Revisio Date Description Changed by Approved by

19th
Kevin Gray (IP
1.0 April I. MPD Package. Kevin Gray
Holder)
2018

09th Kevin
1.1 Aug I. Template transfer and update Gray/Dave Kevin Gray
2021 Wilson

The Copyright of this presentation remains the property of Black Reiver Consulting Limited

© BRCL 2018
Advanced Drilling
Managed Pressure Drilling

Facilitador: Kevin Gray

MPD: IADC Classification of Operations Type and Risk

5 • Maximum anticipated surface pressure exceeds MPD equipment pressure rating

• Catastrophic equipment failure will have immediate serious consequences Classification includes level of
risk and type of operations
4 • Hydrocarbon bearing formation. Maximum anticipated shut in pressure is less than MPD equipment operating pressure
• Catastrophic equipment failure will likely have an immediate and serious consequence

3 • Geothermal and non hydrocarbon formations

• Maximum anticipated shut in pressures (MASP) is less than MPD equipment pressure rating

2 • Well capable of flow to surface but conventional well control can be used
• Catastrophic equipment failure may have limited consequences
Class A
1 • Well Incapable of flow to surface Managed Pressure Drilling
• Inherently stable well and low risk from well control standpoint
Class B
Underbalanced Operations
0 • Performance Improvement only
• No Hydrocarbon bearing zones
Class C
Mud Cap Drilling

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MPD: Basic Principles

Conventional Overbalance Under Balance

Drilling Drilling

Techniques for
Managing Bottom
Hole Pressure

Managed Pressure Drilling Managed Gradient Drilling

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MPD: Conventional Overbalance Drilling
Conventional Drilling is drilling overbalanced but without any MPD equipment.
Conventional
Overbalance
• The return flow from the well directly goes to the shale shakers.
Drilling
• It is NOT a closed loop circulation system.
• There is no chance to manipulate the wellbore pressure profile other than changing the mud
density.
• In case of a kick incident, the rig‟s blow out preventer (BOP) is used to control the well.

Mud Hydrostatic > Pore Pressure + Trip Margin

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MPD: Under balance Drilling
Underbalanced Drilling has been defined by the IADC (2008) as follows:
Under Balance
Drilling “A drilling activity employing appropriate equipment and controls where the pressure exerted in the
wellbore is intentionally less than the pore pressure in any part of the exposed formations with the
intention of bringing formation fluids to the surface”.

Pore Pressure > Bottom Hole Pressure (BHP)

BHP = Mudhydro + Δfrictionannular + Surface Back Pressure

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MPD: Managed Pressure Drilling
Four Main Variants of MPD:
Managed
Pressure Drilling • Constant bottom hole pressure (Schlumberger, Weatherford and Halliburton)
• Mud cap drilling (Schlumberger, Weatherford and Halliburton)
• Dual Gradient or Managed Gradient (AGR,Reelwell and Clean Drill)
• Return Flow Control Method

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MPD: Managed Pressure Drilling - CBHP
Constant Bottom Hole Pressure
CBHP
• Constant Bottom Hole Pressure is a Managed Pressure Drilling technique where the
bottom hole pressure is maintained at constant by the application of annular back
pressure from a special set of rotating seals above the BOP and a pump that are
electronically controlled to replace the ECD friction loss pressure as the pumps rate is
reduced.

• Using CBHP it is possible to drill in formations where there is very little margin
between pore pressure and fracture gradient without running into kicks or losses.

• The technique is also used extensively in fractured areas where ‘wellbore breathing’
is a problem.

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MPD: Managed Pressure Drilling - Basic Mud Cap
Mud Cap Drilling
Mud Cap Mud Cap drilling is used when normal techniques fail to allow circulation to be
maintained due to losses.

To prevent kicks and control the bottom hole pressures a ‘floating’ mud cap of
mud is maintained and drilling continues with a sacrificial fluid that is pumped
and lost to the formation.

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MPD: Managed Pressure Drilling - Advanced Mud Cap

Pressurized Mud Cap Drilling:

Mud Cap
• Variation of MPD, drilling with no returns to surface where an
annulus fluid column, assisted by surface pressure, is maintained
above a formation that is capable of accepting fluid and cuttings.

• A sacrificial fluid with cuttings is accepted by the loss circulation

zone. Useful for cases of severe loss circulation that preclude the
use of conventional wellbore construction techniques.

• Requires equipment similar to CBHP so is more expensive and

complicated than simple mud cap drilling

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MPD: Managed Pressure Drilling - Mud Cap

Advantages: Problems:
Mud Cap
• Allows for drilling to continue in an over • Increased training and competency
pressured environment with lost circulation. If requirements for staff.
more cost effective that trying to cure lost • Increased logistics and volumes of sacrificial
circulation in fractures fluids need to be available at rigsite
• Easier and safer technique that flow drilling • Higher potential for formation damage
• Reduces surface annular pressure • More complex drilling, connection and
• Minimises requirements for surface tripping procedures
separation and fluid processing equipment • Higher pressures may be required and pump
• Hazardous H2S and hydrocarbons not seen and rig specifications need to be appropriate
at surface • High potential for pack off related stuck pipe
• Lower planning and engineering cost prior to and differential sticking at injection site
implementation • As well is shut in at surface there is no ability
to collect drilled cutting or fluid samples

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MPD: Managed Pressure Drilling

Dual Gradient

• Dual Gradient drilling uses two different fluid

densities in the annulus.
• Usually employed in deep water wells where the
frac gradient is very low but annular friction
pressure is high
• Objective is to reduce the formation damage and
prevent fracturing of the formation
• Often involves a separate riser circulation system.

*Drilling Contractor Magazine

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MPD: Managed Pressure Drilling

RFC
• Return through flow control is a method of MPD that allows wells to be drilled whilst flowing but
reduces risks from drilling and reservoir fluids and gases to personnel and the environment
• Often used in highly fractured carbonate reservoirs:

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MPD: Managed Gradient Drilling (Reelwell Drilling Method)

Managed
Gradient Drilling

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MPD: Managed Gradient Drilling (Reelwell Drilling Method)

Managed • Drill cuttings are removed from the bottom hole through a separate flow channel
Gradient Drilling inside the drill string

• Managed gradient drilling creates a constant downhole pressure gradient that is

independent of the flow rate

• Torque and drag: the heavy over light fluid solution reduces torque and drag due to
buoyancy

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MPD: Basic Principles

An RCD is defined by API Spec 16E RCD as:

• “A drill through device with a rotating seal that contacts
and seals against the drill string (drill pipe, casing, kelly,
etc.) for the purpose of controlling the pressure or fluid
flow to surface.”
• It is not designed nor intended to be a BOP
• It is not a part of the secondary well control
equipment

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MPD: Basic Principles

Pressurized Mud Cap Drilling

Variation of MPD, drilling with no returns to surface where
an annulus fluid column, assisted by surface pressure, is
maintained above a formation that is capable of accepting
fluid and cuttings. A sacrificial fluid with cuttings is accepted
by the loss circulation zone. Useful for cases of severe loss
circulation that preclude the use of conventional wellbore
construction techniques.

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MPD: Drilling Margins

Drilling Margins are established to safely drill the well without fracturing the formation. It accounts for uncertainties to
effectively control pressures imposed on the wellbore.

Factors which the drilling margin traditionally accounts for include:

• Regulatory requirements: Some agencies / oil companies / contractors have established minimum drilling margins or
kick tolerances for given areas.

• Fracture pressure uncertainty: During planning it is required to use expected values of fracture pressure. While drilling,
even after measuring LOT, there is still uncertainty in the measured value being the minimum fracture pressure in the
exposed wellbore since there may be weaker formations down below.

• Friction pressure: The Bottomhole Circulating Pressure (BHCP) will be higher than the static pressure due to frictional
effects. Expressing pressure in pounds per gallon equivalent (ppge) we can also say that the Equivalent Circulating Density
(ECD) will be higher than the Equivalent Static Density (ESD).

Managed Pressure Drilling / © 2019 by Black Reiver 18

Consulting Limited
MPD: Basic Principles
• Cuttings loading: Circulating suspended formation cuttings will act to increase the density (thus hydrostatic pressure) of
mud and to increase annular friction pressures. When circulation is stopped during drilling (e.g., for a connection, flow
check, etc.) without circulating the hole clean, cuttings loading will remain. This additional pressure must be added to the
hydrostatic pressure of the cuttings-free mud to determine the ESD.

• Compressibility of drilling fluids: It increases mud weight on the wellbore. At the same time temperature will reduce the
mud weight resulting in the mud weight not being constant in the wellbore.

• Kick tolerance: In the event of taking an inflow the pressure conditions should be such that they can be circulated out of
the well without overcoming fracture pressure. Drilling margin and kick tolerance are often used as interchangeable terms
because kick tolerance is normally the main factor determining the drilling margin. As indicated here, the drilling margin
considers other effects also.

• Surge pressure: It is the effect of downward pipe movement which increases bottom hole pressure.

• Pump start-up: It is a pressure surge when shearing static mud. The pressure needs to overcome the fluid‟s static
resistance to flow which is increased by gels in drilling muds.

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MPD: Trip Margins

Trip Margin is established to ensure that wellbore pressures are maintained above the pore pressure and/or wellbore
collapse pressure to prevent formation fluids from flowing into the well and/or to prevent wellbore stability problems. Factors,
which the trip margin may account for include:

• Swab pressure: It is the effect of upward pipe movement which decreases bottom hole pressure and can suck
formation fluids into the wellbore; it acts like a syringe.

• Pore and collapse pressure uncertainty: During planning and drilling it is required to use expected or inferred pore
and collapse pressure conditions. The only way to measure minimum pressure required would be to reduce it to the
conditions where there is an inflow from a permeable formation, or to the point where hole instability is initiated.

• Thermal expansion: It results in constant reduction and non-uniform MW throughout the wellbore from high bottom
hole temperatures.

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