Tag Archives: Well Control

BP’s $1Billion Battle On ‘Absurd’ Oil Rig Blast Claims As Total Bill For Disaster Hits £27.7Billion

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BP is to appeal $1billion of compensation payments for its Gulf of Mexico oil spill, after lashing out at ‘absurd’ claims by US law firms cashing in on the disaster.

The British oil giant yesterday increased its estimate of the total bill for the 2010 disaster to an eye-watering £27.7billion.

Some £6.3billion of the total is made up of claims by people who say the accident cost them money, many of them fishermen, hoteliers and restaurant owners.

But BP is set to battle ‘fictitious’ claims by ‘greedy’ lawyers looking to use the oil company as a cash machine.

The explosion happened on 20 April 2010 triggering the worst oil spill in US history. BP says it will fight fanciful legal claims over the accident

The explosion happened on 20 April 2010 triggering the worst oil spill in US history. BP says it will fight fanciful legal claims over the accident

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Cement Transition Period in The Oil Well Can Cause Well Control Situation

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When cement is in transition period (forming the bond), you will lose some hydrostatic pressure because cement becomes solid phase, therefore only water in the cement will provide hydrostatic pressure. In many cases happened, there is no issue while performing the cement job, however; once the cement is set after period of time, there is a casing pressure indicating that there is hydrocarbon in the annulus.

This example will demonstrate you why the well is in underbalance condition while waiting on cement.

Well information: Previous 9-5/8” casing shoe at 4000’ ft.

The vertical well (8.5” hole) is drilled to TD at 10,000ft with 12.1 ppg mud and the pay zone is at 9,800’ TVD with reservoir pressure of 11.6 ppg. The cement is planned to cover 3,500 ft in the annulus above the casing shoe. Water used to mix cement is 8.3 ppg weight.

 cement Transition Period

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How To Perform Volumetric Well Control Method

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This article will demonstrate how to perform volume metric well control. There are a total of 5 steps as listed below;

146 How To Perform Volumetric Method 0

Step 1 – Calculation

Three calculations must be determined before conducting volumetric well control.

1. Safety Factor (SF) – The Safety Factor (SF) in an increase in bottom hole pressure which we allow to happen naturally when gas influx migrates up with the shut in well. SF is important because it will allow the bottom hole pressure to be over formation pressure so the well is not in underbalance condition while conducting later steps. Typically, SF is around 50 – 200 psi. If the initial shut in casing pressure is very close to maximum allowable surface pressure. Personnel must select small safety factor to prevent fracturing formation.

2. Pressure Increment (PI) – It is pressure used as a working pressure while conducting Volume Metric well control. This pressure will be equal amount of hydrostatic pressure of mud bled during each step.

3. Mud Increment (MI) – It is volume of mud bled off from the annulus to reduce hydrostatic pressure by amount of Pressure Increment. It is very important that the rig must have an accurate measurement to measure small amount of mud bled from annulus. Mud Increment is determined by the following equation:

 146 How To Perform Volumetric Method - MI

Where;

Mud Increment is in bbl.

PI is pressure increment in psi.

ACF is annular capacity factor in bbl/ft

MW is mud weight in ppg.

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