OPTIMIZATION OF KICK CONTROL USING SMART KICK DETECTION TECHNOLOGY

FOR OFFSHORE WELLS

ABSTRACT:
On land or offshore, kick detection is primarily achieved by means of measurement and observation at surface of the
drilling fluid and drilling equipment1. A kick, if not controlled, will progressively grow in the wellbore until it becomes a
blowout. Control of a kick is dependent upon time-to-detection. Kick detection in a subsea well is more problematic
because the subsea well contains a large volume of drilling fluid between the wellbore and the surface kick detection
the volume of mud in the riser which can mask a kick or delay detection. This additional volume in the riser may
be up to twice as much as the volume in the wellbore. In any case, control of a kick in a subsea well can be improved
if detection of the kick can be made sooner.
Automating the initial well control response to an influx was identified as the initial focus area with the goal of
assisting rig personnel to identify and stop any influx without delay. This led to a well control automation collaboration
project being initiated between an operator, a rig contractor and a rig equipment supplier. The first phase of the
project was to develop a system that could detect an influx across a broad spectrum of well construction related rig
operations.
To understand where to focus the kick detection system upgrade efforts, a fault tree style sensitivity analysis of kick
detection and well shut-in procedures was undertaken. The results pointed to the high value of improved sensor data
(both accuracy and reliability) and of improved detection software for alarming (both in terms of coverage and how the
driller is alerted to respond to a confirmed kick condition). Based on this sensitivity analysis, a kick detection system
upgrade functional specification was created and used to develop a trial upgrade plan for a deep water rig.
In this work an investigation was made to develop kick detection sensors that could work at the subsea mudline. By
detecting kicks just above the wellhead, at the base of the subsea riser, the time for corrective action can be
increased by as much as a factor of three. Two sensors, ultrasonic and hydrostatic, were tested to detect changes in
the fluid density caused by the presence of oil, gas, or water in the drilling fluid.