Deepwater Well Control

1 Confidential Information © 2012 M-I SWACO

 Deepwater Well Control
What is Deepwater Well Control

• The control of formation pressures to prevent the release of formation fluids to the
environment or to another formation.
• Three Levels of Well Control
• Primary
– Hydrostatic pressure in the well in excess of the formation pressure in exposed
permeable formations
• Secondary
– Use of equipment and procedures to provide the necessary pressure on the
formation preventing formation fluids from continuing to enter the well while
restoring primary control
• Tertiary
– The use of various methods to restore secondary and primary control of a well that
has uncontrolled flow of formation fluid.

2 Confidential Information © 2012 M-I SWACO

 Levels of Well Control

Primary Control - Drilling Fluid Density

Hydrostatic pressure > Formation Pressure

Hydrostatic Pressure = 0.052 x Mud Density (ppg) x True Vertical Depth (ft)

Losing Primary Control

• Drill into a permeable formation with formation pressure greater than hydrostatic pressure
• Pump a low density fluid into the well reducing hydrostatic pressure
• Loss of Hydrostatic Pressure on trips (not filling the hole)
• Loss of hydrostatic Pressure due to loss of circulation
• Swabbing on trips

3 Confidential Information © 2012 M-I SWACO

Warning Indicators and Signs for Loss of Primary Control

Warning signs for loss of primary Signs for loss of primary Control
control
• Well flowing with pumps off
• Increase in pit volume • Well flowing on connection
• Increase in flow while drilling • Hole not taking proper fill on trips
• Increase in gas
• Background
• Connection
• Trip
• Increase in size and shape of cuttings
• Increase in ROP
• Hole tight on connections
• Fill on connections
• Swabbing on trips

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 Secondary Control

Shutting in the Well Restoring Primary Control

Drilling • Use established Well Control Methods
• Determine space out for Tool joints in BOP • Driller’s Method
• Close Blow out Preventers
• Engineer’s (Wait and Weight) Method
• Open Fail Safe valves
• Close Choke
• Objectives of Well Control Methods
Tripping • Circulate out invading fluid
• Determine space out for Tool joints in BOP • Circulate kill mud into the well
• Close Blow out Preventers
• Open Fail Safe valves • Principles
• Close Choke • Use adjustable choke to provide
sufficient backpressure to compensate
for lack of hydrostatic pressure

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 Kick Behavior
• Water and Oil
• Slight compressibility
• Behaves like mud
• Gas
• Compressible
• Follows Gas Laws
• Pressure x Volume at one point will equal Pressure x Volume at
another.
• Ex. 10 bbls gas at 10,000 ft will equal 20 bbls of gas at 5,000 ft
• Gas will migrate up the well due to buoyancy
• Must allow expansion if shut in for long periods of time
• Open Choke / Bleed off pressure
• Do not let Drill Pipe Pressure drop below SIDPP
• Expansion is necessary to reduce pressure in gas
• Soluble in Oil or Synthetic Fluid
• Behaves like a liquid until it reaches critical point
• Critical point is within 2,000 ft – 1,000 ft of surface
• Normally in Choke line
• Rapid and massive expansion during change of state
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 Adjustable Chokes

• High Pressure devices M-I SWACO SuperChoke

• Tungsten Carbide elements Rotating Discs
• Adjust size of orifice through which mud flows
• Works like a bit nozzle
• Large orifice opening – low pressure
• Small orifice opening – high pressure
• Various designs
• M-I SWACO SuperChoke
• Two Rotating Discs with half moon openings
• Discs rotate to provide fully closed to fully open orifice
• Cameron Choke
• Sleeve and Piston Design
• Orifice changes by piston moving toward or away from Sleeve

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 Secondary Control –Information

• Pre Recorded Information

• Slow Circulating Rate – SCR
• Recorded every tour or at changes in mud density
• Measured circulating through bit and up the drilling riser
• Multiple Rates for Deepwater Operations
• Allows selection of flow rate based on Choke line pressure loss
• Choke Line Pressure Loss
• Recorded every tour or at changes in mud density
• Circulating through Choke line and up riser
• Multiple Circulating Rate
• Maximum Allowable Casing Pressure – MACP
• Maximum Casing pressure without breaking down casing shoe

• (Fracture Gradient (ppg) – Mud Weight (ppg)) x 0.052 x Casing Shoe TVD (ft)

8 Confidential Information © 2012 M-I SWACO

 Multiple Slow Pump Rates

Why take slow pump rates?

• Improved Pressure control
• Improved reaction time
• Prevents overcompensation
• Pump pressure is primary means to control pressure
• Pressure is controlled on choke manifold
• Change requires travel length of two times the hole length
• Rule of thumb – 1 second per 1,000 ft (2 seconds per 1,000 ft
measured depth)
• Ability to maintain mud density and properties
• Deepwater Applications
• Reduced Choke Line Pressure loss
• May exceed Maximum Allowable Casing Pressure
• Use Choke and Kill Lines - Pros
• Reduces Velocity by 50%
• Reduces Pressure Loss by 60-75%
• Increases reaction time for gas expansion
• Use Choke and Kill Lines - Cons
• Loss of back up line in the event of plugging

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 Reduced Circulating Pressure / Choke Line Pressure Loss
Reduced Circulating Pressure Choke Line Pressure Loss Choke Line Pressure Loss
• Down Drill Pipe and Up Riser • Down Drill Pipe and Up Choke Line • Down Choke line and up Riser
• Used for Pump Pressures for well • Equal to Pump Pressure – Reduced • Casing Shoe not exposed to Choke Line
control methods Circulating Pressure Pressure Loss
• Exposes Casing shoe to High ECD • Does not require closing BOP’s
from Choke line Pressure Loss

Casing Shoe
exposed to Choke
Line Pressure loss Choke and Kill Lines for
Circulating out kicks
• Reduce Choke line Pressure
loss by 60-70%
• Reduced Velocity
• Loss of redundancy

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 Secondary Control –Information

• Pressures
• Shut in Drill Pipe Pressure (SIDPP)
• Shut in Casing Pressure (SICP)
• True Vertical Depth
• Mud Weight
• Kick Volume
• Calculate Density of Kick
• Determine type of Kick

Type of Kick
• Gas
• Water
• Oil
• Mixture of two or more

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 Secondary Control - Calculations

• Kill Mud Weight

• SIDPP / (0.052 x TVD) + Mud Weight
• Surface to Bit Strokes – Indicates kill mud weight at bit
• Initial Circulating Pressure
• SIDPP + Reduced Circulating Pressure

• Use established Well Control Methods

• Driller’s Method
• Engineer’s (Wait and Weight) Method
• Objectives of Well Control Methods
• Circulate out invading fluid
• Circulate kill mud into the well
• Use adjustable choke to provide sufficient backpressure to compensate for
lack of hydrostatic pressure

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 Well Control Methods

Driller’s Method Wait and Weight Method

• Pro’s • Pro’s
• Gets kick out quickly • Requires one circulation
• Fewer Calculations- Simpler for crew • Reduces pressure on Casing Shoe
• Minimum Migration of Gas during Shut in • Con’s
• Allows time to obtain additional weighting • Well shut in for length of time while
material weighting up
• Con’s • Gas migration occurs requiring
• Requires two circulations additional supervision while shut in
• Exposes casing shoe to highest • Requires additional Calculations
pressures • Requires pumping schedule

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 Well Control Worksheet

Pre—Recorded Information Kick Information

Calculations Kill Mud Weight Calculates Initial Circulating Pressure

Maximum Allowable Casing Pressure Calculates Final Circulating Pressure
Surface to Bit Strokes Provides Procedure for killing well
Step by Step Procedures for Killing Well

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 Driller’s Method

• Circulate out kick without increasing mud weight

• Start pump to slow circulating rate
• Adjust choke to Initial circulating Pressure
• Initial Circulating Pressure
= SIDPP + Reduced Circulating pressure
• Maintain Initial Circulating Pressure until Kick
is out of hole
• Stop Pump and shut in the well

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 Driller’s Method

• Increase mud density to kill mud weight

• Start pump to slow circulating rate
• Maintain casing pressure
= SICP – Choke line pressure loss
• When kill mud reaches the bit read drill pipe
pressure and maintain until kill mud is at
surface.
• Shut in well. Drill pipe and casing pressure
should equal 0 psi

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 Wait and Weight Method

• Calculate Kill Mud Weight

• Weight Up to Kill Mud Weight
• Calculate Initial Circulating Pressure: = Reduced Circ. Press + SIDPP
• Calculate Final Circulating Pressure:= Reduced Circulating Pressure x Kill Mud Weight
Initial Mud Weight
• Calculate Surface to Bit Strokes
• Prepare Standpipe Pressure Schedule

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 Wait and Weight Method

• Start pump to slow circulating rate

• Adjust choke to Initial circulating Pressure
• Adjust choke to follow Standpipe Pressure Schedule
• When Kill Mud Weight reaches the bit maintain Final Circulating Pressure
until Kill Mud Weight reaches the surface
• Weight up mud from well to Kill Mud Weight
• Maintain Initial Circulating Pressure until Kick is out of hole
• Stop Pump and shut in the well
• Record Shut in pressures ( Drill pipe and casing should be equal at 0 psi)
• Check for Flow

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 Standpipe Pressure Schedule – Wait and Weight Method

• Maintain Constant Pump Rate

• Adjust Choke to Initial Circulating
Pressure
• Adjust Choke to maintain pump
pressure schedule
• Pressure should follow schedule with
little or no adjustment due to heavy mud
in drill pipe
• Consider slight over balance to prevent
additional influx
• At Surface to Bit Strokes – Maintain
Final Circulating Pressure using
adjustable choke

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 Wait and Weight Method

• Start pumping Kill Mud weight into well at slow

circulating rate
• Adjust choke to Initial Pump Pressure
• Follow pumping schedule as kill mud is pumped to the
bit by adjusting choke
• When Kill mud reaches bit maintain Final Pump
Pressure until Kill mud is at surface
• Stop the pumps and shut in the well
• Record pressures ( Drill Pipe and Casing pressure
should equal 0 psi)

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 Final Steps to Restore Primary Control

• Shut Lower Pipe Ram

• Pump kill mud down kill line and up choke line
• Flushes trapped gas / formation fluid from
BOP cavity through choke line and
manifold
• Puts Kill mud in kill line
• Close Diverter – Prevents any gas from
blowing through rotary table
• Open upper closed BOP
• Pump Kill mud into Riser using Choke / Kill
Boost lines
• Check for flow after riser fully displaced

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 Special Operations

• Kick while tripping

• SIDPP and SICP will be equal
• Shut in well to minimize size of kick Heavy drilling fluid
• Best place to kill the well is with bit on bottom to balance
Pressure
Casing

• Strip to bottom through annular if possible

• Killing off bottom requires higher mud density
• Still requires tripping to bottom and circulating kick out
• Option using riser
• Spot heavy mud in riser
• Hydrostatic pressure increase equal to SIDPP or
SICP
• Allows tripping to bottom with out additional influx

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 Special Operations

• Lost Returns
• Pump LCM Pill
• For Massive Losses
• Monitor losses by filling riser using trip tank
• Use Mud to maintain hydrostatic pressure
• Use Water or base fluid to reduce hydrostatic pressure
• Filling Riser requires large volume due to diameter
• Hydrostatic pressure will drop until below fracture pressure
• Hydrostatic pressure may drop below formation pressure resulting
in a kick
• Could be diagnosed as re establishment of returns
• Alternative Method
• Shut in well
• Stops loss of mud in riser
• Line up water or base oil on Choke or Kill Line
• Open Fail safe valve
• Monitor volume to keep line full
• Calculate Hydrostatic pressure in well once losses stop
• Consider mud weight reduction to match hydrostatic pressure

25 Confidential Information © 2012 M-I SWACO