Murphy’s Law Advanced Well Control Series Jim LaGrone, P.E. And how to beat it!

Who was Murphy Murphy's Law ("If anything can go wrong, it will") was born at Edwards Air Force Base in 1949 at North Base. It was named after Capt. Edward A. Murphy, an engineer working on Air Force Project MX981, (a project) designed to see how much sudden deceleration a person can stand in a crash. One day, after finding that a transducer was wired wrong, he cursed the technician responsible and said, "If there is any way to do it wrong, he'll find it."

Murphy’s Law If anything can go wrong, it will, when… –Circulating out a kick –Cementing casing –Working with OBM

Murphy’s Law It is impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious –Function Test and Pressure Test ALL valves/lines that you will depend on: TIW (FOSSV) Kelley Cock Valves Stand-Pipe & Valves (IN PLACE) –{pumps ALL THE WAY to DP} Pops or Relief Valves on Pumps

Murphy's Law of Thermodynamics Things get worse under pressure –Don’t bleed a well off from 2000 psi (138 bar) all the way down to 10,000 psi (690 bar) –If something don’t make sense, it probably ain’t ALWAYS, ALWAYS – Install an independent set of gauges in the Drillpipe and the Casing ALWAYS!!!!

Murphy's Law Left to themselves, things tend to go from bad to worse –ALWAYS RUN A FLOAT –ALWAYS RUN A PROFILE FOR BACKUP –If you cut a sand – CIRCULATE it out Set a maximum number of connections allowed in annulus in fast drilling sections (connections/BU – 2 to 3 the norm) –If you take a kick – use Driller’s Method –Drill Gas expands 1500 ft (500m) – especially w/ OBM

Murphy's Law You never run out of things that can go wrong –Make Sure the Handle for Each Valve is Marked and Available (in its place on the Rig Floor – not the dog house or tool shed) –Be Aware when ESD is performed – What will you need and what will you have? Will Air System be shut down? Hydraulics? Radio/Telephone/Satellite System?

Murphy's Law If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something –Always have a TIW w/ lift nubbin ready to go on floor (don’t forget the handle) –Make sure TIW will make-up w/ HWDP and DC’s or have X-Over on floor w/ nubbin

Murphy's Law Everything takes longer than you think –BUT Take your time If you stop to make a flow check, then take the time to see if there is flow (especially OBM) Circulate out a potential problem and thru choke if OBM, around 2000’ (600m) Or make a short trip & CBU WOC for the specified time, then some –This is way less time than an underground blowout or worse, a surface broach

Murphy's Law If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong –Don’t Escalate the Event Take time to think things through Call the Experts NOW –REMEMBER: An ounce of prevention…..is worth $Millions worth of cure

Murphy’s Law If you perceive that there are four possible ways in which something can go wrong, and circumvent these, then a fifth way, unprepared for, will promptly develop –Most bad well control situations derive from multiple events going awry –The human factor typically escalates the event –Over 85% of events are Human Error

Murphy’s Law Everything goes wrong all at once –Make sure ID’s of the following are Full Opening (i.e., LARGER than the Min ID of Drillpipe) Kelley Cocks (Top and Bottom) IBOP’s (Top Drives) TIW (FOSSV) –When they ain’t, that is the time you will want to run thru them with wireline tools –Don’t Assume it’s correct just because it can be made up

Remember Don’t Panic Don’t Do Heroics and Make it Worse Call in the Experts Early –Phone Calls are FREE!!!! Always Do What IF Scenarios Use Equipment for the job it was designed

Remember This is NOT A CHOKE

Remember Blind Rams are NOT Pipe Rams nor are they Shear Rams Perform Drills when least expected Trust Your Instincts, but Call the Experts Keep Trip and Kick Sheets up to date –AND USE THEM

Other Tips Circulating Out a Kick –Take Tour 3 rates (e.g. 30, 40, 50 SPM) –Complete Tour (every 12 hrs) Kill Sheets –Follow Kill Sheet – don’t make it worse –If you need to slow down, switch to lower Slow Circ Pres/Rate –Any Deviation call the Experts –Have steel line, low-torque valves, pump-in tee available

Other Tips Circulating Out a Kick (cont) –If a nozzle plugs up, Shut down and establish a new Slow Circulation Pressure Maintain CP while Circ Continue w/ revised schedule –This might take a while, have relief set up –Do NOT work pipe once pressure rises above 1000 psi (69 Bar) Lower TIW (FOSSV) to floor and set brake

Other Tips Cementing Casing –Always wait for setting time before ND –Use cement with minimum transition time –SI on Annular or Rams if flow begins, hold and monitor –Have Pump-In Sub

Other Tips Underground Flow –Recognize, Stabilize and call the Experts Be prepared for DP kick –Immediately Run Noise/Temp logs Defines situation Substantiates any insurance claims Convert to E-data (E-logs, Directional, Noise/Temp in ASCII format) –Be Prepared for Additional W/L Intervention Perforating DC’s, HWDP, DP Setting Bridge Plugs Have Pump-in Sub and Grease Injector

Remember It Happens, but it doesn’t have to happen to you

Questions?