PRESSURE INDICATORS

ENGINEERING & GEOLOGICAL

 Engineering indicators
Changes in Rate of Penetration (ROP)
• While drilling normally pressured shale
sections, the ROP will decrease with depth if
drilling parameters remain fairly constant. This
is due to the increased density, or compaction,
of the shale.
• After penetrating the seal in sur-normally
pressured formations, the ROP will increase.
This increase is due to the higher porosity of the
sur-normal pressured zone.
 Engineering indicators
Changes in rotary torque
• Torque increases gradually with depth because
length of the contact friction between the drill
string and the wellbore increases with depth.

• Torque will increase in the transition zone

because a larger volume of shale cuttings will
enter the wellbore. Shale tends to close in the
hole, causing additional contact with the drill
string and impeding bit rotation
 Engineering indicators
Changes in drag
• An increase in drag may be experienced while
making connections is the transition zone.

• Extra cuttings may enter the wellbore when the

transition zone in penetrated. The hole may also
tend to close in around the drill collars and bit,
causing an increase in drag.
 Engineering indicators
Pit Gain (or any increase in the mud return flow)
• Any pit gain, if not accounted for, is an
indication of an influx of formation fluid (kick).
When a kick occurs, the fluid enters the annulus,
increasing the flow in the annulus. The flow
sensor records this increase. The flow sensor
and the Pit Volume Totalizer (PVT) are the first
two indicators of a kick and should be
monitored continuously while drilling
 Engineering indicators
During POOH, hole taking less mud volume to
replace metal displacement (of drill string).
The volume of mud pumped into the well
should be measured and compared to the
calculated displacement of the pipe pulled
out of the hole.
If the hole takes less mud than the calculated
displacement volume for the number of
stands pulled, fluid is entering the well-
bore from another source.
Geological Indicators
 Geological indicators
Size and shape of cuttings
• A rapid increase in the size, and a change in the
shape of the drill cuttings may indicate an
increase in formation pressure.

• Cuttings from normally pressured shales are

generally flat with rounded edges.

• Cuttings from a transition zone are longer and

have sharp, edges.
 Geological indicators
Sloughing shale and abnormal hole fill-up
• Sloughing shale and abnormal hole fill-up are
indications of increasing formation pressure.
• As the transition zone is penetrated, the pore
pressure within the shale will increase. If this
overpressure in the shale is not offset by
increasing the hydrostatic pressure of the mud,
the shale will collapse or slough into the annulus
and settle to bottom during connections and
trips.
 Geological indicators
Bulk density
• During normal shale compaction, water is
squeezed out of the shale as the overburden
pressure increases with depth.

• This results in an increase in shale density.

• If normal compaction is interrupted by the

formation of a seal, the formation water cannot
be squeezed out of the shale.
 Geological indicators
Bulk density (continued)
• Therefore, the fluid supports part of the
overburden load and will have higher-than-
normal pressure.

• Since fluids remain in the shale, the shales have

lower-than-normal density.
 Geological indicators
Background gas
• Is the total gas entrained in the mud.

• The background gas which comes from the

cuttings as the hole is being drilled is not an
indication of increasing pressure and should not
be compensated for with higher mud weight.

• An increase in background gas could indicate

drilling into a transition zone
 Geological indicators
Connection gas
• Is the amount of gas in excess of the background
gas.

• A small, but constant amount of connection gas

indicates that the difference between the
formation pressure and the hydrostatic pressure
is small.

• A continuous increase of gas at each connection

could indicate an increase in formation pressure.
 Geological indicators
Gas-cut mud
• Is the reduction in mud weight due to gas
entrainment.

• Gas-cut mud is checked at the flow line where

the fluid contains the maximum amount of gas.

• This measurement indicates the effects of gas

from drilling, connections and trips.
 Geological indicators
Gas cut mud (continue)
• A continued reduction in mud weight due to gas
cut mud may be an indication of increasing gas
content in the formations and the potential of
increasing pore pressures.
 Geological indicators
Chloride ion
• A change in mud salinity and gain in the pit
volume can indicate a salt water flow.