Value and Practical Aspects of Accurate and Reliable Kick Detection during Connection and Steady Condition

Kick detection has a growing importance in the drilling industry, as it bothers safety of rig and rig personnel as well as the environment with huge financial loss. How early this well control incidence is being detected will be significant to preventing damages as such enables earlier control of the situation. In this paper, focus is on kick detection using simulations of events at the surface circulation system with special emphasis on kicks taken during connection. An overview of kicks during connection is been presented. Discussed also were rig circulation system and how each component of the circulation system impacts on kick detection. The simulation in this research paper was carried out with MatLab to study the dynamics of a changing pump rate in relationship to change in the surface measured volumes. A comparison to data gotten from the work of (D.P. McCann 1991) was made as well as using drilling data obtained from a well drilled in the Niger Delta. In order to make adjustments to the compared data the Adaptive Observer Program was used and also data smoothening was carried out on the data. The simulation indicated the possibility of describing the volumetric changes of the circulatory system of a rig using basic programming. Thus, enabling elimination of such rig related volume changes.