Well Control

Indicators of a kick:
1- Primary
2- Secondary
1- Primary:
A- Pit gain:
B- Well Flows With Well Shut off. A flow check is the observation of the well without
circulation.
C- Hole is not taking the correct volume while tripping.
While tripping out the drill string is pulled out of the well. So the level of the mud will
reduce. If the Mud level reduced, the hydrostatic pressure and then the bottom hole
pressure will reduce. For example:
During the tripping out, the crew is pull out drill pipe with Inner Diameter ID = 4.5 IN and
outer Diameter is 5 in. How much reduction in the mud level and the bottom hole pressure?
The hole diameter is 12.25 the mud density is 12ppg . Pulled drill pipe = 1000 ft
Sol : First we calculate how much volume of steel is pulled out from the well :
Steel sectional area = ( )
In feet square = ( ) = 0.0259 ft2
The volume of pulled drill pipe ( the volume of steel) =
38.12
The reduction in the mud level = = …….ft
*( ( ) ) +
5 in
Reduction in Bottom hole is:
23.8
0.052 X …… X 12 = ……. PSi
4.5 in
CIRCULATING PRESSURES
Hydrostatic pressure : the fluids in the well is

not Moving .
If the well TVD was 10,000 ft, and it was full of

10 ppg mud then the hydrostatic pressure at
the bottom of the well would be:
Hydrostatic Pressure (psi) = Mud Weight (ppg)

x 0.052 x TVD (ft)
= 10 x 0.052 x 10,000 = 5,200 psi
Stand Pipe
pressure = 0 psi Flow line pressure
= zero , no flow
What happens to bottom hole pressure when you are circulating?
let’s start pumping at 80

strokes per minute (spm).
When this happens you will
get a reading on the rig
pump pressure gauge, say
2,500 psi. This pressure is as
a result of the friction that
has to be overcome to
circulate the mud through
the entire system.
The pressure gauge on the

rig floor will read a lower
value than the one on the
pump, and the gauge at the
end of the circulating
system will read zero.
The gauge on the rig floor is
reading 2,400 psi. What is this
telling you?
It is telling you three things:
1) It is telling you that it takes

100 psi of pressure to overcome
friction in the surface lines and
get the mud up to the rig floor.
2) It is telling you that it takes

2,400 psi of pressure to
overcome friction and get the
mud the rest of the way round
the system.
𝑓𝜌𝑣
𝐷𝑃𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 L
𝑑
𝐷𝑃𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑓𝜌𝑣
𝑑𝐿 𝑑
Example
MD = 1200 ft
TVD = 1000 ft
𝑑𝑝 𝑝𝑠𝑖
𝑑𝑙 𝑓𝑡
Find total friction in the annulus

( )
( )
APL is the friction in the annulus
The mud weight at the circulating conditions is known as. Equivalent
Circulating Density -ECD
Home Work
Answer the following to nearest psi with mud weights to 2 decimals:
1) What is ECD? TVD = 8,455 ft; Mud Wt. = 9.7 ppg; APL = 425 psi
2) What is ECD? TVD = 11,786 ft; BHP = 6,433 psi
3) What is BHP? TVD = 12,550 ft; Mud Wt. = 12.3 ppg; APL = 370 psi
4) What is APL? Mud Wt. = 13.4 ppg; TVD = 10,800 ft; BHP = 7,845 psi
5) What will the pump gauge be reading?
BHP = 6,250 psi; TVD = 9,450 ft; Mud Wt. = 12 ppg;
Surface line friction = 125 psi; Drill string friction = 310 psi;
BHA friction = 470 psi; Friction through bit = 1450 psi
CHANGE OF PUMP SPEED

If you change your pump speed, then pump pressure will also change. If the
pump speed is increased, then the pump pressure will go up. It has to. The
pump will be working harder so the amount of energy required will be greater.
If the pump is slowed down, then the pump pressure will reduce. There is a
formula that can be used to give you an approximate idea of what will happen
to the pump pressure if you change your pump speed:
( )
[ ] ( )
( )
Example :
The pump pressure at 80 spm was 2,500 psi. What will the pressure be if the
pump is slowed down to 30 spm?
[ ]
CHANGE OF MUD WEIGHT
The pump pressure will also be affected if you change your mud weight. If you
have lighter mud then there will generally be less solids in the mud which
means there will be less friction and therefore it will be easier to pump. The
pump pressure will drop. If you have heavier mud then the pump pressure will
increase. There is a formula that can be used to give you an approximate idea
of what will happen to the pump pressure if you change your mud weight:
( )
[ ] ( )
( )
Example:
The pump pressure with 10 ppg was 2,500 psi. What will the pressure be if
the mud weight is increased to 12 ppg?
Trip Tank
Trip tank is a small metal tank with small capacity about 20-40 bbls with 1
bbl division inside and it is used to monitor the wall. There are several
operations that we can use the trip tank to monitor the well a fellow:
1. Trip out of hole (TOOH): While tripping out of hole, the trip tank is used
to track volume of mud replacing volume of drill string. The volume of any
kindof tubuler tripped out of hole.
2. Trip in hole (RIH): While tripping in hole, the drilling string (bit, BHA and
drill pipe) is run back in the hole, the trip tank must be used to keep track
volume gain. The expected volume gain should be equal to the
displacement volume of whole string.

Well Control

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Indicators of a kick:

C- Hole is not taking the correct volume while tripping.

Steel sectional area = ( )

In feet square = ( ) = 0.0259 ft2

The volume of pulled drill pipe ( the volume of steel) =

Hydrostatic pressure : the fluids in the well is

If the well TVD was 10,000 ft, and it was full of

Hydrostatic Pressure (psi) = Mud Weight (ppg)

= 10 x 0.052 x 10,000 = 5,200 psi

let’s start pumping at 80

The pressure gauge on the

It is telling you three things:

1) It is telling you that it takes

2) It is telling you that it takes

Find total friction in the annulus

APL is the friction in the annulus

The mud weight at the circulating conditions is known as. Equivalent

Circulating Density -ECD

Answer the following to nearest psi with mud weights to 2 decimals:

2) What is ECD? TVD = 11,786 ft; BHP = 6,433 psi

5) What will the pump gauge be reading?

BHP = 6,250 psi; TVD = 9,450 ft; Mud Wt. = 12 ppg;

BHA friction = 470 psi; Friction through bit = 1450 psi

CHANGE OF PUMP SPEED

to the pump pressure if you change your pump speed:

pump is slowed down to 30 spm?

CHANGE OF MUD WEIGHT

the mud weight is increased to 12 ppg?

kindof tubuler tripped out of hole.

volume gain. The expected volume gain should be equal to the

displacement volume of whole string.

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