Managed Pressure Drilling

© 2006 Weatherford. All rights reserved.

 Definitions

An adaptive drilling process used to precisely control the annular pressure profile throughout
the wellbore. The objectives are to ascertain the downhole pressure environment limits and to
manage the annular hydraulic pressure profile accordingly. MPD is intended to avoid
continuous influx of formation fluids to the surface. Any influx incidental to the operation will
be safely contained using an appropriate process.

Drilling Connection Drilling – Change in required BHP Drilling Connection Drilling – Change in required BHP

Required BHP (Pore Pressure + Margin) Required BHP (Pore Pressure + Margin)
New
New Surface
Surface Surface
Circulating Reduction Circulating Circulating Backpressure Backpressure
Backpressure Modified
Friction in BHP Friction Friction
Equivalent Circulating Density (ppg)

Surface
Same
Circulating Backpressure Circulating Circulating
Friction Friction Friction

New
Hydrostatic Hydrostatic Hydrostatic Hydrostatic Same
Pressure Pressure Pressure Pressure Hydrostatic Hydrostatic Hydrostatic
Hydrostatic
Pressure Pressure Pressure
Pressure

Time / Depth Time / Depth

Conventional Drilling Practices

© 2006 Weatherford. All rights reserved.
Managed Pressure Drilling
 Why NOT MPD?

• It is not an expensive solution – there is a cost-benefits value.

• It is not unsafe – there are more QHSE controls and barriers than in
conventional drilling practices.

• It is not a well control technology – but enhances the conventional

practices as there is full control of micro influxes.

• It is not UBD – but formation testing can be programmed.

© 2006 Weatherford. All rights reserved.

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 General Applications for MPD

• Exploratory wells

• High pressure/high temperature (HPHT) wells

• Fields with pressure maintenance programs, gas injection , water

injection.

• Wells with narrow mud weight windows

• Wells without operating window

• Wells with rapid-change pore pressure regimes

• Areas with high incidence of kicks or Loss-Kicks

• Areas with high pore pressure/fracture gradient uncertainties

• Areas where Collapse pressure is included in the operating

range.
© 2006 Weatherford. All rights reserved.
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 Added Drilling Performance Value w/MPD
The solution to drilling challenges The value
-Drill “Un-drillable” tight Pore/Fracture pressure gradients
-Drill “Un-drillable” vuggy/fractured carbonates where OB circulation is impossible Drill to
-Drill to target depth in wells with high in-situ stresses the target
-Set casing deeper
-Increase ROP drilling closer to balanced condition
-Reduce number of loss/kick occurrences
-Reduce time spent dealing with well control events while
-Detect Kicks earlier saving
-Differentiate Kick from Ballooning cost,
reducing
-Reduce pressure cycles that cause fatigue-related borehole instability
NPT
-Reduce open hole exposure-time induced borehole instability Related
-Reduce mud costs Events
-Reduce number of casing strings
-Trip safely
-Remove H2S hazard from rig floor
and
-Remove HPHT hazard from rig floor
improving
-Positive fluid containment at surface in environmentally sensitive locations safety
© 2006 Weatherford. All rights reserved.
 MPD Variants
Flow control
Returns-flow-control MPD reduces risk to personnel
and the environment from drilling fluids and well
control incidents.

CBHP
Constant bottomhole pressure MPD reduces NPT
The goal of managed pressure and enables fewer and deeper casing strings when
drilling (MPD) is to use a pore- to fracture-pressure gradient windows are
closed and pressurizable narrow,
circulating fluid system to
control the pressure profile PMCD
throughout the wellbore in a Pressurized mud-cap drilling MPD enables high
way that eliminates many of ROP, less flat time and lower-cost drilling in extreme-
the drilling and wellbore loss situations.
stability issues that are
inherent to conventional drilling FLOW / MASS BALANCE:
Secure MudCap drilling.

DG
Dual gradient
Dual-gradient drilling enables successful navigation
through pore-pressure & fracture gradient windows
© 2006 Weatherford. All rights reserved.
using two gradient fluids
 Benefits of MPD

• Walk the Line: MPD allows “walking the line” precisely above the pore
pressure and below the fracture pressure in order to reduce extreme
overbalanced conditions that may damage the reservoirs.

• Avoiding Pressure Fluctuations: Compensating the loss of annular

friction pressure by adding equivalent surface back pressure using a MPD
choke.

• Faster Reaction to Well Events: Enables faster reaction to unexpected

changes in the pore/fracture pressures, identifying at the same time the real
pore/fracture pressures. This is valuable information while drilling exploratory
wells.

• Early Influx Detection/Control: Detect the influx or loss and control it

by utilizing MPD surface equipments ( choke and Coriolis flow meter).

• Reduction of Non-Productive Time (NPT):

© 2006 Weatherford. All rights reserved.

 MicrofluxTM Operation Parameters Monitoring

Blue Plot: Flow

into the Well

Red Plot:
Return Flow
Blue Plot: Stand Red Solid Plot: Choke-A Desired
Pipe Pressure Position

White Plot: Green Solid Plot: Choke-A Actual

Surface Back Position
Pressure
Choke-B Plots are dashed, or
invisible if disabled

Blue Plot: Density

into the Well

Red Plot: Return

Density

© 2006 Weatherford. All rights reserved.

 MPD Connections – SBP & SPP Behavior

Driller reduces SBP increases

rig pump flow automatically as rig
rate and MPD pump flow rate is
pump is brought reduced
on line MPD
FLOW- CHOKE %
IN OPENING
FLOW-
OUT Choke moves
STAND PIPE
automatically to
PRESSURE SURFACE adjust the SBP
BACK as Driller
PRESSURE reduces and
increases the rig
Driller increases pump flow rate
rig pump flow
rate as MPD
pump is stopped

SBP reduces
automatically as
pump flow rate
is increased

© 2006 Weatherford. All rights reserved.

 MicrofluxTM Auto Kick Detection and Control

© 2006 Weatherford. All rights reserved.

 Screen Shots

Tool Joints

© 2006 Weatherford. All rights reserved.

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