Slimhole Early Kick Detection by Real-Time Drilling Analysis

Abstract

Summary Early kick detection has been identified as being of primary importance in slimhole wellbores. Small annular volumes mean that, to maintain the integrity of the well, allowable kick volumes must be small. Gas influxes must therefore be detected and shut in rapidly. This paper describes an early kick-detection system developed for slimholes to detect and confirm the presence of an influx rapidly. This system has been run successfully on a number of slimhole operations. The early kick-detection (EKD) system is based on real-time analysis of drilling data obtained directly from a comprehensive mud-logging system on the rig. The analysis technique compares predictions of mud flow out and standpipe pressure from a dynamic wellbore model with corresponding values from the rig. The predicted values are derived from a model driven in real time by rig data such as pump rate and pipe rotation rate. Kick detection is based on deviations between measured data and idealized model predictions. The EKD system has been incorporated into an operational engineer-oriented graphical interface, which has provided easy access to the model for both input and output of data, and for the interpretation of results. This paper describes the design considerations and technology behind the EKD system and the engineering interface. The paper also presents examples of the system running in real time at a slimhole rig site.