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HUSSAIN RABIA

KICK TOLERANCE

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Course Title: KICK TOLERANCE

Objectives
At the end of this module, YOU will be able to:

1.

List variables affecting kick tolerance.

2.

List situations when to calculate KT

3.

Calculate kick tolerance

4.

List situations when to increase KT

5.

Describe influence of FG on KT
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Kick Tolerance
DEFINITION
For practical purposes, kick tolerance may be defined
as the maximum kick size which can be tolerated
without fracturing the previous casing shoe.

Kick tolerance may also be defined in the terms of the

maximum allowable pore pressure at next TD or
maximum allowable mud weight which can be
tolerated without fracturing the previous casing shoe

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Kick Tolerance Elements

1.
2.
3.
4.

Pore pressure from next TD

Frac Gradient at current casing shoe
Design influx volume that can be
safely circulated out of hole
Type of well: exploration or
development

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Pore Pressure & Type of Well

1. For Exploration wells, an overpressured
zone may be penetrated. The pore
pressure gradient is assumed to be 0.5
ppg greater than the maximum mud
gradient.
2. For Development wells, assume that an
influx enters from swabbing the well.
Pore pressure gradient is assumed to be
equal to current mud gradient.

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When to Calculate Kick Tolerance

1.

After a leak-off test

2.

Prior to drilling ahead

3.

If a factor such as mud weight or drillstring geometry

is changed

4.

When drilling into areas of overpressure with rapid

pore pressure increase, and increasing mud weight to
compensate, kick tolerance, limited by formation
strength at the previous casing shoe, will be rapidly
reduced

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Gas Behaviour
Gas is highly compressible. Its volume depends on both
pressure and temperature

Boyles Law
PV= constant

P1 V1 = P2 V2

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0
Gas

Open
Gas

Gas

Gas

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0
Gas

Open
Gas

Gas

Gas

P1 = 5000 psi

P2 = 14.7 psi

T1= 240 F

T2= 60 F

V1 = 1 bbl (Assumed values)

V2 = ?

P1V 1 P 2V 2
=
T1
T2
9

5000 x1
240 + 460

14.7 xV 2
60 + 460

V2 = 253 bbls & pressure reduces

from 5000 psi to 14.7 psi
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When the tube is closed , gas rises up the tube without

expansion carrying its pressure with it all the way up the tube.

Closed

5000

Gas

Mud = 9.6 ppg

Gas

Depth= 10000
Gas

Mud hydrostatic = 5000 psi

Gas pressure
1
0

= 5000 psi
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Bottom Hole Pressure (Igore gas head)

In a real well, the hole will

fracture when gas is at surface
Closed

5000

Gas

Mud = 9.6 ppg

Depth= 10000

Gas

Gas

BHP= surface pressure + Hydrostatic

heads= 0 +5000 = 5000 psi
1
1

BHP= surface pressure + Hydrostatic

heads=5000 +5000 = 10,000 psi
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Hence gas expansion must be allowed to reduce wellbore

pressures. This is the basis of well kill methods.

Gas

Gas

1
2

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DPSIP

Before circulation

Pa

Mud

Gas
Yf
Pf

1
3

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Gas half-way up the hole

Pa1

CSD

Px
Gas Bubble

Pf
1
4

TD

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Pamax

Gas at surface

1
5

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Position Of Gas Bubble During Circulation Using The Drillers Method

DPSIP

Pa1

Pa

Pamax

CSD

Px

Mud

Gas
Yf
TD

Pf
A) Before circulation

1
6

C) Gas at surface

B) Gas half-way up the hole

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Gas half-way up the hole

Pa1

Px = Pf - Pg - (TD - H - CSD) x pm x 0.052

CSD

Px
Gas Bubble

Pf
1
7

Pf
Pg
H
G
TD
CSD
pm

=formation pressure at next TD, psi

=hydrostatic pressure in gas bubble = H x G
=height of gas bubble at casing shoe, ft
=gradient of gas = 0.05 to 0.15 psi/ft
=next hole total depth, ft
=casing setting depth, ft
=maximum mud weight for next hole section, ppg

TD

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Gas half-way up the hole

Pa1

Px = Pf - Pg - (TD - H - CSD) x pmx 0.052

X

CSD

Px
Gas Bubble

Px = FG x CSD x 0.052

Pg = H (ft) x 0.1 psi/ft

Pf
1
8

TD

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H=

0.052 x pm (TD - CSD) + (FG x CSD x 0.052 - Pf)

0.052 x pm - G

Where FG is the fracture gradient at the casing shoe in ppg

1
9

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H=

0.052 x m (TD - CSD) + (FG x CSD x 0.052 - Pf)

0.052 x pm - G

Where FG is the fracture gradient at the casing shoe in ppg

The volume of influx at the casing shoe is

V1 = H x Ca bbl
Where Ca = capacity between pipe and hole, bbl/ft

Pa1

CSD

Px
Gas Bubble

Remember pressure at shoe is FG

(fixed)
Pf
2
0

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TD

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At bottom hole conditions the volume of influx (V2) is

given by

DPSI
P

P2 V2 = P1 V1
(The effects of T and Z are ignored)
V2 = V1 x P1
P2
Where P1
P2

=
=

bbl

fracture pressure at shoe, psi

Pf, psi
Mud

The value of V2 is the

circulation kick tolerance in
bbls.
2
1

Pa

Gas
Yf
Pf

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DPSIP

Pa
Pa1

CSD

Px

Mud

Gas
Yf
Pf
TD

2
2

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Increasing Kick Tolerance

KT values may be increased when:

2
3

1.

drilling extremely high porous and

permeable zones ( 1-3 darcies)

2.

using low tech kick detection equipment

3.

several transition zones in same open hole

section are encountered

4.

drilling from a semi-sumbersible rig

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Example: Calculate the Kick Tolerance for

9 5/8

= 14,500 ft

Next Hole TD

= 17000 ft

FG at 9 5/8 shoe

= 16 ppg

Temperature gradient

= 0.02 F /ft

Max. mud weight for next hole

=14.5 ppg

Max formation pressure at next hole

= 14 ppg

Assume next hole 8

5 drillpipe from surface to TD

2
4

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H=

0.052 x pm (TD - CSD) + (FG x CSD x 0.052 - Pf)

0.052 x pm - G

H=

0.052 x 14.5 (17000-14500) + (16x14500x0.052 14x17000x0.052)

0.052 x 14.5 0.1

Pa1

H = 2405 ft

Px

CSD

Gas

= 14500 ft

Bubble

Mud = 14.5 ppg

Pf
2
5

= 14 ppg

TD

= 17000 ft

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Volume at shoe = H x capacity between hole/DP

Capacity =

( 8.52 52)
4

___1____
x 144

= 0.2577 ft3/ft
5.62 bbl/ft
= 0.0459 bbl/ft

V1 = 0.0459 x 2405
= 110.4 bbl (volume of bubble at shoe)
2
6

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P1 V1 = P2 V2
16 x 14500x 0.052 x 110.4 = 14x17000x 0.052 x V2

V2 = 107.8 bbls

2
7

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Temperature Effects

T = surface temp + temperature gradient + 460

T1 ( at shoe)

= 60 + 0.02(F /ft) x 14500 (ft) + 460 = 810

T2 (at TD)
V1 x P1
T1
110x16x14500x0.52
810

V2 =115 bbl
2
8

= 60 + 0.02 x 17000 + 460 = 860

= V2 x P2
T2

V2 x14x17000x0.052
860

(compared to 108 bbl without temperature effects)

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Exercise 1 : Repeat previous example if

FG= 15.2 ppg

H = 1482.87 ft
V1 = 68 bbl
V2 = 63 bbl ( without temperature effects)
With temperature effects
68x15.2x14500x0.52
810

V2 x14x17000x0.052
860

V2 = 67 bbls
2
9

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Influence of FG on Kick Tolerance

(i) If the actual FG is greater than the design value, then
open hole section below the casing shoe can be drilled
further than planned if desired. In other words , the well is
actually stronger than planned.
(ii) If the actual FG is less than the planned, then the reverse
of the above is true. The open hole section can not be drilled
to it planned depth. The section may then be drilled to a
shallower depth with less pore pressure or a cement plug is
placed at the shoe to artificially strength the shoe. The last
practice was actually performed by the author and was
found successful in areas with FG less than 15 ppg.

3
0

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Table : Kick Tolerances for exploration Wells

HOLE SIZE (inch)
6 and smaller
8.5
12
17.5

3
1

KICK VOLUME (bbl)

25
25-50
50-100
100

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Exercise 2: Exploration Well

Semisubmersible
Calculate KT for 12 hole
133/8 casing is set at 7000 ft.
FIT results:
Mud in hole = 13 ppg , surface pressure 1000 psi
5 drillpipe
Temperature 0.015 F /100 ft
Pore pressure unknown ? Maximum mud weight to be used
is 14 ppg.

3
2

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Exercise 1: Exploration Well

Semisubmersible
Answer:
FG = 15.75 from FIT
Pore pressure = 14 ppg = maximum mud weight
H=
KT =

3
3

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Now , YOU should be able to:

3
4

1.

List variables affecting kick tolerance.

2.

List situations when to calculate KT

3.

Calculate kick tolerance

4.

List situations when to increase KT

5.

Influence of FG on KT

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End Of Module

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