Managed Pressure Drilling: Candidate Selection and Identification

Managed Pressure Drilling, MPD, one of the advanced techniques in the Drilling and Petroleum Industry, currently at the top of the drilling technology evolution pyramid, is a collection of tested drilling techniques and variations. MPD, when properly engineered and executed, in most of the scenarios, can help mitigate several drilling issues, and improve personal and environmental safety. However, not all wells with drilling issues and/or problems need MPD. Proper screening of potential candidates with utmost diligence is required prior to electing to use MPD. Any technology, let alone MPD, new or old, simple or complex, expensive or cheap, should not be applied without thorough understanding and careful evaluation of the entire process. Technology used for wrong reasons, with incomplete comprehension, and half-hearted assessment and analysis, is bound to give wrong, sometimes even catastrophic, results. This work, a research submitted to Texas A&M in 2009, freely downloadable from www.tamu.edu, is an attempt to provide basic steps in the candidate selection and evaluation while screening for MPD applications. Basic understanding of Drilling and Petroleum Engineering will help.