WELL CONTROL SYSTEM

PRESSURE CONTROL
 Formation fluids displace
the drilling fluid from the
well when Pf>Pm

 The flow of formation

fluids into the well is
called a kick.
 W.C.S prevents the
uncontrolled flow of
formation fluids from the
well bore.
The well control system permits:

 Detecting the kick,

 Closing the well at the surface,
 Circulating the well under pressure,
 Increasing the mud density,
 Moving the drill string under pressure,
 Diverting flow away from rig personnel
and equipment.
DETECTING THE KICK
 Alarms can be present to turn on lights and horns
when the pit volume increases or decreases
significantly.

 An increase in pit  A decrease in pit

volume  volume  drilling fluid
formation fluids is being LOST to an
may be ENTERING underground formation
the well.
 Mud flow indicators
are used to help
detect a kick more
quickly.  A pump stroke
 A paddle-type fluid counter is used to
sensor is used in the sense the flow rate
flow line. into the well.
 While making trip, circulation is stopped and a
significant volume of pipe is removed from the
hole.

 Mud must be pumped into the hole to replace

the volume of pipe removed.
 KICK DETECTION DURING
TRIPPING OPERATIONS
 is accomplished through use of the hole
fill-up indicator.
 If the volume required to fill the hole is
less than the volume of pipe removed, a
kick may be in progress.
 Small trip tanks provide the best means of
monitoring hole fill-up volume.
 Trip tanks usually hold 10 to 15 bbl and have 1-
bbl gauge markers.
 The top of a gravity-feed trip tank must be slightly lower than
the bell nipple to prevent mud from being lost to the flow line.
  Periodically, the trip tank
is refilled using the mud
pump.

 When a trip tank is not installed on the rig, hole fill up volume
should be determined by counting pump strokes each time
the hole is filled.
CLOSING THE WELL AT THE
SURFACE

 The flow of fluid from the well caused by a kick is stopped

by use of special pack-off devices called BLOW OUT
PREVENTERS
 Multiple BOPs ANNULAR RAM

used in a series
are referred to RAM
collectively as a
BOP stack. RAM

CASING SPOOL

RAM

CASING SPOOL
 The BOP must be capable of terminating flow from the
well under all drilling conditions

 When the drill string is in the hole, movement of the

pipe without releasing well pressure should be
allowed.

 The BOP stack should allow fluid circulation through

the well annulus under pressure.

 These are accomplished by using several ram

preventers and one annular preventer.
 RAM PREVENTERS
 Have two packing elements on opposite sides that
close by moving toward each other.

PIPE RAMS
 have semicircular openings which match the diameter
of pipe sizes for which they are designed.

 must match the size of pipe currently in use.

 If more than one size of DP is in the hole, additional
ram preventers must be used in the BOP stack.
 BLIND RAMS
 Designed to close when no pipe is in the hole
 Will flatten DP if closed with the drill string in the hole but will
not stop the flow from the well.

SHEAR RAMS
 Are blind rams designed to shear
the drill string when closed.

 Will cause the drill string to drop in

the hole and will stop flow from the
well.

 Are closed on pipe only when all

pipe rams and annular preventers
have failed.
 ANNULAR PREVENTERS
 Stops flow from the well using a ring of synthetic rubber that
contracts in the fluid passage.

 Are designed so that once the rubber element contacts the

drill string, the well pressure helps hold the preventer closed.

 Both the ram and annular BOPs are closed hydraulically.

 In addition, the ram preventers have a screw-type-locking

device that can be used to close the preventer if the hydraulic
system fails.
 ACCUMULATORS
 Is capable of supplying sufficient high pressure fluid to close
all of the units in a BOP stack.
 The accumulator is equipped with a pressure regulating
system to strip pipe.

 If a kick is taken during a trip, it is best to strip back to

bottom to allow efficient circulation

 Stripping is accomplished most easily using the annular

preventer.

 When the surface well pressure is too big, stripping

must be done using two pipe ram preventers placed far
enough apart for external upset tool joints to fit between
them.

 The upper and lower rams must be closed and opened

alternately as the tool joints are lowered through.
DRILLING SPOOL

 Space between ram preventers

used for stripping operation is
provided by a DS

 permits attachment of high-

pressure flow lines to a given
point in the stack.

 must have a large enough bore

to permit the next string of
casing to be put in place without
removing BOP stack.
 High-pressure flow lines make it possible to pump into the
annulus or release fluid from the annulus with the BOP
closed.

 A conduit used to pump into the annulus is called a kill line.

 It permits drilling fluid to be pumped down the annulus from

the surface.

p.s. This procedure is used only under special circumstances and is not part
of a normal well control operation.
 Conduits used to release fluid from the annulus may
include a choke line, a diverter line, or simply a flow line.

CHOKE
 The kick normally is
circulated from the well
through an adjustable
choke

 Sufficient pressure must

be held against the well
by the choke
MUD GAS SEPARATOR
 permits any produced formation gases to be vented

CASING or BRADEN HEAD

 The casing head is welded to the first string of casing which
is cemented in the well.
THE CONTROL PANEL
SRSRRA

Spool
Ram preventer
Spool
Ram preventer
Ram preventer
Annular preventer
KELLY COCK

 Prevents flow from inside the

drill string

 Upper and lower Kelly cocks

are required because the lower
position might not be
accessible in an emergency, if
the drill string is stuck in the
hole with the Kelly down.
PRESSURE CONTROL
 stop the circulation and closes the chokes
 record the shut in stand pipe (drill pipe) pressure (SISP) and
shut-in casing pressure (SICP).
 Calculate the initial length of the kick (Lki)

 H 2  OD DC 2 
20    L KI
 1,029.5 
 Determines the pressure of the kicking formation

PF = PSISP + 0.052 MW D

PF = Formation pressure,
psi
MW = Mud weight, ppg
D = Depth to the bottom
of the hole, ft
 Determine initial kick density

PF = PSICP + 0.052 MW (D-Lki) + 0.052 KI Lki

KI = initial density of kick, ppg

Lki = initial length of kick, ft

 KI < 3 ppg gas kick

 3<KI< 7 ppg, oil + gas mixture

 7<KI < 8 ppg, oil+water kick

 KI > 8.33 ppg, salt water kick

 Practical Session
on Pressure Control
Circulating Kick with
Driller’s Method
P
C
Circulate kick out of the
hole before resuming
drilling

Two rules must be satisfied

during the circulation.

P
m PM + PC + PK > PF

P
f
P
C

P PC + PM < PFracture
frac
 Blow-out i.e., offshore-Dubai

• Sinking vessel due

to reduced buoyancy
of sea water
Drillers’ method involves in adjusting choke and
pumping original mud into drill string while satisfying
previous two rules.
 PUMP 5 BBL OF MUD AND CALCULATE:

5BBL P
C =? CASING PRESSURE

?
PIT GAIN
D DEPTH TO THE TOP OF THE KICK
TOK
PRESSURE AT CASING SHOE?

P
shoe = ?
PIT VOLUME INCREASED
ABOUT 20 BBLS. AT THIS
TIME MUD WEIGHT WAS
9.6 PPG

SHUT IN STANDPIPE
PRESSURE IS 430 PSI, AND
SHUT-IN CASING
PRESSURE IS 500 PSI
THE INITIAL LENGTH OF THE KICK (LKI)

161.7<LDC Therefore LKI = 161.7’

THE PRESSURE OF THE KICKING FORMATION

Pf = PSISP + 0.052 MW D

Pf = 430 + 0.052 x 9.6 x 4,861

Pf = 2,857 PSI
THE DENSITY OF KICK:

Pf = PSICP + 0.052 MW (D-LKI)

+ 0.052 KI LKI

2,857 = 500 + 0.052 x 9.6 x

(4,861 - 161.7) +
0.052 x KI x 161.7

KI = 1.276 PPG

SINCE KI < 3 PPG,

IT IS A GAS KICK
 430 PSI

P
C

SINCE B<LDC BOTTOM TOK

OF KICK (BOK) MUST L

K
BE IN THE DC-HOLE
ANNULUS BOK
B V= 5 BBL
BOH
PRESSURE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE KICK (PBOK)

PBOK = Pf - 0.052 x MW x B
PBOK=2,857-0.052x9.6x40.4
PBOK =2,836.4 PSI
PRESSURE AT THE TOP OF THE KICK (PTOK)

PTOK = PBOK - PG

PG = WEIGHT OF GAS/X-

AREA
W = (V x 42) x KI
= 20 x 42 x 1.276
= 1,072 LB
X-AREA = (/4) x ( BS2 - ODDC2)
= 100 IN2

PG = 10.72 LB/IN2

PTOK = 2,836.4 - 10.72

= 2,825.68 PSI
P.V = z .n .R.T
P.V = z (m/MW) R.T
m/V = P.MW/(z.R.T)
 = P.MW/(z.R.T)

P = 0.052 x  x L
PTOK TOK


PBOK
dP  0.052  .dL
BOK

PTOK TOK
1 MW

PBOK
P
dP  0.052 
BOK
zRT
.dL

PBOK 0.052M W
Ln  (BOK  TOK)
PTOK zRT
 0.052MW
PBOK x( BOK  TOK )
e zRT
PTOK

PBOK
e K .L

PTOK

PBOK
Ln
PTOK
K
L
FROM INITIALCONDITIONS:

PBOK  Pf
L  L KI  GET K

PBOK
Ln
PTOK
L  GET L (PBOK , PTOK )
K
 PBOK i = Pf = 2,857 PSI
PTOK i = 2,857 PSI - PG
= 2,857 PSI - 10.72
= 2,846.28 PSI

LKI = 161.728 FT

THE GAS CONSTANT, K=2.3254x10-5

LK = (1/K) x Ln (PBOK/PTOK)
LK = (1/2.3254x10-5) x Ln (2,836.4 /2,825.68)
LK = 162.881 FT 
 430 PSI

P
C

A B + LK + A = D
40.432 + 162.881 + A = 4,861
A = 4,657.68 FT

TOK PC=PTOK-0.052 x MW x A
L
K PC=2,825.68-0.052x9.6x4,657.68
BOK
PC=500.6 PSI
B V= 5 BBL
BOH
CHOKE MUST BE SET TO READ 500.6 PSI
CASING PRESSURE AFTER PUMPING 5 BBL OF
9.6 PPG MUD.

AT THIS STAGE, TOTAL PIT GAIN WILL BE

= LK (CAPACITY H-DC)
= LK ( BS2 - ODDC2)/1029.5
= 20.143 BBL