TAMU - Pemex: Well Control

TAMU - Pemex
Well Control
Lesson 17
Special Well Control
Applications
Special Well Control
Applications
 Underbalanced Drilling
 Well Control in Unconventional Hole

Programs
 Casing and Cementing Operations
2
Underbalanced Drilling
 These are wells where the ECD is

intentionally kept below the formation
pore pressure.
3
Reasons for UBD
 Minimize formation damage
 Faster penetration rates
 Longer bit life and fewer trips
 Eliminate one or more casing strings
4
Reasons for UBD
 Reduced risk of lost circulation
 Reduced risk of differential sticking
 Lower mud costs
 Earlier oil sales
5
Underbalanced Drilling
 Air and Natural Gas Drilling
 Mist and Foam Drilling
 Underbalanced Drilling w/Mud
6
Simplified Air
Drilling System
7
Using the
Choke to
Control
Pressures in
Well Control
and in UBD
8
Well Control
Equipment
for Air or
Natural Gas
Drilling
9
Rotating
Head used
in Air
Drilling
10
How do you
determine
Air and Natural
BHP? Gas Drilling
Compressor at
surface Casing gauge
is used to
Drillpipe Float predict BHP
Gas in drillstring
Friction  gD
These make DP
p p  pcs e 53.3 zT
gauge unreliable
for BHP
determination
11
12
 gD
p p  pcs e 53.3 zT
13
14
 gD
p sh  pcs e 53.3 zT
15
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.
16
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.
17
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
18
Air Injection
Options
19
Used to determine volume of air to inject:
Reduce 9.0 lb/gal mud to 5.0 lb/gal effective density at TD
m
e m – e lb/gal
9.0 – 5.0 = 4.0
e lb/gal
5.0
20
Mud
Simulator 21
p

2.77 z T
22
23
24
25
26
UBD with Weighted Mud
27
UBD with Weighted Mud
28
Annulus is
filled with
heavy mud
as DP is
being
pulled out
of hole
29
Unconventional Wellbores
and Drilling Practices
 Horizontal and ERD Wells
 Slim-Hole Applications
 Coil-Tubing Operations
30
Horizontal and ERD Wells
 For Horizontal and ERD Wells the window for
acceptable mud weights narrows.
 The high angle reduces frac pressure,

lowering the maximum mud weight allowed
 Hole collapse increases the minimum mud

weight.
 Mud weight may limit the length of the lateral

31
NOTE Same TVD, but ERD well has smaller
MW window, and higher ECD.
32
9,642’
10,000’
KOP
33
Heel
Terminus
34
Additional Pressure Concerns
in Horizontal Wells
 Cuttings beds require high annular

velocity
 Surge and Swab pressures higher
35
Less
overbalance
during trip
pSWAB = 10.3 * 3
= 31 psi
Circulating while
POH can offset
swab pressure
36
Additional Pressure
Concerns
 ERD wells more prone to kicks and lost
circulation (smaller MW window)
 SICP lower for ERD
 Gas migration less of a problem
37
SIDPP = SICP
Fig. 6.15
Surface
Pressure
Relationship
for a
Horizontal
Well closed in
on a kick
38
Gas trapped
in washouts
reduces
migration
39
Vertical height remains
constant in lateral section
40
41
Slim-Hole Applications
 High annular friction during circulation
 Small pit gains yield long vertical height

of kick fluid resulting in high SICP
42
Coil-Tubing Operations
 Continuous, non-jointed pipe which is

stored on a reel and transported to a
wellsite to perform a specific
operation
43
44
Fig 6.19 –
Coiled Tubing
stuffing box
45
46
47
Coiled Tubing
48
CT growth with time
49
Casing and Cementing
Operations
 Running the Casing
 Cementing the Casing
 The Annular Flow Problem
 Liner Top Tests
50
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.
51
Comparison of surge/swab
pressures for casing vs. DP
52
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 53
Fig. 6.34
Downhole
Pressures
associated
with a
Cement Job
54
Cementing Consideration
 Spacer density and volume
 High viscosities
 U-tubing of cement slurries
 Freefall of cement
 Flash setting of cement

55
Effect of bridged
annulus on wellbore
pressures while
cementing
Cement
may
flash-
Cement
set
56
Fig. 6.36 –
Effect of
Cement
Channeling
on
Hydrostatic
Pressures
Higher
Cement
Hydrostatic
57
The Annular Flow Problem
 The transition period between
development of gel strength and
“setting” sometimes allows flow
 High gel strength cement can

support the HSP of mud column above
and allow flow into the cement
 Gas may then percolate upward

58
Fig. 6.37 – Cement
Gel Strength
Development and
HSP Reduction
Formation Pressure with Time
No gas migration if
gel strength exceeds
500 lbf/100 sq/ft
59
60

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TAMU - Pemex

 Well Control in Unconventional Hole

 Casing and Cementing Operations

 These are wells where the ECD is

 Faster penetration rates

 Longer bit life and fewer trips

 Eliminate one or more casing strings

 Reduced risk of lost circulation

 Reduced risk of differential sticking

 Lower mud costs

 Earlier oil sales

 Air and Natural Gas Drilling

 Mist and Foam Drilling

 Underbalanced Drilling w/Mud

 Mist drilling may be used when small

 Water is injected downstream of the

 Foams are generated by shearing

 Air can be injected into the mud stream

 One way is to inject at the standpipe

 The high angle reduces frac pressure,

 Hole collapse increases the minimum mud

 Mud weight may limit the length of the lateral

 Cuttings beds require high annular

 Surge and Swab pressures higher

 SICP lower for ERD

 Gas migration less of a problem

 Small pit gains yield long vertical height

 Continuous, non-jointed pipe which is

 Cementing the Casing

 The Annular Flow Problem

 Liner Top Tests

 SIP could result in large upward forces

 Large diameter casing results in high

 U-tubing of cement slurries

 Flash setting of cement

 High gel strength cement can

 Gas may then percolate upward

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