Well Control Simulation With Nonaqueous Drilling Fluids

Abstract

The demand for energy has increased recently worldwide, requiring new oilfield discoveries in order to supply this need. Following this demand increase, challenges grow in all areas of the petroleum industry especially those related drilling operations. Due to hard operational conditions found when drilling complex scenarios such as high pressure/high temperature zones, deep and ultradeep waters and other challenging ones, the use non-aqueous drilling fluids became a must. The reason for that is because this kind of drilling fluid is capable to tolerate these extreme drilling conditions found in those scenarios. However, it can experience changes in its properties as results of pressure and temperature variations, requiring special attention during some drilling operations, such as the well control. To support well control operations and preserve the well integrity, well control simulators are very useful to verify operational parameters and to assist drilling engineers in the decision making process during well control operations and kick situations. Well control simulators are also important computational tools for rig personnel training. This work presents well control research and development contributions, as well as the results of a computational well control simulator that applies the Driller's Method and allows the understanding the thermodynamic behavior of synthetic drilling fluids, such as n-paraffin and ester base fluids. The simulator employed mathematical correlations for the drilling fluids PVT properties obtained from experimental data.The simulator results were compared to a test well data set, as well to published results from other kick simulators.

Understanding the Well Control Procedures for optimizing the Well Control System during Drilling

“…If the frictional pressure losses in the annulus are negligible, the conditions in Sketch 1's annulus side will be similar to those in Sketch 2. As a result, once the influx has been removed, the circulating annulus pressure should equal the initial shut-in drill pipe pressure (Chagas et al, 2021). shut-in drill pipe pressure, continue circulating for an additional circulation while maintaining the drill pipe pressure constant, and then shut in the well while maintaining the casing pressure constant while slowing the pumps (Nissanka & Yapa, 2016).…”

Study on dynamic characteristics of drill string in deep-water riserless drilling

“…Feng et al 8 analyzed the transient heat problem of circulating fluid in riserless drilling and verified the temperature distribution in riserless drilling. Chagas et al 9 applied the results of a computational well control simulator using the Driller method to understand the thermodynamic behavior of synthetic drilling fluids, such as n-alkanes and ester based drilling fluids. Xia et al 10 studied the mechanical characteristics of the drilling fluid return pipeline of deep-water riserless drilling under the movement of the drilling vessel by using finite element analysis software.…”