Lab#9
Well Control
PETE 225-lab
© Copyright, 2005, TAMU
Geology
PETE 225-lab
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Sedimentation
3 PETE 225-lab
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Pore Pressure
• Normal formation
pressure is equal to the
Column of formation fluid
column of formation fluid.
• Abnormal pore pressure is
defined as a pore pressure
greater than normal
• Subnormal pore pressure
is defined as pore pressure
less than normal.
4 PETE 225-lab
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Normal Pore Pressure
MW Gradients Example area
Fresh water 8.3 ppg .433 psi/ft Rocky mountain
Brackish water 8.4 ppg .437 psi/ft
Salt water 8.5 ppg .442 psi/ft Most sedimentary basins
worldwide
Normal salt 8.7 ppg .452 psi/ft North sea
water
Salt water 8.9 ppg .465 psi/ft GOM
Salt water 9.2 ppg .478 psi/ft GOM
5 PETE 225-lab
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Overburden Pressure
• Overburden pressure is
total pressure exerted
Column of formation
by the formation
weight (fluid + rock)
• Overburden pressure
usually is in the range
of 19 – 21 ppg.
6 PETE 225-lab
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Example 1
• Assume Normal pore
pressure to calculate
formation /overburden
pressure at the bottomhole
• Ppore = 8.5 ppg
5500 ft
• Poverburden = 1 psi/ft
Ppore = 0.052 × 8.5 × 5500
= .442 × 5500
Solution
= 2430 psi
Poverburden = 1 psi/ft × 5500
= 5500 psi
7 PETE 225-lab
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Fracture Pressure
• High bottomhole pressure can
fracture the formation.
• The amount of pressure needed to
fracture the formation is equal to the
sum of downhole stress pressure and
tensile strength of rock.
8 PETE 225-lab
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Example 2
• If the fracture gradient at the
bottomhole is 0.8 psi/ft
estimate the required
bottomhole pressure to
5500 ft
fracture the formation.
Pfracture = 0.8 psi/ft × 5500
Solution
= 4400 psi
9 PETE 225-lab
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Basics of Well Control
PETE 225-lab
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Equivalent Mud Weight
• Pressure usually is expressed in equivalent
mud weight (ppg) or gradient.
HP 0.052 ppg TVD
HP
ppg
0.052 TVD
psi
PressureGradient 0.052 ppg
ft
11 PETE 225-lab
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Example 3
• What is the equivalent mud weight for a
reservoir at the depth of 12000 ft with
8000 psi pressure? What is the minimum
mud weight to drill into the reservoir?
HP
ppg
0.052 TVD
8000
ppg 12.82 Equivalent mud weight
0.052 12000
Solution
• Minimum mud weight = 12.9 ppg
12 PETE 225-lab
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Pressure Calculation
• The general pressure calculation Psurface
equation considers pressure at the
surface.
HP Psurface 0.052 ppg TVD
• If surface pressure is 300 psi,
TVD = 9000 ft, mw = 12 ppg and
calculate the BHP.
HP 300 0.052 12 9000
HP 5920 psi
Solution
13 PETE 225-lab
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Example 4
• Calculate the surface pressure ?
– Formation pressure = 13730 psi
– MW = 17.6
– Depth = 14500 ft
HP Psurface 0.052 ppg TVD
Psurface HP 0.052 ppg TVD
13730 0.052 17.6 14500
Solution
Psurface 460 psi
14 PETE 225-lab
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U-Tube
Drill String Annulus
• U-tube is a simple
schematic of the
well used for well
control purposes.
• The simple concept
of u-tube is
consistent BHP from
drillstring and
annulus.
BHP
15 PETE 225-lab
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Example 5
350 psi
? ppg
14 ppg
Calculate the mud weight
6000 ft
in the left column to
balance the pressure at
the bottomhole.
BHP
16 PETE 225-lab
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Example 5 - Solution
350 psi
BHP 350 0.05214 6000
? ppg
4720 psi 14 ppg
6000 ft
4720 0.052 ? ppg 6000
? ppg 15.12
MW of drilling fluid 15.2
If you workout LHS and RHS parametric
Psurface
? ppg MWppg
0.052 TVD
BHP
17 PETE 225-lab
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Frictional Pressure
• To circulate the mud in the well, energy is
needed to overcome frictional pressure in
the circulation system
– Drillstring
– Nozzles
– Annulus
• In most cases during well control operation,
annular pressure drop can be ignored.
18 PETE 225-lab
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Pressure Drop Estimation
• Killing is done using a heavier mud.
• Heavier mud has higher pressure drop
• If the rheological properties of mud stays
the same, the pressure loss in the system
estimated using
MWKill
Pkill Poriginal
MWoriginal
Slow Pump Rate
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Goal of Well Control
• Safely circulate out the kick with the
kill weight mud.
• Keep the BHP equal to or slightly
higher than the formation pressure.
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Kill Weight Mud
• Kill weight mud calculation is the same
as the one in Example 5.
• From Example 5
Psurface
MWkill MWoriginal
0.052 TVD
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Keep The BHP Constant
• To keep the BHP constant we have to
consider the following factor
– Gas expansion
– Pressure drop in the system
– Higher hydrostatic pressure due to the
heavier mud
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Initial Circulating Pressure
Pstandpipe
• Initial circulating pressure
is equal to the sum of
System frictional loss pressure
standpipe pressure and
system pressure drop
Pinitial Pstandpipe PSPR
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Final Circulating Pressure
Pstandpipe
• The pressure required to circulate
the mud at the SPR, when the kill
System frictional loss pressure
mud passes the nozzles is called the
final circulating pressure.
• This pressure is maintained while
circulating the kill mud up the
annulus.
MW kill
FCP SPR
MWoriginal
24 PETE 225-lab
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ICP - FCP
• Initial circulating pressure is greater than
FCP.
• As the kill mud displaces the original mud
in the drillpipe
– Hydrostatic pressure increases.
– Frictional pressure increases.
• The HP is greater than frictional pressure
increase.
• As the result of these two factors
circulating pressure drops.
25 PETE 225-lab
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ICP – FCP (cont.)
• for operational purposes a linear
behavior between ICP and FCP vs.
drillstring displacement stroke is
used.
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Drillpipe Pressure Schedule
ICP = 1100 psi
D
P
P
FCP = 830 psi
p
s
i KWM to Bit KWM to Surface
Cum Volume of Mud Pumped, strokes
PETE 225-lab
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Gas expansion
Psurface = 100 psi Psurface = 2600 psi Psurface = 5100 psi
5100
2500
5000 5100 5000
2500
5100
BHP = 5100 psi BHP = 7600 psi BHP = 10100 psi
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Casing Pressure
PETE 225-lab
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Kill Sheet
• TVD=6000 ft • Pump factor = 0.09 bbl/stk
• Borehole = 9.875” • System pressure loss @ 30
stks = 300 psi
• Casing:
– Length = 4000 ft • Shut-In Drillpipe pressure =
– 11.75”, 42 #/ft K55 350 psi
• Drill pipe: • Shut-In casing pressure = 500
– Length = 6000 ft psi
– 5”, 25.6 lb/ft
Mud weight=12.5 ppg • Gain = 10 bbls
PETE 225-lab
© Copyright, 2005, TAMU
Pre-recorded Information
5 4.276 9500 0.0177 19.5 10000
6 2 500 .0049 9.875 10000
11.75 11.084 8000 8000 42/k55
0.1
14.0
Kill sheet is courtesy of Well Control School
31 PETE 225-lab
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Kill Rates (Slow Pump Rate)
30 420 30 420
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Wait & Weight Worksheet
Round up to the accuracy of 0.1 ppg
500 10000 14.0 15.0
1 30 0.1 3.0 420
500 420 920
420 15.0 14.0 450
33 PETE 225-lab
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Drill String Volume & Stroke Calculations
9500 0.01776 168.74 500 0.0049 2.45
168.74 2.45 171.19 0.1 1712
Round up to a whole number
34 PETE 225-lab
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Annular Volume & Stroke Calculations
11.0842 52 0.0951 8000 760.8
9.8752 52 0.0704 1500 105.6
9.8752 62 .0597 500 29.88
760.8 105.6 29.88 896.27
35 PETE 225-lab
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Annular Volume & Stroke Calculations
105.6 29.88 0.1 1354.8
896.27 0.1 8962.7
1712 8962.7 10674.7
36 PETE 225-lab
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RECORDED KICK INFORMATION
10000 15.0
10000 920
500 450
750 171.19
20 1712
14.0 896.27
1354.8
30 8962.7
3.0 10674.7
37 PETE 225-lab
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Pressure
920
Chart 171.2 873
342.4 826
513.6 779
684.8 732
856 685
1027.2 638
1198.4 591
1369.6 544
1540.8 497
1712 450
10674.7 450
1712 171.2 920 450 47
38 PETE 225-lab
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Well Information
• TVD=10000 ft • Mud weight=14.0 ppg
• Borehole = 9.875” • Pump factor = 0.1 bbl/stk
• Casing: • System pressure loss @ 30
– Length = 8000 ft stks= 420 psi
– 11.75”, 42 #/ft
• Shut-In Drillpipe pressure =
• Drill pipe: 500 psi
– 5”, 19.5 lb/ft
• Drill collar: • Shut-In casing pressure =
– Length = 500 ft 750 psi
– 6×2
• Gain = 20 bbls
PETE 225-lab
© Copyright, 2005, TAMU
