Common Hole Problems

Common Hole Problems.

What is the hole problems?
 An event which causes the drilling operation to stop.
 It is described as anon productive time (NPT).
 There are many events which cause NPT in the drilling industry such as (Pipe
sticking, lost circulation and Well kicks).

What is the meaning of stuck pipe?

 A pipe is considered stuck if it cannot be freed from the hole without damaging the
pipe (Drilling pipes cannot be raised, lowered or rotate).
 There are basically two mechanisms for pipe sticking:

Mechanical Sticking
Differential Formation &
Mechanism
Sticking
Hole Pack Off BHA (Wellbore
Geometry)

Settled Cuttings Key Seating

Mobile
Shale Instability
Formations

Fractured Rocks Undergauge Hole

Cause Differential
Force

Micro Doglegs
Cement Blocks
and Ledges

Junk

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Differential Sticking.
 Occurs opposite permeable formations.
 During all drilling operations the drilling fluid hydrostatic pressure is maintained at
a level which exceeds the formation pore pressure (Over balance).
 With high overbalance pressures the drilling fluid will flow into the permeable
formations forming thick filter cake.
 The drill string becomes differentially stuck when it becomes embedded in the
filter cake.
 In differential sticking the pipe is completely stuck with full circulation.
 Methods used to get the pipe free include:
1. Reduction of hydrostatic pressure.
2. Spotting pipe release agents.
3. Applying shock force by mechanical jarring

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 Common Hole Problems

Mechanical Sticking.
 In mechanical sticking the pipe is usually completely stuck with little or no
circulation.
 Mechanical sticking can occur as result of the hole packing off or due to formation
& BHA (wellbore geometry).
 Hole pack off (bridging) can be caused by any one or a combination of the
following processes:
1- Settled cuttings.
 Settled cuttings due to inadequate hole cleaning is one of the major causes of stuck pipes.
 The problem is severe in horizontal and high directional wells.
 Highly inclined wells are particularly difficult to clean due to the tendency of
drilled cuttings to fall to the low side of the hole forming a cutting bed.
 The cutting bed builds and slide down hole.
 While POOH the cuttings is dragged from the low side of the hole.

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 Common Hole Problems

2- Shale Instability.
Shale is classified into two types:

1- Pressurized (Brittle) shale.

 Geopressure formations such as shale where the formation pore fluid pressure is
greater than the hydrostatic pressure can cause splintery cavings.
 Brittle shales tend to fail by breaking into pieces and sloughing into the hole.

2- Reactive (Swelling) shale.

 Often called Gumbo shale, these types of shale tend to swell and disperse in the
drilling mud when drilled with a fluid having inadequate inhibitive properties.
 This is a problem of mud chemistry and not of mud weight.

(Brittle Shale) (Swelling Shale)

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 Common Hole Problems

3- Fractured and Faulted Formations.

 Rock surrounding a fault or fractured zone may be mechanically weakened making
it more instable.
 These fractured and faulted formations may fall into the Wellbore as soon as they
are drilled.
 In addition, excessive drill string vibrations cause the pipe break the exposed
fractured/faulted rocks.
 In all cases, it is important to keep the hole clean in order to reduce the chances of
hole packing off.
4- Cement Block.
 Stuck pipe can be caused by cement block falling from the rat hole beneath the casing
shoe.

5- Junk.
 Several pipe sticking occurred as a result of junk falling into the hole.
 When a large junk dropped and remained in the wellbore and cannot be retrieved it
may cause the pipe to be stuck.

(Fractured/Faulted FM) (Cement Block) (Junk)

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 Common Hole Problems
FORMATION AND BHA (WELL GEOMETRY) CAUSES:

1- Key Seating.
 Caused when the drill pipe, under tension wears a groove in the wall during
drilling operations.
 While POOH the drill string stuck into the groove.
2- Mobile Formation.
 The term mobile or plastic formations usually refer to salt and plastic shale.
 These formations possess plastic properties enabling them to deform and flow
under applied stress.
 The majority of problems encountered in mobile formations have been across salt.
 Salt problems (Salt washout, Salt movement & casing collapse).
3- Under gauge Hole.
 The drilling of abrasive formations such as sandstones can result in bit gauge
wearing.
 This loss of gauge (diameter) causes an under gauged hole to be drilled.
 Stuck pipe have occurred as a result of running full gauge bits into the under gauge
section.
4- Micro Doglegs and Ledges.
 Micro doglegs and ledges develop when drilling formations of varying strengths.
 Micro doglegs and ledges develop when drilling formations of varying strengths
caused by fluid erosion, is drilled in the softer zone

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 Common Hole Problems

(Key Seating/Ledges)

(Salt Movement) (Salt Washout) (Under Gauge Hole)

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 Common Hole Problems

What is the meaning of Lost Circulation?

 Lost circulation is the loss of the drilling fluid into the formation during drilling
operations.
 Mud losses can be experienced as a result of either natural losses or induced
fractures.
 Natural Losses.
- Natural losses occur in rocks containing porosity and permeability or with natural
fractures.
- Three types of formations can be recognized:
1. Coarse Sands and Gravel Beds near the surface.
2. Natural Fissures or Fractures (limestone and chalks which stressed by
tectonic movement).
3. Cavernous Formations (limestone and dolomite formations affected by
ground water).

 Induced Losses.
- Occur in formations where the difference between pore pressure and formation
fracture pressure is low.
- Fractures may be induced by either the drilling ECD or surge pressures.
- Mud losses will occur through the induced fractures.

Classes of Lost Circulation.

 Lost circulation can be grouped into four classes:
1. Seepage losses (From 1-10 bbl/hr).
2. Partial losses (From 10-50 bbl/hr)
3. Severe losses (Greater than 50 bbl/hr)
4. Total losses (no return)

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 Common Hole Problems

Curing Lost Circulation.

 Lost circulation can be cured by one of the following steps:
1. Reducing the GPM to reduce the ECD or reducing the M.WT.
2. Pumping Lost Circulation Materials (LCM).
3. Pumping Cement Plugs.

INDUCED FRACTURES NATURAL FRACTURES

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 Common Hole Problems

Kick and Blowout.

What is the meaning of Kick?

 Kick, Influx or Gain is UN wanted intrusion of the formation fluid into the well
bore which is controllable at surface.
- In order for a kick to occur:-
a. The hydrostatic pressure must be less than the formation pressure.
b. The formation must be sufficiently permeable for flow to occur.
- If a kick occurs, the priority is to prevent it from becoming a blowout.
- The blow out can be defined as uncontrolled kick.

- There are 2 types of blowout:-

o Surface blowout, where fluids are flowing at surface.
o Underground blowout, where fluids are flowing between underground
zones, in other words, one formation is kicking while at the same time
another formation is loosing.

- Typical Causes Of kick:-

1. Not keeping the hole full when tripping.
2. A decrease in hydrostatic pressure due to the effects of swabbing.
3. Insufficient mud weight in an over pressured formation.
4. Lost circulation.
5. Excessive ROP through gaseous sands.

- Signs Of kick:-
1. Increased mud flow return (Flow out) from annulus.
2. Increase in active Pit Level.
3. Increased ROP, or drilling break (sudden change in the rate of penetration).
4. Gas cut mud causing a reduction in the mud weight.
5. Incorrect hole fill (the volume of mud required to keep the hole full is less
than the calculated volume)
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 Common Hole Problems

 Preventing a kick from becoming a blowout is paramount in

well control!
 It is very important, for the safety of the well, that these
indicators be constantly monitored and that any unexplained
changes be checked by authorized persons.
 If the changes are caused by an influx, or kick, the earlier that
it is detected, the easier it will be to control and resolve the
situation.

EARLY DETECTION FLOW CHECK SHUT IN IF FLOWING

 Flow Check: is a test performed to ensure stable well conditions or not.

 Flow check: can also be defined as the period that all operations such as drilling,
tripping pipe and circulating stopped and monitor the well thru the trip tank in order to
see if it is static or not.

 Three cases for the trip tank after flow checking can be
recognized:
1. The level of mud in the trip tank is steady (Well static).
2. The level of mud in the trip tank increased (well flowing).
3. The level of mud in the trip tank increased (Well loosing).

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 Common Hole Problems

Other Hole Problems:

1- Bit Balling.
 Occurs while drilling reactive shales which exhibit plastic properties.
 The problem occurs in poorly inhibited water-based muds when drilled shale
particles adhere to the face of the drill bit, stabilizers and drill collars.
 Bit balling can be prevented by using inhibited mud systems which prevent the
hydration of the clay plates.

2- Tight Hole.
 The hole is said to be tight when the upward or down ward force required to pull
out or run into the well bore.
 Tight hole is usually observed across sections containing reactive clays or salt.
3- Hole washout and Erosion.
 A hole is said to be washed out when its diameter is greater than the diameter of
the drilling bit.
 Hole erosion and washout occur across weak and soft formations as a result of
using large flow rates resulting in excessive mud annular velocities.
 Washouts also occur across reactive shales and salt zones.

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