THE UNIVERSITY OF TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

FINAL EXAMINATIONS DECEMBER 2012

Course Code and Title: [DRLG 410B – Drilling & Completions II]

Programme: [M.Eng. Petroleum Engineering]

Date and Time: [Monday 17th December, 2012/ 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm]

Duration: [3 hours]

PLEASE READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU BEGIN THIS

EXAMINATION

Instructions to Candidates

1. This paper has 9 pages and 5 questions.

2. You are required to answer ALL 5 questions.
3. Number and keep all parts of each question together
4. You must return the question paper along with your answer booklet and other writing
paper to the Invigilator at the end of the examination.
5. Correct units must be used in final answers where applicable.
6. Candidates are required to provide their own scientific calculators.
7. THIS IS A CLOSED BOOK EXAMINATION.

Key Examination Protocol

1. Students please note that academic dishonesty (or cheating) includes but is not limited to
plagiarism, collusion, falsification, replication, taking unauthorised notes or devices into an
examination, obtaining an unauthorised copy of the examination paper, communicating or
trying to communicate with another candidate during the examination, and being a party to
impersonation in relation to an examination.
2. The above mentioned and any other actions which compromise the integrity of the academic
evaluation process will be fully investigated and addressed in accordance with UTT’s
academic regulations.
3. Please be reminded that speaking without the Invigilator’s permission is NOT allowed.

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December 2012 Final Examinations
(DRLG 410B) Page 1
Question 1 (20 marks)

a) The values of surface porosity and the porosity decline constant for a local formation were
39% and 0.000082 ft-1 respectively. Determine the porosity of a normally pressured sand at
a depth of 2300’. (2 marks)

b) Compute the overburden stress resulting from geostatic load at a 2300’ at the same
parameters given in (a) and at zero water depth. The rock grain density is 2.61 gm/ cm 3 and
the pore fluid density is 1.063 gm/ cm3. (2 marks)

c) Determine the effective matrix stress of the same formation as given above if the fluid
gradient is 0.465 psi/ft. (1 mark)

d) If the seismic derived interval transit time had the same value for the sand at 2300’and
another sand at 9100’, determine:
 The overburden stress resulting from geostatic load at 9100’. (2 marks)
 The pore pressure of the formation at 9100’. (2 marks)
 How do you classify the pore pressure? (1 mark)

e) In most cases, the formation most likely to fracture in the wellbore is:
I. The one at the bottom of the hole, since it sees the greatest pressure
II. The one just below the casing shoe
III. About midway through the open hole section (1 mark)

f) A well is being drilled at a depth of 16000 ft, with a mud weight of 17 ppg. Last casing set
was 9-5/8” ( ID 8.755”) at 12,500 ft. Drill pipe OD is 4.5 ins, and hole ID is 8.5 ins. Lost
circulation has occurred and the driller fills the hole with 25 bbls of salt water. If the fluid
level on surface is static and the water gradient is 0.468 psi/ft, determine the following:

I. Effective hydrostatic pressure at the bottom of the hole. (1 mark)

II. Equivalent mud weight at total depth (1 mark)
III. Pressure imposed at the casing seat (1 mark)
IV. Equivalent mud weight at the casing shoe (1 mark)

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 g) A steeply dipping thin gas sand drilled in an up dip location is encountered by well A at
5500 ft TVD, and required a MW of 12.92 PPG, which includes a safety margin of 0.5
ppg. Appraisal Well B is planned to be drilled at the base of the structure, and is
expected to penetrate the same sand at a depth 1000 ft deeper. The gas column has an
average density of 0.9 ppg at reservoir conditions. What mud weight will be required for
Well B, inclusive of a safety margin of 0.5 ppg? (3 marks)

h) Apart from the example in (g) above, give two examples of abnormally pressured
shallow formations. (2 marks)

Question 2 (20 marks)

a) State three (3) warning signs of a kick (3 marks)

b) State the main difference between BOP hard shut-in and soft shut-in procedures. (2 marks)

c) State three (3) potential causes for the loss of hydrostatic during tripping operations.
(3 marks)

d) While drilling with a mud weight of 10.5 ppg, a salt water zone was penetrated at 10000 ft
TVD. The well was shut-in after flow was detected. Subsequent measurements established
that the zone had a pore pressure of 6560 psi.
 What was the stabilized shut-in DP pressure?
 Determine the kill mud weight required to control the well
(4 marks)
e) An influx was swabbed into a well while drilling 8.5 inch hole at 6500 FT TVD. BOP hard
shut in procedures were immediately implemented. Using the following data
Drillpipe : 4.5” OD
Drill collars : 500 ft X 6” OD
Pit Gain : 20 bbls
I. Compute the height of the influx in the well. (5 marks)
II. Determine what was the influx fluid if SICP = 400psi, SIDPP = 200 psi, MW =10.0
ppg. (3 marks)

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December 2012 Final Examinations
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 Question 3 (20 marks)

a) State four uses of cement in drilling operations. (2 marks)

b) A cement mixture consists of Class G cement plus 4% bentonite. Class G cement

requires 44 % water by weight of dry cement and an additional 5.3% water for each
1% bentonite. Calculate the following:

i. Slurry density in ppg (3 marks)

ii. Slurry yield in cu ft/sx (3 marks)

Useful Data

Density of Water =8.33 lb/gal

1 cu ft = 7.48 gallons

Specific Gravity of dry cement = 3.14

Specific Gravity of bentonite = 2.65

c) 7” 26 lb/ft casing is required to be cemented in 8.5” hole containing 14 ppg mud with
shoe at 8000’, float collar at 7960’, with a lead slurry of the cement blend as
calculated above in part (b) to cover from 5500’to 2500’(THC) and a tail slurry of
neat class G cement from shoe to 5500’. (Class G cement requires 5 gal water/sk
giving a slurry of 15.8 ppg and yield of 1.18 ft 3/ sx. A fill-up factor of 1.6 is
recommended to cover hole irregularities. ( Hole/casing annulus= 0.1268ft 3/ ft;
casing vol = 0.2148ft3/ft)

 Determine the total slurry volume. (4 marks)

 Determine the time required to perform the cement job if the mixing rate is 20 ft 3/
minute and the maximum pumping rate is 57 ft3/ minute. (4 marks)

d) What is the minimum pump pressure required to bump the plug using 10 ppg brine as the
displacement fluid (4 marks)

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 Question 4 (20 marks)
a) List three important functions of a casing string. (3 marks)

b) Name two factors that control the strength of a given type and size of casing. (2 marks)

c) Explain the API specification: 9 5/8 N80 40 R3. (1 mark)

d) List three important performance properties of casing. (3 marks)

e) Name four major casing string types typically used in most wells. (4 marks)

f) State how axial tension loads are increased when running a string of casing with

varying wall thicknesses.

(1 mark)

g) For 13-3/8” N-80 casing, the following properties were obtained from tables.

Wall thickness = 0.514 ins

Pipe body strength =1.661 x 106 lbf

Table 1, shown below is a table (taken from Table 7.5 of Textbook), of the range of

d/t values for various collapse pressure regimes for steel pipe, for zero axial stress.

Table 2 lists empirical constants required to calculate collapse pressures, when

internal pressure is zero.

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December 2012 Final Examinations
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 {Question 4(g)}

TABLE 1

TABLE 2

Using the data provided, calculate the following:

I. The burst pressure rating (1 mark)

II. The nominal collapse pressure rating for 13-3/8”, 72 lbs/ft N-80 casing. (2 marks)

III. The collapse resistance for this pipe for in-service conditions of axial tension of

360,000 lbf and internal pressure of 2000 psi. (3 marks)

(Refer to equations listed below, in the Formula Sheet)

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 Question 5 (20 marks)

a) What is the purpose of an AFE? (1 mark)

b) Explain how the problem of differential sticking occurs. Use an appropriate sketch to
illustrate same
(2 marks)
c) With the aid of an appropriate diagram, list the main features of the gravel packing
equipment and list in point form, the process of gravel packing.
(5 marks)
e) List two types of workover systems used for free standing offshore wells.
(2 marks)
f) List two significant advantages of a coil tubing unit in well intervention operations
(2 marks)
g) Discuss the benefits of using clean clear completion fluids and state the maximum
fluid density which the following chemicals produce as solids free brine.
(4 marks)
a. Calcium Bromide
b. Calcium Chloride
c. Zinc Bromide

h) Briefly discuss two main benefits of Tubing Conveyed Perforating. (2 marks)

i) Wireline work can eliminate costly well intervention work. Briefly discuss two types of
wireline work and the tools used in these operations. (2 marks)

END OF EXAMINATION

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(DRLG 410B) Page 7
 USEFUL FORMULAE

Capacity = d2/1029.4 bbls/ft

Influx Gradient (psi/ft) = MWx0.052 - SICP- SIDP

Ht of Influx
Typical Influx Gradients (psi/ft)
Water 0.442
Oil 0.208-0.364
Gas 0.052-0.156

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December 2012 Final Examinations
(DRLG 410B) Page 8
The University of Trinidad and Tobago
December 2012 Final Examinations
(DRLG 410B) Page 9