Petroleum Engineering 411

Well Drilling

Lesson 27
Dual Gradient Drilling

1
 DESIGN PROJECT

Your PETE 411 Design Project will be as

signed on Friday, November 15

The Project Report is Due in Dr. J-W’s Of

fice by 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 9

2
 What is Dual Gradient Drilling?
(DGD)?

 In dual-gradient drilling the pressure pr

ofile in the annulus appears to have tw
o distinct pressure gradients
 An example would be a heavy mud bel
ow the mudline and a seawater gradient
above the mud line

3
 Conventional Riser Drilling
- Wellbore Pressures
FLOATER
SEA WATER HYD
DRILLING RISER
ROSTATIC
CHOKE LINE
MUD HYDROSTATIC
BOP

DEPTH
SEAFLOOR

PRESSURE 4
A T
 Static Wellbore Pressures
FLOATER
MUD HYDROSTA MUD HYDROS
RISER TIC PRESSURE TATIC PRESSU
DGD RE Conventio
CHOKE
nal
LINE
BOP

SEA WATER HYDROSTATI

C PRESSURE PRESSURE
DGD
5
Dual Gradient Drilling Projects

 Subsea Mudlift Drilling (SMD)

 Hollow Glass Spheres
 Deep Vision
 Shell
 Gas Lift
 H.P. Riser
6
Subsea Mu
dlift Drilling

( SMD )

Note Pump
and Return
Line

7
Subsea Mudlift Drilling

 What is Subsea Mudlift Drilling?

 How does it work?
 Why do we need it?
 Pore pressures and fracture pressures
 Mud weights and casing programs
 What about connections and trips?
 What about kicks?
8
References

1. “Riserless Drilling: Circumventing the Size/cost

Cycle in Deepwater,” by Allen D. Gault.
May 1996, Offshore, p.49

2. “Subsea Mudlift Drilling JIP:

Achieving dual-gradient technology,”
by K.L. Smith et al., World Oil - Deepwater
Technology, August 1999, pp 21-28.

HW #15 (due 11-15-01)

9
 Current SMD Concepts
 A water-filled drilling riser
 One or more separate small-diameter
mud return line(s) from seafloor to
surface (e.g., two 4.5-in ID lines)

 A “dual mud density” system (DGD)

 Seawater gradient from surface to
seafloor
 Heavier drilling mud inside the wellbore
10
Current SMD Concepts - cont’d

 A seafloor mud pump to lift mud to surface

 Pressure inside wellbore at seafloor is
~ the same as the pressure in the
ocean at seafloor
 Theoretically the well is always dead
 Important in case of drive-off
 Retains a Riser Margin
11
 Current Problems
Deeper water results in longer, larger diameter and heavi
er drilling risers
High pore pressures and low fracture pressures lead to m
ore casing strings
This leads to larger wellheads, even larger and heavier ris
ers, and finally to bigger and more expensive rigs
Well control is more difficult - because of the pore pressu
re / fracture pressure proximity, and long choke lines with
high friction pressure drops

12
Effect of Increasing Water Depth

Weight of drilling riser increases

with depth. In 10,000 ft of water:
• 21-inch riser has an internal capacity
of ~ 4,000 bbls! (value ~ $1 million)
• Weight of riser ~ 2 million lbs.
Weight of 16 lb/gal mud inside riser
~ 2.7 million lbs
13
What About Subsea Mudlift Drilling?

 Two 4.5” ID return lines with

~ 400 bbls capacity can do the job
 Requires much less weight and volume
for storage!
 A smaller vessel can do the job
 A smaller vessel can easier be upgraded
to do the job
14
 What is Subsea Mudlift Drilling?
 SMD refers to drilling where mud returns
DO NOT go through a conventional,
large-diameter, drilling riser
 Instead the returns move from the seafloor
to the surface through two small -
diameter pipes separate from the
drillpipe (outside the main riser pipe)
 A Mudlift system is used in the Return Line
TM
A 15
Equivalent Mud Density, ppg
Fig. 7.21 ADE
Pore pressur
e gradient an
Fracture d fracture gra
Gradient dient data for
0.5 ppg Jefferson Pari
sh, LA.
0.5 ppg

Pore Pre
ssure Gr
adient
16
Conventional Casing Seat Selection
SEAFLOOR

Frac Pressure

Max Mud Wt

Min Mud Wt

Pore Pressure

17
Equivalent Mud Wt, lb/gal
 17.3 ppg
Typical Overbur
den Pressure gr
ad.vs. Depth

Ref: “Fracture gradient p

rediction for the new gen
eration,” by B.A. Eaton a
nd T.L. Eaton. World Oil
, October 1997.

11.5 ppg

18
 Conventional Riser Drilling
- Wellbore Pressures
FLOATER

STATIC PRESSURE
CIRCULATING PRESSURE

BOP
DEPTH

SEAFLOOR

Drill String
SEA WATER H
YDROSTATIC PBI
PRESSURE T

PRESSURE
T
A M 19
 Static Wellbore Pressures
MUD HYDROSTA MUD HYDROS
TIC PRESSURE TATIC PRESSU
SMD RE Conventio
SEAFLOOR nal

DEPTH

SEA WATER H
YDROSTATIC
PRESSURE

PRESSURE

TM
A 20
 Example: Static Wellbore Pressures

At 30,000 ft, in 10,000 ft of water, the por

e pressure is 21,000 psig.

For conventional drilling, what is the minim

um mud weight that can control this pressu
re?

For SMD, what is the minimum mud weight

that can control this pressure?
TM
A 21
 Static Wellbore Pressures

P = 0.052 * MW * Depth
For conventional drilling, Minimum mud wt.
MWmin = 21,000/(0.052 * 30,000) = 13.5 lb/gal

Seafloor pressure = 0.052*8.6*10,000 = 4,472 psig

For SMD, Minimum mud weight

= (21,000 - 4,472)/(0.052 * 20,000) = 15.9 lb/gal

TM
A 22
 Solution: Static Wellbore Pressures
SEA WATER H 15.9 lb/gal S
YDROSTATIC
13.5 lb/gal C
PRESSURE MD onventional
8.6 lb/gal

DEPTH

4,472 psi 21,000 psi

ATM 23
 Wellbore Pressures
MUD HYDROS
TATIC PRESSU
RE Conventio
SEAFLOOR nal

FRACTURE
DEPTH PRESSURE

SEA WATER H
YDROSTATIC
PRESSURE PORE PRESSURE

PRESSURE

TM
A 24
 Wellbore Pressures
MUD HYDROSTA MUD HYDROS
TIC PRESSURE TATIC PRESSU
SMD RE Conventio
SEAFLOOR nal

FRACTURE PR
DEPTH ESSURE

SEA WATER H
YDROSTATIC
PRESSURE PORE PRESSURE

PRESSURE

TM
A 25
 Casing Requirements - Conventional
MUD HYDROS
TATIC PRESSU
RE Convention
al
SEAFLOOR

DEPTH FRACTURE PR
ESSURE

SEA WATER H
YDROSTATIC
PRESSURE PORE PRESSURE
PRESSURE

TM
A 26
 Casing Requirements - SMD
MUD HYDROS
TATIC PRESSU
RE SMD
SEAFLOOR

DEPTH FRACTURE P
RESSURE

SEA WATER H
YDROSTATIC
PRESSURE
PORE PRESSURE
PRESSURE

TM
A 27
 Pressure Considerations
MUD HYDROS MUD HYDROST
TATIC PRESS ATIC PRESSUR
SMD URE SMD E Convention
SEAFLOOR al

FRACTURE P
DEPTH RESSURE

SEA WATER H
YDROSTATIC P
RESSURE PORE PRESSURE

PRESSURE
TM
A 28
 Wellbore Pressures - Conventional
FLOATER

STATIC PRESSURE
CIRCULATING PRESSURE

SEAFLOOR
BOP
DEPTH

SEA WATER HYD

ROSTATIC PRES
SURE PBIT
PRESSURE

TM
A 29
 Static Pressures - SMD
FLOATER

ANNULUS AND RETUR

N LINE

SEAFLOOR
BOP

SEA WATER H
YDROSTATIC P
RESSURE

PRESSURE

TM
A 30
 Drillstring Circulating Pressures
CONVENTIONAL
SMD
SEAFLOOR

DEPTH

SEA WATER HYD

ROSTATIC PRES
SURE PBIT
PRESSURE
TM
A 31
 Annulus Circulating Pressures
CONVENTIONAL (13.5 lb/gal)

SMD (15.9 lb/gal)

SEAFLOOR

PPUM
DEPTH P

SEA WATER HYD

ROSTATIC PRESS
URE

PRESSURE
TM
A 32
 Circulating Pressures - SMD

DRILLSTRING PRESSURE
ANNULUS AND RETURN LINE
SEAFLOOR
PPUMP

DEPTH

SEA WATER HY
DROSTATIC PR
ESSURE PBIT
PRESSURE
TM
A 33
 Circulating Pressures - Summary

CONVENTIONAL
PBIT

PML_PUM
P
SMD

TM
A DISTANCE FROM STANDPIPE 34
 Transients

Transient Behavior when Stopping Rig Pump

(U-tubing or Free-fall)
 Why does the drillpipe fluid level fall?
 How fast does the Fluid Level in the
drillpipe drop?
 How far does the Fluid Level drop?

TM
A 35
 U-Tubing in SMD
FLOATER

~SEAWATER H
Drillstring

YDROSTATIC
Annulus
STATI PRESSURE
C FLUI
D LEV
EL BOP MUDLIFT

ATM 36
 Static Pressures - SMD
Static Fluid
ANNULUS AND RETURN LINE
Level in DP
DRILLSTRING PRESSURE
SEAFLOOR

DEPTH

SEA WATER HY
DROSTATIC PR
ESSURE

PRESSURE
ATM 37
 U-Tubing Rate vs. Time after Pump OFF
800
3-in ID
4.276-in ID
Mud Flow Rate, gpm

600
6-in ID

400

200

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Elapsed Time, min

TM
A
10,000 ft Water Depth 38
 Fluid Level vs. Time after Pump OFF
5,000

4,000
Fluid Level in Drillpipe, ft

3,000

2,000
3-in ID
1,000 4.276-in ID
6-in ID
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Elapsed Time, min

TM
A
10,000 ft Water Depth 39
40
 Well Control Considerations
How do you shut a well in after taking a kick?

 With a DSV this is almost routine

 Better still, it is not necessary to shut the well in.

The wellbore pressures can be increased by
temporarily slowing down the mudlift pump

 Friction in the choke line is handled by the

Mudlift Pump and is not seen by the
weak formations
TM
A 41
42
43
 General Summary
Dual Gradient Drilling is a method that offers potent
ial for lowering drilling costs in very deep waters:
• Fewer casing strings
• Smaller rigs
• Less time on location
The method utilizes one or more small-diameter ret
urn lines from the seafloor to the surface. The drillp
ipe is separate from the return lines

TM
A 44
 Summary - cont’d

A mudlift system (pump) is used to feed the re

turn lines, thereby making a “dual-density” mu
d system possible
Wellhead pressure is maintained at seawater
hydrostatic, so well is “dead” at all times
Well control is quite similar to that in conventio
nal drilling with a riser, but offers a number of
significant advantages

TM
A 45
 THE END

TM
A 46
 Gas Lift?
Pumps?
Dual Gradient Glass Beads?
Gas Lift?
Alternatives Glass Beads?

How to Handle
Connections?
Rotating BOP Trips?

47
 Advanced SMD System
FLOATER

~SEAWATER H
YDROSTATIC
SEAFLOOR PRESSURE 10,00
0’
BOP MUDLIFT

Circulation Rate 650 gpm 30,00

Drillpipe OD 6 5/8 in 0’

Return Line ID 6 in
Hole Size 12 1/4 in

ATM 48