US 12,031,395 B2
Detecting a kick in a wellbore
Mustafa A. Al-Huwaider, Dhahran (SA); and Shouxiang Mark Ma, Dhahran (SA)
Assigned to Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed by Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed on Sep. 2, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/929,590.
Prior Publication US 2024/0076945 A1, Mar. 7, 2024
Int. Cl. E21B 21/08 (2006.01)
CPC E21B 21/08 (2013.01) 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for detecting a formation fluid kick in a wellbore, the method comprising:
drilling into a subsurface formation using a drill string including a pup joint;
measuring properties of a drilling fluid inside of the drill string at the pup joint using a first sensor module;
measuring properties of the drilling fluid outside of the drill string at the pup joint using a second sensor module;
analyzing measured properties of the drilling fluid inside and also outside of the drill string at the pup joint;
calculating a difference between the properties of the drilling fluid inside and outside of the drill string at the pup joint;
determining an occurrence of the formation fluid kick based on the analysis of pressure and temperature of the drilling fluid inside and outside of the drill string at the pup joint and the difference between the temperature of the drilling fluid inside and outside of the drill string at the pup joint exceeding a pre-determined threshold value for the difference between the temperature of the drilling fluid outside of the drill string and the temperature of the drilling fluid inside of the drill string; and
increasing a mud weight of the drilling fluid pumped into the wellbore responsive to the determined kick in the wellbore.