1.

10-1

Abnormal Pressure

Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 1

 Abnormal Pressure
- Definition, Causes -

 Normal Pore Pressures

 Abnormal Pore Pressure Gradients
 Fracture Gradients
 Mud Weights
 Casing Seat Depths
 What Causes Abnormal Pressure?
Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 2
 Normal and Abnormal Pore Pressure

Normal Pressure Gradients

West Texas: 0.433 psi/ft
Gulf Coast: 0.465 psi/ft
Depth, ft

Abnormal
Pressure
Gradients

10,000’ ??
Pore Pressure, psig
Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 3
 Pore Pressure vs. Depth
0
0.433 psi/ft 8.33 lb/gal
0.465 psi/ft 9.0 lb/gal
5,000

Normal
10,000

Abormal
15,000

20,000
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Pore Pressure Equivalent, lb/gal
{ Density of mud required to control this pore pressure }
Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 4
 Fracture Gradient

Pore Pressure
Gradient

Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 5

 * Pore
Pressure
Gradients

* Fracture
Gradients

* Casing
Setting
Depths

Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 6

Some Causes of Abnormal Pressure

1. Incomplete compaction of sediments

 Fluids in sediments have not
escaped and are still helping to
support the overburden.

2. Tectonic movements
 Uplift
 Faulting
Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 7
Some Causes of Abnormal Pressure

3. Aquifers in Mountainous Regions

 Aquifer recharge is at higher
elevation than drilling rig location.

4. Charged shallow reservoirs due to

nearby underground blowout.

5. Large structures...

Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 8

 HIGH PRESSURE

NORMAL PRESSURE

Thick, impermeable layers of shale (or salt) restrict the movement

of water. Below such layers abnormal pressure may be found.
Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 9
 HIGH PRESSURE

NORMAL PRESSURE

Hydrostatic pressure gradient is lower in gas or oil than in water.

Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 10
When crossing faults it is possible to go from normal
pressure to abnormally high pressure in a short interval.
Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 11
 Well “A” found only Normal Pressure ...
Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 12
 sob

p sz

sOB = p + sZ

Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 13

 ?

Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 14

Indications of Abnormal Pore Pressures

Methods:

1. Seismic data
2. Drilling rate
3. Sloughing shale
4. Gas units in mud
5. Shale density
6. Chloride content
Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 15
Indications of Abnormal Pore Pressures

Methods, cont’d:

7. Change in Mud properties

8. Temperature of Mud Returns
9. Bentonite content in shale
10. Paleo information
11. Wire-line logs
12. MWD-LWD

Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 16

 Prediction and Detection of Abnormal
Pressure Zones

1. Before drilling

 Shallow seismic surveys

 Deep seismic surveys

 Comparison with nearby wells

Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 17

 Prediction and Detection of Abnormal
Pressure Zones

2. While drilling
 Drilling rate, gas in mud, etc. etc.
 D - Exponent
 DC - Exponent
 MWD - LWD
 Density of shale (cuttings)
Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 18
 Prediction and Detection of Abnormal
Pressure Zones

3. After drilling
 Resistivity log
 Conductivity log
 Sonic log
 Density log

Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 19

 0.000085 DS
  0..41 e – .

Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 20

 What is d-
exponent?

Decreasing ROP
Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 21
 D - Exponent

The Where
drilling rate R = drilling rate, ft/hr
equation: K = drillability constant
N = rotary speed, RPM
D
W E = rotary speed expon.
R  K N  
E
W = bit weight, lbs
 DB 
DB = bit diameter, in
D = bit wt. Exponent
or D - exponent
Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 22
 D
W
D - Exponent R  K N 
E

 DB 

If we assume that K = 1
and E = 1

Then R
log  
 N
D
R W D
   W
N  DB  log  
 DB 
Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 23
 D - Exponent

A modified version of this equation

follows:

 R 
log  
d  60 N 
 12 W 
log  6 
 10 DB 
Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 24
 Example

d may be Corrected for mud density

as follows:

 mud weight for normal gradient (ppg) 

dc  d  
 actual mud weight in use(ppg) 

9 9
e.g., dc  d    1.82 *    1.37
 12   12 
Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 25
 Procedure for Determining Pore
Pressure From dc - Exponent

 Calculate dc over 10-30 ft intervals

 Plot dc vs depth (use only date from
Clean shale sections)
 Determine the normal line for the
dc vs. depth plot.
 Establish where dc deviates from the
normal line to determine abnormal
pressure zone
Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 26
 Procedure for Determining Pore
Pressure From dc - Exponent

Normal
Depth

Abnormal

dc - Exponent
Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 27
 Procedure for Determining Pore
Pressure From dc - Exponent

 If possible, quantify the magnitude of the

abnormal pore pressure using
overlays, or Ben Eaton’s Method
1.2
P S  S  P    dc calculated 

      
D D  D  D n   dc normal 

Pore
Pressure Overburden Normal Pore
Grad. Stress Grad. Pressure Grad.
Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 28
 In normally pressured
shales, shale
compaction increases
with depth

Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 29

 Pore Pressure from
Resistivity

Shale resistivity plots

may be developed
from (i) logs or
(ii) cuttings
What is the pore 10,000’
pressure at the point
indicated on the plot?
[Assume Gulf Coast].
Depth=10,000 ft
0.2 0.5 1 2 3
Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 30
From plot, Rn = 1.55 ohms EATON
Robs = 0.80 ohms

From Eaton:

Depth
1. 2
P S  S  P    Robs 
        
D D  D  D n   Rn 

1.2
 0.80 
 0.95  0.95  0.465  
P 10,000’

D  1.55 

= 0.7307 psi/ft = 14.05 lb/gal

P = 0.7307 * 10,000 = 7,307 psi

0.2 0.5 1 2 3
Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 31
 Prediction of
Abnormal Pore Pressure

 Resistivity of Shale
 Temperature in the Return Mud
 Drilling Rate Increase
 dc - Exponent
 Sonic Travel Time
 Conductivity of Shale
Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 32
EXAMPLE

Shale Resistivity
vs. Depth

1. Establish normal
trend line

2. Look for
deviations

(semi-log)

Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 33

 Pore Pressure
Shale Resistivity (lb/gal equivalent)
vs. Depth 16 14 12 10

1. Establish normal
trend line
9 ppg
2. Look for
(normal)
deviations

3. Use OVERLAY
to quantify
pore pressure
(use with caution)
Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 34
 Example

8.2 X

Abnormal Pressure
Why?
10.1- 35
 Determination of Abnormal Pore
Pressure Using the dc - exponent

From Ben Eaton:

1.2
P S  S  P   d c 
       
D D  D  D  n  d cn 

Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 36

 1.2
P S  S  P   d c 
       
D D  D  D  n  d cn 
P
Where  formation pressure gradient, psi/ft
D
P
   normal water gradient in area
 D n
e.g., 0.433 or 0.465, psi/ft
S
 overburden stress gradient, psi/ft
D
dc  actual d c  expon ent from plot

d cn  d c  exp onent from the normal trend

Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 37
 Example
Calculate the pore
pressure at depth X using
the data in this graph.

Assume:
West Texas location with
normal overburden of
X
1.0 psi/ft.
X = 12,000 ft. 1.2 1.5
dc
Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 38
 Example

From Ben Eaton:

1.2
P S  S  P   d c 
       
D D  D  D  n  d cn 
1.2
 1.2 
 1.0  [1.0  0.433] 
 1.5 
P
 0.5662 psi/ft
D
Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 39
 Example

 P  0.5662 x 12,000  6794 psi

6794
EMW   10.9 lbm/gal
0.052 x 12,000

Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 40

 E.S. Pennebaker

 Used seismic field data for the

detection of abnormal pressures.

 Under normally pressured conditions the

sonic velocity increases with depth.
(i.e. Travel time decreases with depth)

(why?)
Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 41
 E.S. Pennebaker

 Any departure from this trend is an

indication of possible abnormal
pressures.

 Pennebaker used overlays to estimate

abnormal pore pressures from the
difference between normal and actual
travel times.

Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 42

Interval Travel Time, msec per ft
Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 43
 Ben Eaton
also found a way to determine pore pressure
from interval travel times.

Example:
In a Gulf Coast well, the speed of sound is 10,000
ft/sec at a depth of 13,500 ft. The normal speed
of sound at this depth, based on extrapolated
trends, would be 12,000 ft/sec. What is the pore
pressure at this depth?

Assume: S/D = 1.0 psi/ft

Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 44

 Ben Eaton

From Ben Eaton,

P S  S  P   t n 
3.0

       
D D  D  D  n  t 
3
 10,000 
 1.0 - [1.0 - 0.465] 
 12,000 
 0.6904 psi/ft
( t a 1/v )
Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 45
 Ben Eaton

From Ben Eaton

r = (0.6904 / 0.052) = 13.28 lb/gal

p = 0.6904 * 13,500 = 9,320 psig

Note: Exponent is 3.0 this time,

NOT 1.2!

Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 46

Equations for Pore Pressure Determination
 R 
log  60 N 

dC    *
rNORMAL 

 12 W   r 
log   ACTUAL 
 10 6 D  
 B 

1.2
P S S P   dc calculated 
       
   d normal 
D D D  D n   c 
1. 2
P S S P   R obs 
 
   
 
 R 

D D D  D n   n 
1.2
P S S P   Cn 
 
D    
 
C 

D D   D n   o 
3.0
P S S P   t n 
 
D    
 
 t 

D D   D n   o 
Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 47
 Pore Pressure Determination

Abnormal Pressure 10.1- 48