Hole Problem: Differential

Sticking
Course: Petroleum Drilling
Engineering II

Prof. (Dr.) Virendra Bahadur Singh

DEPARTMENT OF
PETROLEUM ENGINEERING
Differential Sticking
• Differential sticking is one of the
most common causes of pipe
stuck.
• It can happen when there is
differential pressure (overbalance
pressure) pushing a drillstring into
filter cake of a permeable
formation.
Causes of Differential Sticking
• Permeable formation as sandstone, limestone, carbonate, etc.
• Overbalance – typically mud weight in the well is more than
formation pressure. More overbalance in the wellbore, more
chance of getting differential sticking.
• Filter cake – Poor and thick filter cake increases chances of sticking
the drill string.
• Pipe movement – if the drillstring is station for a period of time, the
filter cake will tend to develop around permeable zones and the
drillstring. Therefore, potential of getting differentially stuck is
increased.
Causes of Differential Sticking
• During all drilling operations the drilling fluid hydrostatic pressure is
designed and maintained at a level which exceeds the formation
pore pressure by usually 200 psi.
• In a permeable formation, this pressure differential (overbalance)
results in the flow of drilling fluid filtrates from the well to the
formation.
• As the filtrate enters the formation the solids in the mud are
screened out and a filter cake is deposited on the walls of the hole.
• The pressure differential across the filter cake will be equal to the
overbalance.
Causes of Differential Sticking
• When the drillstring comes into contact with the filter cake, the
portion of the pipe which becomes embedded in the filter cake is
subjected to a lower pressure than the part which remains in
contact with the drilling fluid.
• As a result, further embedding into the filter cake is induced.
• The drillstring will become differentially stuck if the overbalance and
therefore the side loading on the pipe is high enough and acts over a
large area of the drillstring.
Causes of Differential Sticking
• This is shown diagrammatically in Figure 12.1.
Causes of Differential Sticking
• The signs of differential sticking are the clearest in the field.
• A pipe is differentially stuck if:
• 1. drillstring can not be moved at all, i.e. up or down or rotated.
• 2. circulation is unaffected
• Mathematically, the differential sticking force depends on the
magnitude of the overbalance and the area of contact between the
drillpipe and the porous zone.
• Hence Differential force = (mud hydrostatic – formation pressure) x
area of contact
Causes of Differential Sticking
• Hence for the data shown in Figure 12.2, and assuming the
formation contacts only 4" of the drillpipe perimeter, then the
differential force is given by:
• Differential Force = (5000-4000) psi x 4 x 00 = 1,200,000 lb
• A more accurate form of the above equation contains a term for the
friction factor between the drillstring (steel) and the filter cake is
given in Equation (12.1).
Causes of Differential Sticking
• The force required to free a
differentially stuck pipe
depends upon several factors,
namely:
• 1. The magnitude of the
overbalance. This adds to any
side forces which already exist
due to hole deviation.
Causes of Differential Sticking
• 2. The coefficient of friction
between the pipe and the filter
cake.
• The coefficient of friction
increases with time, resulting in
increasing forces being required
to free the pipe with time.
Causes of Differential Sticking
• Hence, when differentially
stuck, procedures to free the
pipe must be adopted
immediately.
• Figure 12.3 shows the
coefficient of friction vs. time
for a bentonite filter cake which
shows a 10 fold increase in
under 3 hours.
Causes of Differential Sticking
• The surface area of the pipe embedded in the filter cake is another
significant factor.
• The greater the surface area, the greater the force required to free
the pipe.
• Thickness of filter cake and pipe diameter will obviously have a great
effect on the surface area.
• It is for reasons of reducing available surface area that spiral drill
collars are often specified when drilling sections which exhibit the
potential for differential sticking problems.
Causes of Differential Sticking
• Statistically, differential sticking is
found to be the major cause of
stuck pipe incidents, hence great
care should be taken in the
planning phase to minimise the
overbalance wherever possible.
Causes of Differential Sticking
• However, in certain circumstances,
drilling with minimum overbalance
is not be possible, as is the case
for large gas reservoirs (e.g. the
Morecambe Field in the UK).
• Where the pressure differential
across the reservoir starts at the
minimum overbalance (200 psi)
and increases substantially with
depth to a maximum of 1300 psi.
Causes of Differential Sticking
• In these cases, strict adherence to precautionary drilling practices
and good communication between personnel will help reduce the
incidence of stuck pipe.
Differential Sticking Force
• The differential sticking force is given by:
• Differential sticking force (DSF) = (Hs - Pf) x effective contact area x
friction factor (12.1)
• Where Hs = hydrostatic pressure of mud
• Pf = formation pressure
• In Equation (12.1), the most difficult terms to determine are the
effective contact area and the friction factor between the mud cake
and the pipe steel.
• To a first approximation the
Differential Sticking Force
• To a first approximation the effective area may be calculated as the
product of the height of the exposed permeable formation times
20% of the perimeter of the drillpipe or drillcollars.
• Another equation for estimating the contact area is given by 3:
Differential Sticking Force
• It should observed that none of the equations given for estimating
the contact area are completely valid as the contact area is affected
by a number of variables including the friction factor (time-
dependent), the amount of bend in the drillpipe or collars, hole
angle and thickness of the filter cake.
• The surface estimate of the thickness of the filter cake can be very
different from that occurring downhole.
Example 12.1: Differential Sticking Force
• Determine the magnitude of the differential sticking force across a
permeable zone of 30 ft in thickness using the following data:
• Differential pressure = 500 psi
• Area of contact is 20% of effective drillpipe perimeter
• Filter cake = 1/2 in (12.7mm); friction factor = 0.1.
• Drillpipe OD: 5"
Solution
• Perimeter of drillpipe = π x OD = π x 5 = 15.71 in
• DSF = (Hs - Pf) x h x 20% x 15.71
• = 500psi x (30ft x 12 in) x 20% x 15.71
• = 565,560 lb
Freeing Differentially Stuck Pipe
• There are basically two ways in which a differentially stuck pipe can
be released:
– reduction of hydrostatic pressure
– spotting pipe release agents
Freeing Differentially Stuck Pipe
• The reduction of hydrostatic pressure is the obvious and most
successful method of freeing a differentially stuck pipe.
• The lowering of the hydrostatic pressure reduces the side loading
forces on the pipe and therefore reduces the force required to free
the pipe from the filter cake.
Freeing Differentially Stuck Pipe
• There are several methods by which this may be achieved.
• However prior to implementing this action the following factors
should be seriously considered:
• 1. Are there other pressured zones in the open hole section?
• 2. Will these exposed zones kick if the hydrostatic pressure is
reduced?
• 3. The confidence level in the accuracy of pore pressure estimates
made while drilling and the pressure control equipment.
Freeing Differentially Stuck Pipe
• 4. The effects of a reduction in hydrostatic pressure on the
mechanical stability of all exposed formations.
• 5. The volumes of base oil or water required to achieve the required
reduction in hydrostatic pressure. (This may well influence the
method chosen).
Freeing Differentially Stuck Pipe
• All the above factors need to be carefully considered prior to
reducing the hydrostatic pressure as the potential for inducing a well
control problem or formation instability are considerably increased.
The following methods for reducing hydrostatic pressure can be
used:
➢ circulation & reducing mud weight
➢ displacing the choke
➢ the ‘U’ tube method
Freeing Differentially Stuck Pipe
1. Circulation and Reducing Mud Weight
• In this method, the drilling mud is circulated and its weight is
gradually reduced.
• The minimum mud weight required to balance the highest pore
pressure in open hole should be determined and the mud weight
cut back in small stages.
• Close attention must be made to all kick indicators whilst circulating
down (reducing) the mud weight, frequent flow checks should also
be made.
• Whilst reducing the mud weight, tension should be held on the pipe.
Freeing Differentially Stuck Pipe
1. Circulation and Reducing Mud Weight
• Disadvantages of this methods are:
• It is slow, and remember the force required to free pipe is time
dependent.
• The volume increase required may overload the surface pit handling
capability.
• This may be a serious problem when OBM is used.
• The active volume will be increasing during the reduction in mud
weight, making kick detection difficult.
Freeing Differentially Stuck Pipe
2. Displacing the Choke
• This method is applicable to floating rigs where BOPS are placed on
the seabed.
• The hydrostatic pressure can be quickly and effectively reduced by
displacing the choke line to base oil or water.
• The well is shut in using the annular preventer and the displaced
choke line opened thereby reducing the overbalance.
• Note that the annular preventer isolates the wellbore from the
hydrostatic head of mud in the riser from rig floor to the annular
preventer.
Freeing Differentially Stuck Pipe
2. Displacing the Choke
• The advantage of this method is that if any influx is taken, the well
can be immediately killed by closing the choke and opening the
annular.
• This action again exposes the well to the active hydrostatic pressure
from rig floor to TD.
• The disadvantage of this method is that the amount of reduction in
hydrostatic pressure is limited to the water depth.
• This may well result in a limited reduction in shallow water, or in the
case of deep water, an excessive reduction in hydrostatic pressure.
Freeing Differentially Stuck Pipe
3. The ‘U’ Tube Method
• The U-tube method is used to reduce the hydrostatic pressure of
mud to a level equal or slightly higher than the formation pressure
of the zone across which the pipe got differentially stuck.
• Clearly, the objective is to free the differentially stuck pipe safely
without losing control of the well by inadvertently inducing
underbalanced conditions.
• A pipe free agent should be spotted across the permeable zone prior
to adopting the ‘U’ tube method.
Freeing Differentially Stuck Pipe
Spotting Pipe Release Agents
• The severity of differentially stuck pipe can be reduced by the
spotting of pipe release agents.
• Pipe release agents are basically a blend of surfactants and
emulsifiers mixed with base oil or diesel oil and water to form a
stable emulsion.
• They function by penetrating the filter cake, therefore making it
easier to remove and at the same time, reduce the surface tension
between the pipe and the filter cake.
Freeing Differentially Stuck Pipe
Spotting Pipe Release Agents
• Due to the time dependency of the severity of differential sticking,
the pipe release agent should be spotted as soon as possible after
differential sticking is diagnosed.
• Typically the pill will be prepared whilst initially attempting to
mechanically free the pipe; ie by pulling and rotating.
 Thanks for
ATTENDING

Prof. (Dr.) Virendra Bahadur Singh

DEPARTMENT OF
PETROLEUM ENGINEERING