SPE 166112

All in One for Casing while Drilling Technology: Numerical, Analytical, and
Experimental Results and Field Observations
Salehi, S., University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Karimi, M., Weatherford, Shahri, M. P., University of Tulsa,
Aladsani, A., Kuwait Oil Company, Ezeakacha, C., University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Copyright 2013, Society of Petroleum Engineers

This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition held in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, 30 September2 October 2013.

This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper have not been
reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material does not necessarily reflect any position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, its
officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper without the written consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers is prohibited. Permission to
reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of SPE copyright.

Abstract
Casing while Drilling (CwD) is an efficient method by which to increase the fracture gradient in narrow pore-fracture
pressure sedimentary basins and deep offshore applications. It offers hydraulic improvements and the ability to plaster
cuttings to the wellbore wall, which can enhance the wellbores hoop stress by wedging the created fractures. Although
successful field applications of increasing wellbore integrity have been reported, uncertainties remain regarding the
mechanisms and how to operationally capture the maximum attainable wellbore pressure. These uncertainties include the
hydraulic complexities of fluids, role of Particle Size Distribution (PSD) and how it relates to the plastering effect, type of
drilling fluids, borehole shape, role of lost circulation materials (LCM), and casing eccentricity.
This paper presents numerical, analytical and experimental methods to study the contributing factors in CwD applications.
Laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate the Particle Size Distribution (PSD) and filtration rate of the mud mixed
with cuttings from a recently drilled well. Several tests were conducted using Permeable Plug Testing (PPT) equipment to
evaluate the role of different LCMs, to fill the PSD gap and to capture the strengthening effect.
In addition, advance finite-element methods were used to model the near wellbore area and hoop stress changes with
consideration of the formations poro-elastic properties. Furthermore, the frictional pressure lost during the CwD operation
was evaluated using Computational Fluid Dynamics. Analytical models were used to investigate different boundary
conditions when applying finite-element analysis.
The numerical simulations and laboratory experiments in this work were based on a recently drilled well in South
Louisiana, where severely depleted sections were drilled successfully. Previous drilling records in this area report multiple
problems with lost circulation, tight holes and other wellbore stability issues. Results from the numerical models and
laboratory experiments agree well with field observations. The analysis presented in this paper indicates that an optimum
PSD can significantly mitigate lost circulation and minimize the need to add LCM.

Introduction
CwD technology has shown strong potentials for drilling in depleted sections to mitigate lost circulation problem and
reduce Non Productive Time (NPT) in drilling operations specifically in narrow pore-fracture pressure sedimentary basins,
and deep offshore applications. It offers hydraulic improvements and the ability to plaster cuttings to the wellbore wall,
which may restore the wellbores hoop stress (Salehi et al., 2013, 2012; Karimi et al., 2011) by wedging the created fractures
and/or by increasing the fracture propagation pressure. Additionally, due to the larger pipe-to-annulus size ratio of CwD
compared to conventional drilling, the casing rotation forms a better mud cake (Figure 1). Previous applications of CwD have
reported wellbore stability control improvements (Karimi et al., 2011), formation damage reductions (Robinson et al., 2008),
ROP increases (Placido et al. 2005), drilling surface sections, significant NPT reductions (Sanchez et al., 2010; De Luca and
Aliko, 2009) and better shallow gas kick management (Costeno et al., 2012).
Although the increased wellbore containment is explained by the plastering of drill cuttings, the true mechanism is not
very well understood yet. The pipe size and annular clearance have been reported as the critical parameters for increasing
wellbore strength. The other factors include the casings contact with the wellbore wall, rotary speed, mud type, time, stress
anisotropy, mud hydraulics, thermal effects and penetration rate (Salehi et al., 2013, Watts et al., 2010). Enhancing non-
penetrating situation in near wellbore by improvement in mud cake can also be a plausible mechanism helping to increase
fracturing pressure, this has been well addressed in previous literature (Cerasi, 2001, Fjaer, 2008).
2 SPE 166112

Figure 1: a&b describes two plausible mechanisms of plastering effect to increase wellbore integrity (Courtesy of Weatherford)

This mechanism can be quantified further using the following equation, which shows that the type of mud cake formed
can significantly affect the poroelastic properties of the near wellbore region:

(1 2 )
3 h H PP T0
(1 )
Pfrac , penetrating (1)
(1 2 )
2
(1 )
is Biots coefficient, is Poissons ratio, T0 is the tensile strength and h , H are the minimum and
In Equation 1,
(1 2 )
maximum in-situ stresss. A small change in the poroelastic factor ( ) can alter the fracturing pressure by several
(1 )
hundreds of psi, which is critical in depleted formations and deep offshore basins, where the operational window is very tight.
Based on Equation 1, it is also possible to link the plastering effect to the fracture pressure increase and to quantify it based
on mud cake improvements (permeability of the cake). Similar observations can be made to quantify and compare the effect
of plastering on the lost circulation rate in a well drilled with conventional methods and a well drilled with CwD in the same
field. Table 1 shows this comparison, assuming similar in-situ stress, tensile strength, operational conditions and mud design.

Table 1: Potential procedure for quantifying the effect of plastering in CwD

Parameter Measured Conventional Drilling CwD with Plastering Effect Plastering Effect Value
Loss Rate (bbl/hr) (bbl/hr)1 (bbl/hr)2 (bbl/hr)2 - (bbl/hr)1
Borehole Integrity (ppg) (ppg)1 (ppg)2 (ppg)2 - (ppg)1

Potential improvements in well construction and casing point selection, as well as the elimination of pilot hole drilling,
can be achieved from CwD. For instance, designing seats top to bottom (Kotow and Pritchard, 2009) enables the casing to be
set at the actual Pore Pressure and Fracture Gradient (PP/FG) limit by overcoming the shallow hazards. In instances where a
weak zone is the cause of low FG, proactive plastering effect can be included in the basis of design to strengthen the weak
zone and extend the casing seat even further. Use of CwD in drilling pilot hole will help to reduce non-productive time. A
recent application of CwD in Samarang Phase 1 enabled elimination of pilot hole while managing risk of a shallow gas
blowout (Costeno et al., 2012).
SPE 166112 3

Although, CwD with help of plastering effect seems very promising, several open questions about the mechanisms,
how to deploy, and quantify in field operations are still open which requires further research and application. These questions
and related discussions can mainly be summarized as:
The first important question is whether or not CwD yields better results than drilling optimization practices in
conventional drilling where it has been applied for several decades? There exist quite a few cases where drilling with casing
did not improve the situation when compared with traditional drilling methods and an improvement was achieved by
changing drilling parameters. Another perspective of success in CwD can be related to the fact that the use of drilling with
casing drops the need for kick and trip margins in the mud weight selection (Fontenont et al., 2003) where in Lobo field with
application of CwD, notorious loss zones were drilled with minimal losses. The second important question is how the
plastering effect can play a role in increasing wellbore integrity in non-permeable basins where filter cake does not have a
significant role? How can the mechanical contact of casing with borehole wall help to achieve the strengthening effect
depicted in Figure 1? The third important question is related to the PSD in CwD, based on the fact that cuttings sizes are
smaller in CwD operations, and how this can help to achieve the plastering effect in CwD or what is the link between the
PSD and near wellbore stresses? This has been further discussed in this paper on how the optimized PSD can help to restore
wellbore hoop stresses. The results from a laboratory tests conducted in this study also suggest this as a plausible mechanism.
Finally, what are the hydraulic implications in CwD and eccentricity effect? How does this affect the ECD control? As
previously noted in literature (Salehi et al., 2013, Robinson et al., 2008), the casings eccentricity can play a significant role
and experience with ECD control in a CwD application indicates no serious concern for fracturing. Although, loss prevention
and well integrity increase is rarely quantified in CwD cases, one of the operators managed to quantify the integrity increase
by performing open-hole leak-off tests recording significant improvements (Watts et al., 2010).
Hydraulics in CwD operations is quite different than conventional drilling. Using larger casing diameters not only yields a
better plastering effect but also facilitates the delivery of higher annular velocity and better hole cleaning. However, this
might change significantly with the eccentricity of the casing creating higher velocity in the thick part of the annulus.
Predicting pressure drops in CwD considering eccentricity and rotation scenarios is a key factor to manage ECD changes and
potentially preventing fracturing. There are numerous research studies that have investigated the frictional pressure losses in
the annulus during CwD operation using two main approaches; i.e., analytical and numerical methods. Analytical solutions
were developed for specific conditions considering rotation and eccentricity (Fredrickson and Bird 1958, Dodge 1963, Vaugh
1965, Kozicki and Tiu 1977, Iyoko and Azar 1981). Since analytical solutions usually have different assumptions, numerical
studies have gained a widespread acceptance within the petroleum industry in the past years for precise prediction of
frictional losses. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has been utilized in different studies to predict the flow behavior in
complex geometries. (Hansen and Sterri 1995, Nouar et al. 1998, Ooms et al. 1999, Escudier et al. 2000, Ozbayoglu and
Omurlu 2006, Pereira et al. 2007, Essa 2009, Oguggue 2009). For example, the consequences of pipe rotation on the
frictional pressure losses were investigated by Hansen and Sterri (1995). Escudier et al. (2000) analyzed the eccentricity
effect on the flow of non-Newtonian fluid in the annulus using numerical simulation. In this study, the effects of pipe rotation
and eccentricity on the frictional pressure losses within annulus are investigated using CFD. The actual field data of an
operation with pipe and hole ratio typical of CwD is utilized as input parameters. In addition, different geometries; i.e.,
diameter aspect ratio, are simulated using field data; and they provide a better perspective on the pressure loss calculations
during CwD operation.
The current paper aims to address some of the above questions with an integrated study of laboratory, numerical and field
results. The experimental element includes Particle Size Distribution (PSD) and Particle Plug Testing (PPT) measurements
on the actual cuttings captured from the operation in the field. The modeling element includes both Finite Element Models
(FEM) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations based on the mud and drilling properties used in the field
operation. The field results discussed in this paper is related to one of the recently drilled wells in South Louisiana where no
lost circulation was reported in drilling two notorious depleted sections.

Particle Size Distribution (PSD) and Near Wellbore Stresses

One of the notable advantages of CwD is generating fine size particles by drilling due to continuous contact of casing
with borehole wall. Here, we discuss how an optimum PSD of the mud can play a role with restoring near wellbore hoop
stress. The Figure 2 illustrates wellbore hoop stress by distance from modeled wellbore wall. The results have been generated
from finite-element model considering poro-elastic properties of the formation for an anisotropic in-situ stress situation. The
figure indicates that maximum hoop stress occurs with a less than one time ratio of the distance over wellbore radius (r/RW).
This has an important implication for PSD of the mud and how it affects plugging off near wellbore fractures. For instance, a
PSD that has range of particles to effectively plug the mouth and tip of induced fractures can restore higher hoop stress and
potentially also increase fracture propagation pressure. The two mechanisms have been further explained by Salehi and
Nygaard, 2011 and 2012. The example illustrated here shows that an optimum PSD for the simulated case can increase
fracturing pressure by more than 200 Psi.
Due to uncertainties in real time drilling situations, it is often difficult to predict fracture geometry and design PSD to capture
the maximum strengthening effect; however, this can be overcome by laboratory experimentation of PSD and PPT. Several
scenarios of mud design (combination of different cutting sizes with or without LCM) can be considered and an optimum
4 SPE 166112

scenario can be selected based on comparing filtration rate in each case. The results from laboratory experiments in this paper
further investigate these effects.

Figure 2: PSD role in fracture sealing and wellbore hoop stress restoration

Field Case
The well reviewed in this paper was drilled onshore in South Louisiana. Due to confidentiality issues, the name of the
well (field) is masked. Multiple offset wells drilled in this hole section reported serious problems of wellbore stability, stuck
pipe and lost returns. The Miocene lithology of the depleted section included interbedded layers of sand and shale, with trace
amounts of limestone.
Due to existence of depletion intervals, a water-based mud was selected to drill this well. A treated lignosulfonate system
was utilized in the 6 production intervals. Mud weights as high as 16.8 ppg were used to drill the interval. Pre-drill,
calculated fracture pressure in the target sand was estimated to be 13.5 ppg or lower.
Drilled cuttings from four sections of drilled interval (each 30 ft) were collected and transferred to the laboratory for PSD
& PPT tests (Figure 3). The two middle sections from 12890 ft to 12950 ft were depleted where pore pressure and fracture
gradients were significantly reduced (pore pressure to less than 9 ppg and fracture gradient to less than 14 ppg). The size ratio
of the BHA to annulus in the depleted section was 0.73 (4 in 6 ). The mud weight used to drill the depleted section was
dropped from 16.8 ppg to 13.5 ppg for drilling the depleted interval. During the drilling of the aforementioned interval no
losses or wellbore stability issues were recorded.

Results
We present results of this work in two parts. First, we present results achieved from PSD & PPT experiments on the
actual cuttings of the depleted and non-depleted sections of the well. In addition, different combinations of LCM
concentration were tested. Second, we present results of hydraulic simulations from CFD. Furthermore, a parametric study
analysis was conducted to investigate potential effects of eccentricity and size ratio on pressure drops.

Laboratory Experiments
The objective of laboratory experiments was first to measure the PSD of the mud with cuttings used in the different
sections drilled and second to measure filtration rate using the PPT equipment. Analysis of relevant logs (Porosity, Gamma
Ray and Resistivity) was used for rough estimation of permeability ranges in the depleted section. For this reason, ceramic
filter disks with mean pore throat of 12 m were used in the PPT experiments at recorded formation pressure and
temperature. The observations from the laboratory experiments agreed well with the field operation observations. Figure 3
shows the PSD of the 13.5 ppg mud used to drill the depleted section. The PSD results indicate fine cuttings, mostly in the
range of 10 to 100 m , in this section; these were a result of the small annular section and potentially the grinding of the
SPE 166112 5

cuttings caused by continuous pipe rotation. In the next step, the same muds from the depleted and non-depleted sections
were used to perform PPT experiments. To simulate similar downhole situations, the mud samples were hot-rolled before
conducting the PPT experiments. Figure 4 illustrates the PPT results for both muds.

Figure 3: Particle Size Distribution (PSD) of the mud in the depleted section.

Figure 4: Particle Plug Testing (PPT) results of the tested mud in depleted and non-depleted section

The PPT results indicate a maximum filtration volume of 28 ml for the mud in the depleted section and 37 ml for the mud
in the non-depleted section, collected after a half hour. The improvement in the PPT results can be explained by the existence
of finer cuttings and the better PSD of the mud used in the depleted section. Although the exact permeability of the formation
was unknown, the results from the PPT when using other ceramic disk sizes showed a similar trend.
6 SPE 166112

The objective of the next phase of experiments was to further test and improve the filtration volume by adding Lost
Circulation Material (LCM) to the mud originally used for drilling the depleted section. Dry PSD with different
concentrations of Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) was measured in the lab; based on the existing gap in PSD, the decision was
made to use 40% and 60% of fine and medium sized CaCO3, respectively (d50 of 3.474 m for fine and d50 of 13.954 m for
medium). Figure 5 shows the results of the PSD for the mud without LCM compared to the mud with the proposed
concentration of LCM.

Figure 5: Particle Size Distribution (PSD) of the mud in the depleted section w/o LCM (field) and mixed with LCM (Calcium
Carbonate in the lab)

Adding LCM to the mud shifted the PSD slightly to the left to cover the higher concentration of finer particles. In
the next step, the PPT for the mud with LCM was compared to the PPT of the base mud without LCM, as illustrated in Figure
6. The results showed more than an 8 ml difference in the filtration volume for the mud with a concentration of Calcium
Carbonate.
Further experiments using different LCM combinations were conducted to reduce the filtrate volume. Notable
amongst these was the use of 100% fine LCM based on previous PPT results and the existing gap in the PSD. The PSD result
shown in Figure 7 indicates a reduction in the volume of the medium sized particles, as well as some of the finer particles,
compared to the PSD of the mud without LCM. As seen in Figure 8, the PPT of the mud with LCM was compared to the PPT
of the mud without LCM; the results indicated a difference of more than 13 ml in the filtration volume for the mud with the
new concentration of Calcium Carbonate. This difference occurred because the fine particles in the mud bridged off the pores
effectively, which eventually resulted in a thinner and more consistent mud cake formation.
Figure 9 further illustrates the filtrate volumes from the PPT experiments with different LCM compositions. These
experiments indicate that fine particle sizes in mud, as those seen in a CwD operation, may effectively plug pores of induced
micro fractures. However, other downhole situations, potential vugs and natural fractures, and the formation permeability are
important factors to consider. In addition to this, Figure 10 shows the various mud cakes formed from the PPT experiments.
The thinnest mud cake came from the mud with 100% fine Calcium Carbonate, which also had the lowest filtrate rate.
SPE 166112 7

Figure 6: Particle Plug Testing (PPT) results of the tested mud with and w/o LCM (Calcium Carbonate)

Figure 7: Particle Size Distribution (PSD) of the mud in the depleted section w/o LCM (field) and mixed with LCM (Calcium Carbonate
in the lab)
8 SPE 166112

Figure 8: Particle Plug Testing (PPT) results of the tested mud with and w/o LCM (Calcium Carbonate)

Figure 9: Filtrate Loss Comparison with and w/o LCM (Calcium Carbonate)
SPE 166112 9

Figure 10: Mud Cake Comparison

Numerical Simulations
One important factor controlling the plastering effect during a CwD operation is frictional pressure loss. Consequently, a
precise prediction of pressure loss inside the annulus is vital to enhancing the CwD performance. Given the complex
geometries and pipe rotation, the analytical solutions are not adequate for accurately predicting frictional pressure losses.
Consequently, a higher-powered numerical tool, i.e., CFD, has been developed for simulating different fluid flow scenarios.
This section discusses the CFD simulation of the fluid flow inside the annular section corresponding to the field data. Both
the pipe rotation and the effect of the eccentricity on the pressure drop calculation were investigated using field data.
According to the field data, the flow section was composed of a 4.75 by 6.5 annular section. The Bingham plastic model
parameters, i.e., plastic viscosity and yield point, equal 34 cp and 11 lb/100ft2, respectively.
In the first step, the CFD simulation result was validated against available analytical models. Narrow slot approximation
typically was used as an analytical model to deteremine the frictional pressure losses of Bingham plastic fluid flow in the
annulus (Bourgoyne et al., 1986). Given the input data and the utilization of the narrow slot approximation model, the
pressure drop gradient equaled 535.7 Pa/m. An annular section of the noted size was built to simulate the pressure losses
using CFD. The flow section was 10 meters long in order to eliminate the end effects and achieve a fully developed flow.
Using the Bingham plastic model and input parameters, the frictional pressure loss equaled 531.7 Pa/m, which validates the
simulation results. The difference between the numerical and analytical solution was less than 0.8%, which was due to
numerical approximation. In order to show the effect of the diameter aspect ratio on the pressure losses, four more
configurations were developed in addition to the base case; i.e., diameter ratio equal to 0.73. The casings outer diameter was
altered in order to develop the diameter ratios of 0.7, 0.8, 0.85 and 0.9 for the CFD simulation. Again, after developing the
models and generating the proper meshing, each case was verified against the analytical solution. Figure 11 illustrates the
effect of the diameter ratio on the frictional pressure losses. According to the results, the frictional pressure drop increased
dramatically after the diameter ratio of 0.8, which is the industry standard for the diameter ratio during a CwD operation.

Figure 11: Effect of diameter ratio and pipe rotation on the frictional pressure loss
The effect of the pipe rotation on the frictional pressure losses was investigated, as well. According to the field data, the
rotary speed equaled 80 RPMs. The effect of the pipe rotation on the pressure drop was simulated for all generated diameter
10 SPE 166112

ratios and is shown in Figure 11. According to the results, the pipe rotation affected the pressure loss negatively and could
consequently influence the performance. Hence, reducing the pipe rotation would enhance the performance. However, the
reduction in the pipe rotation must be optimized based on other operational factors, such as the rate of penetration and the
efficiency of hole cleaning.
In actual field conditions, the pipe is not usually at the center of the hole, which causes a different pressure drop for a
given flow rate. The eccentricity describes how off-center a pipe is within the open-hole section. A pipe is concentric, i.e.,
eccentricity of zero, if it is perfectly centered in the hole. According to the concentric base case having a diameter ratio of
0.73, two eccentric configurations, 0.5 and 0.8, were developed, as shown in Figure 12.

Eccentricity = 0 Eccentricity = 0.5 Eccentricity = 0.8

Figure 12: Schematic of Pipe Eccentricity

After generating the proper meshing, the simulations were performed to find the effect of eccentricity on the pressure
losses. The base case fluid properties and operational condition were utilized to run the simulation. The rotary speed was
assumed to be zero to eliminate the effect of the pipe rotation. Figure 13 shows the effect of pipe eccentricity on the pressure
loss. According to the CFD simulation results, greater pipe eccentricity yielded less frictional pressure loss during operation.
Although no hole cleaning challenges were reported in the field case reviewed in this paper, it is recommended that all
pipe rotation and eccentricity scenarios be considered in the design phase. This will help to improve hole cleaning and ECD
management during operation.
.

Figure 13: Effect of pipe eccentricity on the frictional pressure loss

SPE 166112 11

Conclusions
This paper presented an integrated approach to studying several aspects of CwD, and the following conclusions can be
drawn:
The PSD of the mud mixed with cuttings is key to increasing the effects of plastering and potential strengthening
from plugging near wellbore fractures. Finite element results for the near wellbore hoop stress shows more than 200
psi hoop stress restoration with an optimum PSD.
Observations from laboratory experiments (PSD & PPT) agree well with field observations; neither significant lost
circulation nor wellbore stability issues were reported in the depleted zone.
In studying loss circulation control, analyzing the PSD & PPT results can help in selecting the optimum
concentration and type of LCM for future drilling in similar basins.
CFD simulations present results for original pipe size ratio and parametric studies to investigate higher ratio and
eccentricity effects. The calculated ECD from CFD simulations is less than the considered fracture gradient in
depleted section.
According to the CFD simulations results, the more the pipe eccentricity the less the frictional pressure loss during
operation. Eccentricity scenarios needs to be considered in design phase in order to improve hole cleaning while
operation.
More laboratory work is required to better quantify the plastering effect in CwD, however, results from this paper
suggests potentials from using this technology in efficiently drilling through depleted sections.
According to the CFD simulation results, greater pipe eccentricity leads to less frictional pressure loss during
operation. Eccentricity scenarios must be considered in the design phase in order to improve hole cleaning during
operation.
More laboratory work is required to better quantify the plastering effect in CwD; however, the results presented in
this paper suggest the potential of this technology to efficiently drill through depleted sections.

Finally, the PPT results indicate that the addition of LCM helps to reduce filtrate loss; however, according to the field
results, no loss circulation occurred. This can be attributed to both having a good size distribution of the generated cuttings in
the mud and better ECD management. Another recommendation from this study is to optimize the PSD through Solid
Control (SC) units, which can eliminate the need to add LCMs.

Acknowledgement
The authors would like to thank the Louisiana Board of Regents, National Science Foundation and Weatherford for
funding this work. In addition, the authors are thankful to Garrett Thibodeaux from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette,
as well as Sloan Spears and Jason Hebert of the National Oilwell Varco Fluid Control Laboratory, for their help and
contributions to this work.

References
Bourgoyne, A.T., Millheim, K.K., Chenevert, M.E. and Young, F.S. 1986. Applied Drilling Engineering. SPE Textbook
Series Vol. 2, 502 pp.

Cerasi, P., Ladva, H. K., Bradbury, A. J., and Soga, K. 2001. Measurement of the Mechanical Properties of Filtercakes. SPE
68948, presented at SPE European Formation Damage and Conference, The Netherlands.

Costeno, H., Roed, H., Erivwo, O., Ngau, C., and Harris, A. 2012. Managing Shallow Gas Drilling Risk with Casing Drilling
Technology in Brown Field Re-development Campaigns. IADC/SPE Asia Pacific Drilling Technology Conference and
Exhibition, 9-11 July 2012, Tianjin, China.

De Luca, S., and Aliko, E. 2009. Casing-While-Drilling 24-in. Surface Section Enables Operator to Add One Extra Slot to
the Existing Drilling Template and Cut Operation Costs in Offshore Congo. SPE/IADC Drilling Conference and Exhibition,
17-19 March 2009, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Dodge, N. A. 1963. Friction losses in Annular Flow. ASME Winter Annual Meeting, paper 63-WA-11.

Eesa, M. 2009. CFD studies of complex fluid flows in pipes. Doctoral dissertation, University of Birmingham.
Fredrickson A. G. and Bird R B. 1958 Non-Newtonian Flow in Annuli, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. 50(3): 347-
352.
12 SPE 166112

Escudier, M. P., Gouldson, I. W., Oliveira, P. J., & Pinho, F. T. 2000. Effects of inner cylinder rotation on laminar flow of a
Newtonian fluid through an eccentric annulus. International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow, 21(1), 92-103.

Fjaer, E., Holt, R. M., Horsrud, A .M., Raeen, A. M., and Risnes, R. 2008. Petroleum Related Rock Mechanics. Second
edition, Elsevier Publishing.

Fontenot, K., Highnote, J., Warren, T., Houtchens, B. 2003. Casing drilling activity expands in south Texas. SPE/IADC
79862, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Hansen, S., and Sterri, N. 1995. Drill Pipe Rotation Effects on Frictional Pressure Losses in Slim Annuli. SPE 30488, SPE
Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, 22-25 October 1995, Dallas, Texas.

Iyoko A. W. and Azar J. J. 1981. An Accurate Slot-Flow Model for Non-Newtonian Fluid Flow Through Eccentric Annuli,
SPE Journal, 21(5): 565-572.

Karimi, M., Petrie, S., Moellendick, E., Holt, C. 2011. A Review of Casing Drilling Advantages to Reduce Lost Circulation,
Augment Wellbore Strengthening, Improve Wellbore Stability, and Mitigate Drilling-induced Formation Damage.
SPE/IADC Middle East Drilling Technology Conference and Exhibition, 24-26 October 2011, Muscat, Oman.

Karimi, M., Moellendick, E., Holt, C. 2011. Plastering effect of casing drilling; a qualitative analysis of pipe size
contribution. SPE conference, SPE 147102, Denver, Colorado, USA.

Kotow, K., and Pritchard, D. 2009. Riserless Drilling with Casing: A New Paradigm for Deepwater Well Design. Offshore
Technology Conference, 4-7 May 2009, Houston, Texas.

Kozicki, W. and Tiu, C. 1973. Flow of complex fluids in open or closed conduits, packed beds and porous media. Canadian
Journal of Chemical Engineering, 51(3): 359363.

Nouar, C., Desaubry, C., & Zenaidi, H. 1998. Numerical and experimental investigation of thermal convection for a
thermodependent Herschel-Bulkley fluid in an annular duct with rotating inner cylinder. European Journal of Mechanics-
B/Fluids, 17(6), 875-900.

Ogugbue, C. C. E. 2009. Non-Newtonian Power-law Fluid Flow in Eccentric Annuli: CFD Simulation and Experimental
Study, Doctoral dissertation, University of Oklahoma.

Ooms, G., Burgerscentrum, J., and Kampman-Reinhartz, B. 1999. Influence of drillpipe rotation and eccentricity on pressure
drop over borehole during drilling. SPE 56638, SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, 3-6 October, Houston,
Texas.

Ozbayoglu, M., and Omurlu, C. 2006. Analysis of the effect of eccentricity on the flow characteristics of annular flow of
non-Newtonian fluids using finite-element method. SPE 100147, SPE/ICoTA Coiled Tubing Conference & Exhibition, 4-5
April, The Woodlands, Texas, USA.

Pereira, F. A. R., Barrozo, M. A. S., & Atade, C. H. 2007. CFD predictions of drilling fluid velocity and pressure profiles in
laminar helical flow. Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering, 24(4), 587-595.

Plcido, J., Pasqualino, I., and Fonseca, E. 2005. Strength Analyses of Liners for Horizontal Wells. SPE Annual Technical
Conference and Exhibition, 9-12 October 2005, Dallas, Texas.

Robinson, S.D., Bealessio, T.M., and Shafer, R.S. 2008, Casing drilling in the San Juan basin to eliminate lost returns in a
depleted coal formation, IADC/SPE 112545, Orlando, Florida, USA.

Salehi, S., and Nygaard, R. 2011. Evaluation of New Drilling Approach for Widening Operational Window: Implications for
Wellbore Strengthening. SPE 140753, presented at SPE Productions and Operations Symposium, Oklahoma City, OK.

Salehi, S., Nygaard, R. 2012. Numerical Modeling of Induced Fracture Propagation: A Novel Approach for Lost Circulation
Materials (LCM) Design in Borehole Strengthening Applications of Deep Offshore Drilling. SPE/IADC 135155, SPE Annual
Technical Conference and Exhibition, October 2012, San Antonio, TX.
SPE 166112 13

Salehi, S., and Nygaard, R., 2011. Numerical Study of Fracture Initiation, Propagation, and Sealing to Enhance Wellbore
Fracture Gradient. 45th US Rock Mechanics Symposium, June 2011, San Francisco, CA.

Salehi, S., Mgboji, J., Aladasani, A., and Wang, S. 2013. Numerical and Analytical Investigation of Smear Effect in Casing
Drilling Technology: Implications for Enhancing Wellbore Integrity and Hole Cleaning. SPE/IADC 166112, SPE/IADC
Drilling Conference and Exhibition, 5-7 March 2013, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Sanchez, F., Houqani, S., Turki, M., and Cruz, M. 2012. Casing While Drilling (CwD): A New Approach to Drilling Fiqa
Formation in the Sultanate of Oman-A Success Story. June 2012, SPE Drilling and Completion Journal, pp. 223-232.

Vaugh, R. D. 1965. Axial Laminar Flow of Non-Newtonian Fluids in Narrow Eccentric Annuli. SPE Journal 4(5): 277-280.

Watts, R. D., Greener, M. R., McKeever, S., Scott, P.D., Beardmore, D. 2010. Particle Size Distribution Improves Casing-
While-Drilling Wellbore Strengthening Results. IADC/SPE 128913, Presented at the 2010 IADC/SPE Drilling Conference,
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A, 2-4 February.