Armada Phase II

ERD Hole Cleaning &

Tripping Guidelines

Copy No. Issued To:

Armada Phase II
Hole Cleaning & Tripping Guidelines

Contents
1 Introduction...................................................................................................... 3
1.1 Summary of Key Practices ..................................................................... 4
1.2 What is Good Hole Cleaning................................................................ 6
1.3 Hole Cleaning ......................................................................................... 6

2 Drilling Practices for Good Hole Cleaning ................................................... 9

2.1 Mud & Rheology Guidelines................................................................... 9
2.2 Flowrates & Hydraulics......................................................................... 10
2.3 Drillpipe Rotation .................................................................................. 12

3 Monitoring Hole Cleaning Performance ..................................................... 15

3.1 ROP How Fast is Safe ...................................................................... 15
3.2 Surface Torque & Drag Monitoring....................................................... 15
3.3 DWOB & DTORQ Tools ....................................................................... 17

4 Clean-up Practices ........................................................................................ 18

5 Tripping Practices ......................................................................................... 20

6 Back Reaming / Pumping Out ...................................................................... 21

6.1 Back Reaming Recommendations ....................................................... 22
6.2 Guidelines For Back Reaming Through Tight Hole ............................. 22
6.3 Guidelines for Precautionary Back Reaming ....................................... 23

7 Remedial Hole Cleaning ............................................................................... 24

7.1 Sweeps ................................................................................................. 24
7.2 Stop & Circulate.................................................................................... 25
7.3 Wiper Trips ........................................................................................... 25
7.4 Back Reaming ...................................................................................... 25

8 Running Casing ............................................................................................. 26

9 Attachments................................................................................................... 26

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1 Introduction

Hole cleaning is one of the biggest challenges in extended reach wells. The
issues to discuss regarding hole cleaning are quite complex and wide ranging.
Essentially, there are planning related and operations related issues. This
document discusses the operations related issues.

Hole cleaning is time consuming but is a prime requirement during the drilling
phase in order to be able to achieve the latter objectives, i.e. logging and no
stuck pipe/casing incidents.

It is a historical fact that on many fields the vast majority of stuck pipe
incidents on highly deviated wells occur when pulling out of the hole due to
pack off and that such stuck pipe incidents are usually associated with poor
hole cleaning.

Although there will always remain debate as to what is the correct way to drill
the wells, it is felt that improved hole cleaning and tripping practices will form
the cornerstone of successful performance and results.

Remember one moment of impatience can ruin days of good work with
respect to hole cleaning. It is better to take the time to do things right and to
do things only once, than to be sorry.

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1.1 Summary of Key Practices

Mud & Rheology

Maintain 6 rpm Fann reading at 1.0 to 1.2 times the hole diameter.
Maintain high rheology, YP 25 lbs/ft2.
The pumping of high weight sweeps should be avoided and only pumped if
absolutely necessary after the primary remedial measures, stopping and
circulating have failed.
Do not pump Lo-vis/Hi-vis pills as these carry a high risk of inducing a
pack-off and are detrimental to the mud properties.

Drilling

Maintain an optimum ROP that can be handled by the hole cleaning

capacity and also by the capacity of the cuttings containment system.
Pump at the maximum available flowrate at all times.
Record torque and drag trends at surface and compare with modeled
values to monitor hole cleaning performance. Information from the Anadrill
DWOB and DTORQ tools should be used to assist hole cleaning
monitoring.
Use the maximum amount of 6-5/8 drill pipe in 12-1/4 hole section.
If possible slide only in the middle of the stand so that a period of rotation
takes place before and after in order to deposit cuttings away from the
BHA before a connection.

Clean-Up

Maximise rotary speed and flowrate while circulating clean off bottom.
Circulate at least the minimum number of bottoms up as calculated using
the Lag model worksheet.
Do not stop circulating once TD is reached or while circulating clean as
cuttings circulated up the well will avalanche back down the wellbore.
Do not lay out stands while circulating.

Tripping

POOH without pumps or rotation. Do not pump or back ream OOH as a

general practice.
Always assume that any tight hole is cuttings bed related until proved
otherwise.
When tight hole is encountered, progressively increase overpull in stages
to the maximum advised by the DSV. Check that the pipe is free to move
down between each stage. Circulate clean for 30 minutes to establish if

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the tight hole is cuttings related or not and to determine the appropriate
action.
Do not assume that cased hole is a safe haven from tight hole.

Back Reaming / Pumping Out

Do not pump out of hole.

Back ream only if absolutely necessary and control pulling rate to ensure
that top of the BHA is not pulled into a cuttings bed creating a pack-off.
Exercise great care when resuming POOH after back reaming. Circulate
clean if necessary.

Remedial Hole Cleaning

If remedial hole cleaning is required the first response should be to come

off bottom and circulate at maximum rate and rotation until the well is
cleaned up. Refer to the Cuttings Lag model for minimum circulation
required.
Wiper trips are ineffective as a response to hole cleaning problems.
Avoid pumping sweeps or pills as this will deteriorate the properties of the
mud system.

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1.2 What is Good Hole Cleaning

A clean hole is defined as a wellbore with a cuttings bed height and

distribution such that operations are trouble free

A wellbore does not have to be 100% clean, or free of cuttings to be clean.

Every high angle wellbore will have a cuttings bed of some kind. A cuttings
bed that is clean for drilling is not necessarily the same as that for tripping a
BHA, running casing or running wireline logs.

Cuttings beds will form in high angle wellbores, regardless of how efficient the
hole cleaning practices are. How the cuttings are distributed in the hole will
dictate the measures that are required to move them. Management of the
cuttings in the hole is a key to efficient drilling operations.

1.3 Hole Cleaning

Hole cleaning in general can be divided into 3 categories which have quite
different strategies and circumstances.

0 - 45 wells
45 - 65 wells
65 - 90 wells

In a vertical to 45 well cuttings are brought to surface by combating cuttings

slip velocity where the cutting must fall thousands of feet to reach the bottom
of the hole.

Figure 1 below attempts to demonstrate the different environments that exist

for each of these scenarios. In wells with inclinations in the range 45 - 65,
cuttings begin to form dunes as the distance for them to fall to bottom is now
measured in inches. The most notable feature of this inclination range is that,
the dunes will begin to slide or avalanche down the wellbore when the pumps
are shut off. This significantly changes the hole cleaning strategy.

Inclinations of 65 - 90 present a different set of operational circumstances.

Here the cuttings fall to the low side of the hole and form a long continuous
cuttings bed. Although the challenges associated with an avalanching dune
have gone away, hole cleaning in this environment is actually more difficult
and time consuming.

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Cuttings Movement Differences

in Vertical, Medium & High Angle Wells

Cuttings movement Cutting movements

with NO flowrate WITH pumps on

In vertical or low angle wellbores, the cuttings move up directly with the fluid. Hole
cleaning is simply provided by viscosity. When the pumps are turned off, the cuttings
can be suspended by viscous fluid because they have a long way to fall to the bottom
of the hole. Back reaming or slide-drilling do not cause any problems and the hole can
be cleaned with stationary drillpipe.

Bottoms up is a meaningful term, as cuttings will move relative to the fluid velocity.

In 45 to 65 degree wells, the cuttings move up the hole mostly on the low side, but
can easily be stirred up by pipe rotation into the flow regime. The majority of the fluid
flow is along the top of the hole.
When circulation is stopped or reduced, the cuttings drop to the low side of the hole,
collect in a bed and then avalanche down until the hole angle is too high to continue
sliding or the hole has packed off. The cuttings cannot really be suspended by
viscosity of fluid because they only have a few inches to fall to the low side of the
hole. Then once they have collected in a bed the fluid viscosity has no effect.

In high angle wells, the cuttings move as a dune, cuttings are picked up from the front
of a dune and deposited at the back, similar to the process that creates sand dunes or
snow drifts. All of the fluid flow moves along the upper part of the hole and
mechanical agitation is required to move the cuttings, regardless of the flowrate or
viscosity of the mud.
When the pumps are turned off the cuttings will be stationary. Any suspended
cuttings will immediately fall to the low side. Bottoms Up is meaningless.

Figure 1: Cuttings Movement & Suspension in Vertical, Medium & High Angle Wells

Good hole cleaning is not just a matter of programming appropriate mud

rheology, nor of pumping at high flowrates. Each of the following have an
important affect on hole cleaning.

Flowrates: The general rule is that flowrates should be as high

as practical throughout, subject to ECD related
constraints.

Pipe RPM: Pipe rotation is critical to hole cleaning and should

be at least 120rpm. Ideal is 150 180rpm. It may
be that rpm is restricted to a lower value than this
because of the motor ABH.

Mud Rheology: The ideal mud rheology can be quite complex for
ERD wells. In general, the 6 rpm reading should be
1.0 1.2 times the hole size in inches.

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Mud Inhibition & The mud inhibition and Lithology type affects not
Lithology: only the amount of cuttings that must be removed
but it will also affect the hole size and shape and
cuttings size.

Bit & BHA Strategy: This is probably the most important and least
appreciated factor in achieving good hole cleaning.
It directly affects hole cleaning by influencing
flowrates, allowable pipe rpm, drilling practices and
parameters.

Drilling & Tripping Generally practices that are acceptable in

Practices: conventional wells cannot be used in ERD wells.

Wellbore Stability: Hole diameter will affect hole cleaning ability with
large washouts acting to collect the cuttings.

Drillstring Design: The drillstring design directly affects flowrates. Its

design can be modified to enhance hole cleaning
through improved hydraulics (6-5/8 DP) and more
effective stirring up of cuttings (Hydroclean DP).

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2 Drilling Practices for Good Hole Cleaning

Good tripping and drilling practices are critical to ensuring acceptable hole
cleaning. The benefits of a powerful, purpose built drilling rig can easily be
negated by poor or inappropriate drilling practices. Even with excess rig
capacity, drilling a well with correct practices can be far more important than
using brute force.

2.1 Mud & Rheology Guidelines

Regardless of the mud type the overall objective is to maintain a pumpable

fluid with low-end rheologies that are high enough to keep cuttings moving out
of the hole. The use of 6 rpm readings as a primary indicator of hole cleaning
capability and maintaining low PV (plastic viscosity) for pumpability is widely
accepted. Generally maintain 6 rpm Fann readings at 1.0 to 1.2 x hole
diameter.

Maintain high rheology, YP = > 25 lbs/100ft2 to achieve good primary hole

cleaning.

Avoid unnecessary mud weight fluctuation as cavings or losses can result.

The Mud engineer is to be focused on providing new mud of quality (weight,
YP, fluid loss etc.). If the quantity available cannot sustain the drilling rate,
adapt the drilling rate to suit.

Do not pump Lo-vis/Hi-vis pills. The intent should be to focus on primary hole
cleaning to minimise the formation of cuttings beds in the first place. It is
thought that such pills lead to uneven mud properties (yo-yo effect) and
contribute to the hole instability.

Lo-vis pills create turbulent flow (intended to stir up cuttings) in the wellbore
but this has a number of detrimental effects. The turbulent flow may
contribute to the erosion of shales and the turbulence creates localised
shifting patterns of lower than average and higher than average pressure
which easily give rise to shale splinters. These shale splinters are often
interpreted as pressure cavings and the mud weight is increased, increasing
PV and exacerbating the problem.

Hi-vis pills are likely to take up lots of cuttings and cavings, which can easily
result in pack-off.

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2.2 Flowrates & Hydraulics

Pump at the maximum available flowrate at all time. With the Galaxy III 14-P-
220 mud pumps and the use of 6-5/8 drillpipe down to TD of the 16 hole and
a combination of 6-5/8 and 5 drillpipe in the 12-1/4 hole, pressure limitations
on flowrates should not be a significant problem.

Flowrate is the key parameter for hole cleaning rate, as shown in Figure 2
below. Simply put, the faster that you pump, the faster that you can clean the
hole (if you are rotating at a sufficiently high rpm, preferably >120rpm).

Flowrate
Effect on Hole Cleaning
Minimum hurdle flowrate required
Cuttings Return

Point of diminishing benefit

For Hole cleaning to occur

Hole cleaning with no rotation

Flow Rate

Figure 2: Flowrate Effect on Hole Cleaning

There is a minimum hurdle flowrate that must be exceeded if there is to be

any hole cleaning in a high angle wellbore. Field experience also suggests
that there is a point of diminishing benefit for flowrate increases. It is
important to appreciate that as long as cuttings are moving up the hole at a
faster rate than they are being generated, then the hole is being cleaned.
Flowrate will affect the rate of cleaning and allow faster cuttings generation to
be tolerated.

When discussing the desired flowrates for ERD, say 1,000 1,200gpm in 12-
1/4 hole, it is not unusual to be told that such high flowrates will wash out the
hole. Many people have concerns that turbulent flow will result in erosion of
the wellbore. This is a misnomer for several reasons.

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For all intents and purposes, it is impossible to get turbulent flow in the
drillpipe annulus, regardless of the flowrates with the viscous mud systems
that will be used in ERD wells.

Such high flowrates, 1,000 1,200gpm in 12-1/4 hole will give theoretical
AVs (Annular Velocities) of 196 231 ft/min across 5 drillpipe and 235 277
ft/min across 6-5/8 drillpipe. When you consider that walking pace is
approximately 350 ft/min (4 mph) it is difficult to visualise that such relatively
low velocities can erode the wellbore.

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2.3 Drillpipe Rotation

High speed drillpipe rotation is critical for good hole cleaning in the high angle
portion of the well. Flowrate alone is ineffective unless the pipe is being
rotated fast enough to stir the cuttings into the flow regime. When slide
drilling the drilling fluid is near stationary on the low side of the hole where the
cuttings are so no hole cleaning takes place.

Vertical Wellbore High Angle Wellbore

High Velocity Fluid

Low Velocity Fluid

on Low side of Hole

Cuttings bed on low side of

hole will not be disturbed
Fluid moves almost uniformly throughout
by fluid flow unless stirred
annulus in a vertical wellbore. Cuttings
up by pipe rotation
move evenly in annulus

Figure 3: Annular Fluid Movement in High Angle Wells

Field experience suggests that there are hurdle rotary speeds that produce
step changes in hole cleaning performance on ERD wells. The mechanics of
why these hurdle speeds occur is unclear, especially since they remain
relatively constant for variations in hole size, drillpipe size and mud systems.

Step changes in cuttings returns occur at 100 120 rpm and again at 150
180 rpm as shown in Figure 4 below.

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Cuttings Return Variation with Pipe Speed

Step changes in cuttings return occur at 100

120 rpm and again at 150 180 rpm.
Cuttings Return

Fine tuning of rotary speed from 60 80

rpm is generally not meaningful. The hurdle
speed of 100 120 rpm must be exceeded
for significant improvement

0 25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200

Rotary Speed (rpm)

Figure 4: Effect of Pipe Rotation on Hole Cleaning

Most if not all of the Phase II BHAs will use motors. The setting of the motor
ABH (adjustable bent housing) will limit maximum rotary speed on bottom
such that it is not possible to achieve the first step change in hole cleaning.
However, higher off bottom rotary speeds are permissible and the table below
contains guidelines from Anadrill as to what is allowable.

Hole Section ABH Setting Maximum Surface RPM (off bottom)

Slide sections Rotary sections
23 1.5 40 100
16 1.15 50 120
12-1/4 1.15 50 130
Table 1: Maximum Off-Bottom Rotary Speed for PowerPak A962XP Motor

The maximum recommended RPM may be exceeded only on the

recommendation of the Schlumberger Directional Driller taking into account
the well profile and drilling conditions current at the time.

Remember rotary speed should be maximised at all times when circulating

clean off bottom.

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If possible slide only in the middle of a stand. This will result in rotating before
and after the sliding period to get cuttings deposited during the sliding period
well away from the BHA prior to making a connection. Also less angle will be
lost when reaming the stand.

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3 Monitoring Hole Cleaning Performance

3.1 ROP How Fast is Safe

Historically, there have been two different schools of thought on drilling ROPs
in high angle hole sections. Some choose to drill at maximum instantaneous
ROPs and then perform remedial hole cleaning operations as required.
Alternately some nominate a safe ROP at which the hole can be kept clean as
it is drilled ahead.

High instantaneous ROPs and remedial hole cleaning are likely to result in
periods when the well unloads cuttings at a rate that cannot be handled by the
containment system. For Phase II drilling it makes obvious sense to limit
instantaneous ROPs and drill at a steady rate, which can be handled by the
cuttings containment system and allows the hole to be cleaned as it is drilled.

3.2 Surface Torque & Drag Monitoring

This will be the primary method of monitoring hole cleaning in Phase II as the
information is readily available and easily interpreted on the rig floor.

Surface torque and drag monitoring involves taking torque, rotating string
weight, pick and slack-off weights at every connection. As the well is drilled
deeper the values for Up weight, Rotating weight and Down weight will all
slowly increase, as will the difference between them. When the Up and Down
weight lines diverge away from the predicted trends, i.e. Up weight increases
and down weight decreases it can indicate build up of cuttings beds in the well
and a requirement to stop and circulate clean. Examples of these trends are
shown in Figure 4 below.

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String Weights
140

Up Weight
130 Rotating Weight
Down Weight

120
Up & Down weights diverging,
String Weight (klbs)

indicating poor hole cleaning

110

100

90

80
Up & Down weights diverging,
indicating poor hole cleaning.
Stop drilling & circulate clean
70
Stopped drilling &
circulated well clean

60
2400 2600 2800 3000 3200 3400 3600 3800
Measured Depth (feet)
Figure 5: Torque & Drag Monitoring

The theoretical predictions that the actual data is compared to must be good
quality. Not only is the software model important but the input data must be
good quality and continually calibrated with actual measured values. Most
importantly, the data must be collected in the same manner for each data
point to ensure consistent, reliable output.

It is important to trust the torque and drag modelling but it is just as important
that its limitations are well understood. Torque and drag modelling has
proven to be an excellent tool for monitoring cuttings bed build up but there
are many actions that may be occurring that will not necessarily show up or
may be misinterpreted. Differential sticking, key-seating and wellbore
instability effects should not be misinterpreted as cuttings build up. However,
only the latter is likely to be a problem in the 16 and 12-1/4 sections of
Armada. The symptoms of these problems are different and their
identification underlines the importance of collecting and interpreting the
torque and drag data in conjunction with centrally monitored drilling
parameters on an ongoing basis.

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3.3 DWOB & DTORQ Tools

Anadrill have developed the DWOB (downhole weight on bit) and DTORQ
(downhole torque) tools, which measure downhole loads at the MWD tool.
These tools will be used in Phase II and will provide valuable information to
monitor hole cleaning by comparing the difference between the surface and
downhole loads. When the surface and downhole loads start to diverge it is
assumed to be due to cuttings loading.

Although this method provides valuable information it will only be used to

supplement surface torque and drag monitoring in Phase II because of the
following shortcomings:

The DWOB/DTORQ tool relies on being on-bottom to be effective, i.e

drilling. Hence, the measurements must account for the vagaries of on-
bottom bit and BHA interaction. With PDC bits in particular, the
comparison of downhole and surface loads can be quite complicated.

The DWOB and DTORQ information is generally very complex and difficult
to interpret on the rig floor in real time.

The most significant limitation of DWOB/DTORQ information is that it is

useless when tripping in or out when the risk of stuck pipe is greatest.

Despite these disadvantages, the information from these tools can be very
useful. The DWOB tool is an excellent way to monitor drill pipe buckling and
to calibrate torque and drag modelling programmes.

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4 Clean-up Practices

Effective hole clean-up practices are essential to successful and risk free
tripping. It is vital that the hole is cleaned adequately prior to POOH. This
does not mean that there should be no cuttings at all but simply that any
cuttings bed height is sufficiently low and evenly distributed to allow the bit
and BHA or casing to pass through without problems. The introduction of the
top drive system has lead to many operators choosing not to invest time in
cleaning the hole prior to tripping since they have the ability to backream if
necessary. This has developed into a time consuming and risky practice.

Generally, prior to POOH, the hole should be circulated with maximum

available flowrate and maximum allowable pipe rpm while working the last
stand on bottom. Do not stop circulating as the sudden reduction in flowrate
may induce avalanching of cuttings, leading to pack-off and stuck pipe.

Avoid circulating at the same depth for an extended period to prevent the
creation of ledges but do not lay out stands unless absolutely necessary. A
common practice is to lay out 1 stand every 30 minutes while circulating.
However as the stand is laid out, the pumps are stopped and all the cuttings
will avalanche down the wellbore and will be deposited as cuttings beds. This
results in having to pump the same cuttings up the wellbore over and over
again. When reciprocating the pipe do not run the pipe up and down between
the same depths, as this will create ledges at these depths.

The consequence of this is that the rotating bit will damage the lowermost
stand of the wellbore. As the rest of the section is likely to have washouts
anyway this is deemed acceptable but the impact of any loss of inclination
may have to be determined.

Circulation and rotation should continue until the hole cleans up. Use the
attached Lag Time Model worksheet as a guide to calculate the minimum
number of circulations required. Do not stop circulation after nominal 1 or 2
bottoms up. Good cuttings return in ERD wells does not actually commence
until after 1 to 2 bottoms up and for the shakers to clean up after 4 bottoms
up. The cuttings return will also vary wildly with time as the hole is cleaned
up, especially if periods of slide drilling have been used. Slide drilling will
create dunes of cuttings in the wellbore, which as they are circulated out will
give the appearance that the hole is unloading.

Regardless of the length of time that it takes to clean the hole up prior to
POOH, it is worth the investment.

If mud volumes are tracked carefully on the rig, then a significant mud loss
can be seen as the hole cleans up. This phenomenon tends to make mud

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volume tracking difficult especially in wells with inclinations greater than 65.
When drilling recommences, pit gains of the same sort of volume will be
observed as the cuttings bed builds up and displaces the mud.

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5 Tripping Practices

Tripping practices should be tailored specifically for high angle wells. As the
inclination increases and cuttings beds form, these can be very problematic.
If tripping procedures do not account for this phenomenon, then back reaming
through tight hole will result in an inappropriate, time consuming and
sometimes dangerous operation.

The primary rules are:

Always assume that any tight hole or overpull is due to cuttings and hole
cleaning related.

Clean up the hole using maximum rotation and circulation for the minimum
number of bottoms up as calculated using the lag model and then until the
shakers are clean.

Do not assume that cased hole is a safe haven for tight hole avoidance. It
is not unheard of for stuck pipe to occur inside casing, either just inside the
shoe or many thousands of feet inside casing.

POOH without pumps or rotation.

If tight hole is encountered, progressively increase overpull ensuring that

the string is free to move down at each stage before increasing the
overpull. A maximum permissible overpull will be stated in the written
work instructions issued by the Drilling Supervisor. If the string cannot be
pulled through the tight hole proceed as per the guidelines in Section 6.2
Guidelines For Back Reaming Through Tight Hole.

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6 Back Reaming / Pumping Out

Although back reaming may be considered an appropriate practice in vertical

wells and conventional low angle deviated wells. Back reaming and pumping
out of hole are not appropriate practices for high angle well bores when tight
hole is encountered or as a primary hole cleaning tool.

Back reaming and pumping out of hole are not only considered to be very
inefficient but can also be very risky on ERD wells. Whereas tight hole in
vertical wells is likely to be due to wellbore conditions, tight hole in ERD wells
is likely to be due to hole cleaning and cuttings. Back reaming and pumping
out of hole through a cuttings bed can very easily lead to packing off,
stuckpipe and possible loss of the string and wellbore.

The reason that back reaming or pumping out is so dangerous in high angle
wellbores is that the process completely cleans the hole below the bit/BHA
rather that leaving a small cuttings bed along the bottom of the hole. The
cuttings instead are deposited in a dune just above the top of the drill collars.
This significantly increases the chance of packing off as the top of the drill
collars is pulled into the cuttings bed.

Acceptable Cuttings Bed for Tripping

A cuttings bed exists but the hole is acceptably clean to allow trouble
free tripping. Cuttings are left below the bit. Harmless cuttings are left
below the bit

Situation During Back Reaming or Pumping OOH

Cuttings Dune is created No cuttings are left below

above the BHA the bit
When back reaming or pumping out the hole is completely cleaned below the bit and the cuttings
deposited as a dune above the top of the BHA. The dune represents a significant pack-
off/stuckpipe risk.

Figure 6: Effect on Cuttings Bed of Back reaming or Pumping Out

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A feature of high angle wells that utilize back reaming is that the wellbores
often seem to deteriorate over time, especially if any tight hole occurred whilst
back reaming. When a well packs off whilst back reaming or pumping out of
the hole, the wellbore below the pack-off is subjected to a very rapid increase
in pressure as the rig pumps are still running. This can force mud into the
shales creating micro-fractures and consequently cavings, which add to the
hole cleaning problems.

6.1 Back Reaming Recommendations

If back reaming is necessary the following recommendations apply. Pumping

out of the hole will not be carried out as the pumping out process creates a
cuttings dune above the BHA but provides no hole cleaning ability in the drill
pipe annulus above the BHA.

Back reaming should only be performed with ideal parameters. Even at low
flowrate the process will still clean the wellbore extremely well around the
BHA, creating a cuttings dune above the BHA. However without sufficient
flowrates and rotary speed the cuttings dune cannot be cleaned away from
the BHA sufficiently.

The pulling speed is a critical parameter, too fast and the top of the drill collars
will be pulled into the cuttings dune, creating a pack off and possibly leading
to stuck pipe. The process needs to be based on surface torque readings by
the driller as a means of determining pulling speed.

6.2 Guidelines For Back Reaming Through Tight Hole

It should always be assumed that any tight spot during a trip is a cuttings
related problem. If a tight spot is encountered while POOH then the following
guidelines should be applied.

1. If the hole is sufficiently tight that the string cannot be pulled through, RIH
3 to 5 stands until the BHA is clear of the obstruction and circulate with
maximum flowrate and rotation for 30 minutes.

Never commence pumping or rotation while the BHA lies in or close to the
obstruction. If the BHA cannot be moved down, perhaps because it is
close to bottom, then gradually start rotation prior to bringing on the pumps
slowly.

2. POOH again without pumps or rotation. If the tight spot has disappeared
or moved up the hole then the tight hole was probably due to a cuttings
bed. The BHA should then be tripped back into hole and the well
circulated clean with maximum flowrate and rotary speed.

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3. If the tight spot is in the same place, then it may be assumed to be

something other than cuttings alone and careful back reaming at the
Drilling Supervisors discretion may be necessary until past the restriction.

4. If back reaming has taken place, great care should be taken when
beginning to POOH again as a cuttings dune may have built up above the
BHA and may cause a pack off and stuck pipe. Consider circulating the
hole clean again before resuming tripping.

6.3 Guidelines for Precautionary Back Reaming

On occasion, it may be necessary to back ream in an ERD well for

precautionary reasons.

1. Prior to precautionary back reaming, the hole should be cleaned up with

maximum flowrate and rotation as per Section 4.

2. The is some danger that cleaning up the hole prior to back reaming may
be seen as a waste of time, given that the hole is to be back reamed
anyway. However, the intent of circulating clean is to get the cuttings level
down to a more manageable, lower risk level, prior to commencing a
relatively high risk operation (i.e back reaming).

3. Back ream slowly OOH with maximum allowable flowrates and pipe
rotation. If flowrate is limited it may be advisable to back ream in stages
with several stops to clean the hole to a safer level of cuttings or at least
redistribute them away from the BHA.

4. It must always be remembered that a potentially dangerous cuttings dune

exists above the BHA. The driller should be vigilant for indications (e.g.
increased torque) that the BHA is being pulled into this cuttings dune and
that a pack off or stuck pipe is imminent if appropriate action is not taken.

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7 Remedial Hole Cleaning

It is better to stay on bottom at an optimised ROP, controlled to match hole

cleaning and cuttings containment capacity than it is to drill in short fast burst
and then use remedial operations to clean the hole. For Phase II operations it
will be easier and more efficient, especially given the cuttings containment
requirements to maintain a steady ROP and clean up the well as we drill.

If drilling practices and parameters are optimised, it is generally possible to

drill for very long intervals and very long periods without any wiper trips or any
other remedial measures.

However, there may be occasions where some remedial actions may be

required, e.g. equipment failure, deteriorating wellbore condition or suddenly
poor mud properties. Any remedial operations should be based on clear
torque and drag and cuttings return trends. Furthermore, the effectiveness of
the remedial operations should be observed and quantified before and after
the operation.

It is critical that any remedial operations are initiated for the right reasons and
that the response is appropriate. For example, do not simply call a wiper trip
or pump a sweep because torque and drag increased. In Phase II for
example this may occur while drilling into the Fleming Reservoir as the high
overbalance may cause an increase in torque and drag. In this situation hole
cleaning measures would be inappropriate.

7.1 Sweeps

If the correct mud properties are maintained and drilling practices include high
rotary speeds then the mud system will clean the hole. Once the mud system
is right the use of sweeps only acts to deteriorate the ideal mud properties.

In ERD wells mud rheology is already difficult enough to keep within

specification without the detrimental effect of sweeps being absorbed into the
system. Furthermore, their use in ERD wells has proven largely ineffective,
regardless of the sweep design.

In an ERD well with the fluid flow along the top of the hole, even the most
viscous of pills will allow cuttings to fall to the bottom of the hole. Also as the
pipe is rotated and the fluid flow profile takes effect, mixing of the sweep with
the drilling fluid is inevitable. The most common result is that a sweep is
never detected back at surface.

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A further concern is that sweeps may pick up cuttings in concentrated

amounts, which can have a detrimental effect on ECD and also on the
cuttings containment system on Phase II.

On the rare occasions that sweeps do bring cuttings back it is unlikely that
they come from very far down the hole. Almost certainly, the cuttings
recovered are from the build or vertical section of the well.

7.2 Stop & Circulate

Picking up off bottom and circulating should be looked upon as the first
remedial hole cleaning option once changes in the drilling parameters and
ROP have proved ineffective. As discussed previously this operation should
be performed with maximum flowrate and rotary speed.

Remember off bottom flowrate and rotary speed may be higher than that used
for drilling.

If hole cleaning is a problem consider circulating prior to connections for 10

minutes while rotating at maximum speed and gently reciprocate the string to
minimise hole damage in one spot. This will ensure that cuttings are well
above the BHA so that when the pumps are turned off they will not avalanche
back across the BHA and pack it off.

7.3 Wiper Trips

Generally, it should be possible to make precautionary and remedial wiper

trips for hole cleaning unnecessary. It has been proved that if good practices
and strategies have been used throughout then long high angle hole sections
can be drilled without wiper trips.

It may still be necessary to wipe a hole for other reasons, e.g. swelling shale
interval.

7.4 Back Reaming

As discussed previously, back reaming is a time consuming and risky practice

on ERD wells. It should not be used as a general practice or tool. If back
reaming is to be performed as a remedial option due to tight hole then it
should only be performed after determining that cuttings are not the problem.

A significant cuttings bed will probably be created above the BHA after back
reaming, therefore, it is important to clean the hole up via circulation and
rotation prior to POOH after back reaming.

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It is accepted that there is a time an place for back reaming, such as across a
depleted reservoir or through a swelling shale.

8 Running Casing

Should it be required to circulate casing, the well should be circulated clean.

Otherwise, cuttings will just be deposited as cuttings beds higher up in the
well. The casing will be run deeper past the trouble spot. The cuttings higher
up in the wellbore may now avalanche down and pack-off the casing.

9 Attachments

1. Cuttings Lag Model Worksheet

2. M-I Hole Cleaning Modelling - 16 Hole

3. M-I Hole Cleaning Modelling 12-1/4 Hole

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