DRILLING OPERATION PRE-TEST 2

1. Which statement about the annular preventer is true?

A. Will prevent tool joints from being stripped into the well
B. Hydraulic closing pressure can be adjusted depending on the operation
C. Will not seal on a square or hexagonal Kelly
D. Is designed to seal around any shape of tubular or tool in the well bore

2. Which of the following may be a lagging indicator of an increase in formation pressure?

A. Change in ROP
B. Change in RPM
C. Change in rotary torque
D. Change in background gas

3. When testing a surface BOP stack with a test plug, why must the side outlet valves below the
plug be kept in the open position?
A. Because reverse circulation will be needed to release test plug
B. Because the test will create extreme hook loads
C. Because of potential damage to wellhead/casing/open hole
D. To prevent a pressure lock

4. You are successfully conducting the first circulation of the Driller’s method. Drill pipe pressure
has been maintained at Initial Circulating Pressure of 560 psi. Choke pressure has been holding
around 460 psi for the last 15 minutes. You notice a sudden drop in Drill pipe pressure to 500
psi. Choke pressure stays the same at 460 psi. What type of complication has most likely
occurred?
A. A bit nozzle has plugged
B. A bit nozzle has washed out
C. The choke is plugged up
D. You a washout above BOP

5. You are stripping in the well through the annular and bleeding off closed ended displacement.
How do you check the integrity of the annular during the stripping process?
A. Rotate slowly as you strip into the hole to reduce Annular wear
B. Run Wiper rubber below rotary table to act as back up to the Annular
C. Monitor the flowline on the trip tank to check for leaks through the Annular
D. Have crew member look down the hole to check for leaks when moving the pipe

6. After the well is shut-in, what key data should be recorded?

A. Rotary Torque
B. Weight on Bit
C. Hook Load
D. Pit gain
DRILLING OPERATION PRE-TEST 2

7. You pump a 30 bbl slug with the following parameters:

5 inch Drillpipe capacity: 0.01776 bbls/foot
Slug Weight: 16.2 ppg
Mud Weight: 15.2 ppg
Well Depth: 12335 feet MD and 12121 feet TVD
Calculate how much mud, in addition to the slug volume, would u-tube from the well?
A. 45 bbls
B. 5 bbls
C. 30 bbls
D. 2 bbls

8. Severe losses occurred while drilling. The pumps were stopped and the mud in the well could
not be seen. The well was then filled to the top with water and remained static.
Mud weight: 12 ppg
Brine water height: 8.6 ppg
Height of water column in the annulus: 150 feet
What is the reduction in bottom hole pressure with the 150 feet of water compared to the
pressure before the losses?
A. 67 psi
B. 27 psi
C. 94 psi
D. 33 psi

9. You have completed the first circulation of the Driller Method and decide that the annulus is not
clean of influx. You decide to start the second circulation. How would you maintain correct
bottom hole pressure when circulating kill mud to the Bit?
A. Add safety margin to drill pipe pressure equal to the slow circulating rate pressure
B. Maintain casing pressure constant
C. Follow a Wait and Weight step-down chart or graph
D. Start up the well correctly and hold the initial circulating pressure constant till kill mud is at
the Bit

10. Why is it important to monitor the pit volume during a well control operation?
A. To know when to adjust the pump speed
B. To keep the bottom hole pressure constant
C. To know when to adjust the drill pipe pressure
D. To monitor the gas expansion and monitor for losses

11. Why is it important to inform the Driller when starting or stopping the degasser or desilter?
A. Flow rate will increase from the wall
B. Mud viscosity will be reduced
C. Pit volume will change
DRILLING OPERATION PRE-TEST 2

D. Shakers will need to be by-passed

12. In a well with the bit to shoe volume greater than drill string capacity, which of the following kill
methods will minimize the risk of losses?
A. Volumetric Method
B. Driller’s Method
C. Wait and Weight Method
D. Bullheading Method

13. The Driller is pulling 5 inch drill pipe out of the hole and monitoring the well on the trip tank.
Over the last 5 stands the trip tank has increased by 3 barrels. What should the Driller do?
A. Flow check. This could be a kick that has been swabbed in
B. Keep pulling pipe. The Derrickhand probably transferred some mud
C. Flow check. You have possibly surged the well causing losses
D. Keep pulling pipe. 3 barrels is the correct displacement for 5 inch

14. What will happen to the Casing pressure when a gas influx in being circulated from the
horizontal section into the vertical section?
A. Casing pressure will stay the same
B. Casing pressure will increase
C. Casing pressure will decrease

15. When running casing, the string became hung up. The Operator has made the decision to pull
the casing. You have advised the Driller to go slow and watch his fill-up volumes as he pull the
casing string. What is the reason for this?
A. Potential down time for not being ready to trip back in the hole
B. Potential damage to the casing string and cost to the operator
C. Potential swabbing due to tight wellbore-to-casing geometry
D. Potential surging due to tight wellbore to casing geometry

16. If total losses occurred while drilling with water based mud, what should be done?
A. Pump lost circulation material immediately
B. Drill blind
C. Stop drilling, shut the well in, and see what happens
D. Stop drilling, fill the annulus from the top with water, and monitor

17. Why is it important for the Driller to know when mud is being transferred into or out of the
active system?
A. To know when to operate the pit agitators to prevent Barite falling out of the mud
B. To recognize if there are gains and losses due to a kick or lost circulation
C. To start bottoms-up circulation to clean the hole before new mud is pumped
D. To line up returns through the Desilters to improve mud mixing
DRILLING OPERATION PRE-TEST 2

18. The Derrickman states that there has been a 10 bbl increase in the pits over the last 15 minutes.
What is the safest action to take?
A. Carry out a flow check
B. Ask the Derrickman to check for any mud transfers
C. Inform the Mud Engineer
D. Call the Toolpusher for advice

19. What effect does increasing temperature have on fluid density?

A. It will increase the fluid density
B. It will reduce the fluid density
C. There is no effect on fluid density

20. How does drilling into an abnormal pressure formation affect primary well control?
A. Reduces the hydrostatic pressure overbalance
B. Increases the hydrostatic pressure overbalance
C. Will make kick detection more difficult
D. Increases surge pressure when tripping

21. A 500-foot long cement plug is set inside the casing across the shoe. The mud above the plug is
to be displaced with brine. Formation pressure below the plug is balanced by 10.7 ppg mud.
Brine density = 9.5 ppg
Top of cement plug = 8200 feet
If the plug failed and the well is open, what would happen to the well?
A. Well will flow
B. Well will remain static
C. Formation will fracture
D. Casing will collapse

22. What is the main reason for a Diverter drill?

A. To ensure the crew is able to effectively recognize and react to a surface kick by diverting
fluids away from the rig
B. To see how fast the Driller can line up from the vent line to the mud gas separator
C. To ensure the crew are able to close in the well and prepare the kill mud
D. To test pit, flow and trip tank alarms

23. Casing shoe depth = 11,000 feet TVD, MD = 12,250 feet.,

Test Mud Weight = 14.0 ppg
Leak – Off Test Pressure = 1950 psi
Calculate the Maximum Allowable Mud Weight.
A. 17.3 ppg
B. 17.5 ppg
DRILLING OPERATION PRE-TEST 2

C. 17.4 ppg
D. 17.2 ppg

24. You are running a slick non-shearable tool in the hole on a surface stack rig. The well flows when
the tool is across the BOP stack. What is the best action the Driller can take to shut in the well?
A. Drop the string in the hole
B. Start circulating to use ECD to stop the kick
C. Make up and close safety valve in string and close the annular
D. Puck up a joint or stand of shearable pipe, run into position and install a safety valve

25. What is the correct definition of Permeability?

A. The pressure of the fluid in the pore space
B. The density of the formation fluids
C. The ability of formation fluids to move through the rock
D. The amount of solid rock in the formation

26. On a surface stack rig, The Driller brings the pump slowly on-line at the start of the kill
operation. What pressure must the choke operator hold constant during this operation?
A. Casing pressure
B. Slow circulating rate pressure
C. Maximum allowable annular surface pressure
D. Shut in Drill Pipe Pressure

27. You have shut-in on a well and are planning a kill operator. The Mud Engineer estimates it will
take 3200 sacks of barite to weight up the fluid system to kill weight. The rig has 2500 sacks of
barite onsite and more will not arrive for 3 days. Shut on pressure have increased since the well
was shut in indicating gas migration. The shoe strength is a concern if pressures continue to
build. Which Kill Method would be the best to implement?
A. Begin to Lubricate and Bleed
B. Kill the well with Reverse Circulation
C. Driller’s Method of Well Control
D. Wait and Weight Method of Well Control

28. During a kill operation the choke is adjusted to increase drill pipe pressure by 100 psi. SPM is
held constant. What will happen to the bottom hole pressure?
A. It will increase
B. It will decrease
C. It will remain constant

29. Which of the following is a “physical barrier”?

A. Periodic well control drills
B. A cement plug
DRILLING OPERATION PRE-TEST 2

C. Proper BOP shut in procedure

D. Monitoring the trip tank

30. Which of the following affect the Shut In Drill Pipe Pressure?
A. Mud weight in drillstring
B. Annular volume from Bit to Shoe
C. Influx gradient
D. Size of influx in the annulus

31. What is the function of Blind/Shear Rams?

A. To hang-off the drillstring during a kill
B. To close in the well in the Diverter fails
C. As a back-up to the Annular
D. To cut the drill string and seal off the hole

32. While drilling ahead at a constant rate of penetration (ROP), the cutting load across the shakers
increased and the shale shakers cannot handle the amount of cutting returning from the well.
What is the safest thing to do?
A. Check for flow – if there is none, continue drilling at the same ROP
B. Check for flow – if there is none, circulate bottoms up at a reduced rate so that the shakers
can handle the cutting volume
C. Check for flow –if there is none, continue at the same ROP. Allow half of the mud returns to
by-pass the shakers
D. Slow down the mud pump until the shakers can handle the amount of cuttings in the returns
and continue drilling

33. What is a ‘negative’ pressure test?

A. A test where the barrier is made to fail
B. A test where a barrier is tested until there is leak-off
C. A test on a barrier where pressure on top of a barrier is increased to a valve higher than the
pressure below the barrier
D. A test on a barrier where pressure on top of a barrier is reduced to a value lower than the
pressure below the barrier

34. How does increasing wellbore temperature affect non-aqueous (oil-based) mud density?
A. No effect on density
B. Decreases density
C. Increases density

35. What is the primary reason for stripping in the well?

A. To reduce ECD when you start pumping
B. To get below the influx to circulate it out
DRILLING OPERATION PRE-TEST 2

C. To improve performance of the Annular packing element

D. To allow more time to mix mud before doing the Wait & Weight Method

36. What happens to bottom hole pressure (BHP) when circulation is stopped during connections?
Disregard Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD)
A. The BHP will decrease
B. The BHP increases by ECD then decreases
C. The BHP will stay the same

37. Why is it important for crew members to immediately inform their Driller if they see any
potential well control problems?
A. To allow the Driller to switch on the pit and flow alarms
B. To help Driller identify and act to minimize the size of a kick
C. To inform the Driller to increase tripping speed
D. To inform the Driller to increase rate of penetration

38. Why is it important to detect a kick as early as possible?

A. To minimize surface casing pressure during the kill
B. To reduce Kill Weight mud required to kill the well
C. To allow the Volumetric method to be used
D. To prevent gas expansion as it is circulated up the annulus

39. What is the objective of the Wait and Weight Method?

A. Only displace the drill string with kill mud weight
B. Displace drill string and annulus with original mud weight
C. Only displace the annulus with original mud weight
D. Displace drill string and annulus with kill mud weight and displace influx in a single circulation

40. You are losing mud while circulating, but gaining mud when the pumps are off. The well is shut
in and you suspect the well is ballooning. It is decided to bleed-off 20 barrels of mud back to the
pits. What is the potential danger of this bleed-off?
A. Formation will collapse into wellbore and restrict circulation
B. Additional formation fluid may flow into the wellbore
C. Wellbore will become washed-out
D. Bleeding back too much will decrease chance of losses

41. Which of the following statements is a good operating practice in a top-hole section that has the
risk of gas bearing formations?
A. Never use a drill pipe float
B. Maintain high ROP
C. Control the rate of penetration
D. Regularly pump light sweeps
DRILLING OPERATION PRE-TEST 2

42. Increasing flowback time has been documented for the last five connections. The Driller
believed that the flowback time was too long and closed the well in. there is 150 psi on the Drill
Pipe and the Annulus. The Driller has bled off 50 psi. SIDPP returned to 150 psi. SICP is 175 psi.
the bleed-off was repeated and SIDPP returned to 150 psi and SICP is 200 psi. what is your
assessment of the current situation?
A. This is a kick. Prepare to carry out a kill operation
B. This is mud compressibility. Bleed off and drill ahead
C. This is ballooning. Bleed off and drill ahead
D. This is the result of gas migration. Start the Volumetric Method

43. If the mud pump pop-off valve opened during a well kill, what action below is best to secure the
well?
A. Drop the drill string, close blind/shear rams, close the choke
B. Stop the pump, close the IBOP or Kelly Cock, and close the choke
C. Stop the pump and close the choke
D. Close the shear rams, close the choke

44. What is the best description of the term “Figerprinting the Well”?
A. Recording block name and field number for the location of the well
B. Sampling the formation fluid for grade, quality and contaminants
C. Recording azimuth and elevation of the wellbore from logging
D. Recording baseline drilling data that can be analyzed against current data to help recognize
downhole problems

45. What can cause a kick when running casing in the hole?
A. Keeping the casing full of mud
B. Conditioning mud before running casing
C. Swabbing the formation
D. Surging induced losses causing a drop in mud level

46. Which of the following actions should be taken when drilling through a transition zone?
A. Increase time between mud weight checks
B. Fingerprint connections for flowback trends
C. Increase Weight on Bit
D. Reduce Revolutions per Minute (RPM)
DRILLING OPERATION PRE-TEST 2

Please use the following information for question 47 through 54

Well Data

Hole Dimensions
Depth (MD/TVD) 12,090 feet
9 5/8" Casing shoe 8,800 feet
Hole size 8½ inch
Current mud weight 13.5 ppg
Internal Capacities
6 1/2" Drill collars (length 900 feet) 0.00768 bbl/foot
5" Drill pipe - capacity 0.01776 bbl/foot
5" Drill pipe - metal displacement 0.00650 bbl/foot
5" Drill pipe - closed end displacement 0.02426 bbl/foot
Annular Capacities
Open hole / Drill collar 0.0292 bbl/foot
Open hole / Drill pipe 0.0459 bbl/foot
Casing / Drill pipe 0.0505 bbl/foot
LOT
Shoe test mud weight 12 ppg
Leak off pressure 2725 psi
Pump Details
Pump Output 0.109 bbl/stk
SCR at 40 spm 550 psi
Shut in data
SIDPP 200 psi
SICP 600 psi
Pit gain 15 bbls

Calculate:
47. Maximum allowable mud weight before kick
A. ________________ ppg

48. MAASP before kick

A. ________________ psi

49. Strokes from surface to bit

A. ________________ strokes

50. Kill mud weight

A. ________________ ppg

51. Initial circulating pressure

DRILLING OPERATION PRE-TEST 2

A. ________________ psi

52. Final circulating pressure

A. ________________ psi

53. MAASP after well has been killed

A. ________________ psi

54. Pressure drop per step (one-tenth of strokes to Bit)

A. ________________ psi/step

55. Which abnormal pressure detection tool or technique measures pressure downhole?
A. Gyro compass
B. Shale Density test
C. Methylene Blue test
D. Pressure while drilling tool

56. As you drill the open hole deeper, what happens to the maximum allowable volume of gas kick
that can be taken on-bottom and circulated out without breaking down the formation? (Assume
all other drilling and formation parameters stay the same)
A. Increases
B. Stays the same
C. Decreases

57. When pumping the first circulation of the Driller’s Method, what will happen to the mud pit
volume as the gas is circulated up the hole?
A. It will increase
B. It will stay the same
C. It will decrease

58. When drilling in the transition zone to an abnormally pressured formation, what changes will
you expect to see in the mud?
A. Increasing mud weight
B. Decrease in gas content
C. Increase in gas content
D. Decrease in mud filtrate

59. At what stage during a kill operation can the choke pressure reading exceed MAASP without
breaking down the formation at the shoe?
A. When the kill mud is at the bit
B. When the influx is above the casing shoe
C. When the influx is on bottom
DRILLING OPERATION PRE-TEST 2

D. When the influx is in open hole section

60. A well is shut in after taking a 25 bbl kick with 300 psi SIDPP and 650 psi SICP. If the well had
been shut in on a 10 bbls kick, how would shut in pressure be affected?
A. SICP would be higher
B. SIDPP would be higher
C. SICP would be lower
D. SIDPP would be lower

61. What gauge is used to record the Slow Circulating Rate (SCR) pressure?
A. The casing pressure gauge on the Choke Control panel
B. The drill pipe pressure gauge on the Choke Control panel
C. The casing pressure gauge at the Standpipe Manifold
D. The pump pressure gauge at the mud pump

62. A well has been shut-in on a kick and the kill operation has not been started.
Shut-in drill pipe pressure 400 psi
Shut-in casing pressure 600 psi
After stabilization, both pressures start rising due to gas migration. If the casing pressure is held
constant at 600 psi, what will happen to the bottom hole pressure?
A. Increase
B. Decrease
C. Stay the same

63. The kill weight fluid has just been pumped to the bit during the Wait and Weight method. The
pumps are shut down and the following pressures are observed.
Current drill pipe pressure (DPP) 150 psi
Current casing pressure (CP) 630 psi
Which of the following should be done?
A. Check to see if correct mud weight and surface to bit strokes were pumped
B. Bleed casing pressure to zero psi and confirm well is dead
C. Recalculate kill weight mud based in 150 psi SIDPP and circulate surface to bit
D. Resume circulation by holding drill pipe pressure constant at 150 psi

64. When do Drill string safety valves have to be tested?

A. Only after setting casing
B. Each time the BOP is tested
C. To the same rated working pressure as the Kelly/top drive
D. 50% of the Ram test pressure

65. For most operations it is recommended that two independent barriers are in place. From the list
below, which pair of barriers are NOT independent of each other?
DRILLING OPERATION PRE-TEST 2

A. Kill weight mud in the well and the blow out preventer
B. A tubing plug set downhole and a backpressure valve in the hanger
C. A cemented shoe track over a non-hydrocarbon bearing zone and a casing bridge plug
D. An Annular and a Ram on a BOP stack

66. A function has been operated from the remote panel. The open light goes out and the close light
illuminates, but pressure gauge did not drop. What is the problem cause of the problem?
A. Pressure switch is faulty
B. Leak in the system
C. Air pressure too low
D. Close line is blocked

67. Which of the following dimensions affects the pressure at which gas can ‘blow-through’ to the
Shaker area?
A. Height of liquid seal
B. ID of line from Choke Manifold
C. Height of body and ID of body
D. The vent line length and ID of the vent line

68. You shut in a kick but do not know the slow circulating rate pressure. What procedure should
you use to obtain the correct initial circulating pressure (ICP)?
A. Contact the Mud Logger and request the best possible of the Initial Circulating Pressure to use
during the well kill
B. Follow correct start-up procedure. Read the pressure on the drillpipe gauge, subtracting any
overbalance/safety margin pressure
C. Choose the kill rate circulating pressure you took with the last BHA in the hole nearest to the
depth where the kick took place. Add 100 psi to this value as a safety margin
D. Use the SIDPP as the circulating pressure

69. What is the only function of a diverter?

A. To create a back pressure sufficient to stop formation fluids entering the wellbore
B. To act as a backup system if the annular preventer fails
C. To shut in a shallow kick
D. To direct formation fluids away from the rig floor

70. The Driller’s Method is used to circulate out a salt-water influx. What will happen to the casing
pressure as the influx moves up the annulus?
A. Salt water will behave in the same way as a gas influx
B. Casing pressure will only change due to changes in annular size
C. Casing pressure will slowly decrease as influx moves up the annulus
D. As influx expands Casing Pressure will increase
DRILLING OPERATION PRE-TEST 2

71. What is needed to calculate an accurate formation strength at the shoe?

A. To install a retrievable packer approximately 1,000 ft. below the rig floor
B. An accurate hole capacity
C. A constant mud weight throughout the well
D. An accurate stroke counter

72. The well is shut-in with the following pressure readings:

Shut-in casing pressure: 0 psi
Shut in drill pipe pressure: 435 psi
The annulus is observed through the choke, and there is no flow
What could be the problem?
A. The choke gauge failed
B. The drill string has twisted off
C. The hole is packed off around BHA
D. The formation at the shoe has been fractured

73. You are circulating a gas kick out of the well using the Driller’s method. What would normally
happen to active pit level during the circulation?
A. Pit level would decrease due to gas expansion then stay constant as gas exits the choke
B. Pit level would decrease due to gas expansion then increase as gas exits the choke
C. Pit level would increase due to gas expansion then decrease as gas exits the choke
D. Pit level would increase due to gas expansion then stay constant as gas exits the choke

74. You have shut in on a kick and completed the first circulation of the Driller’s Method. Pumps
were shut down and well closed, while waiting to start up the second circulation. The following
was documented:
Shut In Drill Pipe (SIDPP) Shut in Casing (SICP)
Original Shut In Pressure 260 psi 320 psi
After First Circulation 285 psi 285 psi
What is the current status of the well?
A. The Kill Weight Mud (KMW) has been pumped and was not sufficient to kill the well
B. There is still a kick in the well, providing less hydrostatic on the annulus side of the well
C. There is trapped pressure that can be kept as a safety margin or bled off upon startup
D. Kill Weight Mud is causing a U-tube effect between the Drill String and the Annulus

75. What is the safest and most reliable method for monitoring leaks through the BOP?
A. Close the diverter and monitor the vent line
B. Visually check by looking through rotary table
C. Monitor for changes in the flow rate indicator
D. Line up the trip tank to monitor for flow above the closed BOP

76. What would happen if a self-fill (autofill-tube type) failed to convert to a check valve?
DRILLING OPERATION PRE-TEST 2

A. Cement cannot be pumped down inside the casing

B. Fluids from the annulus or the formation can enter the casing
C. Cement would have to be reversed circulated
D. Pressure would have to be held on the annulus to prevent u-tubing

77. What is the purpose of the High Pressure By-Pass button or handle on the Driller’s remote BOP
control panel on a surface BOP installation?
A. To increase the accumulator pressure to 3000 psi
B. To increase the hydraulic annular pressure to the existing accumulator pressure
C. To increase the manifold pressure to 2000 psi
D. To increase the hydraulic manifold pressure to the existing accumulator pressure
DRILLING OPERATION PRE-TEST 2

KEY ANSWERS