HRH Limited Introduction to Drilling

SECTION 9
CORING OPERATIONS
Coring is a relatively expensive means of drilling a well, but has the advantage over
conventional drilling in that it preserves the formation character for examination at surface.
For the majority of the formations drilled this high level of geological sampling is
unnecessary since a reasonable representation of the rock fabric can be deduced from
examination of drill cuttings and drilling parameter responses such as ROP and torque.
However, critical formations such as potential reservoirs must be understood to the finest
detail before a commitment to building a production facility can be made.

The core sample allows the geologist to directly observe porosity and permeability variations,
to assess the distribution of impermeable horizons within the formation as a whole, and to
detect the presence of permeability enhancing fractures, etc.

Figure 9-1: Core Showing Sedimentary Structures

9.1 DECIDING TO CORE

A well prognosis is produced prior to spudding the well by the geological and drilling
departments of the operator (fig 1-1, 9-2). This will include specified target formations that
are to be investigated as thoroughly as possible. There may be more than one target in any
well.

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Prognosed Cored Interval

Figure 9-2: Prognosed Cored Interval

The depth at which the core is anticipated is based on seismic data interpretation in the first
instance. This is unlikely to be sufficiently accurate to simply stop drilling at that depth and
begin the coring procedure. As the well progresses toward that depth it is essential that the
monitoring personnel at the wellsite (drillers and mudloggers) are briefed on the expected
alterations to drilling parameters associated with the target formation.

For example, if a sandstone reservoir unit is expected to underlie a clay cap rock, then the
first indication of penetration of the reservoir will be an increase in penetration rate (positive
drill break) coupled with a likely widening of the torque stick-slip trace. The drill break
nature will depend on the porosity change as the claystone/sandstone contact is crossed, while
the torque change can also be strongly affected by the clay character.

In any event, there will be a significant alteration in drilling parameters if the reservoir rock is
of suitable quality.

It is important that there are no delays in deciding whether or not to core, since if drilling
continues through the suspected reservoir while the decision to core is debated, the rock is
being continually converted to cuttings. Once drilled, the reservoir can only be cored if the
well is side-tracked. The criteria necessary to allow coring to proceed must therefore be
defined before the reservoir is reached. This is a matter for the operator's geological
department.

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9.1.1 Suggested Procedure When Coring Depth is Suspected

Having established the likely character of drilling parameter alterations as the reservoir is
penetrated, observe the behaviour of the well. If LWD tools are located close enough to the
bit (within 5 feet), then observe LWD output also.

When the anticipated change occurs, drill no more than 5 feet into the suspected reservoir
unit. At this point drilling should cease and the pumps switched off to allow a flow check to
be conducted. This is important since maximum pore fluid pressure gradient in reservoir
rocks occurs just below the cap rock. If the ECD of the drilling fluid exceeds this pore fluid
pressure then there will be no influx indications while drilling continues. An influx may
occur, however, if pore fluid pressure exceeds static mud pressure. The flow check is
intended to allow a small influx to occur under controlled conditions if an underbalance is
present.

If the flow check is negative (no flow) then a further 5 feet can be drilled observing ROP
and torque. If these are consistent with the first 5-foot interval drilled, then it may be
concluded that a significant possible reservoir has been entered.

Drilling should cease, and the bit lifted from the bottom of the well to allow circulation of the
last drilled cutting material to reach the surface (circulating bottoms up). A spot sample of
this material should be collected and examined under microscope and fluoroscope to
determine lithology type and hydrocarbon content. Check also the chromatographic gas
data associated with the cuttings using gas ratio analysis such as the Whittaker and Sellens
(1987) wetness, balance, and character ratios to determine hydrocarbon type.

If the collected sample meets the criteria specified for coring to go ahead, then pull out to
change the BHA to a coring assembly. If the criteria are not met (for example no oil show is
observed) then return to drilling and repeat the procedure for the next possible reservoir
formation encountered.

9.2 BHA DESIGN

Since coring is a specialised operation, it requires a bottom hole assembly specific to the task.

9.2.1 Core Bit

These are specialised drilling bits designed to preserve a column of rock as the bit cuts
through the formation. The bit has an aperture in the middle, with a ring of cutting apparatus
around this. The cutters can be diamond or PDC type. The uncut central column of rock
passes through the bit and enters a storage unit called the core barrel. Up to 90 feet (27 m) of
core can be drilled, depending on the core barrel length.

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Figure 9-3: Core Bit

9.2.2 The Core Barrel

Figure 9-4: Christensen Conventional Core Barrel

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Core barrels can be assembled from sections measuring around 30 feet long. The construction
of the derrick limits the total available length of core barrel to 90 feet, in the same way that
drill pipe stand lengths are limited.

The core barrel is structured such that an annular space exists between an inner and outer
barrel. This permits drilling fluid to be circulated around the outside of the core.
Conventional circulation through the core barrel during the coring operation would damage
the core, perhaps even flushing it out of the barrel.

To convert from conventional circulation to the desired flow-path between the barrels, a ball
is dropped into the drill pipe on the drill floor. This ball sinks downward through the drill
string until it reaches the core barrel where it seats in a machined location. This causes the
core chamber inside the inner barrel to be sealed off from the outside. As drilling fluid is
pumped down the drill string, the force of the mud will push the ball harder into it's seat,
making the fluid seal more effective.

The aperture at the bottom of the core barrel has upward facing teeth that will allow the core
to pass into the barrel relatively easily, but will act as ratchets preventing the core from
sliding downwards as the core barrel is pulled from the well.

9.2.3 Other String Components

The remainder of the BHA for coring will resemble a conventional BHA except that the
length of drill collars may be different depending on the anticipated WOB needed for
conventional compared to core drilling.

9.3 CORE DRILLING

Commonly a specialist from the coring company (core hand) will be present at the wellsite
to supervise the coring activity. This engineer will suggest combinations of WOB and rotary
speed to get the best performance from the core bit, as well as suggesting the correct pump
rate to obtain optimum drilling hydraulics. The engineer will study drilling parameter logs
from each run to attempt to improve performance on any succeeding runs.

Figure 9-5: Core Bit at the Surface

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The length of core cut varies from a single barrel (30 feet) to over 1000 feet, depending on
the nature of the reservoir and hydrocarbon zones encountered.

With a kelly drive there is an inconvenience when drilling a core with planned length greater
than that of the kelly itself (around 50 feet). In order to make a connection and add more drill
pipe to the drill string, the core must be broken to allow the kelly to be withdrawn from the
well. This can be a problem when coring resumes since the new stump of core entering the
barrel will not rotate, but the core already inside may. This can create erosion due to the
abrasive nature of reservoir rocks, as well as their poor cementation in the best sandstones.

There is no similar problem with a top drive, which is designed to use the full degree of travel
available in the derrick before connections are required.

The core hand observes the circulating system pressure in order to determine when the core
barrel is full. As rock material reaches the top of the barrel, it causes the ball to be raised
slightly from below. This creates a change in the flow path of the drilling fluid, which results
in a slight alteration in standpipe pressure. At this point the coring operation must stop.

Should there be no observed pressure effect, the core barrel is unlikely to be completely full.
Coring will continue until the barrel is drilled fully down, and then pulled from the hole.

Drill cuttings and gas samples should be collected (by the mud-loggers) throughout the
coring operation in case there is only a limited core recovery following core damage. If the
core is recovered fully at the surface, these cuttings become irrelevant, but will be useful in
reconstructing a stratigraphic picture of a damaged core.

9.4 CORE RECOVERY

9.4.1 Fibreglass Core Sleeves

Most cores drilled today are contained within a fibreglass sleeve, which forms an inner core
barrel that is isolated by a bearings system from the rotation of the drill string. When the core
reaches the surface this can be simply slid out of the barrel and transported by the rig crane
onto the pipe measuring platform (cat walk) below the v-door.

Here the core can be measured and have it's way-up indicators drawn on before being cut into
more manageable lengths for transportation purposes. A large circular saw operated by the
core hand is used for this purpose. Note that this is always to be treated as a potentially
dangerous operation since the saw blades have been known to shatter occasionally.

Fragments of the cut core can be taken from the ends of the cut sections for wellsite
examination under microscope and fluoroscope. After these have been removed, caps are
placed on the ends of the fibreglass sections to seal the core. This preserves to some extent
the stress/strain relationships within the fabric of the core so that better quantitative porosity
and permeability analysis may be performed when it reaches the oil company's offices.

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Figure 9-6: Corpro Core Cutting Saw

While the core is processed on the catwalk, the drill crew will run the drill string back into
the hole to begin the next core, or to return to conventional drilling depending on the
observations made from the current core.

The disadvantage of using the fibreglass sleeve system is that the degree of wellsite
examination of the core is strictly limited.

9.4.2 Unsleeved Core

Figure 9-7: Catching Core on the Drill Floor

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Prior to the introduction of the fibreglass sleeve system described above, the core was
contained only within the inner core barrel. The core hand, wellsite geologist and mud-
loggers were required to remove the core from the barrel in small sections so that the pieces
could be placed into core boxes on the drill floor. These could then be taken to a sheltered
area such as the mud chemical store for cleaning, measurement, and initial description.

The core is always extracted from the barrel such that the deepest (oldest) part of the core
leaves the barrel first. Harder rocks may have to be broken into manageable lengths by
striking the core with a hammer. The core hand operates a friction brake, which is attached to
the bottom of the core barrel. The braking action is produced by pressing the brake shoe
against the core.

Each piece thus removed must then be placed into a numbered core box, preserving the
way-up. These boxes are filled until the core is completely removed.

Measuring the Unsleeved Core

Once all the boxes are transported off the drill floor to the measuring area, the core is pushed
together within each box to allow measurement of the recovered core. The lengths in each
box are summed to determine the total recovered core length. This is compared with the
drilled length to allow the percentage recovery of core to be quoted.

Ensuring Way-Up is Preserved

Youngest

Oldest

Figure 9-7: Suggested Way-up Indicator Convention

Before any core is lifted from the boxes, the way-up of the core is indicated by drawing two
parallel lines of different colour onto the core itself using wax crayons. These colours are
drawn such that the convention always has the colours on the same side when the core is the
correct way up.

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Sealing the Core

Figure 9-8: Corpro Wax Bath

After measurement, way-up marking, and description of the core is complete, the core should
be wrapped and sealed. Wrapping may be done by firstly using cling film, followed by
aluminium foil.

Finally, an airtight seal is achieved by dipping each core section into a bath of molten wax.

When this process is completed, the core is deposited into formal core boxes for transport.

Safety Note
If collecting core in this manner, be very aware that the weight of core inside the barrel is
considerable. The collector must ensure that his hands are always kept away from the deck
immediately below the core in case the core hand should lose grip on the core and it slides
out rapidly, trapping the collector's hands.

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