Modeling drill cuttings deposition: An assessment

Abstract

An in-house tsunami simulation model TUNA is enhanced to incorporate a particle-based transport-deposition module to perform simulations of drill cuttings transport and deposition subject to tides, storms and tsunamis. A typical source of drill cuttings is derived from the disposal of drill cuttings from offshore oil and gas exploration platforms. This paper presents an analysis of the performance of three separate modules within the model TUNA-DP developed for simulating particle transport and dynamic plume turbulent entrainment with subsequent deposition on the seabed due to the discharge of drill cuttings from offshore platforms.