Diverters

Last Updated on Sun, 09 Sep 2018 | Well Control

Diverters are primarily used during the drilling of top hole sections when the use of BOPs are
prohibited due to low fracture margins. Their primary function is to 'divert' wellbore fluids a safe
distance away from the rig floor during shallow well kicks. Diverters commonly have 12 inch ID
'overboard lines' and incorporate a large diameter low pressure annular type preventer. The KFDJ
model pictured below has an outer packer contained in the diverter housing and an insert
packer for closure around various sizes of drill pipe. The outer packer is for use during running
large sized surface casing. Diverters are available in 500 psi and 2,000 psi systems with a full
range of insert packers. A hydraulic closing system is used to operate both the diverter and
flowline/overboard valves.
Figure 6.3.1 Typical Diverter System Installed on a Floating Rig
Typical Operating Pressures

The diverter packer regulator will provide a maximum pressure of 1200 psi on the packer.

For normal pressure use 750 psi.

The manifold pressure regulator provides a maximum pressure of 1650 psi.

For insert packer lock down dogs. Diverter lock down dogs etc.

For normal operation do not exceed 1250 psi.

Recommended pressure settings generally are:

Hydraulic supply pressure 3000 psi Manifold pressure 1250 psi

Diverter packer pressure 750 psi

Types of Casing and Tubing
Last Updated on Wed, 28 Aug 2019 | Drilling Engineering

o production (also known as an oil string)

o tubing (flow string)

Fig. 5-1 shows the relationship of some of these casing strings. In addition, the illustration shows
some of the problems and drilling hazards that the strings are designed to control.

All wells will not use each type of casing. The conditions to he encountered in each well must be
analyzed to determine the types and amount of pipe necessary to drill it. The general functions of
all casing strings are as follows:

o segregate and isolate various formations to minimize drilling problems or

maximize production
o furnish a stable well with a known diameter through which future drilling and
completion operations can be executed
o provide a secure means to which pressure control equipment can he attached

Drive Pipe or Conductor Casing. The first string ruti or placed in the well is usually the drive pipe,
or conductor casing. The normal depths range from 100-300 ft. In soft-rock areas such as southern
Louisiana or most offshore environments, the pipe is hammered into the ground with a large diesel
hammer. Hard-rock areas require that a large-diameter, shallow hole be drilled before running and
cementing the pipe. Conductor casing can be as elaborate as heavy-wall steel pipe or as simple as
a few old oil drums tacked together.

A primary purpose of this string of pipe is to provide a fluid conduit from the bit to the surface.
Very shallow formations tend to wash out severely and must be protected with pipe. In addition,
most shallow formations exhibit some type of lost circulation problem that must be minimized.

An additional function of the pipe is to minimize hole caving problems. Gravel beds and
unconsolidated rock will continue to fall into the well if not stabilized with casing. Typically, the
operator is required to drill through these zones by pumping viscous muds at high rates.

Structural Casing. Occasionally, drilling conditions will require that an additional string of casing be
run between the drive pipe and surface casing. Typical depths range from 600-Î ,000 ft. Purposes
for the pipe include solving additional lost circulation or hole caving problems and minimizing kick
problems from shallow gas zones.

Surface Casing. Many purposes exist lor running surface casing, including
the following:

o cover freshwater sands

o maintain hole integrity by preventing caving
o minimize lost circulation into shallow, permeable zones
o cover weak zones that are incompetent to control kick-imposed pressures
o provide a means for attaching the blowout preventers
 o support the weight of all casing strings (except liners) run below the surface pipe

Intermediate Casing. The primary applications of intermediate casing involve abnormally high
formation pressures. Since higher mud weights are required to control these pressures, the
shallower weak formations must be protected to prevent lost circulation or stuck pipe. Occasionally,
intermediate

Conductor

Fresh water

Drilling liner

Production tubing

Production casing

Abnormally I high T pressure

Surface casing

Heaving shales

Intermediate casing

Legend
Fig. 5-1 Typical casing string relationships

Conductor

Fresh water

Abnormally I high T pressure

Surface casing

Heaving shales

Intermediate casing

Legend

Cement

Drilling liner

Production tubing

Production casing
a. 5-1 Typical casing string relationships pipe is used to isolate salt zones or zones that cause
hole problems, such as heaving and sloughing shales.
b. Drilling liners are used for the same purpose as intermediate casing. Instead of running the
pipe to the surface, an abbreviated string is used from the bottom of the hole to a shallower
depth inside the intermediate pipe. Usually the overlap between the two strings is 300-500
ft. In this case, the intermediate pipe is exposed to the same drilling considerations as the
liner (sec Fig. 5-1).

Drilling (and production) liners arc used frequently as a cost-effective method to attain pressure or
fracture gradient control without the expense of running a string to the surface. When a liner is
used, the upper exposed easing, usually intermediate pipe, must he evaluated with respect to burst
and collapse pressures for drilling the open hole below the liner. Remember that a full string of
casing can be run to the surface instead of a liner if required, i.e., two intermediate strings.

Production Casing. The production casing is often called the oil string. The pipe may be set at a
depth slightly above, midway through, or below the pay zone. The pipe has the following purposes:

o isolate the producing zone from the other formations

o provide a work shaft of a known diameter to the pay zone
o protect the production tubing equipment

Tie-back String. The drilling liner is often used as part of the production casing rather than running
an additional full string of pipe from the surface to the producing zone. The liner is tied-back or
connected to the surface by running the amount of pipe required to connect to the liner top. This
procedure is particularly common when 1) producing hydrocarbons are behind the liner and 2) the
deeper section is not commercial.
Setting Depth Design Procedures

Casing seat depths are directly affected by geological conditions. In some cases, the prime criterion
for selecting casing seats is to cover exposed, severe lost circulation zones. In others, the seat
selection may be based on differential sticking problems, perhaps resulting from pressure depletion
in a field. In deep wells, however, the primary consideration is usually based on controlling
abnormal formation pressures and preventing their exposure to weaker shallow zones. The design
criteria of controlling formation pressures generally applies to most drilling areas.

Selecting casing seats for pressure control purposes starts with knowing geological conditions such
as formation pressures and fracture gradients. This information is generally available within an
acceptable degree of accuracy. Pre-

spud calculations and the actual drilling conditions will determine the exact locations for each
casing seat.

The principle used to determine setting depth selection can be adequately described by the adage,
"hindsight is 20-20." The initial step is to determine the formation pressures and fracture gradients
that will be penetrated in the well. After these have been established, the operator must design a
casing program based on the assumption that he already knows the behavior of the well even
before it is drilled.

This principle is used extensively for infill drilling where the known conditions dictate the casing
program. Using these guidelines, the operator can select the most effective casing program that
will meet the necessary pressure requirements and minimize the casing cost.

Setting Depth Selection for Intermediate and Deeper Strings. Setting depth selection should be
made for the deepest strings to be run in the well and then successively designed from the bottom
string to the surface. Although this procedure may appear at first to be reversed, it avoids several
time-consuming iterative procedures. Surface casing design procedures are based on other cri-eria.

The first criteria for selecting deep casing depths is to let mud weights control formation pressures
without fracturing shallow formations. This procedure is implemented bottom-to-top. After these
depths have been established, differential pressure sticking considerations are made to determine
if the casing string will become stuck when running it into the well. These considerations are made
from top-to-bottom, the reverse from the first selection criteria.

The initial design step is to establish the projected formation pressures and fracture gradients. In
Fig. 5-2a, a 15.6-lb/gal (equivalent) formation pressure exists at the hole bottom. To reach this
depth, wellbore pressures greater than 15.6 lb/gai will be necessary and must be taken into
account.

The pressures that must be considered include a trip margin of mud weight to control swab
pressures, an equivalent mud weight increase due to surge pressures associated with running the
easing, and a safety factor. These pressures usually range from 0.2—0.3 lb/gal, respectively, and
may vary due to mud viscosity and hole geometry. Therefore, the actual pressures at the bottom
of the well include the mud weight required to control the 15.6-lb/gal pore pressure and the 0.6-
0.9-lb/gal mud weight increases from the swab, surge, and safety factor considerations. As a
result, formations exhibiting fracture gradients less than 16.5 lb/gal or less (15,6 lb/gal + 0.9
lb/gal) must be protected with casing. The depth at which this fracture gradient is encountered is
the tentative intermediate pipe setting depth.

The next step is to determine if pipe sticking will occur when running the casing. Pipe sticking
generally can occur at the point where the maximum differential pressures are encountered. In
most cases, this depth is the deepest normal pressure zone, i.e., at the transition into abnormal
pressures.

Fig. 5-2 (a) Projected formation pressures and fracture gradients, (b) Selection of the tentative
intermediate setting depth for Example 5. (

Field studies have been used to establish general values for the amount of differential pressure that
can be tolerated before sticking occurs:

Normal pressure zones 2,000-2,300 psi

Abnormal pressure zones 3,000-3,300 psi

These values are recommended as reasonable guides. Their accuracy in day-to-day operations
depends on the general attention given to mud properties and drillstring configuration.

The tentative intermediate pipe setting depth is the actual setting depth if the differential pressure
at the deepest normal zone is less than 2,000-2,300 psi. If the value is greater than this arbitrary
limit, the depth is defined as the shallowest liner setting depth required to drill the well. In this
case, an additional step is necessary to determine the intermediate pipe depth.

An example problem will be used to illustrate this procedure. The section following the example will
illustrate the case in which differentia] pressure considerations cause the additional step to select
the intermediate pipe depth.