Blowout Prevention

http://cenvironment.blogspot.com/2010/05/offshore-blowout-preventer-bop.htmlTo keep the formation fluids from launching out of the well constant calculations are made to create the correct drilling mud consistency to balance the pressure in the well. Some times non expected formation kicks occur. It is very interesting in some things you can look at that show that a kick has occurred. In a kick with formation fluids pushing towards the surface you can see a decrease in the drill pipe weight showing that the formation fluids are beginning to push up in the well. When the well becomes uncontrollable a blowout preventer can be used to close the well so you can restore equilibrium between your drilling fluids and formation fluids.


http://cenvironment.blogspot.com/2010/05/offshore-blowout-preventer-bop.html



The Physics
This is a very interesting thing to think about. As pressure from the
Earth's surface pusheshttp://www.amerexco.com/recovery.html down on the reservoir, oil and gas will try to escape to a lower pressure area.When opening a hole from Earth's surface to the reservoir the oil and natural gas you have created a path that connects a high pressure system to a low pressure one.  To counter act the force of oil or natural gas upwards engineers will use drilling mud. They make the mud more dense when the oil and gas begins to push up the well to bring the pressures to a stable state not allowing the oil or natural gas to reach the surface.



http://www.amerexco.com/recovery.html

 
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