INTRODUCTION TO DRILLING

DRILLING
It is the science / art of making hole or bore in an object.

Since we are concerned with petroleum, so we can define drilling as a science of making a hole in earths crust (called as an oil / gas well) down to a desired depth in search of petroleum (oil or gas).

To study the science of drilling we have to divide it into two categories:

Drilling Engineering. Drilling Technology.

ENGINEERING
Engineering is the science of machines. It is primarily connected with analysis of mechanisms involved, design, construction, operation and maintenance of the machines. So Drilling Engineering is the science of machines which are involved in drilling a petroleum well or simply a well.

TECHNOLOGY
It is the science of Methods . When methods are standardized we call them Techniques. When techniques are used for commercial purpose, we call them Technologies. So Drilling Technology is the science of methods / techniques which are used / employed for drilling an oil or gas well.

DRILLING ENGINEERING
Drilling Engineering starts with a RIG (system), which is a sum various mechanical / electrical sub systems including Rig. So for systematic understanding of drilling engineering we may divide complete rig into various sub systems as follows:

VARIOUS SUB SYSTEMS

Mast Structure. Power System (generation transmission). Mud Handling / Circulatory System. Hoisting System. Rotary System. Well Control System. Instrumentation System. Auxillary System (pneumatic & water).

&

MAST STRUCTURE
PARTS:
Bottom

box, Under structure, Rig / Derric floor, Mast.

POWER SYSTEM
PARTS:
Diesel

Engines, Alternators, Bus Bar, PCRS (SCR unit), Cables, Motors, Switches, Regulators (for speed control).

MUD HANDLING SYSTEM

PARTS:
Super Charger ( c / pump), Mud

Pumps, Pipes (HP line, stand pipe & H manifold), Rotary Hose, Swivel, Kelly, D / String, Flow Nipple, Flow Line, Shale Shaker, D/Gaser, D / Sander, D / Silter or M / Cleaner, Gate Valves, Mud Tanks, Agitators, Mud Guns, etc.

HOISTING SYSTEM
PARTS:
D / Works, Drilling or Casing

Line, C / B, T / B, Swivel, Drill / String, Bit, Cat Heads, etc.

ROTARY SYSTEM
PARTS:
Rotary Table or IRD or TDS,

Drill String, Bit.

WELL CONTROL SYSTEM

PARTS:
Well

Head, Drilling Spool, Spacer Spool, K / Line, C / Manifold, Ram Bop, A / Bop, Gas Buster, Accumulator Unit, Control Panels,Hydraulic Lines.

INSTRUMENTATION SYSTEM
PARTS:
Measuring

Instruments Pressure Gauges, SPM Gauge, RPM Gauge, Torque Gauge, Weight Indicator, MVT (Mud Volume Totalizer), Ton Mile/Km. Indicator, Recorder, Cables, etc.,

AUXILLARY SYSTEM
PARTS:
AC

Lighting system, Air Supply / Pneumatic System ( Compressor, lines, Receiver), Water Supply System, Tool &Tackles, etc.

DRILLING TECHNOLOGIES IN CRONOLOGY

Mud System Selection.

Casing Seat Selection (Casing Policy).

Casing Design / Selection. Rig design / Selection. Hydraulics Design. Bit Selection.

BHA Design.
Drill String Design. Cementation / Cementing.

 Well Control. Complication. Fishing. Others Specified.

SELECTION / DESIGNING OF MUD SYSTEM

Mud in the well is like blood in human body. Various functions of mud in a well are as follows: Cooling of the bit. Cleaning of the bit. Cleaning of the hole by proper removal of cutting.

Creating proper over balance over

pore pressure, so as to act as primary well control system. Holding the cuttings while well is not circulating i.e. well is stationary. To maintain proper well bore size and profile. Optimization of ROP.

A proper mud system is designed on the basis of: Pore pressure gradient of the well. Fracture pressure gradient of the well. Temperature gradient of the well. Type of the formation. Special considerations.

On the basis of all above following mud parameters are designed-Mud Density -Viscosity -Gel Strength -pH -Water Loss. -Yield Point, etc.

CASING SEAT SELECTION

Prior to drilling an oil well it is to be decided: How many casing strings are to be lowered into the well. It will dictate well casing policy like 2CP, 3CP or 4CP. What are the settling depths for different casing strings.

It is decided on the basis of:

Pore Pressure Gradients of the well.
Fracture Pressure Gradients of the

well. Mud Weight used in the well.

CASING DESIGNING
Aim is to select a proper casing string for the well (size, grade, etc.). It is designed on the basis of various loading conditions and assumptions. Different functions of casings in a well are as followsProtection of well (Cavings, Fresh water zones, Under ground blow outs). Spooling of next casing strings.

Well control (because it provides

anchoring to well head, BOPs, kill & choke manifolds). Various loading conditions may be combination of following: Axial (Tension / Compression). Burst Pressure. Collapse Pressure.

Temperature. Shock. Bending.

Special Considerations.

Generally considered assumptions are as follows: Casing is lowered empty. Effect of buoyancy neglected. Formation pressure minus gas gradient acts at the surface.

Generally ABC( Axial, Burst, Collapse) criteria is used for casing design. Commonly used safety factors are: A-1.6 to 2.0 B-1.0 to 1.1 C-0.8 to 1.25 Various casing approaches are-

 Simplest Approach.

Conventional Approach.
Biaxial Consideration Approach.

Maximum Load Concept.

HYDRAULICS DESIGNING
Mud system perform a number of functions and one of them is Optimization of ROP. Now question is how to optimize ROP? Answer to this question lies in proper hydraulics design.

The fundamental issues for optimum ROP are to keep the frictional pressure losses to the minimum while pressure drops across Bit nozzles should be maximum. Above issues are achieved by: Proper selection of mud circulation rate keeping in view operating pressure rating of system. Proper selection of Bit nozzle size.

RIG SELECTION
On the basis of Deployment (On / Off).

On the basis of Climatic Conditions

(Tropical or conventional, Arctic, Desert). On the basis of power used (Mech. / Elec.). On the basis of method of power transmission (Electrical Rig). On the basis of Depth rating.

 On the basis of Draw works power /

rating. On the basis of Hook load capacity. On the basis of method of drilling. On the basis of Mobility of rig. On the basis of Speciality.

BIT SELECTION
Bit is that very basic tool which actually drill the information and clears the path for a successful well. In todays technological world various types of Bits are designed and manufactured keeping in view various formation characteristics, Bit life so as to keep the Bit for maximum time at the bottom of hole.

TYPES OF BITS
Various Bits used in oil well drilling are: Fish Tail Bits (obsolete). Roller Bits. Two cone roller bits. Tri cone roller bits. Steel teeth bits. Insert bits. Fixed Cutter Bits. PDC bits. Diamond bits.

 Coring Bits.

CLASSIFICATION OF BITS
IADC Roller Bit Classification (1992). IADC Fixed Cutter Drill Bit Classification

(1992).

IADC ROLLER BIT CLASSIFICATION

4 digit classification

ABC D (Compulsory) (Optional) A-Formation Series (1-8). B-Formation Type (1-4). C-Bearing Gauge Characteristics (1-7). D-Special Feature (English Alphabet).

IADC FIXED CUTTER DRILL BIT CLASSIFICATION

4 Digit Classification

PQRS P-Body Material. S-Steel. M-Matrix. Q-Density of Cutter / Diamond. R-Size / Type of Cutter / Diamond. S-Body Style.

IADC DULL BIT GRADING SYSTEM 1992

8 Digit System:

1st digit-Inner Cutting Structure. 2nd digit-Outer Cutting Structure. 3rd digit-Dull Characteristics. 4th digit-Location. 5th digit-Bearings / Seals. 6th digit-Gauge Measure. 7th digit-Other Dull Characteristics. 8th digit-Reason Pulled Out.

SELECTION OF BITS
On the basis of past history of the field.

On the basis of geology / formation

structure. On the basis of the condition of pulled out bit. On the basis of well cost / economic considerations.

 On the basis of time allocated for the

completion of well as per GTO. On the basis of hole size and interval length to be drilled. On the basis of actual field conditions. On the basis of availability of bits.

BHA SELECTION / DESIGN

Most important component of drill string.

Comprises of Drill Collars, HevyWate

Drill Pipe, Stabilizers (near bit or string stabilizer). BHA is designed for compressive load because it is always under compression. Rate of drilling and safe drilling wholy depends upon proper design / selection of BHA.

 Proper BHA is designed on the basis of

Size of hole drilled. Type of formation. Formation characteristics. Mud characteristics. Well profile. Type of bit used.

DRILL STRING DESIGN

Drill string is also one of the most

important part of rotating system. Drill string comprises of drill pipes. It is designed for / in tension. Design / selection depends on Depth of hole. Type of BHA. Well profile. Formation characteristics.

CEMENTING
Cementing is the technique of placing

proper cement slurry around casing lowered into the well. Primary purpose of cementing in oil well is to cement the casing in the well. Cementing is of two types: Primary Cementing. Secondary Cementing.

 Primary cementation is concerned with

cementing of casing. Secondary cementation is concerned with various repair jobs. Primary cementing can be done in two ways: Single stage cementation. Double stage cementation.

COMPLICATION / FISHING
Sometimes we encounter with undesired

situations during the course of drilling a well such as stuck up (differential or

mechanical),

partial

mud

loss,

lost

circulation, failure of drill strings, lost bit

cone, key seat formation, dogleg, under

guage hole, etc.

 To overcome with such situation we have to

adopt appropriate technique.

For stuck up we have to play soap solutions

or HSD upto the free point and keep the strings under compression.
For the partial mud loss we have to reduce

circulation rate to decrease ECD.

For key seat clearing we have to use key

seat wiper.

 For lost circulation we use LCM pills. For fishing we use special tools and

equipments.

WELL CONTROL
Fluids in the formation are under pressure,

this pressure is known as Formation Pressure.

This formation pressure is balanced by the

hydrostatic head of mud in the well.

Sometimes formation fluids enter into well

bore due to decrease in hydrostatic head of mud or due to sudden increase in formation pressure. This situation is called as Kick in the well.

 If kick is not controlled then it will result into

Blow Out. It is defined as uncontrolled flow of formation fluid out of the well. There are certain reasons of kick while doing normal operations. Partial filled up hole during P / O. Swabbing. Lost circulation. Insufficient mud density.

 Warning signals of kick. During

drilling (increase in ROP, increase in torque and drag, change in cutting size, increase in flow line temperature, increase in pump speed, decrease in mud density). During P / O (well taking less mud). During R / I (more return on channel). While well is empty (self flow).

 Kick control technique (secondary control) Wait and weight method (one cycle

method).
Drillers method (three cycle method).

Concurrent

method

(many

cycle

method).

SPECIALISED TECHNIQUE / DIRECTIONAL DRILLING

Directional drilling is used To drill inaccessible locations. For multiple wells from single point. For side tracking. For relief well.

To overcome troublesome geological

conditions.

WELL PROFILES
Three types of well profiles:
Type 1-build and hole. Type 2-build, hold and drop.

Type 3-deep kick off and build.

TECHNIQUES OF DEVIATION
Whip-stock technique.

Jet deflection technique / jetting.

Downhole motor with bent sub.

Downhole turbines with bent sub.

Steerable downhole mud motor.

BHA FOR DIRECTIONAL WELL

Building assembly. Holding assembly.

Dropping assembly.

THE END

DRILLING TECHNOLOGY
Various technologies used for oil / gas well drilling are:

VARIOUS TECHNOLOGIES
Drilling Technology. Bit Technology. Mud Technology. Casing Technology. Cementing Technology. Well Control Technology. Special Technologies. Advanced Technology.

DRILLING TECHNOLOGY
In simplest words it may be defined as a sum of various technologies used to drill an oil / gas well. It includes drill string design, BHA design / selection, optimization of drilling parameters for optimum ROP.

BIT TECHNOLGY
It is basically concerned with how Bits are manufactured, how Bits are selected for drilling, how to grade pulled out Bit.

MUD TECHNOLOGY
It is basically concerned with designing a specific and proper mud system for drilling, preparation of mud with the help of various constituent (weighing material surfactants, dispertance, special additive for special properties).

CASING TECHNOLOGY
It is basically concerned with protection of the well and to drill it successfully down to the target depth.

WHY CASING IN WELL?

For protection of well,

From cavings. Fresh water zones. From under ground blowouts. For spooling next casing strings, For well control because it is one of the basic component of well control setup which provide anchoring to well head, BOPs, kill line and choke manifolds.

TYPES OF CASING
Conductor casing.
Surface casing. Intermediate casing.

Production casing.
Liner casing.

LOADING CONDITIONS
Axial (Tensile).

Burst.
Collapse.

Bending.
Shock. Temperature (Thermal).