Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) Solves Conventional Drilling Problems at the Xanab Offshore Field, which Presents Severe Drilling Fluid Losses

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvestre Ramirez ◽  
Rafael Aguilar Arias ◽  
Roberto Horacio Herrera ◽  
Simon Bevilacqua ◽  
Guillermo Barrera ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drilling Fluid ◽  
Managed Pressure Drilling ◽  
Offshore Field ◽  
Fluid Losses ◽  
Conventional Drilling

Comparative Study of Managed Pressure Drilling Application in Deepwater Gas Wells - Case Study from Offshore Eastern Mediterranean of Egypt

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmoud Ahmed El-Husseiny ◽  
Samir Mohamed Khaled ◽  
Taher El-Sebaay El-Fakharany ◽  
Yehia Mohamed Al-Nadi
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Study ◽  
Detection System ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Gas Wells ◽  
Gas Field ◽  
Well Control ◽  
Rate Of Penetration ◽  
Drilling Performance ◽  
Managed Pressure Drilling ◽  
Conventional Drilling

Abstract Although devised in 2003, managed pressure drilling (MPD) has gained widespread popularity in recent years to precisely control the annular pressure profile throughout the wellbore. Due to the relatively high cost and complexity of implementing MPD, some operators still face a challenge deciding whether or not to MPD the well. In the offshore Mediterranean of Egypt, severe to catastrophic mud losses are encountered while conventionally drilling deepwater wells through cavernous fractured carbonate gas reservoirs with a narrow pore pressure-fracture gradient (PP-FG) window, leading to the risk of not reaching the planned target depth (TD). Furthermore, treating such losses was associated with long non-productive time (NPT), massive volume consumption of cement, and lost-circulation materials (LCM), in addition to well control situations encountered several times due to loss of hydrostatic head during severe losses. Accordingly, the operator decided to abandon the conventional drilling method and implement MPD technology to drill these problematic formations. In this paper, the application of MPD is to be examined versus the conventional drilling in terms of well control events, NPT, rate of penetration (ROP), mud losses per drilled meter, LCM volume pumped, and drilling operations optimization. According to the comparative study, MPD application showed a drastic improvement in all drilling performance aspects over the conventional drilling where the mud losses per drilled meter reduced from 19.6 m3/m to 3.7m3/m (123.2 bbl/m to 23.4 bbl/m). In addition to that, a 35% reduction of NPT and also a 35% reduction of LCM pumped, and 67.2 % reduction by volume of cement pumped to cure the mud losses. Moreover, the average mechanical rate of penetration increased by 37.4%. MPD was also credited with eliminating the need for an additional contingent 7" liner which was conventionally used to isolate the thief zone. The MPD ability to precisely control bottom hole pressure during drilling with the integration of MPD early kick detection system enables the rapid response in case of mud loss or kick, eliminating kick-loss cycles, well control events, and drilling flat time to change mud density. This paper provides an advanced and in-depth study for deep-water drilling problems of a natural gas field in the East Mediterranean and presents a comprehensive analysis of the MPD application with a drilling performance assessment (average ROP, mud losses, LCM and cement volumes, well control events) emphasizing how MPD can offer a practical solution for future drilling of challenging deepwater gas wells.

Small Length-Scale Analysis of Transport Phenomena in Oil-Wells Formation with Drilling Fluid Losses

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 345-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Espinosa-Paredes ◽  
R. Vázquez-Rodriguez ◽  
R. Ramos-Alcantara ◽  
R. Varela-Ham ◽  
H. Romero-Paredes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drilling Fluid ◽  
Transport Phenomena ◽  
Oil Wells ◽  
Length Scale ◽  
Scale Analysis ◽  
Small Length ◽  
Small Length Scale ◽  
Fluid Losses

scholarly journals Research on Overflow Monitoring Mechanism Based on Downhole Microflow Detection

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang Ge ◽  
Ze Hu ◽  
Ping Chen ◽  
Lei Shi ◽  
Qing Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flow Rate ◽  
Flow Measurement ◽  
Drilling Fluid ◽  
Rate Variation ◽  
Lost Circulation ◽  
Bottom Hole ◽  
Managed Pressure Drilling ◽  
Type Flow ◽  
Drilling System ◽  
The Cost

The flow rate variation of the drilling fluid and micro-overflow loss is difficult to analyze. The purpose to prevent the occurrence of kick, lost circulation, and other complex conditions is not easy to be achieved. Therefore, the microflow-induced annulus multiphase flow rate and annulus pressure field model were studied, and a downhole microflow measurement system has been developed. A differential pressure type flow measurement was used in the system, and real-time downhole information was obtained to achieve deep, narrow windows and other safety-density complex formation security. This paper introduced a new bottom-hole flow meter which can measure the annular flux while drilling and monitor overflow and circulation loss. The accuracy and reliability of the MPD (managed pressure drilling) system can be improved obviously by applying the device; as a result, the safety of drilling is enhanced and the cost is reduced.

scholarly journals Casing while Drilling – a Viable Alternative to Conventional Drilling

2019 ◽  
Vol 290 ◽  
pp. 10003
Author(s):  
Ion Foidaş ◽  
Dan-Paul Ștefănescu ◽  
Mihai Serbancea
Keyword(s):  
New Technologies ◽  
Drilling Fluid ◽  
Mechanical Energy ◽  
Viable Alternative ◽  
Drilling Process ◽  
Drilling Depth ◽  
Drilling String ◽  
Drilling Time ◽  
Productive Time ◽  
Conventional Drilling

Mankind’s increased requirement for and dependence on energy resources, including the resources resulting from discovery and development of new hydrocarbon commercial reservoirs involves the use of new technologies such as optimization of the drilling process by reducing the non-productive time, the costs and the risks. Casing while drilling involves elimination of classical drilling string by using the casing string both for transmission to the bit of the mechanical energy and for circulation of drilling fluid into the well. Although there is a number of technical or perception barriers related to the use of casing drilling, the important benefits of this technology related to reduced drilling time and problems associated to the drilling string make it an increasingly viable alternative to conventional drilling. The experience in applying this technology has proven that it can reduce the time of well execution and sometimes it lowers the costs in relation to drilling depth.

scholarly journals Investigation: Cutting Transport Mechanism in Inclined Well Section under Pulsed Drilling Fluid Action

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 2141
Author(s):  
Xiaohua Zhu ◽  
Keyu Shen ◽  
Bo Li
Keyword(s):  
Drilling Fluid ◽  
Drill Pipe ◽  
Friction Torque ◽  
Drilling Fluids ◽  
Cuttings Transport ◽  
Turbulent Dissipation ◽  
Duty Cycles ◽  
Transport Velocity ◽  
Cuttings Bed ◽  
Conventional Drilling

Due to gravity, drilling cuttings are easily accumulated in an inclined well section, ultimately forming a cuttings bed, which places the drill pipe under strong friction torque. In severe cases, this can cause dragging, stuck drills, and broken drill tools. Because conventional drilling fluids are difficult to prevent the formation of cuttings in inclined well sections, a method of carrying cuttings with the pulsed drilling fluid to improve wellbore cleanness is proposed. Experiments and numerical simulations are conducted to investigate the effects of cuttings bed transport velocity, cuttings size, cuttings height, drill pipe rotation speed, cuttings bed mass, and roughness height. The optimal pulse parameters are determined per their respective impact on cuttings transport concerning varied periods, amplitudes, and duty cycles of the pulsed drilling fluid. Compared to cuttings transport under the conventional drilling fluid flow rate, the pulsed drilling fluid produces the turbulent dissipation rate, increases cuttings transport velocity, and thus improves the wellbore clearance rate.

scholarly journals ‘Level-off’ cement plugging method to cure lost circulation verified with case studies

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 2777-2789
Author(s):  
Rahman Ashena ◽  
Ali Ghalambor ◽  
Asad Elmgerbi ◽  
Abdol-Azim Hekmatinia ◽  
Muhammad Mubashir
Keyword(s):  
Drilling Fluid ◽  
Drill Pipe ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Fluid Mud ◽  
Cement Slurry ◽  
Lost Circulation ◽  
Design Calculations ◽  
Fluid Losses ◽  
Cement Plug ◽  
Placement Technique

AbstractControlling lost circulation during drilling operations in a reservoir prone to fluid losses is typically remedied by cement squeezing or plug setting as the last resort. The aim being to minimize or stop drilling fluid losses and to regain full returns at surface, and to maintain wellbore integrity. Different placement methods of cement plugs have been discussed in detail in the literature, except for the ‘level-off’ method, which can be effective for curing complete loss circulation cases. Following modeling and calculations of this cement plug placement method, its design and execution procedures are discussed, together with two successful field cases in highly fractured carbonate reservoirs in the Middle East. Using drill pipe and a Retrievable-Test-Treat-Squeeze (RTTS) packer, set with some spacing from the loss zone, the method entails that the cement slurry is allowed to drop by gravity in order to cure lost circulation. As the column of fluid, mud and slurry in the well exceeds formation pore pressure, i.e., overbalanced conditions, a volume of acid-soluble cement slurry is allowed to slowly drop and freely penetrate the formation, i.e., through its fractures or caverns. During the penetration of this viscous slurry into the loss zone, the cement slurry can set and the fracture or fissure openings are plugged. Presented are detailed design calculations for the level-off placement technique, determination of required cement slurry and displacement volumes, and recommended displacement and RTTS packer setting depths. The expected depth of the top of cement plug is estimated. The design parameters are compared with field cases and explanations are given for possible discrepancies. Success of the operation is discussed in terms of final mud loss after cement plugging and Non-Productive Time mitigation. Detailed field procedures and execution are also presented. The level-off job is already practiced by the industry, but it is not published in the literature, in some cases they have different methods with causing some errors. To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first detailed description and stepwise calculation of the level-off cement placement technique in the literature.

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