Detection and Prediction of the

Abnormal Pressure value Before,

While, During Drilling

By
Dr. Eissa Mohamed Shokir

Abnormal Pressure
- Definition, Causes Normal Pore Pressures
Abnormal Pore Pressure Gradients
Fracture Gradients
Mud Weights
Casing Seat Depths
What Causes Abnormal Pressure?

Depth, ft

Normal and Abnormal Pore Pressure

10,000

Normal Pressure Gradients

West Texas: 0.433 psi/ft
Gulf Coast: 0.465 psi/ft
Abnormal
Pressure
Gradients

Pore Pressure, psig

??

Pore Pressure vs. Depth

Depth, ft

0.433 psi/ft
0.465 psi/ft

8.33 lb/gal
9.0 lb/gal

5,000

Normal

10,000

Abormal
15,000

20,000
8

10
11 12
13
14
15
Pore Pressure Equivalent, lb/gal

16

{ Density of mud required to control this pore pressure }

Fracture Gradient

Pore Pressure
Gradient

* Pore
Pressure
Gradients
* Fracture
Gradients
* Casing
Setting
Depths

Some Causes of Abnormal Pressure

1. Incomplete compaction of sediments
Fluids in sediments have not
escaped and are still helping to
support the overburden.
2. Tectonic movements
4 Uplift
4 Faulting

Some Causes of Abnormal Pressure

3. Aquifers in Mountainous Regions
Aquifer recharge is at higher
elevation than drilling rig location.
4. Charged shallow reservoirs due to
nearby underground blowout.
5. Large structures...

 Abnormal Formations do not have the

freedom of pressure communications. If
they did, the high pressures would rapidly
dissipate revert to normal pressure.
Assuming that a pressure seal is present, the
causes or origin of pressure depend on some
items as lithology, minerology, tectonic
action, and rate of sedimentation

1- Compaction of sediments.
Db
Normal Pressure

Abnormal Pressure

Ab normal pore pressure are generated under

compacted region because the shale matrix
cant support the overburden stress
P = 0.465 psi/ft * Db + 1.0 psi/ft *(Dt-Db)

HIGH PRESSURE
NORMAL PRESSURE

Thick, impermeable layers of shale (or salt) restrict the movement

of water. Below such layers abnormal pressure may be found.

HIGH PRESSURE
NORMAL PRESSURE

Hydrostatic pressure gradient is lower in gas or oil than in water.

When crossing faults it is possible to go from normal

pressure to abnormally high pressure in a short interval.

Well A found only Normal Pressure ...

ob

OB = p + Z

Indications of Abnormal Pore Pressures

Methods:
1. Seismic data
2. Drilling rate
3. Sloughing shale
4. Gas units in mud
5. Shale density
6. Chloride content

Indications of Abnormal Pore Pressures

Methods, contd:
7. Change in Mud properties
8. Temperature of Mud Returns
9. Bentonite content in shale
10. Paleo information
11. Wire-line logs
12. MWD-LWD

Prediction and Detection of Abnormal

Pressure Zones

1. Before drilling
4 Shallow seismic surveys
4 Deep seismic surveys
4 Comparison with nearby wells

Prediction and Detection of Abnormal

Pressure Zones
2. While drilling
4 Drilling rate, gas in mud, etc. etc.
4 D - Exponent
4 DC - Exponent
4 MWD - LWD
4 Density of shale (cuttings)

Prediction and Detection of Abnormal

Pressure Zones
3. After drilling
4 Resistivity log
4 Conductivity log
4 Sonic log
4 Density log

 = 0..41 e

0.000085 DS
.

What is dexponent?

Decreasing ROP

D - Exponent
The
drilling rate
equation:

R = K N
DB
E

Where
R = drilling rate, ft/hr
K = drillability constant
N = rotary speed, RPM
E = rotary speed expon.
W = bit weight, lbs
DB = bit diameter, in
D = bit wt. Exponent
or D - exponent

D - Exponent

R = K N
DB
E

If we assume that K = 1
and E = 1
Then

R W

=
N DB

R
log
N

D=
W

log
DB

D - Exponent
A modified version of this equation follows:

log
60 N

d=
12 W

log 6
10 DB

Example
d may be Corrected for mud density as
follows:
mud weight for normal gradient (ppg)

dc = d
actual mud weight in use(ppg)

9
9
e.g., dc = d = 1.82 * = 1.37
12
12

Procedure for Determining Pore Pressure

From dc - Exponent
Calculate dc over 10-30 ft intervals
Plot dc vs depth (use only date from
Clean shale sections)
Determine the normal line for the
vs. depth plot.
Establish where dc deviates from the
normal line to determine abnormal
pressure zone

dc

Procedure for Determining Pore Pressure

From dc - Exponent

n
Tre
al
d

Depth

rm
No

Normal

Abnormal
dc - Exponent

Procedure for Determining Pore Pressure

From dc - Exponent
If possible, quantify the magnitude of the
abnormal pore pressure using
overlays, or Ben Eatons Method
P
S S P
=

D D D D n

Pore
Pressure
Grad.

Overburden
Stress Grad.

d c calculated

d normal
c

1 .2

Normal Pore
Pressure Grad.

In normally pressured
shales, shale
compaction increases
with depth

Shale resistivity plots

may be developed from
(i) logs or
(ii) cuttings
What is the pore
pressure at the point
indicated on the plot?
[Assume Gulf Coast].
Depth=10,000 ft

Depth

Pore Pressure from

Resistivity

10,000

0.2

0.5

2 3

EATON

From plot, Rn = 1.55 ohms

Robs = 0.80 ohms

P
S S P
=

D D D D n

R obs

Rn

Depth

From Eaton:
1 .2

P
0 . 80
= 0 . 95 (0 . 95 0 . 465 )

D
1 . 55

1 .2

10,000

= 0.7307 psi/ft = 14.05 lb/gal

P = 0.7307 * 10,000 = 7,307 psi

0.2

0.5

2 3

Prediction of
Abnormal Pore Pressure

Resistivity of Shale
Temperature in the Return Mud
Drilling Rate Increase
dc - Exponent
Sonic Travel Time
Conductivity of Shale

EXAMPLE
Shale Resistivity
vs. Depth
1. Establish normal
trend line
2. Look for
deviations

(semi-log)

Shale Resistivity
vs. Depth

Pore Pressure
(lb/gal equivalent)
16 14 12 10

1. Establish normal
trend line
2. Look for
deviations
3. Use OVERLAY

to quantify
pore pressure
(use with caution)

9 ppg
(normal)

Example

8.2 X

Why?

Determination of Abnormal Pore

Pressure Using the dc - exponent
From Ben Eaton:

P S S P d c
=
D D D D n d cn

1 .2

P S S P d c
=
D D D D n d cn

Where

P
D

1 .2

= formation pressure gradient, psi/ft

P
= normal water gradient in area
D n
e.g., 0.433 or 0.465, psi/ft
S
D

= overburden stress gradient, psi/ft

dc

= actual d c expon ent from plot

d cn

= d c exp onent from the normal trend

Example
Calculate the pore pressure
at depth X using the data in
this graph.
Assume:
West Texas location with
normal overburden of
1.0 psi/ft.
X = 12,000 ft.

X
1.2 1.5

dc

Example
From Ben Eaton:
P
S S P d c
=

D D D D n d cn

1 .2

1 .2
= 1 . 0 [1 . 0 0 . 433 ]

1 .5
P
= 0 . 5662 psi/ft
D

1 .2

Example

P = 0.5662 x 12,000 = 6794 psi

6794
EMW =
= 10.9 lbm/gal
0.052 x 12,000

E.S. Pennebaker
8 Used seismic field data for the
detection of abnormal pressures.
8 Under normally pressured conditions the sonic
velocity increases with depth.
(i.e. Travel
time decreases with depth)
(why?)

E.S. Pennebaker
4 Any departure from this trend is an
indication of possible abnormal
pressures.
4 Pennebaker used overlays to estimate
abnormal pore pressures from the
difference between normal and actual
travel times.

Depth, ft

Interval Travel Time, sec per ft

Ben Eaton
also found a way to determine pore pressure from
interval travel times.

Example:
In a Gulf Coast well, the speed of sound is 10,000
ft/sec at a depth of 13,500 ft. The normal speed of
sound at this depth, based on extrapolated trends,
would be 12,000 ft/sec. What is the pore pressure at
this depth?

Assume: S/D = 1.0 psi/ft

Ben Eaton
From Ben Eaton,
P S S P t n
=

D D D D n t

3 .0

10,000
= 1.0 - [1.0 - 0.465]

12,000
= 0.6904 psi/ft

( t 1/v )

Ben Eaton
From Ben Eaton
= (0.6904 / 0.052) = 13.28 lb/gal
p = 0.6904 * 13,500 = 9,320 psig
Note: Exponent is 3.0 this time,
NOT 1.2!

Equations for Pore Pressure Determination

log
d

=
log

P
D

P
D
P
D

P
D

60 N
12 W
10 6 D

NORMAL
*

ACTUAL

S
S
P
=

D
D n
D

=
=

S
D

S

D
S

S
D

S
D

S

D

d c calculated

d c normal

D
P

1 .2

R obs

R n

1 .2

3 .0

n
o

n
o

1 .2

Pore Pressure Determination