Final Assessment – Semester II (2019 – 2020)

Department of Petroleum Engineering

Faculty of Engineering
Soran University

Student Name Muhammed Star Braim

ID Number 50317018
Program BSc Petroleum Engineering
Date Jun - Jul 2020
Course Code & Name PETE 312 Drilling Engineering II
Date Jun , 2020

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Killing well methods

The two most commonly used methods used to kill the well are one circulate (Wait and

Weight) method and driller’s method. Both ways operated without pulling out the drill string.

The driller’s method needs two circulations, in the first circulation, the formation fluid

(influx) circulated out from wellbore with its original mud weight. The heavier kill mud is

pumped into the drill string in the second circulation. But the one circulation method required

only one circulation, the formation fluid circulated out from the annulus to surface, and the

heavier kill mud pumped into drill string after that to the annulus. The pump pressure in one

circulation method is hard to control, inversely in driller’s method it is easy to control. this

method needs halftime of the time that requires to operate the driller’s method.

Each method needs to keep the pressure balance in the bottom of the hole while circulation to

preserve the stability of borehole, this pressure balance required the complex calculation of

pressures, which include: (casing pressure, annulus pressure, mud weight, formation pressure,

and drill string pressure...etc.), and the one circulation method involves more calculation than

the driller’s method but It is easier to maintain a constant BHP by adjusting the choke.

some complications may be happened during the killing, for example, the plug of one or

more bit nozzle(S), it’s a cause of pressure drop, bit nozzle plug with wait & weight method

is an unwanted problem because it needs to immediately pressure schedule recalculation to

safe the well. But the bit nozzle(s) plug with driller’s method is handled easily by increasing

the drill pipe pressure while temporarily holding casing pressure constant. After the

stabilization of drill pipe pressure, the pressure of new circulating must be held constant
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when the first circulation completed. If bit nozzle(s) plug during the second circulation of the

Driller’s, the simple reaction is to continue holding casing pressure constant until kill mud is

at the bit and then switch to hold whatever drill pipe pressure is shown on the pump gauge.

Hence, if complications arise whilst kill well process, it is easier to respond with the Driller’s

Method.

there are various drilling rigs that don’t have good capability to mix the mud effectively,

therefore, using the Wait & Weight method the kill mud cannot be mixed quickly and

effectively. But with Driller’s Method, this issue will not occur because the circulation can be

operated right away. Waiting for preparing kill mud for a long time can lead to increases in

shoe and surface pressure because of the migration of gas.

Show pressure will be maximum when the top gas kick reach to casing shoe, while the gas

passes the casing shoe, the pressure shoe will remain at constant. The one circulation method

can decrease the presser shoe when the kill mud reaches into the annulus before the top of the

influx at the shoe. That is possible when the drill string volume is less than annulus volume,

inversely if the drill string volume is more than annulus volume the wait & weight method

cannot be helpful to reduce the shoe presser. wait and weight method is a better operation to

control shoe pressure, but by considering the gas migration problem if preparing of the kill

mud requires a very long time, the influx migration will increase the shoe pressure, in this

case usually the driller's method will use because the using of one circulation method can

increase the shoe pressure due to gas migration while preparation of kill mud.

In conclusion, the hole condition and expert have the main rule in detection methods.

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Reference

Crumpton, H. (2018), Well Control for Completions and Interventions, Gulf Professional

Publishing.

Grace, R.D. (2017), Blowout and well control handbook, Gulf Professional Publishing.

Institute of Petroleum Engineering - Heriot Watt University. (2015) Drilling Engineering,

Edinburgh

Lyons, W.C. and Plisga, G.J. (2011) Standard handbook of petroleum and natural gas

engineering, Elsevier.

Roy, R.S., Nini, C.J., Sonnemann, P. and Gillis, B.T., (2007) ‘Driller’s Method vs Wait and

Weight Method: One offers distinct well control advantages’, Drilling Contractors,

November/December.

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