Conventional and Unconventional Well Control Technology Based on Computer-Aided and Experimental Research

Abstract

Avoiding blowout and uncontrolled blowout in oil and gas wells are the key point of well control safety work. One of the main technical means to prevent such accidents is to eliminate formation fluid invading wellbore and return overflow wells to normal working state by killing wellbore. However, in the current well killing operation in the drilling field, people usually rely on their experiences to carry out the well killing operation. Due to the lack of experience in choosing the killing program and parameter design, the manual control of pressure fluctuation is obvious, which easily leads to complex downhole and enlarged accidents.

With the help of computer-aided expert system and automatic control means, the author has realized the functions of shut-in pressure calculation, well-killing method optimization, well-killing parameter calculation, real-time monitoring and alarming of killing process, and automatic control of throttling pressure, which can effectively improve the accuracy of parameter design and the stability of process control, enhance the success rate of killing, reduce the risk of killing and shorten the response time. All these means help to ensure the safety of drilling process and avoid the occurrence of major well control accidents.

At the same time, based on the results of simulation killing experiments of three killing methods and nine working conditions, the advantages and limitations of computer-aided killing have been analyzed, and the development direction of computer-aided killing technology and application have been put forward, so as to give full play to its role in preventing oil and gas blowout and ensuring the safety of exploration and development.

Copyright 2019, IFEDC Organizing Committee.

This paper was prepared for presentation at the 2019 International Field Exploration and Development Conference in Xi’an, China, 16–18 October, 2019.

This paper was selected for presentation by the IFEDC Committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper, as presented, have not been reviewed by the IFEDC Technical Team and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material does not necessarily reflect any position of the IFEDC Technical Committee its members. Papers presented at the Conference are subject to publication review by Professional Team of IFEDC Technical Committee. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper for commercial purposes without the written consent of IFEDC Organizing Committee is prohibited. Permission to reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of IFEDC. Contact email: paper@ifedc.org.