Drilling Engineering 1 Course
3rd Ed. , 3rd Experience
1. Well Control System
2. Well Monitoring System
well control & kick
The functions of the well control system are
to detect, stop, and remove any undesired
entrance of formation fluids into the borehole.
An undesired entrance of formation fluid
into the borehole is called kick and
may occur due to several reasons
(high pressure formations,
insufficient drilling fluid density,
drillstring swab,
loss of circulation,
formation fracture,
etc).
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blowout
If the undesired entrance of fluid feedbacks and
the fluid continuously enters the borehole
reaching the surface,
it is called blowout.
Blowouts (in particular gas blowouts)
are extremely dangerous and
put the crew, the rig, the drilling operation, and
the reservoir at risk.
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well control system constituent
The well control system must
detect, control, and remove
the undesired entrance of fluids into the borehole.
The system is composed of
sensors (flow rate, surface volume, annular and
drillstring pressure, and etc,) capable to detect
an increase of flow or volume in the fluid system,
the blowout preventer (BOP),
the circulating pressure control manifold
(choke manifold),
and the kill and choke lines.
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the blowout preventer (BOP)
The BOP is a set of pack–offs capable of shutting
the annular space between the surface casing and
the drillstring.
Because of the diversity in shape of the annular,
several different device types exist and
they are normally assembled together
(and in various configurations) called BOP stack.
The BOP stack is located
under the rotary table
in land and fixed marine rigs,
and on the bottom of the sea
in mobile and floating rigs.
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PRESSURE CONTROL EQUIPMENT
BOPs equipment are selected
based on the maximum expected
wellbore pressures.
The pressure rating, size and
number of BOP components must
be determined by the Drilling
Engineer prior to drilling the well.
BOPs are rated by API as
3M (3000 psi), 5M, 10 M and 15 M.
For HPHT, BOPS are either
15 M or 20 M.
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BOP stacks
A fixed rig BOP A floating rig BOP
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Sample of a land rig BOP Stack
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the BOP stack In subsea operations
In subsea operations,
the BOP stack is installed at seabed.
The stack has several back up units in case of failure,
for example two annulars are used so that if one failed
the other can be used.
This back-up system principle is applied to all the BOP
components.
The subsea stack for HPHT operation
may not be part of the rig contract and
may have to be rented out separately, e.g. a 20K stack.
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Annular BOP’s
The various types of BOP
devices are:
Annular BOP, Blind ram, Pipe
rams, and Shear rams
Annular BOP:
The purpose of the annular
BOP is to shut the annular
in front of any kind of
drillstring equipment
(except stabilizers) or
even without drillstring.
The active element is an
elastomeric ribbed donut
that is squeezed around
the drillstring
by an hydraulic ram.
It is located
at the top of the BOP stack.
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an inside BOP
Controlling the pressure applied
to the ram, it is possible to strip
the drillstring in and out while
keeping the annular closed
(requires the use of an inside-BOP,
which should be connected
immediately to the drillstring
when a kick is identified).
The inside BOP acts as a check
valve, allowing fluid be pumped
down the drillstring,
but blocking back flow.
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Blind & Pipe rams
Blind ram:
The blind rams (normally one at the top of all other rams)
allows shutting the borehole with no drillstring element in
front of it. (the upper ram in the figure)
If the blind ram is applied to a drillpipe, the pipe
will be flatten but no seal is obtained.
Pipe rams:
The pipe rams allows shutting the annular
in front a compatible drill pipe (not in front of tool joints.)
Normally two rams are used
a special spool between the two is used where the kill and
choke line is connected. (the lower ram in the figure)
The use of two pipe rams also
permit to snub the drillstring during the well control operation.
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shear rams
Shear rams:
The shear ram
(normally one below the
blind ram or below all
other rams) can shear a
drill pipe and provide seal.
This is a last resource
when all other rams and
annular had failed.
Circulation through the
drillstring is lost and,
if the shear ram is the
lower one,
the drillstring falls into the
borehole.
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BOP control panels
All these safety devices
are hydraulically actuated
by a pneumatic–hydraulic
system
(actuators and
accumulators),
which can operate
completely
independent of the power
system of the rig.
Two control panels are
normally used,
one at the rig floor,
and a remote one away
from the risky area.
BOP accumulators and control panels
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The accumulators
The accumulators are steel bottles lined
with a elastomeric bladers
forming two separated compartments.
One compartment is filled with oil,
which powers the BOP.
The other compartment is filled with air or nitrogen
at high pressure.
The pressure of the gas pressurizes
the oil across the elastomeric liner.
Rig power, during ordinary operation,
keeps the gas in the accumulators under pressure.
The accumulators should be able
to provide hydraulic power to close and open all elements
of the BOP stack a number of times without external power.
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Sample of BOP control panel & the
accumulator
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Choke Manifold
During a kick control operation, some of the BOP
stack devices are actuated
to close the annulus and
divert the returning fluid to the choke line.
The choke line directs the returning fluid to a manifold
of valves and chokes called choke manifold,
which allows to control the flow pressure
at the top of the annular adjusting the flow area open to flow.
The choke manifold also direct the flow
• to a flare (in case of a gas kick), or
• to the pits (if mud) or
• to special tanks (if oil)
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Choke manifold
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Sample of a choke manifold
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data required to control of operations
under way in the rig
Several sensors, gauges, rate of penetration (ROP),
meters, indicators, alarms, rotary speed,
and recorders exist torque,
in the rig to provide all circulating (pump) pressure,
data required to control flow rate (in and out),
(safely, efficiently, and drilling fluid gain/loss,
reliably) of all operations mud temperature,
under way in the rig. mud density,
Among the most total hydrocarbon gas
in the drilling fluid.
important parameters are:
weight on bit (WOB) and
hook load,
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indication of
hook load and weight on bit
Accurate and reliable indication
of hook load and weight on bit are essential for
the efficient control of rate of penetration, bit life, borehole
cleaning, and borehole direction.
The weight indicator works
in conjunction with the deadline anchor
using either tension or compression hydraulic load cells.
The deadline anchor senses the tension in the deadline and
hydraulically actuates the weight indicator.
Most weight indicators have two hands and two scales.
The inner scale shows the hook load and
the outer one shows the weight-on–bit.
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Weight indicator and
a deadline anchor
Weight indicator a deadline anchor
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weight–on–bit
To obtain the weight–on–bit,
the driller perform the following steps:
with the bit out of the bottom,
the drillstring is put to rotate and
the weight of the drillstring is observed in the central scale;
using the knob at the rim of the weight indicator,
the outer scale is adjusted so that
the zero of the outer scale aligns with the longer hand.
The driller lowers the drillstring slowly observing the long
hand.
When the bit touches the bottom, part of the weight of the
drillstring is transferred from the hook to the bit
(the weight–on–bit.)
The amount of weight transferred corresponds to
the decrease of hook load,
indicated by the long pointer (turning counterclockwise).
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control consoles
All modern rigs have control consoles that
shows all pertinent parameters in analog and
or digital displays.
All parameters and operations may be
recorded in physical (paper) or
magnetic media for post analysis.
Some automated operations like
constant weight–on–bit and
constant torque are possible in most rigs.
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Drilling control console
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1. (CDF) Jorge H.B. Sampaio Jr. “Drilling
Engineering Fundamentals.” Master of
Petroleum Engineering. Curtin University of
Technology, 2007. Chapter 2
2. (WEC) Rabia, Hussain. Well Engineering &
Construction. Entrac Consulting Limited, 2002.
Chapter 16
