Well Control

Pressure is everywhere.
Without it means we are outside
space and time.
Kick and Blowout
 Kick
• All things contain opposing pressure inside and
outside. In order to have equilibrium/Stability
both of these pressures must be equal in
magnitude.
• If one of those pressures is greater than the other,
something will give in and start a beautiful and
visible action that could be disastrous or
expected.
• Delta P
• This is the notion of Kick.
Blowout and Kick
 Well Control and Blowout
Prevention
Without Well control and Blowout Prevention
✔ Higher Drilling Costs
✔ Waste of Natural Resources
✔ Possible loss of Human Life
• Well-control means methods used to minimize
the potential for the well to flow or kick and to
maintain control of the well in the event of flow
or a kick. Well-control applies to drilling,
well-completion, well-workover, abandonment,
and well-servicing operations. It includes
measures, practices, procedures and equipment,
such as fluid flow monitoring, to ensure safe and
environmentally protective drilling, completion,
abandonment, and workover operations as well
as the installation, repair, maintenance, and
operation of surface and subsea well-control
equipment.
 A formation fluid influx (a kick) may result from one of
the following reasons:

• abnormally high formation pressure is

encountered
• lost circulation
• mud weight too low
• swabbing in during tripping operations
• not filling up the hole while pulling out the
drillstring
• recirculating gas or oil cut mud.
 Primary and Secondary Control
• Primary Control
– Overbalance Pressure(Drilling Fluid Hydrostatic
Pressure)
• Secondary Control
– BOP (Blowout Preventer)
Surface Equipment
 Warning Signs of a Kick
• Drilling Break
• Decrease in pump pressure
• Increase in Pit Level
• Gas cut Mud
 Drilling Break
• A relatively sudden increase in the drilling rate is
called a drilling break.
• The drilling break may occur due to a decrease in
the difference between borehole pressure and
formation pressure.
• When a drilling break is observed,
– the pumps should be stopped and the well watched
for flow at the mudline.
• If the well does not flow, it probably means that the
overbalance is not lost or simply that a softer formation has
be encountered.
 Drilling Break
-Sudden increase in depth/time
Scenario 1: Soft Formation
Scenario 2: A permeable zone
-High Gas/Liquid
Formation Pressure
 Decrease in Pump Pressure
• When less dense formation fluid enters the
borehole, the hydrostatic head in the annulus
is decreased.
• Although reduction in pump pressure may be
caused by several other factors, drilling
personnel should consider a formation fluid
influx into the wellbore as one possible cause.
The pumps should be stopped and the return
flow mud line watched carefully.
 Decrease in Pump Pressure Pump
h1
Level

• Lower density means

Drilling Fluids IN
lower pressure in
accord to the formula

Annulus

Annulus
• Press= Density X
Gravity X Height.

Pump Level
Formation
h2
Fluids In
 Increase in Pit Level
• This is a definite signal of formation fluid
invasion into the wellbore. The well must be
shut in as soon as possible.
 Gas Cut Mud
• When drilling through gas-bearing formations,
small quantities of gas occur in the cuttings.
As these cuttings are circulated up, the
annulus, the gas expands. The resulting
reduction in mud weight is observed at
surface.
• Stopping the pumps and observing the mud
return line help determine whether the
overbalance is lost.
 Closing a Well Procedure
• If the kick is gained while tripping, the only
warning signal we have is an increase in fluid
volume at the surface (pit gain). Once it is
determined that the pressure overbalance is
lost, the well must be closed as quickly as
possible. The sequence of operation in closing
a well is as follows:
 Closing a well Procedure
1. Shut Off the Mud Pumps
2. Raise the Kelly above the BOP Stack
3. Open the choke line
4. Close the spherical preventer
5. Close the Choke slowly
6. Record the pit level Increase
7. Record the stabilize pressure on the drill pipe
and annulus pressure gauge
8. Notify the Company Personnel
9. Prepare the kill Procedure
 Closing a Well Procedure
If the well kicks while tripping, the sequence of necessary
steps can be given below:
1. Close the safety valve (Kelly cock) on the drill pipe.
2. Pick up and install the Kelly or top drive.
3. Open the safety valve (Kelly cock).
4. Open the choke line.
5. Close the annular (spherical) preventer.
6. Record the pit gain along with the shut in drill pipe
pressure (SIDPP) and shut in casing pressure (SICP).
7. Notify the company personnel.
8. Prepare the kill procedure.
 The Close Well
• Upon shutting in the well, the pressure builds up both on the
drillpipe and casing sides.
• The rate of pressure buildup and time required for stabilization
depend upon formation fluid type, formation properties, initial
differential pressure and drilling fluid properties.
• In the previous slides, technique is provided for determining the
shut-in pressures if the drillpipe pressure is recorded as a function
of time. Here we assume that after a relatively short time the
conditions are stabilized.
• At this time we record the shut-in drillpipe pressure (SIDPP) and
the shut-in casing pressure (SICP).
– A small difference between their pressures indicates liquid kick (oil,
saltwater)
– while a large difference is evidence of gas influx.
This is true for the same kick size (pit gain)
 The Close Well SIDPP
SICP

• Large difference in SIDPP

and SICP means that a Gas
influx to bottomhole.
• Low difference in SIDPP and
SICP means that Liquid
influx to bottomhole.
 Kick Control Procedure
• Driller’s Method(2 Circulation Method)
• Engineer’s Method(1 Circulation Method)
• Volumetric Method

Guiding Principle : Bottomhole pressure is held

constant and slightly above the formation
pressure at any stage of the process.
 Kick Control Procedure
• To choose the most suitable technique you
need to consider the following:
– Complexity of the method
– Drilling crew experience and training
– Maximum expected surface and borehole
pressure
– Time needed to reestablish pressure overbalance
and resume normal drilling operations
 Driller’s Method
• Step 1. The well is circulated at half the normal pump
speed while keeping the drillpipe pressure constant.
• This is accomplished by adjusting the choke on the
mud line so that the bottomhole pressure is constant
and above the formation fluid pressure. To maintain a
constant bottomhole pressure the formation fluid is
allowed to expand, which usually results in a
noticeable increase in casing pressure. This step is
completed when the formation fluid is out of the hole.
At this time casing pressure should be equal to the
initial SIDPP if the well could be shut in.
Driller’s Method
 Driller’s Method
• Step 2. When the formation fluid is out of the
hole, a kill mud is circulated down the
drillpipe. To obtain constant bottomhole
pressure, the casing pressure is kept constant
(Figure 4.14.3) while the drillpipe pressure
drops. Once the kill mud reaches the bottom
of the hole the control moves back to the
drillpipe side. The drillpipe pressure is
maintained constant (almost constant) while
the new mud fills the annulus.
Driller’s Method
The Effect of Driller’s Method on Drillpipe and Casing Pressure
 Engineer’s Method
• Phase 1. During this phase the drilling fluid, weighted to the
desired density, is placed in the drillpipe. When the drillpipe is
filled with heavier mud, the standpipe pressure is gradually
reduced. The expected drillpipe pressure versus the number of
pump strokes (or time) must be prepared in advance.
• Only by pumping with a constant number of strokes and
simultaneously maintaining the standpipe pressure in accordance
with the schedule can one keep the bottomhole pressure constant
and above the formation pressure.
• The annulus pressure at the surface generally rises due to
formation fluid expansion, although for some formation fluid the
casing pressure may decrease. This depends on phase behavior of
the formation fluid and irregularities in the hole geometry.
 Engineer’s Method
• Phase 2. This phase is initiated when the kill mud
begins filling the annulus and is finished when the
formation fluid reaches the choke. The standpipe
pressure remains essentially constant by proper
adjustment of the choke.

• Phase 3. The formation fluid is circulated out of

the hole whole heavier mud fills the annulus.
Again the choke operator maintains the drill pipe
pressure constant and constant pumping speed.
 Engineer’s Method
• Phase 4. During this phase the original mud
that follows the kick fluid is circulated out of
the hole and a kill mud fills up the annulus.
The choke is opened more and more to keep
the drill pipe pressure constant. At the end of
this phase and safe pressure overbalance is
restored.
Engineer’s Method
 Volumetric Method
• This method can be used if the kick is taken
during tripping up the hole with the bit far
from the bottom of the hole. Again the
constant bottomhole pressure principle is
used to control the situation.
• The fundamental principle of this method is
equating the pit volume change with the
corresponding change in annulus pressure.
Volumetric Method
 BOP Equipment
• The blowout prevention (BOP) equipment is the
equipment which is used to shuting a well and
circulate out an influx if it occurs. The main
components of this equipment are the blowout
preventers or BOP's. These are valves which can
be used to close off the well at surface. In addition
to the BOP's the BOP equipment refers to the
auxiliary equipment required to control the flow
of the formation fluids and circulate the kick out
safely.
 2 Types of Blowout Preventer
• Annular
• Ram
 Annular Preventers
• The main component of the annular BOP is a high
tensile strength, circular rubber packing unit. The
rubber is moulded around a series of metal ribs. The
packing unit can be compressed inwards against
drillpipe by a piston, operated by hydraulic power.
• The advantage of such a well control device is that the
packing element will close off around any size or shape
of pipe. An annular preventer will also allow pipe to be
stripped in (run into the well whilst containing annulus
pressure) and out and rotated, although its service life
is much reduced by these operations. The rubber
packing element should be frequently inspected for
wear and is easily replaced.
Annular Preventer
 Ram Preventer
Ram type preventers derive their name from the twin ram elements
which make up their closing mechanism. Three types of ram
preventers are available:
• Blind rams - which completely close off the wellbore when there is
no pipe in the hole.
• Pipe rams - which seal off around a specific size of pipe thus
sealing of the annulus. In 1980 variable rams were made available
by manufacturers. These rams will close and seal on a range of
drillpipe sizes.
• Shear rams which are the same as blind rams except that they can
cut through drillpipe for emergency shut-in but should only be
used as a last resort. A set of pipe rams may be installed below the
shear rams to support the severed drillstring.
Ram Preventer
 Drilling Spool
• A drilling spool is a connector which allows choke
and kill lines to be attached to the BOP stack. The
spool must have a bore at least equal to the
maximum bore of the uppermost casing spool.
The spool must also be capable of withstanding
the same pressures as the rest of the BOP stack.
These days outlets for connection of choke and
kill lines have been added to the BOP ram body
and drilling spools are less frequently used. These
outlets save space and reduce the number of
connections and therefore potential leak paths.
Drilling Spool
 Casing Spool
• The wellhead, from which the casing strings are
suspended are made up of casing spools. A casing
spool will be installed after each casing string has
been set. The BOP stack is placed on top of the
casing spool and connected to it by flanged,
welded or threaded connections. Once again the
casing spool must be rated to the same pressure
as the rest of the BOP stack. The casing spool
outlets should only be used for the connection of
the choke and/or kill lines in an emergency.
 Choke and Kill Lines
• When circulating out a kick the heavy fluid is pumped down
the drillstring, up the annulus and out to surface. Since the
well is closed in at the annular preventer the wellbore fluids
leave the annulus through the side outlet below the BOP
rams or the drilling spool outlets and pass into a high
pressure line known as the choke line.
• The choke line carries the mud and influx from the BOP
stack to the choke manifold.
• The kill line is a high pressure pipeline between the side
outlet, opposite the choke line outlet, on the BOP stack and
the mud pumps and provides a means of pumping fluids
downhole when the normal method of circulating down the
drillstring is not possible.
 BOP Stack Arrangements
• General Considerations
– The placement of the elements of a BOP stack
(both rams and circulation lines) involves a degree
of judgement, and eventually compromise.
However, the placement of the rams and the
choke and kill line configuration should be
carefully considered if optimum flexibility is to be
maintained.
 BOP Stack Arrangements
• There is a choke and kill line below each pipe
ram to allow well killing with either ram.
Either set of pipe rams can be used to kill the
well in a normal kill operation
• If there is a failure in the surface pumping
equipment at the drillfloor the string can be
hung off the lower pipe rams, the blind rams
closed and a kill operation can be conducted
through the kill line.
API Recommended Considerations
• The stack composition depends on the pressures which the
BOPs will be expected to cope with (i.e. the working
pressures). The API publishes a set of recommended stack
configurations but leaves the selection of the most
appropriate configuration to the operator.
• An example of the API code (API RP 53) for describing the
stack arrangement is
5M - 13 5/8" – RSRdAG

– where, 5M refers to the working pressure = 5000 psi

– 13 5/8" is the diameter of the vertical bore
– RSRdAG is the order of components from the bottom up
 GARdSR
• G = rotating BOP for gas/air drilling
• A = annular preventer
• Rd = double ram-type preventer
• S = drilling spool
• R = single ram-type preventer
 Low Pressure (2000psi WP)
• This stack (Figure 31) generally consists of one
annular preventer a double ram-type
preventer (one set of pipe rams plus one set
of blind rams) or some combination of both.
Such an assembly would only be used for
surface hole and is not recommended for
testing, completion or workover operations.
Normal Pressure(3000 or 5000 psi WP)
• This stack (Figure 32) generally consists of
one annular preventer and two sets of
rams (pipe rams plus blind rams). As shown
a double ram preventer could replace the
two single rams.
Normal Pressure
 Abnormally High Pressure(10000 or
15000psi WP)
• This stack (Figure 33) generally consists of three
ram type preventers (2 sets of pipe rams plus
blind/shear rams). An annular preventer should
also be included.
• In all these arrangements the associated flanges
and valves must have a pressure rating equal to
that of the BOPs themselves. The control lines
should be of seamless steel with chicksan joints or
high pressure hoses may be used. These hoses
must be rated at 3000 psi (i.e. accumulator
pressure).
Abnormally High Pressure(10000 or
15000psi WP)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW3yUL
TG9NY