Advancing a tubular string in a wellbore

Abstract

A disclosed system can include a flow modulation system at a surface location configured to receive fluid returned from a wellbore, the flow modulation system periodically varying a flow rate of the fluid returned from the wellbore. A method of advancing a tubular string can include pumping fluid through the tubular string and into a wellbore, returning the fluid to a surface location, and flowing the returned fluid through a time-varying flow restrictor at the surface location, thereby producing fluctuations in a flow rate of the returned fluid. Another system can include a pump connected to an annulus, a flow rate of fluid pumped into the annulus at a surface location is varied to thereby produce vibration of the tubular string. Another method can include varying a flow rate of fluid pumped into an annulus as a tubular string is advanced in a well, thereby vibrating the tubular string.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.