Overview of Drilling Operations

Drilling engineering is a branch of knowledge where the design, analysis,

and implement procedure are completed to drill a well as sustainably as
possible. In a word, it is the technology used to utilize crude oil and
natural gas reserves.

Role of drilling in field development

The life of an oil or gas field can be sub-divided into the following phases:
• Exploration
• Appraisal
• Development
• Maintenance
• Abandonment

The objectives of the exploration well will be:

• To determine the presence of hydrocarbons

• To provide geological data (cores, logs) for evaluation
• To flow test the well to determine its production potential, and obtain
fluid samples

The drilling program is prepared by the Drilling Engineer and contains

the following:
• Drilling Rig to be used for the well
• Proposed Location for the Drilling Rig
• Hole Sizes and Depths
• Casing Sizes and Depths
• Drilling Fluid Specification
• Directional Drilling Information
• Well Control Equipment and Procedures
• Bits and Hydraulics Program

ROTARY DRILLING EQUIPMENT

rotary drilling is the technique whereby the rock cutting tool is suspended
on the end of hollow pipe, so that fluid can be continuously circulated
across the face of the drillbit cleaning the drilling material from the face
of the bit and carrying it to surface. This is a much more efficient process
than the cable-tool technique. The cutting tool used in this type of drilling
is not a chisel but a relatively complex tool ( drillbit ) which drills
through the rock under the combined effect of axial load and rotation and
will be described in detail in the chapter relating to drillbits.
OFFSHORE DRILLING

About 25% of the world’s oil and gas is currently being produced from
offshore fields (e.g. North Sea, Gulf of Mexico). Although the same
principles of rotary drilling used onshore are also used offshore there are
certain modifications to procedures and equipment which are necessary to
cope with a more hostile environment.
Rig Components

There are many individual pieces of equipment on a rotary drilling rig

These individual pieces of equipment can however be grouped together
into six sub systems. These systems are: the power system; the hoisting
system; the circulating system; the rotary system; the well control system
and the well monitoring system. Although the pieces of equipment
associated with these systems will vary in design, these systems will be
found on all drilling rigs. The equipment discussed below will be found
on both land-based and offshore drilling rigs.
1. Power system

Most drilling rigs are required to operate in remote locations where a

power supply is not available. They must therefore have a method of
generating the electrical power which is used to operate the systems
mentioned above. The electrical power generators are driven by diesel
powered internal combustion engines (prime movers). Electricity is then
supplied to electric motors connected to the drawworks, rotary table and
mud pumps

2. Hoisting system
The hoisting system is a large pulley system which is used to lower and
raise equipment into and out of the well. In particular, the hoisting system
is used to raise and lower the drillstring and casing into and out of the
well.

3. Circulating System
The circulating system is used to circulate drilling fluid down through the
drillstring and up the annulus, carrying the drilled cuttings from the face
of the bit to surface. The main components of the circulating system are
shown in Figure beloww. The main functions of the drilling fluid are:
• To clean the hole of cuttings made by the bit
• To exert a hydrostatic pressure sufficient to prevent formation fluids
entering the borehole
Drilling fluid (mud) is usually a mixture of water, clay, weighting
material (Barite) and chemicals. The mud is mixed and conditioned in the
mud pits and then circulated downhole by large pumps (slush pumps).
The mud is pumped through the standpipe, kelly hose, swivel, kelly and
down the drillstring. At the bottom of the hole the mud passes through the
bit and then up the annulus, carrying cuttings up to surface. On surface
the mud is directed from the annulus, through the flowline (or mud return
line) and before it re-enters the mudpits the drilled cuttings are removed
from the drilling mud by the solids removal equipment. Once the drilled
cuttings have been removed from the mud it is re-circulated down the
hole. The mud is therefore in a continuous circulating system. The
properties of the mud are checked continuously to ensure that the desired
properties of the mud are maintained. If the properties of the mud change
then chemicals will be added to the mud to bring the properties back to
those that are required to fulfil the functions of the fluid. These chemicals
will be added whilst circulating through the mud pits or mud with the
required properties will be mixed in separate mud pits and slowly mixed
in with the circulating mud. When the mud pumps are switched off, the
mud will stop flowing through the system and the level of the mud inside
the drillstring will equal the level in the annulus. The level in the annulus
will be equal to the height of the mud return flowline. If the mud
continues to flow from the annulus when the mud pumps are switched off
then an influx from the formation is occurring and the well should be
closed in with the Blowout preventer stack

4. Rotary system

The rotary system is used to rotate the drillstring, and therefore the
drillbit, on the bottom of the borehole. The rotary system includes all the
equipment used to achieve bit rotation
The swivel is positioned at the top of the drillstring. It has 3 functions:
• Supports the weight of the drill string
• Permits the string to rotate
• Allows mud to be pumped while the string is rotating The hook of the
travelling block is latched into the bail of the swivel and the kelly hose is
attached to the gooseneck of the swivel.
The kelly is the first section of pipe below the swivel. It is normally about
40' long, and has an outer hexagonal cross-section. It must have this
hexagonal (or sometimes square) shape to transmit rotation from the
rotary table to the drillstring. The kelly has a right hand thread connection
on its lower [pin] end, and a left hand thread connection on its upper [box]
end. A short, inexpensive piece of pipe called a kelly saver sub is used
between the kelly and the first joint of drillpipe. The kelly saver sub
prevents excessive wear of the threads of the connection on the kelly, due
to continuous make-up and breakout of the kelly whilst drilling. Kelly
cocks are valves installed at either end of the kelly to isolate high
pressures and prevent backflow from the well if an influx occurs at the
bottom of the well.The rotary table is located on the drill floor and can be
turned in both clockwise and anti-clockwise directions. It is controlled
from the drillers console. This rotating table has a square recess and four
post holes. A large cylindrical sleeve, called a master bushing, is used to
protect the rotary table.

5. Well Control System

The function of the well control system is to prevent the uncontrolled

flow of formation fluids from the wellbore. When the drillbit enters a
permeable formation the pressure in the pore space of the formation may
be greater than the hydrostatic pressure exerted by the mud colom. If this
is so, formation fluids will enter the wellbore and start displacing mud
from the hole. Any influx of formation fluids (oil, gas or water) in the
borehole is known as a kick.
The well control system is designed to:
• Detect a kick • Close-in the well at surface
• Remove the formation fluid which has flowed into the well
• Make the well safe
Failure to do this results in the uncontrolled flow of fluids - known as a
blow-out - which may cause loss of lives and equipment, damage to the
environment and the loss of oil or gas reserves. Primary well control is
achieved by ensuring that the hydrostatic mud pressure is sufficient to
overcome formation pressure. Hydrostatic pressure is calculated from:

Primary control will only be maintained by ensuring that the mud weight
is kept at the prescribed value, and keeping the hole filled with mud.
Secondary well control is achieved by using valves to prevent the flow of
fluid from the well until such time as the well can be made safe.

6. Well Monitoring System

Safety requires constant monitoring of the drilling process. If drilling

problems are detected early remedial action can be taken quickly, thereby
avoiding major problems. The driller must be aware of how drilling
parameters are changing (e.g. WOB, RPM, pump rate, pump pressure,
gas content of mud etc.). For this reason there are various gauges installed
on the driller’s console where he can read them easily. Another useful aid
in monitoring the well is mudlogging. The mudlogger carefully inspects
rock cuttings taken from the shale shaker at regular intervals. By
calculating lag times the cuttings descriptions can be matched with the
depth and hence a log of the formations being drilled can be drawn up .
This log is useful to the geologist in correlating this well with others in
the vicinity. Mudloggers also monitor the gas present in the mud by using
gas chromatography.