TAMU - Pemex

Well Control
Lesson 7
Pore Pressure Prediction

Contents
Porosity

Shale Compaction
Equivalent Depth Method
Ratio Method
Drilling Rate
dC-Exponent
Moores Technique
Combs Method
2

Pore pressure prediction

methods
Most pore pressure prediction
techniques rely on measured or inferred
porosity.
The shale compaction theory is the
basis for these predictions.
3

Pore pressure prediction methods

Measure the porosity indicator (e.g.
density) in normally pressured, clean
shales to establish a normal trend line.
When the indicator suggests porosity
values that are higher than the trend, then
abnormal pressures are suspected to be
present.
The magnitude of the deviation from the
normal trend line is used to quantify the
abnormal pressure.
4

Porosity should
decrease with
depth in normally
pressured shales

1. Establish Normal
Trend Line in good
clean shale

Transition
2. Extrapolate
normal trend
line

3. Determine the
magnitude
of the deviation
5

Older shales have had

more time to compact,
so porosities would
tend to be lower (at a
particular depth).
Use the trend line
closest to the transition.
Lines may or may not
be parallel.

Equivalent Depth Method

De

The normally compacted

shale at depth De has the
same compaction as the
abnormally pressured
shale at D. Thus,
sV = sVe

i.e., sob - pp = sobe - pne

pp = pne + (sob - sobe)
D

sob = sV + pp
7

Example 2.6
Estimate the pore pressure at 10,200 if the
equivalent depth is 9,100. The normal pore
pressure gradient is 0.433 psi/ft. The
overburden gradient is 1.0 psi/ft.
At 9,100, pne = 0.433 * 9,100 = 3,940 psig
At 9,100, sobe = 1.00 * 9,100 = 9,100 psig
At 10,200, sob = 1.00*10,200 = 10,200 psig
8

Solution
pp = pne + (sob - sobe) . (2.13)

= 3,940 + (10,200 9,100)

pp = 5,040 psig

The pressure gradient,

gp = 5,040/10,200
= 0.494 psi/ft
EMW = 0.494/0.052 = 9.5 ppg
9

The Ratio Method

uses (Xo/Xn) to predict
the magnitude of the
abnormal pressure
We can use:
Depth

drilling rate

resistivities
conductivities
sonic speeds
Xn

Xo

10

Shale Porosity Indicator

Pore pressures can be

predicted:
Before drilling (planning)
During drilling.
After drilling

11

Before drilling the well

(planning)
Information from nearby wells
Analogy to known characteristics of the
geologic basin
Seismic data

12

13

Table 2.6 Contd

14

Seismic Surveys, as used in conventional geophysical

prospecting, can yield much information about underground
structures, and depths to those structures. Faults, diapirs, etc.
may indicate possible locations of abnormal pressures
15

Typical Seismic Section

16

Under normal
compaction, density
increases with
depth. For this
reason the interval
velocity also
increases with
depth, so travel
time decreases
Dt = Dtma(1-f) + Dtf f

17

Sound moves faster in

more dense medium
In air at sea level,
Vsound = 1,100 ft/sec
In distilled water,
Vsound = 4,600 ft/sec
In low density, high porosity
rocks,
Vsound = 6,000 ft/sec
In dense dolomites,

Vsound = 20,000 ft/sec

18

Example 2.7
Use the data in Table 2.7 to determine
the top of the transition zone, and
estimate the pore pressure at 19,000
using the equivalent depth method
using Pennebakers empirical correlation

Ignore the data between 9,000 and

11,000. Assume Eatons Gulf Coast
overburden gradient.
19

Solution
Plot interval travel time vs. depth on
semilog paper (Fig. 2.31)
Plot normal trend line using the
6,000-9,000 data.
From Fig. 2.20, at 19,000,
gob = 0.995 psi/ft
(sob)19,000 = 0.995 * 19,000 = 18,905 psig
20

Equivalent Depth
Method:
Use
Ignore

From the vertical line,

De = 2,000
sobe = 0.875 * 2,000
=1,750 (Fig. 2.20)
But,
pne = 0.465 * 2,000
= 930 psig

Dtn

Dto

pp = 930 +
(18,905-1,750)
pp = 18,085 psig
21

Fig. 2.30

Pennebakers
correlation for Gulf
Coast sediments
Higher travel time means
more porosity and higher
pore pressure gradient
Example 2.7 (Table 2.7)
Dto = 95 msec/ft @ 19,000
Dtn = 65 msec/ft @ 19,000
Dto/ Dtn = 95/65 = 1.46

0.95

pp = 0.95 * 19,000
= 18,050 psig
22

Comparison
Pore Pressure at a depth of 19,000 ft:
Pennebaker:
18,050 psi or 0.950 psi/ft or 18.3 ppg
Equivalent Depth Method:

18,085 psi or 0.952 psi/ft or 18.3 ppg

23

While Drilling
dc-exponent
MWD & LWD

Kicks
Other drilling rate factors (Table 2.5)

24

TABLE 2.5 -

25

Penetration rate and abnormal pressure

Bits drill through overpressured rock
faster than through normally pressured
rock (if everything else remains the
same).

When drilling in clean shales this fact

can be utilized to detect the presence
of abnormal pressure, and even to
estimate the magnitude of the
overpressure.
26

TABLE 2.8 -

Note, that many factors can influence the drilling rate,

and some of these factors are outside the control of
the operator.
27

Effect of bit weight and hydraulics

on penetration rate

Inadequate
hydraulics or
excessive
imbedding of
the bit teeth in
the rock

Drilling rate
increases more
or less linearly
with increasing
bit weight.
A significant
deviation from
this trend may
be caused by
poor bottom
hole cleaning

0
28

Effect of Differential Pressure on Drilling Rate

Decrease can be due to:

The chip hold down effect

Differential
pressure is the
difference between
wellbore pressure
and pore fluid
pressure

The effect of wellbore

pressure on rock strength

29

Drilling
underbalanced
can further
increase the
drilling rate.

30

The chip hold-down effect

The mud pressure
acting on the
bottom of the hole
tends to hold the
rock chips in
place

Important hold-down parameters:

Overbalance

Drilling fluid filtration rate

Permeability

Method of breaking rock (shear or crushing)

31

TABLE 2.9 -

Drilling rates are influenced by rock strengths.

Only drilling rates in relatively clean shales are useful for
predicting abnormal pore pressures.

32

sob is generally
the maximum in
situ principal
stress in
undisturbed rock

33

Stresses on Subsurface Rocks

sob, sH1, sH2 and p all tend to increase
with depth
sob is in general the maximum in situ
principal stress.
Since the confining stresses sH1 and
sH2 increase with depth, rock strength
increases.
34

Stresses on Subsurface Rocks

The pore pressure, p, cannot produce
shear in the rock, and cannot deform
the rock.
Mohr-Coulomb behavior is controlled by
the the effective stresses (matrix).
When drilling occurs the stresses
change.
sob is replaced by dynamic drilling fluid
pressure.
35

The degree of
overbalance now
controls the
strength of the
rock ahead of the
bit.

36

Rock failure caused by roller cone bit.

The differential pressure from above provides

the normal stress, so

Formation fracture is resisted by the shear stress, to,

which is a function of the rock cohesion and the friction
between the plates. This friction depends on so.
37

Fig. 2.41 - Differential Pressure 0.1 in below the bit.

Vertical Stress
Horizontal Stress
Pore Pressure
Wellbore Pressure

= 10,000 psi
= 7,000 psi
= 4,700 psi
= 4,700 psi

(Induced
Differential
Pressure in
Impermeable
rock.
FEM Study)

When sob is replaced by phyd (lower) the rock immediately below the
bit will undergo an increase in pore volume, associated with a
reduction in pore pressure.
In sandstone this pressure is increased by fluid loss from the mud.

38

Drilling Rate as a Pore

Pressure Predictor
Penetration rate depends on a number
of different parameters.
R = K(P1)a1 (P2)a2 (P3)a3 (Pn)an
A modified version of this equation is:

W
R K 3 N
db

39

Drilling Rate as a Pore

Pressure Predictor
Or, in its most
used form:

log R
60 N
d

12W
log 106 d
b

R ft/hr

W
R K 3 N
db

N rpm
d d exponent
W Bit Weight , lbf
d b Bit Diameter, in
40

d-exponent
The d-exponent normalizes R for any
variations in W, db and N
Under normal compaction, R should
decrease with depth. This would cause
d to increase with depth.
Any deviation from the trend could be
caused by abnormal pressure.
41

d-exponent
Mud weight also affects R..

An adjustment to d may be made:

dc = d (rn /rc)

where
dc = exponent corrected for mud density

rn = normal pore pressure gradient

rc = effective mud density in use
42

Example
While drilling in a Gulf Coast shale,
R = 50 ft/hr
W = 20,000 lbf
N = 100 RPM
ECD = 10.1 ppg

(Equivalent Circulating Density)

db = 8.5 in
Calculate d and dc
43

Solution
50
log

2.079
60 * 100

12 * 20,000 1.554
log

6
10 * 8.5
d 1.34
0.465
dc 1.34

0.052 * 10.1
dc 1.19

log R
60N
d

12 W
log

106 d b

rn
d c d
rc

44

Example 2.9
Predict pore pressure at 6,050 ft (ppg):
from data in Table 2.10 using:
Rhem and McClendons correlation
Zamoras correlation
The equivalent depth method

45

TABLE 2.10

d-EXPONENT
AND MUD
DENSITY DATA
FOR A WELL
LOCATED
OFFSHORE
LOUISIANA

46

Step 1 is to plot the

data on Cartesian
paper (Fig. 2.43).
Transition at 4,700 ft?
or is it a fault?
Seismic data and
geological indicators
suggest a possible
transition at 5,700 ft.

47

Fig. 2.43
Slope of 0.000038 ft-1

48

Rehm and McClendon

gp = 0.398 log (dcn-dco) + 0.86
= 0.398 log (1.18 - 0.95) + 0.86

gp = 0.606 psi/ft

rp = 0.606 / 0.052 = 11.7 ppg

49

Zamora
From Fig. 2.44

gp = gn (dcn/dco)
= 0.465 * (1.18/.95)

gp = 0.578 psi/ft

0.95

1.18

rp = 0.578/0.052
rp = 11.1 ppg
50

Equivalent
Depth Method
From Fig. 2.20, at
6,050 ft,

gob = 0.915 psi/ft

sob = 0.915 * 6,050
= 5,536 psi

51

Equivalent
Depth Method
From Fig. 2.43,
Equivalent Depth
= 750 ft
At 750 ft,
sobe = 0.86 * 750
= 645 psi

pne = 0.465 * 750

= 349 psig
52

Equivalent Depth Method

From Eq. 2.13, at 6,050 ft
pp = pne + (sob - sobe)
pp = 349 + (5,536 - 645) = 5,240 psig
rp = 19.25 * (5,240 / 6,050) = 16.7 ppg
Perhaps the equivalent depth method is
not always suitable for pp prediction
using dc !!
53

Overlays such as this can be

handy, but
be careful that the scale is
correct for the graph paper
being used;
the slope is correct for
normal trends;
the correct overlay for the
formation is utilized.

54

To improve pore pressure predictions

using variations in drilling rate:
Try to keep bit weight and rpm relatively
constant when making measurements
Use downhole (MWD) bit weights when
these are available. (Frictional drag in
directional wells can cause large errors)
Add geological interpretation when
possible. MWD can help here also.
55

Improved pore pressure

predictions
Keep in mind that tooth wear can
greatly influence penetration rates.
Use common sense and engineering
judgment.
Use several techniques and compare
results.
56

Moores Technique
Fig. 2.45

Moore proposed a practical

method for maintaining a
pore-pressure overbalance
while drilling into a
transition.

Drilling parameters must be

kept constant for this
technique to work.
57

Combs Method
Combs attempted to improve on the
use of drilling rate for pore pressure by
correcting for:
hydraulics
differential pressure
bit wear

in addition to W, db, and N

58

Combs Method
aW

aq

W N q

f pd f t N
R R d

3,500 db 200 96 db dn
aN

q = circulating rate
dn = diameter of one bit nozzle

f(pd) = function related to the differential pressure

f(tN) = function related to bit wear
aW = bit weight exponent = 1.0 for offshore Louisiana
aN = rotating speed exponent = 0.6 for offshore Louisiana
aq = flow rate exponent = 0.3 for offshore Louisiana
59

Tooth wear factor

Correction
would depend
upon bit type,
rock hardness,
and
abrasiveness

60

Differential pressure factor

Method is too complicated and too site specific.

61