कक प ननि ययं त्र ण नवि दद्या ल य

Well Control School

विवे ध नि पप्रौ दद्यो नगि ककी सयं स् थद्या नि

Institute of Drilling
Technology

Well Control Techniques

An Overview
Presented by: SANJAY MISHRA
Concern for man himself and
his safety must always be the
chief interest of all technical
endeavours.”
-Albert Einstein
Current Drilling Scenario

• Increasingly challenging environments :

Higher Pressure, Deeper wells
• High angle wells with slim hole and tapered
string
• Increasing use of SOBM
• High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT)
wells
 Well Control Planning
“Good Planning, Good Communication – Good Well
Control”
• A well control plan must be a part of the overall risk
management plan for each well
• Roles and responsibilities must be clearly defined
• All crew must be aware of well specific environment ;
HPHT, SOBM etc. and specific scenarios associated
with them
• Key personnel should have undergone well control
training
 The Barrier Approach
• Understanding and maintaining
integrity of barrier elements is
of prime importance
• All elements of the barrier
envelope must be verified and
tested
• Minimum of two barriers need
to be maintained
• Barriers like plugs should be
tested using ‘Inflow method’ or
negative pressure test.
 Identifying Well Activity
Identifying any well activity correctly and quick
response is the first step for successful well control.
Potential well kicks can be identified by:
• Significant increase in rate of penetration
• Changes in drilling parameters like torque, drag etc.
• Changes in mud parameters
• Changes in gas content of mud
• Improper hole fill-up during trips
• In workover tripping out operations, popping or
pinging sounds from the tubing, change in type or
colour of fluids may also indicate potential well
activity
Identifying Well Activity
Kicks in progress can be identified by
• Increase in flow rate
• Pit volume increase
• Flow from well with the pumps of

While using OBM and in HPHT wells a more careful

monitoring is required
Identifying Well Activity - OBM
A gas influx dissolves in oil based muds, hence
warning signs and other kick indications are very
subtle
• Frequent and extended flow checks are required
• For early kick detection, flow and pit indicator
alarms should be set at lower values
• Fill-up volumes / returns during tripping should be
monitored very carefully
• Any bottoms-up circulation after a flow check or
suspected well activity should be done through
choke
Identifying Well Activity - HPHT
• HPHT wells exhibit a typical behaviour called
ballooning which is indicated by loss - gain
whenever the pumps are switched on or of
• The well fluid has a tendency to expand due to the
high downhole temperatures.
• These two efects combined may result in the well
flowing even with the pumps of and can be
confused with a kick
• Frequent fingerprinting should be carried out to
detect the well activity efectively
Fingerprinting in HPHT

• During pipe connections, the ballooning efect will

cause the well to flow which should cease after a
certain time
• This volume should be monitored using a trip tank
• Any changes to this volume may indicate a potential
kick
• It is to be noted that if pumps SPM is changed, the
return volume may also change
Interpreting surface pressures

• A stabilized shut-in drill pipe pressure should be

used to calculate kill mud weight.
• Shut-in pressures must be recorded at regular
intervals to avoid any error in determining correct
pressure e.g. due to migration of gas kick
• In workover operations, the case is opposite as the
tubing fluid is generally contaminated. Previous
well history can play an important role in
determining kill fluid density
Well killing Procedures
The well killing procedures is selected based on
field conditions
Maintaining Primary Balance
• Conventional logic dictates that BHP should be
maintained constant during well killing operations
• During well killing in land and jack-up rigs
BHP = Mud pressure + choke back pressure
• During well killing in floaters
BHP = Mud pressure + choke back pressure + CLF
• During MPD well killing
Mud pressure + MPD choke back pressure + APL
The total pressure at bottom must be within the
formation fracture limits
 Driller’s Method
• Most common, two circulation method
• In first circulation, the influx is removed from the
well bore using existing mud
• In second circulation the kill mud is pumped to
restore primary control

Applicability:
• Where kill fluid / weighing material is not readily
available
• Gas migration rates are high
• Sand settling is to be avoided
Driller’s Method – Pressure profile
 Wait & Weight Method
• One circulation method in which the kill fluid is
straightway pumped down the string while displacing
the original fluid and influx in the annulus

Applicability:
• Where lower surface pressures are desired i.e.
MAASP critical cases
• Lower pressure on casing shoe if open hole volume is
large
• Gas migration is not a concern
Requires more calculations and better choke pressure
management
Wait & Weight Method- Pressure profile
Reverse circulation
• Most common killing method in workover operations
• Communication may be established by opening a
sliding side door sleeve (SSD), by punching a hole in
the tubing or by installing a circulating device in a
SPM
• Kill fluid is pumped directly
Applicability:
• Wherever tubing contains lighter hydrocarbons
• Heavier packer fluid causes natural U-tubing resulting
in lower pressures
Reverse circulation – Pressure profile
Bullheading
• Bullheading involves pumping the kill fluid
directly in to the well bore and forcing the well
fluids back into the formation / perforations.
• The total pressure, hydrostatic plus surface
pressures is maintained in the window between
injectivity and fracture pressure.
Applicability:
• Wells having no tubing or cases where circulation
is not possible
• Cases with high H2S concentration.
Bullheading – Pressure profile
Volumetric / Lubricate & Bleed
• The surface pressures are bled of in stages allowing
for controlled expansion of the gas influx till it reaches
surface
• A calculated volume of heavy kill fluid is then pumped
in the well through annulus allowing it to settle down
• The gas influx is then bled of
Applicability:
• Wells having no tubing or cases where circulation is
not possible or bit above influx
• Influx is gas as this method utilizes the migration
property of gas
Volumetric / Lubricate & Bleed
Pressure profile
 Concurrent method
• Mud weight is increased in steps while pumping kill
fluid simultaneously
• Continuous circulation till the desired kill mud
density is attained.

Applicability:
• Used in cases where there are limitations in
weighing up of kill fluid at one go
Low Choke Pressure Method
• This method involves maintaining SICP at a
maximum predetermined surface pressure value
while barite is loaded and kill mud is pumped down
the string
• Further influx keeps on entering the well during the
killing process
Applicability:
• This is suitable only for very tight formations having
low permeability and it is assumed that the volume
of secondary kick taken will be less than that of the
initial kick
Dynamic Kill Considerations
• In HPHT and may ofshore wells, the margin
between the fracture pressure and mud hydrostatic
is very low.
• In such cases, frictional pressure losses in the
annulus can be successfully used to control the
bottom hole pressure and subdue the well
• The kill fluid density in such cases can be kept just
equal or even less than the density required
• Usually, it is a stop gap arrangement
• Can be used MPD and UBD wells.
 Observations & Conclusion
• Drilling crew are more conscious regarding well
control than their workover counterparts
• During workover operations in depleted formations,
even minor well activity such as trickling from the
well should not be ignored as they may lead to
serious well control complications.
• In similar cases during drilling operations, the well
should be shut in quickly. The secondary issues such
as pipe sticking can be handled later.
 Observations & Conclusion
• Stripping drills should be carried out regularly to
make the crew conversant with the procedure.
• Guidelines for equipment testing, maintenance and
re-certification policies should be strictly adhered to.
In some cases, equipment being used was way past
it’s re-certification date.
• Peer pressure – the tendency to hurry up and finish
the job should be curbed as this may lead to
overlooking of the safety aspects. Just to save time,
wrong decisions have been taken in some instances.
Observations & Conclusion
• Pre-planning, specific guidelines and documentation
need to be in place and the plans should be strictly
followed.
• Better communication needs to be maintained
between the operator and contractor where in roles
and responsibilities should be clearly defined.
• Knowledge level of all crew needs to be enhanced by
way of training. Even mud loggers and mud
engineers / chemists must undergo introductory
level well control training.
THANK YOU