Lesson 23

Special Well Control

Applications

Underbalanced Drilling
(UBD)

ATM
 Special Well Control Applications

 Underbalanced Drilling

 Well Control in Unconventional Hole

Programs

 Casing and Cementing Operations

ATM 2
 Special Well Control Applications

Homework # 12

On the Web

Due Dec 02, 2002

ATM 3
 Underbalanced Drilling (UBD)

 In drilling UBD wells the ECD is

intentionally kept below the
formation pore pressure.

ATM 4
 Reasons for UBD
 Minimize formation damage

 Faster penetration rates

 Longer bit life and fewer trips

 Eliminating one or more casing strings

ATM 5
 Reasons for UBD
 Reduced risk of lost circulation

 Reduced risk of differential sticking

 Lower mud costs

 Earlier oil sales

ATM 6
 Drilling Fluids used in
Underbalanced Drilling

 Air and Natural Gas Drilling

 Mist and Foam Drilling

 Underbalanced Drilling w/Mud

ATM 7
 Air and Natural
Gas Drilling

ATM 8
 BOP
System for
Air and
Natural Gas
Drilling

ATM 9
 Rotating
Head

ATM 10
 Air and Natural Gas Drilling
Casing gauge is
Compressor at used to predict
surface BHP

Drillpipe Float
Gas in drillstring
 gD

p p  pcs e 53.3 zT
All make DP
gauge unreliable
for BHP Pore Casing
Pressure Head
Pressure
ATM 11
 Example 7.1
Excessive gas rates from a sandstone at 7,200 ft
threaten a blowout on an air-drilled hole in the Arcoma
Basin. The well is shut-in and, after wellbore
temperatures reach equilibrium, the casing pressure
gauge reads 1,250 psig.

Estimate the kill-mud density requirement.

What is the maximum pressure at the 1,500-ft shoe
depth before and during the kill procedure?

Assume the average temperature in the annulus is 160

o
F and use a 0.70 specific gravity gas in the
calculations (ignore the effect of the air mixed in with
the hydrocarbons).
ATM 12
 Example 7.1 - Solution
Use Eq. 7.1 and iterate by first assuming the
compressibility factor is 1.00
 gD

p p  pcs e 53.3 zT
( 0.70 )( 7,200 )

pp  1,250  14  e 53.3(1)( 620 )

Pore pressure, pp = 1,472 psia

ATM 13
 Example 7.1 - Solution - cont’d

Take the pseudoreduced properties on wellbore

averages to determine the average z factor

ppr = (1,264 + 1,472) / (2 * 666) = 2.05

Tpr = 620 / 389 = 1.59

z = 0.855

ATM 14
 Example 7.1 - Solution - cont’d
Substitute this z-factor value into Eq. 7.1 and,
after one more iteration, obtain pp = 1,512 psia.

The density equivalent at 7,200 ft is

p (psig)
kwm = (1,512 - 14) / (0.052 * 7,200) KWM 
0.052 * Depth

kwm = 4.0 lbm/gal

The result is invalid if a substantial liquid

column is above the kick zone, but it should be
apparent that a low-solids mud will be
satisfactory.
ATM 15
 Example 7.1 - Solution - cont’d
The maximum shoe pressure will be the
shut-in pressure if the casing side is held
constant until the string is filled with mud.

The preceding calculations are repeated

for the 1,500-ft depth:

 gD ( 0.70 )(1,500 )

pSHOE  pcsge 53.3 zT p shoe  1,264  e 53.3(1.00 )( 620 )

Shoe pressure, pshoe = 1,305 psia

ATM 16
 Example 7.1 - Solution - cont’d
Also,
ppr = (1,264 + 1,305) / (2 * 666) = 1.93
Tpr = 620 / 389 = 1.59 (same as before)
z = 0.860
Ultimately we obtain pshoe = 1,298 psig
which gives a pressure gradient of 0.865 psi/ft.
( 1,298 / 1,500 = 0.865 )

The fracture integrity is obviously higher or

control would have been lost when the
preventer was closed.
ATM 17
 Mist and Foam Drilling
 Mist drilling may be used when small
water flows would cause mud rings
with air or natural gas drilling.
 Water is injected downstream of the
compressors until the air is nearly
saturated with water vapor.

ATM 18
 Mist and Foam Drilling
 Foam drilling can tolerate still more
water than mist.
 Foams are generated by shearing
water and gas together with a
foaming surfactant and bentonite or
polymers added for better hole
cleaning.

ATM 19
 Underbalanced Drilling with Mud

 Air can be injected into the mud stream

to lighten the mud column.
 One way is to inject at the standpipe

ATM 20
ATM 21
 Used to determine volume of air to inject A = 9 lb/gal
D = 5 lb/gal
A -  D = 4

Desired MW
= 5 lb/gal

( not always very accurate ) 22

ATM
ATM 23
 Example 7.2
A well has been drilled to 9,500 ft with aerated mud and
the decision is made to shut-in and pump a kill. Air rate
at the standpipe was 1,500 scfm and an 8.7 lbm/gal
mud was being pumped at 250 gal/min.

Estimate the kill-mud density if the SIDPP is 800 psig.

Assume the average temperature in the drillstring is
150 oF and use the compressibility factors given in Fig.
7.7.
KWM = ??
What is the BHP?

Fig. 7.7 - Compressibility chart for Air

ATM 24
 Example 7.2 - Solution
We chose to solve this problem by
numerically integrating the mixture densities
and pressures with depth.

Eq. 2.20 gives the air density underneath the

drillpipe gauge :
g p
g 
2.77 z gT

(1.00 )(800  14 )
g   0.48 lbm / gal
2.77 (1.002 )(150  460 )

Fig. 7.7 - Compressibility chart for Air

ATM 25
 o
150 F

814 psig
ATM 26
 Example 7.2 - Solution - cont’d

pV=ZnRT

 z g   pS   Tg 
Vg  VS      
 
 z S   p g   TS 

gm  m fm  g fg

ATM 27
 Example 7.2 - Solution - cont’d

ATM 28
 UBD with Weighted Mud

ATM 29
 UBD with Weighted Mud

ATM 30
 Tripping
in UBD

ATM 31
 Well Control in
Unconventional Hole
Situations
 Horizontal and ERD Wells

 Slim-Hole Applications

 Coil-Tubing Operations

ATM 32
 Horizontal and ERD Wells
 For Horizontal and ERD Wells the window for
acceptable mud weights narrows.
 The high angle reduces fracture pressure,
lowering the maximum mud weight allowed
 Hole collapse increases the minimum
mud weight.
 Mud weight may limit the length of the lateral

ATM 33
 Fig. 7.12

ATM 34
 Heel
Terminus

ATM 35
 Additional Pressure Concerns

 Cuttings beds require high annular

velocity
 Surge and Swab pressures higher

ATM 36
 Less overbalance during trip

Swab
Pressure

ATM 37
 Additional Pressure Concerns

 ERD wells are more prone to kicks

and lost circulation
 SICP lower for ERD
(for given kick size)
 Gas migration less of a problem

ATM 38
ATM 39
 Gas trapped
in washouts
reduces
migration

ATM 40
 Vertical height remains
constant in lateral section

ATM 41
 DrillPipe Pressure During Well Control
while kill mud is filling drillstring

ATM 42
 Slim-Hole Applications

 High annular friction during circulation

 Small pit gains yield long vertical height

of kick fluid resulting in high SICP

ATM 43
 Coil-Tubing Operations

 Continuous, non-jointed pipe

which is stored on a reel
and transported to a wellsite
to perform a specific operation

ATM 44
ATM 45
ATM 46
ATM 47
ATM 48
 4. Lift tubing

5. Close blind rams

3. Close shear rams

1. Close slip rams

2. Close pipe rams

ATM 49
 CT growth with time

ATM 50
 Casing and Cementing
Operations

 Running the Casing

 Cementing the Casing

 The Annular Flow Problem

 Liner Top Tests

ATM 51
 Running the Casing
 Operator should replace upper DP
rams with casing rams.
 SIP could result in large upward forces
on the large diameter casing.
 Large diameter casing results in high
surge and swab pressures.

ATM 52
 Comparison of
surge/swab pressures
for casing vs. DP

ATM 53
 Cementing the Casing
pbh = pch + ph + pf +- pss + pa
pbh = BHP
pch = choke backpressure
ph = HSP

pf = circulating friction pressure

pss = surge or swab pressures
pa = pressure resulting from fluid
acceleration

ATM 54
ATM 55
 Cementing Consideration
 Spacer density and volume
 High viscosities
 U-tubing of cement slurries
 Freefall of cement
 Flash setting of cement

ATM 56
 Effect of cement
flash setting

ATM 57
 Cement
Channeling

ATM 58
 The Annular Flow Problem
 The transition period between
development of gel strength and
“setting” sometimes allows flow
 High gel strength of cement can
support the HSP of mud column
above and allow flow of gas into the
cement
 Gas may then percolate upward

ATM 59
 Gas percolation
may be possible

ATM 60
ATM 61
 Liner Top Tests

 Getting good cement job on liner can

be difficult.
 Inadequate liner isolation can cause
well control problems
 Liner top needs to be tested

ATM 62
 Liner Top Tests
 Casing cleaned out to liner top.
 Pressure applied to liner top to test for
leak
 Differential pressure test should be
conducted by decreasing the HSP
above the liner top.
 If liner leaks during differential test, a
liner-top-isolation, LTI packer may
need to be installed
ATM 63