C HAPTER

3
 3-1

D ETECTION
OF K ICKS

I
n order to detect a kick in its earliest
stages, we must be aware of the indicators
that can warn us that the well is flowing.
If one or more of these warning signs is
Minimizing the observed, it should be assumed that the well
could be flowing. The correct action at this
amount of influx point is to check for flow. If the well is flowing,
but we are not pumping, that is a sure sign
significantly increases that a kick is in progress. However, in certain
areas a ballooning effect is common. That is,
the well will flow for a considerable length of
the chances of time before stabilizing. Field experience will
dictate exact techniques for flowchecks on any
a successful well well. Never try to explain warning signs as
being another type of problem until it is proven
control operation. that the well is not kicking. In some regions,
warning signs that would be an indicator of
a kick are considered normal for that area.
Always assume the well is kicking until it can
be proven otherwise.
 C HAPTER 3
3-2
1-2

Near right: a
geolograph
records real time
events for future
use.
Far right: a change
in rate of
penetration; note
the drilling break
at approximately 8
and150 feet.

PENETRATION RATE CHANGE

An abrupt change in the rate of penetration
usually indicates a formation change, often
encountered while drilling. Many things,
including bit type, affect penetration rate.
The term drilling break has been used when
penetration rate increased, indicating a low-
density formation. If a drilling break was
encountered, a flowcheck was performed. With
today's newer PDC/TSP bits, a slowdown or
decrease in penetration rate may be experienced
in low-density formations. Now drillers may not
only perform flowchecks for drilling breaks,
but for reverse drilling breaks as well. When
in doubt, flowcheck the well each time a
new formation is encountered or the rate of
penetration changes.

FLOW RATE INCREASE VOLUME GAIN

Penetration rate: When the pump is running at a constant
feet per hour at rate, it displaces a fixed amount of fluid into
which the drill the well every minute. Since the injection rate
bit deepens the of fluid into the well is constant, the rate of
wellbore. fluid return should also be constant. The rate
of flow at surface is measured. Formation fluid
may be feeding in if an increase in fluid volume
is seen (more flows out than we pump in) while
the pump rate has not changed
False indications of high flow can be due to
large pieces of formation or junk getting hung
up under paddle type flow sensors. Regardless,
a flowcheck should be performed until it has
been proven that the well is not flowing.
Formation fluid entering the well will
displace or kick fluid out of the hole, resulting
in a gain in pit volume. The increase in total
pit volume warns the crew that a kick may
be occurring. All circulating tanks should be
measured and marked so additional increases
will be promptly noticed. Pit-volume totalizer
systems (PVTs) are required by regulations and
operators for many activities and in various
areas. They will keep track of the total volume
of mud in the active mud system. In addition,
both audible and visual alarms can be set to
activate at desired gains (for kicks) and losses
(for lost returns).
D ETECTION OF K ICKS
3-3
1-3

Notify proper rig personnel when transferring
fluids. Also, use measured quantities of material
when adjusting the fluid density or adding
chemicals. In this way, additional increases
can be tracked and excess or unexpected gains
recognized.
It should be cautioned that pit levels may
be difficult to use as kick indicators when
mixing, transferring or in certain formations
that have hydrating clays adding volume to the
system.
FLOW – PUMP OFF
Whenever a drilling break or a reverse break
is encountered, it is recommended that the
driller stops drilling immediately and performs
a flowcheck. The flowcheck is performed by
stopping rotation, picking up the pipe to
connection height, shutting down the mud
pumps and watching for flow from the annulus
after allowing for the usual drainback. If flow
ceases, then drilling will probably be resumed.
If the flow persists after the usual drainback
time then it must be assumed the formation
is kicking and the well must be shut in. A
flowcheck is one early way a kick can be
detected. Any of the other indicators will come
later.
There can be cases of flow from the
annulus not due to the formation kicking.
These include:
1. Charging pumps that did not shut down Flow check
when rig pumps were turned off. while drilling:
2. U-tubing of heavier fluid in the string • stop rotating
to the annulus. This is most frequent when • pick up off
some gas cutting of returns at surface has bottom
been experienced. A favorite method of rig • shut down
hands to check for U-tubing is to hit the pipe the pump(s)
with a hammer. If the pipe has a hollow ring, • observe the
U-tubing is indicated. If it has more of a well carefully
dull thud, the pipe is full of mud dampening
the sound, so there is no U-tubing. Another
indication of U-tubing is that the rate of
annular flow decreases appreciably after only
a few barrels
3. Flowback of mud due to ballooning.
Ballooning has been attributed to mud being
lost into fractures or elasticity of the formation

far left, a float

type pit level
sensor
left, a flow rate
sensor
below, an influx of
formation fluid will
cause an increase
in flow from the

Return Flow Rate Check well


3-4
that balloons the wellbore by the annular
friction pressure. When the pumps are stopped,
the annular friction pressure is removed. This
allows either the fracture to close up and
squeeze mud back into the wellbore or the
ballooned wellbore to return to its original size.
The flowback can be quite extensive.
Ballooning: the
If this is the first incident of ballooning
tendency of
encountered at this location, it must be treated
some formations
as a genuine kick and must be circulated out
to apparently
as a kick. Ballooning may be indicated by low
accept drilling
fluid when
shut-in pressures, i.e. pressures below annular
circulating, then friction pressure loss. Shut-in drillpipe pressure
give it back would be nearly the same as shut-in casing
when the pump pressure and would show no increase due to
is shut down. gas migration. When circulated out, the mud
returns will not show any appreciable gas, oil
or water contamination.
Maintaining a mud gain/loss log may
be helpful in determining the existence of
ballooning since flowback should equal mud
loss. Mud loss can be difficult to detect because
of mud making formations and also because of
mud mixing operations.
If ballooning is suspected, the Driller's
Method is preferred to circulate the first
bottoms up, to avoid mud weight increase
usually caused by other methods. Mud weight
increase will probably increase the ballooning
effect.
Slower circulating rates (and consequently
less circulating pressure) should be considered
because this equates lower annular pressures
Well flowing with pump off
Gain in Volume
An increase in pit volume may indicate that the well is flowing.
Well
Flowing PIT
with
Pump
Off
C HAPTER 3
and minimizes the amount of ballooning. After
the first bottoms up has been circulated out,
the shut-in pressures should be lower than on
the initial shut in. This is because the annular
friction pressure loss will be lower at the kill
rate than at the drilling pump rate.
If ballooning is suspected after the first
circulation, slowly bleed volume from the
annulus. Carefully observe the flow rate to
see if flow decreases appreciably after a few
barrels, thereby indicating ballooning and not
a kick.
Obviously, ballooning must always be treated
with caution. It can present a confusing
situation that consumes considerable rig time.
Circulating a deep, hot hole with cold
fluid can give the appearance of flow as the
cold fluid heats and expands.
SPEED/PRESSURE CHANGE
An influx of formation fluid will usually
decrease the density of the fluid column. As
this occurs, the hydrostatic pressure exerted by
the fluid column decreases. As the annular
hydrostatic decreases, the mud in the string
tends to U-tube into the annulus. When this
occurs, the pump pressure will decrease and
an increase in pump speed may be noted. This
effect will also be aided by the expansion of gas
upwards, lifting some of the fluid and further
reducing the fluid column's total pressure.
Pit Gain
D ETECTION OF
Increase
K ICKS
in Gas TRU-VUE
Unitized Pressure Gauge 3-5

Oil in
Return
3000 3000

2 4 2 4
5000 1000 5000
1000

6 0 6
Gas Units

Depth
80 88
Pump Speed Pump Speed

An increase in gas and signs of oil in pits Change in pump pressure/speed due to a kicking well

It should be noted that the initial surface
indication could be a momentary increase in
pump pressure. The pump pressure is seldom
noticed because of the short duration, but
it has been seen on some pump pressure
charts after a kick was detected. This was
followed by a gradual decrease in pump pressure
accompanied by an increase in pump speed.
This same drop in pump pressure and
increase in pump speed is also characteristic for
pumping a slug or, when there is a hole in the
string, commonly referred to as a washout. In
either case, a flowcheck must be performed to
determine if a kick is in progress.
GAS/OIL SHOWS – CIRCULATING
In many areas and activities, a gas detector
is required to monitor the fluid returning from
the well, and to help detect abnormal pressure
trends. When an increase in gas is detected, oil
or gas may be feeding in because of insufficient
pressure imposed on the well. While it is true
that gas-cut mud rarely starts a kick, if severe
or shallow enough, it may cause a further
decrease in hydrostatic pressure. As more gas
feeds in and expands, the hydrostatic pressure
will continue to drop until the well starts to
flow.
Some zones exhibit a slow feed-in of
formation fluid and rarely will cause a well
to blow out. However, a kick is the unwanted
feed-in of formation fluid. Gas/oil shows could
be indicators of a kick, and should be treated
as such. Circulating through the choke may
be wise to safely remove gas or oil away from
the work area.
Besides mechanical means of observing
returns, a rig may use a shaker hand. The
shaker hand is able to observe the mud and
determine if it is gas-cut, or if signs of formation
oil are in the returns.
IMPROPER FILL AMOUNTS
Tripping out of the hole may be the most
hazardous time on a rig and one of the most
common causes of kicks. Contributing factors
include: loss of circulating pressures, swabbing
effect of pulling pipe, and improper fill-up that
reduces hydrostatic pressure. With these factors
working against us, a trip tally of stands pulled
If the well is
versus fluid to fill, plus visual verification is not taking the
imperative. Often regulations require the use proper amount
of mechanical devices to accurately determine of fluid to fill we
the hole fill on trips. Also, the amount of fluid can assume
it takes to fill the hole for specific lengths (e.g., that formation
five stands of drillpipe) of both wet and dry fluid is invading
pipe as well as the length of pipe pulled before the wellbore.
a reduction in hydrostatic pressure (e.g., 75 psi
or 5.17 bar) is reached must be posted.
 C HAPTER 3
3-6
1-6
Stand Starting Trip Finish Trip Difference Theortical Trend Accumulated Remarks (Comment when change
No. Tank Reading Tank Reading (Calculated) (Difference) Trend of pipe, problems, etc.)

5 50 48.5 1.5 3.56 -2.06 -2.06 Pull DP off bottom - may be balled

10 48.5 42.9 5.6 3.56 +2.04 -0.2 Seems OK

15 42.9 39.2 3.7 3.56 +.14 .12

20 39.2 35.9 3.3 3.56 -.26 -.14

25 33.2 30.5 2.7 3.56 -.86 -.96 Possible swab

30 33.2 32.3 .9 3.56 -2.66 -3.62 Hole not taking proper fluid, stop

Trip and check for flow

Trip log while tripping out of the hole

If the well is not taking the proper amount

of fluid we can assume that formation fluid is
invading the well (or that we are losing fluid
if it is taking excess fluid to fill the hole).
However, it must be cautioned that proper
data must be used for calculating the steel
displacement and internal capacity values. Trip
book records should be kept onsite and used
to confirm that the hole is taking at least as
much mud as on previous trips. Often prior
records may indicate an excess of as much
as twenty five percent. If prior records are
available, the first indication of a kick while
tripping out will be that the hole takes less to
fill than recorded at that depth on previous
trips.
Kicks noticed STRING WON’T PULL DRY
while out of
the hole usually
When tripping out, it is possible for the
are the result of
formation fluid to enter the well at a rate great
the trip out.
enough to prevent the fluid inside the pipe
from falling. Also, when a flow begins it may
be easier for the flow to enter the string, when
pulling large diameter tools and packers, than
to flow around them. If the string should pull
dry at first, but then it begins to pull wet later,
the trip should be suspended. A full opening
safety valve should be installed on the pipe,
and well conditions evaluated.
KICKS – OUT OF THE HOLE
Well kicks occurring when out of the hole
often began during the trip out but were not
noticed. The kick may have started during the
early part of the trip out. More likely, the kick
started when the hole was not filled frequently
enough towards the end of the trip or while
handling the collars.
Similar situations may occur during lengthy
logging, wireline or fishing operations. Frequent
trips in and out of the hole with these tools can
swab formation fluids into the well, causing
a kick.
The indicator of a kick when out of the
hole is flow from the well. When out of the
hole, it is good practice to close the blind rams
and monitor pressure at the choke. Closing the
blind rams prevents objects from falling into
the wellbore and will prevent flow if the choke
is in the closed position.
If the choke is closed, it is a good idea
to have a pressure sensitive alarm to monitor
pressure buildup on the shut-in system. If the
choke is left open, a watch should be set to
check for flow from the choke manifold. The
pit alarm should be set to its lowest alarm
setting.
Regardless of the procedure, never open
the BOPs to rig personnel until the area below
has been vented to a safe location.
D ETECTION OF K ICKS
Often in workover operations, and in areas
where lost circulation is a problem, circulation
across the stack – pumping from and returning
to the same tank – will ensure the well stays
full. If this system is used, alarms for gain and
loss should be set on the circulating tank.
DISPLACEMENT – TRIP IN
As pipe is run into the well, it should
displace fluid out equal to pipe's displacement
if no floats are in use. If pipe is lowered too
fast, fluid may be forced into the formation
ahead of the pipe due to surge pressures.
This can result in lowering the fluid column
and reduction of hydrostatic pressure. If this
decrease lowers the pressure exerted by the
fluid to a point below formation pressure, well
will begin to flow.
With an influx in the hole, more volume
will be displaced out of the hole than the pipe's
displacement. This is due to gas expansion
and/or a flowing well.
Proper tripping procedures cannot be
overemphasized. The well should be monitored
continuously. If the fluid displaced out does
not match the displacement of pipe going in,
there is a problem. The fluid being displaced
Kicks While Out of Hole
out of the hole should always be measured.
Swab
3-7
1-7
STRING WEIGHT CHANGE
The fluid in the hole provides buoyancy.
This means that the string weight of the pipe
in the fluid decreases by an amount equal to Flow check
the weight of the fluid displaced by the pipe. while tripping:
• stop trip
The heavier the fluid (or the higher its density),
• set pipe in slips
the more buoyancy the fluid will provide. If a
• stab full
string weight increase is noticed, the increase opening safety
could be due to an influx of formation fluid valve and
decreasing the density of the fluid surrounding close
the pipe. As the fluid density decreases, the • observe the
ability of the fluid to provide buoyancy is well carefully
reduced, resulting in an increase of weight that
will be noticed at surface. This weight increase
may be noticeable depending on the amount
of influx, the influx density and the length it
occupies. Generally, in a larger wellbore this
will not be as pronounced as in a smaller
diameter wellbore.
If there is a decrease in string weight,
the decrease could be due to formation fluids
forcing upwards against the pipe. The well
should be shut in without delay and control
procedures evaluated.
Kicks while
out of the hole
 C HAPTER 3
3-8

KICKS WHILE LOGGING KICKS WHILE RUNNING CASING

OR WIRELINING
While running
Well kicks that occur while logging and
casing the focus
during wireline activities are the result of:
is not on kick
detection. • The swabbing action of the tools being
Remember to pulled through a tight section of hole.
monitor returns
• The swabbing effect of tools being pulled
and check
too fast.
against
calculations. • Failing to keep the hole full during such
activities.
A major concern is that the kick may have
been allowed to progress. It may become quite
large before someone notices it or makes the
decision to shut the well in. Always monitor
the hole and keep it full.
Consideration should always be given to
the use of a wireline lubricator. A lubricator
long enough to encompass the tools will allow
the string to be pulled from the well, if a kick
Kicks that occur while running casing are
similar to kicks while tripping. An important
point to remember about kicks while running
casing is that rig operations are oriented to
running casing, not to detecting a well kick or
shutting in a well.
When running casing, a well kick can be
detected by observing that the flow of displaced
mud does not stop between joints of casing.
Be sure to use the flow sensor and pit volume
totalizer while running casing. Good procedures
require that calculations be made for the
displacement of the casing and couplings. A
log comparing theoretical and actual displaced
volumes will help to determine that proper
volumes are being displaced. If a kick is
Wireline
detected, the well should be shut in using casing
rams or the annular preventer. A circulating
Unit
swage should be available on the rig floor to

occurs, without having to cut the wireline to

shut in the well.

Right: using a lubricator

can prevent blowouts.
Below: casing operations.
D ETECTION OF K ICKS
fit the casing being run. A high pressure, low
torque valve should be made up on the swage,
checked for proper operation and noted on the
drilling report prior to running.
Caution should be used if the annular
preventer is to be closed. Closing pressures
should be checked against collapse ratings of
larger and lower grades of casing.
KICKS WHILE CEMENTING
Kicks that occur while cementing are the
result of reducing the mud column pressure
during the operation. This reduction of mud
column pressure can result from light cement
slurries, lost circulation, improperly weighted
spacer or the mechanics of the cement setting
up.
When pumping cement the flow sensor
should be monitored for increases. Pit volume
increases and cement displaced should be
monitored to make sure volume of mud
displaced is essentially equal to cement volume
pumped.
Another complication is that once the top
plug has bumped, nipple down procedures may
3-9
Cementing
unit
begin and if flow is noticed, it is often attributed
to temperature expansion. Regulations may
dictate time requirements prohibiting nippling
down activities and allowing the cement to
set. Under no circumstance should stack be
nippled down until the possibility of a kick is
eliminated. If the well does flow, conventional
circulating techniques cannot be used. So
techniques such as bullheading, lubricate
and bleed or volumetric procedures must be
considered.
SUMMARY
Kick detection is everybody's responsibility. A sure sign that
Rigs have been lost because of a failure to alert a kick is in
the supervisors that the well may be flowing. progress is if the
It is important to recognize warning signs of well flows with
kicks. If one or more of these warning signs are the pump off.
present, the crew and rig are in danger. Always
take the time to check these signs to determine
if the well is kicking. Remember, a sure sign
that a kick is in progress is if the well flows
with the pump off. We must check for flow.
Proper action to shut the well in may be the
next step. t