Petroleum Engineering 406/639

Fall 2017

Lesson 16: Lost Returns

First, Identify the Loss Mechanism (Physics-Based)
1. Seepage 2. Fracture Propagation

Increased Hoop Stress

Use blocking solids
engineered to bridge Widen the fracture
the pore throats in to compress the
the given sand W adjacent rock to
increase the stress
holding the
borehole closed

3. Vugular 4. Mud-Conductive Fractures

Fill fracture or vugs

with setting fluid (i.e., To be “conductive” to mud
cement) with barite, fractures must
have aperture > 100-150
microns in width.
IPTC 14423

2
We Will Not Discuss Seepage, Vugular, or Conductive Fracture
Seepage
Seepage is defined as the flow of whole mud or filtrate into the matrix of the rock,
without opening the wellbore. Significant seepage rates are not possible if we
have properly sized bridging material (barite alone if < 1 Darcy). See Lesson 12
Vugular
By definition, vugular rock has opening greater than 1/8”. A more practical
definition is that they are large enough that we cannot pump any thing through a
bit that will bridge the openings. First try to pump the largest LCM you can. If this
does not plug the opening, you will need to place a “setting” material that fills the
voids and then hole it in place while it sets (cement, gunk plug, DOB2C, etc.). See
IPTC 14423
Conductive Fractures
The treatment is similar to vugular. You try the largest LCM you can pump
through your bit. If it doesn’t work you will need to spot a “setting” system to fill
the holes and hold it in place while it sets
Fracture Propagation Losses
Wellbore pressure exceeds the stress holding the hole closed and we open the
borehole, creating and propagating a fracture with our lost mud

3
Fracture Propagation Losses

A lost returns fracture is propagated when wellbore pressure exceeds the

stress holding the hole closed, though a small amount of tensile strength
must also be overcome
There is no industry consensus on many terms used in lost returns
management, including “integrity”. In recent years, “wellbore strength”
has become popular, but the term “strengthening” is misleading, as the
pressure required to open the borehole has almost nothing to do with
formation strength
We do not strengthen the wellbore to change the integrity, we literally
change the “stress” holding the hole closed. We must “stress” it
(increase the hoop stress holding the hole closed).

4
“Weak” Formations Simply Have Lower Stress
• As your increase MW, fracture propagation losses are more likely to occur in
the sands because the have lower stress to start with.
• But a sand’s integrity can be reduced much further by depletion. Most major
loss events occur in fields with depleted sands. We know where they are and
what their pressure is. The question is, what is the most effective strategy to
deal with a given level of depletion?

5
Stress Holding the Hole Closed Should be Higher Than Hmin
The degree to which the Hoop Stress exceeds the far field is called the
Hoop Stress Concentration (HSC). Our borehole pressure must be higher
than Hmin to overcome this. The reality is often different and we’ll come
back to that later. We can depend on Hmin, we can’t depend on the HSC

Hoop Stress
Rw= 8.5”
Far Field
Stress (Hmin)
4”
8” 0 1 2 3 4
1r
(r - Rw)/Rw
2r
Borehole wall = 0

6
Protect the Stress That Should Be There to Start With

The Kirsch equations say we may be able to elevate the borehole

opening pressure by hundreds of psi if we can prevent pressurization of
the pore spaces around the well
• Calculate the Kirsch hoop stress so you know what the potential prize is.
Your borehole stability modelers do this anyway
• Run PPT rather than HTHP tests to evaluate the cake on higher permeability
sands. HTHP is run on 3md filter paper and our perm is much higher (larger
pore throats to bridge)
• Add fine CaCO3 (5 micron) to pack the interstitial spaces between the barite
particles in the cake. Also, add 25-50 micron to bridge pore throats in perm
above 1 Darcy
• Use stabilizers to strip the initial drill solids laden cake off. If you are drilling
sand, the initial cake is full of sand and highly permeable
• Consider Drill and Seal treatments. Circulate extremely low fluid loss pills
while reaming to strip original cake and replace it with a nearly impermeable
one. Also use for differential sticking and wireline formation tests

7
The Stress That is Important is Specifically the “Hoop Stress”

Instability
If MW is inadequate, Hoop
Stress exceeds strength and
the rock fails and the hole
enlarges
Hoop Stress
Lost Returns
If MW is too high the, Hoop
Stress goes to zero. There is
Resisting no stress left to hold the hole
Pressure closed. Pressure pushes the
hole open

Hoop Stress
0 psi
Compressive Tension
Failure Lost Returns

circumference for bit size

SPE 92192 8
 To Change the Hoop Stress We Create Fracture Width
To change the borehole opening pressure we must increase the stress holding it closed.
We do this by creating increased fracture width. The force we apply to compress the
adjacent rock to create the width travels around the hole and increases the stress in the
hoop in all directions. We then have to block this width open permanently to maintain the
elevated borehole opening pressure as we continue the well.Tension
Stress (~fluid pressure)

Slope is
Modulus of
Elasticity

Strain (~width)

Compression

SPE 163481 9
We Must Elevate the Fracture Closure Stress (FCS)

Fractures open in width. Length just happens

Our pressure does not push on the end of the fracture. There is
no area there to push on. Pressure must push on the face of the
fracture which creates width. Opening the width causes the tip to
extend
The implication is very significant:

If we want to stop the tip from extending (lost

returns) we must first stop the width from widening

We must elevate the stress holding the fracture closed, which

leads us to the idea of Fracture Closure Stress (FCS)Treatments

10
Two Approaches: 1) Discrete Pills 2) Continuous Fluids
Discrete pills are typically small volumes of fluid containing LCM that are
pumped into the propagating fracture after the loss has occurred.
• They isolate the tip with an immobile mass of solids that forms as the
carrier fluid leaks off
• Additional width and closing stress are crated by closing the annular
preventer and applying “squeeze” pressure
All particulate LCMs, cement, and cross-linked polymers are discrete pills

Continuous Stress Building Fluids are drilling fluids that contain LCM
of an “engineered” size, usually at 15-20 ppb concentration. The width of
fracture they can create is limited by the size of particle you circulate
• They isolate the tip with particles sized to match the width of aperture that
will be created by your ECD while drilling. They seal instantly to prevent
fracture extension. The aperture width must be calcualted to select the size
• The width is created by the circulating pressure in the wellbore, so the
integrity achieved will only be slightly higher than the circulating pressure
Includes BP Stress CageTM, ExxonMobil DSFTM, Conoco Loss Prevention
Material (LPMTM), Halliburton WellsetTM, and MI Swaco OptiStressTM

11
When to Use Discrete or Continuous Treatments
Circulating pressure on the hole
increases with length, but integrity does
not – losses occur. Use continuous
stress-building fluid treatment, or
managed pressure drilling

When LR occurs, bottom hole pressure falls to

equal Fracture Closure Stress.
Three things can happen, depending on the FCS:
1. Simple lost returns. Use discrete treatment
2. Borehole collapse. Use continuous stress-building
3. Underground flow. Use continuous stress-building
BHP = FCS
Remember, there is no practical method for building stress in impermeable formations.
Redesign to reduce the ECD, or consider Managed Pressure Drilling
SPE 119656
12
Determine Your Integrity From Offset “Depletion Factor”

Depletion factor is calculated from historical experience with

offset wells having drawdown. Determine the loss of integrity per
psi/ppg of draw down in offsets, then apply the same ratio based
on your own expected drawdown:
Offset original integrity: 14.0 ppg
Offset Drawdown: 3.0 ppg
Observed integrity during loss event in offset: 12.5 ppg
Loss of Integrity: 14.0-12.5 = 1.5 ppg
Depletion Factor = 1.5 / 3.0 = 0.5

With this data, we can estimate the effect of other levels of

drawdown:
Known Depletion Factor: 0.5
New Drawdown: 4.0 ppg psi
Estimated Loss of Integrity = (0.5)(4.0) = 2 ppg
Estimated integrity = 14.0 – 2.0 = 12.0 ppg

13
Discrete Pills

14
When to Bullhead or Balance Pills
Balance the pill if the FCS is high enough that you have almost full returns.
Bullhead if not.
Bullhead Balanced
If pill cannot be placed If pill can be placed with
with full returns full returns
1. Pull bit to previous shoe 1. Circulate to balance pill
or safe point. Ensure bit inside and out
is high enough that pill 2. Pull bit above LCM to
will be below it when shoe or safe point
pumping stops
3. Close annular preventer
2. Close annular
4. Conduct hesitation
3. Use Hydrostatic Packer if squeeze to build FCS
the well will not stand full
4. Bullhead treatment down
DP to loss point
5. Hold pressure while
waiting for fracture to leak
off and close
6. Conduct hesitation
squeeze to build FCS
SPE 112657 15
How Do We Increase the Hoop Stress (Integrity)?
We widen the lost returns fracture to compress the adjacent rock to increase the stress
holding the borehole closed. The wider we make the fracture, the more we compress the
adjacent rock in the hoop, causing the stress in the hoop holding the hole closed to
increase
LCM solids lose their carrier fluid to
the permeability. The solids left Increased Hoop Stress
behind become an immobile mass.
Isolating the tip from pressure

Pressure
Pw Widens
Fracture

FCS
LCM pill
filtrate
Every successful treatment must:
1. isolate the tip from borehole pressure so that it cannot grow as we increase the
borehole pressure to widen the fracture.
2. achieve sufficient fracture width that the closing stress exceeds the future
borehole pressure. The pressure that widens the fracture may be our static
hydrostatic head, ECD, or we may close the annular and apply pump pressure.
The more we widen, the more we compress the rock and the more it pushes back
16
The Physics: Must Achieve and “Plug” Width, Not the Tip
Imagine LCM has been pumped. The carrier fluid has leaked
FCS off, leaving an immobile mass behind. Some width and hoop
stress has been built and we can now circulate
Pw

However, if the borehole pressure becomes greater than the

fracture closure stress (FCS) with the given width, the fracture
will widen further and losses will continue. We must achieve
FCS
an FCS (width) that exceeds the future wellbore pressure

Pw

Treatments vary in their ability to create the width required for a given
situation. The fact that a treatment process has stopped losses at the
moment does not mean it will allow us to raise MW or cement later on. We
need to determine the stress needed, then have a process for achieving it
SPE 92192 17
The Required Width also Depends on the Length
The shorter the propped length, the less width we need to achieve the
same increase in hoop stress. Placement practices must control length
2500 Desired Increase in Hoop Stress
2200 microns
2100 psi
2000 psi
Required Width (microns)

2000 1900 psi

1800 psi

1500
1200 microns

1000 FCS

E = 2.395 Msi

500

Propped Unpropped
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Propped Fracture Length (ft)
SPE 112656 18
 Correct and Incorrect Ideas
We plug the tip
ΔP Cannot have high closing stress at a
point where the fracture is narrow.
WP Borehole pressure will widen the fracture
FCS FCS and bypass the “plug”

ΔP We create fracture extension resistance

We need much more width the greater the
WP plugged length. We often can’t get required
width in a “running” squeeze with a long
FCS fracture
We seal the fracture
The wellbore pressure will widen the fracture,
WP even if it is behind a seal. The seal will then fail
FCS if the width and closing stress is not adequate
to prevent further opening

FCS Squeeze 
Short fracture minimizes required width.
WP Hesitation squeezing achieves width in
FCS layers so we do not have to isolate the tip.
High certainty of success
19
Procedure Depends on Treatment Difficulty, Not Loss Rate
Mild
• Behavior we call “taking a drink”
• Shut down and let hole “heal”
• Then bring pumps up slowly
• Rarely works with NAF
Moderate
• Spot high solids, high fluid loss,
water based pill
• PU above and wait
• Bring pumps up slowly and apply
ECD to squeeze and widen fracture
Severe
• If well will not stand full, use
hydrostatic packer to control
placement
• Use water based, high solids, high
IV. Impermeable fluid loss pill and squeeze
• Hesitation squeeze small volumes
(<3bbls) until stress equals shales
Impermeable
• No practical/reliable method

SPE 92192 20
 Moderate Treatment Difficulty

15.9 ppg pill

204 ppb, 400 micron LCM
175 ppb barite
32% Total Solids

SPE 92192 21
 Severe Treatment Difficulty

15.9 ppg pill

140 ppb, 400 micron LCM
335 ppb barite
40% Total Solids

SPE 92192 22
 Use Very Small Hesitation Squeezes (< 3bbls)
FIP is no longer increasing with each hesitation. FCS (integrity) now equals
integrity of boundary shales. Stop job. LCM does not work in impermeable
rock

Pressure decline indicates length

is growing. Stop hesitation
Pressure (Eq ppg)

squeeze at first declining pressure,

which may be less than 3 bbls

1-3 bbls/hesitation
• Plan LCM volume for 1-3 bbls per
hesitation + hole volume + placement
error
• Hold and observe pressure for 15-30
Squeeze Volume (Time after shut in) min between hesitations
• Plot all hesitations on top of each
other to enable comparison
23
Discrete Pill Design For Severe Treatment Difficulty
The essential elements in the design of effective particulate LCM pills are
described in SPE 92192. These are generally accepted by the industry and most
commercially available LCM blends are consistent with these principles
• High fluid loss pill. Do not use LCM suspending agents that also reduce fluid loss
(bentonite, etc.) Use attapulgite and a small amount of xantham gum
• Start with a high solids content so that little fluid loss is required to achieve an
immobile mass in the fracture (start with 20-35% solids)
• Particle sizes is not as important as fluid loss. All solids will form an immobile mass
when they run out of carrier fluid. Use 400 micron LCM, because this is generally the
largest size that has high quality control of the particle sizes, and it’s cheap. It also
has little fine solids content that might bridge pore throats to limit filtrate losses
• Plan the job to allow hesitation squeezing. The options is a running squeeze in which
we hope for enough filtrate loss to achieve a running squeeze. In unfavourable
conditions, this will not occur (particularly if previous NAF losses have damaged the
perm in the fracture face)
• If the well will not stand full, any pill you pump will be overdisplaced when you follow it
with drill-weight mud to put it in place. Use a hydrostatic packer for placement any
time the well will not stand full (SPE 112657)

24
Start With High Percent Solids by Volume

Up to 30% solids with irregular shaped particles (i.e., Nut hulls)

Up to 40% with regular, round particles (i.e., CaCO3, Steel Seal)

The particles size used to prop the fracture doesn’t matter in fracture
propagation losses unless you’re trying to get a “running squeeze”. We
use larger LCM to disrupt the barite cake to achieve high fluid loss

Any particle size will become an immobile mass when it runs out of water

Generally, 400-500 micron material is preferred because it can be pumped

through all LWD equipment at very high concentrations and it has good
quality control

Tools plug due to failure to suspend, not concentration of LCM. Conduct

2hr suspension tests on pills at BHT prior to pumping

25
Use Products to Enhance Fluid Loss
Use Attapulgite for suspension. Diatomaceous earth (Diacel M)
Suspends but does not inhibit fluid disrupts barite bridginf of fracrure
loss. Use no more than 0.25 ppb XCD face pores. Use > 2% by volume

5

26
Control the Initial Loss Volume While Preparing to Treat
We can stop the initial loss by lightening the head to equal the low Fracture
Closure Stress pushing back at the bottom. When the two are balanced, we
have not solved the problem, but at least losses will stop

Light Fill
• Well will not stand full if MW > FCS
(Water)
Mud
• Add light fill. Losses will stop when HH = FCS
• FCS can be calculated directly from fill volume
• The mud column is balancing FCS, not pore
pressure. The FCS in a given zone will always be
greater than pore pressure
• The annulus will remain relatively stable while
tripping or pumping LCM
• Place viscosified light fill (water or base oil) in trip
tank prior to entering suspect zones. Measure fill
Low
volumes accurately
FCS

SPE 112657 27
Calculate the FCS – A key reference for all forward operations
We need to know the FCS to plan some operations. It is also your starting reference
for how successful your treatment is. You don’t just want to know you stopped
losses, but how much you’ve changed the integrity for future operations

20 bbls Water Filled with 20 bbls. What is the FCS?

Fill Height = 20 bbls/0.0502 bpf = 398 ft
15.6 ppg Mud HH water = (398 ft)(8.4 ppg)(0.052)
= 172 psi
HHmud = (10000-398)(15.6 ppg)(0.052)
Annulus = 7789 psi
0.0502 bpf FCS = (7789 psi + 172 psi)
(10,000 ft)(0.052)
= 15.3 ppg
On the daily report, record
• Fill volume and density
• MW at time of loss
• Estimated depth of loss
LR @ 10,000 ft
• Your calculated FCS value
SPE 112657 28
 Light Fill Doesn’t Cause Flow That Doesn’t Already Exist

1. When the fracture propagates, the bottom hole

pressure instantly falls to equal FCS. Filling the
back side does not change the BHP. The fracture is a
very efficient pressure relief valve at about Hmin
2. The FCS determines how much base oil you can put
in. You do not reduce the BHP with base oil, the base
oil you can put in before balancing is determined by
.... .... .. .......... the BHP you’re already have
PP 3. If the FCS is low enough to allow another zone to
flow, it will be flowing whether you fill the annulus are
not. You won’t know it as long as you are filling, but
.... .... .. ........ .. you will have underground flow
FCS
4. Fill. Watch to ensure it is static. If you eventually
seen returns you have underground flow. Close
annular. Pull to the shoe. Begin “swap
management”
SPE 112657 29
 Fluid Colum Density Between Affects Flow – Must do the math

Returns were lost while drilling with 16.0 ppg MW at 22,000

ft TVD. Pore pressure is believed to be 15.0 ppg at 19,000 ft
TVD. Based on the base oil required to stabilize the
annulus, the FCS is 15.2 ppg. Is underground flow
occurring?
The force the flowing zone can apply to propagate the loss
fracture down at 20,000 ft is:

........ ..
.... .... .. Wellbore Pressure26000 = PP25000 + HHmud Between Zones
= (15.0 )(22000)(.052) + (16.0)(22000-19000)(.052)
PP = 15.0 ppg
(22000)(.052)
MW = 16.0 ppg = 15.7 ppg Wellbore Pressure26000
.... .... .. .......... Underground flow is occurring, 15.7 ppg > FCS of
FCS = 15.2 ppg 15.2 ppg

SPE 112657 30
Controlling Displacement
(the fracture is my friend)

31
Fracture Closing Stress is Extremely Reliable
Multiple fracture opening and closing events with “ballooning” on
connections show the extreme reliability of the FCS. We can work
against the with high confidence that it will not decline because it is the
far field stress holding the fracture closed

LOT 12.4 ppg (FCS)

SPE/IADC 67742 32
Use a Hydrostatic Packer If The Well Won’t Stand Full

You cannot accurately place a pill and control hesitation squeezing if your MW
is greater than the FCS – meaning that the well will not stand full
To prevent this, at the end of the displacement pump a pre-calcualted volume of
light fluid (water or base oil) so that when you shut the pumps down with the
pill in position, the total head in the DP is less than FCS. You will have some
positive surface pressure, which reflects the underbalance to the FCS pushing
back from bottom. The pill cannot move
These are not common, but they are 100% effective and should be. The
industry does not use them because the drill team must understand and have
confidence in the fracture closure stress in order to design and execute them
A well-designed pill will generally be successful in 50-70% of permeable
formations. Hydrostatic packers make the same pill process 100% successful.
Their design and use is described in SPE 112657

SPE 112567 33
Hydrostatic Packer Calculation
300 psi

Initial
Fill Losses occurred at 26000 ft and the annulus was filled
with 7.2 ppg premix. The volume indicated the FCS
x was 15.0 ppg. How much more premix must be
pumped to achieve a 300 psi Hydrostatic Pacer
pressure on the annulus.

X = (300psi)/((15-7.2)(.052)
X = 739 ft

Down Casing: (739)(0.0408) = 34 bbls

Down DP: (739)(.0212) = 15.7 bbls

15.0 FCS @ 26000

SPE 112657 34
Continuous Stress Building Fluids

35
Continuous Stress Building Fluids

The industry has always loaded its mud with LCM prior to drilling some
certain zones where prior wells have had sever losses. It has sometimes
worked. In hind site, these were situations where conditions were favorable
(see slide 15)
When we understood that fracture width and length was the key, the idea
developed to pre-calculate the required width for an assumed length, then
simply carry this particle size in the mud to maintain a bridge across the
aperture as the wellbore pressure forced the fracture wider. It was also
clear that the system needed to be a low filtration rate bridge to prevent
filtrate from getting past the bridge to extend the tip. If the tip extends the
corresponding growth in aperture width becomes too great for LCM to
bridge quickly and effectively.
So the two requirements are 1) proper calculation of LCM size, and 2)
instantaneous low fluid loss bridge.
BP first proved the system in the field in around 2003 and called it “Stress
Cage” fluid. Others have developed proprietary solids distribution models,
but the basics remain the same.
36
Considerations in Design and Use
1. Assume fracture growth is 6-12” before it is arrested
2. Fracture width (particle size) required to achieve required hoop stress is
calculated with numerical model
3. LCM is used with a PSD that allows for uncertainty in the actual width. At
least 30% of PSD is greater in size
4. PSD is often bimodal and smaller bridging solids are added to achieve high
efficiency cake quickly (interstitial packing)
5. Unlike Discrete Pills, LCM strength may matter. Bridge that must hold
differential pressure is not deep
6. Only works in NAF. WBM typically does not have sufficient fluid loss
control to enable rapid low perm bridge
7. Major issue is cost and management of mud properties. Shakers must be
bypassed, or LCM must be reprocessed continuously. Low gravity solids
will build regardless, and cost of dilution to control them is high
8. Increase in FCS that can be achieved is limited to size of LCM that you can
drill with, about 800 micron D-50 LCM. If a greater fracture width is required,
must utilize Discrete Pills and controlled hesitation squeezing.

37
 Pore Pressure
What Should the Strategy Be? MW + ECD
Hmin (FCS)
Overburden

No loss drilling. Cementing? Losses expected Underground flow

BHP will BHP will

fall to here fall to here

No Moderate Severe
Depletion Depletion Depletion

12 13 14 15 16 17 12 13 14 15 16 17 12 13 14 15 16 17
ppg ppg ppg 38
Procedure Depends on Treatment Difficulty, Not Loss Rate
Mild
• Behavior we call “taking a drink”
• Shut down and let hole “heal”
• Then bring pumps up slowly
• Rarely works with NAF
Moderate
• Spot high solids, high fluid loss,
water based pill
• PU above and wait
• Bring pumps up slowly and apply
ECD to squeeze and widen fracture
Severe
• If well will not stand full, use
hydrostatic packer to control
placement
• Use water based, high solids, high
IV. Impermeable fluid loss pill and squeeze
• Hesitation squeeze small volumes
(<3bbls) until stress equals shales
Impermeable
• No practical/reliable method

SPE 92192 39
Treatment Depends on Actual Hoop Stress vs Required

SPE 163481 40
Hoop Stress Regime Treatment Guide

SPE 163481 41
Ballooning
• “Ballooning” refers to well behavior in which mud is lost when
circulation is initiated but some, or all, flows back when circulation
stops

• Ballooning is due to fracture extension and contraction. It occurs

when MW is less than FCS, but ECD exceeds it

– The fracture opens when circulation is begun ECD exceeds FCS

– The fracture closes when the pumps are shut down because the FCS
exceeds the static hydrostatic head. Mud is squeezed back into the
wellbore as the fracture closes

• Ballooning is not due to stretching of the wellbore. Wellbore

expansion due to ECD is typically on the order of a few liters

42
Ballooning PWD Data
The fracture initiates at the same pressure after each of five
connections are made as the pump rate and ECD are being increased.
FCS is extremely consistent (because it is Hmin , and Hmin does not
change)

LOT 12.4 ppg (FCS)

SPE/IADC 67742 43
What questions should be asked?
Key factors in treatment selection should be:
1. What is the type of loss; Seepage, Fracture Propagation, or Vugular?
2. Will the well stand full? If not, what is the FCS from light fill?
3. Is the formation permeable or not?
4. How much increase in fracture initiation pressure is required?
5. What will the consequence of the loss be (simple mud loss, instability, kick)

In contrast, procedures provided by fluids service companies tend to read like:

• If loss rate less than 30 bbls, do this……
• If loss rate 30 to 100 bph, do this…..
• If loss rate greater than 100 bph, do this…..
The result of treating based on loss rate, rather than a diagnosed loss
mechanism, is a higher likelihood of failure. Vendors do this based on some
empirical experience, but the success rate from treating based on loss rate is not
high

44
Key Takeaways
• Integrity is the stress holding the hole closed. It can be increased by widening an
existing fracture after lost returns, or creating and widening a fracture pre-emptively.
Widening the fracture compresses the adjacent rock, and this increased stress hoop
travels around the hole
• All effective treatments must have mechanisms to 1) isolate the fracture tip, and 2)
achieve the width required to develop the needed stress
• The success rate in permeable formations should be very high. Pill design is
important, but placement practices are more critical. Hesitation squeezing and
hydrostatic packers (controlling overdisplacement) are the key elements in very high
success rate. In discrete treatments, the type of LCM itself is relatively unimportant
• The success rate with continuous stress-building fluids is also now high – up to some
value of stress (???). These operations are costly and require planning, but are
essential if the FCS will allow underground flow or borehole collapse after the initial
loss.
• We may be able to avoid any loss a all if we can “protect the Kirsch”. This is the new
frontier for integrity management research
• We do not “strengthen” the wellbore. We “stress” it. Our words shape the way we
think

45
Reference Reading: Lesson 16
• Dupriest, F.E., SPE 92192, “Fracture Closure Stress (FCS) and Lost Returns Practices” presented at SPE/IADC Drilling
Conference and Technical Exhibition, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 23-25 February 2005

• Alberty, M.W. and McLean, M.R., SPE 90493, “A Physical Model for Stress Cages” presented at SPE Annual Technical
Conference, Houston, Texas, 26-29 September 2004

• Dupriest, F.E., Smith, M.V., Zeilinger, S.C. and Shoykhet, N.I., SPE 112656, “Method to Eliminate Lost Returns and Build
Integrity Continuously with High-Filtration-Rate Fluid” presented at SPE/IADC Drilling Conference and Technical Exhibition,
Orlando, Florida, 4-6 March 2008

• Dupriest, F.E., SPE 112657, “Use of New Hydrostatic Packer Concept to Manage Lost Returns, Well Control, and Cement
Placement in Field Operations” presented at SPE/IADC Drilling Conference and Exhibition, Orlando, Florida, 4-6 March 2008

• Dupriest, F.E., IPTC 14423, “Kick Mechanisms and Unique Well Control Practices in Vugular Deepwater Carbonates”
presented at the International Petroleum and Technology Conference, Bangkok, Thailand, 15-17 November, 2011

• Fuh, G.F., Morita, N., Boyd, P.A., and McGoffin, S.J., SPE 24599, “A New Approach to Preventing Lost Circulation While
Drilling” presented at SPE Annual Technical Conference, Washington D.C., 4-7 October 1992

• Ranojoy D. D., Dupriest F.E., Zeilinger S.C., SPE 163481, “Lost Returns Treatment Selection Based on a Holistic Model of
the State of the Near Wellbore Stresses” presentation at the SPE/IADC Drilling Conference and Exhibition, Amsterdam, The
Netherlands, 5–7 March 2013

• Soliman, M.Y., East L., Adams D., SPE 86992, “GeoMechanics Aspects of Multiple Fracturing of Horizontal and Vertical
Wells”, presented at SPE International Thermal Operations and Heavy Oil Symposium and Western Regional Meeting,
Bakersfield, California, 16-18 March 2004

• Bratton T.R., Rezmer-Cooper I.M., Desroches J., Gille Y-E, Li Q., McFayden M., SPE 67742, “How to Diagnose Drilling
Induced Fractures in Wells Drilled with Oil-Based Muds with Real-time Resistivity and Pressure Measurements”, presented at
SPE/IADC Drilling Conference and Exhibition, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 27 February-1 March 2001

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