Analysis of Alternative Well-Control Methods for Dual-Density Deepwater Drilling

摘要

Development of deepwater resources is often limited by thehigh capital costs involved. Dual gradient drilling methodshave been proposed to provide simpler, safer, more economicwell designs and therefore increase the ultimate developmentand utilization of deepwater gas resources. Riser gas-lift wasinvestigated as potential means to implement a dual gradientsystem. A primary concern was whether effective well controlwas possible in a system containing so many different densityfluids and different flow paths. That concern was studiedusing a transient, multiphase simulator. Well control wasfound to be feasible when using methods generally analogousto those for conventional operations.