Which drilling parameter trends indicate to the

? driller that a washout has occurred

1) Improper pipe handling practice.

2) Poor surface mud handling (including
water) that allows oxygen to be
circulated down hole is the chief
causes of washouts.
 How to prevent Washouts
1) Avoid surface guns and do not mix
directly into suction tank.
2) Do not add cold water to pump
suction.
3) Run degasser while on top hole.
4) Supervise trips (toolpushers).
5) Handle pipe carefully.
Look at
• Rotary bushing, slips, tongs, slip
setting practices, rig alignment,
connection practices, storage practices
and overpull practices based on API
pipe classification.
• To solve the problem or to live with the
problem of losing one pump while
drilling, the following recommendations
are suggested:
– 1) Time drill.
– 2) Utilize viscous pills.
– 3) Circulate and clear D.C..s before making
connections ( annular volume).
– 4) Reduce hydrostatic pressure with water,
etc.
– 5) Under some conditions, stop drilling
until pump is repaired.
 – If the following trends are kept up with, washouts are easy
to monitor the following:
• 1) Pump pressure and pump stroke relationship.
• The driller should get in the habit of recording
pressure and corresponding strokes once per
connection.
• He must monitor this parameter continuously and
any variation parameter should be checked out.
• Normally a drop in pressure and increase in strokes
will occur.
• However, on many new diesel electric rigs, the
pressure will remain temporarily unchanged, but the
strokes will increase.
• 2) Drag( ΔW). If a washout occurs, above the
D.C.s. for example, hole cleaning will be
affected and this will be indicated by a
change in the drag (ΔW up and ΔW down ).
• 3) Torque. Sharp erratic changes in torque,
over an extended period of time, will speed
up pipe fatigue and washouts.
• If a bit is torquing with the weight/ RPM
combination being used, the driller should
change one of the parameters so that torque
will probably be indicative of poor hole
cleaning and could be related to washouts.
Tripping practices that aggravate
the washout problem
– 1) Rotary bushing and slip wear will cause uneven
and, in extreme cases, point loading on the drill
pipe.
– 2) Setting the slips too low or too high will cause
pipe wear and bending the pipe should be about
three feet above the rotary table.
– 3) Using only one set of tongs when coming out of
the hole will allow slight turning and slip marks on
the pipe. Corrosion and fatigue concentrate in
these slip marks. Shock loads also aggravate this
problem.
– 4) Improper torque on drill collars will cause
washouts. This applies to pick-up subs as well.
– 5) Poor cleaning or bad wiping the pipe
will increase corrosion and speed up
washouts.
– 6) Improper racking techniques will
damage tool joints and cause washouts.
– 7) Failure to rotate (or lay down for
inspection) drill pipe in the transition zone
( above D.C.s. ) will aggravate the washout
problem.
 Racking and storing practices that aggravate
the washout problem

– 1) Improper cleaning of pipe.

• Pipe should be cleaned inside and out side and sprayed or

dipped with an oil and corrosion protector.
• Some operators have a spare mouse hole for dipping pipe to be
laid down.
• It is better to clean the inside of pipe before dipping.
– 2) Storage bins and protectors make it easier to transport pipe
without damage.
– 3) Pipe should be straightened before storing or before being put
back in the string.
– Crooked pipe sets up harmonics and causes fatigue and washouts.
– One contractor virtually stopped pipe bending by starting the
practice of painting the name of the driller on the joint of pipe that
was bent.
How do you analyze the true pressure loss of a
?washout

A driller monitored the following:

Pressure before washout P1 = 2500 psi.
Strokes before washout S1 = 110 Strokes.
Pressure after washout P2 = 2300 psi.
Strokes after washout S2 = 115 Strokes.
SPM2 = SPM1 √ P2/ P1

= 110 √ 2300/2500
= 106 ( pump rate that corresponds to 2300 psi without
washout) .
To calculate this relationship, use the following
formula, commonly called the “ Roughneck
formula”.
2 2
P2 = P1 X (S2)/ ( S1)
2 2
= 2500 X (115) / ( 110)
= 2500 X 13,225 /12,100
= 2500X 1.093 = 2732 psi.
From the above, it is apparent that what looked
like a 200 psi washout was actually a 432 psi
( 2732 – 2300 )washout.
When does a washout become a twist off, and
.?how does a driller handle this problem

• It is obvious that if a washout isn’t

caught quickly, a twist off will be
imminent.
• The time would depend on drilling
conditions and pipe condition. A twist
off is indicated by:
– A) Sudden drop in pressure.
– B) Loss of torque.
– C) Loss of weight.
• In case of the twist off occurred, the driller
should follow the following:
– 1) Measure Kelly in closely.
– 2) Spot viscous pill on bottom, but make sure that
circulation is done away from the top of fish, and
keep pipe moving.
– This will prevent washing out the soft formation
near the fish, and will make catching the fish
easier.
– 3) Make sure of accurate pipe measurements.
– 4) Analyze recovered pipe to visualize what top of
fish looks like.
– 5) Make operational plan based on above,
regardless of how simple the fishing job looks.
• The following consideration must be considered:
– A) Detail drawing of fish.
– B) Accurate dimensional sketch (lengths, OD, ID, etc.).
– C) Fishing string (overshot, D.C., Jars, D.P. details, etc.).
– D) Study of hole caliper, if available. Lag time is useful in
estimating hole size.
– E) Write your simple impression of why you are
approaching the job this way.

– This should be up dated if the first attempt does not work,

and reasons why you think the first plan didn’t work.
– F) Take a second look at it. This technique will prevent the
simplest of jobs from becoming disasters.
G) RIH very carefully and monitor all parameters,
(strokes, pressure, torque, string weight, etc.),before
going over or tagging fish. This will take the
guesswork out of whether you over the fish.
At least two or more of these parameters will change
when you go over the fish.
H) Always keep fishing tools on hand to catch whatever
size pipe or tool you have in the hole. Time becomes
an important factor with fishing. However, don’t try to
save time by failing to write the operational plan.
I) Observe all marking on fishing tools and note before
RIH.
J) If the original plan didn’t work, evaluate the latest
first hand information before updating your
operational plan.
• K) Supervisors should always remember to completely analyze
and obtain all facts and write their first and second
recommendations before calling in on the radio. There isn’t
anything that will remove job satisfaction more than to be told
to do something from the head quarter office that you know
shouldn’t be done.
• 1 - Accurate facts based on first hand information.
• 2- Recommendations (first and second option) based on your
own interpretation of the facts.
• 3- what you recommend if the above doesn’t work.
• By doing the above, you will increase your own job
satisfaction, and will confirm to the office that you are
supervising the job and not just letting the job happen.
• L) If a shift change takes place during a problem time,

• Make sure all pertinent details are written out puts off action
because a shift change is coming up.