Shallow Water Flows

Shallow Water Flows (SWF)

What is a SWF?
Where do SWF occur?
Why do they occur?
How common a problem is this?
How serious is this problem?
Standard drilling procedures
Some potential solutions to the SWF
problem
2

References
Shallow water flows: How they develop;
what to do about them, by William
Furlow, Offshore, September 1998, p.70.
Acrylate momomer solution stops artesian
water, geopressured sand flows, by
Larry Eoff and James Griffith, Oil & Gas
Journal, November 2,
1998, p.89.
3

References, contd

OTC 1997
Deepstar report, 1996.
Shallow Water Flow Forum, June, 1998.

What are Shallow Water Flows

(SWF)?
Shallow water flows are flows from
overpressured sands encountered at
shallow depth below the mud line in
deepwater regions of the world.

What is a Shallow Water Flow?

Sometimes sand flows with the water.
Flow rates as high as 25,000 bbls/day
have been reported (~730 gal/min).
A video presentation at the Shallow
Water Flow Forum (June, 1998) showed
a SWF producing plumes of sand and
debris that boiled up 60 ft from the
seafloor.
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Where do SWF Occur?

SWF typically occur in water depths beyond
1,500 ft, at depths ranging from 300 to 3,500
ft below the mud line.
SWF represent a recently encountered
phenomenon in the Gulf of Mexico, West of
the Shetlands, the Norwegian Sea, Southern
Caspian Sea, and the North Sea.
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Where in the well do SWF Occur?

Depth

Seawater Hydrostatic
Aquifer Pore Pressure
Shale
Sand

Pressure
8

Why do SWF occur?

Basically SWF occur because the
pressure in the wellbore is lower than the
pressure in the aquifer.
The flow rate can be very high because of
thick, high- permeability sands
low water viscosity, and
sufficient pressure differential.
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How common a problem is this?

It has been suggested that 30 to 40% of
all deepwater wells in the Gulf of
Mexico encounter this problem.
Once the flow begins it is very difficult
to stop. This makes it difficult, and
sometimes impossible, to get a good
cement job around the casing.
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How serious is this problem?

Hole erosion and poor cement jobs can
result in settling of the casing strings,
accompanied by buckling of inner casing
strings, leading to serious damage or
loss of well ($10-20 million?).
At Ursa a number of wells were washed
out, and had to be relocated. Total cost is
estimated to be around $150 million!
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EROSION
SAND
12

Typical drilling procedules - SWF

1. Jet in 30-in drive pipe to 300 ft below mud line.
Do not cement. Silt forms seal.
2. Drill and under-ream hole to 600 ft. Run 26-in
conductor pipe and cement to mud line.
3. The next casing string would normally be 20-in.
This string might be run to 1,500 ft., etc.
Where there are no SWF present the 26-in and 20-in
strings may be run much deeper. Some string sizes
may be eliminated.
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14

Step 1a. Jet in 30-in conductor to 300 ft

below mud line

15

Step 1b. 30-in conductor silts in

- no cementing

16

Step 2a. Drill, under-ream hole

for the 26-in conductor

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Step 2b.
Cement the
26-in
conductor to
the mud line

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Any solutions to the SWF problem?

Soln 1. Increase the mud weight
When encountering any overpressured
zone, standard practice is to increase the
density of the drilling fluid. This increases the
pressure in the wellbore to the point where
influx (SWF) should cease.
Sometimes increasing the the mud weight
may lead to lost circulation, and the influx
continues, possibly turning into an
underground blowout.
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Soln 1. Increase the mud weight

Seawater Hydrostatic

Depth

Fracture Pressure
Pore Pressure
Shale
Sand

Pressure
20

Soln 1a. Increase the mud weight

Install riser - May lead to lost circulation

Seawater Hydrostatic
Drilling
Riser

New Mud Hydrostatic

Depth

Fracture pressure
Pore Pressure
Shale
Sand

Pressure
21

Soln 1b. Increase the mud weight

- drill with returns to the seafloor

Seawater Hydrostatic

Depth

New Mud Hydrostatic

Fracture pressure
Shale
Sand
Pore Pressure
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Soln 1c. Increase the mud weight

- drill with returns to the seafloor
- and pump the mud to the surface
Seawater Hydrostatic

Depth

New Mud Hydrostatic

Fracture pressure
Shale
Sand
Pore Pressure
23

Soln 1c. Increase the mud weight (zoom)

- drill with returns to the seafloor
- and pump the mud to the surface
(Riserless Drilling)
New Mud Hydrostatic

RBOP

Fracture
pressure

Sand
Pore Pressure

Pressure

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Soln 2. Use a seafloor

diverter
The diverter is a pack-off
device, attached to the
casing, that can put backpressure on the formation to
stop the SWF.
It may work, if the casing is
set just above the aquifer,
but may result in lost
circulation, and possibly
broaching to the surface.
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Soln 2. Use a seafloor diverter

New Mud Hydrostatic
Fracture
pressure

Sand
Pore Pressure

Pressure

26

JIP Shallow Water Flow

Diverter
Rotating Head
and
Drilling Choke

Rotating Head
and
Drilling Choke

Soln 3a. Use a

chemical grout
This treatment is
designed to plug
off the pore
space in the
aquifer. It also
consolidates the
sand.
After chemical
solidifies, drilling
can proceed.
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Step 3b. Use a

chemical grout
contd
AMS = acrylate
monomer
solution
AMS is effective
in downhole
temperatures
from 50 to 200
deg. F.
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Soln 4. Foam Cementing

Low-density foamed cements have
sometimes been successful in
stopping SWF.
These are especially successful when
used in combination with chemical
grouts.
Grout, drill, run casing, cement.
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Shallow Water Flow Cementing Technology

Settable Spots

By-passed fluid
and filter-cake
solidify and seal
formation

Foamed Cements

Variable hydrostatic
gradient possible
Lightweight , high
strength
Expands to fill
annulus
Conforms to borehole
Fast setting at low
temperature
High shear bond
supports well loads

WATER FLOW

Jet Stabilization Process

Place Cement Slurry,
Resin,
Or Other Stabilizing
Material in Enlarged Hole
Slurry is jetted against wellbore
wall at high velocity
Ensures enlarged wellbore is filled
with slurry
Displaces drilling fluid and spacer
Creates intimate contact between
slurry and wellbore
Removes filter cake

Jet Stabilization Process

Pull out of cement

and circulate to
clean up drill pipe

Wait for Cement

to Set

Jet Stabilization Process

Stabilized/Reconstituted
Wellbore

Drill through cement

and continue making
hole

Soln 5. Underbalanced drilling

through the SWF zone using
coiled tubing

A joint industry project is underway

to evaluate and develop this
technique.

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6. Drive the conductor through the SWF zone

Eliminates the annulus where the water
can flow. 500-1,000 ft BML is feasible.

Depth

Seawater Hydrostatic
Aquifer Pore Pressure
Shale
Sand

Pressure

37

DRILL DRIVE
Drilling Jar

Connection

Driving Tool

Flow Thru Holes

Conductor Adapter

Connection

Shear Pins
Mud Motor

Connection
OTC 8731

Drill Bit

Hammer

Casing
Anvil / Striker Plate
Cushion Assembly
Drive Ring

Drive Point

Bottom-Driven
OTC 8731

6. Drive the conductor through the SWF zone

Eliminates the annulus where the
water can flow.
Penetration to 500-1,000 ft BML is
feasible in almost all cases.
500 ft of drive pipe provides
sufficient resistance to support the
weight of all the subsequent
casing strings, thereby preventing
settling and casing buckling, even
if SWF reoccur.
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