MPD drilling systems

September 19, 2011 No comments The industrys first deepwater deployment of an MPD system enabled the well to be drilled safely to its targeted total depth. New technologies that are being brought to market are now offering operators with new opportunities and the peace of mind to embark on increasingly productive drilling campaigns on land, offshore and now in deepwater. Managed pressure drilling (MPD) is being used progressively more in various applications to mitigate the hazards of todays drilling environments. Despite being a relatively new technique, MPD has proven to enhance operations on land; is gaining acceptance offshore; and, for the first time ever, is being used in a deepwater application. With even more complex drilling prospects on the horizon, there is a growing need for new drilling methods to tackle difficult geologies. These challenging environments present more obstacles to drilling than conventional wells and require new approaches to operations. Nearly half of all drilling hazards encountered are related to wellbore pressure, and MPD is a highly effective means to mitigate these concerns.

The MPD advantage

Even in best-case scenarios 20% of rig time can be spent curing losses and kicks. In some instances, encountered losses and well control issues can double or triple rig time. Rigging up MPD equipment has provided operators with a way to drill through various drilling hazards to total depth (TD) without significant delays. MPD involves a system of tools and techniques that are combined to avoid the continuous influx of formation fluids to the surface. The technique is an adaptive drilling process that provides a closed and pressurised system to control the annular pressure profile precisely. One of the many benefits of this approach is its capability to control pressure dynamically when drilling through abnormally pressured layers by manipulating surface backpressure instead of mud weight changes to maintain drilling progress. By facilitating closed-loop drilling, MPD techniques can resolve many problems that traditional drilling methods cannot, such as minimising issues associated with fluid circulation and enabling drilling in even more narrow windows. The result is reduced non-productive time (NPT); safer and more costeffective operations; and, in many cases, the ability to drill previously undrillable wells.

Expanding MPD application

The MPD process is setting new performance standards for risk mitigation, and operational and economic efficiency. Within a relatively short timeframe, MPD has become a reliable drilling hazard mitigation (DHM) technique. Ever-evolving technology improvements and benchmark case studies have helped propel the use of MPD into a diverse range of applications.

The technique has proven successful in vertical and horizontal designs and in many well conditions, including onshore, offshore, high-pressure/high-temperature (HP/HT), depleted zones, and in varying mud weights in oil, synthetic and water-based systems. Most recently, MPD techniques have been expanded to deepwater operations creating new drilling opportunities. Operators in Asia Pacific, in particular, are early adopters of the technique. Since 2005, MPD has been used in over 100 wells in the region alone. The use of MPD technologies often results in direct cost and time-savings by eliminating NPT associated with losses and other related well control events. Much of the MPD activity in Asia Pacific has been concentrated in difficult carbonate formations such as Baturaja and Kujung in Indonesia. Frequent fractures and bugs result in total losses, and once hydrostatic fluid is lost, gas in the upper part of the carbonate reservoir migrates rapidly to the surface, causing well control situations. Curing the losses with lost-circulation material (LCM) or cement can work but oftentimes result in harmful effects to reservoir productivity. Underbalanced drilling (UBD) techniques are also unsuitable in these formations, because delivery from a fractured carbonate reservoir can be large and handling large volumes of hydrocarbons on an offshore rig while drilling adds to operational complications. The size of the crew and equipment spread used in offshore UBD operations is another limiting factor. MPD techniques are assisting operators successfully to mitigate hazards in Asia Pacific where other approaches have been deemed ineffective.

Lessons learned
The industry is becoming more adept in MPD techniques with every deployment. Operations are benefitting from best practices for selecting MPD techniques and MPD system requirements for varying job types. Knowing which MPD technique is required is the most important lesson from many of the wells drilled in Asia Pacific. Rigging up for one MPD technique only to discover another is needed can lead to costly delays. Significant rig modifications for MPD operations are rarely required. A thorough evaluation of all operational conditions early on can ensure that techniques are properly fit to operations. More in-depth pre-planning helps justify the use of MPD techniques and can give operators assurance that the correct method has been selected. There have also been significant knowledge gains on how to conduct operations from different installations. In fixed installations, such as land, jack-ups and platform rigs, considerations such as floor space; ability to switch to constant bottom hole pressure operations; and tripping and casing running requirements need to be made. In floating installations, such as semi-submersibles and drillships, more complex considerations come into play, such as riser pressure ratings, slip joints, heave and emergency disconnects to name a few. Planning ahead ensures operators are more prepared to respond to kick/loss scenarios quickly. Increased familiarity with MPD techniques has armed service providers and operators with the expertise to more accurately approach each obstacle.

New frontiers

Introducing MPD techniques to deepwater was the next logical step. But obtaining the preferred outcome in this environment poses more challenges than in any other previous MPD application. Leveraging extensive deepwater knowledge combined with MPD experience on land and offshore in Asia Pacific and elsewhere, Weatherford was the first service provider to develop an MPD system compatible for deepwater operations. Weatherford customised its Microflux control system to fit the Indonesian deepwaters. The system allows the operator to drill through tight pore-pressure/frac-gradient windows to reach deep formations in the correct hole size. It optimises safety and efficiency by providing early influx detection through real-time wellbore monitoring so the correct actions can be taken to prevent gas from entering the riser and the escalation of well control events. This was the Microflux control systems debut in deepwater. A major consideration for adapting the system to deepwater was placement of the rotating control device (RCD). Weatherford installed the industrys first API-certified, bellow-tension-ring (BTR) RCD so the client could fully enclose the wellbore and all drilling fluids in a closed-loop and employ advanced drilling techniques without compromising the rigs heave compensation. The successful installation of a submerged RCD, in a riser and in tension, is an industry first for this technology. The worlds first job using an MPD system in deepwater is a success. The project is now ending, and the closed-loop system with the BTR proved valuable in a deepwater application. Closing the loop in deepwater extends operational capabilities. In this project, the system benefits included safer operations, more efficient drilling to TD, formation pressure measurements in real time and minimised reservoir damage. The willingness of the operator and ability of the service provider to see beyond conventional mind set allowed the benefits of MPD technology to be taken to new depths. Managed Pressure Drilling