Well Control for the Man on the Rig
by William J. Murchison
Publisher: Murchison Drilling Schools, Inc.
Year Published: 1978, fully revised in 2010!
by William J. Murchison
Publisher: Murchison Drilling Schools, Inc.
Year Published: 1978, fully revised in 2010!
Well Control is of vital importance in the drilling industry and must be well-understood by drillers, toolpushers and company representatives. This comprehensive manual covers all aspects of Well Control in many different situation and includes numerous case histories and examples.
Section 1 - Well Control
- Government Rules and Regulations
- Well Control Equipment
- Warning Signs of Kicks
- Drilling Fluids
- Introduction to Well Control Procedures
- Causes of Kicks
- Closing in a Well for Well Control Purposes
- Well Control Operations (Methods of Control)
- Rig Math for the Man on the Rig
- Unusual Well Control Operations
- Shallow Gas Kicks
- BOP Diverter and Closing System
- Equipment Limitations
- Mechanics Involved in Difficult Well Control Situations
- Abnormal Pressure and Means of Detecting
- Supervising Well Control Operations
- Well Control Drills
Section 2 - Associated Problems
- Lost Circulation
- Abnormal and Maximum Annular Surface Pressure
- Problems Associated with Well Control When Pipe is Off Bottom
- Hole in Drill Pipe or Drill Collar
- More Than One Kick
- Determining Standpipe Shut In Pressure With a Float Valve in String
- Handling of Contaminants on Surface
- Small Influx Into Well Bore and Trip Gas
- Washing Out or Plugging Within the Circulating System
- Failures of Blowout Prevention Equipment
- Mud Changes
- Fishing Inside Tubing with Hydrocarbon Zone Exposed
- Assuming a Well is Safe When a Liner Has Been Run Before Drilling Out
- Assuming the People Understand What They Are Supposed to do While Controlling a Kick is Extended Complacency
- Assuming a Kick is Salt Water and Circulating Out at Constant Pit Level
- Pulling Pipe Into Casing When a Kick is Detected
- Killing the Well With Excessive Mud Weight
- Circulating the Contaminant Out Prior to Raising Mud Weight
- Accepting Data From Others After a Well is in Trouble
- Casing Protector Rubbers Swelling Due to Gas
- Well is Shut in With a Pit Volume Gain and Annular Pressure but Zero Pressure on the Standpipe
- Re-Entering a Well Which Has Blown Out and Bridged Over
- The Exposed Formations Will Not Support Kill Mud and a Trip is Needed to Run Protective Casing
- Pressure on Annulus Between Casing Strings
- Cementing Liners
- Reverse Circulating a Kick
- Tripping While Drilling Underbalanced
- Pit Volume Gain and Zero Pressure on Standpipe and Annulus
- Pit Volume Gain and Standpipe and Annulus Pressures Equal
- Trying to Outrun a Kick Without Shutting the Well In
- Drilling With Improper Weighting Material
- Fluctuating Pump Rate While Holding Drill Pipe Pressure Constant
- Shortages of Materials
- Gas Cap Drilling
- Drilling in Sour Gas Formations
- Underground Blowouts
- Casing Failure During Production Testing
- Closing BOPs With Short Surface String
- Liner Collapse in Deep Wells
- Casing Collapse From Running Drill Stem Test
- Excessive Annulus Pressures
- Killing a Well with Drill Pipe Float in Upside Down
- Excessively Fast "Slow Circulating Rates" for Well Killing
- Blowout Case Histories Associated with Gas Cap Drilling
- Abnormal Pressure Detection
Section 3 - Charts, Tables & Figures