Top Hole drilling Hazards : Historical

Consequences, Lessons & Future Strategies

VK Gupta, GM(D)-IDT,
 Top Hole drilling hazards in E&P Industry

“Top Hole drilling Hazards: Historic

consequences , lessons & Future Strategies

OISD Workshop : 25th-26th Nov.’2013

2
ONGC a Wealth Creator
 Presentation Overview

1 Introduction

2 Case-Histories-i : LPDK

3 Case-Histories-ii : TKAB

4 Case-Histories-iii : LKFT

5 Lessons & Strategies

6 Technology Measures

3 #2 E&P Company in the world

 Top Hole drilling hazards
Introduction

` Seepages during top hole drilling resulted some

serious consequences, in Hydrocarbon industry.

` Continued channeling caused fragility around

well bore, resulting instability and route to flow.

` Loss of Rig and Well reported in some cases in

last two decades in ONGC.

4
A FORTUNE Global 500 Company
 Top Hole drilling hazards in ONGC

Case-I : LPDK :
¾ Rig : E-2000-6 : Sibsagar , Sept.’2006

¾ Target- Depth : 3885m {Dev.} / DD: 1334m

¾ Csgs.- Plan/Act. : 20” - 300m / 65m
(short landed)
: 13⅜” - 2460m / Nil
: 9⅝” - 3460m / Nil
: 7”Liner - 3885m / Nil

‰ 70 Rig-days lost .
5
A FORTUNE Global 500 Company
 Top Hole drilling hazards in ONGC

Case-I : LPDK :
¾ Spudded on 02nd Sept.’2006.

¾ Drilled 26” hole to 305m.

¾ Seepage observed from rat hole annulus.

¾ Evacuated mud from cellar pit to mud tank.

¾ Lowered 20” Casing to 87m.Observed Held-up.

6 ONGC: No.#1 Maharatna Company

 Top Hole drilling hazards in ONGC

Case-I : LPDK :
¾ During Casing Pull-out , three side walls of
cellar pit collapsed. Reconstructed the same.

¾ Run in 26” bit , Held-up again at 15m.

¾ Pumped 14T cement in conductor annulus.

¾ Cut window in 30”conductor for returns .

7 India’s Highest Profit making Maharatna PSU

 Top Hole drilling hazards in ONGC

Case-I : LPDK :
¾ Filled cellar pit adjacent area with sand & soil.

¾ Cleared hole to 145m.

¾ Could lower 20”Csg.upto 65m. H/up. Cemented.

17½” Drilling :

¾ Drilled 17½” hole to 1334m.

¾ Obsd. mud seepages from out side of cellar pit.

8 Country’s biggest wealth creator-PSU

 Top Hole drilling hazards in ONGC

Case-I : LPDK :
¾ Pumped 20T cement @72 m to arrest seepage.

¾ Tagged cement at 32m & Cleared to 456m.

¾ Subsequent held up@110m could not cleared.

¾ Abandoned . Rig Released on 23rd Nov.’06.

¾ While lowering mast all the nuts of 16 bolts of

base plate came out and Mast fell to ground .

9 ONGC : Overseas footprints in 15 Countries

 Top Hole drilling hazards in ONGC

Case-I {LPDK} : Conclusions:

` Seepages prior lowering 20”casing not arrested.

` F/Conductor grouting deeper, may have helped.

` 20”Casing short landed @65m due to collapsing

the hole , which continued all through thereafter.

` Amid continued seepages, foundation (tilt) should

have been obsvd. for deviations, to avoid disaster.

10 ONGC-OVL : 30 Projects across the globe

 Top Hole drilling hazards in ONGC
Case-II : TKAB :

¾ Rig: E-1400-12 {Expl.} : Silchar : March’2010

¾ Target- Depth : 3500m / DD: 2387m

¾ Csgs.- Plan/Act. : 20” - 500m / 503m
: 13⅜” - 1900m / 1795m
: 9⅝” - 2650m / Nil
: 7”Liner - 3500m / Nil

‰ 90 Rig days lost .

11 ONGC : Group Turnover crosses Rs. 150,000 Crores

 Top Hole drilling hazards in ONGC

Case-II : TKAB :
¾ On 4th Aug.’10@2387m in12¼”Hole : While P/o
Obsd.Gushing-water in Cellar pit. No Activity.
¾ BOP closed as precaution.

¾ DS evacuated, observing erosion at cellar pit.

¾ Bottom Box sank . Rig tilted & Toppled.

¾ Flow continued at cellar pit area for over 24Hrs

Silchar Seepage-1.mpg Silchar Rig Fall.mpg

¾ 12 . ONGC: The highest carbon credit earning Company
 Top Hole drilling hazards in ONGC
Case-II : TKAB : Conclusions
• A Water source found outcropped high up in a
adjoining mountain area.

• Artesian effect resulted higher water pressures.

• Weaker & permeable soil caused gushing in &

around well bore , followed by toppling of Rig.

• Site area survey for flowing underneath river ,

could have been helpful.

13 ONGC : 6 CDM Projects with ann. Accruable CERs of 2,09,460

 Top Hole drilling hazards in ONGC
Case-III : LKFT - 1st Phase :

• Rig: F-6100 {DEV.} : Sibsagar : Dec.’2012

• Target- Depth: 4082m / DD: 554m

• Csgs.-Plan /Actual : 20” - 500m / 503m

: 13⅜” - 1900m /
: 9⅝” - 3460m /
: 5½” - 3885m

• 60 Rig days lost .

14 ONGC : Consistently rising Reserve accretion
 Top Hole drilling hazards in ONGC
Case-III : LKFT - 1st Phase :
• Well was spudded on 4th Oct.’2012

• Drilled 26” hole to 18m.

• Heavy seepage observed near cellar pit area.

• Repeated cement jobs done.

15 ONGC : Elite Maharatna Status

 Top Hole drilling hazards in ONGC
Case-III : LKFT - 1st Phase :
• Drilled 26” hole to 233m.

• Seepage again observed near cellar pit.

• 20” casing held up at15m. Pulled out casing.

• Large crater found near foundation.

• Filled cement in hole and tagged at 10m.

16 # 21 Energy Company in the World

 Top Hole drilling hazards in ONGC
Case-III : LKFT - 1st Phase :

• Drilled upto 255m.

• Seepage observed again.

• 20” casing R/I , held at 30m again.

• While P/o csg., false conductor came out and

cellar pit & nearby area sank by 3 to 4 feet.

17 ONGC : Countrywide recognized CSR initiatives

18
19
 Top Hole drilling hazards in ONGC
Case-III : LKFT - 1st Phase :
¾ Cut 4m of conductor. Remaining conductor sank
in well.

¾ Grouted new conductor above existing sunk one

¾ Repeated Cement job done to strengthen the

cellar pit & surrounding.

¾ Minor gap noted below Bottom Box . Placed

Wedges .

20 ONGC : Biggest Contributor to Govt. Exchequer

 Top Hole drilling hazards in ONGC
Case-III : LKFT - 1st Phase :
¾ RI bit and held-up @17.66m. No return.

¾ Squeezed Cement.

¾ 17½”Bit held up @17.3m.Cleared to 255m.

¾ Lowered 20” Csg.@75m. Cemented.

¾ Drilled 17½”hole to 554m, losing 60 Rig days.

¾ Later completed successfully & flowed HC.

21
A FORTUNE Global 500 Company
 Top Hole drilling hazards in ONGC

Case-III : LKFT : Conclusion

• Deeper conductor may have avoided seepages.

• A pilot hole drilling could have resulted relatively

controlled situation.

• Foundation gap may have caused detrimental

consequences , averted by careful monitoring.

22 ONGC: Only CPSU having distinction in Environment -Management

 Top Hole drilling hazards in ONGC
Lessons learnt / Future strategies :
If site is located at hillock , extensive area survey
should be done for detecting artesian conditions ,
accordingly location is decided.

At suspected locations ;

1. 30” or 20” Conductor casing should be lowered

deeper to about 25-30m by civil contractor.

23 ONGC : 5th Energy Company in Asia by Platts

 Top Hole drilling hazards in ONGC
Lessons learnt / Future strategies :
3. A pilot hole of atleast 17½” / preferably 12¼” is
drilled for controlled monitoring.

4. Stronger pile / alternatively stronger foundation

is laid for bottom box at suspected locations.

5. Proper cementation is ensured against surface

casing to avoid subsequent adversities.

24 ONGC: Winner of Scope award for excellence

 Top Hole drilling hazards in ONGC
Technology Measures :
1. Newer DF/Cement additives like Micro-Bubble
is tried depending upon feasibility.

¾ Micro-Bubbles / Aphrons : Proven for fluid loss

control, formation damage & differential sticking.

¾ Aphron-based DF combines certain surfactants

in the fluid to convert entrained air into aphrons
/ highly stabilized micro-bubbles.

25 ONGC: Sustained Energy Security provider to Nation

 Top Hole drilling hazards in ONGC

26 ONGC: Globally recognized expertise in Hydrocarbon world

 Top Hole drilling hazards in ONGC
Technology Measures :
2. “Polygrouting” : A latest technology solution to
susceptible locations , where polymer ;
a) Expands 300 to 400 times by volume.
b) Temporary Barrier for effective cement job.
c) Swells in less than minutes on water contact.
Issues with Polygrouting:
I. Placement problematic although use of
Cement pump recommended
II. Based on water quantum & reactivity, dilution
& Poly glycol treatment / Formulation decided
27
A FORTUNE Global 500 Company
THANK YOU