TECNOLOGA DE PERFORACIN PARA EL

HOMBRE EN LA PLATAFORMA

By William J. Murchison

First Printing 1978

copyright 1982 Murchison Drilling Schools
Revised/reprinted; 1984, 1987, 1990, 1991. 1992, 1994, 1997,1998,
2001, 2002, 2003, 2004,

MURCHISON DRILLING SCHOOLS, INC.

P. O. BOX 14577
ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO 87191
PHONE:505-293-6271 FAX:505-298-5294

MurchisDn Drilling
SchoDI

PERFORACIN operaciones tecnologa y bien

CONTROL escolar
objetivos: Para proporcionar informacin para la planificacin de operaciones de
campo; y mtodos y tcnicas para analizar y resolver problemas operativos de
perforacin.
PROPSITO: Para equipar mejor el hombre de campo con informacin sobre
tecnologa de las operaciones de perforacin para que cmodamente pueda pone
un lpiz a una operacin antes por formando el trabajo.
MTODOS: Conferencia. la tarea, prctica del simulador, taller, pruebas,
discusin en clase y feed back.

BUEN FANGO PRCTICAS

1. Pregunte slo por las propiedades del lodo que realmente necesita.
2. retrasar la conversin (barro-para arriba) tan largo como sea posible.
3. mejorar el lodo agujero superior con tratamientos qumicos menores.
4. ver que equipo del aparejo puede realizar el programa de lodo.
5. en el campo de perforacin de desarrollo, volver a evaluar sistemticamente
las propiedades del lodo.
6. uso de aditivos de lodo que son compatibles con el sistema base.
7. Piense en circulacin perdida antes de tratarla.
8. utilice equipos de control de slidos sabiamente y asegrese de separador
primario (zaranda) hace su trabajo.
9. Recuerde cunto material barro cuesta cuando manejo en la superficie.
10. Aada agua antes o debajo de la pantalla de la coctelera, no en l.
11. utilizar el agua sabiamente.
12. seguir las buenas prcticas mediante la realizacin del bien.
13. Siga el mtodo de tendencia en el tratamiento de lodo o analizar problemas.

PROBLEM AREAS IN DRILLING OPERATIONS & WELL CONTROL:

1.

2.
3.
4

5
6
7
S

9,
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.

15.
16.
17.

18.
19.
20.
21.
22.

23.
24.
25.
26.
27.

28.
29.

30.

Basic Rig Math. Not being comfortable with the numbers and therefore,
failing to put a pencil to the operations.
Lack of concern for pre-planning and lack of scope.
Not using the basic drilling parameters such as strokes, pressure, torque,
drag, and mud to monitor drilling trends on a regular minute by minute basis.
Not relating surface indications to what is taking place down hole.
Not understanding the U-tube principle, and how it is related to DP and
annulus.
Not understanding Pump Pressure and Pump Stroke relationship
Not understanding effect of Additive Pressure Principle.
Start-up procedures when arriving at Initial Circulating Pressure (ICP)
without either causing lost circulation or allowing a 2nd kick.
Not really keyed-in on how to monitor a trip in or a trip out
Getting drill pipe pressure with a float in the string.
Arriving at Final Circulating Pressure (FCP) without flow or losses.
Expansion of gas.
How to maintain constant bottom hole pressure when gas is percolating
during shut down periods.
Stripping techniques and considerations.
Casing and cementing pre-plan and execution.
Gas at choke and quick changes in pressure.
Lost circulation and all implications which include cement plugs and kicks.
Concern for Safety.
The "Shift Concept" where work is put off 50 that it can be done by relief.
General misunderstanding of constant bottom hole pressure method.
Lack of understanding of mud and how it influences operation.
Making truck drivers out of our drillers because of poor foundations, and lack
of rig discipline on what we should expect the drillers to do, and in some
cases not enough flexibility in policy to allow the driller to 'think'.
Lack of consern about BOPE and testing.
Inability to 'side step', almost daily, obstacles in order to reach objectives
without getting weighted down with details.
Inability to develop team concept between operator and contractor.
The fear of being the "scape goat" will lead to indecision, and therefore lack of
progress, even to the point of a "cover-up".
Not understanding the drilling program, and what the operator's and contrac
tor's obliga tions are.
Poor communications up and down and between colleagues.
Incorrect reporting of facts, and consequently bad recommendations and
decision
Lack of concern for training.

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I HA VB MET TIffi ENEMy ....

AND TIlEY IS

US!

CAUSES OF BLOWOUTS
1

2
3
4

5
6
7

WHO IS TO BLAME?
MOnIER
NATURE
US

NOT MAKING SURE HOLE IS TAKIN'G TIIE PROPER AMOUNT OF MUD.

LOST CIRCULATION AND NOT STARTING FLUID IN ANNULUS

100%

(CAS CAP.).

2
2
2

98%
98%
98%
100%
90%
100%

TOO LOW MUD WEIGHT.

NOT ENOUGH CASJ:NG SET.
MECHANICAL FAILURES.
DRU.LING INTO. ABNORMALLY PRESSURE PERMEABLE ZONE.
FAILURE TO DETECf KICK.

10
0

Murchison Drilling Schools, Inc.

Table of Contents

lfI..'rfRODUCI'lON ..............................................
1
I. KEYS 10 COMMUNICATIONS ....................................................

n.
m.
IV.

V.

'I'R.EN'1:>S

.. _ .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

1
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

.. .. .. .. .. ,

..

THE COMMUNICATIONS NECESSARY BEFORE SPUD 'IO PREVENT PROBLEMS .......

COMMUNICATION NECESSARY TO PREVENT OR MINIMIZE DRILLn\lG PROBLEMS .

COMMUNICATIONS NECESSARY TO PREVENT ASSOCIATED PROBLEMS FROM DEVELOPING

BECAUSE OF IMPROPER FIRST ACTION ON A HOLE STABILITY PROBLEM. . . . . . . . . . .
VI. 9
COMMUNICATIONS NECESSARY TO CONTINUE DRILLIN:G OPERATIONS WInLE EITI-IER

VII. SOLVING OR LIV1NG WITH PROBLEM. .......................................

vm.
IX.

11

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VERBAL AND WRITI'EN COMMUNICATIONS.

12

..........

COMMUNICATIONS NECESSARY TO ENABLE A DRILLING FOREMAN TO DIAGNOSE AND SOLVE

X. A DRII..l.mG PROBLEld. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
~

XI.
XII.

HOW TO COMMUNICATE A PROBLEM 10 THE OFF1CE AND FIRST ACTION. ...........

COMMUNICATIONS NECESSARY TO ENABLE A DRILLING SUPERINTENDENT
GENERAL-QUICK EVALUATION OF A PROBLEM.

TO GET A

12
12
12

COMMUNICATIONS NECESSARY TO ENABLE A DRILLING SUPERINTENDENT TO HELP A

DRILLING FOREMAN EVALUATE SPECIFlC DRILLING PROBLEMS. ......................

12

SUPERVISING BY THE TREND METHOD 10 PREVENT HOLE PROBLEMS, 10 DIAGNOSE HOLE

PROBLEMS, AND TO SOLVE HOLE PROBLEMS . . . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. ..

16

Murchison Drilling Schools, Inc.

INTRODUcnON
This book addresses all phases of a drilling operation
which include the planning, the implementing of the
program to prevent drilling problems, and the post
appraising of the operation. It is focused at all levels of
drilling supervision, from the driller to the manager.
This book has been written to use as the main text for
the Operations Drilling Technology and Well Control
course taught in Murchison DriHing"Schools. In addition,
the author hopes that the book will serve as a reference
for the man on the rig. The material in the text is
arranged by subject for easy reference. Problems and
practices under each subject, however, are discussed by
hole intervals, simply because the depth and hole
interval have such an overall influence on the solution
and approach. For example, if the topic is lost drcula
tion, the solution and approach are dictated by hole
intervals. Lost circulation in top hole, with only a short
string of casing set, is a completely different problem
than lost circulation below a deep casing string. The list
of possible alternate solutions is different If we treat all
lost circulation as one problem, the cure will be very
costly and unsuccessful.
Transferring drilling technology to the man on the rig in
a way that the technology is made simple and usable is
not an easy task. The job is easier, however, when the
man on the rig can relate to the technology being
discussed. To accomplish this job in the book, case
histories by hole interval are used to introduce the
practice or solution to the drilling problems. The book is
dedicated to the men on the rig who are the co-develop
ers of all drilling technology that has evolved over the
last half century. Without the rig man's contribution all
of our teclmology would still be theoretical.
COMMUNICATIONS
The key to successful drilling operations is communica
tions. A Supervisor's job becomes one of giving instruc
tions, receiving questions, answering questions, asking
questions and keeping the flow of information or
communications moving effectively at all times. Failure
to communicate at all levels of supervision leads to
drilling problems that cost millions of dollars.
I.

KEYSTO COMMUNICATIONS

A drilling problem is anything that interfered with

carrying out a successful drilling program, The drilling
problem can be loss of hole stability, such as lost circula
tion, shale heaving, hole cleaning, stuck pipe, well
control, etc., but many times the problem is people and,

more specifically, communications between people. Most

drilling problems can be either prevented or solved by
being more effective at the art of communications.
Communications is really just a question and answer
session to interchange knowledge between people to get
work done in an effective way and, if work isn't done
correctly, to find out why.
The one thing in common about most successful drilling
operations is that they make sure drilling plans are well
understood by the people carrying out the work. Drilling
plans should be clearly written operational steps. Good
well trend monitoring habits make proper diagnosis of
problems more correct and this leads to proper reporting
and solving of the problems.
II. TRENDS
The only way a hole has of communicating with a driller
is by the drilling trends. Drilling people should record
drilling trends so that the changing drilling parameters
are properly diagnosed to prevent problems. Remember
the trend of numbers in most cases is more important
than the actual numbers,
If a problem does develop, a rig supervisor should be
able to analyze the trends and implement the proper
operational plan to correct the problem. The basic
drilling trends are pressure & stroke, torque, drag,
tripping, mud, U-tube, rate of penetration & well control.
A. Pressure and Strokes
Changes in pressure and stroke trends indicate that
the hydraulic system has been altered. The trends
that alter the hydraulic system are:
1. Drill string washouts and twist-efts
2. Hole squeezing or bridging with formation
3. Hole bridging with drilled cuttings or cuttings
that heave or slough
4. Changes in lithology if drilling with diamond
bit
5. Formation kick
6. Porosity gas cutting which causes mud heading
or surging
7. Leaking water valve in pump suction or active
mud system
8. Lost circulation
9. Plugged nozzle
10. Plugged choke (if on choke)
11. Mud treatment with friction reducer
12, Aeration from mixing mud in suction tank (or
other reasons)
13. Pump mechanical problems
14. Balling of drilling assembly

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Introduction - 1

Murchison
G. Rate of Penetration Trend
Rate of penetration trends indicate:
1. The need for hole sweeps during fast drilling
formations and/or control drilling
2. Caprocks or well control transition zones
3. Uthology changes and type formation
4. The need for mud property changes (solids,
plastic viscosity and yield values.
5. Change in overbalance (formation vs. hydrostatic pressure)
6. Potential kick- zone ,(use with d'exponent)
7. Dull bit and/or economical time to pull bit
8. Wrong bit for formation (or proper bit selec
tion)
9. Potential casing seat (or poor selection)
10. Improper weight and/or RPM on bit for hy
draulics being used. This is usually found out
by a drill-off test.
11. Porosity and sometimes permeability (if mud
solids or high permeability can have negative
influence on ROP)
12. Bit balling in sticky formations (and this is
influenced by hydraulic horsepower at bit and
weight on bit)
13. The need for control drilling particularly when
related to gas cut mud or gumbo
H. Well Control Trends
Well control trends indicate:
1. To the driller and/or drilling supervisor that a
potential or actual kick is possible or is taking
place
2. Amount of under balance of the mud (usually
in a shale transition zone either using shale
densities, d'exponents or logging information)
3. The need for mud weight adjustments from
flowline tests while drilling or bottoms-up
after hips
4. The possibIlity of kick if lost circulation trend
is not controlled carefully
5. Transition zones
6. Swabbing (and / or surge)
7. The need for closer surveillance (drilling and
tripping)
8. The need for controlling ROP
9. The need for special drilling practices and
contingencies (H:;, etc.)
10. The need to calculate kick tolerances and
re-evaluate casing seat selection

III. THE COMMUNICATIONS NECESSARY

BEFORE SPUD TO PREVENT
PROBLEMS
Pre-spud meetings are very necessary for successful
drilling operations because the lines of cornmunica-

Drllllng Schools, Inc.

tions are opened. There are two mistakes being made

concerning pre-spud meetings. One mistake is that
they are ill-prepared and really become only a
kiss-and-promise
meeting. Lack of support from
management (drilling superintendent or higher) is
the chief cause of this complacent attitude. The
second mistake is that only one meeting is normally
scheduled, and too many things are discussed with
parties who have no business at the meeting. One
meeting should be attended by only drilling contrac
tor and operator staff. A second meeting would be
attended by service company personnel, contractor &
operator personnel.
A. Pre-spud Meeting ONE ~ Operator & Contractor
Staff
This meeting is very important
for opening the
communications
between the two parties. The
following points should be discussed:
1. The Supervisory Lines of Communications When operating practices of either party are
being violated, what are the lines of communi
cation necessary to prevent the rig people from
becoming cross-threaded? When rig problems
require contingency plans, what are the neces
sary lines of communication? Do operating
representatives give orders to drillers, bypass
ing the toolpusher?
2. Review of the drilling contract - The key
points outlining the responsibilities of each
party should be discussed. Is the Operators
Policy Manual part of drilling contract, and if
yes is a copy available for rig people?
3. Review of the drilling program - TIle program
should be reviewed, with special emphasis on
anticipated problem zones and how to prevent
the problems. The contractor shouJd be told
what drilling trends must be kept up with on
a minute-by-minute basis to prevent and diag
nose problems. TIle contractor drillers have to
know what the first action will be in case of a
problem, i.e., in case of lost circulation the first
action is to start fluid in annulus to prevent
secondary problems of kicks and stuck pipe.
4. Rules &. regulations
should be reviewed
pertinent to MMS or other commissions
5. Contractor and Operator policies should be
reviewed - If the drilling program requires any
deviation from policies, this is the time to
discuss the differences. Make sure the rig
drillers know what these policies are.
6. Personnel qualifications for the Operator &
Contractor should be reviewed by each drill
ing superintendent. Many times, requirements
for technical or operational back-up can be
evaluated, r-:8!.1.d.Jhi&-,
ld head off serious
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Introduction

-3

Murchison

Drilling

Schools, Inc.

drilling problems, such as those described in

Section IV. Contractor and opera tor people that

attend training programs are generally better

motivated and keyed-up.
7. The Operator should specify the manner in
which the lADe report is to be filled out This book should accurately reflect the drilling
operation and people who performed the
work. Hole trends should be spotlighted on
the tour sheet for all drillers to see.
S. Blowout Prevention Drills ~BOP drills should
be thoroughly discussed. Such things as who
initiates the drills, and which type of drills,
should be discussed. These drills should have
heart & meat in them. Toolpusher & Operator
Representatives should be involved together.
9. Blowout Preventer Testing - Contractor &
Operator policies should be studied closely.
Who should witness the tests on BOPE and
accumulators should be specified by the drill
ing superintendents at the meeting. These tests
should comply with Government regulations &
Operator/Contractor policies.
10. How the well is closed-In when a kick is
detected. - Again, operator & contractor poli
cies may vary, and this should be resolved by
the drilling superintendent. Will a soft closure
or a modified soft closure be used? Is the BOP
system lined up to comply with the method of
closing the well in?
11. Morning Reports - Operators & Contractors
differ in what they want reported on the
morning report, and this should be clarified.
Post appraisal is a very important part of
problem prevention and solution, and rig
people must provide the information for the
analysis. Both field men & drilling engineers
benefit from good communication about the
drilling operation & problems regarding carry
ing out the drilling program. The dialogue can
stand in this pre-spud meeting by explaining
what information is required & the format for
reporting it. The IAOC book & report turned
in to the offices should reflect the same infor
mation.
12. Work Schedules - Operators & contractors
sbould stagger shift change days to make
certain the continuity of the operation is main
tained. Toolpushers should summarize impor
tant hole problems from the lADC book to
make certain the driller returning from days
OFF is informed of potential problems.
13. Tour Change - Many problems and unsafe
drilling practices develop at tour change.
Operator and contractor drilling superinten-

4 - Introduction

dents should agree to having either the toolpu

sher or drilling foreman on the floor at tour
change to assure the proper communications
between the key people has transpired. Re
member that written operational plans are
easier to pass on to the next driller.
14. Equipment Check and Rig-up - Almost every
one agrees that nothing is gained by spudding
before the rig is completely rigged-up. Safe
drilling operations result from good organiza
tion, and good organization starts with a good
rig-up. Equipment limitations should be stud
ied closely, and whatever action is necessary
before spud should be taken. Solids control,
trip tanks, diverter BOP Systems and monitor
ing devices should be studied closely because
of their importance in problem prevention in
top hole.
15. Drill String Design and Operating Practices Operators and contractors should agree on
operating practices related to the drill string.
The operating practices would include: design,
MOP, corrosion control, mud mixing practices,
tripping practices and pipe inspection. Corro
sive environments (02-H~~)
should be
given special attention. Mixing mud away from
pump suction should be coordinated to help
eliminate drill string corrosion (and other
drilling problems).
16. Land Owner Covenants - Many times the
operator & land owner agree to many special
considerations concerning the traffic into and
off of locations and these should be clearly
outlined. An example might be not bringing
guns on to the land (or location).
17. Drug Enforcement Policies - Most operators
comply with contractor drug enforcement
policies and this should be reviewed before
Spud.
18. HzS Contingencies (or other Special Problems)
- The policies, people, safety equipment, etc.,
should be reviewed. Safety people need to
have the cooperation of contractor and operator
people.
19. Hydraulics Program " Hydraulics requires
special consideration because it is the part of
the drilling program that may need modifying
with agreement between contractor and opera
tor management (engineering & operational
staff). The mud & hydraulics program should
be closely coordinated, with the influencing
factors being hole stability, bit cleaning, hole
cleaning, and lost circulation. The hydraulics
program should be written for the rig pumps
to be used and, if a rig change takes place after

the program is prepared, the necessary chang

es should be made. The use of hole sweeps
should be a part of the program with the
driller indicating when sweeps are needed.

B. Pre-spud Meeting 1WO - A second prespud meet

ing should be held with the service company repre
sentatives invited. These meetings can be a series of
private meetings (rather than one single all encom
passing meeting). The following points should be
discussed:
1. The Drilling Program - The general drilling
program should be reviewed and, again, special
emphasis placed on potentia] problem zones. The
part of the drilling program that pertains to each
service company should be reviewed with that
company.
2. The Mud Program - The mud program is the
key to optimization & should be reviewed in
detail with the mud company representative (or
consultant mud engineer). An operator should
specify which tests are to be run and the mud
property ranges required to assure hole stability.
Operators should specify that the mud represen
tative keep an up-to-date mud trend chart with
mud properties, drilling parameters, and hole
conditions recorded.
3. Casing & Cement Program - The casing program
should be discussed with the geologist and mud
loggers making sure to point out how critical a
particular casing seat is and how the casing point
will be selected. Cement programs should be
discussed with the cement service company
representative, with special emphasis given to
cementing production & problem zones.
4. Directional Program - If the well is to be deviat
ed, this program should be reviewed carefully,
with special emphasis on kick off point, building
and dropping rate, bottom-hole assemblies, mud,
surveys, and tripping practices. In fact, all oper
ating practices should be reviewed because of the
potential hazards of deviated wells. The direc
bmw program should be discussed with direc
tional driller, logging company, and mud compa
ny.
S. Mud logging, electric logging, & testing These
programs should be well coordinated in advance
with allowance for contingencies in case of loss
of hole stability. High angle holes need special
planning with logging and testing companies.
IV. COMMUNICATION NECESSARYTO PREVENTOR
MINIMIZE ORIUING PROBLEMS

All successful drilling operations have one thing in

common, and that is good communications between
rig and operational office personnel. Operator and
Contractor personnel are communicating openly on
all levels and are working toward a common objec
tive, which is carrying out the drilling program. The
keys to preventing or minimizing drilling problems
are: Good well plans; good supervision; good opera
tional practices; good well trend monitoring habits,
and; correct first action when a problem develops, to
prevent associated problems. TIUs should be based
on written operational plans, proper diagnosis of
problem and proper reporting of the problem.
A. Good Well Plans. A drilling engineer must be a
good communicator if he is to plan & implement a
drilling program. The general steps in planning a

well are:
1. Post appraisal of control well data
a. Data gathering. All offset well information
has some use. Emphasis should be given
to logs, bit records, mud recaps and trend
charts, daily reports, and problem case
histories.
b. Data evaluation, All data should be evalu
ated for its effect on hole stability and cost.
Computer programs are useful in the
evaluation.
c. Arranging data in order of importance.
Give priority to hole stability. Mud, hy
draulics, bit selection, & weight/RPM will
follow probably in this order in how they
affect hole stability & cost.
2. Program planning
3. Program implementing.
4. Reviewing results. (Post Appraising). Field
people should record accurate data when drilling
a well so that future wells can be planned from
the recap & post appraisal. Better information is
needed on: mud, hydraulics, bits (more grading
comments) & problems. (If a good solution to a
problem is developed in a specific area, this
should be recorded in the field man's recap.)

B. Good Supervision A drilling superintendent must

know the drilling foreman. Otherwise, he won't
know the wellsite supervisor's strong and weak
points. By knowing the rig site supervisor, the
drilling superintendent can give technical or opera
tional back-up, depending on the weakness. Rig and
office supervisors must communicate on the same
level, or costly goof-ups will develop. A proper
chain-of-command will help communications be
tween the rig and the office and will help avoid
costly mix-ues: ,:,:r,e~\rng, elps to keep rig personnel
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Introduction - 5

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Murchison

Drilling Schools, Inc.

keyed-up, and keyed-up supervisors tend to plan

ahead of the bit to stay out of trouble. A good
supervisor will make use of offset logs, offset bit
records, offset mud records, current rate of penetra
tion plots and mud logging data. Most surprises can
be eliminated if proper offset data are available and
are properly used.

MW above
plug 1137 it

The following case histories are typical examples of

how

Run in the hole with a bit and drilling assembly to

the top of the bridge plug:
Pressure-up to 700 psi and, if it holds, release the
pressure & drill the bridge plug.
RIH & continue drilling ahead to 11,000 ft.

poor communications between office and field

I"

8.33 ppg

Hole in casing

personnel led to serious well problems.

Bridge plug

Example 1: The following case history is an example

of the office supervisor assuming the man on the rig
understood equivalent mud weights, and how
additive pressures are used to obtain a certain

4500 ft.

mud weight equivalent. The lack of communications

turned a routine problem into a lost hole fiasco. The
example well developed lost circulation & since the
13-3/8" intermediate casing was set through a
dogleg a hole in the casing was diagnosed
at 1137 ft.

Test the squeeze to an equivalent of 11 ppg mud

If the squeeze stands up, drill the bridge plug, &
finish drilling the 12-1/4" hole to 11,000 ft.
POH & run 9-5/8" casing as programmed

The order was communicated to the rig verbatim by the

drilling superintendent as it was received from driUing
engineering. The drilling-foreman
gave the following
verbal order to the toolpusher:
The office wants us to test the squeeze to an equiva
lent of 11 ppg mud.
We have water in the casing above the hole in the
casing. An 11 ppg mud equivalent would be about
700 psi on the casing.

6 - Introduction

10,700 it

11.00 ppg ::
~,

present depth

Drilling engineering gave this simple program:

MW

& found

At the time of the problem, drilling operations

were
progressing at 10,700 feet, with the 9-5/8" casing pro
grammed to be set at 11,000 feet. An 11 ppg mud was
being used when the hole in the casing developed. A
bridge plug was used to find the hole and to isolate the
lower zone while squeezing the casing. After setting the
bridge plug, the 11 ppg mud was displaced with water.
Over a period of one week, the hole in the casing was
squeezed with 20,000 sacks of cement. At 5:30 p.m" after
a week of squeezing, the drilling foreman called in to the
office and reported the casing hole had been successfully
squeezed. The drilling superintendent asked the drilling
foreman to stand by while he checked with drilling
engineering about the future program for the well.

133/8"

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11,000 ft

95/8"
casing depth

Fig 1-1
The toolpusher followed the drilling foreman's verbal
order and was in the process of pressuring up when the
squeeze broke down. Conflicting reports prevented the
drilling superintendent
from finding out what the
pressure was when the squeeze broke down. But, on
analysis, the 700 psi was equivalent to about 20.3 ppg,
An 11 ppg mud equivalent would have been 156 psi on
top of water. Needless to say, the squeeze broke down,
and the casing was in such bad condition that a joint (or
joints) parted and caused the well to be abandoned after
spending 1.75 million dollars.
How could this order have been communicated to the
rig? Whom do you blame for this fiasco? The order
should have been given in this manner:

RlH to the top of the bridge plug.

Displace the water out with 11 ppg mud,
Observe the well.
If no losses are observed, drill the bridge plug, and
run in the hole carefully.
Drill to 11,000 ft, & prepare to run 9-5/8" casing as
programmed .

The order should have been communicated to the rig as

suggested above, and the office personnel are to be

blamed for assuming the rig man understood

technology related to additive pressure.

the

3.

Example 2: The following case history took place very

recently on a well in the Bay Area below New Orleans.
The circumstances are very similar to example one and
again involves a hole-in-casing. The hole was isolated
with a bridge plug and squeezed over several days. The
order was received at the rig to test the squeeze at 9100
feet to an equivalent mud weight of 18.5 ppg. To
squeeze, a 16.5 .ppg mud was being used.

4.

The man on the rig did not understand the arithmetic

involved to arrive at an 18.5 ppg equivalent mud weight
with 16.5 ppg mud in the hole, and told the toolpusher
and service company pump operator to apply 1500 psi
on top of the 16.5 mud column. This is equivalent to
about 19.7 ppg. The correct pressure to give 18.5 ppg
would have been 946 psi. The squeeze broke down at
1230 psi (equivalent to 19.1 ppg) and, at last report, was
still not squeezed off. The mud bill was in excess of
three million dollars. Who is to be blamed for this
fiasco? Again, the man in the office must make sure the
field man understands the program.

5.

Many times field personnel have too much false

pride to ask for clarification of an order, and this
causes many aggravated drilling problems.
Many drilling foremen and toolpushers are so
cross-threaded that adequate communications don't
take place before an operation is performed.
Many drilling foremen are not receptive to sugges
tions, and this false pride leads to poor communica
tions.

Example 3:
In a recent history an order from the office partially
helped solve one problem, but the cure led to two other
problems. The drilling foreman called his afternoon
report into the office, and reported tight hole the last
three connections while drilling 17 1/2 hole with a 9.0
ppg mud. Without any questions asked, the drilling
superintendent ordered the man on the rig to increase
his mud wt three points to 9.3 ppg.
N

'MW - 9.0 ppg

Yp - 1.0 lb/IOO

16.5 ppg

it

Mud above
bridge plug

-: 9100 it

Cuttings

;: Hole in casing
High ROP

Mud below
bridge plug

Fig. 1.2
Summary of Ex. 1 & 2: The lack of proper communica
tions in the preceding example can be summarized as
follows:
1. The drilling superintendent did not know the
technical competence of the man on the rig and
made bad assumptions in communicating the
orders.
2. Too many times engineering personnel assume that
field operational
personnel understand
drilling
technology, & therefore fail to communicate on the
same level as the man on the rig.

The order resulted in partially clearing up the tight hole

problem, because the tight hole was due to poor hole
cleaning, and the increased mud weight gave a little
more viscosity and buoyancy. However, the increased
mud weight and additional solids caused the rate of
penetration to slow down. The proposed 8 day drilling
program .in this section of hole was now increased to 15
days. This section of hole was through a 10 day shale,
which means that casing needs to be cemented before 10
days. The additional 5 days allowed the 10 day shale to
take on water and heave, which resulted in sticking the
casing off bottom. The overall drilling program suffered
from this point on. 'What are the questions the drilling
superintendent should have asked the drilling foreman,
and what are the questions the drilling foreman should
have asked the toolpusher and driller? When drilling fast
hole, with unweighted mud, hole cleaning should always
be suspected when tight hole develops, and the line of

Introduction - 7

Murchison Drilling Schools, Inc.

questioning to diagnose and evaluate the problem
should be:
1. What trend changes have been observed (torque,
drag, pressure and stroke, etc.)?
2. How often have pills been circulated, and what was
the weight & yield value of pills?
3. What has been recovered over shaker when pills
come around? Does the drag & torque reduce after
the hole sweep?
4. Have different circulation rates Gower and higher)
been tried to improve hole cleaning?
5. How long is mud circulated before each connection
and before trips.
6. Is BHA causing the hole cleaning problem (hole
enlargement)?
7. Can the present mud (or water) be used to casing
point if more hole sweeps are used?
8. Is there a need to mud-up and, if so, is there a need
to POH to shoe, or can mud-up be done while
drilling? Note: If pits are cleaned completely, it
probably would be better to do it at the shoe or out
of the hole.
9. Is the hydraulic program causing hole enlargement
and, consequently, a hole cleaning problem?
C. Good Operational

Habits

Good drilling practices are too numerous to address

in this section, but a few are worth noting.
1. Good mud and mud mixing habits would
include how to mix a tourly treatment, when to
mix a tourly treatment, which tank to mix into
(mixing into the suction tank should be discour
aged), monitoring the diagnostic mud trends,
and treating mud trends before and after mixing
mud.
2. Good tripping practices would include the trip
plan and trip monitoring. The trip plan would
include: the mechanical considerations, and; the
metal displacement consideration. Monitoring of
a trip should be done using the trend technique
and making sure hole takes the correct amount
of mud based on calculated metal displacement.
Bad tripping practices cause five major drilling
problems: (1) kicks off bottom/ (2) lost circula
tion, (3) shale problems, (4) stuck pipe & (5) drill
string failure. An operator will be money ahead
to pay for a well trained person to supervise
trips or require drilling supervisors to.
3. Good hole making practices. A driller must be
informed of his responsibility concerning hole
making, and this would include such things as:
finding the best weight & RPM to drill with,
using drill-off tests: using hole sweeps to unload
the hole as necessary, and; monitoring of all the
8 ~ Introduction

drilling parameters (such as ROP, torque/ drag,

pressure & strokes, etc.), A successful hole is one
that is drilled as planned, evaluated, and one that
can be cased off , if necessary.
4. Good hydraulic practices. Optimum hydraulics
is the proper balance of the hydraulic elements
that will adequately clean the bit and bore hole
with minimum horsepower. The balance of the
hydraulic elements is influenced by: hole stability
(erosion), lost circulation/ bit cleaning, and; hole
cleaning. Mud and hydraulic elements must be
balanced to give hole stability, as well as an
optimum rate of penetration. Four key supervi
sors must be in close communication to achieve
this balance. The supervisors are: the drilling
foreman, the tool pusher, the mud engineer/ and
the driller. All four supervisors must be looking
below the rotary table to maintain hole stability
and at the same time maximize the rate of pene
tration. The variables to control are:
a) fiowrate 30-50 gpm/in
b) Percent pressure at bit 50-65%
c) Hydraulic horsepower @ bit 2.5 - 5.0 HH/

JN2

Jet velocity 350-450 Ff /Sec.

5. Good pipe handling and connection making
practices. Many optimization programs fail
because of string washouts and bit damage, and
both can be caused by bad connection practices.
Differential sticking also can resuJt from poor
connection making practices. Lost circulation,
related to surge, is a problem in weighted mud.
Drillers need to be cautioned about these prob
lems and should be closely supervised.
6. Good monitoring of drilling parameter habits.
To avoid a brush fire operation, rig crews must
monitor drilling parameters to prevent problems.
These trends were covered in Section II of
this chapter.

d)

Murchison Drilling Schools, Inc.

V. COMMUNICATIONS NECESSARYTO PREVENTASSOCIATED PROBLEMS FROM DEVELOPING BECAUSE OF

IMPROPER FIRSTACTION ON A HOLE STABILITY PROBLEM
When a hole problem develops the driller must take
quick first-hand action to prevent one or more associated
problems from developing. Since the required action
must be taken before calling a toolpusher or drilling
foreman (in most instances), the driller must know
beforehand how each problem should be handled, before
the problem develops.
Drop in
Fluid level

------iJ.....

'-l
gi'_Kick

.
d-~
t

Fig. 1.4

A good rig supervisor will communicate to the driller the

method of preventing and handling each problem. Many
problems can be anticipated by the driller and drilling
foreman by studying the trends, and consequently the
driller is ready to take quick action.
A few examples of problems and associated problems
are listed. (This is by no means a complete list.)
Example 1:
Lost Circulation in a Potential Kick Zone
H a driller fails to start fluid in the annulus immediately,
a kick can result, and when the well is closed in, stuck
pipe is probable.
Primary Problem: Lost circulation
Associated Problems: Kick and stuck pipe

Example 2:
Shale Sloughing.
H a driller fails to get the bit above a shale bridge, lost
circulation, a kick, and stuck pipe can develop quickly.
Primary Problems: Shale sloughing and hole cleaning
Associated Problems: Lost circulation, kick, and stuck

pipe

Fig. 1.5

Example 3:
Kick
If a driller fails to catch a kick quickly enough or fails to
close in the kick properly, lost circulation, stuck pipe,
and underground blowouts are a possibility.
Primary problem: Kick
Associated Problems: Lost circulation, stuck pipe, and an
underground blowout

Excess
Pressure
@Shoe

Fig. 1.6

Murchison Drllling Schools, Inc.

Example 4:
Shallow Kick. If a driller fails to divert a shallow kick
and tries to close in the kick, lost circulation and <
blowout around the shoe will develop.
Primary Problem: Shallow kick
Associated Problems: Lost circulation & a blowout
around the shoe (to the surface)

Dropin
dp pressure

---+

Example 5:
String Washout If a driller fails to catch the washout, a
twist off will develop and, possibly, stuck pipe.
Primary problem: String washout
Associated Problems: Twist off & stuck pipe (and ruined
diamond bit)
W.O. missed

Led to twist-off
Fig. 1.8
Example 6:
Hole Cleaning. If a driller fails to unload the cuttings he
is drilling, a lost circulation & stuck pipe problem could.
develop. Also, a slow Rap would result from the
increased differential pressure.
Primary Problem: Hole cleaning
Associated Problems: Slow Rap, lost circulation, and
stuck pipe

Cuttings
Creating
Differential
Pressure
Fig. 1.9

Example 7:

Dogleg and
Potential
Keyseat

i
Tensile
Force

J,

Fig. 1.10

10 - Introduction

Hole Deviation (dogleg), If a driller creates a dogleg

with improper drilling parameters, many problems can
develop, such as, key seated stuck pipe, tripping prob
lems, over hole exposure leading to poor general hole
stability, holes in the casing, and associated well control
problems and completion problems.
Primary Problem: Hole deviation (dogleg)
Associated Problems: Stuck pipe, tripping problem, over
hole exposure, hole instability, well control associated
with hole in casing and completion problems.

VI. COMMUNICATIONS NECESSARY TO CONT1NUE

DRILLING OPERATIONS WHILE EITHERSOLVING OR
LIVING WITH PROBLEM.
Many times we can live with a drilling problem in
order to prevent lost time operations, by changing
operating practices such as: pipe movement, connec
tion practices,rate-of-penetration,
tripping practices,
and well control practices, If the above practices do
not solve the problems, possibly either a change in
mud properties (or composition) or a change in
hydraulics, accompanied by either weighted or
unweighted hole sweeps, might make it possible to
continue drilling operations. A high percentage of
the drilling problems are either caused (or con
trolled) by:

sor should be done with a hip tank, using the

trend method. .
3. ROP Many problems that are associated with
mass volume of cuttings, such as gas-cut mud
and gumbo, can be minimized or prevented by
controlling rate-of-penetration.
4. Parameters
to Monitor. A complete list of
parameters that pertain to particular problems
is given in this chapter and throughout the
book. Trend Method forces the driller and
foreman to look below the rotary table to
evaluate what is causing the trend change and
the proper diagnosis to prevent or solve a hole
problem.
B.

a sensitive hydrostatic balance or

a restricted annulus (normally associated with hole
cleaning)
This being the case, the following practices must be
reviewed closely to avoid a serious lost time opera
tion.

A.

Living With the Problem

Operating Practices.
1. Connections. Many drilling problems start or
take place on connections (differential sticking,
lost circulation, damage to drill string, damage
to bit, kicks associated with loss of ECD, etc.).
Many of these can be prevented.
a. Have driller leave pump on while picking
up.
b. Have driller pick up 10 to 15 feet above
rotary table and cut pwnp off before
lowering pipe to break-out point. If drag
is noted on pick-up, extra pumping and
pipe working should be done.
c. Keep pipe moving during connection and
exercise good pipe handling and make-up
practices.
d. Have pipe moving when pump is en
gaged. This will help prevent differential
sticking and lost circulation.
e. Pressure-up complete joint before lowering
pipe below rotary table.
f. Put the bit on bottom gently and, if fill is
noted on connection, other drilling practic
es will have to be examined.
2. Trips. Five major drilling problems are caused
by poor tripping practices. Basically, a trip plan
addresses the problem of surge and swabbing
and should cover. pulling-out-of-hole
and
running-in-hole. Monitoring by a key supervi-

C.

Mud Practices
Many mud engineers treat the mud and fail to treat
the hole. Mud trends, when closely associated with
hole trends, will help to pinpoint the problem and,
in many instances, the problem can be either pre
vented or quickly solved without major mud adjust
ments. Complete mud tests are essential. A rig
supervisor should specify:
1. Mud properties to test.
2. Drilling trends to be recorded on the mud
trend chart.
3. That the mud engineer know which hole trend
he is treating when making major mud adjust
ments.
Hydraulics Practices.
When drilling very near balance, between a kick and
a lost circulation condition, hydraulics can be
fine-tuned to prevent both. the kick and loss prob
lems. Many hole cleaning problems are associated
with over pumping a hole, causing hole erosion and,
consequently, poor hole cleaning.
Turbulent flow can be prevented by either a hydrau
lic or a mud approach, and the best solution is
when a balance has been achieved by trial and error.
The rig site supervisor should understand the close
relationship between mud and hydraulics. He
should consider the:
1. Relationship of surface pressure, flowrate, and
hydraulic horsepower
2. Relationship of mud yield value and hydraulics

D.

Drill String Design Consideration.

Many problems are closely associated with drill
string design, such as stuck pipe, hole cleaning,
deviation, twist-offs, rate-of-penetration, tripping, bit
performance, corrosion, and general hole stability.
Many drillers have not been told what their margin
-of-overpull is in case tight hole is encountered, and
this lack of CO~Y.illS;Atj.QJ.\S leads to expensive

f~';:;"~:":~*"~:G:: '!:i~\

lntroduction

- 11
l
'

t ~:-~
~

~~ ~,=~
\

Murchison

Drllling

Schools,

Inc.

fishing jobs. Rig site supervisors

should examine
closely:
1. Drill collar design and should avoid over or
under design.
2. Stabilization and stiffness factors.
3. Drill pipe design and margin-of-overpull.

4. Handling practices to avoid down hole failures.

5. Corrosion practices, with special emphasis on
eliminating the source of oxygen.

F.

Monitor plan carefully and alter plan as necessary,

based on latest facts. DO not forget that, if good
operational practices are not carried out, other
associated problems can easily develop.

X.

COMMUNICATIONS NECESSARY TO ENABLE A

DRILUNG SUPERINTENDENTTO GET A GENERALQUICK EVALUATION OF A PROBLEM.
The following general questions will help the
drilling superintendent to get a quick grasp of the
facts concerning a drilling problem. Investigative
questioning will also have a positive influence on
the rig foreman, causing him to take a closer look at
the problem before calling it in.

VII. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEENVERBAL AND WRITTEN

COMMUNICATiONS.
Written operational plans are much safer because
the muscle of your ann will not allow your brain
and tongue to play tricks on you. Many drilling
foremen give verbal orders that they do not under
stand. The same orders will not go down on paper
until the man writing them understands the orders.
In other words, some of these half-baked ideas must
be shoved back into the oven for further cooking.
Verbal orders are very good for preventing prob
lems, and written orders are much better for solving
problems. A complete rig supervisor can do both.
VIII.

COMMUNICATIONS NECESSARY TO ENABLE A

DRILLING FOREMAN TO DIAGNOSE AND SOLVE
A DRILLING PROBLEM.

A. What is the present situation on the well?

B. What led to the problem?
C. What plans have been made to solve the problem?
D. What alternate solution is planned, just in case?
E. What materials are needed?
F. What service company help is needed?
G. Is any technical or operational back-up needed?
XI.

When a drilling problem does develop, there are

many questions a drilling foreman should ask a
toolpusher and driller. The general questions are:

Many times a rig supervisor is so close to the job.

that he may have a hard time seeing the forest for'
the trees, so a drilling superintendent should ask
detailed questions about specific problems to help in
the evaluation process. Once a specific problem has
been isolated, the cure is easier to implement. Poor
diagnosis, however, leads rig people to ask for the
wrong cure and, even though it may help a situa
tion indirectly, it is a more expensive approach. One
example of this would be a drilling foreman telling
the mud engineer to lower the water loss after a
shale sloughed on bottom immediately after drilling
it. The water loss has nothing to do with the basic
problem but indirectly will help, because water loss
additives build viscosity, and the viscosity increase
helps solve the problem by unloading the shale. The
cure in this case, however, could have a detrimental
effect on drilling operations, and even worse prob
lems might develop as drilling progresses.

A.

What trend changes took place that led to the

problem?
B. What had been done since the problem developed?
C. What is the present situation?
D. What recommendations can be made?
E. What materials/tools are needed in order to help
solve the problem?
F. Is the well secure (in case of well control or lost
circulation problem)?
IX. HOW TO COMMUNICATE A PROBLEM TO THE
OFFICE AND FIRSTACTION.
Make sure first action prevents other associated
problems from developing.
B. Analyze trends and related facts leading up to
problem.
C. Develop general plan to solve problem (1st and 2nd
recommendations),
D. Report problem & recommendations to solve prob
lem. Ask for permission- to carry out plan.
E. Develop detailed operational plan to solve problem,

A.

12 - Introduction

COMMUNICATIONS NECESSARY TO ENABLE A

DRILLING SUPERINTENDENT TO HELP A DRILLING
FOREMAN EVALUATE SPECIFIC DRILLING PROB
LEMS.

Detailed Questions for Specific Drilling Problems

A.

Stuck Pipe. If the problem is stuck pipe, the follow

ing questions should be asked:
1. Is the pipe stuck near bottom?
2. What led to the problem?

3. What stretch was recorded, and how much

overpull was there?
4. If stuck on bottom, is pipe differentially stuck?

5. Did it stick when driller engaged pump?

6. If differentially stuck, has
a. Oil been spotted, or
b. One of the methods to lower overbalance
on bottom been used.
7. If mechanically stuck, is the annulus complete
ly packed off (no circulation), or is there re
duced circulation but 'high pressure? What size
and shape cuttings/sloughing are coming from
the well? If there is partial circulation, has a
weighted pill (i.e., 18 ppg) been pumped?
8. H key seated, has pipe been worked and jarred
downward? Have 1/4 turns been tried to work
through key seat?
9. Have previous drags been seen at this depth
on trips?
10. Have key seat wipers been run, or has time
been spent reaming this section?
11. Is there a dogleg in the hole at the key seat
depth?
12. Is the overpull below the MOP while working
stuck pipe (usually 100,000 lbs.)?
13. If freepoint indicator and back-off operations
are to take place, can lubricator be rigged up
either on tool-joint or on swivel (gooseneck)?
14. Are pups available for fishing so that kelly is
kept out of BOPs?
15. If stuck with kelly in, has a mechanical back-off
been evaluated to get kelly out of BOP's?
16. Have the economics of how long to fish been
considered ?
17. Has a fishing plan been developed with dia
gram of fish, fishing tools, and fishing string
(OD's, ID's, lengths, depth, etc.)?
18. Has the correlation log been checked?
19. In what formation is pipe stuck?
20. Is mud in good condition?
21. H stuck because of dirty hole, what mud yield
value do you have in hole?
22. How often has hole been swept?
23. Has reducing the pump rate been tried?
24. If stuck on trip because of dirty hole, has hole
been kept filled when working with low over
balances (unweighted muds)?
25. Have weighted sweeps been tried to unload
dirty hole?
26. Has hole been over exposed, i.e., 25 days in a
20 day shale (time for shale to lose its stabili
ty)?
27. If stuck with shale sloughing on bottom, what
other well control trends have 'been noted?

28. Have connection gas or background gas chang

es been seen?
29. Has jarring out been tried?
30. How close is bottom, and is the kelly clear of
BOPE?
31. Other questions specific to area? Has offset well
information been studied?
B.

Hole Stability. These questions are covered under

either Stuck Pipe, Lost Circulation, Hole Cleaning,
or Well Control.

C.

Hole Cleaning. If hole problem is due to poor hole

cleaning, but pipe isn't stuck:
1. What trend changes have been noted (torque,
drag, pressure and stroke, etc.)?
2. How often are pills circulated, and what is the
wt & yield value of pill?
3. What has been recovered over shaker when pill
comes around?
4. Does the drag and torque reduce after the hole
sweep?
5. Have different circulation rates (lower and
higher) been tried to improve hole
cleaning?
6. How long is mud circulated before each con
nection and before trips?
7. Do you feel BHA is causing the hole cleaning
problem (hole enlargement)?
8. Can the present mud (or water) be used to
casing point if more hole sweeps are
used?
9. Is mud-up needed and, if so, must the bit be
pulled to shoe or can mud-up be done while
drilling? Note: If pits need to be cleaned com
pletely, it would probably be better to do it at
the shoe or out of the hole.
10. Is the hydraulics program causing hole enlarge
ment and, consequently, a hole cleaning prob
lem?

D. Lost Circulation. If problem is lost circulation, the

questions vary depending on the hole interval, i.e.,
top hole, abnormal pressure or hydrocarbon zone.
Completion objectives also influence questions
(decisions).
1. Top Hole (No hydrocarbons anticipated) Total Losses.
a) Has water been measured into the annu
lus?
b) What is the hydrostatic balance at the shoe
and at T.D.?
c) How much mud weight reduction is neces-

sary?

.~.~.~

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Introduction - 13

d)

e)
f)

g)

h)

Would it be more economical to make

new mud or water back old mud?
How much hole is required to be drilled
before running casing?
Are returns needed or can it be blind
drilled?
If economics favor spotting an LCM pill
and trying to reach casing point with
present mud, find out if trip is necessary
or whether nozzles are large enough?
If losses have to be stopped before drilling
ahead or before running casing, find out
what materials are on location and what
needs to be ordered, i.e., LCM-assorted
particle size, Cement, Soft Plugs (gunk),

Thixotropic plugs

i)

j)
k)
2.

(service co.), gravel

(gravel pack).
Where is the loss zone?
Is it a natural fracture?
Is it a vugular formation?

g)

h)
i)

j)

k)
l)
m)
n)
0)

Top Hole (partial returns).

a)

b)
c)
d)

e)
f)

g)

Has pump been slowed down to mini

mum circulation rate for drilling, (30
gpm/inch)?
Has a hole sweep been circulated to un
load hole?
Has mud weight (solids) increased?
Can the mud weight be lowered to pro
grammed weight?
Has water meter trend gone up?
Have losses been monitored while only
circulating across well head? If losses are
drastically reduced, calculate estimated
ECD, and lower mud weight by this
amount.
Would it be better to drill ahead to casing
point and do nothing about losses?

3. Abnormal

Pressure (Heavy Mud) Zone

Partial Losses.
a) Has the driller been instructed to have
fluid going in annulus before total losses
develop?
b) What led up to losses?
c) How long has the bit been on bottom
since the trip (or any pipe movement)?
d) Has the effect of reduced circulating rate
been evaluated? How much reduction in
losses was observed?
e) Can mud be mixed fast enough to keep up
with losses?
f)
When do you feel you will pull to the
shoe?

14 - Introduction

p)

q)
r)
5)
t)

Is this a good application of the ECD

drilling technique?
How much overbalance is there, and how
much can mud weight be reduced?
If POH to shoe have plans been made to
spot pills on bottom and near shoe?
Are plans made to circulate across well
head while POH? How much losses do
you have while circulating only across the
wellhead?
Do pump pressure/stroke trends indicate
restrictions in annulus (hydraulic system)?
Did losses tie into any change in ROP?
Where do you feel loss zone is?
Did driller spud pipe to unplug bit, etc.?
What do mud properties look like, i.e.,
yield value, gels, etc.?
Has a pressurized check on mud weight in
suction tank been run to make sure air or
gas (which will compress down the hole
and create a gain in mud weight) is not
being recirculated back into hole?
With present losses, what is the cost per
hour for mud?
Are plenty of materials on location? On
order?
How long do you anticipate waiting at
shoe to let zone heal?
Are you going to break circulation on the
way in the hole?
What is the leak off mud weight at shoe?

4. Abnormal Pressure> Total Losses.

a) Does the hole fill up when circulating
across the wellhead only?
b) Has the hole been kept full or fluid going
in the annulus?
c) What consideration has been given to how
long to stay on bottom or when to pull to
the shoe?
d) Have preparations been made for a possi
ble kick related to losses?
e) Have preparations to spot pills on bottom
and near shoe?
f)
How much time should be allowed at shoe
to allow hole to heal?
g) What is leak off mud weight?
h) Has driller been instructed to circulate
across wellhead at all times (to prevent
kick)?
i)
Are sufficient mud and/or cement materi
als available?
j) Is pipe free? Has drag increased?

k)

Has driller been instructed to keep pipe

moving at all times to prevent possible
differential sticking?
I)
Is a hydraulic valve installed on kill side
of BOP Manifold so that driller can start
fluid in annulus through kill line without
sending a roughneck down to open manu
al valve?
m) Is a bit float installed or on location?
n) Is a separate mixing tank available for
mixing new volume?
0) In case bit has to be pulled under heavy
losses and kick conditions, have stripping
operations (BOPE, fluid measurement,
pressure monitoring) been considered?
p) Has analysis been done as to where the
loss zone might be? Such things as offset
well records and present drilling parame
ters should be used. Temperature or flow
surveys can be run on well if situation
calls for it.

e)
f)

Has the driller been instructed to keep

pipe moving?
Have the reduced pump rate losses been
checked?

E. Well ControL

1. Not Related to Lost Circulation.

a) What is the present situation?
1) SIDPP?
2) SICP?

3) Well Secure?
4) Any Losses?

b)

c)

d)

e)

5. Hydrocarbon and/or Gas Cap Zone-Partial

and/or Total Losses. Completion Zone
a) Has the hole been kept full by putting
fluid in annulus?
b) Was the fluid level allowed to drop in the
annulus?
c) AIe you rigged-up to put large amounts
of fluid in annulus?
d) AIe there lost circulation materials (on
location) that can be acidized away?
e) Is it necessary to get a service company
truck and one of the non-formation dam
aging materials to stop losses?
f)
Have preparations been made to strip out
in case completion operations begin in this
zone? Spiral collars cannot be stripped out
under pressure. Is there a float or BP valve
available?
g) Is there enough mud available to POH
safely?

f)

g)
h)
i)

j)
k)

1)
m)

n)
6. None-completion zone. (Hydrocarbon Zone)
a) Has the hole been kept full through annu
lus fill line and, at the same time, has an
LCM pill been spotted on bottom?
b) What are the losses while circulating
across the wellhead?
c) Have preparations been made to set ce
ment plug for lost circulation (not bal
anced plug)?
d) Is it safe to POH (either to shoe or all the
way) to go in with mixing sub for plug
setting?

0)

p)

Has the drill pipe pressure been kept con

stant to maintain constant BHP during
percolation? (Fluid has to be bled off
through choke to keep d.p. constant.)
Has a kill plan been developed?
How big a kick was taken, and does the
influx gradient check out to be a hydrocar
bon?
How much working pressure is available
with:
1) Consideration of losses at shoe with
bubble in open hole? Leak off mud?
2)
Consideration for casing burst (&
BOP /WH rating) when bubble is at
top?
Is the pressure too high to work pipe
(more than 1000 psi)?
AIe enough materials available to kill
well?
Is mud in good condition?
Have surface lines, mud-gas separators,
and flare lines been checked?
Have pressure(s) been checked with an
accurate pressure gauge?
Have there been any indications of H2S? If
H~ has been detected, special precautions
(and preparations) need to be considered.
When will the kill operation begin?
Have plans been made to put M.W. trip
margin in on second circulation?
Have any mechanical problems been expe
rienced with the rig? Is a pump unit need
ed from service company?
Is a pressurized mud balance on location
to make sure mud weight is correct going
in and not full of air/gas that cause exces
sive down hole mud weights and, conse
quently, lost circulation?
AIe there spark arrestors or water on
exhausts?

2. Well Control Related to Lost Circulation and

"{~:

I"

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t-.--~-,,-,"P-.-'.

Murchison

Drilling Schools, Inc.

a)

b)
c)

d)
e)
f)

g)
h)
i)

j)
k)
1)

m)

n)

0)

What is the present situation?

1) SIDPP? Are pressures erratic?
2) SICP?
3) Is well secure?
Was an accurate DP pressure taken before
breaking down the well (losses began)?
If an accurate DP pressure was taken
(unaffected by losses) what mud weight
would be needed from TO to shoe to be
able to reduce mud weight from casing
shoe-to surface to prior mud weight before
kick?
Was the mud engineer asked to run barite
plug pilot tests for settling?
Has LCM been tried in kill mud?
Is the pipe free?
If necessary to strip out of barite plug, is
there a back pressure float valve in string
or a BP sub for a BP valve to land in?
Is the stack rigged up to use a cornbination of BOPs for stripping?
What is the rate of loss, and how was the
rate measured? Circulating? Circulating
across WH? Going through choke?
What is recommended to stabilize the
losses and control the kick?
Could the control result in losing bottom
part of the hole and possibly the BHA?
Are BOPs in good working order (date of
last test and what was tested)?
What was formation capability from drillout test?
1) Was leak-off reached?
2) Was it necessary to squeeze?
3) Was retesting done after squeeze?
Did ROP trend (or other trends) indicate
losses may be near bottom, or are losses
considered to be somewhere other than
shoe?
Do you need someone to help you?

XII. SUPERVISING BY THE mEND METHOD TO PREVENT

HOLE PROBLEMS, TO DIAGNOSE HOLE PROBLEMS,
AND TO SOLVE HOLE PROBLEMS
I once had a contractor drilling superintendent tell
me that, when he was pushing tools, a stray dog
wandered onto the rig. The crews started feeding
the dog, and it hung around the rig floor and dog
house. He went on to say that, on a number of
wells they had a lot of hole problems and, after the
dog arrived at the rig, the problems stopped. The
dog was considered to be good luck for the rig. But
the superintendent
went on to saythat,
looking
back at the situation, what was really happening
16 - Introduction

was that the drillers started watching the dog and

the dog, having very sensitive ears, would detect a
motor sound change, a rotary torquing-up, and
these trend changes would prompt the drillers to
start looking for the problem that was developing.
I'm not saying that what we need on the rig is more
dogs, but I am saying we must train drillers to start
using trends to diagnose what is taking place below
the rotary table. Good down hole drillers become
good down hole tool pushers, drilling superinten
dents, and drilling managers. The time has passed
when we can afford to be conununicating on two
different levels. Office and rig personnel must speak
and understand the same language.
To bridge this communication gap, people on the rig
need to record trends, and people in the office, as
well as people on the rig, need to understand what
the trends are indicating.
Trends: Drilling people should record drilling
trends so that changing drilling parameters are
properly diagnosed to prevent problems and, if a
problem does develop, a rig supervisor should be
able to implement the proper operational plan to
correct the problem.
A.

Basic Drilling Parameters for the Driller to Monitor

and Record
1. Pressure
a) Indicates
b) Indicates
e) Indicates
d) Indicates

hole restrictions.
hole loading up.
string washout.
well control problem.

2. Strokes

a) Indicates
b) Indicates
e) Indicates
d) Indicates

hole restrictions.
hole loading up.
string washout.
well control problem.

3 . .1p (Pressure to kick float open)

a) Indicates hole loading up.
b) Drill Pipe pressure for well control.
4. Torque
a) Indicates formation changes.
b) Indicates bit locking-up.
c) Indicates transition zone (well control flag).
5. Drag (6W)
a) Indicates possible transition
control flag).
b) Indicates hole loading up.

zone (well

Murchison Drilling Schools, Inc.

c)
d)

e)
f)

g)
h)
B.

c.

D.

Indicates tight hole.

Indicates hole stability changes.
Used in cementing related to reciprocating
of casing (drag trends).
Used on trips to indicate possible key
seating zone.
Used to establish normal drag trends.
Trends related to BRA changes.

5. Pipe handling
a) setting slips.
b) bending pipe (rotary /mouse hole)
c)
use of tongs.
E.

Mud
The diagnostic trends for the derrickman to check
are: mud weight, funnel viscosity, water loss and
chloride. The treating trends for the mud engineer
to check are: Pv, Yp, gels, test temperature, chemis
try, MET, solids, HPHT, (all properties).
1. Water requirements to maintain mud wt (taken
from water meter or gauged)
2. Weight-in
3. Weight-out
4. Viscosities/ gels-in (Pv, Yp, gels)
5. Viscosities/gels-out (Fv, Yp, gels)
6. MBT
7. Solids
8. Water loss
9. Chemistry (pH, 0, Ca...,..Mg'", COlt HC031
pf, Pm, and possibly others)
10. Treatment
11. Maintenance cost
12. General mud practices
13. Hole stability (what mud treatment should be
based on)
14. Solids control equipment running time
15. Drilling parameters before and after any mud
treatment.

F.

Pump
1. Weekly volumetric check
2. Maintenance cost
3. Valve/seat repair (related to corrosion)
4. Lost time due to repair
5. Pressure and stroke fluctuation

Well Control Trends

1. Flow line temperature
2. Trip trends (mud requirement comparison
actual vs. calculated & bottoms-up)
3. ROP trends
4. Background gas
5. Connection gas
6. Shale density
7. d'exponent
8. Size and shape of cuttings (shale shaker)
9. Mud (all properties)
10. Pit gain
11. flow increase
12. Pressure/stroke changes
13. Logs (sonic and resistivity)
14. Drag
15. Torque
16. Fill on connection
Tripping Trends
1. Mud requirement to fill hole while POH. Was
mud weight correct (not watered back) and
was pipe slugged? What was weight of slug
and how long was it pumped?
2. Mud gained when pipe is Rill.
3. Comparison of actual vs. theoretical mud
requirements
4. Drag trends (particularly at one depth and
change since previous trip)
5. Hole fill and bridges. Give depth and time to
clean out.
6. Trip gas
7. Lost circulation (induced). Compare metal
displacement.
8. Drill string failures related to pipe handling on
trips
9. Key-seating
10. Bridges
11. Mud weight and condition off bottom
Connections
1. Fill on connection
2. Bottoms-up from connection (well control)
3. Bit plugging
4. Pump engagement related to Lost Circulation
and Pipe Sticking

G. ROP
1. Cuttings

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.

Drag
Torque
Lost circulation
Well control
Gas cut mud control
Gumbo control
Incremental cost/ft. on bit during the dulling of
bit (when it starts up the bit has reached its
economical limit)
Mud weight overbalance
Solids/Pv
Bit type
Bit weight and RPM
Hydraulics
ROP (faster/slower)
Introduction - 17

Murchison

H. Lost circulation

K.

1. Operation when losses start

2. Depth
3. -Formatton
4. Mud weight

Overbalance

J.

GeolographfI'otcolPVflFlow
1. ROP
2. Mud lossl gain trends
3. Torque
4. Depth
5. Hook load / drag
6. Flowrate
7. Trip trends
8. Inclination
9. Weight on bit (actual)
10. Temperature at bit
11. Gamma ray
12. Resistivity

RecordenIMWD

Deviation
1. From vertical

2. Direction changes

3. Dogleg severity
4. Drag/key-seating
S. Torque
6. Pipe sticking
7. Casing wear (possible well control problem)
8. Drill pipe wear
9. Target (controlled)
10. Weight/RPM program
11. BHA program
12. Surface location
13. Hydraulics

18 - Introduction

Pipe Sticking/Stuck Pipe

ROP
Hydrostatic overbalance
Deviation (look for possible doglegs)
Mud solids RPHT water loss (permeable zones)
Drag (normal vs, trend change)
Torque (normal vs. trend change)
Pressure/strokes (normal vs. trend change)
Stuck in drill collar?
Stuck in drill pipe? (are the BOPs open?)
Drilling operation when pipe is stuck
Was lost circulation associate with stuck pipe?
Was well control associated with stuck pipe?
Was pump engagement associated with stuck
pipe?
14. Is key-seadng a possibility (trip drag trends)?

ROP
Visual observation of shaker
Hole Loading-up (sweeps)
Solids increasing
Hydraulics
ECD

Loss rate circulating through bit

Loss rate when pump slowed down
Loss rate when drculating across wellhead
Loss while tripping
How soon after trip did loss start?
Hole restrictions bridging (pump pressure/stroke)
19. Pressurized mud balance check in pump suetion compared to regular mud balance
20. Water to fill hole (low weight muds), and
corresponding hydrostatic balance
21. Is blind drilling possible?

Schools, Inc.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.

5. Viscosities/gels
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.

Drllling

L.

Hole Stability
I. How many days has formation been exposed?
(days since last casing)?
2. How many trips have been made through
interval? (The hole will only take so many
trips.)
3. What do trip trends indicate?
4. Is hole stability associated with well control?
5. Is hole stability associated with lost circulation?
6. Is hole stability associated with differential
sticking?
1. Is hole stability associated with mechanical
sticking?
8. Is hole stability associated with time sensitive

shales?

9. Is hole stability associated. with transition zone

shales?
10. Is hole stability associated with shale cavings?
11. Is shale caving associated with hole enlargement?
12. Is hole enlargement associated with hydraulics
or time sensitive shales?
13. Has hole deaning been evaluated?
14. Does shale that sloughed have a low or high
MBT?
15. Have there been bridges off bottom and how
long does it take to ream bridges?
16. Have hole fill and hole sweeps been used prior
to tripping?
17. Have the number, size, and type cuttings
changed over the past few days?
18. Have the basic drilling parameters (pressure,
strokes, drag, torque) changed over the last few

hours?

19. What hole problem is diagnosed?

M. Hydraulics

...._/

Murchison Drilling Schools, Inc.

1. .Are the basic elements balanced

(fiowrate,
percent pressure at bit, ffrI/in.2 jet velodty)?
2. Have the influencing factors been analyzed (bit
and hole cleaning, lost circulation, hole stabili
ty?
3. Has ROP changed? How does this hole com
pare with control well?
4. What is the ECD?
5. Has a log been run, and does it indicate hole
enlargement?
6. Has the shaker been observed for the past
several hours (or days)? Are the cuttings
(amount, size, type) the same?
7. What is the mud being used designed to do
with reference to shales and hole stability?
8. Is the mud a shear thinning fluid?
9. Does the mud change when it goes from turbu
lence to laminar flow (like an increase in Yp)?
10. Is a higher Yp being used to suppress the mud
out of turbulence (smaller size holes)?
11. Is mud mixed with a hopper outlet in the
suction tank (aeration)?
12. Have pump suctions been checked for leaks or
barite restrictions?
13. Have weekly volumetric checks been run on
the pump holding a little back pressure (say

2. Is mud being mixed with hopper outlets in

pump suction? Have the effects of oxygen on
pump seats and valves been observed?
3. Has a fincher-galvanic probe been run to moni
tor oxygen in mud at the standpipe?
4. Have corrosion rings been run in kelly saver
sub and above DC's? (Compare the difference.)
5. Has the type mud been considered? Some
muds have built-in oxygen scavengers (tannates
- lignosulfonates) &: do not require ZnS04 and
ammonium bisulfite.
6. Are trips supervised. to make sure that good
bushings, slips, tongs, slip setting practices are
being followed?
7. Do the toolpusher and company man have a
copy of RP-7G, and are they familiar with
practices discussed in the book?
8. Is the H,5 envirorunent controlled so that
higher grades ("X., "G" and "5") d.p. can be
used in drill string design?
9. Are good storage practices being used? (Chemi
cals used for spraying are designed for both
short and long term storage.)
10. Is bent pipe being kept out of the string?
11. Have string washouts been caught and mini
mized? (Washouts upset optimized drilling
programs more than anything else.)
12. Has mnsideration been given to using 5-1/2
PH connections in the 17-1/2 &: 26" hole inter

500 psi)?

14. Have high flowrates and high jet velocities

been considered as a cause of interference with
bit cleaning? Is the hole balling because of
overbalance and! or nozzles?
15. Has flowrate been optimized before selecting
the bit nozzles?

N. Corrosion

1. Are the basic three steps in corrosion control

being followed?
a) Good drill string design
b) Good maintenance
1) Tool joint maintenance (buildup t.j. at
the right time, particularly Grade "E")
2) Coating and reeoating
3) Inspections (supervise the inspector)
4) Rig practices (proper torque make-up
with proper air setting on make-up
cathead)
5) Are good and complete reports being
received on drill pipe?
6) Is training constantly going on?
c) Corrosion control
1) Corrosion control monitoring and
2) Controlling environment with proper
scavengers-inhibitors (mud treatment)

vals? The 5-1/2 FH connection is a better

balanced 'IJ compared to 5", XH (7" on com
pared to 6-3/8). Remember that 5", 19.5 !b/ft.
XH, grade "E" has weak tool joints and requires
maintenance (build-up) when worn down.

O. Hole Cleaning
1. Have the trends been checked on the basic (6)
drilling parameters?
a) Pressure/ stroke trends
b) Torque trends
c) Drag trends
d) ~ (when using bit float) trends
e) ROP trends
f)
Mud wt (in-out-water requirements)
2. Has the pipe been trying to stick?
3. Have hydraulics been checked? (Remember that
pump maximums are not always best.)
4. Ha5 good use been made of hole sweeps?
5. Has the mud-viscosity been considered, partic
ularly the Yp?
6. Has the hydraulics created hole enlargement,
which many times makes hole cleaning impos
sible, particularly with water or very low
weight muds.

I i'."

Y ,
!

I
, ;:r:~la, .-.--~-

L--g_"'~:'"

t,
i

Introduction - 19

Murchison Drilling Schools, Inc.

6. Have pipe handling & tripping practices been

examined?
7. Has corrosion control (basic three steps) been
considered?
8. Has the driller been informed to measure his
kelly if he does twist off 1

7. Has viscous mud been left in the hole to be

used lor tripping when drilling with water?
8. Has the hole been kept completely full (drculating across WH) when working with low

overbalances?

P. Operating Practices

1. Are the operating practices clear and in the

hands of the drlller?
2. If the operating practices require drills and
training, is this being uone?
3. Do the operating practices include the following?
a) Pipe moverrent
b)
Pump engagement & connection making
practices
c)
Mud mixing practices
d) Tripping practices
e)
What to do when losses occur
0 How to monitor the well & catch kicks
quickly
g) Hydraulic practices & pump efficiency
h)

4.

5.
6.
7.

Q.

R.

Key-Seating
1. Have the trip drag trends changed?
2. Is there a dogleg indicated by deviation surveys? (angle &: direction).
3. Has stabilization &: BHA stiffness changed?
4. Has weight/RPM program changed?
5. Has the formation drillability changed?
6. Have any key-seat wipers been run? Did they
help?
7. How long does it take to work through
key seat?
8. After running casing through key seat,
how many days can drilling be done
before wearing a hole in the casing?
9. Have mechanical or electronic caliper
surveys been programmed to monitor
casing wear?
10. Are hole bridges responsible for kick
off and key seat.

S.

Water Meter
1. Has a water meter or other :measuring device
been rigged up to monitor water added to
mud?
2. Have crews been disciplined to keep up with
water added to mud?
3. Have the water requirements changed to maintain same mud weight?
4. Did changing shaker screen or improving
desUting equipment change the water requirement trend?
5. Has an analysis been made from the water
requirement trend on the effectiveness of the
solids control equipment?
6. Ha5 the ROP changed, and how did that affect
the water requirement trend?

checks

Pre-Spud meetings
i)
Pre-drill-out meetings (drilling into abnorma1 pressure zones)
j) Pre-dril1-out drills on the closing-in procedures &: use of hydraulic choke. This
should be done on top of F.e before drillout.
k) H~ and other contingencies
1)
MMS regulation compliance
Axe the objectives of contractor and operator
the same? Successful drilling operations require
that both parties be moving toward a common
objective.
Is supervision clear {people and responsibility)?
Are chain-of-commend and. communication
channels clear?
Are moming meetings required on the rig to
discuss the previous and upcoming 24 hours?

Washouts and Twist-oHs

1. Have the pressure and stroke relationship been
monitored closely? What change has taken
place?
2. Is the washout high (near surface) or low (near

bit)?

3. Should further circulation be minimized to

prevent a larger washout, &: should pipe be
chained out?
4. Have the drillers been informed about what
their MOP is?
5. Have the basic drilling parameters changed?

T.

. ,

People
1. What is the turnover rate?
a) For roughnecks
b) For drillers
c} For toolpushers
d) For company men
2. Did the recent problem develop because
of personnel changes, turnover, poor
communication?
3. Is training required (from a good school)?
4. Is training followed up by~

20 - Introduction
,

'

Murchison Drilling Schools, Inc.

a)
b)

c)
d)

Defining training objectives before school?

Asking if training objectives were met?
Ability to use the training on the rig?
Observing performance of recently trained
person to see if his job approach and

performance have improved?

S. Has the trained person been compensated for

having and applying better techniques? (Or
does he make the same as the untrained per
son?)
6. Has the training cut down an the rig's lost time

operations?

percent time on bottom drilling im

proved? (If it has, define and note basic
reasons
or improvements made.)

7. Has the

8. Has training ..
b)

a)

Cut down on twnover?

Increased turnover?

c)

Reduced accidents?

9. H turnover has increased, what can be done to

reverse the trend?
a) Would ranking people and compensating
by rank help keep the good people?
(1) job perfonnance
(2) attitude
(3) test (technical and job knowledge)
b)
Would supervisory training help in deal
ing with people?
c) Would better job screening be helpful?
10. Would clear operating policies have eliminated
necessity of corrective action (and possible
quitting of person being corrected)?
11. Wou]d clear chain-of-command policy have
eliminated recent personnel problem?
12. IS COMMUNICATIONS THE KEY TO PRE
VENTING AND SOLVING DRILLIN"G PROB

LEMS?

Introduction

Zl