Professional Documents
Culture Documents
How To Stabilize and Strengthen The Wellbore During Drilling Operations" by DR Fred Growcock PDF
How To Stabilize and Strengthen The Wellbore During Drilling Operations" by DR Fred Growcock PDF
How To Stabilize and Strengthen The Wellbore During Drilling Operations" by DR Fred Growcock PDF
Additional ssupport
pport pro
provided
ided b
by AIME
Dr Fred Growcock
Dr.
3
The Lost Circulation Problem: High-Risk Operations
Fractured Wellbore
Weight
eight
Pressure Gradient / Mud Density
MudWe
Stable Wellbore
W
Frac Gradient
Mud
Collapsed Wellbore
Mud Weak zone ((depleted)
p )
Weight
0 30 60 90
Well Inclination
Deviated Wellbores
Pore
Pressure
Depleted Zones
Deep Water
The Lost Circulation Problem
5
Managing Lost Circulation: A 4-Tiered Strategy
6
Tier I. Best Current or New
¾ Accurate, precise Geomechanics Model, esp.
Pore Pressure / Fracture Gradient
¾ Minimum and invariant Equivalent Circulating
Density (ECD)
• Accurate hydraulics profile for pre-drilling & at well site
• Good hole-cleaning
gppractices
• Optimized solids control equipment
¾ Managed Pressure Drilling
¾ Casing While Drilling
¾ Expandable Casing/Liner
7
Managing Lost Circulation: A 4-Tiered Strategy
8
Tier II. which Minimize Losses:
WBM:
Full pressure shielded from tip by
solids filter cake buildup.
OBM/SBM:
Full pressure at fracture tip.
11
Tier IV. in Pills or Whole Mud
Contingency: losses in high
high-perm
perm zones/fractures
openings in rock
rock; 0.5
0.4
¾Used in squeeze or
0.3
sweep treatments;
C
0.2
or on regular
g basis 0
1x10 -2 1x10 -1 1x10 0 1x10 1 1x10 2 1x10 3 1x10 4
Calc
Avg
Max
while drilling ahead. Particle Size (microns)
12
Managing Lost Circulation: A 4-Tiered Strategy
13
vs
Fl k
Flakes
Insoluble Salts
L i t
Laminates
Hard, Swellable or
Granular Reactive
Fibers Materials
Soft Granules
14
Strategies for Strengthening the Wellbore
• Physical
– Wellbore Isolation: Swellable or Reactive Materials
– Fracture
F t Tip
Ti Isolation
I l ti (Fracture
(F t Propagation
P ti Resistance)
R i t )
• Chemical
– Decrease clay swelling pressure (inhibitors such as K+
and invert emulsions)
• Thermal
e a
– Increase temp of drilling fluid above bottom-hole static
temp: stiff formations, high thermal expansion
• Mechanical
– Fracture Closure Stress
– Hoop Stress Enhancement (Stress Cage)
15
FBP after Wellbore Strengthening
Leak ‐Off
Pressure Original Formation Breakdown Pressure (FBP)
(LOP) Fracture Propagation Pressure (FPP)
Ti
Time or V l
Volume P
Pumped
d (constant
( pump rate))
Fracture Closure Stress
18
Fracture Closure Stress
19
Hoop Stress Enhancement
• Wellbore is pre-fractured and sealed to prevent
subsequent fracturing
• Mathematical models are used to design the :
calculate the required
q fracture width and p
particle size
distribution of
• is added at moderate concentration while
drilling (involves solids control management):
Continuous addition is much more effective than pills
p
• The formation is pressured every stand to build hoop
stress or ECD is raised to desired level
stress,
Hoop Stress Enhancement
21
Hoop Stress Enhancement
The p
pressure dropsp and compressive
p
forces are transferred to WSM
22
Hoop Stress Enhancement Application Cycle
Modeling of Fracture
Suitability of Treatment Data Collection Creation and Filling
g
Output:
-Fracture dimensions
-Formulation of Loss
Prevention Material
Lessons Learned
Fluids Program
-Type of treatment:
*Pills
Data Collected *Continuous
& Program -Handling WSM
-Fluid property management
Analyzed Implementation -Monitoring tools
• Slot Tester
• Sieves
-Mud Pump restrictions
-Downhole
D h l tools
t l restriction
t i ti
-Lost circulation contingency
23
Design of Hoop Stress Enhancement
24
Acceptable
Large, Tough and Granular
25
Unacceptable
26
Continuous Addition of to whole mud is best
Recovers and
recycles
l WSM
27
Monitoring Hoop Stress Enhancement
28
Case History
eepwater Gulf of – Deepwater
Mexico, Gulf
Above andofBelow
Mexico
Salt
Major challenges
• Mud losses…> 15,000 bbl/well
on previous wells
wells, especially in
intervals below the salt!
• Wellbore stability
SALT Solution
S l ti
• Strengthen five intervals
- One above the Salt
- One
O in i th
the S
Salt
lt
Drilling ECD - Three below the Salt
exceeds min
Frac Gradient • Shakers dressed with
14/20 mesh screens
• [WSM] ~ 15 to 30 lb/bbl
• WSM Design
- Sized
Si ed Marble
- Granular Synthetic Carbons
Case History – Deepwater Gulf of Mexico
31
Your Feedback is Important
p
Enter your section in the DL Evaluation Contest by
completing the evaluation form for this presentation or
go online at:
http://www.spe.org/events/dl/dl_evaluation_contest.php