Possible Wellbore Problems during Well Kill

Operation
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In the previous article, Common Problems and Complications During Well

Kill Operation, it is about commons complications that can be possibly
seen while performing well control operation. For this article, it will
discuss other wellbore problems which are stuck pipe, surface pressure
reaching to MAASP, lost of control and hydrate.

Stuck Pipe
During a well control operation, a stuck pipe can occur and this has the
potential to lead to serious issues. Whenever the pipe is off bottom, the
chances of the pipe getting stuck increases. Therefore, rotating the pipe
should reduce the risk of this problem occurring. However, with the well
shut it, it is impossible to rotate to minimize stuck pipe so the stuck pipe
should be dealt after the well is properly secured.

Throughout well control operation, wellbore pressures will be high and

this means the most common cause of a stuck pipe comes from differential
sticking. However, this isn’t to say mechanical sticking can’t occur if the
hole sloughs and packs-off after coming into contact with the influx fluids.

Operation can normally continue when the pipe is differentially stuck

(with the bit on bottom) because the well can still be killed with
circulation. Once the well is killed, then the pipe can be free safely later.

When the bit is off bottom and the pipe becomes differentially stuck, this
is a more complicated scenario since it’s more difficult to reduce wellbore
pressure; at that depth, it’s normally impossible to achieve a reduction by
circulation. Although there may be opportunities to spot a freeing agent
and free the pipe, volumetric control is the chosen method if the influx
was swabbed in.

When the pipe is mechanically stuck, the pipe can be freed by spotting a
freeing agent and working the pipe (by combining the two, the desired
result is achievable!).
Figure 1 – Stuck Pipe due to Differential Sticking

Surface Pressure Approach to the Maximum

Allowable Annular Surface Pressure (MAASP)
Maximum Allowable Annular Surface Pressure (MAASP) is the maximum
annular pressure which will cause formation break down. MAASP can be
in a static condition and a dynamic condition (circulating).

At the static condition, MAASP’s equation is listed below;

MAASP, psi = (Leak Off Test pressure, ppg – current mud weight, ppg) x
0.052 x Casing shoe TVD, ft

At the dynamic condition, due to friction pressure in the annulus

while circulating, it is very difficult to calculate an accurate MAASP
therefore it is not recommended to determine the dynamic MAASP while
circulating the kick out of the well. Furthermore, you should NOT use
MASSP at the static condition while circulating. For example, you
determine the static MAASP of 1,000 psi and while circulating, casing
pressure can go more than 1000 psi. If you try to lower the casing pressure
down by misleading the interpretation of this value, the additional kick
will go into the well and finally it will make the well control situation even
worse.

During a well control operation, MAASP no longer needs to be considered

once the top of an influx is displaced (once it moves past and then above
the openhole weak point). When surface pressures exceed MAASP, there
are options if the downhole pressures are caused by a kick below the
openhole weak point. For example, the bottomhole pressure can be
maintained at, or slightly higher than, the kick zone pore pressure.

When the openhole weak point is over-pressured, there are many

consequences to assess considering the following factors;

Cement job’s quality

Casing shoe’s depth
The extent of the over-pressure in the openhole weak point
Characteristics of the openhole weak point
The period of time for which the openhole weak point will be over-
pressured
The risk of broaching around the casing
All applicable safety factors in the MAASP calculation

When the formation is underbalanced, there are different consequences to

assess considering the following factors;

Kick zone’s permeability

Type of kick zone fluid
Period of time for which the kick zone will be underbalanced
Degree of underbalance
Only once these factors have been considered can the appropriate course
of action be chosen. This being said, underbalancing should only ever
occur in a kick zone in exceptional circumstances; one example would be
when the zone has low permeability. After shutting in a well that has
kicked, the rate of pressure build can be used to assess the situation fully.

Loss of Control
When a loss of control is experienced during a well control operation, this
is normally a result of exposed formations or excessive loading of pressure
control equipment. However, some incidents in the past have noted
equipment failure where pressures are significantly lower than rated
values.

How can it be happened?

Lack of proper maintenance, corrosion, and faulty manufacture are

common causes. When exposed to corrosive fluids, including H2S, high-
pressure equipment is known to be more susceptible than most to failure.

Unfortunately, there aren’t necessarily specific procedures to follow when

a loss of control is experienced. This being said, we must note that
personnel safety should always be the priority when taking action.

Hydrates
In the past, many have compared natural gas hydrates to snow in terms of
appearance. Containing chemical compounds of liquid water and light
hydrocarbons, they normally form at certain conditions (pressure) when
the temperature is higher than water’s freezing point. When high gas
velocities are present, the formation process speeds up; this is also true
with a downstream of a choke and at elbows (causing mixing in
hydrocarbon components), pressure pulsations, and various other
agitations.
Gas hydrates during well control operations can cause numerous issues,
including;

At and downstream of the restriction or choke, there could be a

plugging of surface lines. When low pressure equipment, such as a gas
vent line or poorboy separator, experience high gas flow rates, the
danger increases somewhat. With these conditions present, the
formation of hydrate plugs can quickly overpressure (well control
equipment with low pressure).
The wellbore annuli can be sealed and the drillstring immobilised
when subsea choke/kill lines are plugged and therefore subsea BOPs
are unable to be opened or closed. Previously, incidents have been
recorded with subsea stacks at a depth of 1,150 feet (and more!).
Temperature, gas composition, liquid content, and pressure are the
four main factors determining the potential for hydrate formation.
Using Figure 2, the formation of hydrates can be predicted and the
conditions for such an occurrence can include cold-water
environments (at a subsea stack).
Figure 2 – Temperature at which Gas Hydrates will freeze (Katz)

Meanwhile, the temperature decrease associated with a pressure drop can

be predicted using Figure 2. If we use a choke as an example, gas could be
at 3,000psi and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. If this gas was choked to 1,800
psi, temperature decrease could be expected to reach 55 degrees
Fahrenheit. Therefore, we can expect hydrate formation.
To fight against hydrates, the following techniques can be useful;

Antifreeze – Firstly, antifreeze agents can be injected into the gas flow
and this includes methanol. By dissolving liquid water deposits, the idea is
to reduce the temperature at which hydrates form. During well testing
operations, methanol is commonly injected at the subsea test tree from a
floating rig.

How is it achieved?

The choke manifold is considered the best place to inject methanol at the
surface (as long as it’s injected upstream of the choke). Many Texstream
chemical injection pumps that have a high pressure, are suited towards
this particular application.

Heating – After antifreeze, gas well testing operations will normally have
a steam exchanger. To prevent the formation of hydrates, this is seen as
the most effective solution (as well as being reliable!). Rather than
choosing one of these first two options alone, best results are seen when
they’re combined.

Line Pressure – Finally, the hydrates can be melted when line pressure
is reduced. Compared to the first two options, this one is very much a
temporary measure and one that isn’t always practical. Unfortunately, a
large chunk of time is required for the line to clear after hydrates have
formed.

To deal with hydrates, adequate contingency needs to be provided along

the above lines; this is particularly true when there’s a potential that a
hydrate formation exists. In addition to this, subsea water pressures and
temperatures should be monitored at the surface if a gas kick is
experienced.

References

Cormack, D. (2007). An introduction to well control calculations for

drilling operations. 1st ed. Texas: Springer.
Crumpton, H. (2010). Well Control for Completions and Interventions. 1st
ed. Texas: Gulf Publishing.

Grace, R. (2003). Blowout and well control handbook [recurso

electrónico]. 1st ed. Paises Bajos: Gulf Professional Pub.

Grace, R. and Cudd, B. (1994). Advanced blowout & well control. 1st ed.
Houston: Gulf Publishing Company.

Watson, D., Brittenham, T. and Moore, P. (2003). Advanced well control.

1st ed. Richardson, Tex.: Society of Petroleum Engineers.

Crain, R. (2015). Crain’s Petrophysical Handbook – Permafrost And Gas

Hydrates. [online] Spec2000.net. Available at:
https://www.spec2000.net/17-gashydrate.htm [Accessed 10 Jul. 2019].

Coleman, S. (2014). Learn about Maximum Surface Pressure in Well

Control (MASP, MISICP and MAASP). [online] Available at:
http://www.drillingformulas.com/learn-about-maximum-surface-
pressure-in-well-control-masp-misicp-and-maasp/ [Accessed 10 Jul.
2019].

Coleman, S. (2011). Stuck Pipe Summary. [online] Drillingformulas.com.

Available at: http://www.drillingformulas.com/stuck-pipe-summary/
[Accessed 10 Jul. 2019].

YouTube. (2019). Hydrates on Deepwater BOP Stack. [online] Available

at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjcJ3iR0IFU [Accessed 10 Jul.
2019].