Petroleum Engineering 406

Lesson 3
Well Control
 Read
• Well Control Manual
– Chapter 7-8
• Homework 2 Due Jan. 30, 2001
 Content
• Equivalent Mud Weights - EMW
• Casing Seat Tests
• Kick Tolerance
• Differences in Kick Types
• Reaction of Gas in the Wellbore
 Equivalent Mud Weight
• EMW - the total pressure exerted at a given
depth expressed in ppg equivalent

• EMW = Surf. Press./(0.052*TVDint)+MW

– or
• EMW = Total Press. /(0.052*TVDint)
 Equivalent Mud Weight
• Examples:
– KWM
– ECD - Equivalent Circulating Density
• ECD = Ann. Fric./(0.052*TVD)+OWM
– Frac gradient
– Pore pressure, etc
 Casing Seat Tests
• We test casing seats to:
– Determine max pressure that formation can
withstand
– Determine if we have a good cement job
 Casing Seat Tests
• LOT - Leak-Off Test
– Measure the fracture Fracture Initiation

pressure at casing seat P Leak-Off

– or, Maximum pressure r
the formation can e
Fracture Extension
withstand prior to s
fracture s
Casing Test
LeakOff Pr essure u
EMW   MW
.052 * TVDshoe r
e
Volume pumped
 Casing Seat Tests
• PIT - Pressure Integrity Test (FIT)
– Determine if the casing seat can withstand a
pre-determined pressure

• Test Pressure = (EMW-MW)*0.052*TVDcasing seat

 Kick Tolerance
• Maximum Casing Pressure - MCP
• Maximum Allowable Annular Surface
Pressure - MAASP, MASP
• Maximum Casing pressure that the
formation can withstand prior to fracture
• = (EMW-MW)*0.052*TVDcasing seat
 Kick Tolerance
• Maximum ppg kick - Maximum mud
weight increase on a kick prior to formation
fracture
• =(EMW-MW)*TVDshoe/TVDwell

• Assumes zero pit gain

 Kick Tolerance
• Maximum Kick Volume
 Kick Types
• Gas Kicks
– Rapid expansion as gas circulated through
choke
– Mud gas separators and flare lines used
– Gas migration problems
– Higher SICP than others
 Kick Types
• Gas Kicks, cont.
– Barite settling in OB mud
– Solubility of gas masks kick indicators
– Flammability of gas
– Slugging of gas at choke
 Kick Types
• Oil Kicks
– Flammable but not as explosive as gas
– Density greater than gas-lower SICP
– Very little expansion as kick reaches surface

– But, there is almost always some gas present

 Kick Types
• Water kicks
– not flammable
– very little expansion
– lower SICP than gas or oil

– But, there is still usually some gas present.

 Kick Types
• Prediction kick types
– Density of gas =1-2 ppg
– Density of oil = 6-8 ppg
– Density of salt water =8.6-9.0 ppg

KickDensity  MW 
SICP  SIDPP 
0.052  height
PitGain, bbl
height 
Ann.Cap, bbl / ft
 Drillers Method
• Pressure at Top of Kick-Px

  VB  PB  TX  Z X  MW  0.052  
1/ 2
B  B 2
Px         
2  4   x 
v T B  Z B  

B  PB  PFB   D  x  0.052  MW
vB
vX
 Drillers Method
• Surface Casing Pressure - CP
– CP=Px-0.052*MW*x
• Pressure at casing seat - Pseat
– Pseat=CP+0.052*MW*Dseat
– where the bubble is below the casing seat
– Pseat=PB-0.052*MW*(D-Dseat)
– where the bubble is above the casing seat
 Wait & Weight Method
• Pressure at Top of Kick-Px

B1  B   VB  PB  TX  Z X  MW1  0.052  

1/ 2
2
Px        
1

2  4   vx  TB  Z B  

B1  PB  PFB   D'0.052  MW1  MW   D  x   0.052  MW1

vB
vX
 Wait & Weight Method
• Surface Casing Pressure - CP
– CP=Px-0.052*MW*x
• Pressure at casing seat - Pseat
– Pseat=CP+0.052*MW*Dseat
– where the bubble is below the casing seat
– Pseat=PB-(0.052*MW*D’)
– -[0.052*MW1*(D-D’-DSEAT)]
– where the bubble is above the casing seat
Nomenclature
Examples
Surface Casing Pressure
Ann. Press @ Various Depths
 Reaction of Gas in a Wellbore
• Boyle’s Law • PV/ZT = nR
– PV=constant
• Charles’ Law • P1*V1 = P2*V2
– V/T=constant Z1*T1 Z2*T2
• Avagadro’s Law
– PV=nRT • V2 = P1*V1*Z2*T2
• Real Gas Law P2*Z1*T1
– PV=ZnRT
 Reaction of Gas in a Wellbore
• Circulating gas from wellbore
• Given:
– Depth =16,000’
– BHT =300oF
– BHP =12480 psi
– MW =15.0 ppg
– Surf. Temp =140oF
– Drilled up 1 cu.ft. of gas
Reaction of Gas in Wellbore
Reaction of Gas in Wellbore
Gas Migration
Gas Migration
MASP