UBO / MPD Committee Subcommittees
Dual Gradient Drilling (DGD)
Subcommittee Chairman:
Dave Smith, Enhanced Drilling
Subcommittee Vice Chairman:
Sara Shayegi, Shell Exploration & Production
As defined by the IADC, DGD is “Two or more pressure gradients within selected well sections to manage the well pressure profile.”
Dual Gradient technology is not a new concept; the technology was thought of and developed on paper several decades ago. A field trial was successfully deployed in 2001 but never commercially developed. Today several developmental projects are under deployment on a commercial scale primarily in the Gulf of Mexico, the North Sea and several areas of the world.
Active Initiatives
Support the planning and organization of the 2015 combined Dual Gradient Well Control Workshop/IADC Well Control Conference of the Americas & Exhibition in Galveston.
Regularly update educational material on the four categories of Dual Gradient Drilling Techniques (click each link for additional information):
- Pre-BOP Riserless Mud Line Pumping
- Post-BOP Seabed Pumping
- Post-BOP Dilution
- Post-BOP Controlled Mud Level
- Post-BOP Positive Displacement Pump
Helpful Links
- Dual Gradient Techniques (Powerpoint)
- Dual Gradient Systems Attributes Handout (PDF)
Riser Gas Subcommittee
Subcommittee Chairman:
Otto Santos, LSU
Subcommitee Vice Chairman:
Hari Hariharan, Shell
HSE & Training Subcommittee
Subcommittee Chairman:
Jon Thain, Transocean
Subcommittee Vice Chairman:
Guilherme Vanni, Petrobras
Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD)
Subcommittee Chairman:
Martyn Parker, Pruitt
Subcommittee Vice Chairman:
Robert Goodwin, Signa Engineering Corp
An adaptive drilling process used to precisely control the annual pressure profile throughout the wellbore.
The objectives are to ascertain the downhole pressure environment limits and to manage the annular hydraulic pressure profile accordingly. It is the intention of MPD to avoid continuous influx of formation fluids to the surface. Any influx incidental to the operation will be safely contained using an appropriate process.
- MPD process employs a collection of tools and techniques which may mitigate the risks and costs associated with drilling wells that have narrow downhole environmental limits, by proactively managing the annular hydraulic pressure profile.
- MPD may include control of back pressure, fluid density, fluid rheology, annular fluid level, circulating friction, and hole geometry, or combinations thereof.
- MPD may allow faster corrective action to deal with observed pressure variations. The ability to dynamically control annular pressures facilitates drilling of what might otherwise be economically unattainable prospects.
Active Initiatives
The MPD Subcommittee is currently drafting the following recommended practices for multiple variants of MPD including:
Category 5: Pressurized Mud Cap – systems used to drill without returns with an annulus fluid column assisted by surface pressure.
In addition, the subcommittee is focused on completing the deepwater supplement to the Category 2 (Surface Pressure) and Category 5 (Pressurized Mud cap) documents.
Future Initiatives
Category 1: Annular Friction – systems allowing for constant circulation during drill pipe connections, thereby using annular friction to maintain constant bottom hole pressure.
Category 3: Delta Energy – systems where energy is added to manipulate the wellbore pressure by the use of equipment within the wellbore.
Category 4: Hydrostatic Pressure – systems creating a non-uniform hydrostatic profile.
Completed Documents
The MPD Subcommittee has completed the following recommended practices for multiple variants of MPD.
Category 2: Surface Pressure – systems manipulating annular pressure at surface to control and manage downhole pressures. This document is currently being reviewed by an API work group.
UBO Subcommittee
Subcommittee Chairman:
Leiro Medina, Beyond Energy Services & Technology Corp
Subcommittee Vice Chairmen:
Christopher Bernard, Halliburton
API 16RCD Taskgroup
Subcommittee Chairman:
Micah Spahn, Pruitt
Subcommittee Vice Chairman:
Joe Karigan, Halliburton
Liaison Reports
Regulatory Liaison
Konstantin Puskarskij, Maersk Drilling
Well Control Liaison
Paul Sonnemann, Safekick
Certifying Authority Liaison
Harish Patel, ABS