PetroTalent Institute of

Petroleum Technology

Online Internship Program on

“Drilling and Well Control”

Online Internship on Drilling and Well Control by PetroTalent

 Points to Remember
• Safety Exits
• Mobile Phones-Switched off / Silent mode
• Participant information form
• Attendance Sheet
• Class timings
• Exercises
 Introduction - Trainer
• Sharad Agarwal
• Masters in Petroleum Engineering
• Worked as Drilling Engineer and Sr. Well Site
Engineer with Transocean.
• 9 years of experience as an IADC Well Control trainer
working with Transocean, John Energy and Deep
industries etc.
 Lesson One

What happens if well control goes wrong

Hydrostatic pressure
Formation pressure

Parker Drilling Company

Parker Drilling Company
Parker Drilling Company
 Negative impacts of well control events
Major well control events can impact many areas:
• Physical injury
• Psychological impact
• Loss of job
• Damage to the environment
• Damage to local or regional society
• Damage to company reputation

Parker Drilling Company

 Why we must train and assess
Key personnel need to be trained and assessed in their well control
responsibilities for a number of reasons:
• So they are competent and able to perform their well control duties
correctly and when required
• So their work colleagues, employers and clients can rely on them to be
able to respond correctly and appropriately
• So employers can rely on the qualifications of new hire personnel to mean
that a known training and assessment standard has been met
• To demonstrate to industry and society at large that personnel are trained
and competent to deal correctly with well control events
• To demonstrate to governments that we are in control

Parker Drilling Company

 COMPONENT PARTS OF A CIRCLE

RADIUS (r)

CIRCUMFERENCE (c) = d or 2 r DIAMETER (d)

The Radius ® of a circle is the distance from the centre to the outer edge.
The Diameter (d) of a circle is the distance through the centre from edge to edge.
The Circumference (c) of a circle is the distance around the edge and is always equal to 3.1416 times the diameter.

This ratio 3.1416 is a constant and is signified by this sign  (Pi).

The circumference is also equal to 2r or 2 x 3.1416 x Radius.

 VOLUME OF A CYLINDER

Area = .7854 X 8.52 = 56.74 sq. ins

56.74 sq. ins

DIAMETER (d) = 8.5”

12”

56.74 X 12 = 680.88 cu.ins

To calculate the volume or capacity of a cylinder in cubic inches we must multiply the area by the length.

In the example you can see the area of the cylinder has been calculated to be approximately 56.74 sq.ins.

Multiplying this area by the length will give an answer in cubic inches.

 56.74 x 12 = 680.88 cu.ins

 AREA OF A SQUARE OR RECTANGLE

Length = 12”

Length = 24”

Breadth = 12”

Area of a 12” square = 12 x 12 = 144 sq.ins

To calculate the area of a square or rectangle we must multiply

the length by the breadth.
As seen in the example the area of a square foot (12” by 12”) is
Breadth = 15”
equal to 144 sq.ins.
To convert sq.ins to sq.ft divide answers by 144.
Area of a 15” by 24” rectangle = 12 x 24 = 360 sq.ins

A 15” x 24” rectangle has a surface area of 360 sq.ins.

 360 = 2.5 sq.ft

144
 VOLUME OF A TANK

Height = 12”

One cubic foot Height = 96”

12 x 12 x 12
= 1728 cu.ins

Breadth = 12”

Length = 12”

Breadth = 36”

Volume of the tank in cu.ft 124416 cu.ins = 72 cu.ft

1728 cu.ins Length = 36”

L x B x H = 36 x 36 x 96 = 124416 cu.ins
 VOLUME OF A TANK

One cubic foot

= 7.48 U.S galls

Barrels in a cubic foot 7.48 = .1781

42 72 cu.ft

One U.S barrel

= 42 U.S gallons

72 x .1781 = 12.82 bbls

 DERIVATION OF THE CONSTANT 1029.4
Transposing the formulae

.7854 x (D2 - d2) x 1 = Volume in barrels/ per foot of depth

144 x 5.6146

(D2 - d2) x 1 = 1029.4

(D2 - d2)
x 1 = 144 x 5.6146
Vol in bbls/ft
Vol in bbls/ft .7854

Annular Capacity
(D2 - d2) x 1 = Vol in bbls/ft
1029.4

D2 x 1 = Vol in bbls/ft
Capacity
1029.4
 CALCULATING ANNULAR CAPACITES
12.25”

Using the constant 1029.4 we can calculate the annular capacity in bbls
of 500 feet of 8” drill collars in a 12.25” hole

8” D2 - d2 x 500’ = 12.252 - 82 x 500’

Constant 1029.4
500’
= 150.0625 - 64 x 500’ = .0836 x 500’
1029.4

41.8 bbls
 Lesson One

What happens if well control goes wrong

Hydrostatic pressure
Formation pressure

Online Internship on Drilling and Well Control by PetroTalent

 What happens when we lose well control?

Online Internship on Drilling and Well Control by PetroTalent

 What happens when we lose well control?

Online Internship on Drilling and Well Control by PetroTalent

 Negative impacts of well control events
Major well control events can impact many areas:
• Physical injury
• Psychological impact
• Loss of job
• Damage to the environment
• Damage to local or regional society
• Damage to company reputation

Online Internship on Drilling and Well Control by PetroTalent

 Negative effects of well control events
Major well control events can have many effects:
• Financial cost in loss of rig
• Financial cost in loss of well
• Financial cost curing problem and securing well
• Financial cost from litigation
• Over regulation of drilling industry by governments
• Short or long term ban on drilling operations
• Restriction on areas of operation (e.g. Arctic)

Online Internship on Drilling and Well Control by PetroTalent

 Why we must train and assess

Key personnel need to be trained and assessed in their well control

responsibilities for a number of reasons:
• So they are competent and able to perform their well control duties
correctly and when required
• So their work colleagues, employers and clients can rely on them to be
able to respond correctly and appropriately
• So employers can rely on the qualifications of new hire personnel to mean
that a known training and assessment standard has been met
• To demonstrate to industry and society at large that personnel are trained
and competent to deal correctly with well control events
• To demonstrate to governments that we are in control

Online Internship on Drilling and Well Control by PetroTalent

 Hydrostatic Pressure
Hydrostatic pressure is the pressure exerted by a column of fluid at rest
and is calculated by multiplying the density gradient of the fluid by the
true vertical depth at which the pressure is being measured.

Measured
Depth = MD
True Vertical
Depth = TVD

Most well control calculation revolve around this basic equation.

Online Internship on Drilling and Well Control by PetroTalent

 Pressure Gradient
Pressure Gradient for mud is the pressure exerted by a fluid column over
one foot and is expressed in psi per foot - psi/ft

The formula for calculating pressure gradient for a drilling fluid is:

Mud Weight (ppg) x 0.052 = Pressure Gradient (psi/ft)

Pressure Gradient is commonly used as an expression of mud weight

To convert a pressure gradient back into a mud weight use:

Pressure Gradient (psi/ft)  0.052 = Mud Weight (ppg)

Online Internship on Drilling and Well Control by PetroTalent

Well Data:
TVD = 9500 ft
Current Mud Weight = 10.5 ppg
Hydrostatic Pressure
Hydrostatic Pressure (psi) = Pressure Gradient (psi/ft) x TVD (ft)

Pressure Gradient (psi/ft) = Mud Weight (ppg) x 0.052

= 10.5 x 0.052 = 0.546 psi/ft

Hydrostatic Pressure (psi) = .546 x 9500 = 5187 psi

The formula for Hydrostatic Pressure is:

Hydrostatic Pressure (psi) = Mud Weight (ppg) x 0.052 x TVD (ft)

Hydrostatic Pressure (psi) = 10.5 x 0.052 x 9500 = 5187 psi

Online Internship on Drilling and Well Control by PetroTalent

 Hydrostatic Pressure - Formula Variations
Mud Weight (ppg) x 0.052 x Depth (ft) = Pressure (psi)

This formula has three variables namely: Mud Weight, Depth & Pressure

If you know two of the three variables then

the third can be worked out by simply re-arranging the formula.

If you know Pressure and Depth then the formula can be arranged to get Mud Weight

Pressure (psi) ➗0.052 ➗ Depth (ft) = Mud Weight (ppg)

If you know Pressure and Mud Weight then the formula can be arranged to get Depth

Pressure (psi) ➗ Mud Weight (ppg) ➗ 0.052 = Depth (ft)

Online Internship on Drilling and Well Control by PetroTalent

 Formation Pressure

• The majority of the formations drilled through in hydrocarbon exploration

and production operations are sedimentary.

• Normal formation pressure is said to be the pressure exerted by a column of

native water.

• Normal formation pressure varies around the world.

• This week we will assume it is 0.465 psi/ft – the gradient of sea water in the
Gulf of Mexico.

• Abnormal formation pressure is any formation pressure that is higher than

normal.

Online Internship on Drilling and Well Control by PetroTalent

 Predicting Formation Pressure

• Formation pressure is a function of pressure gradient and TVD.

• The deeper you drill the greater formation pressure becomes.

• Formation pressure at a given depth can therefore be predicted.

• Offset data and seismic survey information can also help predict formation
pressure.

• Predictions of formation pressure should be used with caution and good

well control practices should be used throughout all drilling operations.

Online Internship on Drilling and Well Control by PetroTalent

 Primary Well Control Plus

• Primary well control exists when hydrostatic pressure is greater than or

equal to formation pressure.

• You will almost always have some overbalance – known as the safety margin
or trip margin.

• What mud weight would be required to give 200 psi overbalance at 5,600 ft
if the formation pressure gradient is 0.465 psi/ft?

• There are several ways to tackle this.

Online Internship on Drilling and Well Control by PetroTalent

 Primary Well Control Plus

• What mud weight would be required to give 200 psi overbalance at 5,600 ft
if the formation pressure gradient is 0.456 spi/ft?

• Convert the gradient to a mud weight then use the IWCF formula on the
formula sheet:

• 0.465 ➗ 0.052 = 8.94 ppg

• (200 ➗ 5,600 ➗ 0.052) + 8.94 = 9.63 ppg

OR
• (0.465 x 5,600) + 200 = 2,804 psi

• 2,804 ➗ 5,600 ➗ 0.052 = 9.63 ppg

Online Internship on Drilling and Well Control by PetroTalent
 Lesson Two

Primary Well Control

Top Hole Drilling
Secondary Well Control
Circulating Pressures
SCR’s

Online Internship on Drilling and Well Control by PetroTalent

Well Data:
TVD = 9500 ft
Current Mud Weight = 10.5 ppg
Primary Well Control
Formation Pressure Gradient = 0.52 psi/ft
Primary Well Control is the use of wellbore fluid density to
provide sufficient hydrostatic pressure to prevent the influx of
formation fluid (i.e. a kick) into the wellbore.
It is of the utmost importance that primary control is
maintained at all times.
In this example Formation Pressure can be worked out using:

Formation Pressure (psi) = Pressure Gradient (psi/ft) x TVD (ft)

= 0.52 x 9500 = 4940 psi

Hydrostatic Pressure (psi) = 10.5 x 0.052 x 9500 = 5187 psi

Hydrostatic pressure is greater than formation pressure:
5187 - 4940 = 247 psi
We have Primary Well Control
4940 psi Online Internship on Drilling and Well Control by PetroTalent
 Primary well control
Primary well control occurs when the hydrostatic pressure is greater
than, or equal to, formation pressure.

Primary well control could be described as:

Hydrostatic
Pressure > Formation
Pressure
If you have primary well control there are only two ways you can lose it:

Hydrostatic pressure falls

Formation pressure increases

Online Internship on Drilling and Well Control by PetroTalent

Well Data:
TVD = 9500 ft
Current Mud Weight = 10.5 ppg
Primary Well Control
Formation Pressure Gradient = 0.52 psi/ft

In this example we worked out hydrostatic pressure and

formation pressure.
Hydrostatic Pressure (psi) = 10.5 x 0.052 x 9500 = 5187 psi

Formation Pressure (psi) = 0.52 x 9500 = 4940 psi

The difference between these two values:

5187 - 4940 = 247 psi

Is known as the overbalance.

Normal drilling operations are always carried out with

an overbalance in the mud weight.
4940 psi Online Internship on Drilling and Well Control by PetroTalent
Well Data:
TVD = 9500 ft Loss of
Current Mud Weight = 9.5 ppg Primary Well Control
Formation Pressure Gradient = 0.52 psi/ft

In this example we worked out hydrostatic pressure and

formation pressure.
Hydrostatic Pressure (psi) = 9.5 x 0.052 x 9500 = 4693 psi

Formation Pressure (psi) = 0.52 x 9500 = 4940 psi

The difference between these two values:

4940 - 4693 = 267 psi

is known as the underbalance.

If you are underbalance in a porous and permeable

formation the you will take an influx.
4940 psi Online Internship on Drilling and Well Control by PetroTalent
 Porosity and Permeability

Permeability -
 Pore spaces are “connected”
allowing pore fluids to flow through
the rock
 Measured in “darcies” (millidarcies
typical)

Pore Spaces

Porosity -
 The “pore” spaces within the
rock matrix
 Measured in % by volume
Pore Throats

Online Internship on Drilling and Well Control by PetroTalent

 Influx
An influx is an unwanted entry of formation fluids into the wellbore.

An influx usually occurs when the hydrostatic pressure in the wellbore is

less than formation pressure.

An influx is sometimes called a kick and is usually detectable at surface.

If the well is not shut in then the kick could become a blowout.

Online Internship on Drilling and Well Control by PetroTalent