Gas Hydrate Drilling Problems

Dr. William C. Maurer

Gulf of Mexico Hydrate R&D
Planning Workshop
August 9-10, 2000
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Gas Hydrates

Solid Mixture of Gas and Water

(Petroleum Engineer, March 1998)

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Burning Methane Hydrate

(Sloan, Jr., 1990)

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Global Gas Hydrate Locations

(Collett et al., 1998)

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Hydrate Dissociation Curve

(Sloan Jr., 1990)

Pressure MPa

20

Solid
Hydrate
a

15
10

5
0
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Gas &
Water

10
15
20
Temperature, C

25

Unstable Hydrate Decomposition

(Petroleum Engineer, March 1998)

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Ice

Land Well
200
Hydrate
Phase Diagram 400
Depth, m

(Collett et al., 1998)

Sediment

Ice &
Hydrate

600

Base of Permafrost

800

Hydrate

1,000

Phase
Boundary

Base of Hydrate

1,200

Geothermal
Gradient

1,400

Gas & Water

1,600

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0
10
Temperature, C

20

30

Offshore Well
Hydrate
Phase Diagram
Depth, m

(Collett et al., 1998)

200
400

Water

Water
Temperature
Phase
Boundary

600
800

Geothermal
Gradient

1,000
Sea Floor

1,200

Hydrate

1,400

Gas & Water

1,600

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0
10
Temperature, C

208

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Producing Gas From Hydrates

(Sloan Jr., 1990)

Gas Well

Impermeable Rock
Hydrate Zone
Completion
Zone

Gas Zone

Porous
Zone

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15m

Hydrate Gas Production in Russia

(Makogon, 1988)
Well No 109

Well No 121 Well No 150

Depth, in m

700

Well No 142

Well No 7

Hydrate

750

Gas

800

Water
850

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Depressurization
Hydrate Production
(Collett et al., 1998)

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Thermal Injection-Cycle
Hydrate Production
(Collett et al., 1998)

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Hydrate Drilling Problems

Riser
Drill Pipe
Plugged Choke/Kill Lines

Stuck Pipe
Frozen Disconnect

Frozen Blow Out Preventor

Gas Cut Mud

Dehydrated Mud

Hydrate

Enlarged Hole

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Offshore Hydrate Blowout

Gas Plume

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Hydrate Drilling Mechanism

Gas

Hole
Enlargement

Hydrate
Drilled
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Problems with Enlarged Holes

Hole Cleaning

Drill Pipe Buckling

Packers

Logging

Cementing

Running
16
Wire Line Tools

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Gas Hydrate Drilling

and Production Problems
(Collett
Collett,, 2000)

Production
Facilities

Gas
Leakage

Open
Borehole
Gas
Hydrate

Hydrate

Hydrate

Free-Gas

Free-Gas
Cased
Borehole

Gas Release

Free-Gas

Cased
Borehole

Gas Leakage

Collapsed
Casing

Production
Of Hot
Hydrocarbons

Collapsed Casing

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Gas hydrate is a significant

hazard to drilling and production
operations
(Collett ,2000)

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It is difficult to ensure sealing

wells and consequently ecological
safety in hydrate deposits using
traditional oil field technology
(Makogon, 1997)

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Moving Hydrate Boundary

During Dissociation
(Roadifer et al., 1987)
Upper Boundary
Inner Boundary

Outer Boundary

DS

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Lower Boundary

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Temperature Profile in Dissociation Zone

(Roadifer et al., 1987)

40

Temperature (degree F)

Well Depth 3000 ft

30

5 hours
12 hours
24 hours

20

48 hours

10

0
0
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20

40

60

80

Radius (feet)

100
21

Factors Increasing Gas Flow Rate

(Roadifer et al., 1987)

Increased mud temperature

Reduced mud weight
Increased wellbore diameter
Increased hydrate thickness

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Offshore Hydrate Drilling Systems

Control Boat

Drillship
Insulated
pipe

Mud and Gas

Warm mud
Drillpipe

Cool water
Drillpipe

Riser

Riser
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Drilling

Cold water

Subsea
CT Rig

Seafloor
Wellhead
Hydrate

Power
cable

Pump

Seawater
Pump

Hole
Enlargement

Drillpipe
Drilling

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Seafloor
Rig

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Submarine

Drilling Rig
Seawater

Buoyancy
chamber

Power Cable

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Stopping Blowout
with Hydrate Plugs
(Makogon
Makogon,, 1997)

Cold water
injection

Debris in crater
G

500m
Relief well

700m

Hydrate plugs
Connection point (1000m)

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Strong flow of gas

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Well Log
Geologic
Cross Section
(Collett et al., 1998)

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Hydrate Drilling Recommendations

Fund hydrate drilling R&D immediately

Focus on safety and reducing costs
Document Russian drilling technology
Develop improved computer models
Conduct experiments in oil and gas wells
Develop inexpensive seafloor coring system
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