Drilling Problems
• These problems are largely due to the
disturbance of earth stresses within the
bore hole
• Action, Reaction
Borehole problems can be classified under
three types of drilling wells:
1. Vertical well drilling
2. Directional well drilling
3. Horizontal well drilling
Vertical Well Problems
1. Kick
2. Lost circulation
3. Controlling borehole deviation
4. Pipe stuck
5. Pipe wash out
6. Shale Swelling
7. Twist off
1. Kick
It is the entry of the formation fluid
into the wellbore
• This occurs when the formation
pressure exceeds the hydrostatic
pressure (Pf > Pm)
• A blowout is uncontrolled kick
Reasons for Kicks
1. Insufficient Mud Weight
2. Swabbing
3. Gas Cut Mud
4. Lost Circulation
Insufficient Mud Weight
The formation pressure is higher than the
hydrostatic pressure
Pf > P m
This type of kick is known as “Unbalanced
Kick”
Swabbing
A negative hydrostatic pressure
causing reducing bottom hole pressure
High speed POOH
Induced kick
Failure to keep the hole full
Gas cut mud
Kick Indicators
Mud return flow rate increases
Pit volume increases
Hook load increases
Well flows with pumps off
Changes in mud gas level
Drilling breaks
WELL CONTROL
Early kick recognition & prompt execution of
correct shut-in procedures is the key to
successful kick control
1. Driller’s method
2. Wait & Weight method (Engineer’s method)
3. Concurrent method
4. Volumetric method
2. Lost Circulation
• Partial or complete loss of drilling fluid during
drilling
or
• Loss of cement slurry during cementing
Drilling Mud may be lost if:
1. Mud pressure >> Formation pressure
2. High pump pressure
3. High pressure surges during RIH
4. Coarsely permeable unconsolidated
formations
5. Faulted, jointed or fissured formations
Locating Lost Circulation Zone
1. Temperature survey
2. Radioactive tracer survey
3. Spinner survey
Temperature Survey
Methods of Restoring Circulation
1. Waiting period
2. Reduction of mud density
3. Reduction in pump pressure
4. Use of LCM
5. Set casing to protect weaker formations
3. Controlling Hole Deviation
• When the borehole unintentionally
deviates from the vertical or planned course
• The bit tends to walk while drilling
• Formation dip and rock properties can
influence the path of the bit
• This can cause both technical and legal
problems
Causes:
1. Heterogeneous nature of the rock
2. Drill string characteristics
3. Excessive WOB and RPM
4. Presence of fault line
Solution:
• Take survey every 500 to 700 ft while drilling
• Measurement While Drilling (MWD)
• Reduce WOB and RPM
• Change the BHA
4. Pipe Sticking
• Can not pull up – can not go down – can not
rotate
• Pipe sticking is a phenomenon in which drill
pipe can not be pulled out of the bore hole at
an over-pull equal to the tensile strength of
the drill pipe
Reasons
1. Pressure differential (Differential sticking)
2. Thick filter cake
3. Shale swelling
4. Bit and drill collar balling
5. Accumulation of rock cuttings at the bottom
and at drill collar
6. Mud solidification
7. Key seat
8. Carelessness of rig personnel (Foreign objects
or junk in the borehole)
Differential Sticking
• A portion of the drill string is embedded in the
mud cake on the wall of the hole. It is held
there by the pressure difference between
borehole and the formation. The pull force to
free the pipe is a function to the differential
pressure, coefficient of friction and the total
contact area of the pipe on the hole wall.
Indications
• Increase in torque and drag
• Hook load decreases
• Inability to move the pipe
• Circulation of drill mud is interrupted
Ways to minimize differential sticking
• Proper mud characteristics (weight, fluid loss)
• Collar shape (spiral or square collars)
• Keep drilling solids low in the mud
• Keep rotating the drill string
Methods to Locate Stuck Point
1. Sub-surface probe method
Example
Determine the differential sticking force
across a permeable zone of 30ft in
thickness using the following data:
Mud cake thickness = ½ inch
Friction factor = 0.1
Determine depth of stuck pipe
Depth of free pipe =
(Pipe stretch in inch x free point constant
(FPC)) ÷ Pull force in thousands of pounds
Stuck depth = Pipe wt. lb/ft. x Stretch (ins.) x 735,000
Stretch force (lbs.)
Determine the free point constant (FPC) by
this following formula:
FPC = As x 2500
where:
As = pipe wall cross sectional area, sq in.
As = (OD2-ID2)pipe x 0.7854
Example
Determine the depth of free pipe of 4 in. drill
pipe 14.0 lb/ft, inside diameter of drill pipe =
3.34 inch. 20 inch of stretch with 25 Klb of
pulling force
Freeing differentially stuck pipe
1. Reduction in hydrostatic pressure
2. Applying over pull
3. Application of jar
4. Spotting of oil
5. Back-off operation
6. Fishing operation
Mechanical Sticking
• The limiting or prevention of motion of the
drillstring by anything other than differential
pressure sticking. Mechanical sticking can be
caused by junk in the hole, wellbore
geometry anomalies, keyseats or a buildup of
cuttings in the annulus
A small-diameter channel worn into the side of
a larger diameter wellbore. This can be the
result of a sharp change in direction of the
wellbore (a dogleg), or if a hard formation ledge
is left between softer formations. When larger
diameter drilling tools such as tool joints, drill
collars, stabilizers, and bits are pulled into the
channel, their larger diameters will not pass and
the larger diameter tools may become stuck in
the keyseat.
Indications
• Increase in the torque
• Increase in circulating pressure or even the
blocking of returns to the surface
Solution
• First define the problem
• Rotate and reciprocate the drill string if possible
• Increase the pump rate, watch the pressure
• Use of Jars
• Back off
• Washover/ Fishing operation
• Worse case, sidetrack
Back Off
To unscrew drillstring components downhole. The
drillstring, including drillpipe and the bottomhole
assembly, are coupled by various threadforms known as
connections, or tool joints. Often when a drillstring
becomes stuck it is necessary to "back off" the string as
deep as possible to recover as much of the string as
possible. To facilitate the fishing or recovery operation,
the backoff is usually accomplished by applying reverse
torque and detonating an explosive charge inside a
selected threaded connection. The force of the explosion
enlarges the box end of the drill pipe. A torqueless
backoff may be performed as well. In that case, tension is
applied, and the threads slide by each other without
turning when the explosive detonates.
5. Pipe Washout
Pipe washout is a phenomenon in which drill
pipe starts leaking inside the bore hole during
drilling.
Reasons:
1. Banging the pipe face during making-up
2. Not using enough pipe dope on the threads
3. Bad pipe condition
6. Shale Swelling
7. Twist off
To part or break the drillstring downhole due
to either fatigue or excessive torque.
Reasons:
1. Pipe wash out
2. Excessive WOB
3. Hydrogen embrittlement
Hydrogen Embrittlement
Hydrogen embrittlement is the process by which
various metals, most importantly high
strength steel, become brittle and fracture
following exposure to hydrogen.
