Research Article
Open Access
A Comparative Study on Drag Reduction Methods for Continental Shale Drilling in the Fuxing Block, Southeastern Sichuan Basin
1
Technology Development Department, Sinopec Jianghan Engineering Company, Wuhan 430024, China
2
Drilling Company No.1 of Sinopec Jianghan Petroleum Engineering Co., Ltd., Qianjiang 433123, China
Corresponding Author:
Ye Yang,
[email protected]
Volume 2, Issue 2
2026
Received: 28 December 2025
Accepted: 07 February 2026
Published: 28 February 2026
Article Information
Abstract
Extended-reach horizontal wells in continental shale formations of the Fuxing Block, southeastern Sichuan Basin, face prominent challenges, including drag and torque exceeding 50 metric tons and difficulties in weight-on-bit (WOB) transfer. Continental shale is characterized by high porosity, high permeability, distinct amphiphilic properties, and rapid performance degradation of oil-based drilling fluids (OBDF). These features lead to the formation of thick filter cakes and compacted cuttings beds, which further exacerbate abnormal drag. Existing research often focuses on single technical aspects, lacking integrated, full-cycle multi-factor coupling analysis. Based on field data from 14 drilled wells in the block, this study standardizes key factors through data preprocessing, quantifies process weights using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) model, and fits censored drag data via the Reliability Analysis model. Results indicate that design optimization contributes most significantly to drag reduction (weight: 0.5499). The critical failure drag for encapsulated lubricants is identified as 61.74 t. For wells with horizontal sections exceeding 2500 m, the application of floating casing technology enhances drag control reliability.
Graphical Abstract
Keywords
continental shale
horizontal well
drag/torque
AHP model
reliability analysis model
Data Availability Statement
Data will be made available on request.
Funding
This work was supported by the China Petrochemical Shale Gas “Ten Dragons” Science and Technology Research Project under Grant P18051.
Conflicts of Interest
Yunfeng Hu is affiliated with the Technology Development Department, Sinopec Jianghan Engineering Company, Wuhan 430024, China; Ye Yang is affiliated with the Drilling Company No.1 of Sinopec Jianghan Petroleum Engineering Co., Ltd., Qianjiang 433123, China. The authors declare that these affiliations had no influence on the study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or the decision to publish, and that no other competing interests exist.
AI Use Statement
The authors declare that no generative AI was used in the preparation of this manuscript.
Ethical Approval and Consent to Participate
Not applicable.
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APA Style
Hu, Y., & Yang, Y. (2026). A Comparative Study on Drag Reduction Methods for Continental Shale Drilling in the Fuxing Block, Southeastern Sichuan Basin. Reservoir Science, 2(2), 81–96. https://doi.org/10.62762/RS.2025.790790
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TY - JOUR AU - Hu, Yunfeng AU - Yang, Ye PY - 2026 DA - 2026/02/28 TI - A Comparative Study on Drag Reduction Methods for Continental Shale Drilling in the Fuxing Block, Southeastern Sichuan Basin JO - Reservoir Science T2 - Reservoir Science JF - Reservoir Science VL - 2 IS - 2 SP - 81 EP - 96 DO - 10.62762/RS.2025.790790 UR - https://www.icck.org/article/abs/RS.2025.790790 KW - continental shale KW - horizontal well KW - drag/torque KW - AHP model KW - reliability analysis model AB - Extended-reach horizontal wells in continental shale formations of the Fuxing Block, southeastern Sichuan Basin, face prominent challenges, including drag and torque exceeding 50 metric tons and difficulties in weight-on-bit (WOB) transfer. Continental shale is characterized by high porosity, high permeability, distinct amphiphilic properties, and rapid performance degradation of oil-based drilling fluids (OBDF). These features lead to the formation of thick filter cakes and compacted cuttings beds, which further exacerbate abnormal drag. Existing research often focuses on single technical aspects, lacking integrated, full-cycle multi-factor coupling analysis. Based on field data from 14 drilled wells in the block, this study standardizes key factors through data preprocessing, quantifies process weights using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) model, and fits censored drag data via the Reliability Analysis model. Results indicate that design optimization contributes most significantly to drag reduction (weight: 0.5499). The critical failure drag for encapsulated lubricants is identified as 61.74 t. For wells with horizontal sections exceeding 2500 m, the application of floating casing technology enhances drag control reliability. SN - 3070-2356 PB - Institute of Central Computation and Knowledge LA - English ER -
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@article{Hu2026A,
author = {Yunfeng Hu and Ye Yang},
title = {A Comparative Study on Drag Reduction Methods for Continental Shale Drilling in the Fuxing Block, Southeastern Sichuan Basin},
journal = {Reservoir Science},
year = {2026},
volume = {2},
number = {2},
pages = {81-96},
doi = {10.62762/RS.2025.790790},
url = {https://www.icck.org/article/abs/RS.2025.790790},
abstract = {Extended-reach horizontal wells in continental shale formations of the Fuxing Block, southeastern Sichuan Basin, face prominent challenges, including drag and torque exceeding 50 metric tons and difficulties in weight-on-bit (WOB) transfer. Continental shale is characterized by high porosity, high permeability, distinct amphiphilic properties, and rapid performance degradation of oil-based drilling fluids (OBDF). These features lead to the formation of thick filter cakes and compacted cuttings beds, which further exacerbate abnormal drag. Existing research often focuses on single technical aspects, lacking integrated, full-cycle multi-factor coupling analysis. Based on field data from 14 drilled wells in the block, this study standardizes key factors through data preprocessing, quantifies process weights using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) model, and fits censored drag data via the Reliability Analysis model. Results indicate that design optimization contributes most significantly to drag reduction (weight: 0.5499). The critical failure drag for encapsulated lubricants is identified as 61.74 t. For wells with horizontal sections exceeding 2500 m, the application of floating casing technology enhances drag control reliability.},
keywords = {continental shale, horizontal well, drag/torque, AHP model, reliability analysis model},
issn = {3070-2356},
publisher = {Institute of Central Computation and Knowledge}
}
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