SPE 54283

Planning of Deepwater Drilling Operations with Aerated Fluids

E. Y. Nakagawa, SPE, H. Santos, SPE, J. C. Cunha, SPE, and S. Shayegi, SPE, Petrobras

Copyright 1999, Society of Petroleum Engineers Inc.

This paper was prepared for presentation at the 1999 SPE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas
Conference and Exhibition held in Jakarta, Indonesia, 2022 April 1999.
This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE Program Committee following review of
information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper, as
presented, have not been reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to
correction by the author(s). The material, as presented, does not necessarily reflect any
position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, its officers, or members. Papers presented at
SPE meetings are subject to publication review by Editorial Committees of the Society of
Petroleum Engineers. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper
for commercial purposes without the written consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers is
prohibited. Permission to reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300
words; illustrations may not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous
acknowledgment of where and by whom the paper was presented. Write Librarian, SPE, P.O.
Box 833836, Richardson, TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435.

Abstract
Although underbalanced drilling (UBD) has been used for
many years, with more than 11,000 wells drilled
underbalanced in Canada and the USA, this technique has
been almost exclusively applied to onshore fields. Despite a
few experiences offshore, questions related to safety, logistics,
and equipment placement have kept offshore UBD restricted
to fixed platforms or jack-up rigs. Nevertheless, the industry
trend towards offshore deepwater production has made it
imperative to make this technology technically and
economically viable for use in floater units as well.
This paper describes current efforts being made by a group
of companies involved in a Joint Industry Project (JIP)
focused on planning and drilling a deepwater offshore well
from a semi-submersible platform using nitrified fluid.
Although the well will not be drilled underbalanced for this
first well, it will be the first well to be drilled from a floating
vessel using a gasified fluid.
The main issues addressed in the project include: field data
analysis, drilling hydraulics and cuttings transport experiments
and modeling, software development and validation, formation
damage experiments and modeling, wellbore stability failure
mechanisms, operational procedures, safety issues, equipment
development and /or conversion and benefits quantification for
the process. Several of the key issues are discussed in this
paper.
Introduction
Underbalanced drilling is quickly evolving into a method for
developing both mature and new reservoirs in a way that can
potentially optimize reservoir potential, minimize formation
damage, reduce operational problems and increase the rate of
penetration. The technology of underbalanced drilling,1 in

which the bottom-hole pressure is intentionally designed to be

lower than the pressure of the formation being drilled,
allowing hydrocarbon influx, often involves the use of gasified
liquids to reduce the density of the circulating fluid.
Underbalanced drilling is not a new technique for the
petroleum industry. As early as the 1950s aerated muds were
used to avoid lost circulation problems. With the introduction
of annular pressure controlled rotating BOPs and rotating
heads, along with a complete pressurized surface control
system, drilling underbalanced become a viable and safe
alternative to drilling overbalanced.
Until recently
underbalanced drilling had only been used onshore, however
in 1998 the first offshore applications with aerated fluids were
reported. An underbalanced well was drilled in Lake
Maracaibo, Venezuela, from a barge and another UBD well
was drilled from a fixed platform in the North Sea2. When
compared with conventional drilling, if applied proficiently,
underbalanced drilling can potentially result in increased profit
margins due to its advantages which include: (1) avoidance of
lost circulation problems; (2) minimizing damage to sensitive
pay zones; (3) higher penetration rates and bit life; (4)
immediate and continuous evaluation of cuttings for
hydrocarbon shows; and (5) production while drilling.3
Scenario for Implementation
The implementation of the light-weight fluids drilling
technology offshore from a floating vessel will commence
with drilling in the Albacora Field located in the Campos
Basin. In the first field test the well will be drilled at nearbalance using a nitrified fluid from a semi-submersible. The
objective of the next field test will be to drill underbalanced
from a floating vessel in deep waters.
Petrobras classifies water depths between 300 m (980 ft) to
1,000 m (3,280 ft) as deep waters and above 1,000 m (3,280
ft) as ultra-deep waters. Today, about 76% of Petrobras
proved reserves and 79% of the total reserves are located in
waters deeper than 400 m. Since most of its reserves are
located offshore in deep and ultra-deep waters in the Campos
Basin, Petrobras has had to focus on technology for efficient
production and development under these conditions. Offshore
light-weight fluids drilling is one such technology that, if it
proves successful, can enhance well productivity and decrease
costs over the long term.

EDSON Y. NAKAGAWA, HLIO SANTOS, JOS C. CUNHA, S. SHAYEGI

The Campos Basin, located on the Southeastern

continental margin of Brazil, accounts for 71% of the oil and
37% of the gas produced in Brazil.
The basin is
approximately 100,000 Km2 in area, mostly situated offshore
and extending into water depths of 3400 m. Table 1 shows a
summary of the Campos Basin fields in deep waters.4
The primary objective in drilling underbalanced in the
Campos Basin is to reduce formation damage and thus
increase potential production rates for each well drilled. The
final goal is to drill horizontal and multilateral wells through
the low pressured or depleted reservoirs in some of these
deepwater fields.
With such a large reserve base moving to deeper waters
and the high cost of fixed platforms, application of a technique
that will maximize financial returns is an attractive option.
Several preliminary steps in an effort to gain experience in
moving towards the final objective of drilling an horizontal
well underbalanced from a floating vessel in deep water are
necessary.
This first field test is partly a rehearsal prior to the main
program in order to test and optimize the entire drilling
operation. Areas that need to be proved feasible include the
proposed operational procedures, safety and the equipment
specifically designed or adapted for these operations.
Additionally, the drilling personnel need to gain experience
and adjust to the operational differences, restrictions, and
requirements of drilling with a two-phase fluid through a riser
from a floating vessel. The well will be drilled slightly
overbalanced in order to resolve as many issues as possible
before adding another level of complexity by drilling fully
underbalanced and handling oil and gas production on a
floating vessel.
The field test will be performed in the Albacora field in
454m of water in well AB-L57B illustrated in Figure 1. The
well will be drilled conventionally until the top of the
reservoir, at 2800m MD (2563 m VD) and the 9 5/8 casing
will be set in a slant section, 31 from vertical. The reservoir
objectives are two sandstone intervals intercalated with shale
whose equivalent pore pressure is approximately 6.8 ppg. An
8 bit will drill to the final depth of 2989 m MD (2725 m
VD) using a 7.2ppg, nitrified water based mud.
Two possible rigs were visited to check for footprint
capability.
Both could handle the operation and
PETROBRAS XVII, a semi-submersible rig, was selected5.
At the present time drill ships are not being considered due to
the space restrictions to accommodate all the necessary
equipment. However, with the advent of the new generation of
drill ships designed for 10,000 ft of water, with enhanced
space and load capacities, future operations from drill ships
can be envisioned.
The rig has been modified with the objective of allowing it
to be used for both conventional drilling operations and lightweight drilling applications with minimal modification or time
required to switch between methods. Once the rig has been
modified to these initial design parameters, the only part of the
system that would to be transported on board the rig would be

SPE 54283

the nitrogen generation system, since it cannot be permanently

installed.
Main Aspects Under Consideration
Operational Procedures The plan for this field test is to drill
conventionally to the top of the reservoir after which nitrified
liquid will be used to drill through the reservoir. Although this
well will not be drilled underbalanced the precautions and
procedures for accurate equivalent circulating density and
pressure control will be carefully observed in order to
optimize the learning curve for future operations. It should be
noted that the final form of the operational procedures will
only be confirmed after the first field test.
Generally, initiating aerated fluid drilling operations
begins with displacing the hole with the liquid phase that is to
be gasified. A checklist should be used listing the items that
need to be checked such as the metering system, rotating head,
etc. To avoid gas heading problems, especially with respect
to emptying the riser, gas injection should commence slowly.
Once the hole is unloaded and approximately steady state flow
is achieved, the equivalent circulating density based on the
amount of mud displaced from the hole will be determined and
compared with theoretical predictions to determine if the
equivalent circulating density is on target.
During a connection it is not desirable to have large
variations in the down-hole pressure due to the possibility of
periods of temporary overbalance if it is an UBD application
or, if wellbore stability is an issue. Temporary periods of
overbalance in an otherwise underbalanced drilling application
can result in formation damage that can potentially be more
severe than if the well were drilled overbalanced with
conventional drilling fluids. Experimental work is being done
as part of the JIP to determine the effect of temporary periods
of overbalance. The operational procedures must insure the
bottom hole pressure is kept as close as possible to the target
underbalance bottom hole pressure while drilling.
When tripping out of the hole for onshore underbalanced
operations, normally, to avoid influx during tripping, the fluid
inside the well will be kept within certain levels that will avoid
pressure surging. However, for offshore applications in a
deepwater environment, this procedure would keep the riser
empty during tripping. This could potentially result in riser
collapse depending on the resistance rating of the riser and the
water depth. This and other issues are being discussed with
offshore specialists and will be clearly defined for the field
test.
Based on the post-analysis of this first field test, alterations
and enhancements to the operational procedures and any
deficiencies that need to be addressed will be made.
Safety - Riser System A key difference between onshore and
floating vessel applications of underbalanced drilling is the
operational procedures and precautions necessary to control
pressures in the riser. The riser is not designed to tolerate high
pressures. The semi-submersible rig is equipped with a 21
riser, which has a collapse resistance of 660 psi when full of
gas and can tolerate an internal pressure of 500 psi before

SPE 54283

PLANNING OF DEEPWATER DRILLING OPERATIONS WITH AERATED FLUIDS

leaking. These pressure limits restrict the riser to a maximum

water depth of approximately 500 m. The weakest point in the
riser system is at the slip joint, which can only tolerate about
200 psi. The pressure tolerances of a riser vary with the
diameter and wall thickness of the riser. However, increasing
the wall thickness is not necessarily economical, especially as
drilling moves to deeper waters.
A fill-up valve can be added to the riser, which opens,
allowing sea water to enter and prevent collapse when the
pressure outside the riser surpasses the valves set differential
pressure tolerance. However, it wont be used for this first
well, since all avoidable complications will be avoided for this
field test. Other options such as smaller diameter high
pressure risers and concentric riser systems 6 are alternatives
that are also being considered for future applications.
There are several operational procedures that must be
followed to keep the riser from becoming empty.
Combinations of gas and liquid flow rates must be used to
avoid having large gas slugs. For this field test precautions
will be taken in order to avoid internal pressures at the top of
the riser higher than 450 psi. Additionally, to avoid the
possibility of riser collapse the liquid levels will be maintained
above 410 m.
Training Training is essential to the success of any operation
and especially true for unconventional applications where
there is a lack of experience. For this first field test all the
personnel involved are being formally trained and asked to
participate in defining operational procedures, contingency
plans and safety issues.
As part of the second phase of the Joint Industry Project, a
training simulator for light-weight fluids drilling is to be
developed which will include the basic operations such as
drilling, connections, and tripping.
Drilling Hydraulics
Several important issues related to light-weight fluids drilling
hydraulics have been extensively evaluated for this project:
bottom hole pressure prediction and cuttings transport.
Reliable bottom hole prediction for light-weight fluids is
essential for both normal drilling conditions, as well as for
transient operations such as starting and stopping circulation,
tripping, changes in pumping rate, pipe connections, running
casing, and cementing.
In an effort to determine the most suitable simulator
program for different well geometrys, real-time measured
field data7 and real-scale experimental data were collected and
analyzed. The experimental data was obtained from tests
performed in a 1272 m vertical well at Petrobras Research
and Training Facility in Taquipe, Bahia (Figure 2). The field
and test data were then compared to bottom-hole pressures
predicted by five different drilling hydraulics simulators in
order to compare the simulators performance.8,9
It was found that different simulators predicted pressures
and equivalent circulating densities better for different lightweight fluids. None of the simulators made accurate
predictions for all the cases. It was concluded that the current

transient simulators could be used for training rig personnel

and evaluating pressure control procedures. However, during
field operations, it would be preferable to use steady state
programs, which run faster and require less expertise from the
user.
Additional real-scale experimental data is being gathered
at the research well in Taquipe and along with field data will
be used to modify models in an in-house simulator so that it
could cover most light-weight fluids drilling applications and a
range of critical drilling operations. Cuttings transport realscale tests were also performed, both in flow-loops and in the
test well at Taquipe.10 In addition to the two-phase modeling,
these results will also be modeled and incorporated into the
simulator. The cuttings transport tests were performed both
with foam and nitrified liquid (aerated fluid) to determine the
minimum flow requirements for effective cuttings transport.
One of the key questions was the influence of the gas phase on
the carrying capacity of the fluid. This aspect has often been
neglected where it has been assumed that cuttings carrying
capability was due primarily to the liquid phase. It was found
that this assumption was false; the addition of gas significantly
improves the carrying capacity of a liquid. Other issues, such
as cuttings bed formation and cuttings removal efficiency were
also investigated and will be implemented in the in-house
simulator.
An area that needs further attention is light-weight fluids
hydraulics behavior in the riser. Due to the sudden increase in
the annular area available to flow when the well effluent
reaches the riser, and the consequent decrease in fluids
velocity, there is the potential for cuttings bed formation at the
riser and problems with efficient cuttings circulation out of the
hole.
Pressure predictions are essential in determining the
magnitude of pressure oscillations that are possible due to
transient effects, such as connections and tripping, and the
subsequent potential for leaks at the rotating head or slip joint,
which is the weakest element in the riser system.
Additionally, the risk of riser collapse due to prolonged
periods of fluid segregation or when tripping need to be
addressed.
Equipment
MWD/LWD/PWD Downhole pressure monitoring plays a
fundamental role while drilling with light-weight fluids. In
order to avoid pressure oscillations which could potentially
lead to periods of overbalance for underbalanced drilling,
careful monitoring and control of the wellbore pressures are
necessary accompanied by corrective actions. Hydraulics
simulators should be used to analyze variations in the drilling
operational parameters and aid in making technical decisions.
A pressure measurement while drilling (PWD) system can
be used to accurately monitor downhole pressures. For this
field test a new tool including a PWD with the EMMWD/LWD will be part of the bottom hole assembly.
Electromagnetic telemetry will be used for steering the
drillstring and monitoring real-time bottom hole pressures,
since mud pulse telemetry is not feasible for a gasified fluid

EDSON Y. NAKAGAWA, HLIO SANTOS, JOS C. CUNHA, S. SHAYEGI

system. A MWD/LWD/PWD tool is not essential for drilling

this well, however, since maximum benefits from
underbalanced drilling will be realized from drilling horizontal
wells, it was decided to test this new tool to verify its function
and signal transmission for a gasified fluid system in a
deepwater environment prior to going to this next stage.
Nitrogen Unit Besides the equipment already discussed,
other key elements include the rotating head, nitrogen unit and
separation system. Due to cost analysis it was determined that
a nitrogen membrane unit would be the most economic source
of gas for the field test. The nitrogen unit will not be
permanently installed on the semi-sub, but will be brought
aboard when gasified fluid drilling is planned.
Rotating Head The rotating head is a critical element in the
safe operation of light-weight fluids drilling applications.
Early on in the project there was intense discussion as to its
placement. Due to potential problems with the presence of gas
in the riser which could result in internal leaks or riser
collapse, there was some concern about placing the rotating
head at the surface. However, since a rotating head is not
currently available for direct installation at the sub-sea BOP,
the decision was made to place it at the surface. This has the
advantage of facilitating its inspection and maintenance, which
would be difficult if it were place at the sub-sea BOP. After
further discussion on the exact position of the rotating head it
was decided to install it on the top of the locked down slip
joint and modifications to the system to adapt it to this
position commenced.
Separation System For underbalanced drilling a separator
that can efficiently separate water, oil, gas and ideally solids is
essential. Due to the cost and size (footprint) of separators
available on the market Petrobras decided to develop one that
would meet the needs of underbalanced drilling for floating
vessels. A helicoidal vertical separator was designed and a
prototype was successfully tested at the research well in
Taquipe. The foot-print of this new separator is significantly
reduced and due to its design it separates oil/water mixtures
efficiently. The vertical separator to be used for the field test
is 9 m in length and 0.61 m in diameter. It is designed to
handle 480 gpm of liquid and up to 15,000 scfm of gas. The
system will be fully instrumented for effluent control and data
acquisition.
Economics
Maximizing return on investment , be it by decreasing costs or
increasing productivity, is the driving force behind drilling
with light-weight fluids, especially drilling underbalanced.
The cost and benefits need to be quantified in order to evaluate
the underbalanced drilling option.
The key factors
determining the drilling economics for underbalanced drilling
can include one or more of the following:

Increasing rate of penetration

SPE 54283

Formation damage reduction

Prevention or limitation of hole problems (i.e.
differential sticking, lost circulation)
Reduction of stimulation costs

Reduction in drilling costs can result from decrease in the

number of days for drilling a well due to the increase in ROP
and the consequent savings in rig time, increased bit life,
reduction in the number of trips, disposal costs, stimulation
costs etc.
A reduction in formation damage results in the reduction
of skin, which will enhance well productivity and result in
accelerated production. This is especially important for
horizontal and multilateral wells, which are becoming
essential to efficient exploitation of reservoirs. Horizontal
wells have a larger reservoir contact area than vertical wells
through the same reservoir, so that a net reduction in skin will
have a larger net benefit than for a vertical well. With the
reduction in required differential pressure for a given flowrate,
due to decreased skin, it may be possible to reduce the
abandonment pressure for the well. Another effect of this
reduced differential pressure is the possible amelioration of
gas or water conning, so that their breakthrough is delayed and
they curtail oil production later in the life of the well.
Accelerated and, in some cases, increased production, and
the potential to produce while drilling need to be evaluated for
a proposed underbalanced drilling project. Biesman and
Emeh11 defined a Well Inflow Quality Indicator (WIQI) term,
which can be used to evaluate the potential success of an
underbalanced project. The WIQI is the ratio of the
productivity index for a damaged well divided by the
productivity index for an undamaged well. Additionally, the
net present value can be calculated, comparing accelerated
production versus that for a conventionally drilled option.
In the second phase of the JIP software will be developed
for feasibility analysis, which will take into account reservoir
screening, formation damage, economics and other pertinent
aspects. One of the difficulties in obtaining approval for the
use of non-conventional drilling operations is the need for
quantifiable advantages of the proposed method over
conventional practice. This is one of the main hurdles that
light-weight fluids drilling technology application must cross
to gain acceptance as a viable drilling option for offshore
application. Not all reservoirs and/or wells are candidates for
this technology; however, a larger number than are currently
believed to be, are good candidates. The feasibility software
will serve as an assessment tool that is able to quantify the
benefits and drawbacks of a given project if light-weight fluids
drilling technology were applied
Conclusions
The oil industry has realized that to maximize return on
investment when exploring and developing a field, optimizing
the effect of each of the phases is essential towards the goal of
maximum oil or gas recovery. Decreasing formation damage
during the drilling process is key to optimizing the productive

SPE 54283

PLANNING OF DEEPWATER DRILLING OPERATIONS WITH AERATED FLUIDS

life of a well, especially for horizontal wells. Along with this

and all the other potential benefits and cost savings of this
technology, the option of applying underbalanced drilling
technology offshore in deepwaters from floating vessels can
soon be added to the set of efficient tools at the disposal of the
oil industry.
As companies move forward in a holistic approach to
reservoir development, this field test is one possible step that
brings us closer to maximizing hydrocarbon production
potential of a field.
Acknowledgments
The authors are thankful to JIP participants on Offshore
Drilling with Light-Weight Fluids namely, Petrobras, British
Petroleum, Mobil, Air Drilling Services, Amerada Hess,
Williams Tool for allowing the publication of this paper.
SI Metric Conversion Factors
ft x 3.048*
gal x 3.785412
in. x 2.54*
psi x 6.894757
lbm x 4.535924

E-01 = m
E-03 = m3
E+00 = cm
E+00 = kPa
E-01 = kg

* Conversion factor is exact

References
1. Guideline for Underbalanced Operations, Oil Industry
International Exploration & Production Forum, report No
10.18/263, September, 1997
2. Nessa, D.O. and C. Munro: Recent North Sea Successes
Build
Confidence,
Harts
Petroleum
Engineer
International, September 1998.
3. Nakagawa, E.Y. and Lage, A.C.V.M.: Light-Weight Fluid
Drilling: R&D Main Needs Based on Present Experience,
paper presented at the 3rd. International Underbalanced
Drilling Conference & Exhibition, held in The Hague,
Netherlands, October, 1997.
4. Lucchesi C.F. and J.E. Gontijo : Deep Water Reservoir
Management: The Brazilian Experience, OTC Paper
8881, presented at the 30th Annual Offshore Technology
Conference, May 4-7, 1998.
5. Nakagawa, E.Y., Santos, H.M.R. and J.C. Cunha:
Implementing the Light-Weight Fluids Drilling
Technology in Deepwater Scenarios, to be presented at
the Offshore Mediterranean Conference, March 24-26,
1999.
6. Herrmann, R.P., Shaughnessy, J.P. and P.A. Beynet:
Concentric Drilling Risers for Ultra Deepwater,
IADC/SPE Paper 39297, presented at the IADC/SPE
Drilling Conference, March 3-6, 1998.
7. Lage, A.C.V.M., Nakagawa, E.Y., Souza, A.A. and Santos
Filho, M.M.: Recent Case Histories of Foam Drilling in
Brazil, paper SPE 36098, presented at the Fourth Latin
American and Caribbean Petroleum Engineering

Conference, held in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad & Tobago,

April, 1996.
8. Technical Report on Analysis of Field data and
Comparison with Drilling Hydraulics Simulators, Version
2.0. A confidential report for the use of participants in the
Joint Industry Project named Offshore Drilling with LightWeight Fluids, by PETROBRAS Research and
Development Center CENPES, April, 1998.
9. Nakagawa, E.Y., Silva Jr., V., Boas, M.B.V., Silva, P.R.C.,
and S. Shayegi: Comparison of Aerated Fluids/Foam
Drilling Hydraulics Simulators Against Field Data, SPE
Paper 54319 presented at the Asia Pacific Oil and Gas
Conference and Exhibition, April 20-22, 1999.
10. Technical Report on Offshore Drilling with Light-Weight
Fluids Cuttings Transport Real Scale tests, Version 1 &
2. A confidential report for the use of participants in the
Joint Industry Project named Offshore Drilling with LightWeight Fluids, by A.M.F. Loureno, A.L.Martins,
P.H.D.Andrade Jr, and J.L.A. Vidal, April/1998 and
February/1999.
11. Bieseman, T. and V. Emeh:
An Introduction to
Underbalanced Drilling, Paper presented at the 1995 1st
International Underbalanced Drilling Conference and
Exhibition, The Hague, The Netherlands, October 2-4,
1995.

Table 1 Water depths of Campos Basin Fields.4

Field
Albacora
Marlim
South Marlim
Barracuda
Caratinga
East Marlim
East Albacora
Roncador
Espadarte
Frade

Water Depth (m)

250-900
600-1,100
900-2,600
700-1,200
800-1,300
1,000-2,000
800-2,100
1,500-1,900
700-1,500
900-1,400

EDSON Y. NAKAGAWA, HLIO SANTOS, JOS C. CUNHA, S. SHAYEGI

SPE 54283

R T / M L 479
W D 454
R T 25
30"

510

20"

810

BU R =1/ 15
KOP 840

Do g-le g = 2.03

31 deg

13 3/ 8 Csg.

9 5/8" Csg .

1300
1308

2554/2563

2790/2800

Aerated Fluid D rilling

in the last Phase
Final VD

2725

Final M D

Figure 1. Schematic of wellbore profile for Well AB-L57B.

2989

SPE 54283

PLANNING OF DEEPWATER DRILLING OPERATIONS WITH AERATED FLUIDS

Figure 2. Schematic of test well at Taquipe, Bahia.