WELL CONTROL METHODS

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IADC
DrilingFormulas.com

Wild Well

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 Definition

• Well-control means methods used to minimize the potential for the well to flow or kick and to maintain control
of the well in the event of flow or a kick.
• Well-control applies to drilling, well-completion, well-workover, abandonment, and well-servicing operations.
• It includes measures, practices, procedures and equipment, such as fluid flow monitoring, to ensure safe and
environmentally protective drilling, completion, abandonment, and workover operations as well as the
installation, repair, maintenance, and operation of surface and subsea well-control equipment.

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 Well-control procedures
• With the constant-bottomhole-pressure concept, the total pressures (e.g., mud hydrostatic pressure and casing pressure) at
the hole bottom are maintained at a value slightly greater than the formation pressures to prevent further influxes of
formation fluids into the wellbore.
• And, because the pressure is only slightly greater than the formation pressure, the possibility of inducing a fracture and an
underground blowout is minimized.
• Concept implemented:
• One-Circulation, or Wait-and-Weight Method.
o After the kick is shut in, weight the mud to kill density and then pump out the kick fluid in one circulation using the kill
mud. (Another name often applied to this method is “the engineer’s method.”)
• Two-Circulation, or Driller’s Method
o After the kick is shut in, the kick fluid is pumped out of the hole before the mud density is increased.
• Concurrent Method
o Pumping begins immediately after the kick is shut in and pressures are recorded. The mud density is increased as rapidly
as possible while pumping the kick fluid out of the well.
• If applied properly, each method achieves constant pressure at the hole bottom and will not allow additional influx into the
well. Procedural and theoretical differences make one procedure more desirable than the others.

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 One-circulation method
• Graph depicts the one-circulation method. One-circulation method
• At Point 1, the shut-in drillpipe pressure is used requires one complete fluid
to calculate the kill-weight mud. displacement (i.e., within
• The mud weight is increased to kill density in the the drillpipe and the
suction pit. annulus).
• As the kill mud is pumped down the drillpipe, the
static drillpipe pressure is controlled to decrease
linearly until at Point 2, the drillpipe pressure is zero.
• The heavy mud has killed the drillpipe pressure. Point
3 shows that the initial pumping pressure on the
drillpipe is the total of psidp plus the kill-rate pressure.
• While pumping kill mud down the pipe, the
circulating pressure decreases until, at Point 4, only
the pumping pressure remains.
• From the time kill mud is at the bit until it reaches
the flow line, the choke is used to control the
drillpipe pressure at the final circulating pressure.
• The driller ensures the pump remains at the kill
speed.

Static drillpipe pressure of the one-circulation

method of well control.
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 Two-circulation method
Two-circulation method requires the annulus to be
displaced twice, in addition to the drillpipe displacement.
• In the two-circulation method, the circulation is
started immediately. Kill mud is not added in the first
circulation.
• Next slide the drillpipe pressure will not decrease
during the first circulation.
• The purpose is to remove the kick fluid from the
annulus.
• In the second circulation, the mud weight increases,
but causes a decrease from the initial pumping
pressure at Point 1, to the final circulating pressure at
Point 2.
• This pressure is held constant while the annulus is
displaced with kill mud.
Static drillpipe pressure of the two-circulation
method of well control.

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 Concurrent method
• This method is the most difficult to execute properly .
• As soon as the kick is shut in and the pressures are read,
pumping immediately begins.
• The mud density is increased as rapidly as rig facilities
will allow.
• The difficulty is determining the mud density being
circulated and its relative position in the drillpipe.
• Because this position determines the drillpipe
pressures, the rate of pressure decrease may not be as
consistent as in the other two methods.
• As a new density arrives at the bit, or a predetermined
depth, the drillpipe pressure is decreased by an amount
equal to the hydrostatic pressure of the new mud-
weight increment.
• When the drillpipe is displaced with kill mud, the
pumping pressure is maintained constant until kill mud
reaches the flow line. Static drillpipe pressure of the concurrent method.
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 Choosing the best method for well control
• Determining the best well-control method for most situations involves several considerations including the time
required to execute the kill procedure, the surface pressures from the kick, the complexity relative to the ease of
implementation, and the downhole stresses applied to the formation during the kick-killing process.
• All points must be analyzed before a procedure can be selected.
• The following list briefly summarizes the general opinion in the industry regarding these methods:
• The one-circulation method should be used in most cases.
• The two-circulation method should be used if a good casing shoe exists and there is going to be a delay in
weighting up the system.
• The concurrent method should be used only in rare cases, such as for a severe (1.5 lbm/gal or greater) kick with a
large influx and a potential problem with developing lost circulation.
• In this case, the pump rate should be kept to a minimum to allow the weight to be raised continuously.
• In an analysis of kick-killing procedures, emphasis is placed on the one- and two-circulation methods (i.e., the
wait-and-weight method and the driller ’ s method, respectively).
• Inspection of the procedures will show that these are opposite approaches, while the concurrent method falls
somewhere in between.

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 Time
• Two important considerations relative to time are required for the kill procedure: initial wait time and
overall time required.
• The first concern with time is the amount required to increase the mud density from the original
weight to the final kill-weight mud.
• Because some operators are very concerned with pipe sticking during this time, the well-control
procedure that minimizes the initial wait time is often chosen.
• These are the concurrent method and the two-circulation method.
• In both procedures, pumping begins immediately after the shut-in pressures are recorded.
• The other important time consideration is the overall time required for the complete procedure to be
implemented.
• In certain situations, extra time for the two-circulation method may be extensive with respect to hole
stability or preventer wear.

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 Surface pressures
• During the course of well killing, surface pressures may approach alarming heights. T
• his may be a problem in gas-volume expansion near the surface.
• The kill procedure with the least surface pressure required to balance the bottomhole formation
pressure is important.
• Next slide the different surface-pressure requirements for several kick situations.
• The first major difference is noted immediately after the drillpipe is displaced with kill mud.
• The amount of casing pressure required begins to decrease because of the increased kill-mud
hydrostatic pressure during the one-circulation procedure.
• This decrease is not seen in the two-circulation method because this procedure does not circulate kill
mud initially.
• In fact, in the two-circulation method, the casing pressure increases as the gas-bubble expansion
displaces mud from the hole.
• The second difference in pressure occurs as the gas approaches the surface.
• The two-circulation procedure has higher pressures resulting from the lower-density original mud
weight.
• It is interesting to note these high casing pressures that are necessary to suppress the gas expansion
to a small degree result in a later arrival of gas at the surface.
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Static annular pressures for one-circulation method Static annular pressure for one-circulation method
vs. two-circulation method in a 10,000-ft well. vs. two-circulation method in a 15,000-ft well.

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 Procedure complexity
• Process suitability partially depends on the ease with which the procedure can be executed.
• If a kick-killing procedure is difficult to comprehend and implement, its reliability diminishes.
• The concurrent method is less reliable because of its complexity.
• To perform this procedure properly, the drillpipe pressure must be reduced according to the mud
weight being circulated and its position in the pipe.
• This implies that the crew will inform the operator when a new mud weight is being pumped, that the
rig facilities can maintain this increased mud-weight increment, and that the mud-weight position in
the pipe can be determined by counting pump strokes.
• Many operators have stopped using this complex method entirely.
• One- and two-circulation methods are used more prominently because of their ease of application.
• In both procedures, the drillpipe pressure remains constant for long intervals of time.
• In addition, while displacing the drillpipe with kill mud, the drillpipe pressure decrease is virtually a
straight-line relationship, not staggered, as in the concurrent method .

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 Downhole stresses
• Although all considerations for choosing the best method are important, the primary concern should always be the stresses
imposed on the borehole wall.
• If the kick-imposed stresses are greater than the formation can withstand, an induced fracture occurs, creating the possibility
of an underground blowout.
• The procedure that imposes the least downhole stress while maintaining constant pressures on the kicking zone is
considered the most conducive to safe kick killing.
• One way to measure downhole stresses is by use of "equivalent mud weights," or the total pressures to a depth converted to
lbm/gal mud weight. For example

• where ρe = equivalent mud weight, lbm/gal.

• The equivalent mud weights for the systems in slide 10 are presented in slide 13.
• The one-circulation method has consistently lower equivalent mud weights throughout the killing process after the drillpipe
has been displaced.
• The procedures generally exhibit the same maximum equivalent mud weights.
• They occur from the time the well is shut in until the drillpipe is displaced.
• Slide 13 illustrate an important principle: maximum stresses occur very early in circulation for the deeper depth, not at the
maximum casing pressure intervals.
• The maximum lost-circulation possibilities will not occur at the gas-to-surface conditions, as might seem logical.
• If a fracture is not created at shut-in, it probably will not occur throughout the remainder of the process.
• A full understanding of this behavior may calm operators ’ concerns about formation fracturing as the gas approaches the
surface. 13
Equivalent mud-weight comparison for the one- Equivalent mud-weight comparison for the one-circulation
circulation vs. the two-circulation kill procedure (0.5- vs. the two-circulation kill procedure (0.5-lbm/gal kick at
lbm/gal kick at 10,000 ft). 15,000 ft).

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 Nonconventional well control procedures
• Many attempts have been made to develop well-control procedures based on principles other than the
constant-bottomhole-pressure concept.
• These procedures may be based on specific problems peculiar to a geological area. One example is low-
permeability, high-pressured formations contiguous to structurally weak rocks that cannot withstand hydrostatic
kill pressures.
• Often, nonconventional procedures are used to overcome problem situations that result from poor well design.

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• rounding rules to for well control calculation.
• 1. Kill Mud Density: Round up to one decimal place from a calculated kill mud density.
• For example, if we have the calculated kill mud density of 13.32 ppg, round it up to 13.4
ppg.
• 2. Leak Off Test (LOT): Round down to one decimal place from a calculated Leak Off Test
value.
• For example if we have the theoretical LOT of 15.57 ppg, round it down to 15.5 ppg.
• When any of the above values have been calculated, the rounded numbers must be used
in subsequent calculations.

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• Pressure (P) – psi
• Pressure (psi) = Force (lb) / Area in Square Inch (in 2)
• Pressure Gradient (G) – psi/ft
• Mud Gradient ( Psi/ft ) = Mud weight ( PPG) x 0.052
• Hydrostatic Pressure (HP) – psi
• Hydrostatic Pressure (HP) = Mud weight (PPG) x 0.052 x TVD (ft)

To solve for MW or TVD, fill in the known information in

these equations below;

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• Bottom Hole Pressure (BHP) – psi
• Under static condition
• Bottom Hole Pressure (BHP) = Hydrostatic Pressure (HP) + Surface Pressure (SP)
• Under dynamic condition, use the following equation.
• Bottom Hole Pressure (BHP) = Hydrostatic Pressure (HP) + Surface Pressure (SP) + Frictional
Pressure (FrP)
• Note: Frictional pressure acts opposite way of flow direction.
• Formation Pressure (FP) – psi
• After get Shut In Drill Pipe Pressure, you can calculate the formation pressure from this following
relationship;
• Formation Pressure (FP) = Hydrostatic Pressure (HP) + Shut-In Drill Pipe Pressure (SIDPP)

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 Driller’s Method
• Driller’s method is one of several methods to kill the well.
• The main idea of driller method is to kill the well with constant bottom hole pressure.
• The Driller’s Method of well control requires two complete and separate circulations of drilling fluid in the well.
• While circulating with the kill mud, casing pressure must be held constant until kill mud reaches the bit.
• After that, hold drill pipe pressure constant then continue circulating with constant drill pipe pressure until kill
mud weight reaches at surface.
• Then shut down pumping operation and observe drillpipe and casing pressure.
• If the well is successfully killed, both drillpipe and casing pressure will be zero.
• If not, there is some influx still in the well.

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First circulation removes influx with original mud weight.
• Bring pumps up to speed, casing pressure must be held constant until kill rate is reached.
• Then drillpipe pressure is held constant to maintain constant bottomhole pressure which is normally equal to, or
slightly greater than pore pressure.
• Drillpipe pressure will be held constant until influx is removed from annulus.
• If the wellbore influx is gas, it will expand when it comes close to surface therefore you will see an increase in pit
volume and casing pressure.
• After the kick is totally removed from the well, when the well is shut-in, drillpipe and casing pressure will be the
same value.
• If not, it means that there is influx still left in the wellbore or trapped pressure.
• Before going to the second circulation, know kill mud weight which can be calculated from initial shut-in drillpipe
pressure.
Second circulation kills well with kill mud.
• When the required kill mud weight is mixed, it is the time to start the second circulation of driller method.
• Start with bringing pumps to kill rate by holding casing pressure constant.
• While circulating with the kill mud, casing pressure must be held constant until kill mud reaches the bit.
• After that, we need to hold drill pipe pressure constant then continue circulating with constant drill pipe pressure
until kill mud weight reaches at surface.
• Then shut down pumping operation and observe drillpipe and casing pressure.
• If the well is successfully killed, both drillpipe and casing pressure will be zero.
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• If not, there is some influx still in the well.
 Wait and Weight Well Control Method (Engineer’s Method)
• Kill weight mud is displaced into drill string and kick (wellbore influx) is removed while displacing a wellbore.
• 1. Shut in the well.
• 2. Allow pressure to stabilize and record stabilized shut in casing pressure, initial shut in drill pipe pressure, and
pit gain.
• If you have a float in the drill string, you must bump the float in order to see the shut-in drill pipe pressure.
• Please read this following topic for float bumping procedure >Float Bumping ProcedGet Shut In Drill Pipe
Pressure
• 3. Perform well control calculations and following items must be figured out.
• o Bottomhole pressure based on drill pipe pressure (Read more about it>Formation Pressure from Kick
Analysis)
• o Kill Mud weight necessary to balance the kick
• o Drillpipe pressure schedule
• o Maximum surface casing pressure during well control operation . (Read more about it > Maximum Surface
Pressure from Gas Influx)
• o Maximum pit gain during circulation (Read about it > Maximum pit gain from gas kick in water based mud)
• 4. Raise mud weight in the system to required kill mud weight. (Read more about it > Kill Weight Mud)
• 5. Establish circulation to required kill rate by holding casing pressure constant.
• 6. Follow drill pipe schedule until kill weight mud to the bit.
• 7. Hold drill pipe pressure constant once kill weight mud out of the bit until complete circulation.
• 8. Check mud weight out and ensure that mud weight out is equal to kill mud weight.
• 9. Shut down and flow check to confirm if a well is static.
• 10. Circulate and condition mud if required. 21
• 1. Shut in the well.
• 2. Allow pressure to stabilize and record stabilized shut in casing pressure, initial shut in drill pipe pressure, and pit
gain.
• If you have a float in the drill string, you must bump the float in order to see the shut-in drill pipe pressure.
• Please read this following topic for float bumping procedure >Float Bumping ProcedGet Shut In Drill Pipe Pressure
• 3. Perform well control calculations and following items must be figured out.
• o Bottomhole pressure based on drill pipe pressure (Read more about it>Formation Pressure from Kick Analysis)
• o Kill Mud weight necessary to balance the kick
• o Drillpipe pressure schedule
• o Maximum surface casing pressure during well control operation . (Read more about it > Maximum Surface
Pressure from Gas Influx)
• o Maximum pit gain during circulation (Read about it > Maximum pit gain from gas kick in water based mud)
• 4. Raise mud weight in the system to required kill mud weight. (Read more about it > Kill Weight Mud)

• 5. Establish circulation to required kill rate by holding casing pressure constant.

• 6. Follow drill pipe schedule until kill weight mud to the bit.
• 7. Hold drill pipe pressure constant once kill weight mud out of the bit until complete circulation.
• 8. Check mud weight out and ensure that mud weight out is equal to kill mud weight.
• 9. Shut down and flow check to confirm if a well is static.
• 10. Circulate and condition mud if required.
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 Concurrent method

• This method is the most difficult to execute properly.

• As soon as the kick is shut in and the pressures are read,
pumping immediately begins.
• The mud density is increased as rapidly as rig facilities
will allow.
• The difficulty is determining the mud density being
circulated and its relative position in the drillpipe.
• Because this position determines the drillpipe
pressures, the rate of pressure decrease may not be as
consistent as in the other two methods.
• As a new density arrives at the bit, or a predetermined
depth, the drillpipe pressure is decreased by an amount
equal to the hydrostatic pressure of the new mud-
weight increment.
• When the drillpipe is displaced with kill mud, the
pumping pressure is maintained constant until kill mud
reaches the flow line.

Static drillpipe pressure of the concurrent method.

 Concurrent Method
1. Shut-in well after kick.
2. Record kick size and stabilized SIDPP and SICP.
3. ASAP start circulating original mud (fluid) by gradually bringing the pump up to the desired kill rate while using
the choke to maintain constant casing pressure at the shut-in value.
•Pump pressure should be equivalent to calculated ICP. If not equivalent, investigate and recalculate if
necessary.
4.Mixing operations begin and pits are slowly weighted up and each unit of heavier fluid reported
5. Each interval or unit of increased fluid density is then noted and recorded with the pump stroke count at that
time.
•The change in circulating pressure for the different density is calculated.
•Once this fluid reaches the bit/end of tubing, circulating pressure is adjusted with the choke by that amount.
6. The kick is circulated out and the fluid in the well continues to be gradually increased.
7. Once the kill fluid is consistent throughout the well, shut down pump and check for flow.
8.Close choke, shut well in and check pressures.
9.If no pressure is noted, open choke (bleeding any trapped pressure), open BOP.
•ICP = Kill rate pressure + SIDPP = 1000 psi + 500 psi = 1500 psi at 0 strokes
•FCP = (Kill rate pressure x Kill MW) / Original MW = (1000 psi x 11 ppg) / 10 ppg = 1100 psi after 500 strokes
•Plot 1500 psi at 0 strokes and plot 1100 psi at 500 strokes. Connect the two points.
 Volumetric Method
• Where a gas kick is taken into a well, and the pipe has been fully tripped out of the hole, a problem arises.
• Gas shut in will slowly migrate through the mud, and if not allowed to expand, will retain its pressure and bring this up the
hole.
• Casing pressure, and bottom hole pressure, will steadily rise until damage occurs.
• In many cases, drillpipe is stripped in to allow circulation to be effected.
• In general this can be done more rapidly than the gas can migrate.
• It is usually preferred and is described in detail in the Stripping and Snubbing section.
• If this cannot be done, mud must be bled from the annulus at intervals to allow the gas to expand, aiming for a steady bottom
hole pressure.
• The mud weight and the average volume of the hole are known, it is thus possible to work out the volume of mud required to
provide a given hydrostatic pressure.
• The shut in casing pressure is noted.
• As gas migrates, the casing pressure rises.
• Once the pressure has risen to some pre-set amount; say 100 psi, the choke is opened and the volume of mud required to
produce that same (100 psi) hydrostatic pressure bled off from the well.
• The choke is then closed again, and the new casing pressure noted.
• This figure is somewhat higher than the original shut in casing pressure, since the gas has now been allowed to expand.
• The bottom hole pressure has, however, been dropped to approximately the original shut in value.
• As gas continues to migrate, so the casing pressure slowly rises again.
• Once it has risen the pre-set amount over the new shut-in pressure, the choke is opened again and the appropriate volume of
mud bled off.
• After the choke is closed, a new shut in pressure is recorded.
• In this way gas is allowed to migrate up the well without excessively high bottom hole pressure.
• This is not strictly a 'kill' method — since the well has not been killed, however it allows time for other true kill procedures to
be implemented, without necessarily losing the well.
 Nonconventional well control procedures
• Many attempts have been made to develop well-control procedures based on principles other than the
constant-bottomhole-pressure concept.
• These procedures may be based on specific problems peculiar to a geological area.
• One example is low-permeability, high-pressured formations contiguous to structurally weak rocks that cannot
withstand hydrostatic kill pressures.
• Often, nonconventional procedures are used to overcome problem situations that result from poor well design.
 Reverse Circulation
• Reverse circulation is the reversal of normal circulation or normal well kill pump direction.
• In reverse circulation, due to friction (APL, ECD) most of the circulating pump pressure is exerted on
the annulus.
• Standard start up procedures apply.
Advantages
1.It is the quickest method of circulating something to the surface.
2.Gets the problem inside the strongest pipe from the beginning.
3.Generally, the annular fluid is dense enough to maintain control of the formation, which reduces fluid
mixing and weighting requirements.
Disadvantages
1.Higher pressure is placed on formation and casing.
2.Excessive pressure may cause fluid losses/casing and/or formation failures.
3.Not applicable for uses where plugging of circulating ports, bit nozzles of string are possible.
4.Gas filled or multiple densities in tubing may present problems establishing proper circulating rates
 Bullheading
• Bullheading, or deadheading, is often used as a method of killing wells in workover situations.
• Bullheading is only possible when there are no obstructions in the tubing and there can be injection in the
formation without exceeding pressure restraints.
• Bullheading involves pumping back well fluid into the reservoir, displacing the tubing or casing with a good
amount of kill fluid.
• Complications can make bullheading difficult in certain situations:
• –Sometimes, when bullheading down the tubing, pressure may have to be exerted on the casing in order to
prevent the tubing from collapsing.
• Both, tubing and casing burst/collapse pressures, should be known and not exceeded.
• –Formation fracture pressure may have to be exceeded due to low reservoir permeability
• –Gas migration through the “kill fluid” can pose a problem. In this situation, viscosifiers should be added to the
kill fluid to minimize the effect of migration.
 Bullheading Procedure
1.Well is shut in and formation pressure is calculated.
• If bullheading down the tubing, maximum pressures should be calculated.
2.Prepare a rough pressure chart of volume pumped versus maximum pressures at surface.
• Friction and formation pressure must be overcome to achieve injection of the liquid in the tubing back into the
formation.
• If pressures or pump rate is too high, damage to the formation may occur.
3.Once the pumped liquid reaches the formation, an increase in pump pressure may occur.
This is due to a non-native fluid injected to the formation.
4.Once the calculated amount of fluid is pumped, shut down, observe pressures. If no pressure increase is
observed, bleed off injection pressure and, again, observe.
• If no pressure change is seen, the well should be dead.
• Proceed operations with caution
Bullheading
 Air Drilling Well Control
• Air drilling allows a well to flow until the formation is producing at a sufficient rate or conditions are no longer
safe.
• Well killing techniques differ with different areas and different accepted practices.
• Some pump water, some inject air. Some shut the well in completely.
• Areas that perform air drilling techniques are usually limited on water and have formations that do not produce
• high liquid or gas flow rates. Most kill techniques involve pumping water down the drillpipe to the bit. This water is
pumped at a high rate down the drillstring because:
• • Extreme differences between weight of water being pumped and the formation gases in the annulus.
• •Vacuuming – the well may “U-tube” faster than slower pump rates can keep up.
• The pump may be slowed down in order to avoid an abrupt increase in surge pressure on the pump as the water
reaches the end of the string.
• After pump rate is decided and fluid has reached the bit, different techniques may be used depending on
situation.
Technique A:
– Continue pumping at high rate.
– When enough water hydrostatic has accumulated in the annulus, the formation flow stops and the well is killed.
Technique B:
– Circulating through the choke.
– This will cause more backpressure that may be enough to cease flow in the well.
– If not enough, a choke technique may be used.
• The advantage of using backpressure is that holding backpressure through the choke slows the expansion of gas.
• This allows drops of water to fall back downhole, saving water that could be lost when not using backpressure.
 Choke Techniques
• There are various choke techniques that can be used to maintain the equivalent hydrostatic pressure of water in
order to gain control of the well.
Choke technique 1:
• When water rounds the bit, choke is closed enough to exert the water’s hydrostatic as backpressure.
• Water circulates up the hole and backpressure is decreased by the estimated gain in water hydrostatic.
• •However, formation gases also exert hydrostatic pressure, so this must be noted in order to stop the well from
pressuring up higher than the equivalent weight of the water used.
Choke Technique 2:
• Pressure is not applied on choke until the water is believed to be at the casing shoe.
• Equivalent hydrostatic from shoe to surface is held.
• Hydrostatic begins to gain above the shoe and the equivalent is bled from the choke.
• However, the formation fracture or formation strength at the casing shoe is often unknown.
• This calls for a leak-off test, but it defeats the purpose of air drilling to water the hole and perform the test.
• Therefore, this technique is not used in many areas.
• Additionally, the structural integrity of the formation or the strength of the bond between the cement and
casing is usually not known or tested.
 Mudcap Drilling
• Performed:
• When returns cannot be circulated back to surface.
• When annulus pressures at surface are nearing operational limits.
• If extreme drilling fluid loss is anticipated.
• If capacity of handling fluid at surface is exceeded.
• Mudcap drilling allows for drilling while managing extreme lost circulation in an overpressured area.
• As with most procedures, there are advantages and disadvantages to mudcap drilling.
Advantages
1.Allows for drilling while managing extreme lost circulation in an overpressured environment.
Therefore, it saves time and money from fighting lost circulation.
2.Easier procedure than flow drilling.
3.Reduces surface pressure on annulus.
4.Minimizes requirements for surface fluid processing equipment.
5.Minimizes hydrocarbons, H2S at surface, which can be hazardous to the environment.
6.Not as much environmental planning needed as in PWD(Pressure While Drilling).
Disadvantages
1.Increases required training/qualification for personnel.
2.More logistical requirements and planning than conventional drilling.
3.More potential for formation damage and more complex drilling/tripping procedures.
4.Higher pressure rotary drilling equipment is required. 5.Higher pump pressure is required, which may result in the need to
modify the rig pump or change the pump.
6.More potential for drillstring sticking at point of injection by differential pressure or cutting/packoff.
7.Because well is shut in at surface, drill cutting and fluid samples areunable to be obtained.
 Pressured Mudcap Drilling Technique
• – Pressured mudcap drilling permits monitoring of annulus pressure to show any changes downhole.
• A pressure ranging from 50 to 200 psi is usually held on the choke.
• Changes in pressures indicate the potential of an influx in the well and/or formation pressure changes.
• Non-pressured Mudcap Drilling Technique – no monitoring of annulus pressures.
• Used where sub normal pressures are encountered.
 Floating Mudcap Drilling Technique
• A viscous heavy mud “cap” is used to prevent formation flow is utilized.
• Usually used where a loss zone is encountered and the mudcap used to prevent formation flow.
 Multi-Completion and Multilateral Considerations
Well control is limited to the following when producing from multiple zones:
• Fluid barriers
• Mechanical barriers
• Live well intervention
 Slim Hole Considerations
• In slim holes, more than 90% of the hole length is drilled with bit diameters that are smaller than 7”.
• Concerns for slim hole include:
• High annular friction while pumping can cause fluid losses while circulating.
• Kill rate speed and pressures must be at a rate slow enough to minimize annular friction.
• Since the diameter of the hole is smaller, there is a high potential for swabbing.
• Trip speed at a given depth should be calculated and not exceeded.
• The same techniques used to detect kicks are used in slimhole operations.
• However, since the hole is smaller, kicks must be detected on a smaller increase in flow, smaller gain in pit or
during the earlier stages.
• Prior to and during trips:
• Always use a trip log sheet.
• Calculate the pipe displacement accurately.
• Calculate the theoretical fill.
 • Measure the trip tank accurately.
• Record the actual values.
• Compare against theoretical values.
• Consider “U-tubing” of the slug affecting several fill-ups.
• Consider a pumpout to no-swab potential depth.
• In addition to kick detection by rig crew, additional equipment can be used to monitor the well.
When used, alarms should be set.
• Consider using the following:
• • Flow in
• • Standpipe pressure
• • Casing pressure
• • Flow out
• • Mud density in
• • Mud density out
• • Mud gas level
• • Mud level in each tank
• • Depth indicators
• • MWD/LWD tools
THANK YOU

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