1. vb. [Drilling]

To stop a well from flowing or having the ability to flow into the wellbore. Kill procedures typically involve circulating reservoir fluids out of the wellbore or pumping higher density mud into the wellbore, or both. In the case of an induced kick, where the mud density is sufficient to kill the well but the reservoir has flowed as a result of pipe movement, the driller must circulate the influx out of the wellbore. In the case of an underbalanced kick, the driller must circulate the influx out and increase the density of the drilling fluid. In the case of a producing well, a kill fluid with sufficient density to overcome production of formation fluid is pumped into the well to stop the flow of reservoir fluids.

Synonyms: density

See: drillstem test,  kick,  mud,  mud density,  shear ram,  snubbing,  underbalanced,  underground blowout