Leak Off & Formation Integrity

Test
 Pressure test that is typically carried out after drilling out
casing/cement, prior to drilling the next hole section.
 The casing shoe, being the shallowest depth, is typically the weakest
point in any hole section.
 Performed to determine the maximum pressure that can be applied to
the formation, without causing fracture, during the drilling of the next
hole section…
 Procedure
 Drill out casing shoe and perhaps 10m of new formation
 LOT…..Shut the well in, pump mud (at a constant rate) into the well
increasing the pressure in the annulus. Monitor pressure for indication
that mud is injected into the formation. Stop pumping.
 FIT…..Shut the well in, pump mud into the well until a pre-
determined pressure is reached, stop pumping and ensure that
pressure is held for given period of time
 Open choke and release built-up pressure
 LOT pressures
Surface Rupture Pressure
Shut In Complete and irreversible failure
Pressure has occurred when pressure drops -
stop pumping

Propagation Pressure
If pumping is stopped at the
point of failure, the formation
may recover, but weakened
Leak Off Pressure
Slower pressure increase - reduce
pump rate as mud begins to inject
into the formation

Mud Volume Pumped

 LOT versus FIT
 With a LOT, mud is actually injected into the formation
until fracture occurs. The formation is therefore weakened
allowing less tolerance for the next hole section.
 If regional pressure and fracture gradients are known, then
an FIT can be conducted….to a pressure that is known to be
above the maximum anticipated pressure requirement during
the next hole section.
 By not increasing the pressure to actual leak off, an FIT
provides a built in safety margin against shoe fracture.
 LOT’s should be conducted on wildcat wells where no
pressure/fracture information is known.
 Fracture Pressure
 The maximum pressure that can be applied to a formation
without causing it to fracture.
 The fracture pressure is determined from the leak off test at the
casing shoe, because this is typically the weakest point in an
open hole section.

 During a leak off test, a combination of two pressures contribute

to the pressure at the shoe, causing fracture:
 The hydrostatic pressure exerted by the drilling fluid, at the
shoe
 The shut-in pressure applied by pumping mud into a closed
well…i.e. the leak off pressure
 Fracture Pressure (Pfrac)

 Pfrac = HYDshoe + LOP LOP

 HYDshoe = MW* TVDshoe*constant

 LOP = pressure applied at surface HYD

(whether from LOT or FIT)

 Pfrac emw = MW + LOP

Fracture
TVDshoe * g
 Fracture Pressure example -
imperial
 A LOT is performed at a shoe depth of 4000ft TVD, and with
a mudweight of 10.5 ppg.
 Leak off occurs when the surface shut in pressure is 1500psi.

 LOP = 1500psi
 HYDshoe = 10.5*4000*0.052 = 2184psi

 Pfrac = 2184 + 1500 = 3684psi

 Pfrac emw = 3694/(4000*0.052) = 17.7ppg emw

 MAASP
 Maximum Allowable Annular Surface Pressure

 When a well has to be shut in in order to control a kick, surface shut-

in (back) pressure is required in order to balance the bottom hole
pressure….

 At the time of shut-in, there are two pressures acting at the

shoe….the mud hydrostatic and the shut-in pressure applied from
surface.

 These two pressures must not exceed the fracture pressure of the
formation at the shoe (Pfrac determined from the leak off test)...
 MAASP
 Pfrac > HYDshoe + Shut-in Pressure

 MAASP is the maximum shut in pressure that can be applied

without fracturing the weakest zone (shoe).

 Pfrac = HYDshoe + MAASP………

 MAASP = Pfrac - HYDshoe

 At the time of a LOT, the MAASP is equal to the Leak Off Pressure,
since this is the shut-in pressure that actually causes fracture.
MAASP example - imperial
 LOT at a shoe depth of 4000ft TVD, with a mudweight of 10.5 ppg. Leak off
pressure is 1500psi.
 MAASP therefore, with 10.5ppg mud, equals 1500psi; any shut-in pressure
higher than this will fracture the shoe.

 MAASP will only change if mud weight changes

 drilled depth is unimportant, since we are dealing with mud hydrostatic at the
shoe, not at the bottom of the hole
 Pfrac does not vary unless a weaker zone is encountered

 What is the MAASP, if at 6000ft MD, mudweight has to be increased to

11.2ppg
 MAASP = Pfrac - HYDshoe

 = 3684 - (11.2*4000*0.052)

 = 1354psi
End of topic
 Kick Tolerance
 While drilling, high formation pressures can be safely balanced by increasing the
mudweight, but if that mudweight produces a pressure that is high enough to
fracture the shoe when the well is shut in, lost circulation and blow out can result
 Kick tolerance is the maximum formation balance gradient (ie mudweight) that
can be handled by the well, at the current TVD, without causing shoe fracture
should the well have to be shut in.

 Kick Tolerance = [(TVDshoe/TVD) x (FG - MW)]

 IF the mudweight, that is required to balance the well while drilling, WOULD
result in shoe fracture during well shut in, a deeper casing shoe (with greater
fracture gradient) has to be set
 NB this formula does not account for gas expansion and greater shut in pressures
resulting from it