DRILLBITS
Monthly eNewsletter from the IADC

The 2024 IADC/SPE Managed Pressure Drilling & Underbalanced Operations Conference & Exhibition took place on 17-18 September in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Over two days, esteemed subject matter experts and young professionals came together to discuss:

• Case Studies
• Human Factors & Training
• Non-Conventional MPD Operations
• Riser Gas Handling
• Completions
• Design & Optimization
• MPD Equipment & Control Systems
• UBD
• Well Control & Well Integrity

Drilling Contractor Interviews from the 2024 IADC/SPE MPD & UBO Conference

Little known concepts provide consistent basis for evaluating gas-in-riser incidents

Last year, the IADC Underbalanced Operations and Managed Pressure Drilling (UBO &MPD) Committee published the Riser Gas Handling Guidelines to address challenges associated with gas in the riser during deepwater drilling while utilizing surface back pressure MPD or installed riser gas handling systems. During the 2024 IADC/SPE MPD & UBO Conference in Rio de Janeiro, members of IADC’s Gas in the Riser Subcommittee presented a series of papers discussing the underlying concepts behind the guidelines and the practical applications of the guidelines in the field.

Speaking to DC from the conference, Mario Teixeira, Senior Engineer – Drilling and Wells at Equinor and a member of the subcommittee, spoke about these concepts. Some of these, he noted, are little known in industry or inconsistently applied in field operations. In particular, he discussed the uncontrolled riser unloading that can result from unaddressed gas-in-riser events and why it is important for industry to better understand the risks involved.

Understanding human factors critical to mitigating risk in MPD operations

Focusing on the human element is critical to preventing errors within any operation, including those involving managed pressure drilling (MPD). As automated systems decrease human interactions with complex equipment while increasing cognitive workloads, the need to account for human factors has become even more important. Understanding human factors and its role in safe drilling operations can help provide a path for drillers to mitigate errors and identify the root causes of those errors should they occur, said Matt Kvalo, VP of Engineering and Technology at Stasis Drilling Solutions.

In this interview with DC from the 2024 IADC/SPE MPD & UBO Conference, Mr. Kvalo talks about how the definition of human factors has changed, from one that identifies the root cause of most errors to a model that identifies errors as a systemic problem.

Riser Gas Handling guidelines, API RP revisions highlight recent IADC UBO/MPD Committee efforts

The IADC Underbalanced Operations and Managed Pressure Drilling (UBO & MPD) Committee is working on a number of initiatives aimed at helping the industry better understand the challenges associated with MPD operations. In this interview with DC taken from the 2024 IADC/SPE MPD & UBO Conference, Andre Alonso Fernandes, Chairman of the Committee, explains the IADC Riser Gas Handling Guidelines, a resource that was released last year. He also discusses the committee’s goal for opening a dialogue with industry and academia on the feasibility of the guidelines, plus any further challenges with gas-in-riser incidents that may need to be addressed in the future. Mr. Fernandes also spoke about the committee’s work in revising API RP 92M and API RP 92S, which each address MPD operations with surface back pressure.

Thank you to everyone who attended, presented, exhibited, sponsored, and organized this conference!