MBDCI

Drilling and Stresses, Prognoses,

Faults and High Angle Joints, Lost
Circulation
3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

Maurice Dusseault
 MBDCI

Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

Simultaneous wellbore stability criteria:
A: Can we cope with shale instability,
significant breakouts, fissile sloughing?
 At the bit where MW ~ po
 At the shoe with +T and long time exposure
3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

 Elsewhere if shales are sensitive, + long times

B: Can we avoid blowout conditions?

 At the bit where MW ~ po or a bit higher (ECD)
 At the shoe in a stress/pressure reversion zone

C: Can we avoid massive lost circulation?

 MBDCI

Stresses With Depth

stress (or pressure)

vertical stress, v
Ductile, low permeability shales
horizontal stress, h
dominate at the top of the OP zone
pore pressure, po
depth

Note that hmin can become > v

3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

4 km
Region of strong
overpressure

Reversion zone
Higher k rocks
Z (fractured shales)
Here, stresses revert
7 km to a more ordinary state
 MBDCI

Abnormal Pressure, Gradient Plot

1.0 2.0 density
0
po is close to hydrostatic in
the upper region

16.7 ppg
1
hmin is close to v in
po shallow muds, soft shale,
hmin
2 v but low in stiff deeper shale
thick shale
sequence

A sharp p-transition zone is
3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

3 common (200-600 m)

OP zone, 2-3 km thick
po
4
Stress reversion zone
Target A

These are common offshore
5
Target B conditions, challenging!

6 Target C

depth - km
 MBDCI

Stresses, po, Rock Expectations?

A careful prognosis of lithology, (z) and po(z)
is the basis of the drilling program

Also, thermal gradient, presence of fractured
shales at depth, shallower sensitive shales

Salt? How much, how deep
3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

Depleted zone? Shallow pressured gas zones?

Any special expectations?
 Vuggy fractured limestones LC
 Fractured Q-I (quartz-illite) shales - instability

 Coal and carbonaceous shales sloughing

 MBDCI

Rocks and Tectonic Stressing

horizontal stress
lithotype stiffness mud

UC sand 0.5E Compression regime

shale 0.75E Extensional regime

3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

salt salt is stresses are

viscoplastic isotropic

tectonic
sandstone E
loading

limestone 1.5E tectonic

unloading
assumed
depth Initial stress

For Borehole Stability Analyses: rock stresses + properties

 MBDCI

The Borehole Prognosis: The Plan

This is our plot of the following:
 The pore pressure expected
 Initial minimum lateral stress and vertical stress

 Onset of borehole instability (breakouts)

 Onset of ballooning condition (close to PF)

3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

If we have any data from offset wells, we can

use this and add comments

We could even add rock properties if we want

The prognosis is our best estimate of all the
data we need to know during drilling.
 MBDCI

Pressures & Stresses Prognoses

1.1 1.3 1.5 1.7 1.9 2.1 2.3 density

v
2 km expected onset
of breakouts
prognosis
for hmin
expected onset casing
of ballooning point
3 km
3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

pressure
prognosis
depth

Overpressured
expected
interval
casing
points

Prognosis values for drilling are based on

the GEM, calculations, offset well data
 MBDCI

Typical North Sea - Gullfaks

lateral
,minimum
stress

Courtesy Arnfinn Ronneberg, StatoilHydro

Note the casing
pore shoe to allow
pressure drilling into the
depleted zones!
3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures
 MBDCI

Drilling Through Known Faults

The fault plane region is often:
 Broken, sheared, weak shale, brecciated rock
 It may have a high permeability, or not

 It can be charged with somewhat higher po

First, expect the faults from your data:

3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

 Seismic data analysis, put on drlg. prognosis

 Near salt diapirs, especially shoulders

Accurate mud V(t) measurements are of great

value in drilling through faults, fractured zones

Cavings monitoring is recommended

MWD (ECD, resistivity, bit torque)
 MBDCI

Borehole Shear Displacement

High angle faults, joints, fractures can hole
slip locally and cause pipe pinching pipe

 Near-slipearth stresses condition

 High MW causes pw charging

 Reduction in n leads to slip

3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

 BHA gets stuck on trip out n

These can be identified from borehole
wall sonic scanner logs (profile logs)

Raising MW worsens it! Lower MW!

Also, LCM materials help plug the fault
pw
 MBDCI

Slip of a High-Angle Fault Plane

borehole
v = 1 slip of joint

h = 3 casing bending
and pinching in
completed holes
3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

high pressure pipe stuck on trips

transmission

slip of joint surface

V Maury, 1994
This problem is far more common than
thought, and it can be identified in
practice, then measures taken (notes).
 MBDCI

Slip is Affected by Hole Orientation!

OFFSET
OFFSETALONG
ALONGPRE-EXISTING
PRE-EXISTINGDISCONTINUITIES
DISCONTINUITIES
FILTRATE

75

70

Azimuth:

Effective normal stress (bar)

65 0
10
20
30
3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

60
40
50
55 60
70
80
50 90

45

Courtesy Geomec a.s. 40

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
) (deg)
Inclination (

TYPICAL
TYPICAL
MUD
MUD Inclination, azimuth, pw po, [], frictional
OVER-PRESSURE
OVER-PRESSURE joint strength are all part of analysis.
 MBDCI

Diagnostics for Fault Slip Problems

In tectonic areas, near salt diapirs

On trips, BHA gets stuck at one point

Easy to drop pipe, hard to raise it

Borehole scanner shows strange shapes: not
the same as keyseating or breakouts
3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

drill pipe

Start of keyseat Serious keyseat Planar fault slip

 MBDCI

Curing Fault Plane Slip Problems

Usually occurs up-hole in normal faulting
regimes that are highly faulted, jointed, as
MW is increased to control po downhole

May occur suddenly near the bit with a fault

Back-ream through the tight zone
3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

High pw contributes to the slip of the plane,

thus reduce your MW if possible

Condition the mud to block or retard the flow
of mud pressure into the slip plane:
 Gilsonite, designed LCM in the mud

Use an avoidance trajectory for the well
 MBDCI

Mud Volume Measurements

Extremely useful, but, Losses - gpm

accurate V/t needed 20

A
15

Case A: fracture/fault 10

encountered, quickly 5
Hole deepening rate
Filtration
blocked, now analyze 0 fluid loss Time - min

data for k and aperture! 5 6 7 8 9

3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

B

Case B: fractured rock Losses - gpm
20
not healed by LCM
15

Other cases have their 10

own response curves 5

Hole deepening rate
Filtration
(ballooning, kicks) 0 fluid loss Time - min
5 6 7 8 9

Diagnostics!
 MBDCI

3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures A Precise Mud Volume Installation

Outlet mud line Precision flow meter

(taken from SPE 38177 - Agip well)

 MBDCI

Actual Field Example of Analysis

Hydraulic Aperture (mm) Average permeability (D/m)
0 0.5 1 0 20 40 60
2890 2890

2910 2910

2930 2930
Depth (m)

2950 2950
3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

2970 2970

2990 2990

3010 3010

3030 3030

3050 3050
Courtesy
This information proved extremely valuable for reservoir Geomec a.s
engineers in this case, as a gas reservoir was found
 MBDCI

Losses Identify Fractured Zones

70
loss Rate litres/min

60
22 liters 35 liters
50
19 liters 25 liters
40
(L/min)

30
3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

20
MudQLoss

10

-10
Likely, each event involved filling a single fracture
-20
4101.5 4101.7 4101.9 4102.1 4102.3 4102.5 4102.7
Depth -(m)
Depth m
 MBDCI

Cuttings and Cavings Measurements

The theoretical weight of cuttings per minute is
known: ROP A g (with a time lag)
 ROP = rate of penetration in m/minute
A = X-sectional hole area (r2), r = bit diameter
 = density of cuttings (2.2-2.6 usually)
3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

g = gravitational acceleration

If there is more material = cavings

If there is less = dispersion into mud or other
effects

So, automatic cavings weighing helps
 MBDCI

Is there Surplus Solids Weight?

If the balance with
theory is close, there is
little caving of shale

If there are significant
% of cavings, then
3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

Examine them to see if

the mechanism can be
deduced

Figure out where they
came from

Match to later caliper
Zauza et al. 2005, Offshore Mediterranean Conf.

Etc.
 MBDCI

3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures Example of a Sloughing Event

Zauza et al. 2005, Offshore Mediterranean Conf.

 MBDCI

3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures Cuttings/Cavings Measurements

Zauza et al. 2005, Offshore Mediterranean Conf.

 MBDCI

Caliper Log (166 behind bit)

16
Pathfinder Log, a MWD tool that can help identify serious sloughing as (t)

Caliper while drlg

Calliper while drilling Caliper while reaming
Calliper while reaming Caliper
Calliper whilewh. tripping
tripping
15

Significant breakouts can occur rapidly, and enlarge over time

Significant breakouts can occur rapidly, and enlarge over time
14
Average Calliper Dimension (inches)

13
3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

12

11

10

Gauge Line
8
9300 9400 9500 9600 9700 9800 9900 10000 10100 10200 10300
Logged Depth (feet)
 MBDCI

Shale Chip Morphology

Sheared surfaces are usually visible on drill
bit fragments, learn to identify them

Large curved splinters usually indicate
borehole instability sourced chips

Flat planar features usually indicate
3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

sloughing of naturally fractured shales

Geochemical alterations on planar surfaces
indicate naturally fractured shales

Highly dispersed chunks indicate poor
inhibition in a WBM

Etc.
 MBDCI

Shale Fragments
From 12400
Note the abundance of linear breaks (yellow) which
appear to be oblique to shale bedding surfaces,
indicating the probability of pre-existing fractures.
3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures
 MBDCI

Typical Blocky Cavings

Hole
wall
shape
3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

Blocky
BlockyCavings
Cavings
 MBDCI

Small and Mixed Cavings

Smaller
blocky
cavings
3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

Gravel-like cavings
 MBDCI

Look at the Shaker!

The nature morphology of the cavings gives
clues as to what the problem is!

Blocky cavings = fractured shale

Splintery cavings = high stresses, failure
Mushy cavings = swelling is a problem
3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

Coal = fractured coal problems

Where are cavings coming from in hole?

Develop your own experience in your area!

Dont lose experience, exploit it, reduce risk.
 MBDCI

Time-Lapse Resistivity (LWD)

Massive
invasion

DENSE SHALE
3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

Massive invasion in a fractured shale??

 MBDCI

Lost Circulation Partial or Full

Lost circulation is a loss of drilling fluids

Sudden and total loss: usually, drilling into a
depleted zone or a vuggy carbonate zone

Sudden partial loss and recovery: usually,
drilling into a fractured zone that plugs
3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

Continued slow losses greater than make-up

for hole deepening (flow back on connections
and trips) is associated with ballooning short
fractures near the hole that are filled with mud
(ECD effect as well) and extend slowly.
 MBDCI

3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures Grosmont Formation, Alberta

Courtesy : Alberta Geological Survey via Dr. Jose Alvarez

 MBDCI

Vuggy, Fractured Carbonates

In areas where dolomitization has taken place,
a vuggy cavernous fabric may exist

In areas of carbonate reef drilling, there may
be zones of exceptional porosity.

Issues are:
3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

 Lostcirculation in a cavernous system

 Reservoir damage from massive LCM use

 Blowouts if mud column is partially lost

 Generally, slow drilling advance rates

 MBDCI

Lost Circulation - Depletion

Drilling through a 1.0 2.0
depleted zone

The lateral stress has
been reduced below the Thin gas sand!
surrounding pressures
3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

When we penetrate the

top, the MW is too high,
sudden massive LC

Danger of blow out
from any small gas
sands higher up!

See later module
z
 MBDCI

Ballooning Mechanism
Drill pipe , p hmin
hmin Previous fracture,
above collars,
now closed
Collars,
BHA

Dynamic Ballooned fracture,

mud mud-filled while drlg
3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

pressure
(ECD)

Ballooning just
started & growing

Drill bit Static

Z mud
pressure hmin
 MBDCI

Handling Ballooning

Common when pw ~ hmin + high ECD

When pump stops, track rate

Flowback should slow danger!

flowback

If not, blowout?? safe
3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

Reducing ballooning
time
 Reduce ECD (OBM better than WBM)
 Increase carrying capacity, slow circulation rate

 Lower MW if still in safe range

 Live with it but monitor it carefully

 Drill with graded LCM to plug fractures

 MBDCI

Problems in Coal Drilling

OBM are worse than WBM in coal
 Filtrate penetrates easily (oil wettability)

Coal fractures open easily if pw > po
 Coal is extremely compressible
Difficult to build a filter cake on the wall
3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

 Fissure apertures open with surges

Sloughing on trips, connections, large
washouts, high CH4 contents

Packing off of cuttings and sloughed coal
around the pipe, even during trips
 MBDCI

Drilling in Coal

stresses around wellbore

Mud rings and pack-off caused by

r slugs of cavings and cuttings

Deep pore pressure penetration

because of coal fractures
3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

Massive sloughing

fracture-dominated coal
 MBDCI

Drilling Fractured Coal Safely

Keep jetting velocities low while drilling
through the coal (avoid washouts)

Keep MW modest to avoid fractures opening
and coal pressuring, low ECDs while the BHA
is opposite the coal seams
3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

Drill with graded LCM in the mud to plug the

fractures and build a cake zone

Avoid swabbing and surging on trips

Carbonaceous shales can be highly fissile, and
troublesome, especially with OBM
 MBDCI

Closure

Well prognosis: the best data we can generate

We have excellent MWD and many ways to
reduce risk, but measurements are vital

Mud volume measurements are good
Cuttings/cavings weight measurements are
3-C Drilling, Stresses, Pressures

good, also, LOOK AT THE CAVINGS!!

Lost circulation has different appearances,
watch for it, expect it where appropriate

Coal, carbonaceous shales issues: use WBM

These actions REDUCE RISK IN DRILLING