Drilling Problems

Students:
● Mohamed Aly El Maaloum 2213
● Mohamed Aly Ahmed Tah 2207
● Sidi Ahmed Mohamed Lemine 2209

Submitted to:
Teacher Vadila Sidina
 Contents
❖ Introduction
❖ Types of drilling problems
● Pipe sticking
● Loss of circulation
● Hole deviation
● Pipe failures
● Borehole instability
● Mud contamination
● Formation damage
● Hole cleaning
● H2S-bearing zones
● Shallow gas zones

● Equipment and personnel-related problems

 Introduction

Drilling a well is a lot of work and there is a risk of problems. But, even if
something goes wrong, we can usually fix it. There have been reports of
problems with drilling in certain areas where drilling has been done before,
because the formations there are not all the same. This means that the conditions
in two wells can be very different.
 Types of drilling problems

When drilling, it's important to plan your work in advance so that you're not
worried about potential problems. Rather, you should focus on preventing them
from happening in the first place. If you have a problem with your drilling, it can
cost you a lot of money.

Here’s some of the most frequent drilling problems :

Pipe sticking
During drilling operations, a pipe is
considered stuck if it cannot be freed
from the hole without damaging the pipe,
and without exceeding the drilling rig’s
maximum allowed hook load.

Lost circulation
Loss of circulation is the uncontrolled
flow of whole mud into a formation,
sometimes referred to as a “thief zone.”
Hole deviation
It is the unintentional departure of the drill bit from a preselected borehole trajectory.
Whether it involves drilling a straight or curved-hole section, the tendency of the bit
to walk away from the desired path can lead to drilling problems such as higher
drilling costs and also legal problems.

Drill Pipe failures

It is a frequent drilling problem. It can be put into one of the following
categories: twist off caused by excessive torque; parting because of
excessive tension; burst or collapse because of excessive internal
pressure or external pressure, respectively.
Borehole instability
is the undesirable condition of an openhole interval that does not maintain its gauge
size and shape and/or its structural integrity

Mud contamination
A mud is said to be contaminated when a foreign material enters the mud system
and causes undesirable changes in mud properties, such as density, viscosity, and
filtration. Generally, water-based mud systems are the most susceptible to
contamination.
Formation damage
Formation damage is defined as the impairment to reservoir (reduced production)
caused by wellbore fluids used during drilling/completion and workover
operations.

Hole cleaning problems

Hole cleaning is the ability of a drilling fluid to
transport and suspend drilled cuttings.
H2S-bearing zones
Exposure to hydrogen sulfide may cause
irritation to the eyes and respiratory system

Shallow gas zones

hydrocarbon-bearing zone which may be encountered at a depth close to the
surface, it is generally a weak formation.

Equipment related drilling problems

Most drilling problems result from unseen forces in the
subsurface. But the equipment involved can also be a
source of problems, as can personnel.
 Conclusion

Understanding and anticipating drilling problems, understanding their

causes, and planning solutions are necessary for overall-well-cost
control and for successfully reaching the target zone.