Chapter 5 Unusual Well Control Operations Flashcards
If wellbore pressure indicates the influx is below the bit what should you do?
Use Volumetric or Top Kill, Strip or Snub in
The drill string is _______ and unable to circulate with gas influx (Kick) in the wellbore. Your only immediate option is the _________ method.
Plugged
Volumetric Method.
With the __________ method, you can verify the accuracy of the SIDPP after the first circulation.
Driller’s Method Step #1
What is a barite plug?
Barite plug act as a non-permeable barite bridge above the kicking zone by rapid settling in fresh water.
What is a gunk plug?
This diesel-bentonite slurry is used to seal the wellbore as it rapidly sets up in the presence of water in the annulus.
Several methods for locating the point of lost circulation are available including:
- Spinner survey,
- Temperature Survey,
- Tracer Survey,
- Hot Wire Survey,
- Pressure Transducer Survey,
- Noise/Sound Log
The Primary well control method used with diverter operations when no choke is available to create back pressure on the well is the ?
Dynamic Kill Method
While running a liner or a lower completion assembly, some of the well control options to consider include?
- Circulate out the kick
- Strip casing in the hole,
- Use the Volumetric method/Top kill,
- Strip out the casing and strip or snub in a kill string,
- Before running a slotted liner, conduct an extended flow check,
- Use of Hydrostatic Pressure in the wellbore is the only well control option available while running a slotted liner.
Indications that an underground blowout may have occurred during a well kick or well control procedure include the following:
- SIDPP maybe equal to or higher than SICP
- CP may build up on initial shut-in, and then decline as the weakest zone is fractured and begins to take fluid.
- Circulating pump pressure is unstable and does not respond to choke changes.
- Circulating pressure is lower than previously recorded at the same rate.
- Mud losses are apparent
- Minor or no changes are apparent in casing pressure when circulating.
If the annular preventer fails during the drilling operations, what should be done?
The well would be shut in with the pipe rams without an appropriate bleed-off below the spool other than the casing bowl side outlet valve.
True or False: During an underground blowout, CP may build up on initial shut-in and then decline as the weakest zone is fractured and begins to take fluid.
True. (DP will do the same at a slower rate).
If a barite plug fails to seal off the kicking formation in a underground blowout, what is the next approach?
Consider setting a gunk plug.
What is the procedure for setting a Gunk Plug?
- Begin pumping mud into the annulus at 0.8m3/min as soon as the slurry reaches the bit.
- This lowers the surface pressure and could provide water for slurry dehydration.
- A cement slurry should be squeezed through the bit to provide a permanent seal as soon as it is determined that the underground flow has been shut off.
