20. Abnormal Pressure 411.

Well Drilling Slide 1 of 41

PETE 411

Well Drilling
Lesson 20

Abnormal Pressure
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 2 of 41
Abnormal Pressure
Normal Pore Pressures
Abnormal Pore Pressure Gradients
Fracture Gradients
Mud Weights
Casing Seat Depths
What Causes Abnormal Pressure?
Detection of Abnormal Pressure
Quantification of Abnormal Pressure
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 3 of 41
HW #10
Surge Pressure (on the Web)
Due 10-19-01
Read:

Applied Drilling Engineering, Ch. 6
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 4 of 41
Abnormal
Pressure
Gradients
Normal Pressure Gradients
West Texas: 0.433 psi/ft
Gulf Coast: 0.465 psi/ft
Normal and Abnormal Pore Pressure
Pore Pressure, psig
D
e
p
t
h
,


f
t

10,000
? ?
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 5 of 41
Normal
Abormal
Density of mud required to control this pore pressure
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 6 of 41
Pore Pressure
Gradient
Fracture Gradient
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 7 of 41
* Pore
Pressure
Gradients

* Fracture
Gradients

* Casing
Setting
Depths
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 8 of 41
Some Causes of Abnormal Pressure
1. Incomplete compaction of sediments
Fluids in sediments have not
escaped and help support the
overburden.
2. Tectonic movements
Uplift
Faulting
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 9 of 41
Some Causes of Abnormal Pressure
3. Aquifers in Mountainous Regions
Aquifer recharge is at higher
elevation than drilling rig location.
4. Charged shallow reservoirs due to
nearby underground blowout.

5. Large structures...
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 10 of 41
HIGH PRESSURE
NORMAL PRESSURE
Thick, impermeable layers of shale (or salt) restrict the movement
of water. Below such layers abnormal pressure may be found.
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 11 of 41
HIGH PRESSURE
NORMAL PRESSURE
Hydrostatic pressure gradient is lower in gas or oil than in water.
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 12 of 41
When crossing faults it is possible to go from normal
pressure to abnormally high pressure in a short interval.
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 13 of 41
Well A found only Normal Pressure ...
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 14 of 41
o
OB
= p + o
Z

o
ob

p o
z

20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 15 of 41
?
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 16 of 41
Abnormal Pressure contd
Detection of Abnormal Pore Pressures
Prediction of Abnormal Pore Pressures
D-Exponent
D
C
-Exponent
Example
Importance of Shale Density
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 17 of 41
Indications of Abnormal Pore Pressures
Methods:

1. Seismic data
2. Drilling rate
3. Sloughing shale
4. Gas units in mud
5. Shale density
6. Chloride content
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 18 of 41
Indications of Abnormal Pore Pressures
Methods, contd:

7. Change in Mud properties
8. Temperature of Mud Returns
9. Bentonite content in shale
10. Paleo information
11. Wire-line logs
12. MWD-LWD
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 19 of 41
Prediction and Detection of Abnormal
Pressure Zones
1. Before drilling
Shallow seismic surveys
Deep seismic surveys
Comparison with nearby wells
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 20 of 41
Prediction and Detection of Abnormal
Pressure Zones
2. While drilling
Drilling rate, gas in mud, etc. etc.
D

- Exponent
D
C
- Exponent
MWD - LWD
Density of shale (cuttings)
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 21 of 41
Prediction and Detection of Abnormal
Pressure Zones
3. After drilling
Resistivity log
Conductivity log
Sonic log
Density log
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 22 of 41
.
.
S
D 000085 . 0
e 41 . 0

= |
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 23 of 41
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 24 of 41
Decreasing ROP
What is d-
exponent?
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 25 of 41
D - Exponent
The
drilling rate
equation:
Where
R = drilling rate, ft/hr
K = drillability constant
N = rotary speed, RPM
E = rotary speed expon.
W = bit weight, lbs
D
B
= bit diameter, in
D = bit wt. Exponent
or D - exponent
D
B
E
D
W
N K R
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 26 of 41
D - Exponent
If we assume that K = 1
and E = 1

Then
D
B
E
D
W
N K R
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
B
D
W
log
N
R
log
D
D
B
D
W
N
R
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 27 of 41
D - Exponent
A modified version of this equation
follows:
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
B
6
D 10
W 12
log
N 60
R
log
d
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 28 of 41
Example
Calculate the value of the d - exponent if
the drilling rate is 35 ft/hr, the rotary RPM is
100, and the weight on the 12 1/4 bit is
60,000 lbs.
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
B
6
D 10
W 12
log
N 60
R
log
d
2308 . 1
2341 . 2
25 . 12 10
000 , 60 * 12
log
100 * 60
35
log
6

=
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
d = 1.82
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 29 of 41
Example
What happens to d if R doubles to 70 ft/hr?






Note that an increase in R resulted in a decrease in d.
Doubling R decreased d from 1.82 to 1.57
57 . 1
2308 . 1
9331 . 1
25 . 12 10
000 , 60 * 12
log
100 * 60
70
log
d
6
=

=
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 30 of 41
Example
d may be Corrected for density as
follows
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
) ppg ( use in weight mud actual
) ppg ( gradient normal for weight mud
d d
c
37 . 1
12
9
* 82 . 1
12
9
d d ., g . e
c
=
|
.
|

\
|
=
|
.
|

\
|
=
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 31 of 41
Example 2
Calculate d if: R = 20 ft/hr
N = 100 RPM
W = 25,000 lbf
D
B
= 9 7/8 in
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
875 . 9 * 10
000 , 25 * 12
log
100 * 60
20
log
6 |
|
.
|

\
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
B
6
D 10
W 12
log
N 60
R
log
d
d = 1.63
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 32 of 41
Example 2
If the normal pore pressure gradient in the
area is 0.433 psi/ft, and the actual mud
weight is 11.2 #/gal, what is d
c
?
|
.
|

\
|
=
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
2 . 11
33 . 8
* 63 . 1
) ppg ( weight mud actual
) ppg ( gradient normal
d d
c
d
c
= 1.21
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 33 of 41
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 34 of 41
Procedure for Determining Pore
Pressure From d
c
- Exponent
Calculate d
c
over 10-30 ft intervals
Plot d
c
vs depth (use only date from
Clean shale sections)
Determine the normal line for the
d
c
vs. depth plot.
Establish where d
c
deviates from the
normal line to determine abnormal
pressure zone
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 35 of 41
Procedure for Determining Pore
Pressure From d
c
- Exponent
d
c
- Exponent
D
e
p
t
h

Normal
Abnormal
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 36 of 41
Procedure for Determining Pore
Pressure From d
c
- Exponent
If possible, quantify the magnitude of the
abnormal pore pressure using
overlays, or Ben Eatons Method
Pore
Pressure
Grad.
Overburden
Stress Grad.
Normal Pore
Pressure Grad.
2 . 1
c
c
n
normal d
calculated d
D
P
D
S
D
S
D
P
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 37 of 41
In normally pressured
shales, shale
compaction increases
with depth
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 38 of 41
Shale Density - Mud Cup Method
1. Fill mud cup with shale until the weight is 8.33.
2. Fill to top with water, and record the reading W
tot.

Note: Dry sample carefully with towel.
Do not apply heat.
tot
W 66 . 16
33 . 8
Gravity . Spec

=
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 39 of 41
Alternate Method: Use variable density column.
See p. 270 in text
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 40 of 41
Pore Pressure from
Resistivity
Shale resistivity plots
may be developed
from (i) logs or
(ii) cuttings
What is the pore
pressure at the point
indicated on the plot?
[Assume Gulf Coast].
Depth=10,000 ft
0.2 0.5 1 2 3
10,000
20. Abnormal Pressure 411. Well Drilling Slide 41 of 41
From plot, R
n
= 1.55 ohms
R
obs
= 0.80 ohms

From Eaton:
EATON
2 . 1
n
obs
n
R
R
D
P
D
S
D
S
D
P
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
( )
2 . 1
55 . 1
80 . 0
465 . 0 95 . 0 95 . 0
D
P
|
.
|

\
|
=
= 0.7307 psi/ft = 14.05 lb/gal
P = 0.7307 * 10,000 = 7,307 psi
0.2 0.5 1 2 3
10,000
D
e
p
t
h