Well Servicing Workover

Module 5
Kick, Shut-In & Gas Behavior
 Kick & Blow Out

Kick is defined as an unschedule or unwanted entry of formation

fluid into the well bore.
NOT considered as kick :
 Fluid produced during under balanced drilling.
 Fluid produced during a Drill Stem Test (DST)

Blow Out is defined as an uncontrolled flow of kick. The blow out

may take place at the surface or under ground between two
separate permeable formation
Hydrostatic Vs Formation Pressure

Hydrostatic
Pressure

Two Opposite Forces

Formation
Pressure

Hydrostatic Pressure = Formation Pressure

0.052 x Mud Weigth x TVD = Formation Pressure
Q: How can kicks happen?
A: Kicks accurs when “Underbalance”
Hydrostatic Pressure Falls

Formation
Pressure

OR

Hydrostatic
Pressure

Formation Pressure Rises

 0.052 x Mud Weight x TVD = Formation Pressure

Insufficient Drilling Fluid Weight. Abnormal Pressure Zones

 Pumping Light Mud.  Under Compaction
 Drilling Fluid Cut by Gas or Water.  Faulting
 Swabbing  Artesian Effects
 Settling of weighted material.  Gas Cap Effect
 Charged Sands
 Salt dome
Drop in Mud Level
 Failure to Keep Hole Full (Human Error)
 Surging
 Lost Circulation
 Casing Float Failure
Abnormal Pressure more detail
 Abnormal Pressure Formation

Some of the causes for abnormal pressure:

1. Under compaction Shale Formation

2. Faulting
3. Artesian Effects
4. Gas Cap
5. Charge Sands
6. Salt Dome
a. Under compaction Shale Formation (is cause for most of the abnormal pressure zones ( Oil and gas fields)
worldwide.
A B
 NOTE : This well (if nogas cap was
Encountered) should have a
FP of 4680 psi (9,000 x 0.52 psi/ft)
Requiring a mud to balance of 10 ppg

Formation
10.9 ppg
Pressure
0.52 psi/ft 10.9 ppg

10 ppg
5200 psi
10 ppg

(5200 – 100 psi Gas Hyd)

5200 psi = PF of 5100 psi

In this example, the formation pressure from Well ‘A’ will communicate through the porous gas sand (Gas Cap) to Well ‘B’
This formation pressure will only be reduced by the Hydrostatic Pressure of the gas in the 1,000 ft of gas sands between the two wells
This means a higher than original FP will be encountered when Well ‘B’ drills into the gas cap, requiring an increase in mud weight from
Originally 10 ppg to 10.9 ppg..
e. Charged Sand
 Kick Indicator & Warning Sign
Kick Indicator
Shut-In the well immediatedly, No flow check
o Return flow rate 
o Pit Gain 
o Flow from well when pump off

Kick Warning Sign

Tells you the well may be going UNDERBALANCED or safety
margin is getting less
 Drilling Breaks (ROP )
 Torque & Drag 
 SPM , Pressure 
 Change in cutting size
 Chloride content 
 Temperatur in mud 
 Density 
 Gas cut mud / Connection Gas 
 Flow Check & Shut-In Procedure
Shut-in procedure while drilling :
1. Alert the crew
2. Pick up off the bottom and space out tool joint above rotary table
3. Stop the rotary
4. Shut off pumps
5. Observe the well for flow
6. Close the well with regard to each shut-in arrangment
Flow check procedure while tripping :
1. Alert the crew
2. Set slips so the last tool joint is at normal working level above rotary table
3. Install FOSV in open position
4. Observe the well (make flow check prior to pulling BHA through BOPs)
If the well is flowing, shut-in procedures should begin immediately
 Gas Characteristic and Behavior

o Gas is the lowest density  will M I G R A T E

o While migration can be expanded or NOT expanded
o Pressure – Volume relationship (Boyle’s Law)

PV
= Constant
T
Continued...

Gas-Cut Mud: The situation when gas from formation or well bore
mixed with mud causes a reduction of mud hydrostatic pressure in
well

Exercise 7.1.
A well is shut in. What is the casing pressure in
this static u-tube?
Well Information :
• Drill Pipe pressure read 0 psi
• Well depth : 12,000 ft TVD / 12,225 MD ft
• Drill String of 8.3 ppg water
• Annulus full of 6.0 ppg gas/water mixture

Answer :
Casing pressure reading = Reduction BHP
= 0.052 x (8.3 – 6.0) x 12,000 = 1,435.2 psi
 No gas expansion

5200psi – (0.052x10x7500ft)=1300psi surface pressure

5200psi + (0.052x10x2500ft)=6500psi bottom hole pressure

Uncontroled gas expansion
Controled gas expansion
 Percolation / Migration Rate
(While Shut-In)
The speed of migration will depend on:
o Mud Properties
o Weight And Viscosity
o Hole Angle
Exercise 7.2.
Well was shut-in due to kick and Shut in pressures had been recorded.
During the next 30 minutes of monitoring it is recorded that pressure on
both SIDPP and SICP has increased by 250 psi. If the present mud
weight = 10 ppg and well depth is 8,500’TVD,
Calculate the rate of Influx migration in feet per hour.

Increase press per hour

Rate of Influx migration (ft/hr) =
MW x 0.052

Answer :
Increase in pressure per hour = 250 x 2 = 500 psi
500
Rate of Influx migration (ft/hr) = = 962.5 ft/hr
10 x 0.052
 HYDRATES

Hydrates:
 Presence of free water
 Presence of light gas molecules
 Relatively high pressure
 Relatively low temperature
o Risk: hydrate plug slips & gas
above it, the plug may blow up
o In the subsea environment,
hydrates can plug kill and choke
lines or prevent the functioning of
BOP with deep cold water
Removing Hydrates
 Reduce pressure
 Raise temperature
 Use inhibitor (glycol, methanol or salt).