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Bullheading is one of the well control methods that involve pumping formation fluids back
into formation into a shut-in well. You can read the basic details about bullheading from
this link http://www.drillingformulas.com/bullheading-well-control-method/. For this time,
this article will be focused on a calculation example for bullheading operation.
In order to push all formation fluid back to formation, it is required that the pumping
volume must be at least volume from surface to end of perforation.
Pressure Schedule While Bull Heading
This is the same concept as pressure schedule in wait and weight well control method.
Pressure Decreasing in Tubing (psi/required stks) = (Maximum Initial Surface
Pressure (psi) Maximum End of Tubing Pressure (psi)) X Required strokes (stks)
Tubing volume (stk)
For this calculation, 100-strokes is selected.
Pressure Decreasing in Tubing (psi/required stks) = (5,000 2,304) x 100 914 = 295
psi / 100 stks
Pressure Decreasing in Casing (psi/required stks) = (Maximum Initial End of Tubing
Pressure (psi) Maximum Final Pressure (psi)) X Required strokes (stks) Volume
from End of Tubing to Top of Perforation (stk)
Pressure Decreasing in Casing (psi/required stks) = (2,304 2,176) X 100 186 =
96psi / 100 stks
Draw the bullhead chart based on this data
The red line is the maximum pressure. If pressure exceeds the red line, a formation will
be broken down (fracture zone). The blue line represents a shut in condition. Pressure
below the blue line means that the well is in an underbalanced condition (flow zone). The
area between the red line and blue line is the safe zone for bullheading operation (Figure
3).
The formations may be fractured if pumping pressure exceeds the fracture line (Figure 5).