Results
Blowout-Capping-Fracturing-Relief Well: A Full Cycle Workflow
Elnoamany, Youssuf (Louisiana State University (Corresponding author)) | Michael, Andreas (University of North Dakota) | Gupta, Ipsita (Louisiana State University) | Bhinde, Tej (Petroleum Experts Ltd.) | Todman, Steve (Petroleum Experts Ltd.) | Waltrich, Paulo J. (Louisiana State University) | Chen, Yuanhang (Louisiana State University)
Summary Failed well-capping attempts following offshore-well blowouts undergoing worst case discharge (WCD) can lead to fluid-driven tensile failures (de facto hydraulic fracture initiations). Subsequent propagation of these fractures may lead to broaching of overburden-rock-formation layers and even the seafloor, providing pathways for reservoir hydrocarbons to escape into the seawater. After capping stack shut-in, the pressure buildup in the fluid column inside the wellbore exposes vulnerable locations to tensile (Mode I) failure. If this shut-in wellbore pressure exceeds the formation breakdown pressure (FBP) in any of the exposed-rock-formation layers, a fracture will initiate and will continue to propagate as long as sufficient energy is provided by the reservoir. Scenarios where the propagating fracture(s) broached the seafloor in the past led to severe environmental impacts, disturbing the local ecology. The quintessential example is Union Oilโs 1969 โA-21 Wellโ blowout in Californiaโs Santa Barbara Channel, where subsequent well-capping attempts led to multiple broaching instances on the seafloor near the well with thousands of hydrocarbon gallons gushing into the seawater (observable from the sea surface as โoil boilupsโ). In this paper, numerical modeling is performed on a hypothetical case study using deepwater Gulf of Mexico parameters in order to evaluate the likelihood of a similar scenario by modeling a planar-fracture propagation longitudinally-to-the-wellbore, upon well capping. A workflow is developed that integrates post-blowout WCD flowrate and volume estimations, fracture initiation and propagation modeling following the capping stack shut-in, pertaining to a โcap-and-containโ strategy (including predictions in regard to seafloor broaching), along with relief-well intersection followed by kill-weight-mud injection. The casing-shoe depth is the presumed location of fracture initiation, assuming perfect integrity of all casedhole sections above it. Several sensitivity analyses are performed to investigate the impact of the casing-shoe depth, along with the stiffness of the overburden-rock-formation layer, and the post-blowout-discharge duration on the resultant fracture growth. Finally, the mud density and pump flowrate necessary to compensate the oil column to successfully kill the blown well are quantitatively assessed.
- North America > United States > Texas (0.68)
- North America > United States > California > San Francisco County > San Francisco (0.28)
- North America > United States > California > Santa Barbara Channel (0.24)
- Geology > Geological Subdiscipline > Geomechanics (1.00)
- Geology > Rock Type > Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Rock (0.69)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- Government > Regional Government > North America Government > United States Government (0.68)
- North America > United States > Gulf of Mexico > Central GOM > East Gulf Coast Tertiary Basin > Mississippi Canyon > Block 252 > Macondo Field > Macondo 252 Well (0.99)
- Asia > Brunei > Champion Field (0.99)
- Well Drilling > Pressure Management > Well control (1.00)
- Well Completion > Hydraulic Fracturing (1.00)
- Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability > Safety > Operational safety (1.00)
- Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability > HSSE & Social Responsibility Management > Contingency planning and emergency response (1.00)
The US Department of the Interior announced measures to enhance worker safety and ensure offshore oil and gas operations on the Outer Continental Shelf are conducted with the utmost safety and oversight standards. The final well control rule from the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) builds upon the historic regulatory reforms implemented by the department in the aftermath of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and resulting oil spill that killed 11 people and caused billions of dollars in environmental damage and economic loss to coastal communities. "The Biden/Harris administration is committed to the highest standards of worker safety and environmental protections," said Secretary Deb Haaland. "These improvements are necessary to ensure offshore operations, especially those related to well integrity and blowout prevention, are based on the best available, sound science. As our nation transitions to a clean energy economy, we will continue strengthening and modernizing offshore energy standards and oversight."
- Government > Regional Government > North America Government > United States Government (1.00)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- Well Drilling > Pressure Management > Well control (1.00)
- Well Drilling > Drilling Equipment > Well control equipment (1.00)
- Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability > Safety (1.00)
- (3 more...)
Most of the offshore oil and gas industry operating in the Gulf of Mexico has shown considerable improvement in systemic risk management, which is now approaching a middle stage of maturity across most risk elements, according to a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The report, which assesses both industry and regulatory progress against the reforms that were recommended following the Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010, also states that progress has been uneven and critical gaps remain in comprehensively addressing the management of systemic risk offshore. Many key reforms recommended in the wake of the 2010 blowout and spill have been adopted, collectively representing real improvement, the report says. These include the creation of the US Department of the Interior's Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) with a singular focus on safety and mandated safety and environmental management systems (SEMS). Additional positive changes include industry-funded deepwater well capping capability, heightened industry standards and regulatory requirements for well control and production safety systems, improved industry data collection and sharing of some near-miss and other safety indicators through SafeOCS, and the industry's creation and funding of the Center for Offshore Safety.
- Government > Regional Government > North America Government > United States Government (1.00)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability > Safety (1.00)
- Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability > Environment (1.00)
- Well Drilling > Pressure Management > Well control (0.73)
- Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability > HSSE & Social Responsibility Management > HSSE management systems (0.56)
Offshore safety includes process safety and personal safety. Safety leading indicators (LIs), or potential safety precursors, are parameters defined in the safety program pointing to potential areas for improvement, that if corrected can improve safety performance. For example, timely completion of equipment inspections can reduce the likelihood of equipment failure with associated hazards. They identify which safety metrics are more strongly associated with safety performance in a particular organization. This information can be used to improve future safety performance. This paper describes the research efforts to identify potential safety LIs that may help predict or prevent safety issues for the offshore oil and gas industry. Three relevant case studies of LIs for the offshore industry from the literature are discussed. The focus of this paper is on personal and process safety LIs in the offshore sector. Based on the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) safety culture factors, this paper collects and categorizes a list of potential offshore safety leading indicators.
- Law (1.00)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- Government > Regional Government > North America Government > United States Government (0.49)
- Well Drilling > Pressure Management > Well control (1.00)
- Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability > Safety > Safety risk management (1.00)
- Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability > Safety > Operational safety (1.00)
- (2 more...)
Unconventional Bradenhead Cementing in the Delaware Basin Case History
Pelton, Ben (Occidental Petroleum Corp (Corresponding author)) | Adam, Derek (Occidental Petroleum Corp) | Granier, Garrett (Occidental Petroleum Corp) | Turner, William (Occidental Petroleum Corp) | Tellez, Diego (Occidental Petroleum Corp) | Willis, John (Occidental Petroleum Corp)
Summary This Delaware Basin case history describes a bradenhead cementing method that improves zonal isolation and top of cement (TOC). Common solutions for cementing depleted formations include stage tools, low-density slurries, and reverse circulation. For this bradenhead method, cement is pumped through the wellhead valves and down the annulus to a target loss zone. Field data, laboratory data, and the engineering model support the improvement bradenhead cementing provided across depleted formations. The depleted Brushy Canyon Formation serves as an injection interval for a two-stage bradenhead cement job. This approach isolates formations below the Brushy Canyon with a conventional first stage, while achieving TOC with the second stage pumped down the annulus. Fracture gradients of the injection interval and casing shoe constrain the cement design. To achieve adequate cement placement, the design phase includes the pressure calculations required to start flow and injection for the bradenhead stage. Reactive spacers are utilized to prevent annulus fluid level drop in extreme cases. A benchmarked cement bond log (CBL) quantifies the results and validates this unconventional cementing method. More than 50 two-stage bradenhead cement jobs were executed with a TOC success rate of 100% in intermediate and production hole applications. CBL data obtained after cementing the intermediate casing confirm the two-stage bradenhead as a placement method. In areas constrained by casing shoe pressures, CBL data identified potential areas of shallow injection. These data resulted in a modification of the fluids pumped. Use of these re-engineered fluids reduced injection initiation pressures and improved cement bonding across salt and anhydrite formations. Cementing costs were reduced by eliminating stage tools, annular casing packers, and low-density cement slurries. Pumping the bradenhead job offline (off the rigโs critical path) reduces cost further. These features support bradenhead cementing as an effective solution for wellbore sections with a potential injection zone. The regulatory requirement to place cement above depleted formations resulted in many innovative cementing methods. Stage tools, low-density slurries, and reverse circulation are attempts to avoid formation breakdown, but these methods increase cost and have limited reliability and integrity. Bradenhead cementing takes advantage of the depleted interval to aid in cement placement. Although counterintuitive, bradenhead cementing has proved to be a cost-effective solution that improves zonal isolation and eliminates integrity risks associated with stage tool failures.
- North America > United States > Texas (1.00)
- North America > United States > New Mexico (1.00)
- Geology > Mineral (0.48)
- Geology > Geological Subdiscipline (0.46)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- Government > Regional Government > North America Government > United States Government (0.46)
- North America > United States > Texas > Permian Basin > Yeso Formation (0.99)
- North America > United States > Texas > Permian Basin > Yates Formation (0.99)
- North America > United States > Texas > Permian Basin > Wolfcamp Formation (0.99)
- (28 more...)
- Well Drilling > Pressure Management > Well control (1.00)
- Well Drilling > Casing and Cementing > Cement formulation (chemistry, properties) (1.00)
- Well Drilling > Casing and Cementing > Cement and bond evaluation (1.00)
- Well Drilling > Casing and Cementing > Casing design (1.00)
Unconventional Bradenhead Cementing in the Delaware Basin Case History
Pelton, Ben (Occidental Petroleum Corp (Corresponding author)) | Adam, Derek (Occidental Petroleum Corp) | Granier, Garrett (Occidental Petroleum Corp) | Turner, William (Occidental Petroleum Corp) | Tellez, Diego (Occidental Petroleum Corp) | Willis, John (Occidental Petroleum Corp)
Summary This Delaware Basin case history describes a bradenhead cementing method that improves zonal isolation and top of cement (TOC). Common solutions for cementing depleted formations include stage tools, low-density slurries, and reverse circulation. For this bradenhead method, cement is pumped through the wellhead valves and down the annulus to a target loss zone. Field data, laboratory data, and the engineering model support the improvement bradenhead cementing provided across depleted formations. The depleted Brushy Canyon Formation serves as an injection interval for a two-stage bradenhead cement job. This approach isolates formations below the Brushy Canyon with a conventional first stage, while achieving TOC with the second stage pumped down the annulus. Fracture gradients of the injection interval and casing shoe constrain the cement design. To achieve adequate cement placement, the design phase includes the pressure calculations required to start flow and injection for the bradenhead stage. Reactive spacers are utilized to prevent annulus fluid level drop in extreme cases. A benchmarked cement bond log (CBL) quantifies the results and validates this unconventional cementing method. More than 50 two-stage bradenhead cement jobs were executed with a TOC success rate of 100% in intermediate and production hole applications. CBL data obtained after cementing the intermediate casing confirm the two-stage bradenhead as a placement method. In areas constrained by casing shoe pressures, CBL data identified potential areas of shallow injection. These data resulted in a modification of the fluids pumped. Use of these re-engineered fluids reduced injection initiation pressures and improved cement bonding across salt and anhydrite formations. Cementing costs were reduced by eliminating stage tools, annular casing packers, and low-density cement slurries. Pumping the bradenhead job offline (off the rigโs critical path) reduces cost further. These features support bradenhead cementing as an effective solution for wellbore sections with a potential injection zone. The regulatory requirement to place cement above depleted formations resulted in many innovative cementing methods. Stage tools, low-density slurries, and reverse circulation are attempts to avoid formation breakdown, but these methods increase cost and have limited reliability and integrity. Bradenhead cementing takes advantage of the depleted interval to aid in cement placement. Although counterintuitive, bradenhead cementing has proved to be a cost-effective solution that improves zonal isolation and eliminates integrity risks associated with stage tool failures.
- North America > United States > Texas (1.00)
- North America > United States > New Mexico (1.00)
- Geology > Mineral (0.48)
- Geology > Geological Subdiscipline (0.46)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- Government > Regional Government > North America Government > United States Government (0.46)
- North America > United States > Texas > Permian Basin > Yeso Formation (0.99)
- North America > United States > Texas > Permian Basin > Yates Formation (0.99)
- North America > United States > Texas > Permian Basin > Wolfcamp Formation (0.99)
- (28 more...)
- Well Drilling > Pressure Management > Well control (1.00)
- Well Drilling > Casing and Cementing > Cement formulation (chemistry, properties) (1.00)
- Well Drilling > Casing and Cementing > Cement and bond evaluation (1.00)
- Well Drilling > Casing and Cementing > Casing design (1.00)
Summary Lost circulation materials (LCMs) are essential to combat fluid loss while drilling and may put the whole operation at risk if a proper LCM design is not used. The focus of this research is understanding the function of LCMs in sealing fractures to reduce fluid loss. One important consideration in the success of fracture sealing is the particle-size distribution (PSD) of LCMs. Various studies have suggested different guidelines for obtaining the best size distribution of LCMs for effective fracture sealing based on limited laboratory experiments or field observations. Hence, there is a need for sophisticated numerical methods to improve the LCM design by providing some predictive capabilities. In this study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and discrete element methods (DEM) numerical simulations are coupled to investigate the influence of PSD of granular LCMs on fracture sealing. Dimensionless variables were introduced to compare cases with different PSDs. We validated the CFD-DEM model in reproducing specific laboratory observations of fracture-sealing experiments within the model boundary parameters. Our simulations suggested that a bimodally distributed blend would be the most effective design in comparison to other PSDs tested here.
- North America > United States > Texas (0.28)
- North America > United States > California (0.28)
- Asia > Middle East > Israel > Mediterranean Sea (0.24)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- Government > Regional Government > North America Government > United States Government (0.46)
- Well Drilling > Pressure Management > Well control (1.00)
- Well Drilling > Drilling Fluids and Materials > Drilling fluid management & disposal (1.00)
- Information Technology > Modeling & Simulation (1.00)
- Information Technology > Data Science > Data Mining (0.34)
The US Department of the Interior announced a proposed rule to ensure offshore oil and gas operations on the Outer Continental Shelf are conducted with the utmost safety and oversight standards. This proposed rule from the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) builds on reforms instituted by the department since the Deepwater Horizon tragedy that killed 11 offshore workers, caused billions of dollars of damage, and made lasting effects to the environmental landscape in the Gulf of Mexico. Proposed revisions to the 2019 Well Control Rule, which will be in the Federal Register, focus on well integrity and blowout prevention. These innovations will help protect human lives and the environment by incorporating the latest technology and the lessons learned from operator experience and incident data since the current rule was adopted. "Protecting human lives and the environment has always been BSEE's highest priority, and this proposed rulemaking will further ensure safe and environmentally responsible offshore energy production," said BSEE Director Kevin M. Sligh Sr. "These proposed revisions to the Well Control Rule are the result of knowledge and experience gained by stakeholders and BSEE since the 2019 rule was implemented. They will protect workers' lives and the environment from the potentially devastating effects of blowouts and offshore oil spills."
- Government > Regional Government > North America Government > United States Government (1.00)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- Well Drilling > Pressure Management > Well control (1.00)
- Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability > Safety (1.00)
- Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability > HSSE & Social Responsibility Management (1.00)
- Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability > Environment > Oil and chemical spills (0.97)
World renowned for his work in well control, Bill Rehm developed well control and pressure measurements from electric logs. He wrote the first manual accepted by the US Minerals Management Service (MMS) on well control for drillers and supervisors and also wrote five manuals on well control for drilling contractors that were accepted by the US Geological Survey.
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- Government > Regional Government > North America Government > United States Government (0.87)
- Well Drilling > Pressure Management > Well control (1.00)
- Well Drilling > Drilling Operations (0.87)
2010 Gulf of Mexico Macondo Oil Spill Disaster: HACCP Lessons for Nigeria's Gulf of Guinea
Theophilus, Tubi O. (Centre for Petroleum, Energy Economics and Law, University of Ibadan) | Falode, Olugbenga (Department of Petroleum Engineering, University of Ibadan) | Ogunshe, Adenike A.O. (Pegasus-Zion Community & Environmental Health, Nigeria)
Abstract Dealing with potentially vast and serious environmental incidents has remained a challenge for the Oil and Gas Industry, thus, the aftermath of April 20, 2010, Macondo disaster, deserves a holistic overview of events responsible for, or associated with, the disaster. The study adopted and adapted the HACCP analysis and drew lessons by not only identifying and tracing the immediate and remote causes of the spill but also making appropriate recommendations on prevention and remediation measures to be adopted at similar operating points in the Gulf of Guinea area, like Shell's Bonga FPSO facility and Chevron's Agbami. Using detailed extrapolation as a basis for the establishment of material conditionalities and similarities existing between the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf of Guinea, the study was conducted with the aid of an extensive and exhaustive review of literature, technical reports, and other de-classified materials to determine, amongst other things, the how, why and lessons learned. The results show that there are still technological, legal, and administrative lapses in our jurisdiction, causing shortcomings in the applicable administration of rules, regulations, and enforcement procedures in the Oil and Gas sector, which has been and is still being exploited negatively by industry players. Hazard Analyses Critical Control Points addressed particularly include, causes of explosions, nature of fire, loss of well control, blowout, vessel sinking, casualties, modes of evacuation, vessel safety systems, oil spillage, environmental damages, systems deficiencies, maintenance of electrical equipment, gas alarms and automatic/emergency shutdown systems, the inadequacy of crew blast protection equipment barrier, inadequate intractable command, and control hands-off, lack of requisite training for personnel on emergency preparedness, to shut down engines and disconnect, risk-based decisions, abilities to prevent or limit the magnitude of the disaster. The study concluded that an immediate review of some identified outdated rules and operational guidelines of the DPR be undertaken, namely: procedure guide for the construction and maintenance of fixed offshore platforms; procedure guide for construction & maintenance of surface production facilities; flexible pipes, SCR, and mooring chain systems. requirements for the maintenance and inspection of flexible pipes, SCR, and mooring chain systems; operation & maintenance of pipelines. guidelines etc. Adding more pre-installed blowout preventer (BoP) systems per rig/drill line, as well as call for a review of proposed PIB, EGASPIN 2018, and a further strengthening of NOSDRA.
- North America > United States (1.00)
- Africa > Nigeria (1.00)
- Africa > Niger (1.00)
- Geology > Mineral (0.93)
- Geology > Structural Geology > Tectonics > Plate Tectonics (0.46)
- Government > Regional Government > North America Government > United States Government (1.00)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- Well Drilling > Pressure Management > Well control (1.00)
- Well Drilling > Drilling Equipment > Well control equipment (1.00)
- Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability > Safety > Operational safety (1.00)
- (3 more...)