers alike assessing the hydraulics of a bit run.
