Section 05 - Tripping & Backreaming Practices

Tripping & Backreaming Practices
This is the most important subject of this school

The practices used by most groups are completely inappropriate The serious problems experienced are self-inflicted, and unnecessary
This section will cover: What is required for safe tripping

Practices BHA requirements
Backreaming
Is it good or bad ? Why do you see what you do ? How to do it safely (and when to do it)
K&M Technology Group - 2008
1/68

Back-reaming or pumping out should be avoided whenever possible in high-angle wells
The ability to trip out without pumping or backreaming is a critical objective Choosing any practice or equipment that forces you to backream to trip out makes a mockery of risk-management
Because back-reaming and/or pumping out are the single-most dangerous operation in any ER well
Maximum risk of stuck pipe, and of destabilizing the wellbore It is also time consuming, and destructive on BHA equipment
Engineers :
Its not just a matter of circulating more its a design issue too
2/68
Classic train-wreck story

K&M see / review a lot of high-angle train wrecks
Most have almost identical chain-of-events 2 common themes :
Those that had bad hole cleaning while drilling (but they thought it was good). These also tend to have poor tripping practices.
More common with motor BHAs Note Can have good hole cleaning with motors !!
Those that had good hole cleaning while drilling, but still have poor tripping practices.
This has become the most common of the two, ever since RSS became popular
Does the following sound familiar ?

3/68
Say operator is drilling high or medium angle hole
1.

No problems drilling to TD
Good hole cleaning while drilling, and no cavings reported How do they know it was good hole cleaning ? No tight hole at connections Good cuttings flow
4/68
2. At TD, hole is cleaned up

Multiple bottoms up circulated at TD Shakers clean up quite soon team thinks hole must be clean In reality, hole cleaning system has shut down when low-RPM used for clean-up cycle
3. Trip commences
Soon pulls tight. Attempt to back-ream thru tight spot Hole packs off (initiating circulation or soon after) 1st cavings reported at this point
5/68
4.
Back-reaming continues
Packing off all the way to the shoe Relatively little cuttings while back-reaming, until 30o, then shakers blind with lots of cuttings and cavings. Packs off also inside casing
5. Trip Back In For some reason, the trip back-in is whistle-clean despite the nightmarish trip out
6/68

What we will cover in this section: Part 1 What is happening downhole Part 2 How to enable tripping on elevators Part 3 Tripping procedures Part 4 Backreaming procedures
7/68

Part 1 What is happening downhole
How does the cuttings bed & BHA interact when tripping ?
Trouble-free tripping, vs tight hole Normal tripping vs. Back-reaming vs. Pumping Out
Separating myth from reality Why do we see what we see ?
8/68
What happens downhole when POOH ?

Most people visualize that tripping looks something like this
And that tight hole looks like this
If this is correct, then normal reactions are valid

9/68 Drop down a few feet, and commence back-reaming thru obstruction
What really happens downhole when POOH ?

What happens downhole when tripping in a deviated well ?
Firstly, assume that the hole is NOT 100% clean
Even with a thorough clean-up Even with Rotary Steering Tools ! Cuttings flow around the BHA, until they become too compressed BHA design is critical to flow around ability Has significant implications for how to manage tight hole
The BHA does NOT pull cuttings up the hole
10/68
What happens downhole when POOH ?
When pulling out, the BHA pulls up through the dirt

For a trouble-free trip, the dirt must flow around the BHA as the BHA moves through the bed
Video Clip
11/68
What really happens downhole when POOH ?

The dirt must be able to flow through the bit & BHA Just like mud, we have a serious problem when the dirt
cant get past the BHA Consider ketchup / sauce poured through a kitchen funnel
12/68
When driller sees tight hole what is happening downhole ?
If this component blocks the flow of dirt, then tight hole looks like this
Video Clip
13/68
But if this component blocks the flow of dirt, then tight hole looks like this
What is tight hole ?

Note that this volume of dirt is small Only requires kilograms (not tons) to be stuck)
Unfortunately, this is the most common situation

Because of typical bit & BHA designs If you pull too far, you cant go back down Turning pumps on is worst-possible response to tight hole
14/68
Backreaming Practices
What is backreaming?
Standard trip no rotation or circulation, harmless cuttings bed by-passed
Backreaming rotate and circulate while POOH, cuttings bed fully removed from the bottom of the hole. Cuttings drop out to form a dune above the BHA
Video Clip
15/68
16/68
Pumping Out is Even Worse!
Pumping Out dirt still piles up behind the BHA due to high velocity around the bit, stabilizers, and drill collars, but the conveyor belt is off!
Video Clip
17/68
Backreaming Basics
What are the downsides/risks associated with Backreaming?
Stuck pipe BHA equipment failures due to vibration Key seating Lost returns (if packoffs exceed fracture gradient) Self-inflicted wellbore stability problems
18/68
Backreaming Basics
Backreaming itself doesnt damage the wellbore
Rather, it is the Hydraulic Hammer effect that causes all the problems Sudden large ECD pressure shock below pack-off
Same principle will destroy pipelines, power stations, etc ...Why expect it to be less severe in a wellbore? These are often too large for PWD to measure
19/68
Hydraulic Hammer
What PWD sees when hydraulic hammer occurs
Pressure spikes are often off the scale Remember, when you see a pack-off at surface, you only see whats left are dampening thru the bit, BHA & drillstring
3 ppg scale
Normal drilling ECD

How bad was this ECD spike ?
20/68
Backreaming Basics
Interpretation of wellbore stability problems changes entirely if the wellbore has been Hammered
Often, the presence of cavings after packoffs is perceived as the very cause of the packoffs
K&M contend that it is more likely the packoff created the cavings due to the hammer effect Evidence of this is wellbore stability problems often go away when tripping practices are modified (due to avoidance of packoffs)
21/68

Part 2 How to enable tripping on elevators
Many operators say dont back-ream unless you have to But experienced ER people know that no-matter what the procedures say, thats the only way they can get out of the hole The ability to trip regularly on elevators is possible But simply circulating more isnt the answer
22/68
How clean must the hole be for tripping ?

It depends on the bit & BHA ...
Junk slot area affects how thick a safe cuttings bed can be.
23/68
BHA components are critical to ability to trip
24/68
BHA components are critical to ability to trip

Unless the BHA components are addressed as a high priority .
Conventional tripping may be impossible despite best practices It only takes one component to make a BHA un-trippable
No matter how much circulation is done
This makes a mockery of every risk management precaution we make, if this isnt addressed as the highest priority
THIS IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST THING YOU CAN DO TO REDUCE (OR INCREASE) RISK IN YOUR PROJECT
25/68
BHA design for tripping

What needs to be done to bit & BHA ?
Junk-slot-area & junk-slot-tortuosity are key BHA design priorities
Remove sleeve stabilizers on big-OD collars
6 tools for 8 hole, 5 tools for 6 hole Especially on RSS, motors and MWD-LWD tools Shoot for a minimum of 30% open area
Or downsize to smaller collars

Eg. 6 tools instead of 6 for 8 hole (or drill 8 )
Replace sleeve stabilizers with integral blade stabilizers

26/68
Sleeve vs. Integral Blade
How an Integral Blade Stabilizer sees the hole

How a Sleeve Stabilizer sees the hole
27/68
Component Trip-ability Example

Consider this New Zealand ER Well
9 1/2 tangent to 6100m (20,000) MD Excellent HC parameters
o 700 gpm / 150 rpm o 3xBU cleanup cycles, shakers clean after 2xBU
Previous wells have never had problems tripping

o Identical fluids, practices, drillpipe, BHA
28/68
However, the bits have changes a bit
Bit #1 5 Blade, K&M Technology Group - 2008 14.5in2
Bit #2 9 Blade 12.5 in2
Bit #3 8 Blade, 20.9in2
29/68
Trip #1 (5 Blade, 14.5in2 JSA) No problems, very similar to behavior on first well (similar bit) Minor 20-30k peak over pull in places (fairly slick on average) Average FF = 0.16 0.18
Trip #2 (9 Blade, 12.5in2 JSA) Long and troublesome trip with several intermediate circulation points required due to 50-60 k overpull in several locations Average FF = 0.19-0.20
Trip #3 (8 Blade, 20.9in2 JSA) Very smooth trip with the fewest number of tight spots of all the trips out. Peak overpull of <15k. Average FF = 0.16-0.18
30/68
Bit Design for Tripping

Straighten up highly tortuous components
Eg. Tight-spiral long-gage bits
31/68
Bit Design for Tripping

Prioritize Bit Junkslot Area
Steel body bits have much larger JSA than Matrix Better impact resistance with Steel too
12 , 6-Blade Matrix Body Bit 39.2 in2 JSA (33%)

12 , 6-Blade Steel Body Bit 54.3 in2 JSA (46%)
32/68
BHA Design for Tripping

A very effective option to enable normal tripping with tight components is to enlarge the hole
Using Ream-While-Drilling (RWD) under-reamers Very popular in the North Sea
33/68
Under-Reamer Considerations
K&M recommend this as a short-term band-aid, until the root cause is fixed, due to side effects of using RWD
The danger of this technique is the false sense of security gained from a trouble-free trip out prior to running casing
Video Clip
How the BHA sees a Dirty under-reamed hole.

How Casing sees a Dirty under-reamed hole
34/68
Hole Cleanup Practices

The hole must be cleaned up prior to tripping To be successful, the following is necessary :
Conveyor belt must be turned on (> 120 rpm) Sufficient circulation is required
Multiple BU required at > 120 rpm Looking for at least 2 waves Remember saltation flow side-effects
35/68
Cleaning up for a trip

The Conveyor belt requires > 120 rpm Common directional-drilling practice .
RPM is often slowed whenever off-bottom (see next slide)
Hence, hole cleaning system is shut-down, convincing the team that the hole is clean Cuttings dont know if the bit is on or off bottom !! Conveyor belt must be on when bit is off-bottom too.
This is one of the most common mistakes and one of the most illogical ones too !!
36/68
RPM vs Time log - Clean up on 18 July
Time-log showing RPM at end of drilling, and then during clean-up cycle Drilling RPM = 138, clean-up RPM only 80 90
Shakers cleaned up soon ... hole was interpreted as clean
160
140
120
RPM drops from 138rpm to 80+ rpm. This was their expected Cleanup is therefore largely nonexistant, and tripping starts in dirty rotary-steerable ! hole
result since they were using a
Or did the hole cleaning system just shut down ?

100 Pipe RPM
80 End Drilling. Start clean up 2:24:00 4:48:00 7:12:00 9:36:00 rpm Time RPM 14:24:00 12:00:00 16:48:00
60
40
20
0 0:00:00
19:12:00
21:36:00
0:00:00
End Drilling / Start Clean-up
37/68

How much clean-up is necessary ? Cleaning up takes time
Bottoms up is irrelevant for high angle wells
Expect 2 4+ x BU for cleanup time
This is very sensitive to angle above 70o (see next page) Patience is critical
AND only conveyor belt ON time counts

Circulation time at < 120 rpm is irrelevant and wasteful
38/68

Effective Circulation Volume vs. Angle 20,000' (6000m) tangent length, shallow KOP
7
This gives some feel for how much circulation is necessary for different angles
Note only convey or belt circulation counts !
5 Min. Circulation Volume
This is a minimum volume requirement the talking at the shakers takes priority in decision-making.
Notice how gut feel and experience betray you, once angle gets > 70o
0 10 20 30 40 Angle 50 60 70 80 90
39/68

You are looking for at least 2 waves of cuttings
Saltation flow side effect If youve been drilling start-stop style, then expect more waves
A 2nd wave of cuttings flow is very common, if circulation continues (with the conveyor belt on) Similar to gravel packing, in reverse
Its easy to get suckered-in to stop clean-up when 1st wave finishes at 1 x BU Shakers will reduce to a background level (fines will never clean up) If there are still cuttings still on the shakers, the hole is NOT yet clean
Pay now, or pay later (with interest) !
Volume cuttings
Normal circulation
At > 80o, 2nd wave is often after 3rd bottoms up
2 Times bottoms up
40/68

Cleaning-up for a trip
This process does leave cuttings in the hole The hole doesnt have to be completely clean. The goal is to have trouble free trips.
41/68
Tripping practices
When hole has cleaned up
Trip out on elevators (i.e. no pumping or backreaming) Back-reaming is only to be used as a last-resort option (more later)
42/68
Part 3 Tripping Out Procedures

Following the road-map
How to identify abnormal from normal How to identify a ledge from cuttings
How to respond to tight hole

Dos & Donts
Pipe Stretch discussion
43/68
Tripping Out Procedure

1. Pull out of hole without rotation or circulation
Trip speed is important controls speed of dirt flow through the stabilizers & bit Tighter BHAs require slower speeds
2. Monitor P/U weight while tripping out of hole

Compare real-time to theoretical drag trends (roadmaps) Must have a road-map to know what normal is (see following plots)
44/68
Using Road-Maps
1. If you are to make wise decisions about when something is abnormal, you need to know what normal looks like
Experienced hands assume that they know this I dont need a computer to tell me when Ive got tight hole
2. People also assume that they are looking for a sudden change Both of these are vertical hole logic, and are perhaps the most common reason wells get into trouble while tripping If we had a genuinely clean hole, and ledges were the problem, then this logic is OK But remember we are looking for dirt build-up between stabilizers, which happens gradually
Video Clip
45/68
45k
15k
Here is a trip out, plotted against depth

Is this OK ?
But this is about to get stuck

Cant you see the train-wreck coming at you ?
This is the next stand pulled ?

What is the over-pull ? Looks like 15 k ?
Classic indication of cuttings building up is diverging PU loads

Between normal and actual loads Usually over 4 5 stands
In reality, hole is talking to you for +/- 10 stands

And overpull is 45k -lbs
46/68
Tripping Out Procedure continued

If tight hole is encountered
Either via roadmap or not
For tight spot or increasing drag, always assume the problem is cuttings
Run in the hole 2 to 5 stands to get BHA away from tight spot
If obstruction is dirt, you must un-pack the BHA before doing anything else
If it took > 5 stands to pack the BHA, it will probably take that many to un-pack it !!
Remember that cuttings can move down hole with BHA (in avalanche regime <65)!
47/68

Tight Spot Procedure (continued)
Circulate & rotate at > 120 rpm for 30 minutes

Goal is to verify cuttings dune, so as not to waste time if otherwise Conveyor belt must be on, if cuttings are to be moved
POH carefully without rotation or circulation watching for the tight spot to recur
If the tight spot has moved up hole, then obstruction was cuttings Continue cleaning the hole up, per standard clean-up procedures
48/68

Tight Spot Procedure continued
If the tight spot has NOT moved up hole, then genuine tight hole is likely (key seat, ledge, swelling formation, etc.)
Circulating or backreaming may be used with caution Must avoid pack-off while circulating or backreaming out of the hole
Risk of stuck pipe Pressure damage to wellbore below pack-off Dont want to lose returns
Hole cleaning gets really messy if we cant circulate !
49/68
Pipe Stretch Implications

- Vertical: Pick-up weight = Rotating wt = Slack-off wt - High angle: Weights are very different .so what ? Consider whats actually happening downhole when the weight indicator changes when you kick the rotary on
- BHA immediately sucks up the hole, with missing force load
- typical stretch is 1 per 1000 MD (ie, 12 at 12000 MD)
- If you rotate with any tension remaining

- I think Im stuck, will just make sure about that before I call somebody !
50/68
Pipe Stretch Implications

The same thing happens while tripping in
- How many times have you tried to roll off a ledge while tripping in? - What happens to the bit when rotation is imitated with the string in compression? - The bit leaps forward, uncontrollably - This is a really good way to destroy a drillstring (if buckling is present)! - Can also cause lost-returns due to surge effect
51/68
Part 4 Back-reaming Out Procedures

When is back-reaming OK ? How to back-ream safely
Dos & Donts
52/68
Backreaming Basics
Sometimes backreaming is necessary
Tight hole on trips after verifying that the obstruction is NOT cuttings Swabbing (cant trip conventionally) When removal of ALL cuttings is necessary
To clean up hole for extreme casing runs in ER wells
Typical trigger is if casing run is so challenging as to require flotation
For production liner cement jobs, or running screens
53/68
Back-reaming Introduction
When back-reaming, have you ever noticed ?....
Once you start back-reaming in a directional well, you cant stop until you get to +/- 30o
Actually, normal tripping can be resumed, with changes to normal practices
You dont see cuttings while backreaming, until you get to about 30o
Then you get lots of cuttings suddenly
Back-reaming was easier on lower angle wells . The faster you go, the more problems you have . Have you ever noticed severe cavings after back-reaming, despite never seeing them before hand ?
54/68
Is back-reaming OK ?
Firstly, lets define what back-reaming is
Tripping, while rotating & pumping A means of fighting tight hole
Back-reaming is not
Working the pipe up (with rotation) during normal connections When racking back stands during the clean-up process.
55/68
Back-reaming (continued)
What is K&Ms opinion on back-reaming ?
Dangerous, with high risk of stuck pipe, packing off, and inducing wellbore failure (more later)
Only operation that has higher risk is pumping out !
Tough on MWD & BHAs (vibration), and causes casing wear Can be done safely
But needs to be done slowly to be safe Practices must vary according to angle Back-reaming is not faster than cleaning up thoroughly before tripping
56/68
How fast is safe to back-ream?

You must be pumping-out / backreaming slower than the dune remember the dune moves much slower for higher angles Pack-offs occur when the BHA is pumping-out or backreaming faster than the dune is moving This is a good application for the bladed DP
Placed in the HWDP to move the dune faster (if conveyor belt is on)
BEA CH
57/68
Backreaming Procedure
Clean hole up first Never commence back-reaming while in overpull or tight hole
- BHA is literally embedded in cuttings - Consider pipe stretch: what direction does the BHA move if pipe is in tension and we start to rotate? - Always drop down away from the tight spot before beginning to backream - Applies also to tripping in
- . actually, this may be worse, since cuttings must now clear the bit & BHA pinch-points
58/68
Think of backreaming as drilling backwards Be patient - Backreaming must be done slowly
- 10 min/stand sounds slow, but is equivalent to ROP of 600 ft/hr - Acceptable speed is very sensitive to angle when above 70o - Dune will move slowly, especially if using low RPM - Pack-off will occur if pickup speed is too fast
Very few options if lose returns
59/68
Effective Circulation Volume vs. Angle 20,000' (6000m) tangent length, shallow KOP
7
5 Min. Circulation Volume
Back-reaming safe speed is driven by same saltation flow mechanism that drives how much circulation is necessary to clean the hole for a trip Safe speed slows significantly beyond 70o
0 0 10 20 30 40 Angle 50 60 70 80 90
60/68
Remember Saltation Flow, and its side effects This has important implications for a drilling operation
Side effect of back-reaming in a wellbore that has been cleaned-up But saltation flow requires that the hole must re-fill to full drilling height, before you see cuttings at surface This sucker-punches drilling operations all the time You have back-reamed for 12 hours at slow ROP, and havent seen any dirt
How do you interpret this the hole must be clean So back-reaming gets faster and then the hole packs off Imagine we have cleaned the hole up, and commence backreaming from here
61/68
Torque is primary tool to monitor pulling speed If rig systems allow, consider pumping at drilling flowrate & rotate at 120+ rpm (for larger hole sizes)
- This will help disperse cuttings dune above BHA - However, hard on top drive & may cause casing wear - Alternative is low RPM while up-reaming, then high RPM down-reaming, before final pick up to rack stand (without rotation repeat cycle if tight)
62/68
40 35 Torque (k ft-lbs) 30 25 20 15 10 0 5 10 15 Time (min) 20 25 30 Torque SPP
Packoff Tendencies (ie, BHA is colliding with cutting dune) 3500

3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 SPP (psi)
4000
63/68
Always clean up hole immediately after finish of backreaming -- never just pull out of the hole
Applies for cased hole as well as open hole This explains the industries typical experience that once backreaming starts, it cant be stopped (in reality, all we need to do in order to return to tripping on elevators is erode the due away from the top of the BHA)
Take special care coming into a casing shoe

Large OD rathole/washout accumulates cuttings Consider extra circulation with rotation before proceeding
64/68
Backreaming Considerations
Under-reamers add an additional level of complexity / risk to backreaming
Most RWD devices cannot be locked closed, causing vibration and uncontrolled hole enlargement / undercutting while backreaming (since the pilot BHA is unstabilized) One Exception is Halliburtons XRReamer (drop-ball locking action)
AnderGauge: Anderreamer Smith: Rinoreamer Halliburton: XRReamer
Video Clip
65/68
Underreamer Considerations
Backreamed 8 1/2x9 7/8 with RWD in string Memory resistivity shows rugous and washed out hole after backreaming Multiple packoffs and subsequent instability ensued on trip in
Intended Gauge Hole Diameter
66/68
A Final Word On Backreaming

Backreaming at high angle in larger hole sizes should be thought of as drilling backwards
- The cuttings dune is forced up-hole by the flow restriction around the BHA
Backreaming at 1-2 minutes/stand may not be enough time for the dune to get out of the way The time for patience is when backreaming to run casing
67/68
So, lets talk about how this impacts what good oilfield practice means for different wells:
Consider our response to a major equipment failure
Lose 1 of 2 pumps (24hr repair) Swivel packing leak (1hr repair) Top Drive pinion gear breaks (3 day repair) Washout in the drillpipe
1000 (300m) from surface 1000 (300m) above the BHA
What about a high angle well ? What about a Medium angle well ?
What should we do on a vertical well ?
68/68

Section 05 - Tripping &amp; Backreaming Practices

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Section 05 - Tripping &amp; Backreaming Practices

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Drepturi de autor:

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Tripping & Backreaming Practices

This is the most important subject of this school

This section will cover: What is required for safe tripping

Tripping & Backreaming Practices

Classic train-wreck story

Does the following sound familiar ?

Say operator is drilling high or medium angle hole

K&M Technology Group - 2008

2. At TD, hole is cleaned up

K&M Technology Group - 2008

K&M Technology Group - 2008

Tripping & Backreaming Practices

K&M Technology Group - 2008

Tripping & Backreaming Practices

Separating myth from reality Why do we see what we see ?

K&M Technology Group - 2008

What happens downhole when POOH ?

And that tight hole looks like this

If this is correct, then normal reactions are valid

What really happens downhole when POOH ?

The BHA does NOT pull cuttings up the hole

K&M Technology Group - 2008

What happens downhole when POOH ?

When pulling out, the BHA pulls up through the dirt

What really happens downhole when POOH ?

K&M Technology Group - 2008

When driller sees tight hole what is happening downhole ?

K&M Technology Group - 2008

What is tight hole ?

Unfortunately, this is the most common situation

K&M Technology Group - 2008

K&M Technology Group - 2008

K&M Technology Group - 2008

K&M Technology Group - 2008

Normal drilling ECD

How bad was this ECD spike ?

K&M Technology Group - 2008

Tripping & Backreaming Practices

K&M Technology Group - 2008

How clean must the hole be for tripping ?

K&M Technology Group - 2008

BHA components are critical to ability to trip

K&M Technology Group - 2008

BHA components are critical to ability to trip

K&M Technology Group - 2008

BHA design for tripping

Or downsize to smaller collars

Replace sleeve stabilizers with integral blade stabilizers

Sleeve vs. Integral Blade

How an Integral Blade Stabilizer sees the hole

How a Sleeve Stabilizer sees the hole

Component Trip-ability Example

Previous wells have never had problems tripping

K&M Technology Group - 2008

However, the bits have changes a bit

Bit #1 5 Blade, K&M Technology Group - 2008 14.5in2

Bit #2 9 Blade 12.5 in2

Bit #3 8 Blade, 20.9in2

K&M Technology Group - 2008

Bit Design for Tripping

K&M Technology Group - 2008

Bit Design for Tripping

12 , 6-Blade Matrix Body Bit 39.2 in2 JSA (33%)

12 , 6-Blade Steel Body Bit 54.3 in2 JSA (46%)

Section 05 - Tripping & Backreaming Practices

Section 05 - Tripping & Backreaming Practices