UNINTENTIONAL INTENTIONAL

FLOW

1. REDUCTION IN MUD 2. ABNORMAL

HYDROSTATIC PRESSURED 3. SPECIAL SITUATION
PRESSURE FORMATION

1-1. IMPROPER MONITOR OF

3-1. DRILL STEM TESTING
PIPE MOVEMENT. 2-1. TRAPPED
3-2. DRILLING INTO
1-2. SWABBING
FORMATION FLUIDS. ADJACENT WELL.
1-3 SURGING
2-2. SHALLOW GAS 3-3. EXCESSIVE DRILLING
1-4. LOST OF CIRCULATION.
RATE THROUGH A GAS
1-5. INSUFFICENT MUD SANDS.
SAND/ LIMESTONE
WEIGHT
Reduction in Mud Hyd. Proess

1-1 IMPROPER MONITORING OF PIPE MOVEMENT

❖ SURVEY IN THE PAST HAVE SHOWN THAT MORE THAN

50% OF BLOW OUT IN THE WORLD HAVE OCCURRED
DURING TRIPS.
Displacement:-

❖ “Displacement” is a term used when a solid material

is immersed in or released from a fluid to express how

much fluid volume is increased or decreased.

❖ When running or pulling drill pipes, drill collars,

casing etc. in or from the hole, the fluid level changes

affecting the hydrostatic pressure at the bottom of the

hole.
➢ DRILLING CREWS SHOULD PAY MORE ATTENTION TO METAL

DISPLACEMENT OR CLOSED END DISPLACEMENT WHILE

RUNNING OR PULLING OUT THE PIPES.

➢ PRESSURE DROP PER FOOT TRIPPING DRY PIPE (psi/ft)

➢ PRESSURE DROP PER FOOT TRIPPING WET PIPE (psi/ft)

➢ LEVEL DROP PULLING REMAINING COLLARS OUT OF HOLE
DRY (feet)

➢ LENGTH OF TUBULARS TO PULL DRY BEFORE

OVERBALANCE IS LOST (ft)
❖ THE MAIN ROLE IN SOLVING THIS PROBLEM IS TO KEEP

HOLE FULL AS PIPE IS PULLED OUT OR RUN IN HOLE BY

AMOUNT OF DRILLING FLUID EQUAL TO THE METAL

DISPLACEMENT OR CLOSED AND DISPLACEMENT OF

PIPE PULLED OR RUN IN THE HOLE AT SAME TIME.

❖ THE PROPER WAY TO FOLLOW THE HOLE CONDITION

FOR LOSS OR AGAIN IS A TRIP TANK WITH SUITABLE

VOLUME (25 0 50 bbI) AND TRIP SHEET FILLED

CORRECTLY.
❖To prevent this, the hole should be kept full of drilling

fluid at all times, at the same time the displaced or

filling volume of fluid should equal to the volume of

pipes run or pulled from the hole and according to the

state of pipe, dry or wet, to monitor losses or gain.

U-Tube
Principle
U-Tube
Principle
 Effect of Pipe
Slugging
RIG RIG RIG
FLOOR FLOOR FLOOR

FLOW FLOW FLOW

LINE LINE LINE

BACKFLOW TO
TRIP TANK
= VOLUME OF
EMPTY PIPE

BEFORE SLUG HAS AFTER SLUG HAS HEAVY SLUG KEEPS

U-TUBED U-TUBED MUD LEVEL INSIDE PIPE
BELOW RIG FLOOR
(Pulling ‘DRY’)
SECONDARY SIGNS

PUMPING A SLUG OF HEAVY MUD

➢THIS IS A PRCATICE OFTEN CARRIED OUT TO ENABLE
THE PIPE TO BE PULLED DRY AND THE HOLE TO BE
MORE ACCURATELY MONITORED DURING THE TRIP.
➢THE FOLLOWING EQUATION IS USED TO CALCULATE
PIT GAIN DUE TO SLUG U-TUBING (BBL) =
Slug Volume (BBL) X (Slug Weight ÷ MUD DENSIT PPG
➢THIS DRY PIPE VOLUME CAN BE CONVERTED TO DRY
PIPE LENGTH BY DIVIDING THIS VOLUME BY THE
INTERNAL CAPACITY OF THE PIPE AS ILLUSTRATED IN
THE FOLLOWING EQUATION.
Dry Pipe Length = Dry Pipe Volume (bbls) ÷ Drill Pipe Capacity (bbls/ft)
  SLUG DENSITY 
SLUG VOLUME(BBL) X  - 1
 MUD DENSITY 

➢SLUG VOLUME (BBL) FOR A GIVEN LENGTH OF

DRY PIPE.
LENGTH OF DRY PIPE (FT) X PIPE CAPACITY (BBL/FT) X MUD DESITY (PPG)
SLUG DENSITY (PPG) - mUD DENSITY (PPG)
HOW MANY FULL STANDS OF 5” DRILL PIPES CAN BE
PULLED DRY WITHOUT FILLING THE HOLE BEFORE THE
WELL FLOWS?
FORMATION 0.7 psi / ft
STAND LENGTH 93 ft
METAL DISPACEMENT 0.008bbI / ft
PIPE CAPACITY 0.0174 bbI / ft
CASING CAPACITY 0.157 bbI / FT
HOLE TVD 8200 ft
MUD WEIGHT IN USE 13.9 p.p.g.
A. 50 STANDS
B. 51 STANDS
C. 52 STANDS
D. 53 STANDS
SOLUTION
LENGTH OF TUBULARS TO PULL DRY BEFORE OVERBALANCE
IS LOST (FT) =

MUD GRADINET = 0.052 x 13.9 ppg = 0.73 psi / ft

OVER BALANCE = (0.73 – 0.7) x 8200 ft = 186.9 psi
186.9(0.157 − 0.008)
Length = = 4768.5 ft
0.73 x0.008
NO. OF STANDS = 51
 1.2 What is swabbing?
Swabbing is a temporary
drop in BHP as the
string is pulled upwards.

This drop in pressure is caused

by the friction of the mud
moving downwards past the pipe.

PSI
 Pipe static
READY TO START PULLING
OUT OF THE HOLE
 Pipe moving up
STAND IS BEING PULLED
OUT OF THE HOLE

PIPE IS PULLED SLOWLY ALLOWING

MUD TO PASS THE BIT AT THE SAME
RATE AS PIPE IS MOVED

BOTTOM HOLE PRESSURE IS ONLY

REDUCED A SMALL AMOUNT AND
OVERBALANCE IS KEPT
 Minor restriction around the
bit
STAND IS BEING PULLED
OUT OF THE HOLE

IF A RESTRICTION EXISTS
AROUND THE BIT OR BHA.

THE DROP IN BHP

WILL BE LARGER
 High mud viscosity

STAND IS BEING PULLED

OUT OF THE HOLE

IF MUD VISCOSITY IS TOO HIGH.

THE DROP IN BHP

WILL BE LARGER
 Swabbing
Main causes;
– Pull pipe too fast
– Balled bit/BHA
– Viscous mud
– Narrow annulus
All these make it more difficult for mud to
move past the bit to fill space created by
pulling drill string.
 Surface indications
of swabbing

• Swabbing can be recognised by

– incorrect hole fill

• Monitoring the trip tank is of vital

importance
 Actions to be taken if
swabbing is observed

• The acknowledged procedure is:-

– Flow check
– If negative, run back to bottom
– Circulate bottoms up (consider taking
returns via the choke)
 Swab
Pressure
Bottom Hole Pressure

Mud Hydrostatic

Swab Pressure
 SWAPPING MUST BE DETECTED EARLY
BECAUSE

THE MORE FORMATION FLUID ALLOWED TO ENTER, THE

MORE SEVERE THE KICK

THE ONLY WAY TO DETECT SWABBING IN ITS EARLY

STAGES IS TO ACCURATELY MEASURE THE AMOUNT OF

DRILLING FLUID PUMPED IN THE HOLE TO REPLACE THE

DRILL PIPE BEING REMOVED FROM THE HOLE.

1-3. SURGING
➢ THE OPPOSITE EFFECT OF

SWABBING WOULD BE PRESSURE

SURGES WHICH COME FROM

RUNNING THE PIPE INTO THE HOLE

TOO FAST

➢ DRILLER SHOULD BE AWARE OF

THE PROPER PIPE RUNNING SPEEDS

TO PREVENT EITHER SWABBING OR

LOSS OF CIRCULATION
 Surging

THE OPPOSITE OF SWABBING As mud is forced into

IS SURGING one formation,
formation fluid may
flow into the well from
another

Temporary increase of fluid

hydrostatic while tripping 4800 5000
in as mud tries to move up
around the bit

PSI
Surge Pressure

Bottom Hole Pressure

= Mud Hydrostatic
+
Surge Pressure
SURGING WHILE TRIPPING IN

➢ TRIPPING IN TOO FAST WITH

DRILLING STRING OR CASING CAN

CAUSE LOST CIRCULATION.

➢ IF THE FLUID LEVEL DROPS TO A

POINT WHERE THE OVERBALANCE IS

LOST, A KICK AND POSSIBLE

BLOWOUT WILL OCCUR

CONSIDERATIONS WHEN RIH

❖ SPEED THAT PIPE IS LOWERED INTO

HOLE.
▪ THIS INCLUDES THE SHORT INTERVAL
OF PICKING THE PIPE UP OUT OF THE
SLIPS AND INITIATING THE FIRST
MOVEMENT DOWN.

▪ BREAKING CIRCULATIOn

▪ OBSERVING TIGHT SPOTS AND

REAMING VERY CARFULLY

▪ MONITORING TRIP SCHEDULE TO SEE IF

MUD DISPLACEMENT CORRESPONDS
WITH THE PIPE THAT HAS BEEN RIH
1- 4 LOST CIRCULATION

❖ LOST CIRCULATION IS ONE OF THE

CAUSE OF KICKS.
❖ WHEN A LOSS OF CIRCULATION
OCCURS, THE FLUID LEVELDROPS
AND HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE
DECREASE TOO.
➢ IS EVERY LOST CIRCULATION WILL
BE FOLLOWED BY A KICK?
NO, IT DEPENDS ON HOW FAR THE
FLUID LEVEL DROPS.

Overbalance( psi )
(l )
MAX =
MudGradient ( psi / ft )
WHERE

❖ LAMX. = MAXIMUM FLUID

LEVEL DROP BEFORE A KICK
OCCUR.

❖THE PROPER WAY TO THE

FOLLOW HOLE CONDITION, IS
A TRIP TANK WITH SUITABLE
VOLUME (25 TO 50 BBLS) AND
SUITABLE TRIP SHEET FILLED
CORRECTLY
LOSSES
 TRIP MONITORING

FILLING HOLE DURING A TRIP IS CALLED “ TRIP

MONITORING “

❖ DRILLER KEEPS A CHECK TO SEE IF HOLE IS TAKING

CORRECT CALCULATED QUANTITY OF MUD.

❖ IF HOLE IS NOT TAKING CORRECT VOLUME, RUN BACK

TO BOTTOM, CONDITION & CIRCULATE BOTTOM UP.

❖ IF HOLE TAKING TOO LITTLE, POSSIBLE SWABBING OF

FORMATION FLUIDS.
WHAT SHOULD BE DONE IF THE HOLE IS SWABBED IN WHILE

TRIPPING OUT?

A. CONTINUE PULL OUT OF HOLE BUT WITH LOWER PULLING

SPEED.

B. PUMP SLUG AND PULL OUT OF HOLE.

C. FLOW CHECK, THEN RUN OR STRIP BACK TO BOTTOM,

CIRCULATE BOTTOM UP, BE SURE THAT WELL IS

STABILIZED BEFORE PULLING OUT OF HOLE.

D. FLOW CHECK, IF NEGATIVE, CONTINUE PULL OUT OF HOLE.

Reduction in Mud Hyd. Proess

1- 5 INSUFFICIENT MUD WEIGHT

THE HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE

EXERTED BY MUD COLUMN IS THE
PRIMARY CONTROL OF FORMATION
KICKS.
❖ KICKS CAN OCCUR WHEN

▪ DRILLING WILDCAT WELLS

▪ USING UNDERBALANCED
DRILLING TECHNIQUE
 DROP IN MUD WEIGHT

FAILURE TO HOLD MUD WEIGHT CONSTANT, CAN CAUSE A

KICK
EXAMPLE:
▪ Mud Hydrostatic w/10ppg = 0.052 x 10 x 10000’

= 5200 psi
9.5ppg 10ppg
▪ Mud Hydrostatic w / 9.5ppg = 0.052 x 9.5 x 1000

= 4940 psi 4940psi 5200psi

10000ft 1000ft
▪ A Drop = 260 psi

FAILURE TO KEEP THE HOLE FULL DURING TRIPS AND

FAILURE TO HOLD MUD WEIGHT AT DESIRED LEVEL IS
NEGLIGENCE.
2. ABNORMAL PRESSURED
FORMATIONS
DRILLING ACCIDENTLY INTO
ABNORMAL PRESSURED PERMEABLE
ZONES, WHERE WE HAD IGNORED
CERTAIN WARNING SIGNALS THAT
OCCUR WHICH HELP TO DETECT
ABNORMAL PRESSURES AS:
➢ INCREASED PENETRATION RATE
➢ INCREAS IN BACK-GROUND GAS
➢GAS CUTTING OF MUD
➢ DECREASE IN SHALE DENSITY
➢INCREASE IN CUTTING SIZE
➢INCREASE IN FLOW-LINE
➢Increase flow line TEMPERATURE
Abnormal Pressured Formation

NORMAL PRESSURE

❖ IN SOME AREAS, THERE WERE

SANDS CONTINUOUS AND OPEN INTO
THE SEA OR TO THE SURFACE.
❖ WATER SQUEEZED FROM THE
SHALE FORMATIONS TRAVELLED
THROUGH THESE PERMEABLE SANDS
AND RELEASED TO THE SEA OR TO
THE SURFACE OUTCROP
❖ THIS DE-WATERING ALLOWED THE
FORMATION TO CONTINUE TO
COMPACT AND INCREASE THEIR
DENSITY
2-1 TRAPPED FORMATION FLUIDS
❖ IN OTHER AREAS, THE SANDS SEALED
BY DEPOSITION OF SALT OR SHALE
FORMATIONS, OR BY FAULTING.
❖THE SHALE WATER WAS SQUEEZED, IT
COULD NOT ESCAPE.
❖ SINCE WATER IS NOT
INCOMPRESSIBLE, THE SHALES COULD
NOT COMPRESS PAST THE POINT
WHERE THE WATER IN THE SHALE
STARTED TO BEAR THE WEIGHT OF THE
ROCK ABOVE.
❖IN THIS SECTION, THE WEIGHT OF
FORMATION (OVERBURDEN) WAS BURN
NOT BY THE SHALE ALONE, BUT
ASSISTED BY FLUIDS IN THE SHALE.
 WHAT IS ABNORMAL PRESSURE?

• FORMATION FLUID GRADIANT IS

GREATER THAN HYDROSTATI C
RESSURE OF SEA WATER.
• 99.99+% OF FORMATION FLUIDS ARE WATER

• FORMATION WATER EQUALS

8.9 PPG (AVERAGE) = .465 PSI/FT

• IF FORMATION FLUIDS ARE SQUEEZED THEN

FLUID PRESSURE INCREASES.
CAUSES OF ABNORMAL PRESSURE

1/ UNDER COMPACTION
2/ FAULTING
3/ EARTH MOVEMENT
4/ SALT DOME
5/ ARTESIAN
6/ GAS CAP
7/ LEAKS AROUND CASING
Sand
Lens

Normal
Pressure

Abnormal
Pressure
 FAULTING

0 SAND A
0

SAND A
0
SALT DOMES
 ARTESIAN EFFECTS

Rain

Underground
water level

Spring 1000’

0’

500’

CALCULATE MUD WEIGHT TO BALANCE?

FORMATION WATER = .433 PSI/FT

GAS CAP EFFECT

7000’

8000’

.465 PSI/FT
NORMAL PRESSURE
 3. SPECIAL SITUATIONS

❖ DRILL STEM TESTING

❖DRILLING INTO A ADJACENT WELL

❖ EXCESSIVE DRILLING RATE

THROUGH A GAS SAND
❖ A DRILL STEM TEST IS PERFORMED BY

SETTING A PACKER ABOVE THE FORMATION TO

BE TESTED AND ALLOW THE FORMATION TO

FLOW.
 3-1 Drill Stem Testing (DST)

The formation test is one of the

most hazardous operations

encountered in drilling and

completing oil and gas wells.

❖ The potential for stuck tools,

blowouts, lost circulations, etc.,

is greatly increased.
❖DURING THE COURSE OF THE TEST, THE
BORE HOLE OR CASING BELOW THE
PACKER, AND AT LEAST A PORTION OF
THE DRILL PIPE OR TUBING, IS FILLED
WITH FORMATION FLUID.
❖ AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE TEST, THIS
FLUID MUST BE REMOVED BY PROPER
WELL CONTROL TECHNIQUES TO RETURN
THE WELL TO A SAFE CONDITION.
❖ FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE CORRECT
PROCEDURES TO KILL THE WELL COULD
LEAD TO A BLOWOUT.
 3-2. DRILLING INTO ADJACENT WELL

❖DRILLING INTO AN ADJACENT WELL IS

A POTENTIAL PROBLEM, PARTICULARLY
OFFSHORE WHERE A LARGE NUMBER OF
DIRECTIONAL WELLS ARE DRILLED
FROM THE SAME PLATFORM.
❖ IF THE DRILLING WELL PENETRATES
THE PRODUCTION STRING OF A
PREVIOUSLY COMPLETED WELL, THE
FORMATION FLUID FROM THE
COMPLETED WELL WILL ENTER THE
WELL BORE OF THE DRILLING WELL,
CAUSING A KICK.