An Introduction to Well Control Calculations for Drilling Operations (eBook)

Dave Cormack has worked in the drilling industry out of Aberdeen, Scotland since 1983.  He has worked on over thirty drilling rigs, platforms or MODU’s either as a member of the drill crew or in a training capacity.  Since 1991 he has been exclusively involved in training drilling personnel either on the rig, in the classroom or in a management capacity worldwide.  He served a three-year term on the Board of Directors of the International Well Control Forum and was one of the contributing authors to the Well Control chapter in the recently revised International Association of Drilling Contractors definitive Drilling Manual.  He has been involved in well control training on every continent on earth bar the polar ones, has published two SPE papers and made presentations on training at global drilling conferences.  Dave still teaches well control regularly to both international certification standards and also runs courses globally, training the next wave of well control assessors for IWCF. He is passionate about helping students through their two yearly well control school and firmly believes that a solid grasp of calculation skills frees them up to  concentrate on learning well control.

Chapter One - Getting a Handle on CalculationsThings You Will NeedSetting the Learning HabitHow to Use this BookIntroduction to Your CalculatorFractions and DecimalsSquaring a NumberPercentagesRounding Your AnswersSymbols Used in CalculationsFiguring out the Order of a CalculationFormulasMessing with FormulasConverting UnitsChapter TestLast WordChapter Two - Volume CalculationsFirst WordA Quick RefresherPit VolumeString and Hole VolumeAnnular VolumePump OutputStroke and Time CalculationsAnnular VelocityCapacities and DisplacementsTrip Sheet CalculationsKill Sheet - Volume CalculationsChapter TestLast WordChapter Three - Pressure CalculationsFirst WordA Quick RefresherPressure GradientHydrostatic PressureCirculating PressuresChange of Pump SpeedChange of Mud WeightFormation StrengthTripping Pressure CalculationsChapter TestLast WordChapter Four - Well Control CalculationsFirst WordA Quick RefresherFormation PressureBalance, Overbalance and UnderbalanceFormation Pressure - AgainKill Mud WeightICPFCPInflux HeightInflux GradientKill Sheet Pressure CalculationsChapter TestLast Word