Page 267 - Well Control for Completions and Interventions

Well Kill, Kick Detection, and Well Shut-In 261

• Since oil is being displaced by packer fluid, HP in the tubing
increases.
Tubing HP increases and reaches a maximum when the tubing is
completely full of packer fluid: 10,300 ft. 3 0.67 psi/ft. 5 6901 psi.
Annulus pressure must be increased to compensate since the kill fluid is
lighter than the packer fluid.
• The oil water contact in the production tubing is at
(10,300 2 4943 ft.) 5 5357 ft. To get packer fluid to surface
114.21 bbls of oil must be displaced (5357 ft. 3 0.02125 bbls/ft.).
• When the tubing is filled with packer fluid, HP at the SSD is
10,300 psi 3 0.67 psi/ft. 5 6901 psi.
• After pumping 114.21 bbls of kill fluid into the annulus, the kill fluid/
packer fluid level is (114.21/0.0414 bbls/ft.) 2758 ft.
• Annulus HP is 2758 ft. 3 0.56 psi/ft. 1 (10,300 2 2758) 3 0.67 psi/
ft. 5 6597 psi.
Tubing HP exceeds annulus HP by 6901 2 6597 5 304 psi, meaning
that 304 psi casing head pressure is required to balance the HP in the tub-
ing. In fact, circulation would require a higher pump pressure as frictional
pressure drop must be included (Fig. 7.5).

Annulus fluid to 304 psi
surface 0.56 psi/ft

Annulus hydrostatic pressure (psi) 1133 0.67 psi/ft 2758 ft.

304

114 bbls 426 bbls

Volume pumped 6901 psi
Figure 7.5 Packer fluid fills the tubing.