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    David Izon

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    OMM Web Team

Gulf of Mexico Region

Losses of Well Control - 1997

January 10, 1997 - BHP Petroleum, Inc.

Remarks: The crew was drilling ahead when they encountered a shallow gas pocket at 0900 hours. The mud weight in the hole was 9.6 ppg. They opened up the diverter valve on the starboard side of the rig, and started pumping 1500 bbls of 11.0 ppg mud into the well. This was followed by 500 bbls of 12.4 ppg mud. The well was still blowing gas at this point. While waiting on more mud and weight material to arrive at the rig, they started pumping seawater into the well at a rapid pump rate. Wild Well Control was called and non-essential personnel were evacuated at 1030 hours. At 1130 hours, they received 900 bbls of 13.8 ppg liquid mud on the rig. Flow appeared to be diminishing from the well at 1330 hours. The operator started pumping 11.0 ppg mud into the well at 1640 hours and received bottoms up at 1840 hours. At 1900 hours the well was under control. The operator built the mud weight in the hole to 10.2 ppg. They then pumped seawater into the well to fill the hole. The well was static at this point, no longer flowing. The mud losses were treated with lost circulation material. The operator raised the mud weight in the hole to 10.6 ppg and resumed drilling.

March 04, 1997 - Shell Offshore, Inc.

Remarks: On Well A-29 at approximately 0100 hours the 13 3/8 inch surface casing was cemented in place. At 0400 hours, while in the process of nippling down the diverter, a flow was observed on the backside of the casing within the 13-3/8 X 18-5/8 annulus. The diverter was nippled back up and the well was put back on diverter while pumping sea water down the annulus. At 0845 hours the stack was installed, and the diverter was closed. The well was shut in while sea water was continuously pumped. At 1045 hours they began pumping 400 bbls. of 11.8 ppg mud into the 13-3/8 X 18-5/8 annulus. At 1330 hours the well was dead.

April 01, 1997 - American Exploration Company

Remarks: After cementing the 9-5/8 inch casing in Well A-6, the crew noticed annular flow between the 9-5/8 inch and 13-3/8 inch casings while the BOP stack was being nippled down. They made attempts to stop the flow by using a casing swedge and reattaching the hydraulic control lines to the BOP. The crew was able to put the casing swedge in place, however, it did not mitigate the flow of mud, cement, and gas. The crew was not able to reattach the hydraulic control lines because of the increase of well flow. The platform was shut in using an emergency shut down station, and all 42 personnel were evacuated by a standby workboat. Within an hour and a half of evacuation, the gas flowing from the well ignited. The fire was extinguished on April 4, 1997, and cleanup operations began. The well was still flowing mud, sand, water, and gas. On April 9, 1997 the well was accidentally ignited by a cutting torch. The well bridged over on April 10, 1997. See Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Report MMS 99-0021 for more details.

May 31, 1997 - Houston Exploration Company

Remarks: The well started flowing completion fluid and dry gas while the crew was tripping out of the hole during well-completion operations. The crew safely abandoned the rig. There was no fire and no pollution. They attempted to enter the well from a jack-up boat to pump CaCl₂ water. Several attempts were made to secure the well and install control equipment from the jack-up barge, but all were unsuccessful. On 6/8/97 they spudded a relief well. They moved in a derrick barge to unload some equipment from the rig. On 6/8/97 the crew succeeded in pumping bridging material and the well ceased flowing. They pumped CaCl₂ water into the well. On 6/19 97 they successfully killed the well and resumed completion operations. The well was completed on 6/26/97.

October 20, 1997 - Freeport-McMoRan Resource Partners

Remarks: Well SW237C was being drilled to caprock when all mud returns were lost. The hole was kept full with sea water. The drill pipe was being pulled out of the hole when the well started flowing formation fluid. The well was put on diverter at 2400 hours. After killing the well, the bottom hole assembly and drill pipe was pulled into the 8 5/8 inch casing. The well started flowing again and was put on diverter again at 0300 hours 10/21/97. It was killed again. The bottomhole assembly was then pulled out of the hole. The well was taking approximately 1 barrel of fluid every 15 minutes. The well was stabilized, and drilling was resumed.

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Last Updated: 02/26/09, 04:17 PM