Well Control

▪ Well control is a process used to prevent blowouts.

▪ The concept of well control revolves around preventing the
uncontrolled release of formation fluids (oil, gas, or water) from
a well during drilling, completion, or production operations.
▪ It is a critical aspect of oil and gas operations, aimed at ensuring
safety, protecting personnel and equipment, and preserving the
environment.
1/27/2025 1
 Well Control
The function of the well control system is to prevent the
uncontrolled flow of fluids from permeable formations into the
wellbore.

The well control system must allow the driller to:

• Detect the kick
• Close –in the well at surface to prevent further influx from the
formations
• Remove the formation fluid which has flowed into the well
• Make the well safe
1/27/2025 2
 Key Principles of Well Control
1.Primary Well Control

▪ Maintains hydrostatic pressure in the wellbore sufficient to

balance the pressure of the formation (formation pressure).
▪ Achieved using drilling fluid (mud) with an appropriate
density to exert the necessary pressure and ensuring the
wellbore is consistently filled with mud.

1/27/2025 3
 Key Principles of Well Control
2. Secondary Well Control

▪ Involves equipment and procedures to regain control when

primary control fails.
▪ Uses blowout preventers (BOPs) to seal the well and stop
the influx of formation fluids.

1/27/2025 4
 Key Principles of Well Control
3. Tertiary Well Control
Tertiary Well Control is specific method used to
control well in case of failure of primary and secondary
well control. These following examples are tertiary
well control:
▪ Drill relief wells to hit adjacent well that is flowing
and kill the well with heavy mud.
▪ Dynamic kill by rapidly pumping of heavy mud to
control well with Equivalent Circulating Density
(ECD).
▪ Pump barite or gunk to plug wellbore to stop
flowing
▪ 1/27/2025
Pump cement to plug wellbore. 5
 Key Concepts in Well Control
1. Formation Pressure: The pressure of fluids within the reservoir rock.
2. Hydrostatic Pressure: The pressure exerted by the column of drilling fluid in
the wellbore.
3. Bottom Hole Pressure (BHP): The combined pressure at the bottom of the
well, including hydrostatic pressure and any applied surface pressure.
4. Kick: Occurs when formation fluids enter the wellbore due to an imbalance
between formation pressure and bottom-hole pressure.
5. Blowout: An uncontrolled release of formation fluids due to the failure to
manage a kick.
1/27/2025 6
 Causes of Well Control Problems

▪ Inadequate mud weight (underbalanced drilling).

▪ Swabbing or surging effects while tripping pipe.
▪ Formation fractures due to excessive pressure (overbalanced
drilling).
▪ Unexpected high-pressure zones.

1/27/2025 7
 Blowout-kick

1/27/2025 8
 Well Control Equipment
1. Blowout Preventers (BOPs): A critical piece of equipment designed to
shut in the well. There two types of BOP. These are:

▪ Annular BOPs: Can seal around various pipe sizes or open hole.
▪ Ram BOPs: Includes blind rams, pipe rams, and shear rams.

The annular preventer is made up of synthetic rubber elements which,

when compressed vertically, will seal off the annular space between the
preventer and the drillstring.

1/27/2025 9
 Annular BOPs

1/27/2025 10
 Well Control Equipment
Ram-type preventers are made of hydraulic rams which, when required,
are driven across the wellbore to seal off the annular space. Normally,
both types of preventer are used on a well and are stacked up, one on top
of the other, to form a BOP stack.

1/27/2025 11
 BOPs

1/27/2025 12
 Well Control Equipment
2. Choke Manifold: Used to control well pressure and flow during kick
circulation.

1/27/2025 13
 Well Control Equipment
3. Kill Lines and Kill Pumps: Facilitate the circulation of heavy mud to
control the well.

1/27/2025 14
 Well Control Equipment
4. Mud-Gas Separator: Separates gas from drilling mud during kick
situations. It is commonly called a gas-buster or poor boy degasser. It
captures and separates the large volumes of free gas within the drilling fluid.

1/27/2025 15
 Stages of Well Control
1. Detection of a Kick: Early detection through signs like changes in mud
return flow, pit volume, or gas influx.
2. Shutting in the Well: Closing the BOP to contain the kick.
3. Pressure Control: Using the choke manifold to manage pressures and
safely circulate out the kick.
4. Well Stabilization: Adjusting mud weight to prevent further kicks and
ensure primary control.
Understanding and implementing proper well control practices are essential to
minimize
1/27/2025
risks and ensure safe drilling operations. 16
 Well monitoring equipment

▪ Well monitoring equipment is essential for maintaining

safe and efficient drilling and production operations. It
provides real-time data on well conditions, allowing
operators to detect potential issues, such as kicks, loss of
circulation, or other hazards, and take corrective actions
promptly.
1/27/2025 17
 Well monitoring equipment
▪ This will help to avoid costly delays in the drilling process. There are
therefore various measuring devices, monitoring the key drilling
functions (e.g. weight on bit- WOB, Revolutions per Minute- RPM of
the drill bit , pump rate , pump pressure, gas content of mud etc.)
placed in strategic positions around the rig. These devices are linked
up to gauges installed on the driller's console where he can read them
easily.
1/27/2025 18
 Well monitoring equipment

1/27/2025 19
 The turbodrill
The turbodrill is a type of downhole drilling motor used in oil and

gas drilling operations. It is powered by drilling fluid (mud) to

rotate the drill bit independently of the drill string. This makes it an

effective tool for high-speed rotary drilling, especially in hard and

abrasive formations.

1/27/2025 20
 The turbodrill
Principle of Operation:
The turbodrill operates using the energy of the circulating drilling fluid.
Here’s how it works:

1. Drilling Fluid Flow: The mud is pumped from the surface through the drill string.
2. Power Generation: The fluid passes through a set of stationary and rotating
blades in the turbodrill, converting the fluid’s hydraulic energy into mechanical
energy.
3. Bit Rotation: The rotating blades drive the drill bit, while the drill string remains
stationary or rotates at a slower speed if necessary.
1/27/2025 21
 The turbodrill
Main Components of a Turbodrill:
1.Stator and Rotor:
▪ The stator is the stationary part of the motor that directs the flow of mud onto the rotor.
▪ The rotor is the moving part, driven by the force of the fluid to produce torque.
2.Bearings:
▪ High-load bearings support the rotor and allow it to handle the weight of the drill string
and the axial forces exerted during drilling.
3.Bit Drive Shaft:
▪ Transfers torque from the rotor to the drill bit at the bottom of the assembly.
4.Mud Nozzles:
▪ Control the flow rate and direction of the drilling fluid to optimize motor performance.
5.Seal Assemblies:
▪ Protect the internal components from debris and fluid contamination, ensuring longevity
and reliability.
1/27/2025 22
 Turbine Motors

1/27/2025 23
 Advantages of a Turbodrill
1.High Bit Speed:
▪ Turbodrills provide much higher rotational speeds (up to thousands of RPM)
compared to conventional rotary drilling.
2.Efficient in Hard Rock Formations:
▪ Ideal for drilling hard, abrasive, and compact formations where slow-speed, high-
torque methods may struggle.
3.Improved Directional Control:
▪ Works well in directional and horizontal drilling, as it allows precise control over the
wellbore trajectory.
4.Reduced Drill String Wear:
▪ Since the drill string doesn’t need to rotate at high speeds, wear and tear on surface
equipment and tubulars are minimized.
5.Compact Design:
▪ Its compact size allows it to be used in slim-hole drilling or when space is limited.
1/27/2025 24
 Disadvantages of a Turbodrill
1.Limited Torque:
▪ While it provides high speeds, the torque generated is lower compared to other
drilling motors, such as positive displacement motors (PDMs).
2.High Fluid Flow Requirements:
▪ Requires high flow rates of drilling mud to operate effectively, which may limit its
use in certain formations or with low-pressure mud systems.
3.Wear and Maintenance:
▪ Bearings and other components experience significant wear, requiring regular
maintenance and replacement.
4.Sensitive to Mud Quality:
▪ Performance can be affected by the type and quality of the drilling mud, particularly
if solids or debris are present.
1/27/2025 25
 Applications of a Turbodrill
1. Hard Rock Drilling:
Used in formations with high compressive strength, such as granite or quartzite.
2. Slim-Hole Drilling:
Suitable for narrow-diameter wellbores due to its compact design.
3. Directional and Horizontal Wells:
Its ability to provide high bit speed and independent rotation makes it ideal for
navigating complex well paths.
4. Coiled Tubing Operations:
Often paired with coiled tubing for underbalanced or slim-hole drilling applications.
1/27/2025 26