An operator was drilling an offshore well in Brazil. While picking up off bottom to make a connection (8 ½ inch hole at ~6000m MD, 28° inclination), the drillstring plugged. They planned to pull the drillstring out of the hole to replace the plugged component but wanted to avoid swabbing while tripping out.
A 6 ¾ inch OD DSI PBL® Bypass System
was already included in BHA. The team decided to activate the tool with a
2 inch OD PBL® Fast Dart to re-establish circulation and circulate while tripping
out to avoid swabbing.
Utilizing the PBL® Bypass System, as part of the drilling BHA, the operator was able to circulate while tripping out the plugged BHA, avoiding swabbing and mitigating the risk of inducing a kick.
The Activation feature on the PBL® Fast Dart proved effective in re-establishing circulation in the plugged string situation at a 28° inclination. To maintain this safety feature in wells with inclination above 55°, DSI’s Burst Disk System is recommended.
