LOSS CIRCULATION

What Is Lost Circulation?

Loss of mud to the formation:

Partial (seepage)
Complete (no returns)

Even in an area with lots of information/experience, it is

difficult to make a valid recommendation

A systematic approach should be used:

preventive
corrective

Lost-Circulation Causes

Lost circulation is caused by one of the two following mechanisms:

Natural losses: where invasion or whole fluid is lost due to the nature
the formations being drilled.
Induced losses: where the drilling fluid is lost when fracture pressure
of the formation is exceeded (wrong drilling practices)

Classification of the Severity of Losses

Seepage Losses (1-10 bbl/hr)

-Do not confuse with cuttings removal at the surface

Partial Losses (10-50 bbl/hr)

Severe Losses ( 50- 100 bbl/hr)
Complete Losses ( mayor a 100 bbl/hr)

Problems with Loss Circulation?

Lost Circulation = Extra Cost
Drilling Cementing Completion/Workove
r
Loss of mud Reduced annular Loss of Completion
Lost time coverage Fluid
Poor cement job Casing Corrosion Lost Time
Reduced safety Poor Zonal Isolation Formation Damage
Stuck in hole Reduced Safety Reduced Safety
Wasted casing string Lost Reserves
Failure to reach target Loss of Well
TD
Blow out & Kill
operations
Downhole blowouts
Environmental incident

Natural Losses

UNCONSOLIDATED FORMATIONS

Shallow sands or gravel or shell beds/reef formations

High matrix permeability (10.100 Darcies)

HIGHLY PERMEABLE/LOW-PRESSURE FORMATIONS

These are mainly depleted sand reservoirs

NATURAL FRACTURES

This type of loss occurs mainly in shales where fractures or fissures

naturally exist

CAVERNOUS AND VUGULAR FORMATIONS

Usually are associated with low-pressure limestone or dolomite

Induced Losses

MECHANICAL FORCES

Improper hydraulics

-Excessive flow rates and fluid rheological properties resulting in high

Equivalent Circulating Density (ECD)

Drilling practices

-Pump surging caused by increasing the pump rate too rapidly after
connections and trips

-Raising and lowering the pipe too quickly (surge/swab)

 Excessive Rate of Penetration

-Excessive cuttings in the annular flow stream will result in high ECD

HOLE CONDITIONS

Sloughing or caving shales

-Increased solids loading in the annulus resulting in high Equivalent

Circulating Density (ECD)

Wellbore washouts

-Cuttings accumulations in the enlarged hole sections can fall back

into the hole, leading to packing off/bridges

Cuttings beds or barite sag

-Localized density increase

Kicks and well-control procedures

DRILLING FLUID PROPERTIES THAT WILL AFFECT PRESSURE LOSS IN

THE ANNULUS

Excessive viscosities and gel strengths

Barite sag
Thick filter cakes that reduce the hydraulic diameter of the wellbore
Excessive drilling fluid density or increasing the density too rapidly
Excessive Low-Gravity Solids (LGS) and high Methylene Blue Test
(MBT) values
Classification of Lost-Circulation Materials

Lost-Circulation Materials can be classified into six particulated types:

Fibrous
Granular
Flaked or platelet
Mixed
High fluid-loss squeezes
Reinforcing plugs

Non-particulated type

X-link polymers

Lost-Circulation Materials tend to be supplied in three grades:

Fine materials
- Under most circumstances will pass through the shaker screens and stay in
the system
 Medium materials
-tend to be screened out, but most likely will not plug jets or MWD tools
Coarse materials
-can plug off everything except open-ended drill pipe

Prevention and Control of Lost Circulation

Running LCM in the Drilling Fluid

15-20 lb/bbl LCM

Problems..might require bypassing the shakers

Maintaining Good Drilling Fluid Properties

Solids control
Density
Low YP, PV and gel strengths
Low MBT levels

Keep ECD to a minimum

Use Hydraulic software to estimate ECD

Downhole annular pressure measurement

Summary

Any mud system can be used to drill in lost circulation zones:

Materials and Procedures developed to minimize mud losses

Good well planning including lost circulation contingency plans need to be in place

Use best available technology on critical wells

Research the well design
Observe good drilling practices