Petroleum Engineering 406 Lesson 6 Well Control Unusual Operations
Read Well Control Manual –Chapter 13 Homework 4 –Due Feb. 17, 1999
Contents Pipe off bottom or out of hole –Stripping –Snubbing Excessive casing pressure Lost circulation Hole in casing string Plugged drillpipe or bit Hole in drillpipe H 2 S kicks Trapped pressure Gas kicks in OB mud Gas cut mud Determine SPP after kick
Pipe off bottom or out of hole Kick is below bit –Cannot circulate kick out with bit at this point. –Must get to bottom Stripping Snubbing
Pipe off bottom or out of hole Stripping - tripping into or out of the well under pressure through closed preventers Buoyed weight of the drillstring > force exerted by the wellbore pressure Snubbing - tripping into or out of the well under pressure through closed preventers Buoyed weight of the drillstring < force exerted by the wellbore pressure
Forces acting on drillstring Down –weight of drillstring –downward forces from pressure on upsets Up –buoyancy effects –upward forces from pressure on upsets
Forces acting on drillstring Net effect –down buoyed weight of drillstring –up force from pressure acting on cross sectional area of pipe inside the BOP =Pressure x area
Stripping through annular Install safety valve in top of drillstring (inside BOP)
Stripping through annular
Stripping through rams
Snubbing
Snubbing calculations F=PxA Example: A well has 450 psi pressure. 2-7/8”, 6.5 lb/ftpipe in well with BOP closed. What is the upward force on the pipe. F=450x.07854x2.875^2=2919 lbf =449 ft of pipe if suspended in air
Snubbing calculations What is the buoyed weight of 279’ of 2.875”, 6.5 lb/ft pipe (pipe empty) suspended in 13.2 ppg mud? W=Lx[Pipe wt.-{(OD) 2 x.0408xMWo}] W=572 lbf
Snubbing calculations What is the increase in buoyed weight if the tubing is filled with 13.2 ppg mud? Wi=Lx(ID)2x.0408xMWi 894 lbf
Snubbing calculations General form of buoyed weight of pipe in the wellbore W=Lx [Pipe wt.-{(OD) 2 x.0408xMWo}+ {(ID) 2 x.0408xMWi}]
Excessive casing pressure Casing pressure exceeds: –MASP –Rated pressure of BOP –Rated pressure of casing
Lost circulation during kick Partial loss Total loss Pump LCM keep circulating. ?
Lost circulation during kick Circulating out kick Casing seat fractures –Underground blowout Determine where thief zone is Pump heavy mud on bottom, light on top Spot barite plug
Lost circulation during kick Drilling into thief zone Upper zone kicks Gunk squeeze on bottom Kill upper zone
Hole in casing string Treat similar to lost circulation Can set casing patch Cement
Plugged drillpipe or bit If you can continue to circulate adjust kill sheet to reflect the increase in pressure loss If you cannot continue to circulate May have to “blow” the jets out, or perforate
Hole in drillpipe Must plug the hole –strokes to bet incorrect –SPP incorrect –wash DP in two Pump softline or panty hose Set plugs, strip out, replace leaky joint, strip back in
H 2 S kicks Hydrogen Sulfide –very poisonous, –explosive –accumulates in low areas Some people bullhead
Trapped pressure Record SIDPP and SICP Bleed small amounts of mud from annulus Close choke, record SIDPP and SICP If both pressures are lower than before, repeat bleeding. If SIDPP is the same and SICP is slightly higher, stop bleeding.
Gas kicks in OB mud Solubility of gas in OB mud can mask the kick indicators. Look for small pit gains, and small flow increases Gas remains in solution until near the surface, where it comes out of solution (sometimes violently) and expands rapidly
Gas Cut Mud What is it? Where does it come from? How dangerous is it? Are we loosing much HSP?
Gas Cut Mud Determine where gas came from by: –circulating BU –If gas goes away with circulation probably drilled gas –If gas does not go away with circulatio raise MW Causes very little loss of HSP –almost all expansion near the surface
Gas Cut Mud
Determine SPP after kick Slowly increase pump speed to kill speed while –maintaining casing pressure = SICP When pumps are up and stable at kill speed –record circulating DPP SPP=Circulating DPP - SIDPP