IADC/SPE 59263
Improvement on the Procedure in Exploration Well By Unbalanced Drilling: A Case
History in BS7 Well in People’s Republic of China
GUO YONGFENG, Petroleum Technology Service, China National Offshore Oil Corporation
Copyright 2000, IADC/SPE Drilling Conference
This paper was prepared for presentation at the 2000 IADC/SPE Drilling Conference held in
New Orleans, Louisiana, 23–25 February 2000.
This paper was selected for presentation by an IADC/SPE Program Committee following
review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the
paper, as presented, have not been reviewed by the International Association of Drilling
Contractors or the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to correction by the
author(s). The material, as presented, does not necessarily reflect any position of the IADC or
SPE, their officers, or members. Papers presented at the IADC/SPE meetings are subject to
publication review by Editorial Committees of the IADC and SPE. Electronic reproduction,
distribution, or storage of any part of this paper for commercial purposes without the written
consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers is prohibited. Permission to reproduce in print is
restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The
abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of where and by whom the paper was
presented. Write Librarian, SPE, P.O. Box 833836, Richardson, TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax
01-972-952-9435.
Abstract
The paper has discussed some questions in
unbalanced drilling, and state that the most important
question is determining the information pressure
gradient before drilling in the design. The paper put out
some principles and formulae for determining the
information pressure gradient, which are different from
that were put forward by some scholars in past to some
extent. The author introduced a case history about
unbalance drilling – BS7 well, which was drilled in
Dagang oil field, Tianjin city, People’s Republic of China,
and explain the application of the principles and formula
in the well. There are two points in this paper. First, in
term of new principle and formula of design formation
pressure gradient, the time that is from starting show of
some omen to having blow out in well, is longer than
predicting in other method in past, and this predicting
had been testified by the practise in the well. So the
operator has more time to deal with well kick and protect
the blow out of well, in other words, designer can take a
risk to determine the formation pressure gradient more
than in past. Second, when determining the formation
pressure gradient, the designer would not consider
abnormal layers, which are much smaller in thick than
the length of naked section in the hole. Because not only
the operator have enough time to deal with well blow out
if the blow out really happen, but also some situations
have not happened, in speciality to the block faulted oil
field, for example, Dagang oil field. The mainly reason is
the level of forecast the formation pressure gradient is
not very accurate, and it is not worthy of raising the
value of it in the whole section in well only according to a
predicting value of the formation pressure gradient in
shorter section, which predicting value of it mainly
depend on the data from neighbor wells. Since
beginning of 1999, the most of oil fields in main land of
China have accepted these principle in the drilling of
explored well so that decease the mud density, and get
obvious effect, which have found several huge oil fields
so far.
1 introduce
In main land of China, there are about 19 oil fields in
land and 3 oil fields in offshore. CNPC (China National
petroleum Corporation) manage the land oil field, and
CNOOC (China National Offshore Oil field) manage the
offshore oil field. The production of oil and natural gas in
the oil fields on land has been decreasing for years
recently. How maintain the production of oil and gas in
the old oil fields and developing the potential of its
capability? By research and practice for long time, it has
been proved that the important way to raise the
production of well is using the quasi balance and
balance and unbalanced drilling.
The oil fields in offshore of China applied early the
technology of quasi balance and balance and
unbalanced drilling because they have cooperated with
some international corporations since beginning of 80’s.
But the technology has been seldom used in continent
oil fields, special to the district of Bohai bay where is laid
in east of China. In March 1998, I was invited by the
general manger of Dagang oil field as the senior advisor
of general manager the oil field, to participate the design
and operated in a key well of explore – BS7 well. The
purpose was drilling an explored well in the oil field using
the technology of drilling in CNOOC, to improve the
technology in CNPC. The main technology which used
to the BS7 well was chiefly drilling in quasi balance and
balance and unbalanced. Of course, the mission in BS7
well had been taken great success.
Had been drilled and tested, BS7 well product 620
tons oil and 430,000 stere gas every day. It should be
pointed, the average production in a well at the oil field,
2 GUO YONGFENG
which was just drilled within one year, is 12 tons every
day, and the highest production of oil in a well is 200
tons every day since 30 years, and there are about 500
wells drilled in this area So far. After BS7 well was
drilled, there had been 6 explored wells drilled in round
district recently, and had gotten success too, which
production in single well arrive to 420 ton in average per
day.
In April 1999, CNPC hold a conference in Dagang oil
field, and spread the way of balance and unbalanced
drilling in land oil fields, and thought it would efficiently
make more success in promoting the production of oil
and natural gas in PR of China. After the conference,
several large oil fields had been found, for example,
Tahe oil field in Xinjing autonomy area in September
1999, Erdosi oil field in Neimeng autonomy area in
October 1999, and so on.
2 the situation basically on BS7 well
BS7 well is located Qianmiqiao area in Dagang oil
field, which is about 50 kilometers from Tianjin City, and
is southern and eastern of Beijing, apart from about 200
kilometers. The well is explored well in straight hole. The
well depth is 5350 meter, which include 30 meter length
conducter string which diameter is 30 inch, 280 meter
length 20 inch surface casing, 2000 meter length 13 3/8
inch protector casing, 4252 meter length 9 5/8 inch
protector casing, 5340 meter length 5 1/2 inch product
casing. The well started drilling in end of April 1998, and
finished in end of December 1998. During the procedure
of drilling, it was used by quasi balance and balanced in
section of well above 4200 meter, and used by
unbalanced drilling in section from 4200 to 5350 meters.
Process of unbalanced drilling, the coefficient of
formation pressure in that section of formation is 1.05,
but the density of mud for drilling just keep on 1.02 in
practise. When drilled by unbalanced, there was some
equipment of unbalanced drilling that was installed in the
rig. They included some device in well head for no well
killing drilling and some equipment of oil and gas
separation, and some device of gas blow out, which
transfer natural gas in high pressure to out of rig about
250 meter far from it then burning out. Meanwhile, to be
operated by unbalanced drilling, the pressure in well
head was all the while high, which was 2130 psi at
annulus pressure in general and some time arrive to
3915 psi. For protect poison gas, for example H2S, blow
out from the well hole, the device of safeguard had been
installed in the rig.
The operation is very successful in BS7 well and
almost had not serious accidents to happen. But there
were a few of questions that had been noticed by
operators. The one is that the life of seal material of
device for no killing well is not used to long time, and it
need renew by worker about 8 days, which it is very
danger and waste time in drilling. The second is that all
IADC/SPE 59263
of devices of no killing well almost were made too
lumpish, and it should be believed that a type of devices
in unbalance would be made to be lighter than now. The
third, the device should be improved the technology of
installment, and it is very difficulty to install the devices
now in the site of drilling. Beside, the device of no killing
well, which main purpose is for unbalanced drilling,
should be enhance and strength the monitor and control
of parameters. For example, it should be improved that
the automatic monitor and control pressure in well head,
so that it could be adjust that flow rate from the well
head in automatic and it would be guaranteed in
constant value of pressure in well head. Though the
device that is used has some such function, it is not
utterly satisfy for operator in rig. Add to, there was a little
question that the automatic compensating mechanics for
wear off of seal material.
Because of adoption of quasi balance and balance and
unbalanced drilling, the explored well had been better
effective of exploring and production than before. In the
section of well which was from 1785 to 1892 meter, the
layers of high production of oil were found, which is
about 200 tons oil every day pass by tested. But there
was nothing utterly when it had been drilled in more 200
wells in identical formation since 30 years. There were
identical situations to happen in the section of well which
was from 3150 to 3863 meter. In section of well from
4159 meter to 5350 meter, where is located formation of
the buried hill, it was found that high production of oil of
condensate and natural gas field. And it is said that the
natural gas as a fuel gas in routine, which was found in
the well, can supply to Beijing City for 50 years. But it
had been drilled in more than 90 wells in the buried hill
formation in the oil field since 20 years.
3 a key to question of unbalanced drilling is
accurately predicting Formation Pressure Gradient
Whatever quasi balance or balance or unbalanced
drilling, a key to question is forecasting precisely the
formation pressure gradient before drilling, special to the
unbalanced drilling, it is more importance question.
Because the point of balance could not determine if
operator do not know value of the gradient, the operator
do not determine the type of drilling procedure - quasi
balance or balance or unbalanced drilling, so other
things will not be mention.
Before drilled in the explored well, the geologist submit
a report on prediction of the formation pressure gradient
in BS7 well, and I check it and put forward a suggestion
to modify it according to a new principle of determine the
pressure gradient. It is shown on the curve of pressure
gradient, including the curve both original and modified
in figure 2. From the figure, we can see that the value of
formation pressure gradient has been almost decrease
30% than modified before in average, and it also tell us,
the density of mud during drilling will be decrease 30%
IADC/SPE 59263 Improvement on the Procedure in Exploration Well By Unbalanced Drilling: A Case History in BS7 Well in People’s Republic of China
than drilling in identical type explored well before. That
amendment for the value of pressure gradient, which is
reduce the density of mud in drilling, has been significant
to protect the layers of oil and gas from the pollution and
to improve the affect in exploring even to raise the
production of oil and gas in a well, which is knowledge
for every engineer of drilling. CNPC has generalized the
method, which is produced by the new principle above
stated, to all oil fields in main land of China, and it has
made distinct effect so far.
3.1 a new differential equation to describe the procedure
of well kick and well blow out.
Before we introduce the new principle for determining
the pressure gradient in formation, we first talk about
some differential equations to describe the process of
well kick and blow out in well. The people put out original
principle of determining pressure gradient, which is
according to the knowledge on procedure of well kick
and well blow out.
Let’s review the process that is from beginning of gas
into hole of well to erupting when well blow out. We
suppose the hole of well is filled by liquid when drilling,
and from certain moment, the gas start to enter the hole
from formation by the wall of well. We hypothesis the
volume both liquid and gas in the hole is n, the volume of
liquid is s(t), the volume of gas is i(t), the variable t
represent to time. Of course, n is constant. It is obvious
that
n = i(t) + s(t) …………………….
In general, people think the increase of gas is direct
proportion of t, and K is constant of proportion. In other
words, the increase of gas is only following time. So it is
following
di ( t )
= K
dt
………………………. (2)
Above formula represent to a linear of straight
inclined. In the formula, it is not consider that
characteristic of inflating of gas after entering hole of
well.
After time, some scholars found the volume of gas is
direct proportion of t and i(t)
di ( t )
= Ki ( t )
dt
………………………… (3)
Above formula represent a curve of index, which had
used to method on detach variable to solve the
differential equation. The formulae (2) and (3) have a
shortcoming in communal, which they do not consider
the suppressive action of fluid of drilling. The physical
model as formula (2) is that the gas in high pressure is
3
injected to the sealing empty volume, and formula (3) is
that the gas in high pressure is injected to a balloon.
Pass by long term observation and research in the
laboratory and the sites of drilling, I put forward a new
formula about process of well kick and well blow out in
the hole of well. The content is the volume of gas is
direct proportion of both volume of gas i(t) and volume of
liquid s(t). So the equation is showed that
di ( t )
= Ki ( t ) s ( t )
dt
…………………… (4)
To consider the formula (1) and the formula (4) is
solved by method of detach variable, so the solution of
formula (5) is following:
n
i (t ) =
n
1+ ( − 1) e − knt
i0
…………………………….. (5)
The parameter i0 above formula represent the primary
value of volume of gas in the well hole. It is obvious,
bring the formula (1), it can be induced to following
equation:
 
 
s (t ) = n 1 − 
1
 n 
(1)  1 + ( − 1) e − knt 
 i 0 
…………………………….. (6)
The figure 1 has shown the curve of Formula (2) and
formula (3) and formula (5). The curve of formula (5) in
figure 1 has told us a importance question.
The velocity that gas inject to hole of well from the
formation by wall of well is slower than we imaged in
past. We can see from the figure 1, the velocity of
injecting is very slow at both beginning and ending of
process of injecting, and the velocity is the most fast in
middle phase in the injecting. So the process of injecting
gas in beginning and ending would take long time
relatively. This phenomenon has been proved in the
laboratory and site of rig. It is obvious that velocity of
injecting is very slow when injecting start, but when
injecting will end, the velocity is very slow than middle
phase too, how to explain this phenomenon for us? We
can explain it by such reason. When the gas of injecting
is going to end, the most of gas would keep in liquid
because of action of drilling fluid that has certain density,
and the huge energy from gas injected act to the wall of
well on the contrary, to resistant the gas continue
entering the hole of well, and it is really like a
appearance of the feedback in the electronics. Pass by a
4 GUO YONGFENG
process of accumulating of energy both gas and liquid in
long time, in case it is only broke up that the balance
both gas and liquid in the well hole, the well blow out
begin. The formula (5) is easy to explain why the well
blow out always erupt in sudden, alike as we saw in the
site of drilling. To opposite, both formula (2) or formula
(3) only describe a process that gas puff out the well
head slowly, which has not the process of accumulating
of energy in gas and liquid.
We bring the active parameter to the formula (6), and
got the result, which is time that show length from begin
of injecting gas to well blow out really, is more bigger
than formula (2) and formula (3). For example, in
Dagang area, the result using formula (2) and formula
(3) about 2 to 3 hours, but the result of using to formula
(6) is 6 hours. And this conclusion is more longer than
engineers imaged working there, which many engineers
thought that the time of well blow out between have a
omen and erupting really is 2 hours, at most 3 hours in
general. Afterwards, by look up a lot of material since 30
years, which had been testified that the conclusion is
probable true in the main. Further, the practice of drilling
in BS7 well proved the conclusion is correct.
Above conclusion formed a important base of principle
to design the formation pressure gradient, which the time
between begin of omen and blow out is more longer than
we image in original.
3.2 a new principle of design the formation pressure
gradient
It is base principle almost every textbook for many
years that the value of formation pressure gradient is
determined by the highest value of formation pore
pressure in identical section of open hole. Further, the
data of formation pore pressure in a section is mainly
from the neighbor wells in identical area, if there are
neighbor wells. In general, it is more rough than data of
neighbor that the data of reference from the seismic
surveying.
We have an example. Let’s see the table 1. We can
know that there are two abnormal layers near BS7 well,
which data are from the well BS5-1 in neighbor. There
are two layers in this well, and one of layers is situated
from 3369 to 3380 meter, and another layer from 3729 to
3745 meter. Their thickness is both 11 meter and 16
meter. Both coefficient of formation pressure are 1.33
and 1.31. At same time, the coefficient of pressure in
other layers near BS7 well is totally under 1.25, and their
value in average is 1.09. If we wound had considered
the abnormal layers in the BS5-1 well when predicting
the gradient of pressure, the coefficient of pressure of
formation would have be raised to 1.31. So the density
of mud of drilling in BS7 well would keep on 1.31 even if
it was applied balance drilling, where are located to
section between 3000 to 4200 meter. Afterwards, we
modified the predicting of formation pressure gradient,
IADC/SPE 59263
which we did not thought over the affect of the abnormal
high layers in BS5-1 well so that value of coefficient of
formation pressure in the section was forecasted to 1.25
as highest value in the figure of curve.
In above example, there are two reasons that we do
not consider two abnormal layers. The first reason is that
it would take 6 hours or more time from the omen
appear, even if it happen well blow out in this well,
according to above formula (6) shown; so we have
enough time to adapt various way to protect it. The
second reason is that Dagang is the block faulted oil
field, though the distance between BS7 well and BS5-1
well is very near, which is about 700 meters, but it is
possible that exist the fault. Any how, we do not only for
the layers which thickness is about 20 meter to raise
density of mud and bring out pollution of oil and gas
layers. It has been testified that they do not appear the
abnormal layers.
Statistic shown, the rate of accuracy on prediction of
abnormal high pressure layers is not over 60% for the
explored well, and if the length of abnormal layer in hole
of well is only lower 1/20, the operator should not
consider it, and just as a reference to drilling.
3.3 a new demand to the mud logging
In the procedure of balance and unbalanced drilling,
the mud logging and drilling monitor has been more
important action. According to formula (6), we want to
the mud logging team working at site of rig would must
send out alarm of well blow out to operator before about
6 hours. The main responsibility of accident in blow out
of well belong to the mud logging team if time between
send to alarm and well blow out is less 6 hours. During
drilled in BS7 well, the mud logging team worked very
well, and they thought there are few operators to require
so concrete at process of monitor drilling.
The demand is applied in the like way to process of
unbalanced drilling. During unbalanced drilling, the mud
logging must carefully monitor various parameters and
the omen of showing abnormal high pressure in the well
head. And they should send out alarm at once if the
pressure was higher than permitting of device of
unbalanced drilling in well head, because there are
different situation in the unbalanced drilling, which it is
always erupting from well head. In addition, it is very
important for keeping high efficient in desander at site of
rig so that it was guaranteed to be lower density of mud
in process of drilling.
3.4 the significance of new principle for quasi balance
and balance drilling
The new principle of determining the gradient of
formation pressure has still been significant to quasi
balance and balance drilling.
IADC/SPE 59263 Improvement on the Procedure in Exploration Well By Unbalanced Drilling: A Case History in BS7 Well in People’s Republic of China
In the identical area where drilled in BS7 well, the
density of mud that was used to drill other wells always
is 1.15 to 2.0 for more 20 years, which depth of well is
from 800 to 2000 meter and the coefficient of formation
pressure is 0.97. The reason is that there are high
pressure layers of natural gas underground, and the
operators afraid of well blow out in sudden, which make
huge accidents on life or wealth. During drilling of BS7
well, the density of fluid always keep on 1.11 in the
section of well for operators know that they have been
enough time to ready shut well head or weight the
density of mud according to the new principle, which is
induced by formula (6). After beginning of drilling no long
time, it was found high production of oil in 1780 meter to
1840 meter. Afterwards, the several wells were drilled
near BS7 well, one of them is B14-1 well, and they all
adopted the identical density of mud in same section of
well, and got high production of oil and gas. In
dramatically, it has happen to nothing since using lower
density of mud to drilling in the section of well so far.
It has huge potential to raise production of oil and
natural gas in wells and oil fields by quasi balance and
balanced and unbalanced drilling. It is forecast that the
oil fields in main land of China will place it as first task
that balance and unbalanced drilling afterwards.
According to predicting as the author, the total
production of oil and gas in domestic will increase 28%
per year if the technology of balance and unbalanced
drilling really spread in main land of China. If we
consider the factor of decreasing production in old oil
fields, the production of oil and gas will raise 13% in
domestic every year for spread and apply the technology
of balance and unbalanced drilling. It should be pointed,
the increase of production of oil and gas by this way do
not need almost increase the cost. It is good example of
BS7 well and other found in new oil field in Dagang oil
field.
4 conclusion
Pass by we research in idea and practice in BS7 well,
we have some conclusion for quasi balance and
balanced and unbalanced drilling.
4.1 It is precondition on quasi balance and balanced
and unbalanced drilling that forecasting the formation
pressure gradient. If there are enough accurate
predicting on pressure gradient, it is no any significance
for quasi balance and balanced and unbalanced drilling,
special to the explored well.
4.2 It is the new and important way to decrease the
density of fluid of drilling to improve the method of
predicting the formation pressure gradient, and it has
been significant for protecting the pollution of layers of oil
and gas and to praise production of oil and gas in wells
and oil fields.
4.3 The time from showing omen to occur well blow
out is longer than most engineers image usually. The
5
physical model in modify can be testified.
4.4 The operator can not consider some abnormal high
pressure layers in thin, special to the block fault oil field.
The result of predicting can case greatly decrease of the
density of mud in drilling. If it is really blow out in well
meeting abnormal high pressure layers, operator have
been enough time to deal with erupting from the well,
according to above conclusion.
4.5 The mud logging and drilling monitor set in the rig
has been very importance action. The operator in rig
should want not only to get the alarm before well blow
out happened, but also to rule the time from getting
alarm to erupting. So it has been guaranteed the safe of
the procedure of drilling in balance and unbalanced.
4.6 It has been spirited for many engineers of drilling
that using balance and unbalanced drilling to improve
procedure and raise production of oil and gas. In long
time, the operators in drilling had not been enough vigor
to research the formation pressure gradient, and one of
reason is the gradient belong to scope of work of
geologists mainly. To opposite, the geologists do not
know utterly the significance of formation pressure
gradient. The most engineers of drilling try every means
to decrease the density of mud for protecting the layers
of oil and gas for many years. But few of them thought
that they should consider to improve the method of
predicting the pressure gradient, because few engineers
could do work about predicting pressure gradient in
formation for themselves. It is told us that operators in
site of rig should have widely knowledge about
engineering of drilling and geology, and the general
manager in rig should have good background in
education in engineering.
References
1 D.B.Bennion, F.B.Thomas, R.F.Bietz,
D.W.Bennion:”Underbalanced Drilling: Praises and
Perils”, SPE DREILLING & COMPLETION (December
1998, Number 4)
2 Nelson Villarroel, Edgar A.Almanza:”Underbalanced
Coiled-Tubing-Conveyed Perforating in a Deviated Well”,
JPT (July 1999)
3 Syed Ali, Louise Bailey, Hemant Ladva, Lindsay
Fraser:”Fluid design impacts drilling and production
operations”, OIL&GAS JOURNAL (January 25,1999)
4 Robreto Maglione, Alberto Guarneri, and Giovanni
Ferrri: ”Rheologic and Hydraulic Parameter Integration
Improves Drilling Operations”, OIL&GAS JOURNAL
(February 8, 1999)
Acknowledgments
I thank Lu Yingmin, Shuai Jian, Zhang hong, Wang
Caijing and Gao Deli of Petroleum University (Beijing) of
China for their courses on drilling mechanics when I was
post graduate; Qu Jingwen, Yin Zhaoxue, Yang Tianji,
6 GUO YONGFENG IADC/SPE 59263

Gao Yanxiang, Li Hongxiang, Wang wengang, Ai

bingxin, Liu Xueling, Liu Zhiyun of Dagang oil field for
provided some situations in drilling; Jin Xiaojian, Tan
Shuren, Xu Guojun, Xu Bin and Wang Aiguo of China
National Offshore Oil Corporation for valuable discussing Coefficient of formation pressure
about balanced and unbalanced drilling; Explored 1900 m
0.97

Company of Dagang oil field supplied most data on

1.13
drilling during I worked there.
1.08

2900 m
1.25
3350 m
1.31

1.12
TABLE 1 THE COEFFICENT OF FORMATION
PRESSURE WELLS NEAR BS7 WELL
Name of well Depth of layer Coefficient of pressure 3900 m
BS5 well 2596 – 2627 0.93
BS5 well 2451 – 2460 1.13 1.2
BS5-1 well 3923 – 3936 1.22
BS5-1 well 3800 – 3829 1.20 4450m
BS5-1 well 3729 – 3745 1.31
BS5-1 well 3698 – 3745 1.25
BS5-1 well 3369 – 3380 1.33
1.05
B851 well 2582 – 2596 0.94
B851 well 3703 –3721 1.05
B855 well 2765 –2776 1.01 5350 m
BS25 well 3851– 3870 1.23
BS26 well 3602– 3633 1.12 Depth (m)

Fig.2 the curve of formation pressure gradient in

BS7 well (the solid line represent the curve after
modified, the broken line represent curve before
modified)

i(t)

n
2
1

io 3

Fig.1 the curve of gas injecting hole of well

(1 represent formula (2), 2 represent formula (3), 3
represent formula (5))