Drilling and Completion

Objectives
Drilling and Completion
• Identify the major components of a drilling rig
• Explain the purpose of the drilling mud system
• Calculate the appropriate mud weight for
drilling a well
• Identify common drilling bits and the formations
in which they are used
• Identify the major components of a blow-out
prevention system
• List six types of offshore drilling rigs and state
where each is used
 Objectives
Drilling and Completion (Cont’d)
• Describe common drilling problems
• Describe common completion techniques, such
as cemented casing and gravel packing
• Describe the equipment commonly used to
complete a well
• List three perforation methods and state their
advantage and disadvantages
• Describe two stimulation techniques and state
the reservoirs in which they are likely to be
appropriate and to be inappropriate
 Outline
Drilling and Completion
• Rotary drilling rig
• The fluid circulation system
• The drillstring
• Bits
• Blow out preventors
• People on the rig
• Types of rigs
• Drilling problems
• Completions
• Well stimulation
Rotary Drilling
Main Drilling Rig Equipment Systems
The Hoisting System
 1 Crown Block

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

6 Pipe elevators

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
driv
e

‘A’ frame

Guide
rails

Rig floor Drill pipe

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

Annulus

Shale
shaker
Reserve
Mud pit
pit Drill Collar

Shaleslide Borehole
Bit
 Drilling Mud Is Circulated
Down Well While Drilling
Purposes of drilling mud

• Clean drill cuttings from hole

• Lubricate the drill string

• Cool bit

• Control flow of gas and fluid from the

formation (hydrostatic pressure)
 Preparation of Drilling Mud
• Water- or oil-based fluid

• Thickened with polymers to lift formation

cuttings from well

• Weighted with clays and other materials to

increase density for well control

• Other chemicals are added to prevent

formation damage
 Hydrostatic Pressure
of Mud (Fluid) Column
• The weight of the fluid exerts a force (hydrostatic pressure)
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.

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 than formation pressure
• Prevents oil, gas and/or water from
flowing into well
• Can cause damage to the formation due to
drilling mud filtrate invasion
• Usually, 200 – 300 psi of excess pressure
is desired
 Balanced Drilling

• Hydrostatic pressure exerted by column of

fluid is approximately equal to formation
pressure

• Reduces chances of drilling mud damage

• Increases risk of flow into wellbore (kick)

 Underbalanced Drilling

• Hydrostatic pressure exerted by column of

fluid is less than formation pressure

• Formation flows oil, gas and/or water

while drilling

• Can be a safety hazard (controlled

blowout) without proper control
equipment
Formation Fracture Pressure
• Pressure at which a formation will crack or
fracture
• Usually expressed as a gradient, pressure
as a function of depth, psi/ft
• While drilling, the hydrostatic pressure
should be less than the fracture pressure
or significant mud loss can occur into the
formation and the well could blow out
 Example 2

Problem:
What mud weight (density) should be used
to control a formation at 9000 ft?
Reservoir pressure = 5000 psi; fracture
gradient = 0.58 psi/ft
 Example 2 (Cont’d)
Solution:

Fracture pressure = 9000 ft x 0.58 psi/ft = 5220 psi

Therefore, a mud with a hydrostatic pressure

greater than 5000 psi, but less than 5220 psi
should be used. In this case, probably 100 psi
over reservoir pressure.
Hydrostati c pressure (psi) Mud Weight ppg  x depth x 0.052

Hydrostatic 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

• Mill tooth

• Polycrystalline 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)
Mill Tooth Bit
Polycrystalline Diamond Compact
(PDC) Bit

Junk slot
Interchangeable
nozzle
PDC cutter

Breaker slot
The Blow-Out Prevention
System
 Blow-Out Preventers
Bell nipple
Flow line
Fill line
Annular
preventer
Pipe ram
Shear/blind ram
Kill line Choke

Pipe ram Drilling spool

BOP riser
Emergency kill line Emergency choke
Casing head
People on the Rig
 Drilling Personnel
Company
Man

Servic e Co. Tool Pusher Geolo gis t

Mud Eng. Cementer Mud Logger Other Dril e r Crane Op. Motorman Rig Rig Mud Loggers
Mechanic Ele ctric ia n

Rotary Rough Derric kman Roustabout

Help ers Neck
 Drilling Personnel (Cont’d)
Company
Man

Servic e Co. Tool Pusher Geolo gis t

Mud Eng. Cementer Mud Logger Other Dril e r Crane Op. Motorman Rig Rig Mud Loggers
Mechanic Ele ctric ia n

Rotary Rough Derric kman Roustabout

Help ers Neck
Types of Drilling Rigs
 Offshore Rig Types

Swamp Jacket Jack-up Semi-sub Fixed Drillship

barge with Platform
tender
 Drilling Rigs

Land Rigs
Lake/Swamp Barges Semisubmersibles

Drill Ship
Jack Ups Monohull
Tenders
Land Rig
 Semisubmersible

Sedco 702 in TAD-mode offshore New Zealand

Semisubmersible
 Types of Wells
• Vertical

• Deviated

• Horizontal

• Slimhole
 Vertical Well
Wellhead
To production equipment

Tubing

Casing

Packer

Hydrocarbons Perforations

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
housing with stabilizer
 Hole Orientation
• Single shot surveys (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

Long- 2-6/100 ft
radius 3000-1000 ft radii

8-20/100 ft
Medium- 700-125 ft radii
radius

1.5-3/ft
40-20 ft radii 2000-5000 ft
Short-
radius 1500-3000 ft
*
300-750 ft
*

* Depends on formation type

 Slim Hole Drilling
• Less expensive because:
– Less site preparation
– Easier equipment mobilization
– Reduction in the amount of
consumables (drill bits, cement, muds,
fuel)
– Less cuttings to dispose of
– Smaller equipment
 Multi-Lateral Well Completions

Stacked Lateral, Planar Lateral, Planar Opposed Lateral,

Multiple Layers Single Layer Single Layer
Guidelines for Well Types Based
Upon Reservoir Considerations
• Vertical wells - thick, permeable formation
• Vertical wells with vertical hydraulic fractures -
thick, low permeability formations
• Horizontal wells
– Thin, permeable formations
– Thin oil columns overlaid by gas and/or
underlaid by water
– Naturally fractured reservoirs
• Multilaterals - layered reservoirs
 Drilling Problems
• Stuck pipe

• Fishing

• Lost circulation
Causes of Stuck Pipe
Borehole

Drillpipe Pbh Pf Pbh > Pf

 Needs for Fishing

• Drill pipe left in hole (twisted off, backed

off, result of cementing operations)

• Items that have been dropped into the hole

(rig floor tools, parts of the drill string)

• Logging tools
 Lost Circulation
Borehole

Fissures in
formation

Mud
Solution to Lost Circulation
Problems
• Add plugging materials such as cellulose
chips to circulating mud
Completion Methods
 Well Completions
• After drilling, the well is “completed” for
production of oil or gas
Well Completion Techniques
• Cased hole

• Liner (cemented, slotted or perforated)

• Openhole

• Tubingless or slimhole

• Gravel pack (special case required for

control of formation sand)
 Casing Scheme
Surface

Conductor/
stovepipe
Surface
casing

Immediate
casing
Production
casing

Production
liner
 After Drilling the Well,
Casing Is Cemented in Hole
Hole
Cementing:
Casing
 Provides zonal isolation.
Cement
 Supports axial load of casing.
gas zone
 Protects casing against
corrosion and erosion
oil zone
 Provides support to borehole -
for plastic or unconsolidated
formations
Casing/Cementing Procedure
Mud Run casing
1 2 Cement
3

Bottom
plug
Casing
Casing
New Mud
hole Hole
Hole
Drill pipe
Mud Float
shoe Float
circulating Drill bit shoe
Centralizers
not shown
on casing
Displacement
4
5 6
Top
plug
Cement

Casing
Set
Hole Cement

Top
plug Bottom Continue
Bottom plug opens plug drilling
bypass for cement
to circulate
out casing
Casing/Cementing Procedure
Mud Cement
Displacement

Set Cement Top plug

Bottom plug
Casing New hole
Mud Cement
circulating Drill pipe
Top plug
Float shoe Drill bit
Bottom plug

Continue Drilling
 Cementing Problems
• Contamination of cement by mud

• Reduction in cement bonding to formation

caused by mud cake, solids

• Channeling caused by laminar flow in

annulus

• Lost circulation due to additional

hydrostatic head of high density cement
 Casing
Cement

Openhole
Completion Casing Shoe

Oil
Sand
 Slotted Liner
Cement Completion
Casing Hanger
(usually with a packer)
Casing Shoe
Slotted Liner
(shown
diagrammatically)
Oil
Liner Shoe
Sand
 Cemented Liner
Cement Completion
Casing
Hanger
(usually with a packer)
Casing Shoe

Cemented Liner

Oil
Liner Shoe
Sand
 Gravel Pack

GP Packer
Crossover

Blank Pipe Washpipe

Screens Gravel (sand)

Sump Packer
Fracture created and
propped in some cases
 Comparison of Completions
Completion Type Advantages Disadvantages
Cased Hole - Pressure control - More expensive
- Isolation of zones - Limited communication
- Control of stimulation to reservoir
- Wellbore Stability - Possible cement damage
Liner - Less expensive than - Cementing more difficult
casing entire hole - No control of flow if not
- Pressure and cemented
stimulation control - Slots plugged w/formation
(when cemented) - Limited control of
- Wellbore stability stimulation
Open Hole - Maximum flow area - No control of flow
- Minimize damage - Limited or no control of
stimulation
- Hole collapse in weak
formations
Slimhole - Lower Cost - Limited workover
capability due to small
hole
- Limited stimulation rate
- No zone isolation
 Perforating
• Establishes communication with the
reservoir by “shooting” holes through the
casing
Perforated
Casing
Wellbore Conditions While
Perforating
• Overbalanced

• Underbalanced
Overbalanced Perforating
(phyd > pres)
Completion fluid
in wellbore
Casing

Cement

Perforating gun
Oil or gas
pres
reservoir

Phyd
Underbalanced Perforating
(phyd < pres)

Completion fluid
in wellbore
Casing

Cement

Perforating gun

Oil or gas
pres
reservoir

Phyd
Components of a Typical Well
Wing valve Pressure gauge

Choke Tee
Master valve
Casing valve
To production
equipment Tubing head
Casing head

Tubing

Packer Casing

Perforations
Oil or gas sand
Common Types of Completion
Equipment
• Wellhead

• Tubing

• Packers

• Bridge plugs

• Seating nipples
 Wing valve

Wellhead Choke
assembly

Dual
master
valves

Tubing hanger

Tubing
head

Casing
head

Braden
head
Casing
strings Tubing
 Tubing
• Like casing, type and size depends on well
conditions

• Diameter of tubing must be designed for

expected flow rate

– Pressure drop in tubing can restrict

flow/injection rate
 Packers
• Provides a seal in well to isolate
formation for production or stimulation

• Permanent and retrievable types

available
Packer Completion

Isolated
perforations

Producing
perforations
 Single Packer

Hold down 0

buttons 0

Sealing or packing element

Friction Slips
blocks
 Dual tubing strings

Dual
Unidirectional slips
Packer
Sealing or packing element
 Bridge Plugs
• Isolate or plug off the formation

• Retrievable or permanent (drillable)

types available
Bridge Plug
 Downhole Nipples
• Provide a place to “set” tools or
equipment in well
– Plugs, downhole pump, pressure
gauges, etc.
• Can isolate zone to control pressure while
working on well
• Equipment normally run on slick line
(small, non-electric wireline)
Standard Seating Nipple
Well Stimulation
 Reasons to Stimulate
• Increase production efficiency or flow capacity
– Overcome formation damage
– Enhance production from low permeability
wells
• Connect with natural fracture system
• Increase effective drainage area
• Produce complex reservoirs (e.g., discontinuous
sand bars)
• Increase wellbore stability (minimize drawdown)
 Stimulation Treatments

• Matrix treatments
– Near-wellbore region
– Chemicals such as acids, surfactants
and inhibitors

• Hydraulic fracturing

– Acid fracturing

– Proppant fracturing
 Matrix Treatments
Wellbore

Damaged Reservoir
region

rd
 Matrix Acidizing
Matrix stimulation
Pressure distribution for results in
same production rate radial flow

After stimulation
Pressure

Before stimulation
Wellbore

Stimulated zone

Distance from wellbore

 Coiled
Tubing
Pump
Acid

(a)
(b) Production
Tubing

Casing

Perforations

Circulating Squeezing
acid down acid away
 Acid Fracturing
• No proppant

• Acid injection above the formation parting

pressure
Dowell - Well Production Services

Fracturing

SHALES SHALES

oil zone

SHALES SHALES

water zone
Hydraulic Fracturing

rw

Fracture
Lf
Good Stimulation Candidates
• Almost always
– Damaged wells
– Tight reservoirs; however, sufficient
permeability and reserves should be
present for economic production
• Sometimes
– Naturally fractured reservoirs
– Unconsolidated, high permeability
reservoirs
Poor Stimulation Candidates
• Reservoirs with limited reserves
• Low pressure reservoirs where fracture
fluid flowback for cleanup is difficult (in
case of hydraulic fracturing)
• Reservoirs where stimulation fluid reacts
with reservoir fluid and leads to severe
damage (e.g., blockage to hydrocarbon
flow)
• Reservoirs where stimulation (particularly
fracturing) can penetrate water zones and
cause excess water production
 Effect of Reservoir Permeability
on Overall Pressure Drop
Pressure
High
Permeability pe

Low
pwf Permeability

Flow Rate Fixed

rw Distance From Well re

Effect of Skin Factor on Pressure
Pressure

pe
pwf
(Skin = 0)
Pskin
Flow Rate Fixed
pwf
Damage
(Positive Zone
Skin)
rw rd Distance From Well re r
 Reading Assignment
Drilling and Completion
• SPE/IADC 37613, “The Evolution of
Profitable Drilling in Prudhoe Bay: A Case
of Adapting to Survive”
• SPE 26596, “An Evaluation of Prudhoe
Bay Horizontal and High Angle Wells After
5 Years of Production”
 Summary
Well Stimulation
• Reasons to stimulate
• Stimulation treatments
– Matrix acidizing
– Hydraulic fracturing
• Stimulation candidates
• Effects of skin factor on pressure
 Summary
Drilling and Completion
• Rotary drilling rig
• Drilling fluids
• Types of drilling rigs
• Deviated wells
• Drilling problems
• Completion methods
• Well stimulation