Warning Signs When Circulating

Circulatin
g
Increased drag
and resistance

Is increase
Smooth smooth or Erratic
erratic?

Is circulation restricted? Is circulation

restricted?

Y N Mobile formations Y N

Do drags increase Unconsolidated formations Cement blocks

when not pumping? Fractured/faulted formations Junk

Mobile formations
Inadequate
Y N Reactive formations
hole cleaning
Geo-pressured formations
 Warning Signs When Tripping In
Tripping In

Increase in downward resistance

Is increase
Smooth smooth or Erratic
erratic?
Is there excessive
Is there excessive
upward drag? upward drag?

Inadequate Hole bridged

Was previous
hole cleaning N Y Is circulation restricted?
Can this be related N Y bit undergauge?
(Cuttings beds) to problem formations?

Y N N Y
N Y

Is drag reduced Was previous Formation ledges

when pumping? Reactive formations Undergauge hole
bit undergauge? Wellbore geometry Mobile formations Are dog-legs
Cement blocks Fractured/faulted formations excessive?
Junk Unconsolidated formations
N Y N Y
N Y
Reactive formation Inadequate Wellbore geometry
Mobile formation Undergauge hole
hole cleaning Formation ledges
Has there been a BHA
Can resistance and drag
change on this trip?
be related to formations?

Formation Wellbore
N Y
N Y Ledges Geometry

Cement blocks
Junk string Fractured/faulted
Component failure formations
 Warning Signs When Tripping Out
Tripping out

Increased drag or overpull

Is overpull
Smooth smooth or Erratic
erratic?
Is overpull in Is overpull in
new hole section? new hole section?
Are known problem Are known problem
Are known problem Are known problem
formations exposed in formations exposed in
formations exposed Y N hole section drilled hole section drilled N Y formations exposed
in new hole section? in new hole section?
by previous bits? by previous bits?

Y N N Y Y N Y N

Unconsolidated- Unconsolidated formation

Is downward Is downward
Is circulation Is circulation Is circulation Is circulation or Fractured/ Fractured/faulted and
motion possible?
restricted? restricted? restricted? restricted? Faulted formations motion possible? Geopressured formation

Y N Is circulation N Y
Y N Y N N Y Y N restricted?

Wellbore geometry Can BHA be Cement

Wellbore geometry Inadequate Can BHA be N Y
Formation ledges rotated free? blocks
Formation ledges hole cleaning rotated free?
Reactive formations Junk
(Bit/stabiliser balling)
Mobile formations Cement blocks Fractured/faulted
Unconsolidated formationsInadequate Junk formations
hole cleaning Reactive formations
(Bit/stabiliser balling)
Mobile formations N Y N Y
Unconsolidated formations
Wellbore geometry
Formation ledges Formation ledges Key seating
Fractured/faulted Key seating
Wellbore geometry Wellbore geometry
formation
 Warning Signs When Running Casing
Running
Casing

Increase in downwards
resistance while running
casing or after connection

Can pipe be
worked upwards?

Is circulation Is circulation
restricted?
N Y restricted?
Hole packing off
Hole packing off Reactive formations
Are permeable Are dog-legs
Reactive formation Y N formations exposed? excessive? N Y Mobile formations
Unconsolidated formation Unconsolidated formations
Inadequate hole cleaning
Wellbore
Surface load limitation with N Y geometry
respect to larger drag
(especially directional well) Differential
N Y sticking
Inadequate hole cleaning
(Cuttings beds)
Centralisers broken/bunching
Formation ledges
Fractured/faulted formation
Inadequate hole cleaning
Centralisers broken/bunching
Casing too light
(Has not been filled)
Junk in hole
 Warning Signs When Making Connections
Moving pipe from
static after
making/breaking
connections
during drilling, tripping
and
reaming or after
surveys
Drag trend increasing
when moving string
from static

Is circulation restricted?

Are known problem Are permeable

formation exposed? Y N formations exposed?

Y N Y N

Reactive formations
Junk
Fractured/faulted formations Is drag reduced Can drill string Cement blocks
Mobile formations when pumping? be moved? String component failure
Unconsolidated formations
Stabilisers hanging up on ledges
Geopressured formations

Y N
Y N

Reactive formations
Fractured/faulted formations Junk
Inadequate hole
Mobile formations Cement blocks Differential sticking
cleaning
Unconsolidated formationsStabilisers hanging
Geopressured formations up on ledges
 Warning Signs When Reaming In
Reaming in

Increased torque
Increased reaming
weight required

Is
increase
Smooth Erratic
smooth or
erratic?
Is circulation Is circulation
restricted? restricted?

Are hole drags Was previous bit Are up drags Was previous bit
excessive? Y N undergauge? excessive? Y N undergauge?

Inadequate hole
Inadequate hole Y N Y N
Y N Y N cleaning
cleaning (Cutting beds)

Do drags Wellbore geometry

increase when Wellbore geometry Formation ledges
Undergauge hole Undergauge hole
not pumping? (Side-tracking hole?) Junk
Cement blocks
Bit failure
Mobile formations Are drags
Y N Reactive formations increased when
Unconsolidated formations not pumping?

Inadequate
hole cleaning
Inadequate Unconsolidated formations
hole cleaning
Y N Fractured/faulted formations
 Warning Signs When Running Casing
Running
Casing

Increase in downwards
resistance while running
casing or after connection

Can pipe be
worked upwards?

Is circulation Is circulation
restricted?
N Y restricted?
Hole packing off
Hole packing off Reactive formations
Are permeable Are dog-legs
Reactive formation Y N formations exposed? excessive? N Y Mobile formations
Unconsolidated formation Unconsolidated formations
Inadequate hole cleaning
Wellbore
Surface load limitation with N Y geometry
respect to larger drag
(especially directional well) Differential
N Y sticking
Inadequate hole cleaning
(Cuttings beds)
Centralisers broken/bunching
Formation ledges
Fractured/faulted formation
Inadequate hole cleaning
Centralisers broken/bunching
Casing too light
(Has not been filled)
Junk in hole