Managed Pressure Drilling

Ian Davidson is currently Owner and Trainer of IANADAV LLC, engaging major E&P companies to provide well engineering and well control training. Previously, he was Vice President of Marketing and Training at Blade Energy Partners, where he was responsible for conducting courses in drilling technology to meet client requirements. He was also Well Manufacturing Manager for unconventional resources, along with several other previous positions such as rig superintendent, at Shell for 34 years where he led the advance of new drilling concepts applied to well manufacturing for unconventional resources, and he is a joint patent holder on wellbore manufacturing process for in situ heat treatment process. He is a member of Shell's international technology implementation team as well as coordinator of drilling workshops with the IADC and SPE. He is also a chartered engineer and the author of several technical papers related to drilling, well control. Ian earned a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the Polytechnic of Central London, is a Chartered Engineer, and a IADC WellCap Supervisor Level for surface and subsea operations.

• PrefaceContributorsList of AbbreviationsChapter 1 The Why and Basic Principles of Managed Well-Bore PressureAbout This Chapter1.1 Introduction to Managed Pressure Drilling and Some Definitions1.2 History1.2.1 Old Ideas Made New1.2.2 New Ideas1.3 Advantages and Methods of Managed Pressure Drilling1.3.1 An Adaptive Process1.3.2 Extending the Casing Points1.3.3 Lost Circulation1.3.4 Well Kicks1.3.5 Differentially Stuck Drill Pipe1.3.6 Deepwater Drilling1.4 Basic Mathematical Ideas behind MPD1.4.1 Bottom-Hole Pressure Calculations with Liquids1.4.2 Expansion (or Compression) of a Gas Bubble with No Fluid Flow1.4.3 Ideal Gas Law1.4.4 Strong–White Equation1.4.5 The Effect of Annular Pressure Loss on Bubble Size1.5 Basic Well Control1.5.1 Driller’s Method of Well Control1.5.2 Wait and Weight Method of Well Control1.5.3 Basic Well-Control Formulas1.5.4 Lag Time—Choke to Bottom of the Hole or Choke to Standpipe1.6 Pore Pressure1.7 Overburden Pressure1.8 Rock Mechanics1.8.1 Fracture Pressure1.8.2 Well-Bore Ballooning and the Leak-off TestQuestionsReferencesAnswersChapter 2 Situational Problems in MPDAbout This Chapter2.1 Introduction2.2 ECD Manipulation—Pore Pressure and Fracture Pressure Convergence2.2.1 Chokes2.2.2 Pumps2.2.3 Pipe Movement2.2.4 "Ballooning"2.2.5 Precision2.2.6 Well Control2.2.7 Lag Time2.3 Total Lost Circulation2.4 Deepwater Marine Drilling2.4.1 The Problem in the Surface Hole2.4.2 Excessive Casing Strings2.4.3 U-Tube Effect in Riserless or Limited Riser Operations2.4.4 Hydrostatic Control Valve2.4.5 Annular Pressure Changes (ECD Problems)2.4.6 Well-Bore Ballooning2.4.7 Well Control2.5 Connections and Trips2.6 Annular Pressure Loss and Hydraulics2.6.1 Equivalent Circulating Density2.6.2 Historical Calculation of the ΔP in APL2.6.3 Annular Pressure Loss Calculations2.6.4 Hydraulics Equations2.6.5 Annular Frictional Pressure Loss Calculation, ΔPa2.7 The Effect of Pipe Movement2.7.1 Pipe Movement Changes the Bottom-Hole Pressure2.7.2 Estimating Pressure Surge and SwabQuestionsReferencesAnswersChapter 3 Constant Bottom-Hole Pressure with Pressure as a Primary ControlAbout This Chapter3.1 Introduction3.2 Pressure Control3.3 Constant-BHP Choke Systems3.4 Operational Considerations3.5 DAPC System Description3.5.1 DAPC Choke Manifold3.5.2 DAPC Back-Pressure Pump3.5.3 Integrated Pressure Manager3.5.4 Case StudyQuestionsReferencesAnswersChapter 4 MPD with Flow Measurement as the Primary ControlAbout This Chapter4.1 Description of the Process4.2 Special Drilling Equipment4.2.1 Circulation Path4.2.2 Rotating Control Device4.2.3 Drilling Manifold4.3 Real-Time Data Acquisition and Control4.4 Drilling Applications4.4.1 Standard Approach4.4.2 Special Systems Approach4.5 Case HistoriesQuestionsReferencesAnswersChapter 5 Continuous Circulation SystemAbout This Chapter5.1 Introduction5.2 The System5.3 Development5.4 Control System5.5 Applications5.6 Operation5.7 Well Planning5.8 Records and Reporting5.9 Case History5.10 SafetyQuestionsReferencesAnswersChapter 6 A Simplified Approach to MPDAbout This Chapter6.1 Introduction6.2 Discussion6.3 A Simplified Approach6.4 Implementation6.5 ConclusionQuestionsReferencesAnswersChapter 7 Mud Cap DrillingAbout This Chapter7.1 History of Mud Cap Drilling7.2 Pressurized Mud Cap7.3 Floating Mud Cap7.4 Mud Cap Operation7.4.1 Mud Cap Drilling7.4.2 Mud Cap Tripping7.5 Pressurized Mud Cap Operation7.5.1 Pressurized Mud Cap Drilling7.5.2 Pressurized Mud Cap Tripping7.6 ConclusionQuestionsReferencesAnswersChapter 8 Dual-Gradient DrillingAbout This Chapter8.1 Introduction8.2 Problems Associated with Conventional Riser Systems in Deep Water8.3 AGR Riserless Mud Return System8.3.1 Introduction8.3.2 Primary Uses8.3.3 Equipment8.3.4 Operation8.3.5 Critical Issues8.3.6 Summary8.4 AGR Dual-Gradient System8.4.1 Introduction8.4.2 Primary Uses8.4.3 Equipment8.4.4 Operation8.4.5 Critical Issues8.4.6 Summary8.5 Subsea Mud-Lift Drilling System (Joint Industry Project)8.5.1 SMD Equipment8.5.2 The U-Tube Phenomenon with DGD8.6 Dual-Gradient Well Control8.6.1 Recording Prekick Information8.6.2 Kick Detection8.6.3 Dynamic Shut-in of the DGD System8.6.4 Kick Circulation8.7 Additional Comments8.8 ExamplesQuestionsReferencesAnswersChapter 9 Equipment Common to MPD OperationsAbout This Chapter9.1 Rotating Control Devices and Rotating Annular Preventers9.1.1 Rotating Control Devices (Passive Systems)9.1.2 Rotating Annular Preventors (Active Systems)9.1.3 Comments on the Use of Active or Passive Systems9.1.4 Rotating Control Devices on Risers9.2 Chokes9.2.1 Power Choke9.2.2 Swaco Super Choke9.2.3 Swaco Auto Super Choke9.3 Drill-Pipe Nonreturn Valves9.3.1 Basic Piston-Type Float9.3.2 Hydrostatic Control Valve9.3.3 Inside BOP (Pump-Down Check Valve)9.3.4 Retrievable NRV or Check Valve (Weatherford)9.4 Down-Hole Annular Valves9.4.1 Casing Isolation Valve9.4.2 Drilling Down-Hole Deployment Valve9.4.3 Quick Trip Valve9.5 ECD Reduction Tool9.5.1 Unique Considerations9.5.2 Advantages9.5.3 Challenges9.5.4 Description9.6 Coriolis Flowmeter9.7 Disc Pump (Friction Pump)QuestionsReferencesAnswersChapter 10 MPD Candidate SelectionAbout This Chapter10.1 Introduction10.2 Candidate Selection and Feasibility Study10.3 What is MPD Candidate Selection?10.4 Steps Involved in Candidate Selection10.4.1 Purpose of the Study10.4.2 Procurement of Information10.4.3 Hydraulic Analysis10.4.4 Method Selection10.4.5 Viability of the Option10.4.6 Equipment10.4.7 HAZOP and HAZID (Optional)10.5 Examples10.5.1 CBHP10.5.2 Dual-Gradient SMDQuestionsAnswersAppendix A Rock MechanicsA.1 Stress and Strain (Elastic and Nonelastic Deformation)A.2 Horizontal and Vertical Rock StressAppendix B RheologyB.1 IntroductionB.2 Shear Stress and Shear RateB.3 Newtonian ModelB.4 Non-Newtonian ModelB.4.1 Bingham Plastic ModelB.4.2 Power Law ModelB.4.3 API (Recommended Practice 13D, 2003) ModelB.4.4 Herschel–Bulkley ModelReferencesAppendix C Useful Conversion FactorsAppendix D IADC Well Classification System for Underbalanced Operations and Managed Pressure DrillingAppendix E IADC Underbalanced and Managed Pressure Drilling Guidelines—HSE Planning GuidelinesAppendix F IADC UB and MPD GlossaryIndex