SPE/IADC 79854
Well Control Considerations – Offshore Applications of Underbalanced
Drilling Technology
Don M. Hannegan, P.E., Weatherford Drilling & Intervention Services;
Glen Wanzer, University of Oklahoma Blowout Preventer School.
Copyright 2003, SPE/IADC Drilling Conference
This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE/IADC Drilling Conference held in
Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 19–21 February 2003.
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Abstract
This paper focuses upon the well control aspects related to
offshore applications of the tools and technology normally
associated with underbalanced drilling systems (UBS). A
discussion of the history of underbalanced drilling and the
evolution of the specialized equipment required to practice the
technology with a well established and commendable well
control track record will help one recognize the potential
benefits of offshore application. Whether onshore or offshore,
a key component of UBS is a rotating diverter control head
(RCH). As a key tool, the development of RCH’s enabled the
technology of onshore UBD and led the way towards
encouraging the development of numerous other pieces of the
UBS “tool chest”. RCH’s are fulfilling the same enabling role
offshore, including leading the way towards numerous non-
underbalanced drilling uses. Offshore applications of the tool
include “onshore models” atop surface blowout prevention
stacks (BOP’s). Several “offshore variations” of the tool
enable deepwater drilling (subsea BOP) with lightweight
fluids, managed pressure drilling, dual gradient deepwater
drilling, slim riser deepwater drilling with a surface BOP, and
one subsea model facilitates controlling abnormally pressured
aquifers and/or achieving zero discharge when riserless
drilling top hole sections when establishing a subsea wellhead.
Barriers to achieving a true state of underbalance during an
offshore well’s drilling program include wellbore instability,
dealing with produced hydrocarbons, and in some cases,
regulatory restrictions. Offshore applications were the intent in
using UBS was to drill ahead under a true state of
underbalance now total around 100 wells. All but one has been
drilled from rigs a surface BOP’s. In deeper waters from
floating rigs with subsea BOP’s, the trend to drill
underbalanced is expected to be more aggressive in the future
given the large percentage of all known deepwater resources
being economically undrillable otherwise.
In the nearer term, non-underbalanced drilling applications
of the specialized equipment and technology associated with
underbalanced drilling is much less of a step-change and
avoids the aforementioned barriers to true underbalanced
drilling offshore.
Therefore this discussion places emphasis upon the non-
underbalanced drilling applications of the specialized
equipment associated with underbalanced drilling and
illustrates the well control considerations.
In the context of this paper, well control implications
relate to the potential for surface events as well as
underground blowouts.
Background and Onshore History of UBS
Underbalanced drilling (UBD) is defined in its most simple
terms as drilling ahead with a fluid that imparts a hydrostatic
head less than the pore pressure of the formation being drilled.
For several decades now, many tens of thousands of onshore
wells have practiced applications of the tools and technology
of UBD. The specialized equipment requirements to practice
the technology safely and with minimum negative
environmental consequences have evolved to be well defined.
Equipment availability has facilitated the evolution of several
variations of underbalanced drilling.
Compressible fluids drilling (natural gas or air) began over 30
years ago in the Arkoma Basin of western Arkansas and
eastern Oklahoma. Low pressure (500 psi) passive seal-type
(stripper rubber) RCH’s were developed, served as rotating
diverters and encouraged the use of choke manifolds, gas
busters, IBOP’s, and pilot lit flarestacks when drilling for
sweet gas in tight sandstone.
For drilling sour gas and depleted zones/reservoirs in western
Canada, closed system underbalanced drilling systems were
developed. Active seal-type and redundant barrier design
RCH’s were developed to assure low pressure sealability with
sour gas. The balance of the closed system for UBD came to
include multi-phase separation (oil, gas, mud, cuttings),
nitrogen generation systems and stable foam drilling fluids.
2 SPE/IADC 79854
In the Austin Chalk of Texas and Louisiana, the need to drill
horizontally into inclined or vertical fractures containing high
pore pressure gas brought the development of higher pressure
capable (5000 psi static/2500 psi operating) RCH’s, some
models with redundant stripper rubbers spaced to assure that at
no time would both annulus seals be stripping a tool joint at
the same time.
As the Air Drilling, Closed System, Mud Cap, Flow Drilling
and near-balanced (Low Head) variations of UBD became
more commonly practiced during the 90’s and until present,
the UBS “tool chest” or “kit” options have grown to include:
~ Single and redundant barrier types of RCH’s,
passive and active annulus seal designs, low and higher
pressure capable.
~ Wireline retrievable floats (IBOP’s).
~ Nitrogen generation systems.
~ Multi-phase separators, vertical and horizontal.
~ Choke Manifolds.
~ Real-time Data Acquisition Systems.
~ 2-Phase Flow Modeling.
~ Downhole Deployment Valves.
~ Stable Foams and re-cyclable Foam Chemistry.
~ Real time data acquisition systems
Onshore in the U.S. and Canada, over half of all wells drilled
use one or more of the above shown tools associated with
UBD. Most common is the RCH. This is not to indicate half of
all wells drilled are done so with a fixation on achieving a true
state of UB at some point in that wells drilling program.
Instead, the onshore drilling industry has learned with good
benefit that the specialized equipment associated with UBD
can assist in dealing with a number of barriers to conventional
overbalanced drilling. The list of non-underbalanced
applications of UBS include:
~ Near-balanced (Low Head) or balanced.
~ Mud-cap drilling.
~ Well control, surface and sub-surface.
~ Reverse Circulation
~ Environmental (closed annulus returns).
~ Managed or Controlled Pressure Drilling.
~ Minimize loss circulation issues.
~ ROP enhancement.
~ Hard rock drilling.
~ Geothermal drilling.
~ Coal bed methane drilling.
~ Sour gas or oil.
In this process of evolution, a commendable well control track
record has resulted from use of UBS, for true UBD and
otherwise. Although there is no single repository of data to
quantify the well control track record where UBS are used for
both UB and non-UB purposes compared to wells not using
UBS tools and technology, most in the industry feel the well
control track record is “significantly better”. Inherently there
are greater risks when the intent is to achieve a true state of
underbalance. However, wells to be drilled UB usually are
better planned than the “average well”, have an experienced
UBD engineer on location at all times, and use equipment that
can be prequalified and tested to be assured fit-for-purpose.
This is not always the case in conventional drilling where the
drilling fluid is the primary blowout prevention barrier.
The well control track record of UBS, coupled with the fact
offshore wells are usually more thoroughly planned than
onshore wells sets the stage for the technology to be a viable
and attractive option for offshore application, particularly for
non-underbalanced drilling purposes.
Demand for Offshore UBS Applications
Globally, several hundred wells have been drilled offshore
using the tools and technology associated with underbalanced.
As has been the trend onshore, about 25% of them used UBS
to focus on achieving a true state of UB at some point in the
drilling program. The balance used one or more of the pieces
of the specialized equipment to overcome some barrier to
conventional methods.
Consider the barriers facing rigs with surface BOP stacks:
~ Drilling related issues associated with slow ROP,
drilling flat time, loss circulation, and completion.
~ Damage to production zone porosity.
~ Masking of productive zones short of T.D.
Consider the barriers facing floating rigs with subsea
BOP’s:
~ Narrow margin between formation pore pressure
and fracture gradient, necessating excessive casing programs
and more expensive drillships to buoy.
~ Drilling related issues associated with slow ROP,
drilling flat time and loss circulation related problems (mud
loss, differential sticking).
~ Zones and reservoir depleted relative to water depth
~ Damage to production zone porosity.
~ Masking of productive zones short of T.D.
Consider the barriers facing riserless top hole drilling:
~ Abnormally pressured aquifers (shallow water flow
hazards).
~ Wellbore instability.
~ Cost and environmental risks associated with
industry practice of Pump & Dump to remediate the above.
These barriers facing offshore drilling today have one thing in
common…all can be addressed, some more than others of
course, but all are candidates for offshore applications of UBS.
Better wellbore pressure management is the key to
overcoming many of the challenging hydraulics associated
with deepwater drilling and this can come only with a
technology that enables a closed system and thus ones ability
to have greater influence over wellbore pressure management
with minimum interruptions to drilling ahead. In other words,
otherwise economically undrillable wells can be viable, with
both surface and subsurface well control enhancement an
additional benefit.
SPE/IADC 79854
Applications of UBS from rigs with surface BOP
stacks
Figure 1 illustrates a typical BOP stack as defined in API
Recommended Practice 53. Note the Rotating Control Head is
atop the annular preventer of the BOP stack, not in place or in
lieu of any other component, and that it can (and in actual
practice almost always is) be of a lower pressure capability or
rating than the BOP stack itself. Figure 1a illustrates a dual
annular seal or redundant barrier (two passive seals) design
RCH. Figure 1b illustrates a model of RCH uses one passive
seal and one active seal in its design. No application of
underbalanced drilling technology can be practiced without a
rotating control head. Figure 2. is a photograph of a RCH
within a secondary spills containment device on a well drilled
UB in the Ducth Sector of the North Sea. The flowline outlet
is to a remote operated annulus returns valve and a manual
valve enroute to the choke manifold and fluids separation.
Other components of UBS that may have application include
most of the list previously shown as defined by the objectives
of the drilling program, as is the case onshore For example, if
use of a RCH is only to enhance well control via a rotating
flow diverter or for spills containment reasons when otherwise
drilling conventionally overbalanced, that may be the only part
of the “kit” needed. However, if the intent is to achieve a true
state of UB, a choke manifold, separator, flow modeling and
means to handle produced hydrocarbons are the minimum. If
the zone is depleted, membrane nitrogen or foam chemistry
may be required to achieve a state of UB. A wireline
retievable float, moved closer to the next jointed pipe
connection from its original housing sub may speed
connection time and reduce wet connects (see Figure 3.).
The wells that have been drilled to date from rigs with surface
BOP stacks using UBS have indicated a much better
“significant incident” track record relative to well control.
The reasons are essentially the same as onshore experience
with UBS.
Applications from rigs with subsea BOP stacks
Figure 4. illustrates a line drawing illustrating a typical subsea
BOP and marine riser arrangement. Figure 5. illustrates a
rather straightforward but novel concept, that of securing the
outer race of the bearing and annulus seal assembly of a
surface type RCH by adapting it to be closed upon by a
conventional marine diverter, thus converting a marine
diverter to function as a rotating diverter.
Deepwater drilling with lightweight fluids – Figure 6. is a
line drawing of a RCH designed to facilitate a pressurized
mud return system – a closed annular returns system. It
consists of a redundant barrier model RCH with flexible
flowline outlets. Deployable through the opening in the rotary
table and flange connected to the inner barrel of the riser slip
joint (locked and seals pressurized to prevent leakage, but its
function eliminated). The flexible flowlines handle heave
3
movement. The rig’s heave compesators minimize axial
movement relative to the RCH seals for other than drilling
ahead and tripping out. The manifold of the RiserCap™
external riser rotating control head is fitted with a rupture disc
to prevent damage to the marine riser in event of an
overpressure situation.
Figures 7., 7a., 7b., are photographs of the RiserCap™ on
location aboard a moored semisubmersible drilling offshore
Brazil in 1000m of water depth with nitrified fluids. Nitrogen
was injected in the standpipe achieving up to 0.5 ppg
equivalent reduction of the mud density, depending upon
amount injected. Future application of such a pressurized mud
return system include injecting the nitrogen at some depth
directly into the marine riser via parasite string or booster
pump line, thus achieving a variation of dual gradient
deepwater drilling.
Dual Gradient Deepwater Drilling – Key equipment
required is a subsea annulus barrier and subsea mud pumps.
This method tricks the wellbore into thinking the rig is setting
on the ocean floor as the well sees only the seawater gradient
in the annulus, not the mud returns gradient. This method
affords staying within the frac-pore margins to a deeper depth
and in some cases, ability to reach T.D. with a large enough
hole. The significant benefit is in the form of a greatly
simplified casing program necessating a smaller and less
expensive drill ship. Annuulus returns are taken from the
subsea BOP and subsea mud pumps return them to the floating
rig. In one industry effort the cuttings are separated subsea,
reducing pump requirements. In another, micro-spere glass
beads provide a “gas lift” of the annulus returns to surface.
Figure 8. is a line drawing of the Internal Riser Rotating
Control Head™, a subsea annulus barrier.
Riserless Drilling Top Hole Sections – Initiating a deepwater
drilling program by using a small drillship to batch drill
locations within an offshore lease is financially very attractive,
sometimes saving up to $200,000 U.S. per day compared to
beginning the well with a marine riser buoyed and much larger
floating rig. However, several significant issues relate to
riserless drilling:
~ Drilling into an abnormally pressured aquifer can
allow volcanic erosion and loss of the location.
~ Wellbore instability issues can result in several
casing sizes to complete the top hole, increasing the overall
casing program and perhaps rendering the program incapable
of reaching T.D. with large enough hole for the well to be
economically viable.
~ Current Pump & Dump methods are expensive and
in some cases may imply environmental issues.
Figure 9. is a line drawing of a subsea RCH which is run down
on the drill string to be either secured to the 20” or 30” subsea
casing via an inflatable packer or mechanical latch. ROV
intervention is required to monitor the annulus pressure and
view the restricted (via orifice or subsea choke) annulus
returns into the sea. A variation of such a subsea RCH
application includes using subsea mud pumps to return the
cuttings to the rig, thus achieving zero discharge while drilling
4 SPE/IADC 79854
riserless. Rigs mud pumps, with the RCH controlling the rate
of annulus discharge, produce a state of overbalance with
seawater, virtually as if a marine riser were in place filled with
heavy mud. Figure 10. is a photograph of a Virtual Riser™
subsea rotating control head for riserless drilling. This tool has
been successfully shop tested, stripping over 28,000’ of 6 5/8”
drill pipe w/tool joints at a simulated depth of 7,500’. Its
differential pressure containment capability greatly exceeds
that which may be needed in a practical application, 2,000 psi
operating. (Figure 11.)
Slim Riser Deepwater Drilling with a
Surface BOP
See Figure 12. First practiced off the California coast in the
1960’s, recent years have seen a significant increase (Unocal
Indonesia, Shell Malaysia) where the heave movement
expectations are relatively benign. This method is an
attractive option globally due to the fact a smaller and thus
less expensive floating rig can be deployed to drill the well to
T.D., as the rig will be buoying only a 13 3/8”” marine riser
compared to larger O.D. risers used with subsea BOP’s.
Additionally, the BOP itself is very much akin to an onshore
BOP, and certainly more accessible by being in the moon pool
area. Beyond the mild heave movement scenario in protected
waters, a limitation to this technology being applied (in the
GOM for example) involves handling much greater vessel
heave movement whilst taking annulus returns. The intent
involves both overbalanced and near-underbalanced drilling,
and key components of UBS have unique application to slim
riser deepwater drilling. The RiserCap™ external riser RCH
with flexible flow lines to handle heave movement while
serving as a rotating flow diverter, wireline retrievable floats
and nitrogen generation are some candidates for this
application currently being evaluated.
Managed Pressure Drilling
Given that UBS enables a pressurized or otherwise closed mud
return system via a RCH perhaps used in conjunction with
IBOP’s, a choke manifold, and when applicable, nitrogen
generation systems, etc. - the ability to adjust the wellbore
pressure without changing the density of the base fluid is
greatly enhanced.
Example Applications of Managed
Pressure Drilling
An application of managed pressure drilling - where we
literally “take command” of the annular pressures, whether we
want to stay close to balanced or not. For an example of this,
consider a well where 16+ppg mud is required. OBM or
SOBM systems to achieve this are very costly and somewhat
difficult to maintain. Use of MPD along with a more
manageable 15ppg mud system could increase ROP, reduce
barite sag, etc. And it might have nothing to do with achieving
an even close-to-balanced state, but rather management of
resources and assuring a more constant bottom hole pressure.
Dealing with loss circulation (Figure 13). This illustrates a
deepwater drilling situation where a nitrogen generation
system is readily available for short notice deployment, to be
used in loss circulation incidents that have the potential to
differentially stick the drill pipe. For rigs outfitted with a
Booster Pump and riser systems with booster lines, nirtified
booster line fluids can be injected into the riser annulus near
the subsea BOP. For (earlier generation) rigs not outfitted with
booster pumps, the nitrogen is injected at some depth directly
into the marine riser via parasite string ran outside the riser.
This enables a gas-lift variation of dual gradient, and may
reduce the ppge of the base mud enough to moderate
differential sticking and/or free a stuck pipe. For single
gradient nitrified fluids deepwater drilling, the nitrogen may
be injected in the standpipe.
Summary and Conclusions
When drilling offshore from rigs with surface blowout
preventers, and when the intent is to achieve a true state of
underbalance at some point in the drilling program, essentially
the same components of an underbalanced drilling system for
drilling UB onshore is deployed. Beyond the absolute
minimum of a rotating control head mounted atop the rigs
BOP, other components of a typical onshore systems required
depend upon the well’s drilling program. Well control
considerations are essentially as onshore. From a data base
which spans several decades of onshore UBD, and from many
offshore wells that have practiced the use of underbalanceed
systems for various purposes, including underbalanced
drilling, the well control track record remains commendable
compared to wells drilled without the benefit of
UBS equipment.
In deeper waters from rigs with subsea blowout preventers, to
date, only a handful of wells have deployed any of the
specialized equipment associated with underbalanced drilling.
One was been drilled from a moored semi submersible in a
true state of underbalance. However, as barriers to
conventional overbalanced drilling become more formidable
as formations deplete, assets decline, and drilling objectives
are in deeper and deeper water, the hydraulics will dictate
more deepwater applications of UBS equipment. Where
wellbore stability and produced hydrocarbons issues permit,
the UBD trend will continue. In the near term, more often the
technology and UBS specialized equipment will be used to
facilitate overcoming barriers to conventional drilling rather
than achieving a true state of UB.
Much of the world’s known resources of hydrocarbons are
economically undrillable with conventional methods and
equipment. Expandable tubulars and offshore application of
underbalanced drilling systems, whether or not the intent is to
drill underbalanced…are seen as the two most viable
technologies to apply.
Whether from fixed rigs or floating rigs, managed pressure
drilling benefits associated with the closed annulus returns and
“full time well control” characteristics of underbalanced
SPE/IADC 79854 5

systems is expected to have a positive impact upon both

surface and subsurface well control.

References

API Recommended Practice 53, Third Edition, p.10.

Bourgoyne, A.T., Ph.D., K.K. Millheim & F.S. Young:
“Applied Drilling Engineering”, SPE Textbook Series, Vol. 2,
Society of Petroleum Engineers (1991), pp 289-290.
Rehm, Bill: “Practical Underbalanced Drilling and
Workover”, Petroleum Extension Service, The University of
Texas at Austin.
“Guide to Blowout Prevention”, Well Control School (WCS),
Harvey, Louisiana.
Medley, George H.: “Advances Drive Synergies Between
Technologies”, American Oil & Gas Reporter, Jan. 1999.
Edson Nakagawa, Ph.D., Jose Carlos Cunha, Ph.D.; “JIP’s
Work Brightens Outlook for UBD in Deep Waters”, American
Oil & Gas Reporter, April, 1999.
Neil Forrest, Tom Bailey, Don Hannegan: “Subsea Equipment
for Deep Water Drilling Using Dual Gradient Mud System”,
SPE/IADC 67707, Amsterdam, 2001.
Don Hannegan, A. T. Bourgoyne, Jr., Ph.D., “Deepwater
Drilling With Lightweight Fluids – Essential Equipment
Required”, SPE/IADC 67708, Amsterdam, 2001.
Marshall DeLuca: “Drilling Deeper and Cheaper – Freeing
Modest Semis for Immodest Depths”, Asian Oil & Gas, March
2001, p. 16.
Adam Ted Bourgoyne, Jr.: “Well Control Considerations of
Underbalanced Drilling”, SPE Distinguished Lecturer Series,
1999.
U.S. Patent 6,263,982: “Method and system for return of
drilling fluid from a sealed marine riser to a floating drilling
rig while drilling”, issued July, 2001.
U.S. Patent 6,138,774: “Method and apparatus for drilling a
borehole into a subsea abnormal pore pressure environment”,
issued Oct. 31, 2000.
U.S. Patent 6,470, 975: “Internal Riser Rotating Control
Head”, issued Oct. 29, 2002.
6 SPE/IADC 79854

Figure 1. From American Petrolum Institute, R.P.53, p.10. A

typical Blow Out Prevention stack.

* Drilling spool and its location in the stack arrangement is optional.

** Annular preventer, A, and rotating head, G, can be of a lower working pressure
rating and can be installed on any arrangement.
SPE/IADC 79854 7

Figure 1b. Active Seal Rotating Control Head with Passive

Figure 1a. Dual Passive Seal Rotating Control Head. Seal Backup.
8 SPE/IADC 79854

Figure 2. Rotating Control Head within Secondary Spill Containment Device.

Figure 3. Wireline Retrievable Float

SPE/IADC 79854 9

Figure 4. Typical Subsea Blow Out Preventer:

Marine Riser, with optional Riser Gas Handler.
10 SPE/IADC 79854

Figure 5. Marine Diverter with Dual Barrier Rotating Control Head.

Figure 6. Pressurized Riser Mud Return System.

SPE/IADC 79854 11

Figure 7. Drill in deepwater with a Closed Annular System.

Figure 7a. Installing the Bearing and Seal Assembly.

12 SPE/IADC 79854

Figure 7b. Running B.H.A. with Bowl and Funnel.

Internal Riser Rotating Control Head

Figure 9. Subsea R.C.H. held in

Figure 8. Subsea Annular Barrier casing via Inflatable Packer.
for Dual Graidient Drilling.
SPE/IADC 79854 13

Figure 10. Virtual Riser Rotating Control Head. Figure 11. Virtual Riser mounted on Subsea Well Simulator.

Figure 12. Subsea B.O.P. compared to Surface B.O.P.

14 SPE/IADC 79854

Membrane Nitrogen
Generation Unit

Nitrogen Injection via

Booster Pump line or
Parasite String

Figure 13. Dual Gradient Variation.