WELL CONTROL for the Rig-Site Drilling Team

SECTION 5 : METHODS OF WELL CONTROL

5.10 KICK TOLERANCE

When a gas influx has entered a well there are 2 critical locations for the influx:a)

When the influx is at the bottom of the well. In this case the SICP must not
exceed the MAASP, if the formation is not fractured at the casing shoe.

b)

When the influx has been circulated up to the casing shoe, by a constant
bottom hole pressure method. In this case, the pressure at the choke must
not exceed the MAASP.
KICK TOLERANCE DEPENDS UPON:-

Formation strength, fracture pressure or fracture gradient.

Mud density or gradient.
Gas influx density or gradient.
Formation pore pressure, gradient or SIDPP.
Drill string and wellbore geometries.
The maximum tolerable length of gas influx in the annulus at any position
between bottom hole and the casing shoe is:-

Where:-

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H (Max)

MAASP - SIDPP
G m - Gi

(Eqn1)

GM

mud gradient (psi/ft)

GI

influx gradient (psi/ft)

MAASP

(Gfrac - Gm) x Ds (psi)

Gfrac

formation fracture gradient at the shoe (psi/ft)

DS

TVD to the shoe (ft)

SIDPP

shut-in drillpipe pressure (psi)

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WELL CONTROL for the Rig-Site Drilling Team

SECTION 5 : METHODS OF WELL CONTROL

KICK TOLERANCE : DRILLED KICK

MAASP
SICP
E

PRESSURE

L
BDE

pressure profile in annulus at

shut-in.

BD

initial gas influx height = H1

BMFKL =

pressure profile in annulus

when top of gas is circulated to
casing shoe, by 'drillers method'.

SK

fracture pressure at shoe.

FK

maximum tolerable length of

expanded gas influx at shoe
= HMAX.

Mud

DEPTH (TVD)

dien

Gra

le FKN = le BDM.

ine

re L

effu

t/Pr

Hence HMAX = MAASP - SIDPP

GM - GI

Shoe

eL

r
ctu

Fra

H max (gas)

ine
M
A
Phyd

D
B

H1(gas)

Ppore C
SIDPP

NB. Well geometry assumed to be constant

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WELL CONTROL for the Rig-Site Drilling Team

SECTION 5 : METHODS OF WELL CONTROL

DEFINITION 1: for a kick taken while drilling into a high pressure formation.
Kick Tolerance is the maximum allowable influx volume, for a known or assumed
SIDPP, which will not cause the formation to fracture when either the influx is at
the bottom of the annulus or when it is circulated and expanded to the casing shoe
by a constant bottom-hole pressure method. (Usually the Driller's method).
Thus the kick tolerance is either
a)

H
V1g = Ldc x Vdca bbl (If H is <Ldc)

or

- Ldc) bbl (if H is >Ldc)

V1g = Vdca + (HCdpa

where H is calculated from Eqn 1

OR
b)

x (MAASP - SIDPP) bbl

V1g = Pfrac
Ppore x (GM - GI) x Csa

The Lower value of V1g calculated from a) and b) is the Kick Tolerance.
Where:-

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Vdca

Volume of DC/OH annulus, (bbl)

Ldc

(Vertical) length of drill collars, (ft)

Cdca

Capacity of DC/OH annulus (ft/bbl)

Cdpa

Capacity of DP/OH annulus (ft/bbl)

Csa

Capacity of annulus (ft/bbl) at the casing shoe - this

will probably = Cdpa, but on occasion it may = Cdca

Pfrac

fracture pressure at shoe (psi)

Ppore

pore pressure at bottom of hole (psi)

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WELL CONTROL for the Rig-Site Drilling Team

SECTION 5 : METHODS OF WELL CONTROL

DEFINITION 2: for a kick taken while tripping out of the hole.

Kick tolerance for a swabbed kick is the maximum allowable influx volume which
may be swabbed into the bottom of a well, without fracturing the formation when
the well is closed in, and when the mud gradient is at the least equal to the
formation pore pressure gradient.
It is assumed that prior to tripping, the mud weight was correct. In this case, when
the bit is eventually back at bottom SIDPP=0, although initially SIDPP should =
SICP (no float) when the well is closed in and the bit is above the influx.
In this case

Hmax

= MAASP
GM - GI ft

and the kick tolerance is either

or

V1g =

H
Ldc x Vdca

V1g =

- Ldc)
Vdca + (H
Cdpa

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WELL CONTROL for the Rig-Site Drilling Team

SECTION 5 : METHODS OF WELL CONTROL

KICK TOLERANCE EXERCISE 1

A well has a TVD of 14500 ft with the casing shoe at 13200 ft TVD. The fracture
gradient is 0.87 psi/ft and the current mud is 15.3 ppg. There is 700 ft of 6 1/2"
OD drill collar and the open hole diameter is 8 1/2", with 5" drill pipe.
The annular capacities are:DC/OH

= 34.314 ft/bbl

DP/OH

= 21.787 ft/bbl

1)

Calculate the kick tolerance if the well is shut-in with the

current mud and a SIDPP of 570 psi.
The gas gradient is 0.1 psi/ft.

2)

Calculate the kick tolerance for a swabbed kick when the mud
weight is equivalent to the formation pore pressure.
The mud gradient is 0.835 psi/ft.

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WELL CONTROL for the Rig-Site Drilling Team

SECTION 5 : METHODS OF WELL CONTROL

SOLUTION
1)

MAASP

= (Gfrac - GM) x DShoe G = 15.3 x 0.052 = 0.7956 psi/ft

M
= (0.87 - 0.7956) x 13200
= 982 psi

Then H1 max

= MAASP - SIDPP
GM - GI
=

982 - 570 .
0.7956 - 0.1

= 592.3 ft
a)

For influx at the bottom of the well, influx is still within the DC/OH annulus,
at its maximum.
Volume of DC/OH annulus=

Therefore:
b)

700
34.314

= 20.40 bbl

Kick tolerance (a) = 592.3 x 20.40

700

= 17.3 bbl

For kick at casing shoe,

Kick tolerance (b)

Gpore

Pfrac x (MAASP - SIDPP)

Ppore x Cdpa x (GM - GI)

Gfrac x (MAASP - SIDPP) x Dshoe

Gpore x Cdpa x (GM - GI) x TVD

15.3 x 0.052 x 14500 + 570 = 0.835 psi/ft

14500

Therefore: kick tolerance (b) =

conclusion:

V4 Rev March 2002

0.87 x (982 - 570) x 13200

= 25.8 bbl
0.835 x 21.787 x (0.7956 - 0.1) x 14500

The smaller of those 2 values is the (a) value

therefore kick tolerance = 17.3 bbl when the kick is
in the DC/OH annulus. This is usually the case in
short open-hole sections.

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WELL CONTROL for the Rig-Site Drilling Team

SECTION 5 : METHODS OF WELL CONTROL

2)

For a swabbed kick, maximum allowable (SIDPP = 0) influx height is:

Hmax

= MAASP ft
GM - G I

New MAASP

= (0.87 - 0.835) x 13200

= 462 psi
Therefore H1 max =

462
0.735

= 628.6 ft

Therefore swabbed kick tolerance with 0.835 psi/ft mud.

= 628.6 x 20.4
700
= 18.3 bbl

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V4 Rev March 2002