MPD is a very powerful tool that is gaining momentum for deepwater offshore wells construction. A dynamic positioning rig adapted to MPD operations can apply different techniques that better suit to each well scenario. Currently Petrobras has over 20 MPD deepwater offshore wells drilled, having applied different techniques to achieve success: from "basic" SBP to MCD variants. This paper discusses the various MPD techniques that can be utilized from a dynamic position rig during deepwater well construction.

When compared to conventional drilling, MPD techniques provide a valuable tool to build challenging wells and reach new reservoirs. As MPD and MCD techniques lead to major changes on the way wells are drilled, the completion projects must be also adapted to this new scenario. In order to fully use MPD capabilities it is necessary to work with statically underbalance fluids. This fact may not be an issue during the drilling phase with the RCD, but impacts completion, as the RCD, which is suitable for a drillpipe, is not suitable for all completion strings and equipment. For MCD scenario, the necessity of periodic or constant injection down the annulus affects some completion equipment. Project requirements, safety standards, equipment capability and operational procedures must be reviewed, in order to cover the different scenarios of MPD (SBP) and MCD (FMCD and PMCD) wells. New completion standards were developed for deepwater and ultradeewater wells on MPD/MCD completion projects and sometimes even a full new completion design was required due to MPD techniques used. This paper presents the development history, results and considerations made for completion with MPD/MCD on Petrobras offshore wells in Campos and Santos Basins located in Brazil offshore.

In recent years, PETROBRAS has been using MPD (SBP/MCD) technology in ultradeepwater scenarios at development and exploratory wells. Although MPD techniques are an advance over conventional drilling, it also brings more complexity to the operation and, in some cases, increases the duration and costs of the interventions when compared to conventional drilling. Ideally, the rigs equipped with MPD system should only be used in wells, or in specific phases of the well, that requires MPD to conclude or where the NPT associated with fluid losses is considerable. In these scenarios, the extra costs and extra time necessary are negligible, compared to the NPT avoided, and the alternative would be not to reach target depth or drill the well. Geomechanics, pore pressure estimation and loss zone identification are not an exact science. There is always an uncertainty in predicting MPD (SBP/MCD) demand, pushing the development of techniques and strategies to optimize the allocation of MPD rigs in wells where the NPT would be so high that the use of the MPD is advantageous, or, where MPD is an enabler of well construction. This paper describes a probabilistic analysis developed to support the determination of MPD (SBP/MCD) demand, calculating the optimum number of rigs to be equipped with MPD (SBP/MCD) and RCD system, and which intervention strategy is the most cost effective for a development campaign, based on historic results.

The development of the production phase of pre-Salt fields in Santos Basin have been facing many challenges, one of them is the occurrence of massive fluid losses during drilling, completion and evaluation operations. One possible solution to drill in this scenario is the usage of the Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) techniques to minimize fluid loss and, in cases of massive losses, the use of the Mud Cap Drilling technique. This paper presents a case study of the drilling operations on a Santos Basin well that had major losses while using conventional drilling technique hence unable to reach all objectives. The well was successfully reentered using MPD/PMCD to successfully reach target reservoir and the details of the solution to reentry using MPD/PMCD and its successful results is presented It is described the use of MPD variants including the first use of PMCD on a DP rig on an offshore well in Santos Basin. MPD/PMCD proved an enabling technology when reentering a reservoir with major losses and absent drilling window. Design, execution and results of successful operations are covered.

Manage Pressure Drilling is not a new technology, but the transition from land operation to floaters is still recent. This created a situation where drilling contractors and operators are still learning what the true capabilities of the technology are. MPD technology adoption on floaters can be divide it in 3 different phases: Use for Early Kick Detection and wellbore stability improvement;Introduction of Hydrostatically Underbalanced fluid;Influx circulation through the MPD system; In the first phase most of the procedures and barrier concepts stay untouched. After eliminating initial skepticism, second phase commences. Hydrostatic pressure exerted by the fluid is inferior to the formation pressure. Primary barrier concept alters. The technology can be applied to drill wells with narrow operational windows, unviable conventionally. Finally, third phase starts with very limited volumes being allowed to be circulated through the MPD system. After first successful influx circulations through the MPD system, increased volumes may be encouraged to be circulated through the primary barrier.