Supervisor Extra Questions

1. What are the benefits of using MPD while drilling a well?

a. It enables a well to be drilled with more consistent BHP.
b. It aids in mitigating pressure-related nonproductive time events.
c. It enables a well to be drilled within a tight window between pore pressure and fracture
pressure.
d. All of the above.

2. Why should the annular preventer not be used during normal MPD operations?
a. Not pressure rated for MPD.
b. For drilling overbalanced only.
c. It should be reserved for well control.
d. Not an API barrier.

3. Which are not main components of an RCD system?

a. Pipe sealing elements.
b. Bearing assembly.
c. Flow line and the orbit valve in the flow line.
d. Bowl/body.

4. If the Rotating Control Device is leaking drilling fluid in a hydrostatically overbalanced

well, what is the first course of action the driller should take?
a. If you have shear rams, close them.
b. Pickup off bottom, shut down the pumps, and close the annular preventer.
c. Increase pressure on the head and continue drilling.
d. Reduce pressure on the head and continue drilling.

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5. How can the location of pills in the wellbore be determined?
a. Reset the stroke counter every hundred strokes while pumping the pill. MW/number of
stroke counter resets = pill location.
b. Include enough LCM in the pill to plug the MWD tool when it reaches that depth.
c. Reset the stroke counter when the pill starts down the drillpipe and keep track of the
strokes pumped.
d. (SICP - SIDP) x .052 /2757 will give the depth from the rotary table.

6. How can a pill be spotted in the correct place?

a. Calculate displacement of drillpipe and each annular section the pill must go through.
Then convert to strokes.
b. Stop pumps when circulating pressure has dropped by 150 psi.
c. The mud engineer will know this from his training and experience.
d. Stop pumps as soon as you see Casing Pressure increase.

7. How are weighted pills used in drilling operations?

a. To help reduce the chance of swabbing when tripping out of the hole.
b. To make the mud level drop inside the pipe when tripping out of the hole.
c. To compensate for hydrostatic underbalance when tripping out of the hole.
d. All of the above.

8. A weighted pill is pumped into the well. As the pipe is pulled out of the pill, what will
happen to bottom hole pressure?
a. Stay the same.
b. Increase.
c. Decrease.

9. What should be done with weighted pills when tripping back into the well?
a. Bullhead the pill into the formation.
b. Weight up the entire system to the pill weight before tripping in.
c. Circulate the pill out in stages.
d. Leave the pill where it is. We may need it if the well starts taking fluid.

10.What will happen to the pill as pipe is tripped out of the well?
a. The pill will always stay in the same place in the well as we trip out or in the hole.
b. The pill will move up in the well and will get shorter as the pipe is pulled through it.
c. The pill will move up in the well and will get longer.
d. The pill will move down in the well and will get shorter as the pipe is pulled
through it.

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11.What will happen to the ECD value as the well goes from a dynamic state to a static
state environment?
a. Stays the same.
b. Decreases.
c. Increases.

12.What effect will an expanding gas bubble have on ECD as it is circulated out of a well?
a. Increases.
b. Stays the same.
c. Decreases.

13.What will happen to friction pressure as the drilling fluid moves from around the
bottom hole assembly to around the drillpipe?
a. Increases.
b. Depends if it’s a mud or a brine fluid.
c. Deceases.
d. Stays the same.

14.You are pumping a kick out of the lateral hole section into the vertical at 40 spm. The
feeling is there will be too much friction, it is decided to slow the pumps down to 30
spm. How will this effect APL?
a. Will stay the same.
b. Decrease it.
c. Depends if it’s a mud or a brine fluid.
d. Increase it.

15.Why is MD used to calculate ECD instead of TVD in the well?

a. Because of the water loss in open formation.
b. Because the friction of the mud solids and cuttings impact the entire annulus.
c. Changes in hydrostatic pressure.
d. Does not matter.

16.While drilling at 8,500 TVD/11,850 MD, the well is full of 10.0 ppg mud, formation
pressure is 4,800 PSI, surface pressure is 250 psi, and APL is 400 psi. The well is:
a. Balanced.
b. Overbalanced.
c. Hydrostatically Underbalanced.
d. Both B and C.

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17.While drilling ahead, the driller notices a slow gain in the pits. He then sees somebody
has decreased the applied back pressure to the choke. What is this causing to happen
in the well?
a. The well is over balanced.
b. The well is balanced.
c. The well is underbalanced.

18.While not circulating, the well is full of a 15.6 ppg mud at 14,000 TVD/16,000 MD and
has 300 psi surface pressure. Formation pressure is 11,794 psi. The well is:
a. Overbalanced.
b. Balanced.
c. Underbalanced.

19.The formation pressure at 12,000 TVD/13,300 MD is 7,500 psi. The mud weight in the
hole is 11 ppg. How much back pressure is enough to bring the BHP up to control
formation pressure?
a. 686 psi
b. 624 psi
c. Zero

20.You have drilled from 9,700 ft to 9,825 ft MD in the last hour. MW = 10.6 ppg, bit size
= 8 1/2", open hole capacity = 0.0702 bbl/ft. 5" OD drillpipe, capacity = 0.01776 bbl/ft,
metal displacement = 0.0065 bbl/ft. 9 5/8" casing is set at 8,000 ft MD. By how many
barrels should the pit level have decreased?
a. 8.8 bbls
b. 6.6 bbls
c. 8.0 bbls
d. 2.2 bbls

21.How does the expansion rate of gas in the horizontal section compare to the vertical
section as it is circulated out of the well?
a. Equal.
b. Greater.
c. Less.
d. Does not matter.

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22.Why is it important to control flow rate when circulating out a kick through the Mud
Gas Separator?
a. Flow rate is dependent on the ability of the dump valve to function properly.
b. The only dimension to consider when circulating out an influx is the height of the
separator.
c. To prevent "blow-through," a separator's flow rate should be limited based on vent line
and mud seal restrictions.
d. All separators can handle any amount of flow rate; therefore, it is not important.

23.What is the meaning of "blow-through" with a mud gas separator?

a. When the hydrostatic pressure in the separator is equal to the vent line back pressure.
b. When the hydrostatic pressure in the separator exceeds the back pressure in the vent
line.
c. When the vent line back pressure exceeds the hydrostatic pressure of the mud leg.
d. None of the above.

24.What measures can be taken to prevent "blow-through" in a mud gas separator?

a. Use the minimum TVD on the mud seal.
b. Allow the hydrostatic head to be reduced in the separator before the influx arrives to
the separator.
c. Limit the flow rate into the separator when the influx is entering the separator.
d. Restrict the vent line ID.

25.What is the purpose for having the flow line capable of venting to the Mud Gas
separator?
a. It can increase pressure on the flow line on a connection.
b. If mud flow is too excessive then you can dump the excess mud into the separator.
c. If gas levels reach a high level in the flow line, then you can vent to the Mud Gas
separator.
d. All of the above.

26.What are potential problems with mud gas separators?

a. Vent line restrictions (small diameter/excessive curves) causes too much back pressure
on the mud seal and risks blow-through.
b. Restricted outlet causes raised mud levels and risks liquid exiting the vent line.
c. Eroded baffle plates reducing retention time and the separator’s ability to allow gas to
come out of solution.
d. All of the above.