Advanced Well Control

Objective /Prize
Two innovative technologies - seawater injection and
polymer plugs with potential to
• Reduce probability of an uncontrolled release
• Reduce impact of an uncontrolled release relative to
the well capping or relief wells

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 Subsurface evaluation and proper
well design

Drilling fluid and cement

Greater
Competency / training

Drilling practices
and oversight

BOP

Polymers

Prevention
Seawater
Well-Control Bow Tie

Benefit
Incident
Well Control

Polymers
potentially on both sides of bow tie
Polymer Plugs & Seawater Injection

Seawater

ROV Survey
Mitigation

Capping stack

Oil spill response

Relief well
Smaller
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Secondary Packoff Concept (SPC)
Technology Highlights
• Surface or Subsea mounted finite
volume fast set resin/catalyst
injection (customized to secs)
• Activated with or without riser
attached
• Kill well by injecting mud below
plug
• Applicable for prevention and
mitigation

4
Polymer Plug
Kick detected

Shear ram
activated but
leaking

Catalyst Resin
Polymer Plug
Resin/catalyst activated

Catalyst Resin
Polymer Plug
Flow stopped and kill
Kill weight
weight mud pushed to drilling fluid
kill well.

Catalyst Resin
Secondary Packoff Concept (SPC)
• Current Status:
• Demonstrated mechanical integrity for up to 20% mud contamination and
piston loads of 15,000psi
• Completed tests in a simulated BOP

EXP-1778
tested specimen EXP-1778
untested specimen

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Secondary Packoff Concept (SPC)
Dynamic testing at Southwest Research Institute tested development of a plug in a simulated
BOP
• Kerosene used as surrogate for drilling mud / reservoir liquids
• Scaled flow rates matched residence time of fluids in a BOP with a failed blind shear ram
• 100 second matches a 10 k bbl/day release
• 20 seconds matches a 50 k bbl/day release
• Mud temps were 50°C / resin & catalyst at 4°C

Polymer plug formed within the BOP and stopped the

flow of drilling mud into Hopper 2 Simulated
BOP flowing
kerosene

Kerosene

Pilot System
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Seawater Injection concept
Technology Highlights
• Injection of high rate seawater
to create sufficient
backpressure to allow
bullheading of KWM
• Possible use of cement/mud
pumps if employed early
• Possible use of surface
equipment (e.g Rotating Gas
Handler (RGH) to add
backpressure (~400psi)
• Dynamic balance of seawater
and mud injection during final
kill operation

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Seawater Injection
Kick detected

Shear ram
activated but
leaking
Seawater Injection
Seawater injection started.
Seawater Injection
Kill weight mud displaces
seawater to kill well.
 SWI: Initial Results
• Current Status: Steady state and transient analysis suggest that rig equipment likely
sufficient to handle leak if caught early. Frac pumps available for larger leaks.
• Next phase: Model dynamics of well kill operation, Erosion of blind shear ram (BSR), early
kick detection measurement technologies
Steady State Analysis (URC)
Transient Analysis (Add Energy)

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Forward Plans
• Complete feasibility studies
• Polymer plug formation under dynamic conditions and high pressure
• Promote Industry Interest
• SPE ATCE 2017 paper describing polymer plugs (Paper 187318)
• Submit peer-reviewed publications
• Second phase feasibility of polymers plugs
• Dynamic modeling of seawater injection
• Establish Industry Participation
• Form JIP to fund and mature concept
• OOC agreed to promote and administer
• Interest from Chevron, BP, HWCG, DOE, BSEE

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JIP Funded Research Plan
Phased approach
Phase 3 ($2M/year for 2 years; 8 partners; $250K/year)
• Evaluate erosion potential
• Evaluate operational challenges
• Develop detailed designs
• Define modifications to well-control protocols
• Conduct scaled dynamic testing at pressure / temperature

Phase 4 ($5-$10M) – if needed

• Conduct field testing at full scale using an oil surrogate

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Questions?

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