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

1
 Ways to Successfully Reduce Well
Blowout Events

Otto Luiz Alcantara Santos

Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras

Society of Petroleum Engineers

Distinguished Lecturer Program
www.spe.org/dl

2
 Motivation for the Lecture

6 6

Before 1988 After 1988

5 5

Blowouts in Brazil During

Number of Blowouts

4 4
Drilling Operations
3 3

2 2

1 1

0 0
1980 1990 2000 2010
Year
3
 Lecture Objective

To show how a major oil

company can act to preserve its
personnel, assets and image
from the consequences of a
well blowout in drilling and
production operations

4
 Presentation Outline

• Introduction
• Well Control Training and Certification
Program

• Well Control in Drilling and Production

Operations

• Well Control in Deep and Ultra-Deep Waters

• Research and Development in Well Control

in Ultra-Deep Waters

• Conclusions
5
 Kicks and Blowouts Definitions

• Kicks – Undesirable flow from the

formation into the well that happens
when the pressure inside the well
becomes less than the pressure of that
formation.

• Blowouts – Uncontrolled flow from the

formation into the well and then to the
atmosphere, sea bottom or other uncased
formations. 6
 Blowouts Classification

Surface Blowout Underground Blowout Cratering

7
Examples of Blowouts

8
 Consequences of a Blowout

• Loss of Human Lives

• Loss of Reserves
• Loss of Equipment
• Production Discontinued
• Environmental Aggression
9
Human Factors Review
for Offshore Blowouts

Source: Aberdeen Drilling School HPHT Manual 10

 Presentation Outline

• Introduction
• Well Control Training and Certification
Program
• Well Control in Drilling and Production
Operations
• Well Control in Deep and Ultra-Deep Waters
• Research and Development in Well Control in
Ultra-Deep Waters
• Conclusions
11
 Certification and Training
Program in Well Control

• Well control training starts in 1971

• In 1993, the Well Control Certification and

Training Program is created and conducted by
Petrobras University

• The program is accredited by WellCAP of IADC

in July, 1996
12
 WellCAP Certificates Issued
Until 31 December, 2009

LEVEL INTRODUCTORY FUNDAMENTAL SUPERVISION TOTAL

SURFACE 1006 974 1194 3174

COMBINED
(SURFACE/ 266 494 2003 2763
SUBSEA)

TOTAL 1272 1468 3197 5937

13
 Trained/Certified People

600 600
Number of Certified/Trained People

500 500

400 400

300 300

200 200

100 100

0 0
1980 1990 2000 2010
Year
14
 Cumulative Blowouts in Brazil
per 1000 Drilled Wells

Blowouts in Brazil per 1000 Drilled Wells X Trained/Certified People

600 4.00

3.50
500

3.00

Blowouts per 1000 Drilled Wells

Trained/Certified People

400
2.50

300 2.00

Trained/Certified People
1.50
200

Cumulative Blowouts/1000 Drilled Wells 1.00

100
0.50

0 0.00
82

83

85

86

87

88

89

90

91

93

94

96

97

98

99

00

01

02

04

05

06

07

08

09
84

92

95

03

20
19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20
Year

15
 Presentation Outline

• Introduction
• Well Control Training and Certification
Program
• Well Control in Drilling and Production
Operations
• Well Control in Deep and Ultra-Deep Waters
• Research and Development in Well Control in
Ultra-Deep Waters
• Conclusions
16
 Well Control in Drilling and
Production Operations

Personnel (Well Control Team)

• Monitoring of well control certificates

• Drills at the rig site

Well Control Equipment (Well Control Team)

• Rig inspections upon receiving it

• Monitoring of well control equipment and
kick detection tests

17
 Well Control in Drilling and
Production Operations
Development of Well Safety Standards

• Creation of a committee to review, elaborate

and approve internal well safety standards
• There are 17 standards approved and in use
Operations (Well Control Team)

• Elaboration and approval of operational

procedures especially in deep waters
• Reinforcement of the use of these
operational well safety procedures and
standards
18
 Presentation Outline

• Introduction
• Well Control Training and Certification
Program
• Well Control in Drilling and Production
Operations
• Well Control in Deep and Ultra-Deep Waters
• Research and Development in Well Control in
Ultra-Deep Waters
• Conclusions
19
 Peculiarities of deepwater and
ultra-deepwater well control

• Low fracture gradients

• Excessive frictional pressure inside the choke

line

• Low temperatures

• Hydrate formation

• Gas in riser

20
Subsea Configuration

21
 Low Fracture Gradients

• Fracture pressures in deep waters are lower

than those found onshore or in shallow
waters

• The overburden pressure is lower due the

seawater

• Narrow operational window for the mud

weight

22
 Low Fracture Pressure
Shoe Depth Water Dept Fracture Pressure
Well
(m) (m) (lb/gal)
1 2390 1590 11,4
2 2100 1580 9,3
3 2900 1580 10,4
4 4400 1580 11,0
5 2600 1530 9,8
6 1740 1380 104
7 2470 1380 10,8
8 2650 1770 10,8
9 2670 1940 10,8
10 4630 1940 14,1
11 1940 1580 10,0
12 2890 1580 11,6
23
 Narrow Operational Window

Pore Pressure

Fracture Pressure
....Sea Level
Shallow Water

Deep
Water
Sea
Floor

24
 Excessive Frictional Pressure
Losses Inside the Choke Line

• The frictional pressure losses inside the choke

line can be excessive during a kick circulation

• Small inside diameter of the choke line and its

long length

• The problem is aggravated by the low seawater

temperature

25
 Hydrate Formation

• High pressure and low temperature at the

wellhead are favorable for hydrate formation

• Hydratecan plug the kill and choke lines, the

annulus space and the BOP cavities.

• Hydrate formation can be prevented using

inhibitors such as salt and glycol.

26
 Gas Inside the Riser After
BOP Closure

• In ultra-deep waters, there are chances of the

gas has passed through the BOP and into the
riser before well closure

• The use of synthetic oil based mud increases

these chances

27
 Presentation Outline

• Introduction

• Well Control Training and Certification

Program

• Well Control in Drilling and Production

Operations

• Well Control in Deep and Ultra-Deep Waters

• Research and Development in Well Control in

Ultra-Deep Waters

• Conclusions
28
 Research and Development

• A strategic in-house corporate research

program dedicated to ultra-deepwater
exploitation systems has been created

• Important research projects portfolio in well

safety:

Drilling Hydraulics and Gas Migration

Gas Solubility in Synthetic Oil Based Mud
Kick Simulator for Field Application
Study of Ultra-Deepwater Blowouts 29
 Drilling Hydraulics
and Gas Migration

• Objective: to obtain downhole pressures

and temperatures during simulated drilling
operations

• Issues Addressed: riser hydraulics and

temperatures; critical pressure effects
(surge and swab); and gas migration

• Results: comparison of gathered data with

computer models

30
 Drilling Hydraulics
and Gas Migration

• Research conducted through a JIP

coordinated by RF - Rogaland Research
that used a drillship Campos Basin (Brazil)
in a water depth of 2714 m

• The drilling string was equipped with six

sensors for recording pressures and
temperatures

• Gas migration experiments were done

through nitrogen injection with the bit just
above the BOP
31
 Drilling Hydraulics
and Gas Migration

Sensor # 6 - 1 acquisition/3s - 1706 m

28 DP Stands (25.6)

3 DP Stands (19.5) Sensor # 5 - 1 acquisition/3s - 2596 m

54 DP Stands (19.5)

Sensor # 4 - 1 acquisition/s - 4135 m

1 DP Stand (19.5)
2 DP Stands (19.5) Sensor # 3 - 1 acquisition/s - 4166 m
1 DC Stand Sensor # 2 - 1 acquisition/s - 4254 m
4 DC Stands

Bit Sub+X-over Sensor # 1 - 1 acquisition/s - 4368 m

Bit @ 4370 m
32
 Drilling Hydraulics
and Gas Migration
7350
Measuered values
Measured Values
7300 Filtered
Filtered
Simulation
Simulated

7250

7200
Pressure (psi)

7150

7100

7050

7000

6950

6900
0 72 144 216 288 360 432 504 576 648 720
Time (s)

33
 Gas Solubility in Synthetic
Oil Based Mud

• Objective: to understand the interaction

between a gas kick and a synthetic oil based
mud

• Issues Addressed: experimental

determination and modeling of
thermodynamic properties

• Results: experimental data of gas solubility

(methane), density and formation volume
factor for n-paraffin, ester, emulsions and
drilling fluids 34
 Gas Solubility in Synthetic
Oil Based Mud

• Research conducted at UNICAMP (Campinas

State University) in a PVT cell with an
operating capacity of 177 ºC and 10000 psi

• The current experiments aim at expanding the

ranges of pressure and temperature using a
new PVT cell with an operating capacity of 200
ºC and 15000 psi

35
The New PVT Cell

36
 Gas Solubility in the
Unweighted Drilling Fluid at 70ºC

200
63% NP no additives
63% NP with additives
160
78% NP no additives
78% NP with additives
Rs [m³std/m³]

120

80

10 MPa => 1450 psi

40

0
0 10 20 30 40
Pressure [MPa]

37
 Density of the Unweighted
Drilling Fluid at 70ºC

78% NP no additives
0.95
78% NP with additives
63% NP no additives
63% NP with additives

0.85
ρ [g/cm³]

0.75

10 MPa => 1450 psi

0.65
0 10 20 30 40
Pressure [MPa]

38
 Development of a Kick
Simulator

• Objective: to develop a software to assist

the drilling engineer in well control
issues on an ultra-deepwater drilling rig

• Issues Addressed: estimation of pressure

behavior inside an ultra-deepwater well
during a gas kick circulation and
calculation of kill sheets

• Result: a software to be used by the

drilling personnel at rig site

39
Kick Simulator Output

40
 Study of Ultra-deepwater
Blowouts
• Objective: to study ultra-deepwater blowouts
and their control through the dynamic kill
method using relief wells

• Issues Addressed: pressure behavior and gas

flow rate during blowouts and the application
of the dynamic kill method

• Products: two simulators, one for blowout

events and the other for dynamic kill method
41
Subsea Blowout

42
 Subsea Blowout
9000
DOPOÇO(psi)
PRESSURE(psi)

8000
Pressure
PRESSÃONO FUND
(psi)
BOTTOMHOLE

7000
Bottonhole

600 md
400 md
6000
200 md

5000
0 400 800 1200 1600 2000 2400
Time (s) T I ME (s)
43
 Dynamic Kill from
a Relief Well
250

200
RATE (mmscf/day)
(mmscf/dia)

150
VAZÃO deGÁS

100
GAS FLOW

1000 gpm

50

2000 gpm 1500 gpm

0
0 400 800 1200 1600
TIME (s)
44
 Conclusions

• Effective preventive actions make onshore and

offshore drilling and production operations safer

• Training, well control equipment tests and

elaboration of safety standards are some of these
actions that were responsible for the decrease of
the number of blowouts in Brazil

• Research projects enhanced the understanding of

the well safety processes

45
Questions?

46
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www.spe.org/dl
47