OTC-28526-MS

Successful Implementation of Narrow Margin Drilling Procedures to

Optimise a Deepwater Well

M Syahmi M Yusof, Khairul Amir Khazali-Rosli, Nurul Nadia Ezzatty, Praisont Prasertamporn, Mark Arathoon,
Shatiskumar Sockalingam, Chong Chew Hwa, and Ezzatul Akmal Muhamad, PETRONAS Carigali

Copyright 2018, Offshore Technology Conference

This paper was prepared for presentation at the Offshore Technology Conference Asia held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 20-23 March 2018.

This paper was selected for presentation by an OTC program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of
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Abstract
Narrow margin procedures incorporating MPD techniques were developed to tackle the challenges of
drilling a deepwater well DW-X, offshore Malaysia. The subsurface prognosis had a ‘most likely’ case with
a narrow pore pressure – fracture gradient (PPFG) window of between 0.5ppg and 1.0 ppg, all the way
from seabed to well total depth (TD). The prognosed high case did not even permit the well to be drilled
to TD. The narrow margin approach was used in both pre-drill and drilling phases. The pre-drill phase
included the overall well design, section TD decision trees, communication protocol, mud rollover plans,
MPD plans and hydraulic and kick tolerance simulation. The drilling phase involved real-time updates to the
data, with ongoing simulation updates, MPD utilisation decision trees, and specific operational procedures,
such as finger printing, MPD static flowchecks and MPD leak off tests. Since this was an exploration well
with limited offset data, there was high PPFG uncertainty in every hole section. Therefore, narrow margin
procedures and processes were implemented in each hole section after the BOP had been landed, until well
TD had been reached.
The pre-drill plan focused on minimising ECD, through optimal casing design, BHA design and mud and
cement design. Hydraulic simulations were run with mud hydrostatically at balance with the pore pressure,
using applied surface back pressure from MPD to keep bottom hole pressure constant and equalt to the ECD
pressure, at all times. Kick tolerance was simulated with a multiphase gas model to be as realistic as possible,
and also to be not overly conservative as would be the case for a standard single bubble model. During
drilling, the simulations were updated real-time with the actual data from the well, to optimisation casing
shoe placement for each section. This led to elimination of the 11-3/4" and 7" liners, providing significant
cost and time savings to the well.
By optimising the operational procedures and reviewing the MPD utilisation for each section, the well
was safely drilled to TD, only using MPD in those sections that required it, even though MPD had originally
been planned for all sections. The combination of finding slightly wider PPFG windows than predicted, and
finding MPD surface-line back pressures slightly higher than modelled, meant that MPD was not beneficial
in all hole sections. The well was successfully drilled to TD, below cost and time compared to the original
AFE, in spite of extending TD by more than 150m to cope with deeper formation tops than prognosis. Thus
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all of the drilling objectives were successfully delivered in the well. The approach described in this paper
can be applied to future narrow margin deepwater wells, with valuable lessons learned on MPD setup and
utilisation for each hole section.

Introduction
A deepwater exploration well, DW-X, was drilled in 1430m water depth, offshore Malaysia. The pre-drill
pore pressure and fracture gradient (PPFG) analysis indicated a very narrow operational margin all the way
from seabed to final TD. For deepwater wells, it is common to experience narrow margins in the shallower
depths below the mudline, however to experience a narrow margin all the way down is less common. The
narrowest drilling margin was predicted to be just below 0.5ppg. Besides PPFG analysis, a well bore stability
study was also conducted in order to establish the minimum horizontal stress, SHmin, to be used as a proxy
for leak off pressure (see Figure 1). Leak off test data from offset wells was also used to validate the predicted
results, to increase the confidence in the overall well planning accuracy.
The objectives of DW-X were to drill down to penetrate target reservoirs Sand A and Sand B. From one
of the offset wells, losses and gains were repeatedly experienced throughout the different hole sections,
pointing also towards the fact that there would only be a very narrow margin available in the DW-X well.

Figure 1—DW-X Wellbore Stability Analysis Result

The final predictions for PPFG, taking into consideration wellbore stability, provided three pore pressure
profiles, namely Low Case, Mid Case, and High Case; in addition, two fracture gradient curves were
provided, namely Mid Case and High Case. In the event that High Case pore pressure would be encountered,
even with High Case fracture gradient, the well would not be drillable. Thus the well planning proceeded
in accordance with the Mid Case pore pressure and fracture gradient as per Figure 2 below.
OTC-28526-MS 3

Figure 2—DW-X PPFG Model

In the detailed well planning phase, it was established that the Mid Case PPFG was only drillable by
adopting a mud weight equal to the pore pressure, with Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) in Constant
Bottom Hole Pressure (CBHP) mode. This would effectively be used to drill the well on ECD pressure,
being maintained constant during connections by the application of surface back pressure.

Casing Design
In Figure 3 below the mid case pore pressure, mud weight and fracture gradients for DW-X are shown. The
column on the far right of the table shows the drilling margin for each hole section, where it can be seen
that the drilling margins range from just below 0.5ppg to just under 1.0ppg.

Figure 3—Mid Case Formation Pressure and Mud Weight prognosis

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In narrow margin wells, when using a conventionally overbalanced mud weight, there is a risk that the
additional pressure due to the circulation friction of the mud will result in an Equivalent Circulating Density
(ECD) which exceeds the fracture gradient, resulting in losses. An even worse situation would be if a kick is
taken, resulting in the formation breaking down at the previous shoe, resulting in an underground blowout.
Hence the planning efforts must always focus on ensuring that there is a practical drilling window in all
planned hole sections.
In the well DW-X, all possible casing sizes were incorporated into the casing design, to help meet the
criteria of being able to drill without losses and to ensure adequate kick tolerance in all sections. To re-
iterate, it was acknowledged across the team and the exploration management, that the planned TD of the
well would only be possible in the mid-pressure case. In the high case scenario, TD would have to be called
early and objectives would have to be sacrificed.
The criteria for the casing design included the following considerations:
1. Ability to reach well total depth (TD), including the option of a 6" final open-hole size. The plan was
to ensure that the well objectives would not be compromised and all targets could be reached, in the
mid-pressure case.
2. Ability to fulfill the data gathering requirements of the well, with high data quality for effective
formation evaluation, through a combination of Logging While Drilling (LWD) and electric wireline
logging.
3. Mitigation of potential lost circulation by managing the ECD at all stages; to target deepest possible
casing setting depth in each section, to ensure maximum leak off pressure on the next hole section,
and to minimise where possible the number of casing strings required.
One of the main drivers for the DW-X planned well architecture was ECD management, to mitigate
against the narrow operating window. The result in the planning stage was a 7-string casing design, including
36" conductor, 20" casing, 16" liner, 13 5/8" casing, 11 ¾" liner, 9 5/8" liner, 7" liner and 6" open hole.
The open hole length for each section would by necessity be relatively short, due to the narrow windows
in each section, as shown in Figure 4 below. The resulting well architecture was effectively a telescopic
design, in order to reduce the ECD during drilling. However, this design would also result in the added
challenge of poor hole cleaning, as annular velocities higher in the well would be lower than for full casing
string designs. Good drilling practice in regards to hole cleaning and the use of the riser booster pump were
integral to managing the hole cleaning risks.
OTC-28526-MS 5

Figure 4—DW-X Well Plan Casing Setting Depth

Section TD Decision Tree

During the planning stage, various section TD decision trees were developed, with input and agreement
from the whole team including subsurface and asset representatives, an example of which is shown in Figure
5 below. One of the key reasons for developing the detailed decision trees in advance, was to avoid the
risk of operational delays and arguments during real time operations. This would make operations safer and
more efficient. It was proven to be very valuable during actual operations, whereby all parties followed the
sequence and structure of the decision tree, minimising rig standby time. From this decision tree, the DW-
X well design was optimised in real-time, allowing drilling to continue from Sand A-1 to Sand A-3 in one
hole section. This resulted in the elimination of 11 ¾" liner, 7" liner and final 6" open-hole section, creating
significant time and cost savings.
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Figure 5—Sand A Decision Tree

Communication Protocol
A detailed communication protocol was established to ensure that it was clear what information was needed,
by whom, for final decision making. This included communication in regards to real time information from
the well such as pore pressure prediction, LOT and ECD data and included different parties both drilling
and subsurface teams. The protocol also defined the critically of the changing pore pressure trend, with
appropriate actions to be taken under the different conditions as per Figure 6.

Figure 6—DW-X Communication Protocol

OTC-28526-MS 7

Managed Pressure Drilling in Narrow Margin Wells

In narrow margin drilling, Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) using Constant Bottom Hole Pressure (CBHP)
is a well understood technique in the industry. The basic principle of the operation is to enable a lighter
mud weight to be used, which will result in a lower ECD. The ECD will provide the required overbalanced
condition for drilling and an applied surface back pressure during connections will ensure that the BHP
never drops below this value, even when the drilling pumps are turned off.
In addition to having this CBHP capability, most MPD systems also incorporate accurate mass-based
flow meters, which are capable of detecting very small changes in flow out from the well. This capability is
used to detect kicks at the earliest possible time, allowing the well to be shut in with the lowest kick volume,
which minimises subsequent pressures during well kill operations.
Furthermore, the common MPD systems in use can be used for verifying the available drilling window,
at any stage during a particular section. This verification is performed by taking dynamic FITs or dynamic
LOTs, to establish the section weak point. To determine the highest section pore pressure, MPD static
flow checks can be made on connections, whereby the surface back pressure is stepped down in controlled
stages, to observe for any signs of influx. This latter technique can be used for safely identifying conditions
where the pore pressure falls between the Equivalent Static Density (ESD) and the ECD. If a conventional
connection were to be made, then the well would start flowing during the connection. By stepping down
the pressure in stages, the drawdown on the well is minimised and any influx is identified immediately,
whereupon the BHP can be immediately raised back up again, by simply increasing the surface back
pressure. These techniques to identify the upper and lower bounds of the pore pressure and fracture gradient
are particularly useful when a new sand body has been exposed.
Once section TD has been reached, a final DFIT/DLOT may be conducted to determine the available
window for casing or liner running and cementing.
In the planning stage of the well, all sections after installing the BOP were identified as requiring MPD.
However, the actual pore pressure results were towards the mid- to lower end of predicted results and this
fact, in combination with observing higher than modelled MPD line friction pressures, meant that in fact
MPD was not utilised in the deeper sections of the well.

Drill String Design

The main considerations for drill string design were to reduce ECD as much as possible and to optimise
sensor placement in the BHA. In order to reduce ECD, a tapered string can be used for smaller planned hole
sections such as 8 ½" and 6". In regards to sensor placement, of course the ideal is to have all measurements
as close to the bit as possible, especially if a pore pressure ramp is anticipated. In reality, a compromise
is required and the priorities of data must be considered, for example between formation pressure while
drilling (FPWD) and resistivity data, which is used to create a pseudo pressure profile.
In MPD drilling and in fact in all narrow margin wells, the APWD tool is essential for measuring ECD and
ESD. This is not only useful for providing the actual data in real time for the drilling team on the rig, but is
usually used as an input into the computerised control system maintaining the programmed BHP in the well.
A final consideration is space-out for underreamer operations; having the shortest possible rathole/
bullnose length becomes a priority, in order to ensure that each open hole section can be cased off as deep
as possible, thereby giving the highest possible shoe strength for the next section, which in turn allows that
next section to be drilled as deep as possible.

Mud Rollover
Drilling with CBHP techniques enables section TD to be reached in a narrow margin well, but once reached,
in order to trip, the mud weight will need to be raised to allow sufficient margin when out of hole and
8 OTC-28526-MS

preparing to perform wireline logging or run casing or liner. Tripping out to surface can be performed
automatically in CBHP mode by most MPD service providers, taking account of pipe swabbing effects as
the pipe is pulled. However, before pulling the BHA, the well needs to be hydrostatically overbalanced. In a
normal well, that is not a challenge, but in a narrow margin well, rolling over to a high mud weight is more
likely to result in losses, as ECD combines with the higher mud weight being introduced.
A further challenge on mud rollover is that once the casing or liner has been run, but prior to cementing,
the mud must be changed back to a lighter weight again, to enable cementing without losses. The plan
therefore on the deepwater well DW-X was to roll over the mud in the upper part of the well only, to a
higher mud weight. This would leave the lighter weight mud deeper in the hole around the casing once
the casing was run, and would simplify the rollover requirements prior to cementing. Of course this is not
ideal, since for a short period, a heavier mud would be sitting on top of a lighter mud. A separation pill was
therefore planned to be spotted on top of the lighter mud in the well to prevent mud flip-over due to the
density hierarchy. It was also considered that for this well, it would be relatively simple to pull the BHA
above the BOP, then set a high viscosity pill, and then displace the riser to a higher mud weight. To help
prevent flip over of the mud, the BOP operational blind ram could also be closed, until an assembly was
next required to enter the well.
In the end, it was not necessary to displace to the higher mud weight for tripping, since the actual operating
window was found to be higher than prognosed. However, useful procedures were already in place, should
the need have arisen.

Managed Pressure Cementing

It was planned to perform Managed pressure cementing (MPC) on this well, which would allow a lower
mud weight, with lower viscosity, to be placed in the well, reducing the risk of losses during the job. MPC
uses an adjustable surface back pressure, in much the same way as is used in CBHP drilling, to ensure
marginally overbalanced conditions at all times.
The key in MPC operations is to know the status of the different density fluids in the well at all times and
to have a back pressure schedule which reflects the hydrostatic and frictional effects of the different muds,
spacers and cement slurries in the well. In this way, the well is always kept safely overbalanced, but without
applying too much back pressure, which could increase the risk of losses and a poor cement job. Several
MPD contractors already have this capability automatically built into their software systems, so that using
several fluids is not a challenge. The surface back pressure can also be adjusted manually, according to the
staged schedules, but is more challenging.
A key aspect of a good MPC job is to perform thorough modelling in the planning stage. In this well,
up front planning in combination with the cementing team helped design the optimal rollover and back
pressure plans, ensuring that the bottom hole pressure never exceeded the fracture pressure either at TD or
at the previous shoe; and also ensuring that it never dropped below the pore pressure, either at TD or at
the previous shoe. Communication, coordination and collaboration between all parties played a vital role
for successful MPC planning.

Narrow Margin Procedures adopted for DW-X

In summary, the following narrow drilling margin procedures were adopted for DW-X:
1. Managed Pressure Drilling using the CBHP application to ensure the same bottom hole pressure
whether circulating or pumps off. Used APWD sub to monitor ECD and pumps-off ESD values.
2. Pore pressure and fracture gradient lookahead based on previous hole section data. Sensitivity plot
shown for low, mid and high case, looking forward.
OTC-28526-MS 9

3. Good communication protocol around real time pore pressure prediction, to ensure no
communications break downs during operations.
4. Fine tuned the hydraulic model based on actual drilling parameters and fluid properties, to control the
accuracy of ECD prediction during drilling.
5. Fingerprinting exercises conducted in cased hole to map surface critical equipment, to prevent false
indicator of kick if any surface equipment turned off during drilling.
6. Early Kick Detection system (EKD) built into the flow line to have additional detection for well
control.
7. Drillers given full authority to shut in the well in the event of suspicion of a kick.
8. Dummy leak off test performed in casing prior to drilling out the shoe, to determine the synthethic
base mud (SBM) compressibility factor, prior to performing actual LOT in new formation.
9. Drilled pilot hole with controlled ROP, monitoring ECD/ESD trends. In event of ECD increase, hole
circulated for longer until ECD matched hydraulic road map.
10. Driller broke the mud gel before turning on the pumps, to reduce surge pressure on pump start-up.
11. For good data quality for wireline logging, 12 ¼" pilot holes drilled prior to 20" hole section and 17
½" hole section.
12. Pore Pressure Prediction personnel on the rig; mud weight increased in stages as required, wihout
compromising drillability to minimum required casing setting depth for next section.
13. After sand layer penetrated, sufficient rat hole drilled to take formation pressure while drilling
(FPWD).
14. Dynamic formation integrity test (DFIT) done to measure the minimum fracture gradient of any newly
opened sand layers. MPD Static Flow Check (SFC) performed on connections.
15. FPWD and DFIT/ DLOT used to determine the actual drilling window as well was drilled.
16. For underreamer sections, the pressure drop across the BHA planned so flow rate for fully open
position would still keep ECD below the fracture gradient.
17. At section TD, well circulated clean and displaced with heavier mud to maintain requisite overbalance
and stable wellbore prior to pulling BHA.
18. Managed pressure cementing was proven successful for this narrow margin well.

DW-X Plan Versus Actual

The actual pore pressure profile in the well was found to be within the estimated pore pressure prediction
range, with the actual pressure trending between the low and mid case pore pressures. The pore pressure
profile for DW-X was estimated primarily from the resistivity log data, calibrated to pressure points taken
by the FPWD tool, as well as wireline pressure points. It was undisputable that DW-X was a challenging
well to drill from all points of view, including well planning and well operations. Refering to Figure 7, DW-
X was successfully drilled to planned TD and successfully eliminated two casing strings which translated
to significant overall cost and time savings for the well.
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Figure 7—DW-X Well Achitecture Planned VS Actual

Conclusion
Successful delivery of the deepwater well DW-X was based on several principles which ran throughout the
project from start to finish. Some of the most important aspects were communication, combined objective
setting and shared success. With all stakeholders understanding and agreeing to the well delivery parameters
up front and re-grouping regularly throughout the project, all parties understood the potential limitations and
opportunities as they arose. This communication process was aided by having clear decision trees, which
had been agreed in advance by drilling, subsurface and the asset.
Another key aspect to the successful delivery of the well was thorough planning, which utilized all
available technical tools and processes, including dynamic modelling for hydraulics. In addition, sensitivity
analysis around the hydraulics results meant that alternative options had been identified in advance of actual
drilling results. This applied also to the MPD aspect of operations. One uncertainty was the pressure drop
that would be experienced in the surface lines between the RCD and the MPD manifold; it transpired that
the pressure drop was at the high end of expectations, meaning that the potential advantages of MPD to help
drill a narrow margin well were somewhat negated by the high friction pressure in the lines.
The actual pore pressures recorded were more benign than the high case, allowing huge simplification to
the well design, resulting in not having to run two of the liners, saving significant cost and time. However,
the high focus on planning and execution throughout the project, meant that even if the high case had been
encountered, the well would still have been delivered to the deepest depth possible in a safe and efficient
manner.