Pump & Dump

Riserless Drilling with Seabed Returns

Dynamic Kill DrillingSM (DKD)

IADC Conference & Exhibition
Houston, Texas
May 5th, 2011
 Pump & Dump
Seabed Returns
 What is “Pump & Dump”?
 A riserless drilling application
 Dual gradient procedure – seawater / weighted mud
 Manages hydrostatic pressure with increasing depth
 Process
 Pre-well planning - fluid density, logistics, etc.
 Ship large quantities of weighted WBM
 Blending equipment mixes heavy fluid on-the-fly:
 Weighted WBM slurry + seawater
 Heavy brine + polymers for fluids loss & viscosity
control
 Continuous mud circulation while drilling with returns
to the seabed
 Change fluid density by adjusting blend ratio
 Riserless Dual Gradient Drilling
Pump & Dump Riserless Mud
Method Recovery Method

Drillstring
Mud & seawater
blend pumped
down drillstring Mud & cuttings
return line

Mud & cuttings

discharged to Mud & cuttings
seafloor pump

Suction module

Mud column
 Dual Gradient Drilling
Seabed Returns Riserless Technique
EMW Change with Increasing Depth

5,000’ 8.6 ppg 5,000’ 8.6 ppg 5,000’ 8.6 ppg

Seawater Seawater Seawater
= 2,236 psi = 2,236 psi = 2,236 psi

500’ 12.0 ppg

DKD mud
= 312 psi 1,000’ 12.0 ppg
DKD mud
= 624 psi 1,500’ 12.0 ppg
2,548 psi @ 5,500’
DKD mud
EMW = 8.91 ppg
= 936 psi
2,860 psi @ 6,000’
EMW = 9.16 ppg

3,172 psi @ 6,500’

EMW = 9.38 ppg

EMW downhole increases

without increasing EMW at the shoe
Impact of Dual Gradient on
Casing Program
 “Pump & Dump” Equipment

Mixing Manifold
 Allows uniformly-weighted mixing Typical Mixing Manifold Assembly Layout
“on-the-fly”
CaCl2 Water In Meter
 Ensures consistent mud density
 Permits fluid density adjustments Valve

while pumping
Sea Water In Meter
– Delivering a wide range of mud
weights Valve
Out to Active Pit
 8.5 to 16.0 lb/gal (1.02 to Shear
Unit
1.92 g/cc)
 Capable of mixing up to 3 Meter
Valve

different fluids
Base Fluid In
 Capability to inject polymers directly
into shearing unit to control filtrate or Readout Console

increase viscosity
“Pump & Dump” Rigsite Installation

Blending Unit

Flow Seawater
Transmitters Flow Tube

Seawater Flow Control

Valve

16 ppg Mud Flow

Control Valve

16 ppg Mud
Flow Tube
 “Pump & Dump” Equipment

Nominal flow rates: 800-2400 gpm

Mixing head weighs 250 lbs w/o valves

3-Leg assembly with gear 2-Leg mixing chamber

valves and flow meters
 Dual Gradient Fluid Types

 “Pump & Dump”

– ±16 lb/gal fresh water mud
– ± 16 lb/gal saturated salt mud
– ± 16 lb/gal “super” saturated salt mud
 Riserless Mud Recovery
– High performance water-based fluids
 Silicate fluid
 PHPA / Polyamine fluid
 Post BOP
– Synthetic invert emulsion fluids
– High performance water-based fluids
 Fluid Volume Determination

 Seawater & sweeps

 Seabed returns with “pump & dump” drilling
– Desired mud weight
– Rate of penetration
– Pump rate
– Length of “push”
 Circulating & conditioning
 Pad mud
 Applications
 Short “push”
 Ultra deepwater riserless drilling
 Rig or equipment limitations
Thank you for your time

Questions?