Bullheading Well Control Method

by D RI LLI NG FO R MUL AS .C O M on JUNE 22, 2014

Bullheading is one of the well control methods which may be utilized

in some occasions in order to control the well. Concept of bullheading
is to pump kicks back into formations by using kill weight fluid. People
usually use this method when normal circulation is impossible and
volumetric method is not feasible to perform.

When May You Consider Using the Bullheading

Well Control Method?

When the kick size is very big so you may not be able to control
the excessive volume coming to the surface.
When you need to reduce surface pressure in order to start
further well control operations.
When there is a possibility to exceed surface pressure and
volume gas on the surface if the conventional methods (drillers
method, wait and weight and volumetric) are performed.
When there is no pipe in the hole while taking influx.
The influx contains high level of H2S which can cause safety of
personnel on the rig.
When there is no feasible way to strip back to the bottom in order
to kill in the flux below.

For every drilling operation, decision to perform bullheading must be

discussed because if the well is shut in and wait for a long time before
making decision to bullhead the well, it might be very difficult to perform
because the surface pressure at that time may increase so high due to
gas migration. The chance of pushing the kick back into reservoir
becomes smaller.
Note: Bullheading may or may not fracture formations.

There are some factors affecting the feasibility of

bullheading as listed below;
Reservoir permeability pumping fluid back into low permeability
reservoir takes longer time than pumping into high permeability zone. It
might require breaking the formation in order to successfully
bullheading the well.
Surface pressure rating rating of surface equipment as BOP,
wellhead, casing, etc will limit the maximum allowable pumping
pressure.
Type of influx Gas influx will migrate and it will increase surface
pressure, however, liquid influx (oil or water) will not cause increasing
in surface pressure because it will not migrate.

Procedure of Bullheading (Example)

This procedure below will give you only overview of how to perform
bullheading therefore you must need to add the site specific
information before conducting the actual work.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Determine surface pressure limitation of surface equipment.

Calculate surface pressure which will fracture formation during
bullheading operation.
Prepare a bullheading pressure chart representing strokes
pumped vs pumping pressure.
Ensure correct line up.
Bring the pump to speed at low rate to overcome surface
pressure.
Slowly increase pump rate to the planned pump rate.

7.

Closely monitor tubing, casing pressure to ensure that pressures

will not exceed the equipment limitation at any stage of operation.
8.
Slow down pump rate when the kill fluid close to reservoir. You
will see surface pressure decrease over time while pumping kill mud
into the well because the kill weight mud will increase hydrostatic
pressure.
9.
Observed pressure increase when the kill weight fluid is pushed
into formation.
10. Shut the pump down and shut in the well.
11. Monitor pressure. Bleed trapped pressure if required.
We wish you would get more understanding about the bullheading well
control. Additionally, we will demonstrate some calculations related to
this topic. Please feel free to leave any comments.