CAVINGS MONITORING PROCEDURES

Cavings Analysis and Diagnostics of Formation Mechanism

What are Cavings?

Cavings are rock fragments resulting from wellbore instability and transported to
the surface by the drilling fluid. The characteristic dimensions of cavings is 1-2
centimeters, however cavings range in size from a few mms to 10 cm or more.

Importance of Cavings
Cavings Provide:
• a warning signal that the wellbore is unstable
• an indication of which formations are unstable
• an indication of the failure mechanism
• help determine remedial action

Different types of cavings

Three types of cavings are commonly observed.
1. angular cavings
2. tabular cavings
3. splintered

Distinguishing Characteristics
Angular cavings are characterized by:
1. Irregular shape and rough surface texture
2. surfaces which intersect at acute angles <<90 degrees.
3. surfaces are new fracture surfaces

Tabular cavings are characterized by:

1. blocky/platy morphology often exhibiting parallel surfaces
2. surfaces are pre-existing planes of weakness: bedding or natural fractures.
Look for lithological variations to confirm bedding (eg. organic rich layers may
act as weak planes). Natural fractures sometimes show mineralisation.

Splintered cavings are characterized by:

1. elongate splinter-like morphology
2. two surfaces which are nearly parallel
3. parallel surfaces may exhibit plume structure

Cavings Monitoring:
1. Monitor the volume of cavings as a function of time.
2. Categorize cavings into one of three types.
3. Notify drilling engineer if rate of cavings suddenly increases.
4. Use digital camera to place images (with descriptions) on the cavings web
page.
5. See Mud loggers job description for details of cavings monitoring.

Remedial Action:
Angular cavings:
Angular cavings indicate the wellbore stress concentration exceeds the formation
compressive strength: If mud weight is close to pore pressure, raise mud weight,
If current mud weight is close to the fracture pressure, do not increase mud
weight, contact drilling engineer.

Tabular cavings:
Tabular cavings indicate pre-existing plane of weakness have destabilized.
• Take steps to prevent fluid from invading planes of weakness (decrease fluid
loss
• add crack blocking material to the drilling fluid,
• employ gentle drilling practices (pull don’t back ream, minimize surge, and
drill string vibrations).
• do not increase or decrease mud weight.
• optimize hole cleaning

Splintery Cavings:
Splintery cavings where plume structures are seen indicate pore pressure is
greater than mud weight and tensile failure is occurring parallel to the borehole
wall. Raising the mud weight prevents this type of cavings.
Cavings Analysis Job Description

Preliminary Requirements:
1. Make sure the difference between cuttings and cavings is clear. Understand
how cavings are formed and how the presence of cavings affects drilling.
Cavings monitoring and hole cleaning monitoring are intrinsically linked and
should be closely coordinated, so that all mud loggers, MWD engineers and
geomechanics support are alert to the state of the hole stability and cleaning
efficiency. It is the responsibility of the cavings and hole cleaning monitors to
make sure that mud engineers, off-shore well engineers, drilling supervisors and
the drill floor are also aware of the state of the hole stability and cleaning
efficiency.

2. Meet with all shaker hands at start of section to clarify the cavings issues.
Arrange how to share responsibility between mud logger and shaker hand to
monitor cavings. It is suggested that the actual monitoring and sample collection
is shared by the mudlogger and the shaker hand, and the reporting is done by
the mud logger.

Monitoring Requirements:
General: The cavings monitoring should be done in conjunction with hole
cleaning monitoring, therefore the cavings monitor should be aware at all times of
what activity is taking place (rotating/sliding/reaming/circulating) and how well the
hole is being cleaned at the time. Throughout the monitoring and recording of
cavings information, the activity at the time should also be recorded. The cavings
monitor should be aware of any events that have occurred which may influence
the stability of the borehole (e.g. change in mud weights and ECD, mud
composition and rheology) and any data recorded about cavings should be
referenced (i.e. were these cavings seen before or after) to such an event.

Trend Monitoring (Shaker Hands and Mud loggers):

1. Record the relative volume of cavings (i.e. the proportion of cavings to
cuttings) at the shakers. This can be done in conjunction with the cuttings
monitoring by using the time to fill a bucket method and a cuttings monitoring
work sheet. The cuttings work sheet should be distributed daily by the mud
logger.

2. Display the relative volume of cavings in the shaker room on a large flat
surface. Take a small sample (0.5 litre) each time a bucket is filled. Display the
sample on the board (i.e. tip it out onto the board) and label it with the time the
sample was taken. As the samples are collected in this way, a sequential display
will build up and any trends in the relative volume/size/shape of cavings will be
seen.
Cavings Descriptions:
Cavings description helps to determine the mode of cavings formation. Use the
diagnostics outlined in the Cavings analysis document to identify types of
cavings. All cavings descriptions should be posted to the web page.

1. Record the size, shape and appearance of the cavings. Some notes should be
included in the cuttings work sheet, but a full description is also required. Cavings
descriptions should be made at the end of every 12hr shift, and should
summarise the cavings seen during that period. Add to cavings descriptions, a
record of the depth intervals over which the cavings were seen.

• Size (dimensions): length, width, thickness of the largest and the average
cavings should be recorded.

• Shapes can be described using the following type of terminology, or more

descriptive terms (e.g. pencil-like) can be used:
Blocky/Oblate/Tabular/Platey/Angular/Splintery.

• Appearance: Lithology and colour must be recorded. Any other visible

features should also be recorded and described. Of particular importance are
structural features such as bedding, laminations, fracture surfaces, other
surface morphology.

(NOTE: A simple shape description is needed. The number of new fracture

surfaces bounding the caving is most important. This indicates whether the
caving is a result of wellbore stress concentrations or pre-existing planes of
weakness. Try to identify what the planes are: bedding, fractures, cleavage.
Look for cavings that contain parts of the borehole surface. This may enable the
cavings to be oriented thus leading to a better interpretation of their origin.)

2. Digital Images: Digital photographs of representative cavings should be taken

daily. These will supplement the written cavings descriptions. The depths
from which the cavings have come can form part of the image, and labels with
arrows should point to any noticeable features. Ideally a digital camera should
be available in the logging unit to link to mud loggers computers. The
background should be plain in colour and non-reflective.
Cavings Sampling to go for Analysis:
Representative cavings samples should be collected, washed, bagged (and
labeled - see below) for shipment to the DCS Geomechanics team for analysis.
The amount of cavings collected will vary depending on what is seen at the
shakers, but it is important that every type of caving is represented together with
the depth from which they came. If cavings seen throughout a shift are all of the
same type, then a sample (around half a pound in weight) of cavings should be
selected approximately every 50m. The sampling rate should increase if the
nature of cavings is seen to be changing.

Labelling of the cavings should include the depth, the activity

(rotating/sliding/reaming/circulating) and any relevant events (change in mud
weight/system) relative to the time of cavings selection should be noted. Cavings
samples can be shipped as often as possible.