Oil Well Drilling

Offshore Drilling

By: Khaled Waked

Drilling

 The propose
of drilling is to
drill a hole in
ground to tap
oil or gas
reservoir
Drilling

 To drill a hole you must

have:
 Drilling/Cutting head
 Weight on the head
 Rotating driver
 Lubricant & cooling system
 Hole cleaning system
 Structure accommodates
the drilling equipments
Drilling Head
Drilling/Cutting Head

 Drilling bit:
 Cutting head with rows of
teeth or cutting devices
that cut the rocks and
penetrate the formation. Drag Bit (Fixed Parts)
 The cutter made up of
steel, tungsten carbide or
diamond inserts
 Contains jet nozzles for
liquid to go through it.
 Tow types as shown
Roller Cone (rotating teeth)
Connecting rod

 Drill Pipe:
 Diameter: 2 3/8” to 6 5/8”
(common 5”)
 Length 18” to 45”. (common
30ft)
 Threaded end connections
(tool joints) female (box)
 The pipes connected together
to form string connected to Bin
the bit
 Drill pipe weight 5 to 28 lb/ft box
(150 to 840 lb per 30ft pipe)
Weight on the drilling Bit
Spiral Slick

 Drill Collar:
 Very heavy pipe
 Installed above the bit to apply weight in it
 Required weight on bit: 5 to 40 KIPs
 To keep the drill pipe always under
tension
 Length: usually 30ft
 Diameter: 2 7/8” to 12”
 Some are spiral to prevent sticking with
hole walls
 Threaded end connections
 Drill pipe weight 19 to 310 lb/ft
(570 to 9300 lb per 30ft pipe)
Weight on drilling bit

 Heavy Walled drill Pipe

(HWDP)
 Drill pipe with thick walls
(lighter than the coaler)
 To add weight on bit
 Has a long tool joints for
threaded end connections
 Has serial groves or wear pad
to prevent pipe sticking to the
hole walls
 Drill pipe weight 17 to 61 lb/ft
(510 to 1830 lb per 30ft pipe)
Other down Hole assistance Tools

 Stabilizer:
 Has big OD with side
cutters,
 Installed near bottom to
keep drill coalers away
from the hole walls
 Used to direct the drilling
Other down Hole assistance Tools

 Jar
 Release the sticking
pipes to the walls by
sudden vibration.
 installed between drill
Coaler connections
usually below the first
coaler from the surface
Inside BOP Valves

 Drill string float valve:

 A check valve in the drill
string that will allow fluid
to be pumped into the
well but will prevent flow
from entering the string.
Inside BOP Valves

 Drop in Dart:
 to be used in gas zones,
consists if two parts
1. Fixed part to be installed
close to bit
2. Dropped part to be
dropped inside the fixed
part and locked and it
works as a check valve.
Surface BOP Valves

 Full opening valve:

 installed on top of drill
string to close the string
when required until
installing the grey valve
 Can be installed (open)
in surface while the mud
is coming up from the
drill string then close it to
prevent back flow.
Surface BOP Valves

 Gray Valve:
 valve installed in top of
the drill stem when the
well is kicking
 Installed after closing the
string by the full opening
valve
 to prevent a blowout
through the stem. mud
can be pumped in but
flow back up the stem is
prevented.
Notes:

 The required weight on bit depends on the formation

type and bit type.
 Soft formation required lighter weight and more rotation
speed.
 Roller cone bit requires more weight and less rotation
speed
 threaded tool joint: female (Box) male (Pin).
 Drill pipe has small tool joint
 HWDP has long tool joints
 Drill collar has thick walls so it has threaded connections
but no bigger tool joints.
Notes:

 The heavy drill pipe Reduce stress between

the drill coaler and drill pip.
 Drill pipe Types: E75 - X95 - G105 - S135
 Measuring While Drilling (MWD) is measuring
sensor to sense down hole conditions:
 rock properties
 drilling direction
 torque
 Crossovers is used to connect the drill pipe to
the drill collar, HWDP or any other equipment
Drill String
Hole supporting system
(Casing)
Casing

 Casing: big pipe

placed and cemented
inside the drilled hole
to prevent cave-ins
and to seal formation
layers. four casings
are installed during
drilling:
Casing

 Conductor Casing:
 36 in or larger
 Can be hammered or
drilled hole
 Surface casing;
 Hole diameter 17 in or
larger
 To be put through the
fresh water layer
 Hundreds or even
thousands of feet depth
Casing

 Intermediate casing:
 Hole diameter 12 in or
larger
 The longest casing
 Production Casing:
 Bit size 8” to 10”
 Goes through the
production area
 Closed end
 It must be filled regularly to
while running it inside the
well prevent casing collapse
Drill string Handling system
 Rotating System

 Rotary Table:
 It has a beveled gear
arrangement to create the
rotational motion and opening
into which bushings are fitted to
drive and support the drilling
assembly when used in the
past with Kelly as rotating
system
 Turntable: it power by
electric motor to produce
turning motion
 Master Bushing: fits inside
the turntable (rectangular)
Rotary Table:

 Kelly Drive: fits inside or above the

master bushing to transfer the
master bushing movement to the
Kelly
 Kelly: is usually 40 ft pipe with
square or hexagonal shape
connected to the pipe below and fits
inside the Kelly driver to transfer its
rotating movement to the pipe while
freely moves up or down
Rotary Table:

 Nowadays the rotary

table used only while
not drilling to suspend
the drill string\ with slips
 Tapered bowel fits
inside Master bushing (
circular) to fit the type
of slips used
Rotary Table Accessories

 Slips
 A wedge shape piece of
metal with teeth or other
gripping elements that
are used to prevent pipe
from slipping down into
hole or to hold the pipe in
place
Rotary Table Accessories

 Safety Clamp
 The are used on tubulars above the slips to prevent
dropping the string should the slips fail to hold.
Rotating System
 Top Drive:
 Top Drive: replaced the rotary table
 Hangs from the large crown block hock
 Moves on two rails to guide the top drive
movement and prevent rotation
 has a passageway for the mud to flow into
the drill pipe
 powered by one or two variable power
electric or hydraulic motors
 top drive power is 600 HP to 2100 HP
 hoisting capacity is 350 ton to 750 ton
 contains upper and lower inside BOPs
 Drive shaft is the link between the top the
drill pipe to transfer the rotation
Top Drive Accessories
 Elevator:
 connected to the top drive through
two links with automatic link tilt
assembly to place the elevator
below the top drive or move it aside.
 Is put around the drill pipes tool
joints to raise or lower the string
 Elevator types:
1. Center latch bottle neck: for most
drill pipes
2. Side door collar type: for collars
3. Slip type tubing elevator: for light
drill pipe
4. Casing elevator: for casing
5. Single joint casing pick up types :
for casing
Rotating System

 Down Hole Motor (Mud

Motor):
 Is a motor installed on
the drill string directly
above the bit
 Powered by the mud flow
under pressure
 Used with or without the
rotary table to speed the
bit rotation speed
 Used in directional drilling
Hoisting System
Hoisting system

 Hoisting System:

 Drawworks
 Rope
 Dead Line Anchor
 Derrick
 Crown Block
 Traveling Block
 Hock
 Heave Compensator
 Supply reel
 Weight indicator
Hoisting system

 Drawworks:
 electrically revolving
drum to pull or release
the rope connected to the
drilling string to raise or
lower it,
 Power: 550 - 4000 HP.
 Revolving drum
 Clutch, chain and gears
 Brake
Drawworks Components
 Drawworks Brake
 Main brake :
 Very strong springs push the brakes
to the drum makes it normally close,
(fail safe)
 Using hydraulic system the crew
can left the pads away to decrease
the friction force or free the disc to
rotate.
 The drawwork has tree service pads
and one emergency pad close
automatically if the service pads fail
to stop the load.
 An auxiliary brake
 Big electromagnets inside oppose
the turning force on the drum assist
the main brake
Hoisting system

 Rope
 The wire rope used to
support the Drilling
Tools.
 Types of Wire Rope Lay
 Right Lang Lay
 Left Lang Lay
 Right Regular Lay
 Left Regular Lay
Hoisting system

 Dead Line Anchor

 An equipment that
holds down the
deadline part of the
wire rope. It is
 usually bolted on to the
substructure.
Hoisting system

 Crown Block
 Complete set of sheaves
(pulleys) on the top of a
tall fixed structure called
derrick.
 Load ratting = 420 ton to
1400 ton = 3,000 Kips
 Sheave diameter = 42” to
72”
Hoisting system

 Derrick
 Tall structure that carry
the crown block, usually
between 100 ft to 200 ft,
tall to accommodate the
length of drill pipe stand
( usually 3 pipes and
sometimes 4 pipes)
 Derrick must support the
weight of drilling tools
and drill string
 (support static weight is
between 275 kips to
3,250 kips)
Derrick

 The derrick contains also:

 Fingerboard:
 a rack that supports the
stands of pipe being stacked
in the derrick
 It has several steel fingerlike
projections that form a series
of slots into which the
derrickman can place a
stand of drill pipe or collars
 Monkey board:
 is a platform on the
fingerboards level to let the
floor man set back the drill
pipes on the fingerboards
Derrick

 The derrick contains also:

 The front of the derrick
always has a V shape
opening called V door that
connected to a ramp to
connect the drill floor to the
cat walk.
 Stabbing board:
hydraulically moving
platform 30 to 40 ft high
from the drill floor to let the
floor man connect the top of
the stand to the top drive.
Hoisting System

 Traveling Block:
 complete set of sheaves
(pulleys) 24 to 72 in
diameter
 load rating up to 1250 ton=
2,750 Kips
 With shock absorber spring
 with to Large hock or clevis
be connected to the hock
bail
 Sometimes has Built-in
Heave compensator in
floaters
Hoisting System
 Hook
 With bail to be connected with the
traveling block clevis
 Load rating 350 to 1000 tone
 Has safety latch opened by key
 Have rotating lock to free hook rotation
movement (locked during operation)
 Automatic lock: let the hook automatically
rotates to a readjusted position. (usually
the elevator face the floor man)
 The locks are unlocked by long rode
called checked lock
 The crew unlocks the rotation lock and
adjusts the hook that the elevator faces
the floor man.
 Hydraulic snubber: damper to prevent drill
pipe pounce and tool joint damage.
Hoisting System
 Heave Compensator
 exist at floaters between the
travelling block and the hock
 may be installed between
crown block and the derrick
 keep the location of the top
drive fixed while the vessel
heaves (moves up and down)
 keep the weight on bit
constant
 compensate from 15 to 25 ft
 compensate hock-block is
exist as shorter assembly with
load rating between 175 to
650 ton= 1433 Kips
Hoisting System

 Supply reel:
 Stores amount of rope
to replace the worn
parts of the drawwork
rope
 the line can be taken
of to replace the worn
line
Hoisting System

 Weight indicator
 Measures and record
the weight of the drill
string and traveling
blocks suspended from
the derrick
 The inner back needle
on the inner ring shows
the weight suspended
from the derrick
 The outer ring with red
pointer shows the
weight on bit, but to be
set first.
Notes

 No of Line-string = 2
X no. sheaves on
traveling block
 The force on the
fastline is equal (1/ No
of Line-string) x load
carried, if friction is
ignored.
 Pulling speed = 1/ No
of Line-string x
fastline speed
Hoisting System

 Air Hoist
 Air Hoist: fast air power
Hoist to move
equipments on drill floor
Drilling Fluid
Lubricant, Cooling and Cleaning

 Drilling Fluid Function:

 Moving cutting away;
 Cool and lubricate the bit
 Keep formation fluid from
entering the hole and
blowout to the surface.
Lubricant, Cooling and Cleaning

 Mud:
 The mud is water or oil with some
additives ( heavy menials as Barite
Sulfate) to increase the mud density
up to 19 ppg = 2.3 S.G
 Mud palanced is used to measure the
mud density
Mud

 Water base mud:

 Fresh water, salt water or Drill
water can be used with some
additives:
 Polymers: to increase the viscosity
to help suspend the cuttings
 Clay to increase the viscosity and
form a cake against the preamble
portion of the hole to limit mud
seepage into formation
 Cheap, easy to handle and its not
environmental hazard
 Water base mud cause some
shale swell and heave
Mud

 Oil Bas Mud:

 Diesel Oil or synthetic oil
 Prevent the problem of shale
swelling
 Provide better lubrication for faster
rotation
 Synthetic oil is not environmental
hazard like diesel
 The diesel oil is expensive and
difficult to handle
Mud

 Oil –water Mud: the oils can be emulsified

with water to provide the same properties of
the water base mus.
 Gas drilling fluid:
 Air, water foam or natural gas can be use
Drilling Mud Circulating
System
Mud Circulating System

 Mud Pits: the mud stored at the mud pits

Mud Pits

 There are three types of mud pits:

 Active Mud Pits
 Reserve Mud Pits
 Slug Pits
Mud Pits

 Mud Pits
 Active mud pits
 connected to the active mud circulating system
 stores mud used for drilling
 The No./Capacity of the active mud pits depend on the
amount of mud required to keep the drilling hole full with
mud.
Mud Pits

 Reserve mud pits

 Not connected to the active circulating system
 Used to store excess mud, different type of mud
or heavy mud for killing
 With small pumps to send the containing mud
from the reserve pits to the active pits
Mud Pits

 Slug Pit
 Active mud pits but smaller and stores very heavy
mud (Slug) to be pumped in the string for dray
trip.
 Mix small amount of special mud
Mud Pits

 Pit Volume Totalizer (PVT):

 One of a series of devices that continuously
monitor the level of the drilling mud in the mud
tanks. the indicator usually consists of float
devices in the mud tanks that sense the mud level
and transmit data to a recording and alarm device
(a pit-volume recorder) mounted near the driller‘s
position on the rig floor. if the mud level drops too
low or rises too high, the alarm sounds to warn
the driller of losing circulation or a kick
Mud Circulating System

 Charge Pump:
Mud Circulating System

 Charge pumps:
 usually two centrifugal
pumps
 used to suck mud from
Active mud pits
 charge the mud pump
with mud for better mud
pump performance
Mud Circulating System

 Mud Pump:
Mud Circulating System

 Mud Pumps:
 Positive discharge Pump
 Duplex(2 liners double
acting) (is not used
nowadays) or triplex(3 liners
single acting)
 Suck mud from the charge
pump or active mud pits
 discharge the mud under
pressure to circulate it
through its cycle
Mud Circulating System

 Mud Pumps:
 Commonly two or three mud pumps on the system
 Each pump discharges up to 1200 GPM and 7500 PSI mud
to the well
 The pumps can be operated in parallel or keep one or two
as standby
 Pump HP between 220 to 2200 HP
 The crew can change the liners according to the flow rate
and pressure required
 Larger liners for larger flow rate and relatively lower pressure
Mud Pumps

 As the pump is positive

discharge:
 The suction is pulses
 So suction stabilizer is
required to prevent water
hummer at the suction
lines and prevengt liner
wearing and vibration
 The discharge is pulses.
 So discharging dampener
is required to prevent
vibration at the discharge
lines
Mud Pump Accessories

 Suction Stabilizer:
 A long tank connected to
the suction line
 Filled with mud to damp
the pulses due to sudden
suction or sudden stop
Mud Pump Accessories

 Discharge Pulsation
Dampener;
 Damping the mud pulses
from the mud pumps to
get smother flow
 Damper Types

 Bladder Type
 Non-Bladder Type
Discharge Pulsation Dampener

 Bladder type: bladder traps amount of

compressed nitrogen, when the flow moves on the
other side of the bladder the comp. nitrogen
damping any pulsed on the other side of the
bladder
 Non-Bladder Type (latest technology): a 4ft
spherical container filled with mud this amount of
mud damping the pulsed from the mud pump.
very simple, no maintenance is required
Mud Circulating System

 Mud Pump Manifold:

Mud Circulating System

 Mud Pump Manifold:

 An arrangement of piping
and valves that receives
drilling fluid from the mud
pumps and transmit the
drilling fluid to the chosen HP
mud line.
 The valves and piping at the
manifold withstand the
maximum mud Pump
Pressure Usually 5,000 PSI
or 7,500 PSI
Mud Circulating System

 High Pressure Piping

Mud Circulating System

 High Pressure Piping:

 Piping system connecting the mud pumps
manifold to the another manifold below the derrick
called standpipe manifold.
 High strength piping withstand the maximum mud
Pump Pressure Usually 5,000 PSI or 7,500 PSI.
Mud Circulating System

 Stand Pipe Manifold

Mud Circulating System

 Stand Pipe Manifold

 An arrangement of piping
and valves that receives
drilling fluid from the high
pressure pipes.
 Connected to two vertical
pipes rising along the side
of the Derrick, to almost
have the derrick height.
Mud Circulating System

 Rotary Hose
Mud Circulating System

 Rotary Hose:
 High pressure hose rated
for the pressure of the
mud discharged from the
mud pump.
 connected to the top end
of the standpipe
 To the tope drive to let
mud go through it to move
between the standpipe to
the top drive while it
moves up and down.
Mud Circulating System

 Top Drive
 Connected to the rotary hose to
take mud from it
 Has swivel connection inside to
transfer mud from the fixed part
of the top drive the rotating
drive shaft
 The drive shaft connected to
the drill pipe to discharge mud
inside the drill pipe
 Inside the top drive there are
two bop that prevent the mud
from running at the reverse
direction
Mud Circulating System

 Drill String
 The mud moves
inside the drill string
to reach the bit
 The mud discharged
from the bit nozzles
as a jets to the
drilled hole to mix
with the cutting in
the hole
Mud Circulating System

 Annular space:
 Annular space is the
space between the
drill string and the
hole or the casing
 The mud with cutting
moves up inside the
annular space till it
reach to the surface.
 Mud Circulating System

 Flow Line
Mud Circulating System

 Flow Line:
 Large sloped line
 connected to the conductor casing near the
surface
 When the mud inside the conductor casing reach
the flow line the mud go with gravity through the
flow line to the mud ditch
 There is a flow meter to measure the flow rate
inside the flow line
Mud Circulating System

 Mud Ditch:
 Sloped ditch
 Receives mud from the flow line and let the mud
go with gravity till it reach the distribution box that
takes the mud and send it to the cleaning system
Mud Circulating System

 Cleaning system:
 clean the mud from the cuttings and send it back
to the active mud pits
 Shale Shaker
 Sand Trap
 Desander
 Desilter
 Degaser
 Centrifuge
 Mud Cleaner
Cleaning System
 Shale Shaker:
 A motor vibrate a big screen
rapidly while the mud is
passing above the screen it
falls through the screen sifting
up the large cuttings.
 The shaker screen sizes up to
325 mesh to clean 40 micron
cuttings
 In front of the shaker the shale
bit that receives the cuttings
usually has auger to transfer
cuttings
 Below the shakers there are
the sand trap receives the
cleaned mud
Cleaning System

 Degaser;
 the gas in mud lighten the
mud weight that has a bad
effect on controlling the
well
 It removes the small
amount of gases with mud
by place a small vacuum
by a vacuum pump on it
while flows through the
degaser
Cleaning System

 Desander and Desilter:

 Cone-shaped that spin the
heavier solids to outside the
core from the bottom by
centrifugal force.
 Desander removes sand-
sized Particles 40 micron
 Desilter removes Silt-Sized
Particles 20 micron
 The mud must be free of
gas for the desander and
desilter to work properly
 It can remove barite as well
as solids
Cleaning System

 Mud Cleaner
 Replaced the desander
and desilter
 remove most of the
cuttings even very small
cuttings (7 micron)
 the barite size is 7
microns so the mud
cleaner has screen to
retrieve the barite
 Centrifuge:
 Removes the smallest and
fine solids 2 to 5 microns.
 Removes some of the barite
from the mud
 Can be run at specific
speed to remove barite
Mud Circulating System
 Drilling Fluid Cycle:
 Mud stored at the mud pits
 Charge Pumps sucks the mud from the mud pits and
discharge it to the mud pumps
 The mud pumps discharge mud at high pressure (up to 7500
PSI) to the stand pipe manifold through the mud manifold,
HP line and the stand pipe manifold
 The mud moves though the rotary hose to the moving top
drive
 moves through swivel connection inside the top drive to
inside the string
 Exits through the nozzles of the bit to the bottom hole
 Picks up cuttings from the bottom hole and flow up around
the string to the surface
 At the surface the mud moves by gravity through the flow line
then return line/ditch to a cleaning cycle remove cuttings
and gas and send it back to the mud Pits.
Mixing System
Mixing System

 A system to circulate the mud in the same tank or

between the active tanks to
 Agitate the mud to prevent the barite particles from settling
in the tank bottom
 Mix the mud with other additives to change its properties
 The system consist of
 B-tanks
 Surge Tank
 Mixing Pumps
 Mixing manifold
Mixing System

 Mixing Pumps:
 Two or three
centrifugal pumps
 Sucking mud from
mud pits and send it
to the mixing manifold
Mixing System

 Mixing manifold:
 An arrangement of pipes and valves that let the
crew control the path of the mud
 There are three main paths for the mud:
 Discharged through a mud guns Back to the mud pits
 Go to one of the hoppers
 Go to one of the automatic barite mixing systems
 Move from tank to another
Mixing Manifold
Mixing System

 B-Tanks
 To store barite, bentonite
or cement connected to a
compressed air to push
the powder through the
pipes to the mixing guns,
venturi or to the surge
tanks
Mixing System

 Surge tanks:
 Is a small storage tanks
for barite and cement for
quick and easy use.
Mixing System

 Hopper;
 Open top container to
receive barite from the
surge tank above or the
derrick man can add clay
or chemicals bags from
the top.
 Has a venture in the
bottom that the mud
create low pressure zone
when passing through it
 The powder is sucked by
the mud and mixed with it.
Other drilling Equipments
Other drilling Equipments
 Connection tools
 Tongs:
 Large wrenches used to make or
break out tubulars.
 Drillpipe Spinner
 A pneumatically operated device
usually suspended on the rig floor
 used to make fast connections and
spin off of drill pipes.
Other drilling Equipments

 Iron Roughneck:
 A pneumatically operated
machine that replaces
the functions performed
by the Drillpipe Spinner
and Tongs.
Other drilling Equipments

 Driller Consol:
 The control panel,
located on the
platform, where the
driller controls drilling
operations
Tripping Operation
Tripping Operation

 Tripping operation:
 The operation of hoisting the drill stem out of the
wellbore (called Tripping out) and returning it to
the wellbore (called Tripping in)
 When the bit comes out of the hole, a volume of
mud equal to that which the drill pipe occupied
while in the hole must be pumped into the hole to
replace the pipe.
 When the bit goes back in the hole, the drill pipe
displaces a certain amount of mud.
Tripping Operation

 Trip Tank:
 A small clean mud tank with a capacity of 10 to 15
barrels
 used for easy measuring the small amounts of
mud.
 used to ascertain the amount of mud necessary
to keep the wellbore full with the exact amount of
mud that is displaced by drill pipe.
Tripping Operation

 The Mud circulation During Tripping:

 Tripping Out:
 Small centrifugal pump called Trip Pump suck from the
trip tank and discharge directly inside the casing while
tripping out.

 Tripping In:
 The valve in the flow line divert the mud coming from the
annular space to the trip tank directly
Drilling Rigs
Drilling Rigs

 Rig:
 is a big structure that accommodates the drilling
equipments
 Two main types of rigs:
 Land Rigs
 Offshore rigs
 Transocean Has Only Offshore Rigs
Drilling Rigs

 Offshore Rigs:
 Jackups
 Floaters:
 Semisubmersible
 Drill Ship
Offshore Rig

 Jackup:
 A jackup is a floating
barge fitted with long
support legs that can be
raised or lowered.
 The jackup is towed (or
self propelled) onto
location with its legs up
and the barge section
floating on the water.
Jackup Rig

 Upon arrival at the

drilling location, the
legs are jacked down
onto the seafloor.
 Then "preloading"
takes place, where
the weight of the
barge and additional
ballast water are
used to drive the legs
securely into the
seabottom
Jackup Rig

 so they will not penetrate

further while operations are
carried out. After
preloading, the jacking
system is used to raise the
entire barge and drilling
structure above the water to
a predetermined height or
"air gap",
 so that wave, tidal and
current loading acts only on
the relatively slender legs
and not on the barge hull.
Jackup Rigs

 drill in water depth up to 400 ft and drill hole up to

30,000 ft (5.5 mile).
 The BOP is above the sea level and connected to
the casing on seafloor by the conductor pipe.
Offshore Rig

 Semi-submersible rig:
 A semi-submersible is a
specialised marine vessel
with good stability and
seakeeping characteristics
 make stable platforms for
drilling for offshore oil and
gas. They can be towed into
position by a tugboat and
anchored, or moved by and
kept in position by their own
azipod propellers with
dynamic positioning.
Semi-submersible rig

 Have two or more pontoons submersed few feet below

water surface while drilling, make it more resistant to the
waves than drill ships floating on surface.
 Some are self-propelled but so slow that it still need
heavy lift vessel for long moves
 Drill in water depth between 1,000 to 3,500 ft up to
12,000 ft and drill hole up to 35,000 ft.
 Set anchors on seafloor or use dynamic poisoning
thruster to keep it positioned over the well
 Very huge up to 100 ft tall and 3,000 yard (2,500 m2)
deck
Offshore Rig

 DrillShip
 A drillship is a maritime
vessel that has been
fitted with drilling
apparatus. It is most
often used for exploratory
offshore drilling of new oil
or gas wells in deep
water
DrillShip

 The greatest advantages the drillships:

 is their ability to drill in water depths of more than 2500
meters
 the time saved sailing between oilfields worldwide.
 Drillships are completely independent, in contrast to Semi-
Submersible and jackups
 Best choice for remote water because it can carry more
drilling equipment
 Can move at sufficient speed to long distance.
 use computerized dynamic poisoning thruster to keep it
positioned over the well and contract waves, wind and
ocean current
DrillShip

 Drill in water depth between 1,000 to 3,000 ft up to 10,000

ft and drill hole up to 30,000 ft (5.5 mile)
 The BOP is on the seafloor and connected to the rig by the
riser
 About 800 ft long, 100 ft wide and 60 feet deep.
 Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) is used to view
installation and assist in installing the equipments on the
seafloor, at relatively shallow deeps divers can do this jobs.
 Must have tensionersd and Heave compensator. Heave
compensator locate on the derrick and allow the drill string
to remain stationary and unaffected by wind and waves
Drilling a well
Step By Step
Drill a well Step By Step

 Study the well plan:

 Before drilling the well plan and wellbore for the well.
 Installing the first Casing:
 Hummer the conductor casing in place
 Making up the drill string :
 Use large diameter bit to drill surface whole inside the
conductor big enough for next casing
 The crew makes up the last joint of the drill string into
the drive stem of the top drive
Drill a well Step By Step

 Starting the drilling:

 The driller starts the mud pump to circulate mud and
start the top drive to rotate the bit
 The crew slowly start to release the drawwork to lower
the bit to the bottom hole
 Free the string form the top drive:
 When the entire stand of the drill string drilled down the
driller raise the top drive and stop it.
 Floorhands set slips around the joint of drill pipe and the
driller slacks off the drill string weight to suspend it in the
hole from the slips
Drill a well Step By Step

 Floor men latch one big wrench (tong) on the

tool joints of the string and secured it by tight a
rope between the tong end and one of the
derrick legs.
 Iron Roughneck can be used, it has two
tongs with motors to make up and break out
machine.
 The driller reverse the rotation of the top drive
to unlock the connection between the top drive
pin and drill string box.
Drill a well Step By Step

 Connect another stand to the string:

 the floor men latch the elevator below the tool joint of the
stand on the mouse hole
 the driller picks up the stand from the mouse hole and
allow the elevator to return to vertical
 the floor men stab the stand to be above the string
 the driller lower the top drive to let the stand pin facing
the string pin and the stand box facing the top drive pin
then rotate the top drive to screw the new stand to the
string and top drive
Drill a well Step By Step

 the driller pick up the string weight from the slips

 the floor men remove the slips
 Drilling again:
 the driller turn on the mud pump and rotate the top drive
and start drilling again
 Tripping out:
 the driller stops at determined depth for surface casing
and trip out the string and bit
 to trip out the driller raise the string to let the last tool
joint exposed
Drill a well Step By Step

 Free the string form the top drive:

 Floor men latch one big wrench (tong) on the tool joints
of the string and secured it by tight a rope between the
tong end and one of the derrick legs.
 Iron Roughneck can be used, it has two tongs with
motors to make up and break out machine.
 The driller reverse the rotation of the top drive to unlock
the connection between the top drive pin and drill string
box.
Drill a well Step By Step

 Release the first stand from the string:

 the floorhands latch the elevator to the string
 the driller raise the string and the floorhands remove the
slips
 the driller raise the string high enough to expose one
stand of the string
 the floorhands set the slips and the driller suspend the
string on it
 the top drive with tong or iron roughneck is used to break
the connection and release a stand
Drill a well Step By Step

 Rack the pipe in the raking board:

 the driller raise the free stand and the floor hands push
the loose end to the setback area
 the driller lower the stand so the derrick man on the
monkey board can unlatch the elevator
 the derrick man pull the top of the stand into the finger
board after unlatching the elevator
 the driller lower the elevator to remove the rest of
the string stand by stand.
 some rigs has pipe rocker
Drill a well Step By Step

 Running Surface Casing:

 the drill floor crew uses the air Hoist or a modern pipe
chandelling machines to raise the casing to the pipe ramp
 the floor men latch the elevator to the casing stand
 the driller picks up the stand from the ramp and allow the
elevator to return to vertical while moving up
 the floor men stab the stand to be above the string
 the driller lower the top drive to let the stand pin facing the
string pin and the stand box facing the top drive pin then
rotate the top drive to screw the new stand to the string and
top drive
Running Surface Casing

 the casing crew attached some

equipments to preselected casing to
improve the cement process:
 guide shoe: ( rounded end)
placed in bottom of the casing for
easy slip the casing in the hole
 float collar: collar with spring
loaded dart to work as check
valve to prevent the cement flow
back inside the casing, one or
two joints placed above the guide
shoe
Running Surface Casing

 the casing crew attached some

equipments to preselected casing
to improve the cement process:
 centralizer: strapped around
the casing to centralize the
casing in the hole
 scratcher: strapped around the
casing to scratch away some
of the mud cake to improve
contact between the cement
and the hole.
Running Surface Casing

 cement job:
 Cementing is required to:
 Support and protect the casing and bounds it to the hole
 Seal the annular space between the casing and the hole
preventing migration of fluid from one formation to another.
 the cement company crew mix cement with water in the
cement mixer to be blended and formed to be slurry
 The crew makes up the cement head on the last joint of
the casing and keeps it hanged by the drawwork then
connect it to the cement manifold.
Cement Job
 they operate the
cement unit to pump
the slurry down to the
hole through the
cementing head
 just before the cement
reach the head the
crew release a rubber
plug (bottom plug)
from the head
 the mud push the plug
as it goes in the casing
as a separator
between it and the
mud inside.
Cement Job
 the plug rested on the
float collar and the
cement pressure breaks
the plug membrane
 the cement goes through
the bottom casing joints
to the annular space
around casing until it fills
the annular space
 as the recalculated
amount of cement slurry
enters the casing the
crew stop the cement
pump release another
plug (top plug).
Drill a well Step By Step
 the crew start to pump liquid mud or water to bush the top plug
and down cement to the annular space
 the top plug rested on the bottom plug and a pressure
increase is indication that the cement job is completed
 the cement left for 12 to 24 hours to be harden

 the drilling crew install the first section of the wellhead and the
BOP
 the crew pressure test the BOP, well head and inside casing to
make sure it can withstand the operating pressure without
leaks
Drill a well Step By Step
 The crew trip in a smaller bit inside the casing and start drilling
the float collar, the cement remaining in the float joints of
casing and guide shoe.
 the crew retest the cement seal
 the drilling start drilling new hole for the second casing
(intermediate casing)
 after the crew drill top the total depth of the well they run down
the production casing allway to the well bottom
 The crew perforates the production casing to make hole in the
casing for production.
Well Control
Well Control
 Well Control:
 The well depth can be more than
30,000 Below the surface
 The normal pressure gradient is 0.433
PSI per foot.
 There are zones of abnormal
pressure gradient. (more or less than
0.433 PSI/ft)
 The well pressure is up to 15,000 PSI
 Sudden releasing of gas or fluid under
this pressure may act like a bomb that
may destroy every thing, and if there
is any close ignition system it will be a
disaster
 Release of influx to the surface called
blowout
Means of well control

 Mud Weight:
 The drilled hole should be always filled with mud at all time

 The pressure on bottom hole due to the mud weight

(Hydrostatic Pressure)
Hydrostatic pressure = 0.052 X Mud Weight x TVD
 TVD: Total Vertical Depth.

 Drilling mud weight =

Formation Pressure + Safety Margen/(TVDx 0.052)
Means of well control

 Mud Weight:
 After running the mud pump the mud start to flow inside the
hole increased by the annular pressure loss (APL), then

 The pressure in the bottom hole Pressure =

HP + the Annular pressure loss (APL)

 Equivalent Circulating Density (ECD)=

Mud weight (ppg) + APL/(TVD x 0.052)
Means of well control

 What is Kick.
 If for some reason the
pressure applied on the
formation on the bottom
hole is less than the
formation pressure the
formation starts to push
the mud up out of the
hole and occupy some of
the drilled hole volume.
Means of well control

 Kick effect:
 The kick reduces the mud column then reduce the
bottom hole hydraulic pressure and increase the
chance to have blowout.
Means of well control

 Kick warning sign:

 Torque of the top drive increased.
 Drilling break (ROP) (Rate of penetration)
increased.
 Changing cutting side ( become bigger)
 Temperature increase.
Means of well control

 Kick Indicators:
 Flow rate increased
 Pit Gain
 Pressure

 As soon as you see any of the kick warning sign,

 stop the pump and top drive
 If you still have flow in the flow line that means have kick
 the first mean of well control is failed another mean of
control is required
Well Control
 BOP Stack:
 one or more valves installed at the
wellhead to prevent the escape of
the below formation under
pressure to the surface either
through the annular space
between the casing and the drill
pipe or in open hole (for example,
hole with no drill pipe).
 Should be able to close against the
expected well pressure up to
15,000 PSI at some rigs.

 Consists of:
 Annular Preventer
 Ram
 Kill line Valve with HCR
 Choke Line Valve with HCR
BOP Stack

 Annular Preventer:
 A large valve, usually
installed at the top of BOP
stack, that forms a seal in
the annular space between
the pipe and well bore. If no
pipe is present, it forms a
seal on the well bore itself.
 It’s Hydraulically operated
BOP Stack

 Ram Belowout Preventer:

 A blowout preventer that
uses rams to seal off
pressure on a hole that is
with or without pipe. It is
also called a ram preventer.
Ram -type preventers have
interchangeable ram blocks
to accommodate different
O.D. drill pipe, casing, or
tubing.
 Hydraulicaly operated.
Ram Belowout Preventer

 Ram Types:
 Pipe Ram:
 sealing component for a
blowout preventer that
closes the annular space
between the pipe and
the blowout preventer or
wellhead.

 Blined Ram:
 when closed, form a seal
on a hole that has no
drill pipe in it;
Ram Belowout Preventer

 Ram Types:
 Shear rams:
 cuts, or shears, through
drill pipe and forms a
seal against well
pressure. Shear rams
are used in floating
offshore drilling
operations to provide a
quick method of moving
the rig away from the
hole when there is no
time to trip the drill stem
out of the hole.
Well Control

 Diverter:
 If the kick is encountered at shallow
depths then the casings is at shallow
depth so if we close the bop against the
formation pressure the pressure can
overcome the cement supports the
casing and brake and push the BOP out
of the hole with the below casing.
 Then diverter is used
 The diverter is a device connected at the
top of the conductor casing used to
direct fluid flowing from a well away from
the drilling rig. Through one of the side
outlets (a diverter lines) according to the
wind direction
BOP Control Circuit

 BOP Control Circuit:

 As the all the Annular
Preventer, Rams and
diverter is mainly a
hydraulic cylinder to
close or open by
hydraulic power.
 The operating pressure
for them is 1200 to 1500
PSI
BOP Control Circuit

 The Control Circuit mainly consist of:

 Oil Tank
 Stores the system oil
 Hydraulic Pump
 Pump oil under pressure to the system
 Regulating valve:
 Control the pressure of the oil goes to the system
between 500 and 1500 PSI for the annular preventer
and between 1200 to 1500 for Rams
 Air Valves
 Connect the pressurized oil to the BOP to close or open
BOP Control Circuit
BOP Control Circuit

 Accumulators
 No. of cylinders contains bladder filled with nitrogen
under pressure of 1000 PSI while no oil inside
 The Nitrogen compressed when charge the cylinder with
3000 PSI oil
 The cylinder can discharge oil about half its capacity
while the pressure is not less than 1200 PSI
 The accumulators is used to operate the BOP in
emergency cases when the pump is not working
 The accumulators are sized to open close and open
again before the pressure inside it dropped to 1200 PSI
BOP Control Circuit

 the hydraulic sysem

that control the BOP
called Hydraulic Power
Unit (HPU)
Blowout Preventer Valves

 Blowout Preventer Valves:

 Full Opening Valve
 Drop In Dart
 Gray Valve
 Float
 Plunger
Assistance Well Control Equipments

 Choke and Kill

Manifold:
 The arrangement of
piping and special valves,
called chokes, through
which drilling mud is
circulated when the
blowout preventers are
closed to control the
pressures encountered
during a kick.
Assistance Well Control Equipments

 Mud Gas Separator:

 vessel with baffles inside to
separate gas from mud.
 the mud seal is u-tube filled
with mud to avoid having
gases in the flow line.
 the inside pressure inside
the MGS is equal the back
pressure due to gas exit
through vent line.
 the seal head should be
greater than the pressure
inside the MGS
Controlled Circulating System

 Controlled Circulating System:

 The discharge system is the same

 The mud pump sucking from the mud pits and discharge the mud
under pressure to the drill string and through the bit to the annular
space
 as the BOP close the annular space so the mud cannot reach the
flow line
 By opening the choke line the mud can return through the choke line
to the choke and kill manifold
 The choke manifold is arranged to let the mud pass through the
choke
 The choke creates backpressure on the return mud so extra pressure on
the bottom hole to stop influx flow to the hole
 The choke and kill manifold is arranged to send the return manifold to
the mud gas separator to remove influx (gases) from the mud
 The mud return back to the mud pits
Dealing With Kick
Dealing With Kick

 As soon As you have Kick shut in the well:

 There is two ways for well shutting in
 Soft Shut in
 Hard Shut in
Dealing With Kick

 Soft Shut In:

 Open Remote Choke
 Open HCR
 Close BOP
 Close Remote Choke
Dealing With Kick

 Hard shut in (Transocean Policy)

 Remote chock already close
 Close BOP
 Open HCR
Dealing With Kick

 Now the mud return way is closed by

the BOP and we can see the differential
pressure between the mud weight and
formation pressure on the gauges
 Drill Pipe Pressure Gauge:
 Shows the pressure in the different
between the weight of mud inside the drill
pipe and the formation pressure
 Read Shut In Drill Pipe Pressure (SIDPP)

 Casing Pressure gauge:

 Shows the pressure in the different
between the weight of mud inside the
Casing and the formation pressure
 Read Shut In Drill Pipe Pressure (SICP)
Dealing With Kick

 Some Useful Calculations:

 Kill mud weight = SIDPP / (TVD x 0.052) +Current mud weight

 Height of influx=kick size (pit gain)/ annular capacity (bbls/ft)

 Pump output bbl/min =

pump speed (spm) x pump output per stroke

 No. of strokes from pump to bit, from surface to bit, from bit to surface

 MASSP=
(MAMW-killing mud weight) x shoe TVD *0.052

 safety margin (PSI) = MASSP-SICP

Killing the well
Killing the well

 Driller method
 A wait until the casing pressure stable
 operate the mud pump and increase pump speed slowly to
reach slow pump rate while opening the mud choke
 Open the hydraulic choke slow to keep the casing pressure
= STCP
 Wait until the pump strokes exceed the strokes from bit to
surface while keeping the string pressure const.
 Shut the mud pump slow while closing the choke to keep
casing pressure constant
Killing the well

 Start pump again with killing mud while opening

the choke slowly to keep the string pressure
const.
 Wait until the pump storks exceed he strokes from
pump to bit+from bit to surface
 Now the surface pressure is zero ( casing
pressure and string pressure)
 Open the well and start drilling
Killing the well

 weight and weight method

 Same steps at drilling method but using and kill
mud and wait until the strokes exceed the pump to
bit strokes.
 Continue pumping the pump to kill mud but keep
the string pressure constant at FCP.
 Wait until the strokes exceed the bit to surface
strokes.
 Now the surface pressure is zero ( casing
pressure and string pressure)
 Open the well and start drilling
Killing the well

 Volumetric method:
 If you have kick while the string is pacialy out of
well you cannot pump mud at the mid of the
hole.
 Start pushes the string the well and bleeds mud
from the well.
 Volume to bleed = increase in surface pressure
*volume again/Formation pressure –increase in
surface pressure
Killing the well

 Surface gauge readings at string while killing

 (ICP) initial circulating pressure at the beginning
of killing operation
 ICP = SIDPP + back pressure on the pump (pump
pressure loss)
 (FCP) final circulating pressure as soon as the kill
mud fill the string
 FCP = Kill mud weight /current mud weight x back
pressure on pump
Other Drilling Problems and
Operations
Fracture Failure

 The pressure at the hole sides = Hydrostatic

pressure at that depth =
0.052 X Mud Weight x Depth
 If the pressure increase to be more than the fracture
strength the pressure can break the fracture and the
mud then lost inside the fracture (lost circulation)
 The most critical point in the fracture is at the end of
the casing (shoe). So Leak of test must be done to
know the maximum pressure that the fracture below
the shoe can withstand.
Leak off test
 Leak off test: LOT = SLOP
 Test to be done after you install the shoe:
1- Put the shoe in pace
2- Put the string inside the shoe
3- Close and steal the hole
4- Use the cement unit to increase the hole
pressure slowly
5- Plot the pressure – bbls chart
6- Catch the failure pressure
Leak off test
max. allowable mud weight ( MAMW) =
fracture mud weight =
Slop /(shoe TVD x 0.052 )+ test mud weight

 max. allowable annular surface pressure ( MASSP)=

(MAMW - current mud weight) *0.052 *Shoe TVD

 While killing you cannot exceed the MASSP. with the

killing mud weight.
Gas migration

 Gas migration:
 gas moves up while the well is shut in the gas
volume will stay the same so its pressure will be
stay the formation pressure on surface
 the surface pressure = formation pressure.
Shallow gas

 Shallow gas:
 gas near surface
 at the beginning of the well we use diverter
instead of the BOP.
 When you see increasing in flow show and a lot of
bubbles on the flow line that means you have
shallow gas. Close the diverter and the valves on
the two diverter lines will open automatically, see
the wind direction and close one of them.
Well Logging

 Well Logging;
 Is to measure the rock type and the fluid on
the rocks by the tools are lowered to the
bottom of the hole and slowly reeled back up,
the tools send layers data to the logging unite
where it’s recorded by computer
Well Logging

 The logging types

 Gamma Ray log: measures how much of the layer
is made up of naturally radioactive shale
 Neutron log and density log: measures the
porosity of the layer
 Electric log: the electric resistivity of layer is
combined indicator of the type of rock present and
the kind of fluid it contains.
Well Logging

 The logging types

 Sonic log: measure the porosity of the layer
 Examine cutting and drilling mud
 Logging While Drilling (LWD): a machine that
send pulse to the formation through the drilling
mud and receive back a code that can be
converter to data by computer.
Well Logging

 Drill Stem Testing (DST):To determine the potential

of producing formation.
1. The crew make up the test tool at the bottom of the drill
stem and lower it to the well.
2. The crew applies pressure on the rubber packer to seal
the area above the packer (the mud head)
3. The crew open a port in the tools below the packer so
the formation fluid can flow through it to inside the stem
then the fluid flow rate an pressure can be measured.
4. The crew may let the formation fluid goes through the
stem to the surface to be sampled.