WELL CONTROL

EXERCISE 1
 Well Control Exercise 1

1. What is the correct definition of normal formation pressure?

a. Pressure due to the overburden gradient.

b. Pressure in the pore spaces due to hydrostatic pressure of formation
fluid.
c. A combination of the weight of rock and fluid above a formation.
d. Pressure due to the weight of the rock above a formation.

2. While formation pressure gradients vary around the world they are generally
assumed to be:

a. .495 psi/ft.
b. .564 psi/ft.
c. .833 psi/ft.
d. .465 psi/ft.

3. The mud weight required to balance normal formation pressure would have to
be:

a. 8.3 lb/gal.
b. 10.3 lb/gal.
c. 9.0 lb/gal.
d. 9.5 lb/gal.

4. What mud weight is required in the hole to balance a formation pressure of

5000 psi at a depth of 9615 ft. TVD:

ppg

5. Select the correct definition of porosity.

a. The amount of solid rock in the formation.

b. The void space in the formation.
c. The ability of the formation to allow fluid to flow.
d. The ability to produce as a reservoir.

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6. Select the correct definition of permeability.

a. The amount of solid rock in the formation.

b. The void space in the formation.
c. The ability of the formation to allow fluid to flow.
d. The ability to produce as a reservoir.

7. Is it possible to have porosity and permeability, one without the other?

a. Both must exist together.

b. Can have permeability without porosity.
c. Can have porosity without permeability.

8. To add a 280 psi trip margin to a present mud weight of 10.6 ppg at a depth of
8000 ft your new mud weight would be:

a. 10.91 ppg
b. 11.27 ppg
c. 12.52 ppg
d. 13.15 ppg

9. Which of the following is not normally considered as a warning sign of

increasing formation pressure?

a. Increasing background gas.

b. Gradually decreasing rate of penetration.
c. Increasing rate of penetration.
d. Decreasing shale density.
e. Increasing torque and drag.

10. In the event of a drilling break, what would be the normal procedure?

a. Continue drilling unless approaching the reservoir.

Flow check after drilling up to 10 ft.
c. Drill 30 ft to make sure, then flow check.
d. Reduce the WOB to keep ROP constant.

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 Well Control Exercise 1

11. Which of the following might indicate potential formation fluid influx?

a. Minor lost circulation.

b. An increase in pump pressure, decrease in pump strokes.
c. An increase in mud flow, mud volume, and a decrease in pump
pressure.
d. Reduced drilling rates.

12. What is the correct action if the hole does not take the proper amount of fluid
while tripping out of the hole?

a. Flow check, and if no flow, pull out of hole.

b. Stop, spot a high viscosity pill, then pump out of the hole.
c. Flow check, if negative, run back to bottom, circulate bottoms up and
evaluate the problem.
d. Continue to the shoe then evacuate.

13. Drilled gas will reduce the bottom hole pressure the most when:

a. It enters the wellbore.

b. At the casing shoe.
c. It is near the surface.
d. None, it will not change bottom hole pressure.

14. What is the most common cause of swabbing?

a. Low plastic viscosity and gel strength.

b. Pulling the pipe too fast.
c. Improper mud density.
d. Incorrect circulating density.

15. If the fluid level in a well bore fell by 800 ft and it had a density of 10.5 ppg.,
how much would bottom hole pressure be reduced by:

psi

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 Well Control Exercise 1

16. If your flow sensor suddenly showed a loss of returns, and when you did a
flow check you could see no mud in the annulus, what would be the best
action to take?

a. Pump at a reduced rate while mixing lost circulation material.

b. Stop all pumping and wait for orders.
c. Close the well in and check for pressure.
d. Immediately begin filling the annulus with water and record the
amount needed to stabilise and stop the fluid losses.

17. Mud monitoring equipment such as pit volume totalisers and pit alarms, trip
tanks, and trip tank alarms should be used:

a. Any time the well is open.

b. Any time fluid is circulated through the mud pits.
c. Only in production and abnormal pressure formations.
d. Only in deeper formations.

18. What is the correct definition of primary well control?

a. Having a high enough mud density to compensate for loss of riser.

b. Having a mud density in excess of normal formation pressure.
c. Keeping the mud density low enough to avoid lost circulation.
d. The correct mud hydrostatic i.e. above formation pressure but below
fracture pressure.

19. How often are leak off tests or formation integrity tests carried out?

a. Once, after drilling out the intermediate casing.

b. Only when approaching the reservoir section.
c. At the beginning of each new hole section.
d. Only in top hole.

20. Prior to conducting a leak-off test, we would normally drill through the shoe,
drill 10 ft of new hole and then circulate and condition the mud. Why is it
important to circulate and condition?

a. To prevent getting stuck.

b. To ensure an accurate and consistent mud weight.
c. Good practice prior to drilling the next section.
d. To reduce the viscosity and remove bits of the shoe.

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21. Select the correct definition of MAASP:

a. Maximum pressure permissible in the mud gas separator.

b. The maximum pressure which can be held at the surface before the
formation breaks down.
c. The highest pressure anticipated at surface.
d. Maximum pressure to which the surface equipment is rated.

22. What happens to the MAASP if the mud weight is increased?

a. Nothing.
b. Decreases.
c. Increases.
d. Depends on the design of the mud gas separator.

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23. Given the following information:

Well Depth 9,020 ft TVD

9 5/8" Shoe 9,000 ft TVD
Current mud weight 10.3 ppg

A LOT is carried out and the following graph is obtained:

1800
1600
1400
1200
Pressure

1000
800
600
400
200
0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
bbls

a. What is the LOT pressure?

psi

b. What is the maximum mud weight that could be used?

ppg

c. What is the fracture pressure at the shoe?

psi

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 Well Control Exercise 1

24. The following vertical well is being drilled from a land rig.

Depth 4,050 ft
13 3/8" casing shoe 4,000 ft
Fracture gradient 0.606 psi/ft
Mud gradient 0.495 psi/ft

a. What is the MAASP?

psi

b. What is the maximum mud weight which could be used?

ppg

c. What is the fracture pressure at the casing shoe?

psi

25. Which is the only one of the circulating system pressure losses act on the
formation:

a. Pressure loss in the surface equipment.

b. Pressure loss in the annulus.
c. Pressure loss in the drill string.
d. Pressure loss in the drill collars.
e. Pressure loss across the nozzles.

26. Given the following, calculate the expected pump pressure:

Surface equipment pressure loss 150

Drill string pressure loss 950
Bit pressure loss 1000
Annular pressure loss 200

Pump pressure psi

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27. If, in Question 26, the vertical depth of the well was 8,000 ft and the mud
weight 10.5 ppg, calculate the following:

Static BHP psi

BHCP psi

28. If pump strokes are decreased, what happens to the friction losses in the
annulus?

a. Increase.
b. Decrease.
c. Stay the same.

29. A pump pressure of 1200 psi was recorded at a pump speed of 35 SPM, what
will the approximate pump pressure be at a speed of 30 SPM?

a. 1029 psi.
b. 1400 psi.
c. 700 psi.
d. 882 psi.

30. In which of the following circumstances would you consider taking a new
slow circulating rate?

a. Every tour.
b. Each time the mud properties change.
c. After a bit trip.
d. After changing out the BHA.
e. All of the above.

31. Why are slow circulating rates used when circulating out a kick?

a. Reaction times of personnel (on choke).

b. Allows for handing influx at surface.
c. Keeps pressures to a minimum.
d. Allows for smooth weighting up of mud.
e. All of the above.

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32. From which gauge would you obtain the slow circulating rate pressure?

a. Drillpipe gauge on the Drillers panel.

b. Casing pressure on the choke manifold gauge.
c. Drillpipe gauge on the choke control panel.
d. Any, all should be the same.

33. The steps for closing in a well by the soft shut in method are:

a. Pick up TDS, shut down pump and stop rotating, close BOP, open
remote CHOKE, close HCR and record pressures.
b. Shut down pump and stop rotating, pick up TDS, open HCR, close
BOP, close remote CHOKE and record pressure.
c. Shut down pump and stop rotating, pick up kelly, close BOP, open
remote CHOKE, close CHOKE and record pressure.
d. Pick up TDS, shut down pump and stop rotating, open HCR, close
BOP, close remote CHOKE and record pressure.

34. For a soft shut in on a Jack Up rig, the choke manifold and stack should be
lined up:

a. As the operators' well control policy specifies.

b. HCR valve closed and all lines open through manual choke.
c. HCR valve open and remote choke closed to shaker tank.
d. HCR valve closed and all lines open through remote choke via the mud
gas separator to shakers.

35. For a hard shut in on a land rig or platform, the stack and choke manifold
should be lined up with:

a. As the operators' well control policy specifies.

b. HCR and manual choke line valves open and remote choke open.
c. HCR and manual choke line valves closed and remote choke open.
d. HCR valve closed, manual choke line valve open, remote choke
closed.

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 Well Control Exercise 1

36. Select the correct procedure for a hard shut in on a platform:

a. Pick up, shut down pumps and stop rotating, close BOP, open remote
choke, Close HCR, record pressure.
b. Shut down pumps and stop rotating, pick up, close BOP, open HCR
with remote choke closed, record pressure.
c. Shut down pumps and stop rotating, pick up, open HCR with remote
choke closed, close BOP, record pressure.
d. Pick up, shut down pumps and stop rotating, close BOP, open HCR
with remote choke closed, record pressures.

37. What determines the rate of the first build up to the stabilised pressures in a
shut in well?

a. Permeability of the formation.

b. Speed at which the shut in was carried out.
c. The shut in method used.
d. Gas migration.
e. Porosity of the formation.

38. What might cause an increase in pressure after stabilisation?

a. Permeability of the formation.

b. Mud cooling
c. Mud viscosity.
d. Gas migration.
e. Porosity of the formation.

39. What would be the best course of action with regard to the second increase in
pressure? Assume pressures have increased by 300 psi and you are waiting to
circulate out the kick.

a. Monitor it, but do nothing, the increase is a good safety margin.

b. Bleed 300 psi off the casing gauge to keep BHP constant until ready to
kill.
c. Bleed 100 psi off the casing gauge to leave 200 psi safety margin and
keep BHP constant until ready to kill.
d. Bleed 100 psi off the drillpipe gauge, leaving a 200 psi safety margin.
Repeat after the next increase until ready to kill.

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40. After closing in a flowing well SIDPP stabilises at 700 psi after 15 minutes.
During the next 30 minutes of monitoring it is recorded that the pressure on
both SIDPP and SICP has increased by 250 psi. If the present mud weight is
10 ppg and the well depth is 8500 ft TVD.

Calculate:
a. The rate of migration in feet per hour.

ft/hr

b. Formation pressure.

psi

41. SIDPP recorded with the bit on bottom is used to calculate:

(Two answers)

a. Increase in mud weight to balance formation pressure.

b. Height of influx.
c. Initial circulating pressure.
d. Final circulating pressure.
e. MAASP.

42. With the well securely shut in, the following data is recorded:

TVD = 9500 ft
SIDPP = 580 psi
SICP = 750 psi
MUD WT = 12.5 ppg

Calculate:
a. The formation pressure.

psi.

b. The kill mud weight required to balance formation pressure:

ppg

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 Well Control Exercise 1

43. Initial Circulating Pressure should be held constant if no extra mud weight is
used to circulate out a kick as in the first circulation of the Drillers method.

True / False.

44. After circulating out the influx in the first circulation of the Drillers method,
SICP and SIDPP should be the same.

True / False.

45. Final circulating pressure is reached when:

a. Kill weight mud reaches the bit.

b. The influx is circulated out.
c. Kill weight mud has made a complete circulation
d. The pit level has been kept constant for one circulation

46. To find Initial Circulating Pressure when the slow pump pressure is not known
and a kick has been taken, you would:

a. Bring the pump up to the desired stroke rate while keeping the casing
pressure constant by working the hydraulic choke. Drillpipe pressure is
ICP.
b. Add 200 psi to the casing pressure and bring pump up to desired pump
rate while using the choke to keep casing pressure constant.
c. Add 100 psi to SIDPP and circulate out the kick.
d. Circulate at desired strokes to circulate out kick, but hold 200 psi back
pressure on the drill pipe.

47. When a gas kick is being circulated up a well, the surface pit volume will:

a. Increase.
Decrease.
c. Stay the same.

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48. In the case of a gas kick, when will the surface casing pressure be highest?

a. When the complete influx is just inside the casing.

b. When the gas reaches surface.
c. When the well is first shut in.
d. When the top of the influx is just below the casing shoe.

49. In the case of a gas kick, when might the casing shoe pressure be at its
maximum?
(Two answers)

a. When the complete influx is just inside the casing.

b. When the gas reaches surface.
c. When the well is first shut in.
d. When the top of the influx is just below the casing shoe.

50. Given the following information:

MD 11,000 ft
TVD 10,000 ft
Mud Weight 11.3 ppg
Strokes from surface to bit 1500
Strokes from bit to shoe 2000
Strokes from shoe to surface 9800
SIDPP 500 psi
SICP 750 psi

Which method will give lowest pressures at the shoe assuming the influx is
gas?

a. Drillers
b. Wait & Weight
c. Both the same

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 Well Control Exercise 1

51. As a gas kick is being circulated out, at the time the gas reached the shoe at
7000 feet there was a pressure at the top of the bubble of 5000 psi. If the
original mud weight is 12.5 ppg, what would be the casing pressure at the
surface at that moment?

a. 1000 psi.
b. 2000 psi.
c. 450 psi.
d. 600 psi.

52. As a gas kick is being circulated from the well using the Drillers method.
What will the shoe pressure be when the gas reaches the shoe at 5400 ft TVD
if the mud weight is 10.8 ppg and the casing pressure is 1050 psi:

a. 4082 psi
b. 5400 psi
c. 3580 psi
d. 920 psi

53. If a kick was being circulated from a well with a constant drill pipe pressure of
1000 psi at 3 bbl/min and the drill pipe pressure went to 1350 psi in just a few
seconds, you could have a plugged nozzle. The safest policy would be to:

a. Reduce pressure to 1000 psi by adjusting the choke.

b. Shut the well in, assess the situation, then re-establish your pumping
pressure.
c. Maintain 1350 psi pumping pressure.

54. What would be the type of influx if you took 21.5 bbls pit gain in an 8 1/2" hole
with 720 feet of 6 1/2" drill collars (.03 bbl/ft annular volume) and had a SIDPP
of 370 psi, SICP of 670 psi and a mud weight of 10.7 ppg?

a. Gas (0.008 - 0.160 psi/ft).

b. Oil (0.388 - 0.400 psi/ft).
c. Fresh water (0.433 - 0.465 psi/ft).
d. Salt water (0.465 - 0.500 psi/ft).

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 Well Control Exercise 1

55. Every kick should be handled as a gas kick.

True / False.

56. The well is closed in with a 25 barrel gas kick while drilling 8 1/2" hole at
13,300' with 5" drill pipe (ann. vol. = .0459 bbl/ft) and 1,000' of 6 1/2" drill
collars (ann. vol. = .0292 bbl/ft). The mud weight is 14 ppg and the SIDPP is
600 psi. Gas gradient = .12 psi/ft. What would be the approximate shut in
casing pressure?

a. 856 psi
b. 600 psi
c. 931 psi
d. 1120 psi.

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