Monitoring early kick indicators at the bottom hole for blowout prevention

Early detection of fluid influx (kick) from formation is crucial to minimize the blowout occurrence. Kick does not turn into blowout instantaneously. Most often, when influx occurs, it takes some time to evolve into critical blowout. So, the early identification of influx is key to avoid blowout incidents.

This paper presents the design, instrumentation, and analysis of the laboratory scale drilling rig model that has necessary features to evaluate early kick scenarios by implementing down hole monitoring techniques. The down hole monitoring technique is aimed to reduce the time taken to identify a kick by monitoring multiple kick indicators at the bottom of the wellbore. The compressed air (influx gas) is injected into the bottom of the wellbore to simulate the kick scenario. Monitoring multiple kick indicators at the down hole improves the quality of interpretation and reduces the chances of a false alarm. The down hole monitoring sensors that are used on the model include the Coriolis flow and density meter, the pressure sensor, the temperature sensor, and the conductivity sensor. The readings from the down hole sensors are evaluated to identify any deteriorating well conditions and to predict the risk of blow out. In addition to the description of the experimental setup, simulation results of the down hole flow model are also presented.