Lost Circulation

Mud Loss

Lost time
Cost of new mud
Poor cement operations
Possible stuck pipe
Possible well control incident

Wednesday, 7 March 2007

 Types of Loss Zones
Natural losses
Pores & matrixes
Natural fractures
Cavernous formations
Induced losses
Exceeding fracture gradient
High ECD
Pack off
Balled up assembly
3

Loss Rates
Description Loss Rate Formation/Reason

Seepage 1-10 bbl/hr Porous & Permeable

Partial 10-50 bbl/hr Unconsolidated sand

and gravel Small
open fractures

Wednesday, 7 March 2007

 Loss Rates
Description Loss Rate Formation/Reason

Severe 50-100 bbl/hr Long sections of

unconsolidated
Sand or fractures
Total >100 bbl/hr Cavernous large
fractures

Loss Treatments
Loss Severity Size Shape
Fine - Medium
Granular
Seepage Fine - Medium Fibre

Fine - Medium Flake

Fine - Coarse
Granular
Partial Fine - Medium Fibre
Flake
Fine - Medium

Wednesday, 7 March 2007

 Loss Treatments
Loss Severity Size Shape

Medium - Coarse Granular

Severe Medium - Coarse Fibre
Medium - Coarse Flake

Sodium silicate & Cement

Total Gunk treatments
Polymer Treatments
7

Type of Loss Zone

Pit Level

Pores/Perm
Matrix
Time

Wednesday, 7 March 2007

 Type of Loss Zone
Pit Level

Time
Natural
Fractures

Type of Loss Zone

Pit Level

Induced
Time Fractures

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Wednesday, 7 March 2007

 Type of Loss Zone
Pit Level

Time
Cavernous

11

Fractured Formations
Special
Use very aggressive action for fractured
formations
Conventional LCM of little use
Cross linking polymers
Gunk
Cement

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Wednesday, 7 March 2007

 How much stuff to
pump?
Pill size dictated by pit size
Stick to the plan
Volume is better than higher conc. of LCM
Repeat process with more volume
Increased concentration is always an option

13

Planning for Losses

Losses don’t just happen
Look at offset data
Look at the formations to be drilled
Look at the mud weight & fracture gradients
Assess the risk
Plan accordingly

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Wednesday, 7 March 2007

 Planning for Losses

Always plan for the unexpected

Have a strategy for all loss rates
Have a flow chart to help the rig make choices
Have a recipe ready for all loss rates
Don’t leave it to chance

15

Records
Keep a record of events…
Did the first treatment work?
If only partial success, record the % stopped after
each treatment
Was the plan followed?
Which treatment worked best?
How should future treatments be modified?
Modify future planning documents with loss history
& LCM effectiveness

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Wednesday, 7 March 2007