Unexpected gas influxes in deepwater drilling can be dangerous and costly. This project developed a fast, sensitive detection method to identify gas-in-riser events early—helping prevent blowouts and improve offshore drilling safety.
Project Significance & Impact
Gas entering a marine riser during deepwater drilling can lead to sudden, destructive events—like the one that caused the Macondo disaster. This project uncovered why these gas kicks happen so quickly and unpredictably, and developed a new detection method that can spot them before they become dangerous.
By improving early detection, this research helps protect offshore workers, reduce environmental risks, and enhance the safety of deepwater oil and gas operations. The findings have already influenced industry guidelines and were featured at major conferences like SPE, NAS, and OTC.
Project Outcomes
Project Details
The dynamic effects of free‐bubble gas formation within deepwater marine drilling risers are a major issue for the offshore industry and recently emphasized in the CSB Macondo report.
In 2017, SSI received funding from National Academies of Science to study the dynamic effects of free‐bubble gas formation within deepwater marine drilling risers – a major issue for the offshore industry and emphasized in the CSB Macondo report. Over the past four years, researchers have:
- Elucidated the reason for the destructive potential and seemingly sudden nature of gas kick events
- Developed a new fast and sensitive detection method
- Carried out experimental demonstration
- Developed guidelines for implementation
The work produced several papers and in 2021 was highlighted at SPE, NAS and OTC. Please contact SSI if you’d like more information about this work.
- Zhou, G. and Prosperetti, A. Dripping instability of a two-dimensional liquid film under an inclined plane, Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 2022
- Zhou, G., Leach, L., Denduri, V.S., Wong, G.K., Krishnamoorti, R. and Prosperetti, A., Pressure difference method for gas kick detection in risers, Journal of Petroleum Engineering, 2021
- Zhou, G. and Prosperetti, A. Faster Taylor bubbles, Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 2021
- Leach, C., Zhou, G., Denduluri, V., Wong, G., Krishnamoorti, R, Prosperetti, A. A new fundamental understanding of gas in the drilling riser, Offshore Technology Conference, 2021, https://doi.org/10.4043/31248-MS
- Zhou, G. and Prosperetti, A. Capillary waves on falling films, Physical Review Fluids, volme 5, art. number 114005, 2020, doi 10.1103/PhysRevFluids.5.114005
- Zhou, G. and Prosperetti, A. A numerical study of mass transfer from laminar liquid films, Journal of Fluid Mechanics volume 902, art number A10, 2020
- Zhou, G. and Prosperetti, A. Violent expansion of a rising Taylor bubble, Physical Review Fluids, 2019
