Primary funding is provided by

The SPE Foundation through member donations

and a contribution from Offshore Europe

The Society is grateful to those companies that allow their

professionals to serve as lecturers

Additional support provided by AIME

Society of Petroleum Engineers

Distinguished Lecturer Program
www.spe.org/dl

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 Managed Pressure Drilling:
Drill the Un-Drillable

Lecturer’s Name: Hani Qutob

Reservoir Engineering & UBD/MPD Advisor

Senergy GB Limited– Dubai, UAE

Society of Petroleum Engineers

Distinguished Lecturer Program
www.spe.org/dl

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 Presentation Outlines
• Reservoir Engineering & Advanced Drilling Technology
• Advanced Drilling Technology Variations
• What is Managed Pressure Drilling?
• Optimal Redefined Time/Cost line
• Variables that can be Manipulated during MPD
• What Are the Main MPD Benefits?
• Managed Pressure Drilling Variations.
• Health, Safety and Environment Issues
• Case Histories obtained worldwide.
• Conclusions
• Acknowledgement
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 Advanced Drilling Technology® (ADT®)
& Reservoir Benefits
How ADT® can increase reserves and improve recovery

Minimizes Formation Damage - UBD.

Accesses Challenging Reservoirs - MPD.

Improves Reservoir Characterization - UBD

Identifies Missed Pay – UBD.

Increases Production & Enhances Recovery

- UBD / MPD
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How Managed Pressure Drilling – MPD Benefits the
Reservoir?
By: Accessing Challenging Reservoirs
The single biggest reserve contribution of MPD is found to be
access to reservoirs that could not be drilled conventionally.
In almost all cases, MPD is used in challenging or partially
depleted reservoirs, only after conventional wells prove
expensive, unsuccessful or un-drillable
Some reservoirs that could be difficult to access using
conventional drilling techniques are:
1. Low pressure & depleted reservoirs
2. Vuggy/fractured carbonates where OB circulation is
impossible
3. Reservoirs with a narrow margin between fracture 5
pressure and pore pressure - kicks/losses cycles
 Advanced Drilling Technology® (ADT®)
ADT® is an adaptive drilling process which enables a more
precise control of wellbore pressures through the use of
engineered equipment & processes.

ADT® Variations
Air Drilling
Improve Drilling Economics - Intent is to invite surface flow
Primarily non-liquid hydrocarbon formations

Underbalanced Drilling:
Maximize Reservoir Value - Intent is to invite surface flow

Managed Pressure Drilling:

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Optimize Drilling Process - Intent is not to invite surface flow
What is common in ADT Variations?

Personnel
and
Equipment

7
UBD , MPD & Conventional

8
What is Managed Pressure Drilling?

A closed and
pressurizable
mud-return
system, a
Rotating Control
Head, and choke.

operations
provide precise
control of the
wellbore pressure
profile.
9
 Reactive vs Proactive MPD

Reactive Proactive

Effective on “standby” Used to mitigate drilling

basis as an enhanced hazards and reduce NPT
form of passive well by changes to fluid,
control to help manage casing and open-hole
unexpected downhole programs
pressure.

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 We like prospects with big drilling windows…

Overburden

Fracture
Depth

Collapse
Pore

Pressure
EMW Must Stay Within Drilling Window For Drilling To Progress
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 Remaining prospects not cooperating very well
Very narrow or relatively un-known margins
Difficult or impossible to drill conventionally

Overburden

When MPD is used?

Fracture
• Kick-Loss Scenarios
Depth

• High mud bill

Pore
• Excessive casing string(s)
• Drilling NPT – Exceeding AFE Collapse

• Environmental issues
• Failure to reach TD with large
enough hole for optimum well production
• Or…simply ….“not drillable”
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Pressure
 Small Drilling “Window”
Fluid Losses Fluid Losses
Bottom Hole Circulating

Fracture Pressure
Pressure

Constant Bottom Hole Pressure

Pore Pressure – Collapse Boundary

Influx – Tight Hole Influx – Tight Hole

Time 13
 MPD VALUE - VISUALIZATION

Real Well – Case 1

Tim e (days)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1112 13 1415 16 17 1819 20 2122 23 2425 26 2728 29 30 3132 33 3435 36
5000000 2100
Stuck pipe Cost
5500000 Fishing 2200
Time - Depth
6000000

Measured Depth (m )
2300
Accum ultaed cost

10.3% of total cost

6500000
2400
7000000

2500
7500000
11.0% of total cost
Well control, NPT distribution
8000000 2600 10%
Stuck pipe
Well flowing
8500000
2700
Losses Circulating,
0 1 Cement
2 3 4squeeze
5 6 7 8 9 10 1112 13 1415 16 17 1819 20 2122 23 2425 26 2728 29 30 3132 33 3435 36 23%
Tim e (days)
Stuck pipe,
55%

POOH, 3%
RIH, 4%
Reaming, 5%
 MPD VALUE - VISUALIZATION

Real Well – Case 2

Tim e (days)
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64
900000 1800

Cost
1400000 1900
2.3% Time - Depth
10.5%
1900000 2000

Measured Depth (m)

Accumulated cost

2400000 2100

20.9% total cost

2900000 Losses 2200
Cement squeeze

3400000 2300
Gas kick, well control
Cement plug 17.7% of total cost
Sidetrack Total losses
3900000 Gas flow
Losses 2400
Cement plug Time distribution (well)
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64

Tim e (days)

NPT, 45%
Effective time,
55%
 Optimal Redefined Time/Cost line

0 Pore P. Frac. P.
Optimal time Saving in Drilling Time
100

200 Conventional drilling (NPT)

300

Saving in Drilling Cost

Conventional cost due to high NPT

400

500
MPD application is
600
focused on achieving
700 the well construction
800 $ vs NPT “Optimal time and
900 Cost” as objective
1000

1100

1200

1300
$ vs NPT

Optimal Cost
1400

1500

1600
Depth

1700

1800
16
1900
Case
 Conventional Drilling
Bottom hole circulating pressure is
manipulated by only two variables.

BHCPconventional = Hydrostatic Pressure

Affected by Density

+ ∆Pfriction Affected by density

and flow rate

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 Managed Pressure Drilling
.

BHCPMPD = Hydrostatic Pressure

Affected by density

+ ∆pfriction Affected by density

and flow rate

+ Choke Manipulated
from surface

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 Variables that can be
Manipulated
Variable Equipment
Mud density
Mud viscosity Rotating Control Head
Choke Manifold
Flow rate Mud pumps
Trapped Pressure Downhole pump

Friction Pressure

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In what cases can MPD add value?

Drill to the target

 Drilling Exploratory, Appraisal or Challenging

Development wells

 Drill conventionally “Un-drillable” tight Pore

/Collapse /Fracture pressure gradients

 Drill “Un-drillable” vuggy/ fractured carbonates

where Over Balanced circulation is impossible
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What Are MPD Benefits?
Cost Saving
• Reduced number of loss/kick occurrences
• Reduced time spent dealing with well control events
• Earlier kick / losses detection
• Optimized number of casing strings
Improved Safety
• Trip safely
• Remove H2S hazard from rig floor
• Drill HPHT wells safely
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MPD – Added Drilling Performance Value

Geo-mechanical Issues

22
MPD Variations – Visualization

Returns-flow-control (HSE)

Constant Bottom Hole

Pressure (CBHP)

MPD Pressurized mud-cap drilling

Dual gradient MPD

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 MPD Official Definition
An adaptive drilling process used to precisely control the annular pressure profile throughout
the wellbore. The objectives are to ascertain the downhole pressure environment limits and to
manage the annular hydraulic pressure profile accordingly. MPD is intended to avoid
continuous influx of formation fluids to the surface. Any influx incidental to the operation will
be safely contained using an appropriate process.

Drilling Connection Drilling – Change in required BHP Drilling Connection Drilling – Change in required BHP

Required BHP (Pore Pressure + Margin) Required BHP (Pore Pressure + Margin)
New
New Surface
Surface Surface
Circulating Reduction Circulating Circulating Backpressure Backpressure
Backpressure Modified
Friction in BHP Friction Friction
Equivalent Circulating Density (ppg)

Surface
Same
Circulating Backpressure Circulating Circulating
Friction Friction Friction

New
Hydrostatic Hydrostatic Hydrostatic Hydrostatic Same
Pressure Pressure Pressure Pressure Hydrostatic Hydrostatic Hydrostatic
Hydrostatic
Pressure Pressure Pressure
Pressure

Time / Depth Time / Depth

Conventional Drilling Practices Managed Pressure Drilling

 Risk Management
With all MPD operations a detailed risk assessment
as well as a HAZID and HAZOP should be carried out
with the rig crew supervisors and the relevant service
providers and operator staff.

Understanding the sequence of events and when to

initiate MPD operations and discussing the rig up,
pressure testing and operational aspects of a job
together with all of the procedures will help to ensure
the maximum success for an MPD operation.
Health, Safety and Environment Issues
• HAZOPs and HAZIDs are both systematic
processes to identify hazards.

• “You cannot manage what you don’t know.” 26

No Compromise on Rig safety – all rig safety
Equipment Remains unchanged

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 Case History 1 – Middle East

To reach the target depth with minimum NPT
Objectives

To avoid uncontrolled event by maintaining a
constant bottom hole pressure
8 3/8” Section Offset MPD
Performance Well Well
Total days spent
on drilling the 65 40
section
Total days spent
on well control 7.6 1.1
events (NPT)
Total days spent
2.8 19
on tight
hole/reaming days hours Saudi Arabia
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(Onshore)
 Case History 2 – North Africa
Algeria – drilling through high fractured zone
Un-drillable Reservoir
Drilled
A total of 191 m were
drilled with a very small
drilling window.

Zero LTI’s or near misses

recorded on this well.

Avoided kick/loss cycles &

Improved ROP.
 Case History 3: Offshore India
MPD Added Value

NPT reduced to 1 day

compared to 10 days
experienced in the three
previous wells drilled.
LOC & Fluid losses
minimized to 290 BBL
compared to 4000 BBL
on previous wells.
Avoided kick/loss cycles
& Improved ROP.
 Case History 4 – South America
Petrobras Colombia Limited,
MPD Added Value
No Loss of Circulation
significant cost savings

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 Case History 5 – Canada
Northeastern British Columbia,
MPD Added Value
Reduced AFE by approximately
19% (saving Can$ 2 Million).
Drilling efficiency was improved
by lowering the mud weight and
doubling the ROP .
Considered MPD techniques to
increase drilling effectiveness in
this field.

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 MPD application in Vietnam
BIEN DONG POC HPHT Gas Condensate Development
BLOCK 05-2 & 05-3 Offshore -Vietnam
Why MPD on this project?

Narrow margin of PP/FG pressure
in both fields.

Early kick detection & control.

Better well control in HPHT wells.

Drill wells to target depth and
eliminate additional casing string.

Providing CBHP during static and
dynamic conditions which mitigates
stress caging (SC). 33
Project Overview
Phase-1: total sixteen (16) wells:

6 wells in block 05-3 (Moc Tinh)

10 wells in block 05-2 (Hai Thach)

Contract status: singed for 4.5 years + potential

extension.

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 Conclusions
The challenging hydraulics of the world’s remaining
prospects indicate MPD will evolve to become a
key enabling technology.

Managed Pressure Drilling technology is increasingly

being applied in reservoirs that are difficult to drill
conventionally (Un-drillable), deep water and High
Pressure, High Temperature (HPHT) wells to
access HC reserves, enhance operational safety
and efficiency.

All “first adopters” of MPD offshore plan future wells.

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 Conclusions (cont’d)
Managed Pressure Drilling can reduce
well costs as a result of;
– Reduced number of casings = Smaller
casings = smaller rig
– Less consumables (mud and cement)
– Less materials and logistics cost
Additional Benefits of MPD:
– Faster drilling
– Reduced formation damage
– Improved productivity = improved recovery
– Reduced environmental impact
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 Wrap-Up
Proper candidate screening is a deliberate process, and is a
critical step in the design of a successful ADT operation.
Detailed economic analysis is an important step to
determine the benefit that MPD could provide compared to
competing conventional drilling & completion technologies.
Poor screening and planning results in an over-enthusiastic
misapplication of the technology, and possibly failure.
Proper Project management, engineering and execution is a
key factor for a successful MPD operation.

37
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Speaker contact details

Hani Qutob
Reservoir Engineering
& UBD-MPD Advisor
Senergy GB Limited
Dir: +971 4 387 3022
BB: +971 5 0622 4513
M: +971 5 0657 7328
F: +971 2 667 0408
E: Hani.Qutob@senergyworld.com
W: www.senergyworld.com
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to date with technology, join;

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