Crisman Annual Report 2009 - Harold Vance Department of ...

Managed Pressure Drilling Candidate Selection
Introduction
Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD), now at the
pinnacle of the ‘Oil Well Drilling’ evolution tree, has
itself been coined in 2003. It is an umbrella term for
a few new drilling techniques and some preexisting
drilling techniques, all of them aiming to solve several
drilling problems, including non-productive time
and/or drilling flat time issues. These techniques,
now sub-classifications of MPD, are referred to as
‘Variations’ and ‘Methods’ of MPD.
Objectives
Although using MPD for drilling wells has several
benefits, not all wells that seem a potential candidate
for MPD, need MPD. The drilling industry has
numerous simulators and software models to perform
drilling hydraulics calculations and simulations.
Most of them are designed for conventional well
hydraulics, while some can perform Underbalanced
Drilling (UBD) calculations, and a select few can
perform MPD calculations. Most of the few available
MPD models are modified UBD versions that fit MPD
needs. However, none of them focus on MPD and its
candidate selection alone.
Perform Hydraulic
Analysis
Are
BHP & Ann Pr No
Inside the PP &
FP Window
?
Are
All Project
Objectives
Met
?
Yes
Yes
MPD is not Required
START
Procure Information & Define Project Objectives
Change Design
Parameters
No
Is
Rheology /
MW / Other
Design Variations
Possible
?
MPD is not Useful
STOP
Perform Hydraulic
Analysis
Is
an MPD
Variation Available,
Meeting the
Criterion
?
MPD is Applicable
Example of MPD candidate selection flow diagram.
Yes
No
No
Yes
Are
All the
Constraints &
Project Objectives
Met
?
Yes
Change Design
Parameters
No
Yes
Is
Another
Method Available or
Perameter Change
Possible
?
No
MPD is not Useful
A ‘Managed Pressure Drilling Candidate Selection
Model and software’ that can act as a preliminary
screen to determine the utility of MPD for potential
candidate wells will be developed as a part of this
research dissertation.
Approach
A model and a flow diagram are needed to identify
the key steps in candidate selection. The software
will perform the basic hydraulic calculations and
provide useful results in the form of tables, plots
and graphs that would help in making better
engineering decisions. An additional MPD worldwide
wells database with basic information on a few
MPD projects will also been compiled that can act
as a basic guide on the MPD variation and project
frequencies and aid in MPD candidate selection.
Accomplishments
Finished the MPD Candidate Selection Flow Diagram,
Worldwide MPD wells database and the MPD
Candidate Selection Thesis.
CRISMAN INSTITUTE
Project Information
2.1.1 Managed Pressure Drilling Candidates Selection Model
Related Publications
Nauduri, S., Medley, G.H., and Schubert, J.J. MPD: Beyond
Narrow Pressure Windows. IADC/SPE Paper Number
122276-PP, presented at the 2009 IADC/SPE, Managed
Pressure Drilling and Underbalanced Operations Conference
and Exhibition, San Antonio, Texas, 12-13 February.
Contacts
Jerome Schubert
979.862.1195
jerome.schubert@pe.tamu.edu
Hans Juvkam-Wold
979.845.4093
juvkam-wold@tamu.edu
Anantha Nauduri
Crisman Annual Report 2009
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