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Introduction
Course Syllabus Texts Grading
Introduction
What is UBD Why Drill Underbalanced Techniques and Limitations Historical Perspectives
Course Syllabus
PETE 689:
Course Description
This course provides an introduction and
application of techniques that can be utilized in underbalanced drilling. It will cover topics such as BOP equipment, the types of drilling fluids used (air, mist foam, etc.), flow drilling, and mud cap drilling.
Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering
Text
Underbalanced Drilling Manual Gas Research Institute, GRI, Chicago, 1997.
May be able to get it at the TAMU Bookstore. Can be purchased online from the SPE, IADC, and other Petroleum Publishing Companies.
Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering
References
A project Management Approach To Underbalanced Operations . Signa Engineering Corp., Houston, 1998. Mudlite Air/Mist/Foam Hydraulics Model . Maurer Engineering Inc., Houston, 1988 Selected papers and texts.
Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering
Grading
Exam A
Dates are subject to change depending on the student and Instructor schedules. Please check your schedules this week and we will discuss the actual dates on Thursday.
Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering
Instructor
Dr. Jerome J. Schubert, PE, CPA Phone: 979/862-1195 Office: Richardson Rm 501K e-mail: schubert@spindletop.tamu.edu Lecture Location:
Office Hours
Tuesday & Thursday. 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. Or whenever I am in my office.
What is UBD
Wellbore pressures intentionally
maintained below formation pressure in the open hole section. Formation fluids flow into the well.
Additional Definitions
Flow (Live) operations.
Operations intentionally undertaken with a liquid drilling fluid system where the hydrostatic pressure exerted by the liquid column is below formation pore pressure such that the formation fluid is allowed to flow to the surface during the operations.
Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering
Operations intentionally
undertaken with a two-phase drilling fluid containing some form of gas mixed with a liquid phase and tied together with a surfactant. The liquid is the continuous phase.
Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering
Intentionally drilling with a two-phase fluid having a gas as the continuous phase. The liquid in this fluid system is suspended in the mixture as droplets.
Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering
Intentionally drilling using a pure gas as the drilling fluid. The gas can be air, nitrogen, natural gas, or any combination of gases.
Operations undertaken when the annular pressure during flow drilling exceeds the safe pressure limit of the rotating control element. Mudcap operations are not UB operation, but often are a result of drilling underbalanced and employ many of the same techniques and equipment.
Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering
employs either a snubbing unit or coiled-tubing unit in order to operate at surface pressures that exceed the limits of rotating control elements such as rotating heads or rotating blowout preventers.
Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering
Use of a continuous-spool of pipe to drill with instead of the conventional jointed drillpipe. CT units were originally designed to operate on live wells with surface pressure, without the requirement that the well be killed prior to entering the wellbore.
Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering
Historical perspectives
UBD operations are as old as the
drilling industry:
First wells were drilled with cable tool. Cable tool drilling was underbalanced.
Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering
Historical perspectives
In 1866 a patent for air drilling
was issued.
First recorded use of a gasified
Historical perspectives
In 1938 mist was used by
Historical perspectives
Interest dropped off using gas as
Historical Perspectives
Historical Perspectives
Historical Perspectives
Natural Gas drilling in West Texas.
Historical Perspectives
In the 1960s, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission began to study the use of foams to clean wellbores as large as 60 in diameter from 45 feet as 2000 feet.
Historical perspectives
Until the mid 1980 s UBD was
just a niche industry, and only utilized in certain areas around the world.
No. of Wells
Mid 1980 s Horizontal Drilling Became Fairly Common (Plot is for three companies)
Year
Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering
Growth in Horizontal Drilling Spurred the Resurgence in UBD Mid 1980s Horizontal Drilling (US operations)
Year
Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering
Horizontal Drilling. Closed Systems. High-Pressure Rotating Control Devices. Electromagnetic MWD Systems. HP HV Compressors.
Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering
Availability of Nitrogen. Better Reservoir and Rock Strength Analysis. Improved Hydraulics Analysis. Percussion Tools. Ability to Re-Circulate Fluids.
Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering