Early detection enhancement of the kick and near-balance drilling using mud logging warning sign

• Conventional well control procedure failed to detect kick early in low permeable formation.
• Mud logging warning signs have a great advantage in early kick detection.
• The advanced early kick detection method uses additional accurate flow check utilizing trip tank and high accuracy pressure sensors.
• The proposed method can detect small kick early and near-balance drilling before kick occurs.

Early kick detection is of great concern while drilling wells. The late kick detection can lead to uncontrolled blowout which increases the possibility of injury and potential lose of life and equipment. Causes of kick and the importance of early kick detection are introduced. Kick detection from mud logging real time data and kick detection in the offshore Nile Delta are discussed. Limitation of the conventional well control procedure in low permeable formation is introduced. A comparison between gas parameters warning sign and drilling parameters warning sign was carried out. A new advanced early kick detection method is proposed based on more than 10 years of experience in monitoring real time mud logging data while drilling and analyzing flow and kick reports. The proposed advanced early kick detection method uses additional accurate flow check using trip tank and recommends adding two additional accurate pressure sensors while shut-in well. The proposed method has a great advantage using gas parameters which can detect near-balance state before kick occur. The advanced kick detection method does not require any rig equipment modification nor interfere with any drilling operation. Case studies in the offshore Nile Delta wells illustrate the limitation of the conventional well control procedure and the advantage of the proposed method.