Advances in Well Control: Early Kick Detection and Automated Control Systems

Abstract

The devastating impact of the Macondo blowout incident has underscored the need for effective well barriers, early kick detection systems, and increased automation of well-control operations toward successful drilling and completion operations particularly in deep offshore environments. Early kick detection systems should be capable of detecting a gas influx both during drilling and tripping operations regardless of the drilling fluid system with minimal false-negative alarms, while automated control systems regain well-control eliminating delays or omissions due to human error. In this chapter, developments in the deployment of early kick detection and automated control systems in conventional and managed pressure drilling operations are reviewed. We discuss the use and placement of surface sensors such as the Coriolis flowmeter, smart flowback fingerprinting when the rig pumps are off, real-time gas monitoring along the marine riser and downhole measurements complimented with machine learning algorithms for early kick detection. We then focus on the application of automated well-control systems for managed pressure drilling operations for which gas kicks are circulated without stopping the pumps or shutting in the well and in conventional well operations requiring intelligent tool joint space-out prior to well shut in especially for deep offshore operations.