WELCOME TO A PRESENTATION IN HPHT WELL

Date: **/**/2017

By Amalendu Das
DGM (D)
 GROUND RULE

1. ALL MOBILE PHONES SHOULD BE IN SWITCH-OFF MODE OR SILENT MODE DURING THE
SESSION
2. THIS IS A KNOLEDGE SHARING SESSION
3. ALL SHOULD RESPECT INDIVIDUALS’ VIEW
4. DOUBT (IF ANY) WILL BE CLEARED (OR TRIED TO CLEAR) ONE BY ONE
5. EVERYBODY MAY SHARE THEIR KNOW-HOW RELATED TO THE SUBJECT
6. NUMBER OF SLIDES: 27, WILL BE COVERED IN 30 TO 35 MINS (IDEAL)
M/s Nabors Rig in Kakinada Flare during Drilling operation (not during testing)
600 0 F &

above

HPHThc (beyond naming category)

5000 F

u-HPHT

4000 F

HPHT

3000 F

10 KP 15KP 20 KP 25 KP &

above
 Challenges of HPHT Wells

• Create higher rated MWD, LWD tools and other sub-surface Drilling
and Production tools to cope up with High Pressure and High
Tempt conditions.
• Overcoming the problems encountered during Drilling
• Cementing-cement Cracking, Micro Annulus, Zonal Isolation, High
density of drilling fluid-Stability, gel formation, Loss Circulation.
 Challenges of HPHT Wells (cont.)
• Down hole pressure valves (above 350 deg F)
• Materials Gap-Elastomer stability at high temp, H2S Resistant alloys with
their corresponding strength
• Well control- Unplanned Events,
Uncertainty downhole P&T
Accidental Loads
Blowouts/uncontrolled flow.
• Narrow window between Pore Pressure and Frac-Pressure
• Hydrocarbon Influx and dissolution in oil based mud.
• Design of Casing-
– Higher Strength materials
– Design code mismatch between allowable stre
 Challenges of HPHT Wells (cont.)

– Mismatch of material strength between hanger and casing.

• Issues for Well construction
– High Strength materials required with concurrent toughness/ductility.
– High Temperature condition impacts the strength of material.
– High Pressure-increase the risk of Burst and collapse failure.
• Corrosion resistant.
• No metallic seal stability in high temp.
• Combined effect of high temp and unpredicted extreme downhole
conditions on materials
 WELL HEAD DESIGN CRITERIA
TECHNOLOGY QUALIFICATION (TQ)

• PER API TR 17 TR 8 & API TR 1 PER 15K-1

• API RP 17 N & TECHNOLOGY REDINESS LEVEL (TRL)
• API PER 15K (API TR 1PER15K-1 Protocol for Verification and Validation of
High-pressure High-temperature Equipment, STANDARD by American
Petroleum Institute, 03/01/2013) SYSTEM ANALYSIS & TESTING
• NO CLEAR CODE, STANDARDS & REGULATIONS.
 WELL HEAD DESIGN CRITERIA (cont.)
WELL HEAD SURFACE EQUIPMENT

• FOR HAZARD IDENTIFICATION (HAZID/HAZOP) IS TYPICALLY

DIFFERENT
• API 16A: NOT SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED FOR DESIGN OF
HPHT PRESSURE EQUIPMENT
• SHEAR /SEALING COMPATIBILITY OF PRESSURE COMPONENTS
• FRACTURE & FATIGUE PRINCIPLE
WELL HEAD DESIGN CRITERIA (cont.)
CORROSION TEST
 WELL HEAD DESIGN CRITERIA (cont.)
MANUFACTURERS’ PRESSURE TEST RECOMMENDATIONS

• API 14A – 11TH EDITION

• TEST PRESSURE – ABOVE 10 K: RWP+5K
BELOW 10 K: 150% OF RWP
• HPHT: 12 EDITION OF API 14A – MAY BE ADOPTED (ISSUED JAN
2015, EFFECTIVE JAN 2016)
• ASME FFS OR API 579
 CEMENTING TECHNOLOGY

Example
• IN THICK SALT GYPSUM FORMATION: RECOMMENDATIONS – SUITABLE
CASING SHOULD BE-TP 155 STELL GRADE
• CEMENT SLURRY - 2.4 – 2.6 GM/CC (HI-DENSITY)
• SPACER – 2.4 – 2.65 GM/CC (SALT TOLERANT)
 CEMENTATION: POST CRACK DESIGN

• CAP ROCK FAILURE: CEMENT CRACK DUE TO SHRINKAGE – VOLUMETRIC

CHANGE AND TENSION ON CEMENT
• EARLIER DESIGN: CONSIDERED STRESS ONLY-NO STRESS ALLOWED. BUT
NOW, CONSIDERED STRAIN-LIMITED PLASTIC STRAIN ALLOWED.
• MICRO-CRACK - 1/1000” (25.4 MICRON) OF WIDTH IS ALLOWABLE
(RECOMMENDED).
CEMENTATION: POST CRACK DESIGN (CONT.)

• CRACK STARTS AT 3KSI (kilo pounds per sq inch) OF DIFFERENTIAL

PRESSURE. 10 KSI DIFF PRESSURE IS ALLOWABLE (RECOMMENDED)
• DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE: DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INTERNAL PRESSURE
(INSIDE CASING) AND EXTERNANAL PRESSURE (FROM OUT SIDE OF
CEMENT COLUMN)
• ALSO CRACK DEVELOPED DUE TO RATE OF TEMPERATURE RISE (HEATING
RATE). IF HEATING RATE INCREASES, THE FAILURE RATE ALSO INCREASES
(STEEP GRADIENT).
CEMENTATION: POST CRACK DESIGN (CONT.)

• UNIQUE DESIGN METHODOLOGY:

a) STRESS ANALYSIS
b) GAS MIGRATION ADVISOR
c) INTEGRATED EVALUATION
d) LOSS CIRCULATION PILL ADVISOR
e) HYDRAULIC SIMUTATOR (BACK BONE)
f) LABORATORY & COMPUTER MODELING (NOT YET DEVELOPED TO
MEET ACTUAL SITUATION)
 CEMENTATION: POST CRACK DESIGN (CONT.)

• IDEAL CEMENT PROPERTY (?):

TENSILE STRENGTH: 1500 PSI
COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH: 15000 TO 20000 PSI
 WELL CONTROL RULES
• RESPONSE TO GULF OF MAXICO INCIDENT (MACANDO): GUIDELINE - CFR TITLE
30 (PARTS 200 – 299).
• STRESSED ON
a) DRILLING MARGINS

b) API STANDARDS

c) REAL TIME MONITORING

d) CASING/CEMENTING

e) BOP EQUIPMENT

f) CONTAINMENT

g) INSPECTION/MECHANICAL INTEGRITY

h) ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
 WELL CONTROL RULES (CONT.)

• Unintended Consequences may increase risk and decrease safety

• Unachievable and Unrealistic Implementation Period
• Additional Administrative Burden for BSEE
• BOP requirements beyond API Standard 53
• All at once Inspection and Certification of BOP
• Drilling Margins
• RTM
 WELL CONTROL RULES (CONT.)

• UNDER CFR TITLE 30

• EXAMPLES:
a) PART 250. 735(a): SURFACE ACCUMULATOR CAPACITY – 1.5 TIMES
OF FLUIDE VOLUME UNDER ALL OPERATING CONDIONS OF BOPS
AGAINST MASP.
b) PART 250. 734. 6(v): EMERGENCY DISCONNECT SEQUENCE.
c) PART 250. 730(b), 739(d): TRAINING & QUALIFICATION.
d) PART 250. 734(a)(1), (a)(16)(i): BOP
FIVE YEAR INSPECTION-CFR PART 250
Comment from Cameron
SURFACE ACCUMULATOR CAPACITY-CFR PART
250 (Comment from Cameron cont.)
 EMERGENCY DISCONNECT SEQUENCES-CFR
PART 250
The danger of this is that it could severely restrict our ability to operate
TRAINING AND QUALIFICATION-CFR PART 250
WELL CONTROL
WELL CONTROL -CFR#30 PART 250
API STANDARDS & SPECIFICATIONS
 COMMENTS
NO CLEAR CODE, STANDARDS & REGULATIONS TILL DATE
FOR HPHT CATEGORY WELLS.
IT IS STILL IN REASERCH STATE (TRIAL AND ERROR METHOD IN SOME AREAS)
THANK YOU