Well Control and Monitoring

Program

5.1 Introduction
Well control and monitoring systems are an integrated part of drilling operations. Well
control means an assurance of formation uid (oil, gas or water) that does not ow in
an uncontrolled way from the formations being drilled, into the borehole and eventu-
ally to the surface. It prevents the uncontrolled ow of formation uids (‘kick’) from the
wellbore. Hence, a kick can be de ned as an unexpected entry of formation uid(s) into
the wellbore, causing a rise of mud-level in the mud pit. erefore controlling the well
is an important issue in any drilling activity.
e well control system can be de ned as the technology usages to control the uid
invasion and to maintain a balance between borehole pressure (pressure exerted by the
mud column in the wellbore) and formation pressure (pressure in the pore space of the
formation) for preventing or directing the ow of formation uids into the wellbore. e
control system must have the options: i) to detect a kick, ii) to close the well at surface,
iii) to remove formation uid, and iv) to make the well safe. is technology includes the
approximation of formation uid pressures, the strength of the subsurface formations
and the use of casing and mud density to o set those pressures in an expected fashion.
It also includes the operational procedures to safely stop a well from owing uid as an
in ux of formation uid. e well-control procedure starts with installing large valves
at the top of the well to enable well-site personnel to close the well if necessary.

205
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Properly trained personnel are essential for well control activities. Well control con-
sists of two basic components: an active component consisting of drilling uid pressure
monitoring activities, and a passive component consisting of the Blowout Preventers
(BOPs). e rst line of defense in well control is to have su cient drilling uid pres-
sure in the well hole. During drilling, underground uids such as gas, water, or oil
under pressure (the formation pressure) opposes the drilling uid pressure (mud pres-
sure). If the formation pressure is greater than the mud pressure, there is the possibility
to have a kick and ultimately a blowout. is chapter will cover all the aspects of the well
control and monitoring system.

5.2 Well Control System

e control of the formation pressure is normally referred to as keeping the pressures
in the well under control or simply well control. When pressure control over the well is
lost, immediate action must be taken to avoid the severe consequences of the blowout.
e consequences may include: i) loss of human life, ii) loss of rig and equipment, iii)
loss of reservoir uids, iv) damage to the environment, v) loss of capital investment,
and vi) huge cost involvement to bringing back the well under control. erefore, it is
important to understand the principles of well control, procedures and equipment used
to prevent blowouts.
An optimum drilling operation requires close control over a number of parameters.
A modern rig should have devices that will show and at the same time record the
important parameters related to the drilling operation. Some of the most important
parameters that are related to drilling operations, and well control and monitoring
system are: i) well depth, ii) weight on bit (WOB), iii) hook load, iv) rotary speed, v)
rotary torque, vi) mud ow rate, vii) pump rate, viii) ow return, ix) pump pressure, x)
pit level, xi) rate of penetration (ROP), xii) uid properties (such as density, tempera-
ture, viscosity, salinity, gas content, solids content etc.), xiii) hazardous gas content
of air. In addition, there are some parameters such as mud properties that cannot be
determined automatically. ese parameters are measured, recorded, and controlled
constantly as well as through physical experiments. erefore, it is mandatory that
rig personnel (i.e. rig supervisor, driller, crews, drilling and mud engineer) keep track
of the operation development at all times in order to make necessary adjustments
and to quickly detect and correct drilling problems. e rig crews must be alert at all
the times to recognize the signs of a kick and to take immediate action to bring the
well back under control. e kick occurs due to the pressure imbalance (the pressure
inside the wellbore (Pw) is lower than the formation pore pressure (Pf ) in a permeable
formation). e imbalance might happen if the mud density is too low, or uid level is
too low due to the mud-loss, and lost circulation (swabbing i.e. cleaning on trips; and
circulation stopped i.e. ECD is too low). As a result, the severity of the kick depends on
several factors: i) type of formation, ii) formation pressure, and iii) the nature of in ux.
e higher the permeability and porosity of the formation are, the greater the poten-
tial for a severe kick is. e greater negative pressure di erential (formation pressure
to wellbore pressure) is, the easier it is for the formation uids to enter the wellbore,
exclusively if this is coupled with high permeability and porosity. Finally, gas will ow
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into the wellbore much faster than oil or water and therefore, the obvious result is
blowout if a kick is not controlled.
Well control operations are badly needed when formation uids start to ow into
the well and displace the mud. Figure 5.1 shows the hydraulic ow paths during well-
control operations. Formation uids that have entered the wellbore generally must be
removed by circulating the well through an adjustable chock at the surface (Fig 5.1).
e bottomhole pressure of the well at all times must remain above the pore pressure of
the formation to prevent additional in ux of the formation uid.

5.2.1 Well Control Principles

Well control is implemented by basically two principles: i) primary control, and ii) sec-
ondary control. ese two controls can restrict the uid ow from the formation into
the wellbore, which lead to save the well from the blowout. However, there is another
line of control that is called tertiary control. is control is last control recently devel-
oped as blowout prevention. Figure 5.2 shows the di erent levels of well control in
terms of primary, secondary, and tertiary control. e primary control exists for all

Separator Pump

Adjusttable
Blowout Choke
Preventer
Casing
Pit
Open Hole

Drill Pipe Strata of Minimum Fracture Resistance

Drill Collars Formation Fluid

Permeable High Pressure Strata

Figure 5.1 Schematic of well control operations (redrawn from Bourguyan et al., 1986).

Control & Recovery

BOPs

Specialists
Mud Wt.
Well Control

Hole full

Figure 5.2 Levels of well control (Brekel, 2011).

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Depth
Mud Pressure

Formation
Pressure

Pressure

Figure 5.3 Primary control – formation pressure control with mud column (redrawn
from Ford, 2005).

drilling activities. e secondary control is more in depth and well managed the drill-
ing activities by taking extra precautionary measures such as installation of BOPs to
safe guard and control the well. e third measure or level of control is the highest level
of security and control. Sometimes, it is a control of the well a er the recovery of a well
from explosion or kick.

5.2.1.1 Primary Control

Primary control is de ned as the control by con rming that the borehole pressure is
greater than the formation pressure. It maintains a positive di erential pressure or
overbalance on the formation pressure (Figure 5.3). However, this control may be mis-
laid (i.e. P w< Pf ) in two ways: the rst reason is if the formation pressure is not correctly
predicted which is higher than that of prediction by the reservoir engineers or geolo-
gists, as a result the drilling engineer would have programmed a mud weight that was
too low. erefore the bottomhole pressure would be less than the formation pressure
(Figure 5.3). e second reason is if the pressure due to the column of mud decreases
for some reason, and the bottomhole pressure drops below the formation pressure.
Since the bottomhole pressures is a product of mud density and the height of the col-
umn mud. erefore, the pressure at the bottom of the borehole can only decrease
if either the mud density (Figures 5.4) or the height of the column of mud decreases
(Figures 5.5).
ere are di erent reasons for the reduction of mud weight and/or the hydrostatic
pressure of the mud column under normal drilling operations. e followings are few
of those reasons.

i) Low Mud Weight: ere are many reasons that in uence the mud weight. It may be
too low due to – i) an overpressured zone which may have been penetrated, requiring
a heavier than normal mud weight, ii) gas cutting of the mud, iii) excessive dilution of
the mud (water contamination), and iv) inaccurate measurement of uid density. e
normal industry practice is to keep the overbalance pressure at around 200 – 300 psi.
 W C  M P

Depth Original Mud Pressure

Mud Pressure Due to

Loss in Density (Mudweight)

Formation
Well Under Control
Pressure
Loss of Well Control

Pressure

Figure 5.4 Loss of primary control due to mud density (redrawn from Ford, 2005).

Mud Pressure When Lossses Occure

Depth Original Mud Pressure

Formation
Pressure

Pressure

Figure 5.5 Loss of primary control due to reduction in uid level at borehole (redrawn
from Ford, 2005).

If there is a large amount of overbalance, the rate of penetration (ROP) will be reduced
and as a result, cost of ROP/ . will be increased which is an uneconomic situation. If
the mud weight is becoming less, the developed overbalance will be less and hence the
risk of having a kick increases. e following dynamic factors a ect the mud weight.
Gas cutting: e seepage of gas from the formation into the circulating mud produces
a dramatic reduction in the mud weight at surface. e gas will expand as it rises up
the annulus and reduce the overall hydrostatic pressure on the formation. Although
the mud weight may be drastically cut at surface, the e ect on the bottomhole pressure
is not so high. is is due to the fact that most of the gas expansion occurs near the
surface i.e. a mud cut to 90% of its original weight will produce a decrease in bottom-
hole pressure of only 10 psi. However, the pressure of gas in the annulus still poses a
problem, which will get worse if the gas is not removed. e mud loggers should moni-
tor the amount of gas in the mud continuously, and any signi cant increase reported
immediately.
Solids removal: e cuttings must be removed from the formation to allow e cient
drilling when the mud returns to the surface. If a very ne screen is used on the shale
shaker, a large amount of the weighting solids (barite) may also be removed. e screen
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size should be selected so that the shaker removes only the larger particles related to
formation, while the ner material drops out in the sand traps.
Dilution: When the mud is being treated to improve some property (i.e. viscosity) the
rst stage is to water-back in order to lower the percentage of solids. Water may also
be added when drilling deep wells where evaporation may be signi cant. During these
operations mud weight must be monitored carefully.

ii) Reduced Height of Mud Column: Under normal drilling operations, the volume of
mud pumped into the borehole should be equal to the mud returned. In such case, when
mud pump operations are stopped, there should not be any uid ow from the well and
thus the level of the mud should not fall below the mud pit level. However, this is not
always the case. Reduction of pit level or mud column height may occur due to the fol-
lowing reasons:
Tripping: When the drill pipe is pulled from the borehole during the tripping opera-
tion, the top of the mud column will fall down. is results in a reduction in the height
of the mud column above any point in the wellbore, which creates a decrease in bot-
tomhole pressure. erefore, the openhole must be lled up when pulling out of the
hole, which is done by equivalent volume of drilling uid.
Swabbing: Is a process where the drill pipe acts like a piston. During the upward motion
of drill pipe, it creates a region of low pressure into which formation uids may ow.
e opposite e ect is known as surging when the pipe is run into the hole. e amount
of swabbing will increase with:

i. e adhesion of mud to the drill pipe

ii. e speed at which the pipe is pulled
iii. Use of muds with high gel strength and viscosity
iv. Having small clearances between drill string and wellbore
v. ick mud cake
vi. Ine cient cleaning of the bit to remove cuttings

Lost Circulation: is occurs when a fractured formation is being drilled. Whole mud
is lost to the cavities in the rock, which reduces the height of mud in the borehole. Lost
circulation can also occur if too high a mud weight is used and the fracture gradient is
exceeded. Whatever the cause of lost circulation is the process by which the drill pipe
acts like a piston. During the upward motion of drill pipe, it creates a region of low
pressure into which formation uids may ow. e opposite e ect is known as surg-
ing when the pipe is run into the hole. e amount of swabbing will increase with the
following.

5.2.1.2 Secondary Control

If there is a pit gain observed at the surface, it means that a kick has been identi ed by
the drilling personals. is pit gain indicates that the primary control over the well has
been lost. In such a situation, all normal drilling or tripping operations must be termi-
nated in order to concentrate on bringing the well back to primary control. Secondary
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control can be referred to as the shutting o the BOP valves at the surface. is control
is needed once the primary control fails which indicates that an unexpected high-pres-
sure formation uid is entered into the wellbore and starts to ow. e purposes of this
control are: i) to stop the ow of unexpected uids into the wellbore, ii) to allow the
in ux to be circulated to the surface and safely discharged, and iii) to prevent further
in ux to the downhole.

i) Steps of second control: e rst step is to close the annulus space at the surface
with the help of BOP valve to prevent further in ux of the unexpected formation uid.
Figure 5.6 shows the secondary control system and its pressure rating. e second step
is to circulate the heavy mud through the drill string and annulus to displace the in ux
and original mud. e third step is to allow the drilling mud with a controlled way so
that no further in ux occurs at the bottom of the borehole. In such case, the heavier
mud should prevent a further in ux of formation uid when drilling ahead, which is
now under primary control. Secondary control is only required in drilling exploration
wells where formation pressures may not be known.

5.3 Warning Signals of Kicks

A blowout does not usually happen suddenly. While drilling, the crew must be watchful.
ey should know the warning signs at the surface and be able to understand the in ux
at the bottom of the borehole. An alert crew can see the warning signs and if it is inter-
preted correctly, the well can be saved by immediate correct actions. Even though these
signs may not be necessarily always positively identify a kick, they do provide a warning
and should be monitored carefully. Sometimes the driller observes several indicators at
the surface, which might be due to events other than an in ux. As a result, the signs are
not always nal. For example, if the drill bit enters in an over pressured zone of a forma-
tion, the rate of penetration will increase. It might be happen due to the new formation
encountered by the bit. On the other hand, there are some indicators need to be monitored

Pdp
Depth

Pann

Mud Pressure

Formation
Pressure
Well Under Control
Loss of Well Control

Pressure

Figure 5.6 Secondary control using BOP valve (redrawn from Ford, 2005).
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continuously to restrict having kick. Normally there are two types of indicators,
i) primary indicators, and ii) secondary indicators.

5.3.1 Primary Indicators

While drilling, there are some indicators that are more obvious than others and are
therefore called primary indicators. e followings are the primary indicators:

i. Flow rate increase

ii. Pit volume increase
iii. Flowing well with pump shut o
iv. Improper hole ll-up during trips

i) Flow rate increase: While the mud pumps are circulating at a constant rate there
should be a steady ow rate of mud returns to the mud tank or pit. If this ow rate
increases without changing the pump speed, this is a sign that formation uids are
entering into the wellbore and helping to move the contents of the annulus to the sur-
face. erefore, it very important to monitor ow rate into and out of the well continu-
ously using a di erential ow meter. e meter measures the di erential rate at which
uid is being pumped into the well and the rate at which it returns from the annulus
along the ow line. e practice gives the indication of ow rate increase to the drilling
crew.

ii) Pit volume increase: if the mud ow rate into and out of the well is constant, the
volume of uid in the mud pit should remain constant. A rise in the level of mud in the
active pits is a sign that some mud has been displaced from the annulus by an in ux of
formation uids. e level of the mud in the mud pits is therefore monitored continu-
ously. e volume of this in ux is equal to the pit gain and should be noted for use in
later calculations.

iii) Flowing well with pump shut o : When the rig pumps are not in operating condition,
there should be no uid returns from the well. If the pumps are in shut down condition and
the well continues to ow, then the uid is being pushed out of the annulus by some other
forces. In such case, it is assumed that the formation pressure is higher than the hydrostatic
pressure due to the column of mud. is higher pressure results in an in ux to the wellbore
which ultimately fallouts to have a kick. ere are two exceptions to this explanation: i) the
thermal expansion of mud in the borehole and annulus which results in a small amount
of ow when the pumps are shut o , ii) U-tubing e ect when mud in drill string is heavier
than mud in annulus. A ow check is o en carried out to con rm whether the well is kick-
ing or not. e procedure is as follows: i) pick up a kelly until the tool joint clears the rotary
table, ii) shut down pumps, iii) sets slips, iv) observe ow line, check for ow from annulus,
v) if well is owing, close BOP. If not owing, resume drilling.

iv) Improper hole ll-up during trips: e hole should be required to be lled up with
mud when the pipe is tripped out. If the hole is not being lled and does not take the
calculated volume the drill pipe volume, formation uids will replace the empty space.
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5.3.2 Secondary Indicators

While drilling, there are some indicators that are not conclusive and may be due to
some other reasons. e followings are the secondary indicators:

i. Changes in pump pressure

ii. Drilling break
iii. Gas, oil, or water-cut mud
iv. Reduction in drill pipe weight

ii) Changes in pump pressure: An entry of formation uids may cause the mud to
occulate and result in a slight increase in pump pressure. As ow continues the lower
density of the in ux will cause a gradual drop in pump pressure. As the uid in the
annulus becomes lighter the mud in the drill pipe will tend to fall and the pump speed
(stokes/min) will increase. Notice, however, that these e ects can be caused by other
drilling problems (i.e. washout in drill string, or twist-o ).

ii) Drilling break: A drilling break is an abrupt increase in the rate of penetration. It
should be treated with caution. If the drilling parameters have not been changed, the
increased penetration rate may be attributed to: a) change from shale to sand (i.e. more
porous and permeable and so having a greater kick potential), or b) reduced overbalance
(i.e. increase in pore pressure). e drilling break may indicate that a higher-pressure
formation has been entered and therefore the chip hold down e ect has been reduced
and/or that a higher porosity formation (i.e. due to under-compaction and therefore
indicative of high pressure) has been entered. However an increase in drilling rate may
also be simply due to a change from one formation type to another. Experience has
shown that drilling breaks are o en associated with overpressured zones. It is recom-
mended that a ow check is carried out a er a drilling break.

iii) Gas, oil, or water cut mud: Gas cut mud can be de ned as the mud where an entrance
of gas happens from formations while drilled. In reality it is not possible to prevent any
gas entrance to the mud column. Gas cut mud may be considered an early warning sign.
e mud should be continuously monitored. Any signi cant rise above the background
level should be reported. Gas cutting may occur due to: a) drilling in a gas bearing for-
mation with the correct mud weight, b) swabbing when making a connection or during
trips, and c) in ux due to negative pressure di erential. e detection of gas in the mud
does not necessarily mean the weight should be increased. e cause of the gas cutting
should be investigated before action is taken.

iv) Reduction in drill pipe weight: e reduction in drill string weight happens when
a substantial in ux occurs from a zone of high productivity. However, the other indica-
tors may be displayed prior to or along with a reduction in drill pipe weight.
e operational procedure to deal with a kick while drilling is depicted in Figure 5.7.
During the operation, it is not essential to close valves inside the drill pipe since the drill
pipe is connected to the mud pumps. is allows controlling the pressure to the drill
pipe. Generally it is required to close the uppermost annular preventer (i.e. hydrill).
However, the lower pipe rams can also be used as a backup if required. e surface
 F  S D E

Active Drilling Operations

Kick Indication

Primary Indicators Secondary Indicators

Flow Rate Pit Volume Flowing Well with Improper Hole Change in Drilling Gas Cut
Increase Increase Pump Shut O Fill-Up during Trips Pump Pressure Break Mud

Rasie Kelly above Rotary

Stop Pump

No
Is Well Flowing? Continue Drilling Flow Check as needed

Yes

Close Hydrill

Note Pdp and Pann

Note Pit Gain
Calculate Nature of In ux
Calculate New Mud Weight
to balance from Pressure

Kill Well

Continue to Drill

Figure 5.7 Operational procedure owing detection of a kick.

and annulus pressure should be monitored carefully. e pressures can also be used to
identify the nature of the in ux and calculate the mud weight required to kill the well
(Figure 5.7).

5.4 Control of In ux and Kill Mud

Once there is an in ux of the formation uid (i.e. kick) at the borehole, it is necessary
to control the well e ectively. Otherwise, the well would be beyond control. erefore,
kill mud calculations are needed to bring back the well under primary control. e fol-
lowing subsections describe how the kill mud can control a well.

5.4.1 Analysis of Shut-in-Pressure

When the formation uid is already in wellbore and as a result the well is in shut-in
condition, the pressures at the drill pipe and the annulus can be used to determine i) the
formation pore pressure, ii) the mud weight required to kill the well, and iii) the type
of in ux. Due to the shut-in condition, the pressure at the top of the drill string will
increase until the sum of drill pipe pressure and the hydrostatic pressure due to the u-
ids in the drill pipe are equal to the pressure in the formation. For the same reason, the
pressure in the annulus would continue to increase until the sum of annulus pressure
and the hydrostatic pressure due to the uids in the annulus are equal to the pressure
in the formation. It is noted that the drill pipe and annulus pressure will be di erent
because of the di erent uids content while shut-in. When the in ux happens and the
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well is shut-in, the drill pipe will contain mud. However the annulus will now contain
both mud and the invaded uid (i.e. oil, gas, or water). Hence the hydrostatic pres-
sure of the muds in the drill string and the annulus will be di erent. It is based on the
assumption that no in ux will ow through drill string. If the system is in equilibrium,
the drill pipe shut-in pressure can be interpreted as the amount by which bottomhole
pressure exceeds the hydrostatic mud pressure. Mathematically the expression can be
written as:

Psidp Gm H vc Pbh (5.1)

where,
Psidp = shut-in drill pipe pressure, psi
Gm = mud pressure gradient, psi/
Hvc = total vertical height of the mud column,
Pbh = bottomhole (i.e. formation) pressure, psi

In terms of mud weight, formation pressure can be calculated as:

Pbh Psidp 0.052 om H vc (5.2)

where,
om
= original mud weight, ppg

Since the mud weight in the drill pipe will be known throughout the well control proce-
dure, Psidp gives an indication of bottomhole pressure (i.e. the drill pipe pressure gauge
acts as a bottomhole pressure gauge). roughout the well control procedure the fur-
ther in ux of formation uids must be prevented. In order to do this, (Psidp GmH vc )
must be kept equal or slightly above Pbh . is is an important concept of well control
on which everything else is based on. Sometimes this technique is referred to as the
constant bottomhole pressure killing methods due to this reason.
Now, if we consider the annulus side, the bottomhole pressure can be calculated as
equal to the surface annulus pressure plus the combined hydrostatic pressure of the
mud and in ux. Mathematically the expression can be written as:

Psiann Gi H i GmH m Pbh (5.3)

where,
Psiann = shut-in annulus pressure, psi
Gi = in ux pressure gradient, psi/
Hi = vertical height of the in ux or kick,
Hm = vertical height of mud in the annulus a er in ux, .= Hvc – Hi

Hi can be calculated from the displaced volume of mud measured at surface (i.e. the pit
gain) and the cross-sectional area of the annulus i.e.:
Vpit
Hi (5.4)
Aann
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where,
Vpit = pit gain volume, bbls
Aann = cross-sectional area of the annulus, bbls/

Initial circulating pressure is calculated as:

Pic Psidp Pp Pok (5.5)

where,
Pic = initial circulating pressure, psi
Pp = slow circulating pump pressure, psi
Pok = overkill pressure, psi
Final circulating pressure is calculated as:

Pfc Pp km
(5.6)
om
where,
Pfc = nal circulating pressure, psi
km = kill mud weight, ppg

1"
Example 5.1: A 8 diameter hole is drilled up to 7500 . with a density of 12.5 ppg. If
2 pressure at this point is 4500 psi. Calculate i) mud pressure overbal-
the formation pore
ance above the pore pressure, ii) if the mud density is 10.5 ppg, what would be the over-
balance, and iii) if the uid level in the annulus is dropped to 250 . due to inadequate
hole ll up during tripping, what would be the e ect on bottomhole pressure?
Solution:
Given data:
Hvc = total vertical height of the mud column = 7500
1"
dh = hole diameter = 8
2
om1 = original mud weight 1 = 12.5 ppg
Pf = formation pore pressure = 4500 psi
om2 = original mud weight 2 = 10.5 ppg
Hann = vertical height of the mud column in the annulus = 250

Required data:
i) Pob1 = mud pressure overbalance at 7500
ii) Pob2 = mud pressure overbalance at 7500 . if mud density is 10.5 ppg
iii) E ect on bottomhole pressure?

e overbalance at a depth of 7,500 .can be calculated by Eq. (4.34a) which can be

modi ed for overbalance as:
Pob1 0.052 om1 H vc Pf 0.052 12.5 ppg 7500 ft 4500 psi
375 psi
e overbalance at a depth of 7500 . if mud density is 10.5 ppg as:
 W C  M P

Pob2 0.052 om2 H vc Pf 0.052 10.5 ppg 7500 ft 4500 psi

405 psi
If the mud density is decreased, the negative sign implies that the well would be under-
balanced by 405 psi with the consequent risk of an in ux.
If the uid level in the annulus is dropped by 250 , the e ect would be to reduce the
bottomhole pressure by:

Pbhp 0.052 12.5 ppg 250 ft 162.5 psi

is result indicates that there would still be a net overbalance of 212.5 (i.e. 375 – 162.5)
psi.

5.4.2 Type of In ux and Gradient Calculation

If we combine Eqs. (5.1) and (5.3), the in ux gradient can be calculated as:

Psiann Psidp
Gi Gm (5.7)
Hi
It is noted that the above expression is given in this form because Pann Pdp,
due to the lighter uid being in the annulus. e type of uid can be identi ed from
the gradient calculated utilizing Eq. (5.7). Di erent references report di erent ranges of
data for identifying the uid types. However, the following are as a guide.

a) A gas kick is recognized: 0.075 < Gi < 0.25 psi/ .

b) An oil and gas mixture kick: 0.25 < Gi < 0.3 psi/
c) An oil and condensate mixture kick: 0.3 < Gi < 0.4 psi/
d) A water kick: 0.4 < Gi psi/

For example, if Gi is found to be above 0.25, this may indicate a mixture of gas and oil.
If nature of in ux is not known, it is usually assumed to be gas, since this is the most
severe type of kick.

5.4.3 Kill Mud Weight Calculation

e mud weight required to kill the in ux and would provide the overbalance while
drilling ahead can be calculated from Eq. (5.1) as:

Pbh Psidp Gm H vc (5.8)

To bring back the well under primary control, the new mud weight must be adequate to
balance or be slightly greater than the bottomhole pressure. One more thing should be
taken care during the design of mud weight. We should keep in mind that the kill mud
weight would not be exceeding the formation fracture gradient. Otherwise, there would
be mud loss in the fracture. If an overbalance is used the equation becomes:
 F  S D E

Gk H vc Pbh Pob (5.9)

where,
Gk = kill mud pressure gradient, psi/
Pob = overbalance pressure, psi

Substituting Eq. (5.8) into Eq. (5.9), the nal form of the above equation can be written
as:

Psidp Pob
Gk Gm (5.10)
H vc
It is noted that the pit gain volume (V) and the casing pressure (i.e. Psiann) do not appear
in Eq. (5.10) which indicate that both parameters do not have any role over kill mud
design and calculations.
Formation pressure can be calculated in terms of mud weight as

Pbh Psidp 0.052 om H vc (5.11)

e kill mud weight can be calculated in terms of mud weight as

Psidp
km om (5.12)
0.052 H vc
If we consider overkill mud as a safety margin, Eq. (5.12) can be written as:

Psidp
km om ok (5.13)
0.052 H vc
where,
ok = overkill mud weight for safety margin, ppg

e kill mud gradient can be calculated in terms of mud weight as

Psidp
Gk 0.052 om (5.14)
H vc
Example 5.2: while drilling ahead at a target of 8,500 , the hole size was 7 in. e
drilling crew noticed that there was a pit gain of 10 bbls. e well is shut-in and the
drill pipe and annulus pressures were recorded as 650 psi, and 800 psi respectively. e
3"
bottomhole assembly consists of 650 . of 4 OD collars and 3 drill pipe. e mud
4
weight is 10.2 ppg. Assume a mud pressure gradient. Identify the in ux and calculate
the new mud weight, including an overbalance of 250 psi.
 W C  M P

Solution:

Given data:
Hvc = total vertical height of the mud column = 8500
dh = hole diameter = 7 in
Vpit = pit gain volume = 10 bbls
Pdp = shut-in drill pipe pressure = 650 psi
Pann = shut-in annulus pressure =800 psi
HBHA = bottomhole assembly length = 650
3"
dc = collar outer diameter = 4 = 4.75
1 4
"
ddp = drill pipe diameter = 3 = 3.5
2
m = mud weight = 10.2 ppg
Pob = overbalance pressure = 250 psi

Required data:
a. Type of in ux
b. m = new mud weight in ppg
Nature of in ux:
e vertical height of the in ux can be calculated using Eq. (5.4) as

ft 3
10bbls
Vpit 10 bbls 0.178bbls
Hi 389.6 ft
Aann dh2 dc2 / 4 72 4.752 ft 2
in2
4 144 in2

(Here, Hi is less than bottomhole assembly length, 650 )

Assuming a mud pressure gradient of 0.53 psi/ , the type of in ux can be calculated
using Eq. (5.7) as:
Psiann Psidp 800 650
Gi Gm 0.53 0.145 psi / ft
Hi 389.6
As long as, the in ux pressure gradient is within the range 0.075 – 0.25 psi/ ,
the type of in ux is probably gas.
New mud weight:
e new mud weight or kill mud weight can be calculated using Eq. (5.10) as:
Pdp Pob 650 psi 250 psi
Gk Gm 0.53 psi / ft
H vc 8500 ft
0.636 psi / ft
Hence the new mud weight would be as:
 F  S D E

0.636 psi / ft
m 12.23 ppg
0.052 1 ft
Example 5.3: Determine the kill mud density and kill mud gradient for a shut-in drill
pipe pressure of 600 psi at a depth of 12,000 . If the original mud weight is 14.5 ppg
and the slow circulating pump pressure is 850 psi, nd out also the initial and nal cir-
culating pressure of the system.
Solution:
Given data:
Psidp = shut-in drill pipe pressure = 600 psi
Hvc = total vertical height of the mud column 12,000
om = original mud weight = 14.5 ppg
Pp = slow circulating pump pressure = 850 psi
Required data:
km = kill mud weight, ppg
Gk = kill mud gradient, psi/
Pic = initial circulating pressure, psi
Pfc = nal circulating pressure, psi

e kill mud weight can be calculated using Eq. (5.12) as

Psidp 600 psi
km om 14.5 ppg 15.5 ppg
0.052 H vc 0.052 12,000 ft
If we consider an overkill mud weight of 0.5 ppg as a safety margin, Kill mud weight can
be calculated using Eq. (5.13) as:
Psidp
km om ok 15.5 0.5 16.0 ppg
0.052 H vc
e kill mud gradient can be calculated using Eq. (5.14) as

Psidp 600 psi

Gk 0.052 om 0.052 14.5 ppg 0.804 psi / ft
H vc 12,000 ft

If we consider there is no overkill pressure, the initial circulating pressure is calculated

using Eq. (5.5) as:

Pic Psidp Pp Pok 600 psi 850 psi 0 1450 psi

Final circulating pressure is calculated is calculated using Eq. (5.6) as:

15.5
Pfc Pp km
850 psi 908 psi
om 14.5
 W C  M P

5.4.4 Kick Analysis

e composition of the kick uids controls the annular pressure pro le. is pressure
pro le is normally observed during well control operations. In general, a liquid kick has
lower annular pressures than a gas kick. is is true because of the two factors: i) a gas
kick has a lower density than a liquid kick, and ii) a gas kick must be allowed to expand
as it is pumped to the surface. Both of these factors result in a lower hydrostatic pressure
in the annulus. us it maintains a constant formation pressure. In such cases, a higher
surface annular pressure must be maintained using the adjustable choke.
e kick composition must be identi ed for annular pressure calculations, which are
needed for well planning. Generally it is not known during actual well control opera-
tions. However, the density of the kick uid can be estimated from the observed drill
pipe pressure, annular casing pressure, and pit gain. e density calculation o en deter-
mines whether the kick is mainly gas/liquid or not. e density of the kick uid that
enters the annulus is estimated simply assuming as a slug. Figure 5.8 shows the initial
well conditions a er closing the BOP on a kick. e pit gain is usually recorded by pit
volume monitoring equipment.
e length and density of the kick can be calculated based on annulus capacity
behind the drill collar. If the pit gain volume is smaller than the annulus volume against
the drill collar, the length of the kick zone (i.e. in ux height) can be expressed in terms
of the pit gain volume, and annulus capacity. Mathematically,
If Vpit Vann _ dc , the length of the kick can be calculated as:
Vpit
Lk (5.15)
Cann _ dc
where,
Lk = kick length (i.e. vertical height of in ux, Hi),
Cann _ dc = the annulus capacity behind the drill collar, bbl/
Vpit = the pit gain volume, bbl

Pit gain (Vpit)

Pdp Pc

Lcas

Ldp

Lnoncas Hvc

Ldc HBHA
Lk

Figure 5.8 Schematic of initial well conditions during well control operations (redrawn
from Borgunay et al., 1986).
 F  S D E

Vann _ dc = the annulus volume against drill collar, bbl

If Vpit Vann _ dc , the length of the kick is given by

Vpit Vann _ dc
Lk Ldc (5.16)
Cann _ dp
where,
Ldc = length of the drill collar,
Cann _ dp = the annulus capacity behind the drill pipe, bbl/

A pressure balance on the initial well system for a uniform mud density, m, is given by

Picp 0.052 om H vc Lk k Lk m H vc Pidp (5.17)

where,
Picp = initial stabilized drill collar pressure, psi
Pidp = initial stabilized drill pipe pressure, psi
k = kick uid (i.e. in ux) density, ppg

Solving Eq. (5.17) for kick uid density gives

Pidp Picp
k om (5.18)
0.052 Lk
A kick density less than about 4 ppg should indicate that the kick uid is predominantly
gas, and a kick density greater than about 8 ppg should indicate that the kick uid is
predominantly liquid.
Example 5.4: A kick was detected while drilling a high-pressure zone.
e depth of the formation was recorded 10,000 . with a mud density of
9.0 ppg. e crew shut-in the well and they recorded the pressure for drill pipe and
drill collar as 350 psi and 430 psi respectively. e observed total pit gain was 6.0 bbl.
e annular capacity against 950 . of drill collar is 0.028 bbl/ . and the overkill safety
margin is 0.50 ppg. Compute the formation pressure, in ux density, the type of uid,
required kill mud weight, and kill mud gradient.
Solution:
Given data:
Hvc = total vertical height of the mud column =10,000
om = original mud weight = 9.0 ppg
Psidp = shut-in drill pipe pressure = 350 psi
Psidc = shut-in drill collar pressure = 430 psi
Vpit = pit gain volume = 6bbls
Ldc = length of drill collar = 950
Cann _ dc = the annulus capacity behind the drill collar = 0.028 bbl/ .
ok = overkill mud as a safety margin = 0.5 ppg
 W C  M P

Required data:
Pbh = formation pressure, psi
k = kick uid or in ux density, ppg
Type of uid
km = kill mud weight, ppg
Gk = kill mud gradient, psi/

Formation pressure can be calculated using Eq. (5.11) as

Pbh Psidp 0.052 om H vc 350 psi 0.052 9.0 ppg 10000 ft

Pbh 5030 psi
To calculate the kick density, we rst need to calculate the length of the kick and there-
fore, the annular volume.
e annular volume against the drill collar,
bbl
Vann _ dc Ldc Cann _ dc 950 ft 0.028 26.6 bbl
ft

As long as Vpit Vann _ dc , the length of the kick can be calculated using Eq. 5(15) as:
Vpit 6.0 bbl
Lk 214.29 ft
Cann _ dc 0.028 bbl / ft
e density of the kick uid is calculated using Eq. (5.18) as:
Pidp Picp 350 psi 430 psi
k om 9.0 ppg 1.82 ppg
0.052 Lk 0.052 214.29 ft
erefore, the kick uid is gas.
Consider overkill mud as a safety margin, the kill mud weight can be calculated
using Eq. (5.13) as:
Psidp 350 psi
km om ok 9.0 ppg 0.5 ppg
0.052 H vc 0.052 10,000 ft
10.17 ppg
e kill mud gradient can be calculated using Eq. (5.14) as:

Psidp 350 psi

Gk 0.052 om 0.052 9.0 ppg 0.503 psi / ft
H vc 10,000 ft

Example 5.5: A well was being drilled at a high-pressure zone of 12,000 . vertical
depth where 9.5 ppg mud was being circulated at a rate of 8.0 bbl/min. A pit gain of 95
bbl was noticed over a 3 minutes period before the pump was stopped and the BOPs
were closed. A er the pressures stabilized, an initial drill pipe pressure of 500 psi and
an initial casing pressure of 700 psi were recorded by the attendees at the rig side. e
 F  S D E

annular capacity against 950 . of drill collar was 0.03 bbl/ . and the annular capacity
against 850 . of drill pipe was 0.0775 bbl/ . Compute the formation pressure, in ux
density.
Solution:
Given data:
Hvc = total vertical height of the mud column =12,000
om = original mud weight = 9.5 ppg
qt = original mud circulation rate = 8.0bbl/min
Vpit = pit gain volume = 95 bbls
t = time to stop the pump = 3 min
Psidp = shut-in drill pipe pressure = 500 psi
Psidc = shut-in drill collar pressure = 700 psi
Ldc = length of drill collar = 950
Cann _ dc = the annulus capacity behind the drill collar = 0.03 bbl/
Ldp = length of drill pipe = 850
Cann _ dp = the annulus capacity behind the drill pipe = 0.0775 bbl/

Required data:
Pbh = formation pressure, psi
k = kick uid or in ux density, ppg

A schematic view of the example is shown in Figure 5.9. Formation pressure can be
calculated using Eq. (5.11) as:

Pbh Psidp 0.052 om H vc 500 psi 0.052 9.5 ppg 12000 ft

Pbh 6428 psi

To calculate the kick density, we rst need to calculate the length of the kick and there-
fore, the annular volume.
e total annular volume against the drill pipe and drill collar,

Vann Vann _ dp Vann _ dc Ldp Cann _ dp Ldc Cann _ dc

bbl bbl
Vann 850 ft 0.0775 950 ft 0.03 94.37 bbl
ft ft
However, kick length is determined based on the total annular volume against the drill
collar only. So,
bbl
Vann _ dc Ldc Cann _ dc 950 ft 0.03 28.5 bbl
ft
If we assume that the kick uids are mixed with the mud pumped while the well was
owing, so the total pit gain is

Vpit V pit qt t 95.0 bbl 8.0 bbl / min 3min 119.0 bbl
total
 W C  M P
Psidp = 500 psi

3000 ft Cann_dp = 0.0775 bbl/ft

Cann_dp = 0.0775 bbl/ft

ρom = 9.5 ppg
Hvc = 12,000 ft

Cann_dc = 0.03 bbl/ft

Psidc = 700 psi

2117.7ft
950ft

PBHA = 5,600 psi

Figure 5.9 Illustration for Example 5.5.

As long as Vpit Vann _ dc , the length of the kick can be calculated using Eq.
total
(5.16) as
Vpit Vann _ dc 119 bbl 28.5 bbl
Lk Ldc 950 ft 2,117.74 ft
Cann _ dp 0.0775 bbl / ft
e density of the kick uid is calculated using Eq. (5.18) as
Pidp Picp 500 psi 700 psi
k om 9.5 ppg 7.68 ppg
0.052 Lk 0.052 2,117.74 ft
5.4.5 Shut-in Surface Pressure
Normally the maximum permissible shut-in-pressure is the lesser of 80–90% of the
casing burst pressure and the surface pressure required to produce fracturing at the
casing shoe. e maximum permissible shut-in surface pressure is given by the follow-
ing equation:
Psifp Pann _ m Gm H cs (5.19)
Where,
Psifp = G f H cs = shut-in fracture pressure, psi
Hcs = vertical height of the casing shoe or depth to the casing shoe,
Pann _ m = maximum shut-in annulus pressure, psi
Gf = fracture pressure gradient, psi/
 F  S D E

3"
13 − casing set at 2,100 ft
8
Gf = fracture pressure
gradient = 0.68 psi/ft

ρm = mud weight = 10.6 ppg

Gm = mud pressure gradient
= 0.6 psi/ft

HVC = Vertical height of the

mud column = 12,000 ft.

Figure 5.10 Schematic view of the Example 5.6.

"
3
Example 5.6: e surface casing with an OD of 13 set at a depth of 2,100 .
8
e fracture gradient was found 0.68 psi/ . e mud density was 10.6 ppg with a
mud gradient of 0.6 psi/ . Total depth of the well was 12,000 . and the internal yield
was 2,500 psi. Determine the maximum permissible surface pressure on the annulus.
Assume that the casing burst is limited to 85% of design speci cation.
Solution:
Given data: 3
"

Hcs = depth to the casing shoe = 2,100 .@ 13

8
Gf = fracture pressure gradient = 0.68 psi/
m = mud weight = 10.6 ppg
Gm = mud pressure gradient = 0.6 psi/
Hvc = vertical height of the mud column 12,000
Yd = Internal yield = 2,500 psi
85% burst pressure
Required data:
Pann _ m = maximum shut-in annulus pressure, psi

Figure 5.10 illustrates the wellbore and casing set for the Example 5.6. If the casing burst is
limited to 85% of the yield pressure, permissible pressure is then:

85% burst = 0.85 x Yd = 0.85 x (2500 psi) = 2,125 psi

e maximum permissible annulus pressure can be determined using Eq. (5.19) as:
Pann _ m G f H cs Gm H cs
0.68 psi / ft 2100 ft 0.6 psi / ft 2100 ft 168.0 psi
erefore, the maximum permissible annular pressure at the surface is 168.0 psi, which
is that pressure which would produce formation fracturing at the casing seat.