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Permalink Reply by Geo-Bcf on January 24, 2009 at 6:25

Wells are drilled with mud both as a lubricant and as pressure control. When you drill into a formation where your mud weight (density of the fluid and fluid column height) is less than the pressure of the formation (and it is gas charged) the gas flows into the wellbore and you take a 'kick'. Usually you can circulate higher mud weight and you can control the gas in the mud system. The notation that they have perssure on the drill pipe and on casing means that the well is shut in and are seeing the pressure of the gas at surface. I assume they will circulate higher mud weight and you will see a flare as they get the gas out of the system.

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