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2. Formation Instability
Brittle/Sloughing Shale
These shales slough into the hole after breaking into pieces. Sloughing shale indications are:
large amounts of shale at the shaker screens after circulating bottoms up
excess drag during trips
high levels of fill.
Swelling Shales
Some shales chemically react with water; a process called hydration which results in formation swelling. All swelling shales are potential causes of
stuck pipe whether they are highly reactive gumbos, or shales which hydrate very quickly.
Even though the hole may be cleaned by sufficient flow rates during drilling, it may need to be re-drilled after each stand as the swelling continues.
The indications of swelling are:
3. Key Seating
Key seating is most likely to occur when changes in hole direction are too severe. It is caused when the drillpipe, which is of smaller diameter than the
drill collars, rubs against the side of the hole and wears a slot, (see Figure 13.2).
It is still possible to drill ahead when key seating has occurred. However, when pulling out of hole, the larger diameter drill collars will hang up on the
key seat and the pipe will become stuck..
The greater the dogleg severity, the greater the side load and the faster the key seat can be developed. Key seats can also be developed at ledges and
casing shoes where the groove is worn into the metal instead of the formation. The development of key seats is directly affected by the number of
rotating hours.
363 - key_seating
5. Accumulation of Cuttings
Cuttings usually accumulate during conditions of low annular velocity.
Cuttings accumulation is indicated by:
reduced cuttings on the shale shaker
increased overpull
loss of circulation