Overview: Well Intervention and Control (January 2006)

This year, we have witnessed the continuation of a general upward trend in the worldwide rig count that started in the second quarter of 2002. The Baker Hughes U.S. rig count published 11 November 2005 stood at 1,479. In the U.S. alone, this increase translates into at least 12,500 people being hired to work on the approximately 750 rigs put to work in the last 3 years. Almost 4,000 of those people were hired to man the 228 rigs placed in operation during the last year alone. One must wonder what effect this growth has on the number of well-control situations encountered. The first line of defense against well-control events is a knowledgeable rig crew—not just the tool pusher and driller, but each person on the crew. Inexperience shows up in different forms at various levels. There have been many cases in which routine kicks were allowed to escalate into critical situations because someone did not report what should have been an obvious sign of the well flowing. An example: an inexperienced floor hand sees flow over the shale shaker with the pumps off but is not aware of the significance. The upper-level positions of the rig crew and the drilling supervisor are expected to have the knowledge and experience to deal with influxes effectively when they occur. Inexperience at this level often results in kicks being taken that should have been avoided and routine kicks being allowed to escalate because of improper handling. Inadequate circulation before pulling out of the hole and improper implementation of kick-circulation procedures are often-cited examples that result in these situations. Keeping experienced personnel on the rigsite during a sustained upswing, such as the one we have experienced over the last few years, is a monumental task. Fortunately, there seems to be an increased awareness of the importance of this experience compared with the last "boom" cycle. This awareness can be seen in the additional focus on rig-crew training and other structured programs designed to minimize well-control incidents. Consequently, the number of serious well-control events is, at least for now, well below the proportionate increase in the rig fleet. Operators and drilling contractors that are driving these efforts should be commended. Well Intervention and Control additional reading available at the SPE eLibrary: www.spe.org SPE 92626 "Modeling Ultradeepwater Blowouts and Dynamic Kills and the Resulting Blowout-Control Best-Practices Recommendations," by Samuel F. Noynaert, SPE, BP, et al. SPE 93956 "High-Pressure/High-Temperature Coiled-Tubing Intervention Operations in the North Sea Within the Past 2 Years," by A. Turner, SPE, Halliburton, et al. SPE 92594 "Development of a Screening System To Identify Deepwater Wells at Risk for Annular-Pressure Buildup," by U.B. Sathuvalli, SPE, Blade Energy Partners, et al.

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