Kick Tolerance

Gas behaviour;
Gas is highly compressible. Its volume depends on both
pressure and temperature.
Boyles Law:
PV = Constant
P1 V1 = P2 V2

Kick Tolerance
Gas behaviour;
Imagine two tubes full of mud. One tube is open to the
atmosphere and one is closed,
0

Open

Closed

Kick Tolerance
Gas behaviour;
Imagine two equal quantities of gas injected into two tubes full
of mud. One is open to the atmosphere and one is closed,

One bubble of Gas

Open

Closed

Kick Tolerance
Gas behaviour;
Open tube scenario:
0

P1 = 5000 psi
T1 = 240oF =700oR
V1 = 1 bbl (assumed) ,
P2 = 14.7 psi
T2 = 60oF = 520 oR
V2 = ?.

P1 V1 / T1 = P2 V2 / T2
5000 * 1 / 700 = 14.7 V2 / 520
V2 = 253 bbls & pressure reduces from 5000 to 14.7 psi.

Kick Tolerance
Gas behaviour;
Closed tube scenario:
0

Mud = 9.6 ppg,

Depth = 10000 ft,
Mud hydrostatic pressure = 9.6 * 0.052 * 10000 = 5000 psi ,
Gas pressure = 5000 psi.

5000

Kick Tolerance
Gas behaviour;
Closed tube scenario:

Bottomhole pressure:
0

5000
In a real well, the hole will
be fractured when gas is at
surface.
BHP = 5000 + 5000 = 10000 psi.

BHP = Surface pressure + Hydrostatic pressure,

= 0 + 5000 = 5000 psi,
,

Kick Tolerance
Gas behaviour;
Hence gas expansion must be allowed to reduce wellbore
pressure. This is the basis of well kill methods,

Gas

Gas expansion is carried out in a controlled manner by

manipulating the choke at surface.

Kick Tolerance
Before Circulation;
SIDPP
SICP

Mud

Gas
Pf

Yf

Kick Tolerance
Gas at Half way up the Hole:

Psi
X
CSD

Px

Gas Bubble

Pf

TD

Kick Tolerance
Gas Volume at Casing Shoe:
Px = Pf - Pg - (TD - H - CSD ) m * 0.052
Pf

Formation pressure at next TD, psi,

Pg

Pressure in gas bubble (H *G) , psi,

Height of gas bubble at casing shoe, ft,

Gradient of gas (0.05 to 0.15 psi/ft),

TD

Next hole total depth, ft,

CSD

Casing setting depth, ft,

.m
=
(ppg).

Max mud weight for next hole section

Kick Tolerance
Gas Volume at Casing Shoe;
H

0.052 * m (TD CSD) (FG * CSD * 0.052 Pf)

(0.052 * m ) - G

The volume of the influx at casing shoe is:

V1 = H * Ca (bbls),
Where;
H = gas height ft,
Ca = capacity between pipe and hole.
FG(fracture gradient) and its the max pressure at shoe.

Kick Tolerance
Gas Volume at TD:
At bottomhole conditions, the volume of influx (V2) is

given by:
P1 V1 = P2 V2 ,
The effects of T & Z are ignored,
V2 = P1 V1 / P2 , (bbls)
Where:
P1 = Fracture pressure at shoe, (psi),
P2 = Formation pressure at next TD, (psi),
The value of V2 is the circulation kick tolerance in bbls.

Kick Tolerance
Example:
Calculate the kick tolerance for:
9 5/8

= 14500 ft,

Next TD

= 17000 ft,

FG @ 9 5/8 shoe

= 16 ppg,

Temperature gradient

= 0.02 oF/ft,

Max mud WT for next hole section

= 14.5 ppg,

Max formation pressure next hole section

= 14 ppg,

Assume next hole is 8 1/2,

5 drillpipe from surface to TD
Ca = 0.0459 bbl/ft3

Kick Tolerance
Example;
H

0.052 * 14.5 (17000 - 14500) (16 * 14500 * 0.052) (14 * 17000 * 0.052)
(0.052 * 14.5 ) - 0.1
H = 2405 ft,
Volume of bubble at shoe = H * Ca
V1 = 2405 * 0.0459 = 110.4 bbls,
Volume of bubble at TD,
V2 = 16 * 14500 * 0.052 / 14 * 17000 * 0.052
V2 = 107.8 bbls

Kick Tolerance
Example;
Temperature Effects
T = Surface temp + temp gradient + 460,
T1 (@ shoe) = 60 + ( 0.02 * 14500) + 460 = 810 R,
T2 (@ TD)

= 60 + ( 0.02 * 17000) + 460 = 860 R

V1 P 1 / T 1

= V2 P2 / T2

V2 = 115 bbl (compared to 108 bbls without temperature effect.

Kick Tolerance
Drilling Kick Tolerance;
The following minimum kick sizes must be maintained for
routine drilling operations:
Hole size (in)

kick Size (bbls)

23

250

17 1/2

150

12 1/4

100

8 1/2

50

6 and smaller

25.