DRILLING FLUID SERVICES

ON OFFSHORE WELLS

Georgiy Gagloyev

Politecnico di Torino

Tutor: Raffaele Romagnoli

10/10/2011
 Structure

• Objectives
• Key issues on fluids while on offshore
• Drilling fluid design selection
• Costs comparison on a given well
• Hole problems and contingencies in offshore
• Conclusions
 Presentation progress

• Objectives
• Key issues on fluids while on offshore
• Drilling fluid design selection
• Costs comparison on a given well
• Hole problems and contingencies in offshore
• Conclusions
 Objectives

• Based on expected lithology select the proper drilling

fluids for intervals
– Before marine riser installation
– After marine riser installation
• Find two best scenarios for drilling fluids program
• Develop completion fluid design and displacement
procedure
• Estimate costs on a given depth well
• Develop contingency plan
 Presentation progress

• Objectives
• Key issues on drilling fluids while on offshore
• Drilling fluid design selection
• Costs comparison on a given well
• Hole problems and contingencies in offshore
• Conclusions
 Key issues on drilling fluids while on offshore

• Mud management in riserless section

• High temperature high pressure
• Bottom-Up parameters control
• Mud density jumps
 Presentation progress

• Objectives
• Key issues on fluids while on offshore
• Drilling fluid design selection
• Costs comparison on a given well
• Hole problems and contingencies in offshore
• Conclusions
 Drilling fluid design selection

• Well brief data

– Water depth 2051 meters
– Proposed total depth 6319 meters
– Vertical trajectory
– Expected lithology:
• 2051 – 2920 meters: clays
• 2920 – 4665 meters: mostly shales, clays
• 4665 – 5515 meters: mostly shales and sandstones, carbonates, clays
• 5515 – 6319 meters: mostly carbonates, shales, clays, sandstones
 Drilling fluid design selection

Oil-based •Preferable for ROP but expensive

mud •Better fluid loss control

Water-based • Effective if highly inhibitive

mud • Environmentally more friendly
 Drilling fluid design selection

• Zero shear stress at wall

• Minimal dynamic fluid loss
• Protection of poorly consolidated or
fractured formations
• Prevention of seepage losses
• No erosion of wellbore
 Drilling fluid design selection

• GLYDRIL system
– enhanced polymer
– water-based chemistry
– barrier against water
migration

Close approach to OBM

Versaclean with almost 0
washout
 Drilling fluid design selection

DLR < 500 bph

DLR > 500 bph
SLR < 50 bph
Loss event for LTOBM SLR > 50 bph
Reduce MW in 0.1 ppg
Total loss of return
increment

Continue drilling with Discontinue drilling

10% KCL/3% GLYDRILL Apply Stop&Seal Strategy
Apply Drill&Seal Strategy
YES
Losses
Losses controlled controlled
NO NO
or less than 2400 YES
bbl
Dilute mud system and to Continue Drill&Seal Switch to
drill with 3% KCL/1% mud cap
GLYDRILL
Stop drilling at the base of carbonate
YES Cure losses or run contingency CSG
Convert mud to ULTRADRILL before drilling clastics
Losses controlled
or less than 15000
bbl NO
 Drilling fluid design selection

• Completion fluid
– CaCl2 brine (94-97% purity)
– Displacement
• base fluid pill
• transition spacer
• solvent spacer
• surfactant spacer
 Presentation progress

• Objectives
• Key issues on drilling fluids while on offshore
• Drilling fluid design selection
• Costs comparison on a given well
• Hole problems and contingencies in offshore
• Conclusions
 Cost comparison on a given well

• Drilling fluid costs (including completion fluid)

– Option 1 (OBM Versaclean) $2,017,407.61
– Option 2 (Inhibitive WBM Glydril) $1,752,356.41
– Cost difference $265,051.2
• What should we finally use? The answer depends on:
– Time available (OBM gives faster ROP) – we are offshore!
– Financial issue
– Environmental obligations
 Presentation progress

• Objectives
• Key issues on drilling fluids while on offshore
• Drilling fluid design selection
• Costs comparison on a given well
• Hole problems and contingencies in offshore
• Conclusions
 Hole problems and contingencies on offshore

• Challenges and solutions

• Drilling hydraulics
• Cold water temperature rheology
• Hole cleaning best practices
• OBM compressibility
• Barite sag mitigation
• Gas hydrate mitigation for WBM option
 Hole problems and contingencies on offshore

Drilling within the window

Pore Pressure
ECD
Overburden
 Hole problems and contingencies on offshore

Surge and swab control

12.9 1400

12.8 1200
ECD
Flow rate
12.7
1000
0.17 p p g

Pump Output (gpm)

12.6
800
ECD (ppg)

12.5
0.21 p p g
600
12.4 0.63 p p g
400
12.3
0.25 p p g
12.2 200

12.1 0
2:13:55 2:14:38 2:15:22 2:16:05 2:16:48 2:17:31
1400 Time 11.5

1200
11.45

1000
Pump Output (gpm)

11.4
ECD (ppg)

800

0.16 p p g
600
11.35

400

11.3
200 Flow rate
ECD

0 11.25
4:07:41 4:10:34 4:13:26 4:16:19 4:19:12 4:22:05 4:24:58
Time
 Hole problems and contingencies on offshore

Circulating temperature profile

Circulating Temperature Profile
0
Formation
Annulus
Drill String
Measured Depth (1000 ft)

10

15 20 40 60 80 100 120 140

Virtual Temperature (°F)
Hydraulics
®
 Hole problems and contingencies on offshore

Barite sag mitigation

13.80

13.60 Mud Weight = 13.3 ppg

Samples from Shaker Underflow
13.40
Mud Weight (ppg)

Baseline
13.20

13.00

12.80

12.60

12.40
0 25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200 225
Circulating Time (min)
SagWare Circulating Mud Weight Corrected with Temperature

13.80 140
MW @ 85F
Nominal MW
13.60 FL Temp 120

13.40 100
Flowline Temperature (oF)

13.20 80
MW (ppg)

13.00 60

12.80 40

12.60 20

12.40 0
0:00 0:28 0:57 1:26 1:55 2:24 2:52 3:21 3:50
Time (h:mm)
 Presentation progress

• Objectives
• Key issues on drilling fluids while on offshore
• Drilling fluid design selection
• Costs comparison on a given well
• Hole problems and contingencies in offshore
• Conclusions
 Conclusions

• Specific deepwater drilling challenges and probable mitigations

were demonstrated
• Selecting between WBM and OBM is a matter of many factors,
and there is no univocal solution
• Cost-effectiveness of both drilling fluid systems can be attractive
which is shown in the project
• Actuality of work is high
Thank you for your attention!