Drilling Operation

By
Huner Kareem
Components of the Drilling Rig
Main Drilling Rig Equipment Systems
 1 Crown Block

2 Deadline Hoisting
3 Wireline System
Fast Line 4 5 Traveling Block

6 Hook

7 Deadline Anchor
Drawworks 11

9 6

9 Drum 8 Storage Reel

7
10 Drum Brake
The Drill String

Swivel
Kelly

Kelly Bushing
K.B. Elevation
Rotary Table

Drill Pipe

Drill Collars

Bit
 Top Drive System

Top
drive

‘A’ frame

Guide
rails

Rig floor Drill pipe

 Circulation Standpipe Swivel
System Mud Rotary hose
pump
Kelly
Mud
Discharge
House
Mud return
Chemical tank line
Drill pipe

Annulus

Shale
shaker
Drill Collar
Mud pit
Borehole
Shale slide
Reserve
pit Bit
Drilling Fluids
 Purposes of Drilling Mud
• Control flow
• Clean drill of gas and
cuttings from fluid from
hole the formation
(hydrostatic
• Lubricate drill
string
pressure)

• Cool bit
 Preparation of Drilling Mud
• Thickened with
• Water- or polymers to lift
oil-based formation cuttings
fluid from well

• Treated with • Weighted with

other clays and other
chemicals to materials to
prevent increase density
formation for well control
damage
 Hydrostatic Pressure
of Mud (Fluid) Column
mud
• A force in the wellbore
that controls formation
pressure

hydrostatic pressure,
psi
= mud weight, ppg
x depth, ft
x 0.052
 Example 1
Problem Calculate the hydrostatic pressure
exerted by a 10.3 ppg mud at
8,000 ft.

hydrostatic pressure, psi

= mud weight, ppg x depth, ft x 0.052

Solution Hydrostatic Pressure

= 10.3 ppg x 8,000 ft x 0.052
= 4,285 psi
 Overbalanced Drilling
Hydrostatic pressure exerted
by column of fluid is greater mud

than formation pressure

• Prevents oil, gas and/or

water from flowing into well
• Usually, 200 to 300 psi of
excess pressure is desired

!
Drilling mud filtrate invasion
can damage the formation
 Balanced Drilling
Hydrostatic pressure
exerted by column of fluid mud

is approximately equal to
formation pressure
• Reduces chances of drilling
mud damage

Increases risk of
flow into wellbore
(kick)
 Underbalanced Drilling
Hydrostatic pressure
mud
exerted by column of fluid is
less than formation pressure
• Formation flows oil, gas
and/or water during
drilling

Can be a safety hazard

(controlled blowout) without
proper control equipment
 Formation Fracture Pressure
Pressure at which a formation
will crack or fracture mud

During drilling, the

hydrostatic pressure
should be less than the
fracture pressure, or
significant mud loss can
occur into the formation.
The well could blow out.
 Calculating Mud Weight
Reservoir pressure, depth
1 Start with Fracture gradient
The fracture gradient is derived formation pressure
from measurements, depth
2 Calculate Fracture pressure
Fracture pressure = depth x formation pressure
3 Estimate Needed hydrostatic pressure
Reservoir pressure < Hydrostatic pressure < Fracture pressure

4 Calculate Mud weight

hydrostati c pressure
mud weight 
0.052  depth
 Example 2
What mud weight (density)
Problem should be used to control a
formation at 9000 ft?
Reservoir pressure = 5000 psi
Fracture gradient = 0.58 psi/ft

Calculate Fracture pressure

Fracture pressure = depth x fracture gradient

= 9000 ft x 0.58 psi/ft
= 5220 psi
 Example 2 Solution

Estimate Reservoir pressure

Hydrostatic pressure
= 5000 psi

Fracture pressure = 5220 psi

In this case, we allow 100 psi over reservoir pressure.

Calculate Mud weight

Hydrostati c Pressure
Mud Weight 
0.052 x Depth
5000  100
Mud Weight   10.9 ppg
0.052 x 9000
The Drill String and Bit
Basic Bottomhole Drilling Assembly

Drill pipe
• Provides rotation to bit

Drill collars
• Provide weight on bit

Drill bit
• Grinds layers of rock
to make hole
 Common Types of Drill Bits

• Insert • Polycrystalline
• Mill tooth diamond compact
(PDC)
 Insert Bit
Carbide tooth

Cone
Radial seal
Roller bearing Shirttail
or bushing
Thrust face
Bit leg
Jet nozzle
Grease reservoir
Reservoir cap
Grease reservoir
cap
Diaphragm

Shank

Bit information
(size, type, serial number)
Milled-Tooth Bit
Polycrystalline Diamond Compact
(PDC) Bit
Junk slot

Interchangeable
nozzle

Breaker slot

PDC cutter
The Blow-Out Prevention System
 Blow-Out Preventers
Bell nipple

Flow line
Fill line
Annular
preventer

Pipe ram

Shear/blind ram

Kill line Choke

Drilling spool
Pipe ram

BOP riser

Emergency kill line Emergency choke

Casing head
People on the Rig
 Drilling Personnel

Company Man

Geologists Service Tool

Company Pusher
 Drilling Personnel

Geologists Service Company

Mud Loggers Mud Engineer Cementing Casing Crews

Service Crews
 Drilling Personnel

Company Man

Geologists Service Tool

Company Pusher
 Drilling Personnel

Tool Pusher

Driller Motorman
Crane Operator Rig Mechanic Rig Electrician

Derrickman Rotary Helpers Roustabouts

(Roughnecks)
 Types of Wells

Vertical Deviated Slimhole

Horizontal
 Vertical Well

Wellhead
To production equipment

Tubing

Casing

Packer
Perforations
Hydrocarbons

Gas or oil sands

Deviated Well Projectories

S-shape Tangent

Horizontal
 Downhole
Assembly for String stabilizer

Building Hole
Angle Bent sub

Low-speed,
high-torque motor

Kickoff sub

Upper bearing
Bit
housing with stabilizer
 Hole Orientation Surveys
• Single shot (basic)
– Run every 400 - 500 ft and at bit trips to
record hole angle
• Magnetic multi-shot
– Tool run before bit trip
– Records hole angle while pulling out of hole
• Gyroscope
– Electronic survey of hole angle and direction
Horizontal Well Completions

20-40 ft radius
1.5-3/ft
Short radius
300-750 ft

125-700 ft radius
8-20/100 ft
Medium radius
1500-3000 ft

1000-3000 ft radius Long radius

2-6/100 ft
2000-5000 ft
 Slimhole Drilling
• Advantages
– Less site preparation
– Easier equipment mobilization
– Reduction in the amount of consumables (drill bits, cement, muds,
fuel)
– Less cuttings disposal
– Smaller, lighter equipment
• Disadvantages
– Plugs and packers required
– More crowded annular space
– Tubular corrosion and loss of mechanical integrity
 Multilateral Well
Completions

Planar Lateral, Stacked Lateral,

Single Layer Multiple Layers

Planar Opposed Lateral,

Single Layer
 Choosing Well Projectories
Vertical wells Horizontal wells
Multilaterals

Thick, permeable
formations Naturally Thin, permeable
fractured formations
Hydraulic reservoirs
fracture

Thick,
low-permeabilty
formations
Thin zones overlain by gas or underlain by
water
 Drilling Problems
Formation damage

 Stuck pipe
 Differential sticking
 Mechanical sticking

 Lost circulation
 Partial &Total loss

 Poor hole cleaning

Mud contamination

Hole deviation

Shallow gas
 Definitions

 What is a Kick ?
Is any undesirable entry of formation fluids into
the wellbore of sufficient quantity to require shutting in
the well

 What is a Blowout?
Loss of control of kick
 Why does kick occur?

 Pressure in the wellbore is less than the pressure in the

formation

 Permeability of the formation is great enough to allow flow

 Failure to keep the hole full of drilling fluid while tripping

 How do we prevent kick
 We must maintain the pressure in the wellbore to be greater
than formation pressure

 But,
 We must not allow the pressure in the wellbore to exceed
the fracture pressure

 This is done by controlling the HSP of the drilling fluid, and

isolating weak formations with casing

HSP – Hydrostatic Pressure

 Proactive measures to Kick
prevention
A good understanding of the geological information
of the area must be carried out before drilling

 Proper mud selection

Good casing/cementation design before drilling

commence

Good training of personnel

 Conclusion

Kick occur mainly due to loss of primary well control, therefore,

efforts must be made to maintain primary control while drilling.
Earlier detection of the parameters responsible for kick
occurrence is essential in averting this difficult

With prudent drilling practice, swabbing and improper filling of

hole during tripping can be eliminated
 Recommendations

 Procedures must be in place prior to drilling

operations commencing that fully document and
communicate what actions are taken if a kick is
taken

 Expected volumes and pressures must be defined

prior to drilling and a clear well control matrix and
well control procedures must be in place

 Safe trip-in speeds and adequate mud weight

should be determined at the design stage for all
deep, high temperature and pressure wells.
Drilling Problems
• Stuck pipe
• Fishing
• Lost circulation
Causes of Stuck Pipe

Borehole

Pressure differential between

Pf Pbh borehole and formation
Pbh > Pf

Drillpipe
Causes of Stuck Pipe

Borehole

Clays absorb water, swell, reduce

Drillpipe size of borehole
Causes of Stuck Pipe

Proposed
Borehole

Unstable formations, badly worn

Drillpipe bits result in undergauged hole
Causes of Stuck Pipe

Proposed
Borehole

Drillpipe

Tectonic stresses cause

borehole to collapse
 Causes of Stuck Pipe
Proposed
Borehole

Dogleg in trajectory
snags pipe

Drillpipe
 Reasons for Fishing

Dropped Items (floor

tools, drill string parts)

Stuck Drillpipe
(twisted off, backed
off, cemented)
Logging tools
 Lost Circulation
Mud

Fissures in Borehole
formation

Solution

Add plugging materials such

as cellulose chips to
circulating mud
 Exercises
Drilling Operation
 1
Exercise 1
2
• Identify the major
11 3 components of the
hoisting system
4
5
6

9
7
10
 Exercise 2a
• Identify the parts of the circulation system
 Exercise 3
• Describe common drilling problems and the
conditions that cause them.
 Exercise 4
• Name and describe the three common bits
used in rotary drilling

• What are they used for?

 Circulation System
1
12

13

11 2
Mud House
Discharge

10 3

9 4

Mud pit
Reserve 5
pit Shaleslide 6

7
 Exercise 5
• Assuming a pressure gradient of 0.465 psi/ft to
a depth of 5000 ft, and a pressure gradient of
0.5 psi/ft from 5000 ft to 10,000 ft, how deep
can one drill with a mud weighing 9.0 ppg,
without allowing formation fluids to enter the
wellbore?
 Exercise 6
• Name and describe the three common bits
used in rotary drilling

• What are they used for?

 Exercise 7

• Identify six types of offshore drilling rigs

and what they are used for.
• List different well types and their uses.
 Exercise 8
Identify Offshore Rig Types (Cont’d)
 Exercise 9
• Describe common drilling problems and the
conditions that cause them.