Cuttings Produced per Foot of Hole Drilled (bbls) Formula |
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| \( V_c \;=\; \dfrac{ D_h^2 }{ 1029.4 } \cdot ( 1 - \phi ) \) | ||
| Symbol | English | Metric |
| \( V _c \) = Cuttings Produced per Foot of Hole Drilled | \(bbls\) | - |
| \( D_h \) = Bit or Hole Size OD | \(in\) | - |
| \( \phi \) (Greek symbol phi) = Porosity | \(dimensionless\) | - |
Cuttings produced per foot of hole drilled is the volume or mass of rock fragments removed for every foot of borehole created. This value is essential for various calculations, including determining the efficiency of drilling, planning for cuttings handling and disposal, and even for geological analysis of the subsurface formations. The amount of cuttings generated per foot is primarily influenced by the diameter of the drill bit. A larger bit will naturally produce a greater volume of cuttings for the same drilled interval. The porosity of the formation plays a significant role. In formations with higher porosity, the solid volume removed is less than the total drilled volume, as some of what is drilled is void space containing fluids. A porosity factor is uesd to estimate the actual volume of solid cuttings.
Cuttings Produced per Foot of Hole Drilled (lbs) Formula |
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| \( W_{cg} \;=\; 350 \cdot C_a \cdot L_d \cdot ( 1 - \phi) \cdot SG \) | ||
| Symbol | English | Metric |
| \( V _c \) = Cuttings Produced per Foot of Hole Drilled | \(lbm\) | - |
| \( C_a \) = Capacity of Hole | \(bbl\;/\;ft\) | - |
| \( L_d \) = Footage Drilled | \(ft\) | |
| \( \phi \) (Greek symbol phi) = Porosity | \(dimensionless\) | - |
| \( SG \) = Specific Gravity of Cuttings | \(dimensionless\) | - |
