WellCTRL Engineering developed a contingency plan for drilling slim wellbores in a salt formation, addressing the risk of drilling into isolated gas pockets with trapped pressure equal to the overburden pressure. Due to the wellbore diameter and geological conditions, conventional well control methods resulted in losses and potential underground flow. Transient flow modeling was used to evaluate various options and determine pressure ratings for the wellhead, well control equipment, and sensitivity of the instrumentation required to enable effective early kick detection.
The challenges, considerations, and planning for these types of wells are unique and have applications in mining explorations. The methodology, simulation results, and lessons learnt of this project have been accepted for the 2026 IADC/SPE International Drilling Conference.
