Study on deepwater conductor jet excavation mechanism in cohesive soil

Conductor casing jetting technique has been increasingly applied in deepwater drilling. The insight into the jetting excavation mechanisms is critical in guiding a successful conductor casing jetting operation. The real- time continuous jet excavation process is simulated with the volume of fluid (VOF) multiphase method of CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) ANSYS Fluent calculation software in the current study. The cohesive soil is modelled by using a kind of viscous fluid with Herschel-Bulkley model. In addition, a laboratory half round nozzle jet excavation test is designed for verification by comparison of the observed jet excavation profile with the numerical results. The sensitivity parameters affecting the conductor jetting excavation mechanism in cohesive soil are thus investigated. It is found that the application of Herschel-Bulkley (HB) model for cohesive soil and the VOF method of Fluent can provide a good simulation of jet excavation process. The maximum excavation depth can be determined by the undrained ultimate bearing capacity of the circular foundation with a bearing capacity factor of 6.7. The nozzle position, jet velocity and soil strength have significantly influence on the depth and width of the jet excavation profile in conductor oblique jet.     

深水导管设计及喷射安置工艺技术研究

海洋深水区域日益成为海洋油气勘探开发的热点,但海洋深水地层因其特殊的沉积环境,致使深水钻井面临不稳定的海床、地层破裂压力低及海底低温等诸多的挑战,喷射导管技术是解决深水浅层所面临挑战的技术之一.该技术采用在导管内下入喷射动力钻具的方式,依靠导管串自身重力边钻进边下入导管,喷射到位后利用地层的黏附力和摩擦力稳固住导管,起出送入工具和管内钻具,完成导管的安装,避免因水泥浆密度过大而压破地层,也可避免由于深水低温等因素影响固井质量.通过对导管的受力分析,提出了导管的下深及导管串组成结构,同时也研究了导管在喷射安置过程中如何优选喷射钻进参数及采取的技术措施,确保导管喷射安置到预定位置,为海洋深水井导管设计与喷射安置导管提供了很好的参考与借鉴.     

Experimental investigation of jetting effect on spudcan extraction from soft clay

The jack-up unit may suffer difficult extraction from soft clay attributed to the large embedment and suction. To ease spudcan extraction, the jetting technique is extensively adopted. The jetting effect on spudcan extraction is investigated with a series of model tests. Firstly, the effectiveness of top jetting is investigated, and it is found that the top jetting is not effective in reducing extraction resistance. Secondly, the efficiency of different jetting procedures are studied. It is revealed that jetting prior to extraction reduces the suction by increasing the excess pore pressure at spudcan base. And the jetting after extraction begins reduces the suction by filling the gap formed under the spudcan with jetting water and eliminating cavitation. Finally, tests with different jetting times, jetting rates, jetting pressures, and jetting nozzle locations and numbers are conducted. It is found that the effect of jetting time converges as it increases. The flow rate of jetting prior to extraction has little effect on jetting efficiency, whereas the flow rate of jetting after the extraction begins has significant influences on the jetting efficiency. Jetting pressure also has great effect on jetting efficiency, and converges as it increases. The closer the nozzles are located to the spudcan edge, the sooner the post-peak extraction resistance decreases. And the jetting efficiency increases with the nozzle number. The findings from the experimental studies can serve as a reference for future studies on the operation and optimization design of a jack-up jetting system.     

Method of predicting soil mechanical parameters in shallow formation while jetting process in deep-water drilling

The mechanical properties of shallow soils in deep water play an important role in drilling design and construction as well as later oil and gas development. Since it is difficult to collect soil samples from layers deeper than 10 m below the sea floor, the acquisition of shallow soil mechanics, based on the variation of drilling parameters in the deep-water drilling process, is not only economical but also reliable. In this article, we analyze the variation of subsea soil properties based on the variation of deep-water jet-drilling construction parameters, calculate the lateral friction resistance of conductor by use of weight-on-bit (WOB) and displacement parameters in the jetting process, and determine the drilled formation’s shear strength and internal friction angle in consideration of restored friction resistance. To verify the accuracy of the prediction-while-drilling model on seabed shallow soil mechanics, indoor unit and field simulation experiments were separately conducted. Moreover, the calculations from field application examples indicate that the prediction-while-drilling of deep-water seabed shallow soil mechanics achieves high conformity with the local practice results, which also indicates that this method could effectively guide field construction operations.     

Laboratory and field test study on the improvement of marine clay slurry by in-situ solidification

Abstract

Soil solidification technology can create an artificial hard shell on a soft soil surface but the type and proportion of the curing agent, the construction technology, and the strengthening depth have large influences on the strengthening effect and engineering cost. This study introduces a new technology of soil solidification whereby an artificial hard shell layer is used as a new method to improve the soft ground. For the in-situ solidification technology, the soil and curing agent are mixed well by using a strong stirring machine so that the soil is strengthened rapidly and forms a hard crust. We introduce the key technology of the in-situ soil solidification method and determine the in-situ crust carrying capacity. The indoor experiment on the curing agent proportions is validated with field tests and a vane shear test, static penetration test, and plate loading test are used to evaluate the reinforcement effect. The experimental results show that the in-situ curing technology of dredged fill processing markedly reduced the reinforcement depth range of the soil water content, improved the physical and mechanical indices, and increased the bearing capacity and strength of the artificial hard shell layer, thereby fully meeting the requirements for the bearing capacity of construction machinery.     

海床表层软土对宽浅式筒型基础承载特性影响研究

近海海床表层多为软黏土或淤泥质土,为探究海床表层软土对海上风电宽浅式筒型基础承载特性的影响,以中国广东某海域风电场为背景,通过有限元分析的方法,研究竖向、水平、弯矩荷载作用下软土层厚度和土体强度对基础极限承载力、破坏模式以及筒基土压力分布的影响。研究结果表明:当软土层厚度小于H/2(H为筒裙高度)时,单向荷载作用下宽浅式筒型基础极限承载力随软土层厚度的增加呈线性减小的趋势;当软土层厚度大于H/2后,承载力降低速率逐渐增大。表层软土的存在,使得塑性区范围缩小,软土层内土体塑性破坏更加明显。竖向荷载作用下,随软土层厚度的增大,筒顶承载先减小后增大,筒内侧摩阻力先增大后减小;水平荷载和弯矩作用下,筒侧被动土压力的降低是引起软土覆盖地基中基础承载能力降低的主要因素。     

考虑冲刷影响的筒型基础竖向极限承载力研究

大直径宽浅式筒型基础,阻水宽度大,在位工作期间受波浪海流作用,其周围土体易被冲刷。为研究单侧地基土体受冲刷后筒型基础的竖向极限承载力变化,通过引进冲刷率的概念,采用有限元方法研究了不同冲刷率下筒型基础的竖向极限承载力;并基于Meyerhof理论建立了计算不同冲刷率下筒型基础竖向极限承载力的极限平衡方法。研究结果表明,随着冲刷率增大,筒型基础的极限承载力出现不同程度的下降,当冲刷率为0.8时,即筒型基础单侧土体冲刷深度达6.4 m时,筒型基础的竖向极限承载力折减率为3.28%。建立的极限平衡算法可准确计算冲刷条件下筒型基础的竖向极限承载力。     

上软下硬黏土中四筒基础抗倾覆承载特性研究

随着海上风电向深远海发展,四筒基础发展潜力巨大。中国大多数海域存在较厚的上覆软土层,对基础抗倾覆承载能力有着重大影响。采用有限元软件ABAQUS建立上软下硬分层黏土模型,对四筒基础在单向水平荷载和弯矩荷载作用下的承载力特性进行研究。研究结果表明：四筒基础在水平、弯矩荷载作用下主要运动模式为转动,对边加载时,转动轴靠近受压筒且随着软土层厚度增加不断靠近四筒基础平面中心,但变化幅度较小;水平和弯矩极限承载力对于不同的筒间距和长径比具有相同的变化趋势,当软土层厚度h/筒高L≤3/4时,水平和弯矩承载力随着软土层厚度的增加近似线性降低,当h/L＞3/4后,承载力降低速率明显减小。     

复合加载下考虑接触作用的地基承载特性数值分析

港口、海洋工程结构物基础一般处于复合加载状态,其极限承载力通常采用近来引入的极限荷载图进行评价.对位于地基表面的重力式海洋基础,需要考虑基础与地基间的接触特性对极限承载力的影响.以大型通用有限元软件ABAQUS为计算平台,建立了复合加载模式的地基极限承载力数值分析方法;针对饱和黏土地基上的表面基础,利用在ABAQUS平台上开发的接触计算模块,模拟基础与地基间竖向可分离、切向完全粘结的接触作用;进而基于建立的分析方法,进行系统的有限元计算,分析地基的破坏模式随荷载条件的变化,给出地基的极限荷载包络图,并与经典承载力计算公式结果进行对比.研究结果表明,经典承载力计算公式低估了三维荷载条件下的地基极限承载力,有限元计算模型及数值分析方法,可以较好地分析研究地基的失稳机理及承载力特性,并可考虑基础与地基不同的接触条件对破坏模式及组合极限承载力的影响.     

Methods of setting depth range with credibility of conductor for deepwater drilling based on probability statistics

Becasuse of the deep water depth and long riser of deepwater drilling, the stability of subsea wellhead is threatened. Meanwhile, the setting depth of conductor directly affects the mechanical stability of subsea wellhead. Through analyzing the impact of different factors on the setting depth of conductor, we found that the bearing capacity growth factor of subsea soil has a great influence on the setting depth of conductor. However, the coefficient is a regional and empirical constant, which seriously affects the accuracy and reliability of the results. In this paper, probability statistics and geostatistics methods are employed to count the bearing capacity growth factor of target point's adjacent wells, as well as transplant and predict the target point through differential arithmetic, which can obtain the predictive value of target point's coefficient containing probability information. Finally, we can obtain the setting depth range with credibility of conductor. This is conducive to designers to calculate the setting depth of conductor with other uncertain factors taken into account, and reasonably control the potential risks.     

深水井口导管管土界面摩擦退化试验研究

深水井口导管在黏土中的贯入阻力与导管土体界面的黏性摩擦系数密切相关。在导管安装过程中,管土界面会产生大位移剪切,使得导管-黏土界面剪切力产生退化。本文针对传统剪切试验装置小位移剪切的限制,无法正确描述井口导管贯入时导管-黏土界面大位移剪切时的退化机理,采用GDS多功能界面剪切试验仪在恒应力条件下进行大位移单调剪切试验,研究法向应力对导管管土界面摩擦退化机理的影响规律。试验结果表明,大位移单调剪切时,界面剪应力随剪切位移先增大后减小,最终趋于稳定,界面表现出剪应力退化现象,随着法向应力的增大界面峰值应力与残余应力均增大;土样法向位移随着剪切位移、法向应力的增加而增大最终趋于稳定。最后在对试验数据分析的基础上,基于剪应力随无量纲位移的退化规律,提出了界面剪应力随累积位移退化的计算方法。并结合算例对比分析了井口导管在贯入80 m深度处,由于界面摩擦退化效应导致导管贯入阻力降低了28.48%。     

深海能源土含气储层力学特性三轴试验研究

为研究深海能源土在负压开采过程中含气储层的力学特性,基于含气土赋存理论,提出一种能够控制含气量及气泡大小的制样方法,通过GDS标准应力路径三轴试验系统,开展深海能源土含气储层的固结排水试验研究,分析深海能源土在不同黏土含量及不同含气量下的力学响应规律。研究结果表明：围压变化对深海能源土含气储层的抗剪强度峰值大小影响显著,围压越大抗剪强度峰值越高;黏土含量是决定应力应变曲线变化趋势的关键影响因素,黏土含量越高试样抗剪强度越低,试样抵抗应变软化效应的能力越强;含气土比饱和土体承载能力更低,且承载能力随含气量的增大呈衰减趋势;黏土含量和含气量是深海能源土含气储层抗剪强度指标的重要影响因素,黏土含量、含气量越高,土体自身的总抗剪强度值越低。     

复合加载下桶形基础循环承载性能数值分析

作为一种新型基础形式,吸力式桶形基础除了承受海洋平台结构及自身重量等竖向荷载的长期作用之外,往往还遭受波浪等所产生的水平荷载及其力矩等其它荷载分量的瞬时或循环作用。对复合加载模式下软土地基中桶形基础及其结构的循环承载性能尚缺乏合理的分析与计算方法。应用Andersen等对重力式平台基础及地基所建议的分析方法,基于软黏土的循环强度概念,在大型通用有限元分析软件ABAQUS平台上,通过二次开发,将软土的循环强度与Mises屈服准则结合,针对吸力式桶形基础,基于拟静力分析建立了复合加载模式下循环承载性能的计算模型,并与复合加载作用下极限承载性能进行了对比。由此表明,与极限承载力相比,桶形基础的循环承载力显著降低。     

Calculation of side friction resistance between the formation and conductor during the jetting process in deepwater drilling

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper is to develop a method for calculating side friction resistance during the jetting process to improve drilling efficiency. Side friction dynamics in length of time was determined by means of dynamic force analysis of the conductor during the jetting process by experiment, and the real-time calculation model of side friction between the formation and conductor was developed. In particular, 3-1/2″, 5-1/2″, and 9-5/8″ conductors were used to simulate actual field operation. The calculated values match well with the true values. Simulation experiments were performed in the central fishing harbor of Bohai Sea, Tianjin Province, China.     

有限元法在桩靴承载力计算中的应用

自升式钻井平台插桩是地基土在桩靴荷载作用下发生连续的塑性破坏的动态过程,当地基极限承载力等于桩靴荷载时插桩完成。经典土力学极限承载力理论对土体潜在滑动面做了假设,无法有效分析土体内部的破坏过程。本研究应用有限元法（FEM ）对插桩过程进行了模拟,得到地基土的破坏机制以及中间荷载下土体的应力、应变情况,通过和各理论公式计算的极限承载力进行对比分析,分析影响地基极限承载力的因素。研究表明,基础宽度与硬土层厚度的比值 B/H越大,下卧软土层越容易发生塑性破坏,极限承载力明显下降,当B/H＜0．286时,可以忽略下卧软土层对地基承载力的影响。     

Study of the Bearing Capacity at the Variable Cross-Section of A Riser-Surface Casing Composite Pile

Reducing the cost of offshore platform construction is an urgent issue for marginal oilfield development.The offshore oil well structure includes a riser and a surface casing.The riser,surface casing and oil well cement can be considered special variable cross-section piles.Replacing or partially replacing the steel pipe pile foundation with a variable cross-section pile to provide the required bearing capacity for an offshore oil platform can reduce the cost of foundation construction and improve the economic efficiency of production.In this paper,the finite element analysis method is used to investigate the variable cross-section bearing mode of composite piles composed of a riser and a surface casing in saturated clay under a vertical load.The calculation formula of the bearing capacity at the variable section is derived based on the theory of spherical cavity expansion,the influencing factors of the bearing capacity coefficient N_c are revealed,and the calculation method of N_c is proposed.By comparing the calculation results with the results of the centrifuge test,the accuracy and applicability of the calculation method are verified.The results show that the riser composite pile has a rigid core in the soil under the variable cross-section,which increases the bearing capacity at the variable cross-section.     

海上复杂地质条件下大直径钢管桩时效性试验研究

通过对3根海上复杂地质条件下的大直径钢管桩采取高应变初打与不同休止时间复打相结合的试验方法,得到不同休止时间钢管桩承载力、侧阻力及端阻力大小,以此对不同桩侧土及持力层对钢管桩时效性的影响进行了研究。研究结果表明:1)钢管桩承载力时效性现象明显,且随时间增长迅速; 2)钢管桩侧阻力的恢复系数远大于端阻力; 3)桩侧黏性土强度的恢复是钢管桩侧阻力增加的主要原因; 4)砂土层虽提供的侧阻力较大,但其对侧阻力增长的贡献不如黏性土; 5)持力层越硬,端阻力与承载力的恢复性越差。     

Influence of the Spudcan Angle on the Ultimate Bearing Capacity of Jack-up Platform

Jack-up platforms of the Ocean engineering structures always withstand the vertical gravity loads which are applied to the seabed by spudcan, so it is important to determine the bearing capacity and the penetration depth of the spudcan for its geometry. In fact, it is up to the deformation law and the failure modes of soil surrounding the spudcan which can calculate the ultimate bearing capacity of the spudcan foundation on the soil seabed. By using the finite element analysis software Abaqus, the deformation law of soil around the spudcan is analyzed in detail, and the failure modes of soil surrounding the spudcan foundation are achieved. At the same time, based on the limit equilibrium theory, by use of static permissible slip-line field, the ultimate bearing capacity of the spudcan foundation is analyzed and the lower limit solution is derived theoretically, and the effect of the spudcan angle on the ultimate bearing capacity is investigated. The numerical results are compared with those obtained by the theoretical formulas deduced in this paper. On the basis of the lower limit solutions in this paper, the effect of the spudcan angle on the ultimate bearing capacity is revealed, and a practical bearing capacity formula is given to take the effect of the spudcan angle into consideration.     

自升式平台桩脚在含硬壳层地基中的插深分析

存在硬壳层的层状地基承载能力分析是自升式钻井平台桩脚插深分析的关键,但是目前对硬壳层承载能力的确定还没有成熟可行的理论计算方法。一般的针对非均质层状地基的承载力计算方法,因参数较多,计算步骤繁琐,很难广泛应用于实际的平台桩脚入泥深度分析中。文中主要介绍了存在硬壳层的层状地基承载力的分析方法与过程,根据应力扩散原理推导并做适当的简化得到硬壳层承载力修正方法。简化后的修正方法能满足一般硬壳层承载力分析的需要,并使平台插桩深度分析计算过程变得简便。通过在实际工程的应用,得到的实测结果与理论计算值也较为一致,说明了用此方法分析硬壳层地基的平台插桩是合理、实用的。     

砂土中冲刷条件下三筒基础水平承载特性研究

通过开展小比尺三筒基础承载力模型试验,研究冲刷条件下三筒基础水平承载特性,建立数值模型对模型试验结果进行验证与扩展,分析水平和弯矩荷载下,冲刷率e和相对筒间距S/D对极限承载力的影响,提出三筒基础极限承载力的冲刷修正系数dhe、dme的计算方法;采用固定荷载比方法,通过数值模型计算M-H加载条件下三筒基础的破坏包络线,分析冲刷率e和相对筒间距S/D对复合加载特性的影响,提出冲刷条件下三筒基础M-H破坏包络线公式。研究结果表明：冲刷条件下的三筒基础受水平和弯矩作用直至破坏的过程,经历弹性变形—塑性变形—失稳破坏3个阶段;三筒基础的水平极限承载力随冲刷率e的增大而下降,且下降速率逐渐增大,相同长径比的三筒基础的水平极限承载力随相对筒间距的减小而降低;随着冲刷率e的提高,三筒基础的M-H破坏包络线向内移动,随着相对筒间距S/D增大,归一化破坏包络线呈上凸的趋势。