1

Petroleum Engineering 661

Drilling Engineering

Lesson 18
Dual Gradient Drilling
2
What is Dual Gradient Drilling?
(DGD)?
In dual-gradient drilling the pressure
profile in the annulus has two
distinct pressure gradients
An example would be a heavy mud
below the mudline and a
seawater gradient above the mud
line
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Conventional Riser Drilling
- Wellbore Pressures
SEAFLOOR
SEA WATER
HYDROSTATIC
PRESSURE
D
E
P
T
H

MUD HYDROSTATIC
BOP
FLOATER
DRILLING RISER
CHOKE LINE
4
Static Wellbore Pressures
SEA WATER
HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE
PRESSURE
MUD
HYDROSTATIC
PRESSURE
DGD
MUD
HYDROSTATIC
PRESSURE
Conventional
BOP
FLOATER
RISER
CHOKE
LINE
DGD
5
Dual Gradient Drilling Projects
Subsea Mudlift Drilling (SMD)
Hollow Glass Spheres
Deep Vision
Shell
6
Subsea
Mudlift
Drilling

( SMD )

Note Pump
and
Separate
Return Line
7
Subsea Mudlift Drilling
What is Subsea Mudlift Drilling?
How does it work?
Why do we need it?
Pore pressures and fracture gradients
Mud weights and casing programs
What about connections and trips?
What about kicks?
8
1. Riserless Drilling: Circumventing the Size/cost
Cycle in Deepwater, by Allen D. Gault.
May 1996, Offshore, p.49

2. Subsea Mudlift Drilling JIP:
Achieving dual-gradient technology,
by K.L. Smith et al., World Oil - Deepwater
Technology, August 1999, pp 21-28.
HW #10 (due 04-08-02)
References
9
Current SMD Concepts
A water-filled drilling riser
One or more separate small-diameter
mud return line(s) from seafloor to
surface (e.g., two 4.5-in ID lines)

A dual mud density system
Seawater gradient from surface to
seafloor
Heavier drilling mud inside the wellbore
10
Current SMD Concepts - contd
A seafloor mud pump to lift mud to surface
Pressure inside wellbore at seafloor is
~ the same as the pressure in the
ocean at seafloor
Theoretically the well is always dead
Important in case of drive-off
Retains a Riser Margin
11
Static Wellbore Pressures
SEA WATER
HYDROSTATIC
PRESSURE
PRESSURE
MUD
HYDROSTATIC
PRESSURE
DGD
MUD
HYDROSTATIC
PRESSURE
Conventional
BOP
FLOATER
RISER
CHOKE
LINE
DGD
12
Current Problems
Deeper water results in longer and heavier drilling
risers
High pore pressures and low fracture pressures
lead to more casing strings
This leads to larger wellheads, even larger and
heavier risers, and finally to bigger and more
expensive rigs
Well control is more difficult - because of the pore
pressure / fracture pressure proximity, and
long choke lines with high friction pressure drops
13
Effect of Increasing Water Depth
Weight of drilling riser increases
with depth. In 10,000 ft of water:
21-inch riser has an internal capacity
of ~ 4,000 bbls! (value ~ $1 million)

Weight of riser ~ 2 million lbs.
Weight of 16 lb/gal mud inside riser
~ 2.7 million lbs
14
What About Subsea Mudlift Drilling?
Two 4.5 ID return lines with
~ 400 bbls capacity can do the job
Requires much less weight and volume
for storage!
A smaller vessel can do the job
A smaller vessel can easier be upgraded
to do the job
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SMD refers to drilling where mud returns
DO NOT go through a conventional,
large-diameter, drilling riser
Instead the returns move from the seafloor
to the surface through two small -
diameter pipes separate from the
drillpipe (outside the main riser pipe)
A Mudlift system is used in the Return Line
What is Subsea Mudlift Drilling?
16
Fig. 7.21 ADE
Pore
pressure
gradient and
fracture
gradient data
for Jefferson
Parish, LA.
Fracture
Gradient
Pore
Pressure
Gradient
Equivalent Mud Density, ppg
0.5 ppg
0.5 ppg
17
Pore Pressure
Frac Pressure
Max Mud Wt
Min Mud Wt
Equivalent Mud Wt, lb/gal
SEAFLOOR
Conventional Casing Seat Selection
18
Typical
Overburden
Pressure
grad.vs. Depth

Ref: Fracture gradient
prediction for the new
generation, by B.A.
Eaton and T.L. Eaton.
World Oil, October
1997.
17.3 ppg
11.5 ppg
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Conventional Riser Drilling
- Wellbore Pressures
SEAFLOOR
SEA WATER
HYDROSTATIC
PRESSURE
PRESSURE
D
E
P
T
H

STATIC PRESSURE
CIRCULATING PRESSURE
P
BI
T
BOP
FLOATER
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Example: Static Wellbore Pressures
At 30,000 ft, in 10,000 ft of water, the
pore pressure is 21,000 psig.

For conventional drilling, what is the
minimum mud weight that can control this
pressure?

For SMD, what is the minimum mud weight
that can control this pressure?
21
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Static Wellbore Pressures
P = 0.052 * MW * Depth

For conventional drilling, Minimum mud wt.

= 21,000/(0.052 * 30,000) = 13.5 lb/gal


Seafloor pressure = 0.052*8.6*10,000 = 4,472 psig


For SMD, Minimum mud weight
= (21,000 - 4,472)/(0.052 * 20,000) = 15.9 lb/gal
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Solution: Static Wellbore Pressures
8.6 lb/gal
SEA WATER
HYDROSTATIC
PRESSURE
4,472 psi
DEPTH
15.1 lb/gal
SMD
13.9 lb/gal
Conventional
21,000 psi
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Wellbore Pressures
SEAFLOOR
FRACTURE
PRESSURE
PORE PRESSURE
SEA WATER
HYDROSTATIC
PRESSURE
PRESSURE
DEPTH
MUD
HYDROSTATIC
PRESSURE
Conventional
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SEAFLOOR
FRACTURE
PRESSURE
PORE PRESSURE
MUD
HYDROSTATIC
PRESSURE
SMD
SEA WATER
HYDROSTATIC
PRESSURE
PRESSURE
DEPTH
MUD
HYDROSTATIC
PRESSURE
Conventional
Wellbore Pressures
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Casing Requirements - Conventional
SEAFLOOR
FRACTURE
PRESSURE
PORE PRESSURE
SEA WATER
HYDROSTATIC
PRESSURE
PRESSURE
DEPTH
MUD
HYDROSTATIC
PRESSURE
Conventional
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Casing Requirements - SMD
SEAFLOOR
FRACTURE
PRESSURE
PORE PRESSURE
MUD
HYDROSTATIC
PRESSURE
SMD
SEA WATER
HYDROSTATIC
PRESSURE
PRESSURE
DEPTH
27
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Pressure Considerations
SEAFLOOR
FRACTURE
PRESSURE
PORE PRESSURE
MUD
HYDROSTATIC
PRESSURE
SMD
SEA WATER
HYDROSTATIC
PRESSURE
PRESSURE
DEPTH
MUD
HYDROSTATIC
PRESSURE
Conventional
RISERLESS
28
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Wellbore Pressures - Conventional
SEAFLOOR
SEA WATER
HYDROSTATIC
PRESSURE
PRESSURE
D
E
P
T
H

STATIC PRESSURE
CIRCULATING PRESSURE
P
BIT
BOP
FLOATER
29
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Static Pressures - SMD
SEAFLOOR
SEA WATER
HYDROSTATIC
PRESSURE
PRESSURE
ANNULUS AND
RETURN LINE
BOP
FLOATER
30
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Drillstring Circulating Pressures
SEAFLOOR
SEA WATER
HYDROSTATIC
PRESSURE
PRESSURE
DEPTH
CONVENTIONAL
SMD
P
BIT
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Annulus Circulating Pressures
SEAFLOOR
SEA WATER
HYDROSTATIC
PRESSURE
PRESSURE
DEPTH
CONVENTIONAL (13.5 lb/gal)
SMD (15.9 lb/gal)
P
PUMP
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Circulating Pressures - SMD
SEAFLOOR
SEA WATER
HYDROSTATIC
PRESSURE
PRESSURE
DEPTH
ANNULUS AND RETURN LINE
DRILLSTRING PRESSURE
P
BIT
P
PUMP
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Circulating Pressures - Summary
SEA WATER HYDROSTATIC
DISTANCE FROM STANDPIPE
CONVENTIONAL
SMD
P
BIT
P
ML_PUMP
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Transient Behavior when Stopping Pump

(U-tubing or Free-fall)
Why does the drillpipe fluid level fall?
How fast does the Fluid Level in the
drillpipe drop?
How far does the Fluid Level drop?
Transients
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MUDLIFT
U-Tubing in SMD
~SEAWATER
HYDROSTATIC
PRESSURE
BOP
STATIC
FLUID
LEVEL
FLOATER
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Static Pressures - SMD
SEAFLOOR
SEA WATER
HYDROSTATIC
PRESSURE
PRESSURE
DEPTH
ANNULUS AND RETURN LINE
DRILLSTRING PRESSURE
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U-Tubing Rate vs. Time after Pump OFF
0
200
400
600
800
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Elapsed Time, min
M
u
d

F
l
o
w

R
a
t
e
,


g
p
m
3-in ID
4.276-in ID
6-in ID
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Fluid Level vs. Time after Pump OFF
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Elapsed Time, min
F
l
u
i
d

L
e
v
e
l

i
n

D
r
i
l
l
p
i
p
e
,


f
t
3-in ID
4.276-in ID
6-in ID
39
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How do you shut a well in after taking a kick?

With a DSV this is almost routine

Better still, it is not necessary to shut the well in.
The wellbore pressures can be increased by
temporarily slowing down the mudlift pump

Friction in the choke line is handled by the
Mudlift Pump and is not seen by the
weak formations
Well Control Considerations
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42
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General Summary

Dual Gradient Drlng is a method that offers potential
for lowering drilling costs in very deep waters:

Fewer casing strings
Smaller rigs
Less time on location

The method utilizes one or more small-diameter
return lines from the seafloor to the surface. The
drillpipe is separate from the return lines
44
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Summary - contd


A pumping system is generally used to feed
the return lines, thereby making a dual-
gradient mud system possible

Wellhead pressure is maintained at seawater
hydrostatic, so well is dead at all times

Well control is quite similar to that in
conventional drilling with a riser, but offers a
number of significant advantages
45
Well Control in DGD
Review of Conventional Well Control
Kick Detection in SMD
Kick containment in SMD
Behavior of Real Gases in SMD Wells
Well Control in SMD
46
Kick Detection & Well Control
- Review - Conventional -
Kick Indication (what is a KICK?)
Kick Detection (confirmation)
Kick Containment (stop flow into well)
Circulate Kick out of hole
Increase Mud Weight in hole (if necessary)
47
Circulate Kick out of hole
Keep the BHP constant throughout
Wait and Weight Method
Old
Mud
Kill
Mud
Kick
48
Gas Kick Behavior - Perfect Gas
Effect of Temperature Gradient
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Kick Volume, bbls
D
e
p
t
h
,


f
t
0.00 deg F/ft
0.02 deg F/ft
0.01 deg F/ft
Maximum Choke Pressure = 1,000 psia. BHP = 6,000 psia
49
Shallow Gas Kick - Summary
Effect of Temperature and Z-Factor
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Kick Volume, bbls
D
e
p
t
h
,


f
t
Real Gas
Ideal Gas
PV = constant
0.02 deg F/ft
50
Gas Kicks in Deep SMD Wells
Kick Volume vs. Depth
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Kick Volume, bbl
D
e
p
t
h
,


f
t
As expected, most of
the expansion occurs
in the top 3,000 ft or so
MudLine
MudLift
Pump
51
Kick Volume vs. Depth
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Kick Volume, bbl
D
e
p
t
h
,


f
t
Gas Kicks in Deep SMD Wells
PV = constant
PV = ZnRT
52
Gas Kick Behavior - Z-Factor
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000
Pressure, psig
C
o
m
p
r
e
s
s
i
b
i
l
i
t
y


(
Z
-
F
a
c
t
o
r
)
30
60
100
150
200
300
400
Temperature,
o
F
Gas Specific Gravity = 0.65 (S.G. of air = 1)
53
MUDLIFT
BOP
Subsea Mudlift Drilling System
SEAFLOOR
~SEAWATER
HYDROSTATIC
PRESSURE
FLOATER
30,000
10,000
KICK
Surface Pump: Constant Rate
Mudlift: Const. Inlet Press.
What next??
54
Kick Detection and Control
640
650
660
670
680
690
700
-30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30
Time, minutes
C
i
r
c
u
l
a
t
i
o
n

R
a
t
e
,


g
a
l
/
m
i
n
Kick begins
Kick Detected - - Slow down Seafloor Pump
SEAFLOOR PUMP
SURFACE PUMP
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Influx has stopped and
pressures have stabilized
Kick Detection and Control
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Kick Detection and Control
640
650
660
670
680
690
700
-30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50
Time, minutes
C
i
r
c
u
l
a
t
i
o
n

R
a
t
e
,


g
a
l
/
m
i
n
Kick begins
Kick Detected - - Slow down Seafloor Pump
SEAFLOOR PUMP
SURFACE PUMP
57
Standpipe Pressure vs. Time
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
0 200 400 600 800
Time, minutes
P
r
e
s
s
u
r
e
,


p
s
i
SMD
Conventional
Start circulating kick out of hole
Kill mud enters top of drillpipe
Kill mud at bit
58
Surface Choke Pressure
vs. Time
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
0 200 400 600 800
Time, minutes
P
r
e
s
s
u
r
e
,


p
s
i
SIDPP
Start circulating
kick out
Top of kick at surface
Kick out of return line
Kill mud enters annulus
SICP
CONVENTIONAL
59
Pit Gain vs. Time
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
0 200 400 600 800
Time, minutes
P
i
t

V
o
l
u
m
e

G
a
i
n
,

b
b
l
s
SMD
Conventional
60
Pressure at the Sea Floor vs. Time
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
0 200 400 600 800
Time, minutes
P
r
e
s
s
u
r
e
,


p
s
i
Conventional
SMD
Start circulating kick out
Kick at seafloor
Kill mud enters annulus
Kill mud
at seafloor
Pressure at inlet to Mudlift System
61
Kick Detection Method Still Valid for DGD?

Pit Gain Still valid
Flow Rate Increase (Returns) Much Better
Well Flows With Rig Pump Off U-tubing ...
Fluid Fill-up on Trips More complicated
Increased Hook Load Still Valid
Drop in Standpipe Pressure Better
Drop in BHP - MWD Still Valid
Drilling Break Still valid
Decreased Mud Weight (Gas Cut) Still valid
62
Well Control Summary

Most Conventional kick detection
methods are still valid
New differential flow rate method -
better - use with computer monitoring
Lower standpipe pressure makes kick
detection easier and faster
Conventional well control can be adapted
- with modifications
63
Well Control Summary contd

Not necessary to shut well in
Seafloor pump controls the BHP
Surface choke pressure generally
does not affect wellbore pressures
Well control training will be essential !!
64
General Summary

Subsea Mudlift Drilling is a method that offers
potential for lowering drilling costs in very deep
waters.
( fewer casing strings, smaller rigs,
less time on location, larger hole )

The method utilizes one or more small-diameter
return lines from the seafloor to the surface. The
drillpipe is not inside a return line.

65
Summary - contd

A mudlift system is used in the return line
thereby making a dual-density mud system
possible.

Wellhead pressure is maintained at seawater
hydrostatic, so well is dead at all times

Well control is quite similar to that in
conventional drilling with a riser
- There are some real advantages:
higher margins, choke line P, etc.
66
Gas Lift?
Glass Beads?
How to Handle
Connections?
Trips?
Pumps?
Gas Lift?
Glass Beads?
Rotating BOP
Dual Gradient
Alternatives