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Methods & Concepts

The Driller's Method

Well Control Methods applied on the drilling of the oil wells

The Driller's Method
During drilling operation of oil wells, there may be inflow of formation fluids into the well, which is an undesirable condition. The driller should detect such events and closing the well immediately. Record information after the closing of the well corresponding to stabilization of pressure, volume gain, SIDPP (Shut-in Pressure Drillpipe) and SICP (Shut-in Casing Pressure. In the case of operations on floating units, this term could be redefined as Shut-in Choke Pressure). The control method to be applied is the driller's method. That is to circulate the influx even with the original weight of the mud, keeping constant the circulation pressure named ICP - Initial Pressure Circulation. The second circulation should be made with the kill mud weight in two steps: 1. Fill the drill string until the bit by keeping the pressure on the kill line constant and equal to SIDPP. 2. Complete circulation of the annulus to the surface keeping the pressure of circulation with the kill mud constant named FCP - Final Pressure Circulation.

Attention: about drill bit off bottom

This method should only be applied with the drill bit in the bottom hole or when the kick is completely in annullus of the column. To minimize errors of calculation of the kill mud weight, the calculations made in this application considers the depth of the drill bit instead of the depth of the well to calculate the kill mud weight. The formation pressure consider the depth of well. In case of top of the kick bellow the bit, it is recommended to apply the volumetric method until kick go through the drill bit to the annular, following then the driller's method. Formulas: ICP = Pks + SIDPP ICP - Inital Circulation Pressure, psi Pks - Recorded pump pressure at the kill rate speed, psi SIDPP - Shut-in Drillpipe Pressure, psi

Notes about floating units: a) Pks must be recorded by circulating riser; b) Record the friction loss in the choke line at the kill rate speed, psi; KM = OM + SIDPP / (0.052 x TVD) KM - Kill Mud Weight, ppg

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OM - Original Mud Weight, ppg TVD - True Vertical Depth, ft FCP = Pks x KM / OM FCP - Final Circulation Pressure, psi

Summary of method
STEPS Bring the pump to kill speed Circulate out the influx to surface Circulate to fill drill string with kill mud ICP PUMP PRESSURE KILL PRESSURE SICP SIDPP CHOKE PRESSURE SICP - Choke line friction loss SIDPP - Choke line friction loss Annulus Volume Drill string volume Annulus Volume VOLUME TO PUMP

Circulate to fill annulus with FCP kill mud

Others formulas

Others formulas used in Driller's Method:

Example in Simulator

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