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This note contains examsin

TPG4205 DRILLING TECHNIQUES PRESSURE CONTROL:

Exam 2004
Exam 2005
Exam 2006
Exam 2007
Exam 2008
Exam 2009
Exam 2010
Exam 2011
Exam 2012
Exam 2013
and
Solution Exam 2004
Solution Exam 2005
Solution Exam 2006
Solution Exam 2007
Solution Exam 2008
Solution Exam 2009
Solution Exam 2010
Solution Exam 2011
Solution Exam 2012
Solution Exam 2013

NORWEGIAN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERING
AND APPLIED GEOPHYSICS

Contact person during exam:

Name: Pl Skalle
Tel.: 94929 (office), or 91897303 (mobile)
Date for censorship: Latest three weeks after exam date

EXAM IN COURSE TPG4205 DRILLING TECHNIQUES PRESSURE CONTROL

Tuesday, June 1st, 2004
Time: 0900 - 1300

Examination support
D: No written or handwritten examination support materials are permitted. Certain, specified
calculator are permitted. Additional information found on last page./
NB! This headline repeats itself every year and is not included for later exams. The same is
true for Additional Information. Such details are presented only for this first exam, 2004.

1. Overlay curve
a) Make an overlay curve to the dc data in figure 1. Do it only for two equivalent pore
pressures; 1.1 kg/l and 1.2 kg/l. In what depth do you find the equivalent of 1.2 kg/l
pore pressure? The example is from onshore drilling where overburden gradient is
assumed constant 2.5 kg/l.
500 m

750

1000

dc

1250
0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

Figure 1: dc vs depth

b) Explain why the pore pressure may be different in two different sedimentary, on shore
formations but at identical depth.
2.
3.

Drillers modified moved to exercises

Water flow moved to exercises

Additional information

G p Govb G ovb G p,n d c / d c, n

b
log

G p Govb G ovb G p,n R / R n

1.2

G p Govb G ovb G p,n t n / t

ANN
DS
SCP
SCR
SIDPP
SICP
SPM
SWF
T
W&W
Z

= annulus
= drill string
= slow circulating pressure
= slow circulating rate
= shut in drill pipe pressure
= shut in casing pressure
= stroke per minute
= shallow water flow
= temperature
= wait and weight
= compressibility factor of gas

Rp

60 N
12 W
log 6
10 d b

Exam TPG4205, 2005

Question 1 moved to exercises
Question 2 moved to exercises
Question 3 moved to exercises

Exam TPG4205, 2006.

1. Formation pressure
1.1
Explain what normal formation pressure is.
There are several reasons for abnormal pressure; explain briefly the following
characteristics:
1.2
Artesian
1.3
Under compaction
1.4
Clay diagenesis
1.5
Tectonic
2. Pressure detection
2.1
Explain how the following parameters indicate the well may be drilling into over
pressured zones:
Drilling rate
Mud gas
Torque / drag
d-exponent
2.2
Explain 3 indications that the well actually is in under balance.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

LOT moved to exercises

Primary Well Control moved to exercises
SCR moved to exercises
Gas moved to exercises
Kick Calculation moved to exercises

Exam PTG4205, 2007.

Task 1
Static (not Dynamic) Hold Down
a) Explain the term.
b) What effect does it have on the drilling operation?
c) Can drilling engineers take advantage of this knowledge in any way?

Task 2 moved to exercises

Task 3 moved to exercises
Task 4 moved to exercises

Exam TPG 4205 pressure control 2008

Task 1: Well Control and SCR moved to exercises
Task2: Drilling fluid transport model
During underbalanced drilling (UBD) the reservoir section is drilled with water and
produced gas. Find approximate gas production rate by assuming constant well
pressure gradient every 100 m. Other data as follows;
:

1000

(constant) :

0.1

kg/l

1.03

kg/l

0.11

bar/m

20

bar

1000

l/min.

22

l/m

Cg
vg

1.2 vm + 0.2 m/s

=
=

vgs / vg
qg / A

vg =
m fikses
Hints: In order to find the answer we need to guess a surface pressure gradient
and find the bottom hole pressure through iteration. q g is related to standard
conditions, i.e. 1 bar. Our first guess of flow rate is 0.5 sm3/m. If time does not
allow you to find the exact answer; just stop when you feel you have shown how
to do it.

Task 3: Presented previously moved to exercises

Task 4: Miscellaneous
a. Write down the objective of the cementing jobs. Describe in a steps wise
fashion the procedure of a squeeze cementing job.

b. Shallow water flow and Gas Migration through cement are problematic
processes. Define the problem for each of the processes and suggest
solutions respectively (og foresl lsning for de respektive problemene).
c. If you need more casing points what will be the technical problem for
drilling in deep well besides costs?
d. Gas transport: Make a short note on:

Axial dispersion of two phase flow

Stability criteria of two phase fluid flow through annulus

Exam TPG4205, 2009.

Question 1. moved to exercises
Question 2. Modified Drillers moved to exercises
Question 3. Pressure detection moved to exercises

Exam TPG4205, 2010

1. Pore pressure
a. moved to exercises
b. How is it possible to establish a normal trend for parameters in general with respect to
estimating pore pressure? The parameters in question are established in sedimentary
formations. No equations are necessary.
2. Fracture pressure
a + b moved to exercises
c. Define all parameters in the two equations below and explain especially why the Poisson
ratio is varying between approximately 0.25 and 0.5 in sedimentary rocks.
p frac p pore min

min

z
1

3. Killing Equipment
a. How is it possible to record the SIDPP when a flapper valve is installed in the drill string
above the bit?
b. Explain how a 4 opening/ 3 position / type valve inside the Pod (fordelingboks) is
operated? Two Pods are installed on the subsea BOP.
4a. Engineers method Friction in annulus ignored moved to exercises
4b. Modified Engineers moved to exercises
5. Killing a gas well
A gas producing well is planned to be worked over (bli reparert), and need first to be killed.
Explain stepwise how to kill such type of wells.

6. Real gas velocity moved to exercises

Exam TPG 4205, 2011

1. Formation pressure
a. What geological and material parameters are determining the magnitude of the equivalent
pore pressure density (how far above 1.03)?
b. moved to exercises

2. Conventional killing moved to exercises

3. Unconventional killing moved to exercises
4. Deep water issues
a. moved to exercises
b. Explain how the casing cement sheet can start leaking at any time from after its initial set
point and during the production phase.
c. Can anything be done about the leaking prospect in question b?

Exam TPG4205, 2012

Task 1. Pore pressure
The equivalent pore pressure density is found to be typically 1.73 kg/l. Discuss which
parameters and which geological processes that have resulted in this number.
Task 2. Poissons ratio
a. Prove that the Poissons ratio is equal to 0.5 for elastic materials for small (1 %)
deformations (compression). Use a cylinder with diameter d and height h for this purpose.
b. Why is Poissons ratio < 0.5 for sedimentary rocks?
Task 3. Safety margin (SF)
a. What is the useful information you get out of MAASP and Kick Tolerance at shut-in during
drilling? How are the two SM different?
b. What is Kick Margin and why is it applied?
Task 4. The Drillers Method
The kick and well data experienced during drilling from a floating platform into a high
pressure zones are given here:
TVD / MD
TVDcsg / MDcsg
Water depth
SCP = psirc @ 30 spm
SCP = psirc @ 30 spm
mud

=
=
=
=
=
=

2500 m / 3 500 m
1500 m / 1 510 m
500 m
52 bar when circulated through the riser
62 bar when circulated through the choke line
1.46 kg/l

9
pSIDP
pSIC
Vkick
Cap pump
Cap Ann
Cap DS
p LO at shoe
ax2 + bx + c
x

=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=

20 bar
27 bar
4.3 m3
20 l/stroke
20.0 l/m (assumed constant throughout the annulus)
10.0 l /m (0.01 m3 / m)
45 bar
0

b 2 4ac / 2a

a. Sketch the stand pipe pressure (SPP) vs. # of strokes for the complete operation. With
respect to annular pressure, give an approximate estimate of its pressure when gas reaches
the surface (assume gas behave ideally and follows the mud and no friction during this
estimation).
b. What are the SPP and the choke pressure after just having completed filling the drill pipe
with kill mud, stopped the pump and closed BOP / choke?
c. Estimate the real gas density
Task 5. Volumetric Method
The 2 000 m vertical 12 well has to be shut in during tripping out and a pressure of 5 bars
is recorded. Experience allows us to assume that the gas is positioned at the depth of 1 500 m.
Mud density is 1.2 kg/l, balancing the pore pressure. Please estimate the process up to the
second choke bleed-off operations. Assume a capacity of 30 l/m throughout the wellbore, a
gas percolating velocity of 0.25 m/s and weightless gas. Bleed-off volume is 500 l. Use a
safety margin of 5 bars. Estimate before and after release: Vertical position, volume and local
pressure and surface pressure vs. time. Each bleed-off takes 10 s.
Task 6. Cementing technology

What could be the reason behind all the leaking production wells now a day, onand offshore?

Exam TPG4205, 2013

1. Pressures in the sediments
Give a physical explanation of why the pressure gradients typically vary between the two extremes as
indicated below. Gradients are listed in terms of equivalent density (kg/l). Support your discussion of
the two extremes by mathematical relationships if appropriate:
a. Pore pressure gradient:
1.025 - frac
Fracture gradient (Eaton).
1.33 - (ovb - pore)
Overburden gradient:
2.0 -
b. The effect of sea water depth can be commented separately.
During drilling it is essential to detect high pressure zones. We know that the zones porosity has high
importance for this task.
c. Why is porosity so high in high pressure zones?
d. Select 5 methods or tools for pore pressure detection and explain principally how the
formations porosity influences the result.
2. Pre-killing considerations

10

Refer to Appendix for details of an exploration well. Estimate the following factors:
a.
b.

MAASP, Riser Margin and Kick Tolerance

Discuss the possibility of elevating the fracture pressure in the next wellbore section, in order
to improve the margins in question a.

3. Killing operations
On basis of the information stated in Appendix, please compare three different killing methods. Make
a drawing of the process of filling the DS with kill mud; SPP vs. strokes (assume ideal gas which follows
the mud):

a. Standard Drillers method (friction in annulus is ignored).

b. Modified Drillers. Sketch the complete killing process; pump pressure vs. strokes, from the
start of pump, at minus 10 strokes, until kill mud comes out of the annulus
c. Modify the Standard Drillers with respect to geometry of the wellbore. Assume that 50 % of
the friction occurs through the bit nozzles. For this case a 500 m long HWDP starts 1000 m
down in the Drill String (DS), with the same OD as the DS, but the ID is smaller. Assume
further, for simplicity, that the pipe friction in the Drill String is linearly distributed over its
entire length, and that the friction is the same as in task a. and b. above.
d. Compare the two methods in a. and b. with the volumetric method. No calculations beyond the
bottomhole pressure at the start of the method are needed. Include a safety factor of 5 bars for
all the three methods. Use here the Depth Pressure graph. Create the three different pressure
paths which the kick fluid has to follow.

4. Drilling through a gas reservoir

While drilling slightly overbalanced, horizontally through a gas reservoir, the ROP was in average
equal to 30 m/h. More details of the operation is found in the Appendix. Assuming these conditions
have been stable and constant for several hours. Your task is to present a method to determine the
surface choke pressure during drilling. Use the Newton-Raphson forward iteration method.

11

12

Solutions:
Solution Exam TPG4205, 2004

1. Overlay curve
a)

Assume ppore, normal = 1.03 kg/l.

Eaton: ppore = povb (povb pp,n)(dc/dc,n)1.2
Select only two depths since povb is constant; 500 m and 1250 m these two depths
dc,n = 1.0 and 1.75 respectively.

d c 1/ 2
Gorb G p ,n Govb G p
1/ 2

d c d c ,n Go G p / Go G p ,n

c,n

and find dc to become

Gp
1.1
1.2

500 m
0.96
0.903

1250 m
1.68
1.58

Pore pressure of 1.2 is found in 850 m.

b)

The sealing mechanisms have been/are different.

Solution Exam TPG4205, 2005.

Solution Exam TPG4205, 2006
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5

Typically water grad

Water level higher
Quick sedimentation of clay
Water expelled, diagenesis
Plate tectonic

2.1

ROP Expelling cuttings, hold down pressures

Swabbed at cnx
Gauge hole etc
Deviates from trend
Change in flow rate, change in pit volume and sidpp

2.2

1 / 1.2

13

Solution Exam TPG4205, 2007

1.

a. pmud - ppore
b. Lower ROP
c. Estimate ppore

Solution Exam TPG4205, 2008

Task 2
In order to find the answer we need to guess a pressure gradient and improve it though
iteration. Qg is related to standard conditions, i.e. 1 bar. Our first guess of flow rate is
0.5 sm3/m.
w 1 C g g C g

C g v gs / v g
vm

qg

A 1.2 v m 0.2

q g ql

A
A h cap ann

Aann 0.022m 2
h
h
ql 1000 / 1000 60 0.0167 m 3 / s

First guess leads to these parameters:

qg / ps
0.5 / 20
0.025
Cg

0.46
1.2 q g / p s ql 0.2 0.022 1.2 0.5 / 20 0.0167 0.0044 0.0544

1 10301 0.46 100 0.046 603 kg / m 3

1 1 g h p s 603 100 9.81 20 10 5 25.9 10 5
2

One step further gives a new gradient (i.e. density)

When 1 2 / 2 1 by gradually changing qg, we have found the correct answer.

Task 4: Miscellaneous
a)
Objective

Protect and support the casing

Prevent the movement of fluid through the annular space outside the casing

Stop the movement of fluid into vugular or fractured formations and

Close an abandoned portion of the well

14

Squeeze cement

Set the bottom retainer plug just under the zone of interest for squeeze cement

Perforate casing at this zone

Set the top retainer plug above zone. DP set in TOP retainer plug

Pump high hydraulic pressure cement through DP

Pump HCl + HF if needed

Fracture zone of interest

Wait minimum 24 hours

Conduct cement evaluation

Take decision wither its ok or not

b)

SWF = shallow water flow

Problem: Water starts flowing from pressurized sands and erode sands, cement and
fractures. This causes casing and fixed platforms to collapse, due to loss of support.
Solution: Drill pilot hole without riser, kill dynamically if kick, use kill mud if sand is
penetrated, drill to planned depth. Drill extremely carefully with sonar and regular
checks for flow. Avoid such areas when detected through radar surveys.
GM
Problem: Cement shrinks and sucks water and gas into cement which then may break
through the hydrating cement, erode weak cement, makes worm holes and causes
blowouts.
Solution: Avoid suction of gas by a) replace shrinking material (cement) by other no
shrinking materials, b) use dispersed nitrogen which will expand on pressure reduction,
c) displace gas from near well bore formation before cementing, i.e. use best practice
cementing technique.

c)

Top hole can be drilled with only ONE barrier. Potential shallow gas should NOT
be penetrated
Possibility for moving installation in case of blowout
Pilot hole shall be drilled through all shallow gas zones
Predicted shallow gas should be drilled with weighted mud
Possibility to kill the pilot hole dynamically
Putting float valve in the BHA
Potential shallow gas zones should be logged with LWD
Returns to sea bed should be observed by ROV
Back-up kill fluid should be available

Solution Exam TPG4205, 2009

Solution Exam TPG4205, 2010
3. Killing Equipment

15

a.
b.

Pump until it opens, seen by the sudden increase in SICP. Or a small hole in the flap.
Or use PWD.
Close upper pipe valve sends a pilot signal to a valve which opens for high pressure
oil to the closing piston.

5. Killing a gas well

1. Replace gas with water through lubricate & blood techniques
2. Kill well with standard methods

Solution Exam TPG4205, 2011.

1. Formaton Pressure
a.
Figure 1 explains the dynamics. Ovb is compressing the sediments. When a seal exist,
compression stops and pressure increases, depending on Ovb. and tightness. Latter is
defined by Darcys law. max p = frac.
b.
moved to exercises
4. Deep water issue
a.
moved to exercises
b.
Shrinks and have wormholes, exposed to mechanical and temperature induced stresses.
c.
Best practice cementing, additives to avoid shrinkage (expanding add.), and to
withstand stresses (elastic add.).

Solution Exam TPG4205, 2012

Task 1
Geological process: To establish a high pore pressure there are two prerequisites; a reservoir
or a sand where the pore pressure can be measured, and a seal that can hold pressure in excess
of normal water pressure. The seal is the important factor. It must seal both vertically and in
the horizontal direction. In addition to discussing seal mechanisms, it is necessary to state that
its ability to hold excess pressure over long periods, the Darcy law is describing this ability.
Solve Darcy eqn. with respect to p.
Task 2
a.

Poissons Ratio =

= 0.5 =

Vo =
After compression the height is reduced to 0.99 h, and the diameter has expanded to d x,
where x is the expansion fraction. Should be 1.005 because then:
0.5
The compressed volume is therefore:

16

Vc =
Letting Vo = Vc we obtain:

= 1.005
b. At a low burial depth the sediments are not behaving elastic, like metamorphic rocks at
high depths. At low depths part of the deformation is absorbed by reorientation of the
material/reduction of porosity.
Task 3
a. MAASP is indicating the max surface pressure left before fracturing at the shoe. Kick
tolerance (KT) is the max kick volume before fracture occurs when the gas kick reaches
the shoe. KT looks ahead, MAASP does not.
b. Kick Margin indicates the safety against kicks. The purpose of it is identical with KT, but
applies a constant, guessed value of the kick volume, not an exact value like for KT.
Task 4
ICP = SIDPP + SCP = 20 + 52 = 72 bars (subtract 10 bar of choke line friction)
FCP = 52 1.54 / 1.46 = 54.8 bars

Strokes to fill DP (and ANN) = strDP =

= 1 750 str (3 500 str)

Pressure when gas reaches the surface. (Assume no friction for this part of the evaluation).
ppore = 1460 9.81 2500 + 20 105 = 378 105
psurf mud g (TVD hgas,s) = ppore
hgas Capann psurf = h1 Capann ppore
h1 Capann = 4.3 m3
h1 =

= 215 m

hgas psurf = h1 ppore hgas =

psurf -

( TVD h1 ppore / psurf ) = ppore

17

ps2 ps
ps2 ps ( 358 + 378) 105 + 8.127 109 = 0
b. Shut in and stop pump: SIDPP = 0, SICP = 20 bar
c. Real gas density

Task 5
ppore = 1200 9.81 2000 = 235.4 105 Pa
Initial gas volume = Vo
Vo = hgas Cap = 42.5 30 = 1274 l

Pressure increases corresponding to 500 l bled off

Initially we let the pressure increase 5 + 2 bars

This corresponds to a height of

1. Which takes 59.5 m / 0.25 m/s = 238 s (5 + 5 + 2)

2. Bled off 1
10s
3. Next 2 bars increase 238

= 64 s

4. Bled off 2
10s
After 1. step the volume of the bubble is
V1 p1 = Vo p1500 V1 = Vo = 1.27 m
After step 2 the volume of the bubble is
V2 p1 = V1 p1
V2 1200 9.81 1440 = 1.27 1200 9.81 1500
V2 = 1.27

234

18

Pressure after end of step 2 can now be estimated.

Task 6
The explanation and the solution to this is found in the Text book Chapter 8.3.3
Solution P-control exam 2013
1. a.

Pore pressure is normal as long as permeability up to surface allows. Due to

closures it may go up till fracture. Magnitude between the 2 boundaries is
determined by the overburden (up) and Darcy flow (down).
Fracture pressure is determined by Eaton:

At shallow depths
Where
At large depth
Overburden matrix loses porosity in the depths, matrix = 2.7 kg/l
b.

Large water depth brings frac and pore relatively closer together

c. Water is trapped and incompressible. Porosity stays at the level it was when
trapped
d.

2. a.

dc
lower compressive strength (also)
R
high salt water content
Sonic
lower density
Neutron Porosity log
ROP
same as dc
Temperature more water higher insulation
MAASP = LO = (45 bar)
Riser margin
= 1560 kg/l

Find the balancing fluid:

balance = 1 730 kg / m3
Riser margin = balance - kill = 170 kg / m3
Kick Tolerance:

hgas = 174 m
Kick size when at casing shoe = hgas Capann = 174 0.02 = 2.5 m3

19
Kick Tolerance = kick size when at bottom = 2.5 * pcsg / ppore = 2.5 * 188 /
306.4 = 1.5 m3
c. Increase cohesion with chemicals
Wellbore stress augmentation through generation of small fractures
Increase fracture propagation resistance with filter cake (WBM)
Need to adjust surface mud cleaning process
3.a.

VDS = 2000 m 0.01 = 20 m3

StrokesDS = V/Cappump = 20/0.02 = 1000 strokes or 1000 / 30 = 33.3 minutes
ICP = SIDPP + SCP = 20 + 62 = 82 bar
FCP = SCP * killmud = 62 * 1.56 / 1.46 = 66.2 bar
(2013: Sensor did not reduce your score ir you had 72 as ICP here because the text
was unclear in 2013)

b.

ICP = SIDPP + SCPup riser = 20 + 52 = 72 bar

FCP = FCPstandard (62 52) = 66.2 10 = 56.2 bar
VANN = 1500 0.02 = 30 m2
Vch.line = 500 0.01 = 5 m3
Strokes = 30/0.02 + 5/0.02 = 1500 + 250 = 1750

c. Friction is
Strokes to fill Drill String =

TVD
0
1000
1500
2000
After bit

MD
0
1000
1500
2000

strokes

Strokes
1
500
625
874

SPP
ICP = 82
82 10 + 1.05 = 73
82 15 + 1.58 = 68.6
82 20 + 2.1
= 64.1
66.2

d. Compare methods a and b with volumetric. Use here the Depth Pressure graph. Create the
three different pressure paths which the kick fluid has to follow.
(2013: All those of you who explained the volumetric method and compared it somehow to
a and b got full score from the sensor, since the text was unclear. It got low weight)

20

4.

Initial gas production qgas,o = ROP A

qmud=30SPM*20l/stroke/(1000*60)=0.01m3/s
Initialmixturevelocityatbottom:vmix,0=(qgas,0+qmud)/A=0.00106?0.01)/0.076=0.146m/s
Youmustassumeapsurffromaguessedaveragereducedmixturedensity,e.g.1.2kg/l.Thisgivesapsurf
of40bar.OnbasisofthisassumptionCgasisestimated,anditispossibletoestimatetheinitialmixture
densityatthesurfaceandaccordinglytheinitialpressureatsurface;p0m,0
p0m,0s
Estimatep10m
Estimatep20m
Findaveragegradient(p0m+p20m)/2
Iterateuntilp10misacceptable
Addh
Continuetillbottompressureisfound;pbottom
Ifpbottomisdifferentfrompporethenaddpanditeratefromtopto
bottomuntilpbottom=ppore