Sonatrach - Well Intervention and Workovers

Development Phase
September October 2005

abalt solutions limited - 2005
INTRODUCTION TO HYDROCARBON EXPLOITATION
Abalt Solutions
Introduction to Hydrocarbon Exploitation
2005 Abalt Solutions Limited. All rights reserved
Work over & Well Intervention
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Workovers
any work performed after the initial
completion that alters the well performance or
mechanical structure.
Development Phase
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Well Servicing & Workovers
Potential Well Problems
Well Servicing and Workover Techniques
Intervention Techniques
Wireline
Coiled Tubing
Hydraulic Snubbing Units
Surface Well Intervention Technique
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Well Servicing & Workovers
During the conceptual design stage it is important to
identify any potential reasons for workovers and the
applicable techniques.
When reviewing the impact of well problems and
Workover techniques on the initial completion design, it
is important to recognise the risk associated with that
problem and the potential consequences.
Optimising the completion design around potential well
problems and Workover techniques is, like many other
issues, a question of balancing risk against likely
consequence.
Development Phase
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Types of Operations
Measurements
Maintenances
Workover
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Types of Operations
Measurements
May involve the status of equipment
Quality of pay zones-borehole connections
Status of reservoir and well equipments etc.
Maintenances
Simple operations that can be done on a well during
production operations
Workovers
Heavier operations that might require the well to be
killed
Sometimes carried out with the well under pressure
Development Phase
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Measurement Operations
At the Wellhead
Pressure and temperatures, variation would mean
modification in production conditions.
Pressures or loss in pressures in the annulus to check
integrity of packers, casing and production strings.
In artificial lift operations to monitor stress on rods,
pumps or gas lift valves.
Safety valve testing etc.
At the Tubing
Calibrations and checks
Corrosion or deposit problems etc.
At the Bottom hole
Checking top of sediments
Production logs density, flow rate or temperature
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Maintenance Operations
At the Wellhead
Routine operations such as adjusting flow rates
Opening and shutting in well.
Replacing faulty parts downstream
Periodic verification of safety valves etc
At the Tubing
Operations connected with problems of deposits,
corrosions etc
Injection of inhibitors, chemicals, de-emulsifiers, anti
foaming agents etc.
Operations for exchange of equipments downhole etc.
At the Bottom hole
Sand control, further perforations etc
Pumping chemicals etc.
Development Phase
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Workover Operations
At the Wellhead
Leaks in lower master valves, tubing hanger.
Problems with SSSV control lines etc
Damaged back pressure valves and other wellhead components.
At the Tubing
Casing or tubing problems/leaks
Collapsed, burst or broken pipe
Tubing partially or totally plugged.
At the Bottom hole
Leaks in equipments that has seals such as packers, locators, slip
joints etc.
Gas lift valves, fish, broken rod, pumping problems
Miscellaneous faulty downhole equipment such as sensors, control
lines etc.
Modification in production conditions
Restoration to pay zone bore hole conditions
Change in purpose of well
Fishing
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Low Reservoir Pressure:
The reduction in reservoir pressure and hence flowrates
is particularly acute in dissolved gas drive reservoirs. In
gas cap and water drive reservoirs, pressure
maintenance techniques can often offset the reduction in
pressure due to depletion.
How to Solve it:
Recomplete the well with either smaller tubing or
some form of artificial lift.
Injection
Development Phase
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Poor Permeability:
Fields with low reservoir permeability suffer a rapid
decline once the fluids near the wellbore are produced.
Matrix acidising is only effective in this situation if
formation damage is also present.
How to solve it:
The most effective method of improving productivity
in these types of reservoir is to utilise a large
hydraulic fracture treatment.
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Wellbore Restrictions:
Typical causes of restrictions include scale, sand, paraffin
and asphalt etc. Many of these problems may not be
apparent during early field life but can become a
significant problem as the field matures.
How to solve it:
A number of techniques, both mechanical and
chemical, exist to remove the restriction.
However, these workover techniques are remedial
techniques and consideration should always be given
to the prevention of the problem.
Development Phase
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Control of Water Production:
Excessive water production can lead to a number of
production problems including
loss of production and eventual well death
expensive treatment and disposal costs,
corrosion and scaling.
Recovery from water drive reservoirs
Significant increase in water production
rise in water/oil contact as a result of reservoir
depletion
How to solve it:
Squeeze cementing
plugging back and re-completion
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Fingering
Water migrating along a high
permeability streak.
Water Conning
water is drawn up from the
aquifer either across bedding
planes leading to coning.
How to solve it:
Reduce off take from wells
plugging back and re-
completion
Development Phase
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Control of Gas Production:
Excessive gas production from a well can result from solution gas in the
oil evolving as the pressure declines, or as a result of gas encroachment
from the gas cap.
With pressure decline in saturated oil reservoirs, the gas evolved across
the reservoir may migrate to the gas cap.
However, the gas evolved near the wellbore as the oil is produced causes
an increase in gas saturation and allows the gas to be produced with the
oil.
How to solve it:
High gas/oil ratios (GORs) in this case are a function of the reservoir
drive mechanism and cannot usually be remedied by a workover.
An increase in GOR can also occur from a lowering of the gas cap
into the producing zone and through channels in the cement or
casing leaks. This increase in GOR can be temporarily remedied by
squeeze cementing and lowering the perforated interval.
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Mechanical Failures:
Mechanical failures of tubing, casing and downhole
equipment often require a workover to rectify the
problem.
Typical problems would include
casing leaks, either as a result of corrosion or
collapse,
tubing failures, packer failures and downhole
safety valve failures.
How to solve it:
Replacement of downhole components by work over
units
Expandable tubular
Development Phase
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Primary Cement Failures:
A poor primary cement job which leaves channels behind
the casing can lead to the influx of unwanted fluids and
in certain instances casing collapse.
How to solve it:
Squeeze cementing
Scab liners
Expandables
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Sand Production:
Failure of reservoir formations and subsequent sand
production from wellbore can cause
Erosion of tubular and components
Productivity impairment
Clogging of separators
How to solve it:
Mechanical sand control
Screens
Gravel pack
Frac pack
Expandables
Sand Management-
reservoir pressure maintenance
Development Phase
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Well Servicing & Workover Techniques
The most commonly utilised workover
techniques include:
Wireline operations;
slickline, braided line and electric line.
Coiled tubing operations.
Hydraulic workover operations.
Remedial cementing.
Concentric workover operations.
Full rig workovers.
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Wireline Operations
Technique used to operate in a producing and
injecting well by means of a steel cable, to
enter, run. set and retrieve measurement tools
and instruments needed for production.
Development Phase
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Wireline Operations
Advantages
Work can be done inside tubing without killing
the well.
Operations performed quickly due to lightweight
and mobile units.
Pay zone not damaged during operation
Relatively easy to handle, saving money and
number of resources to operate.
Limitations
Highly skilled personal required to operate.
Risky to work in highly deviated wells
Can work in tension and moderate loads, no
rotation and circulation possible.
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Wireline Operations
Classification
Checking and cleaning tubing or bottom hole
(checking corrosion, clogging, top of sediment
etc.
Carrying out measurements (BHT and Pressure,
locating surfaces, production logging etc)
Running & retrieving operations (setting and
pulling SSSV, plugs, chokes, gas lift valves etc)
Development Phase
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Wireline Operations
Slickline.
This is a solid single strand of wire, the commonest
size being 0.108in
Braided line.
This wireline consists of stranded wire resulting in a
higher load capacity than slickline. Commonly used
sizes are 3/16 and 5/16in
commonly used in fishing operations where slickline
has insufficient strength to impart the required loads.
Electric line.
This consists of stranded wire and a conductor
capable of transmitting an electrical signal to the
surface.
any application where an electrical signal needs to be
transmitted up or down the well.
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Wireline Operations
The main functions of slickline are as follows:
Installation and retrieval of flow control equipment.
Running of pressure, temperature and flow monitoring
devices.
Cleaning the tubing.
Bailing fill.
Swabbing the well.
Fishing equipment.
Wireline units are installed on various means of transport
including trailers, trucks, boats and barges. Units used on
offshore platforms are typically skid mounted. The
wireline is spooled on to a reel that is usually
hydraulically driven.
Development Phase
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Wireline Equipment
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Wireline Equipment
The minimum surface equipment required to perform
wireline operations is:
Wireline winch unit.
Measuring device.
Weight indicator.
Hay pulley and wireline clamp.
Stuffing box.
Lubricator.
Blowout preventer (BOP).
Wireline.
Development Phase
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Wireline Equipment
Winch and Motor
Steel drum that holds length of wire
Driven by a diesel or gasoline engine or sometimes electrically
operated.
Engines rated output depends on working depth.
Winches are either single or double drum. One spool with slickline and
other with braided line used for considerable tension strength.
The most common wireline winch unit is skid mounted and has a
double drum, one with 20 000 ft of 0.108in wire and the second with
15 000 ft of 7/32in wire.
Source :United drilling
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Wireline Equipment
Cable
Steel wire drawn in one piece without any welding or
brazing in accordance with API SPEC 9 A.
Common diameters are 0.066,0.072,0.082,0.092
and 0.105.
Three types of wires are used
Ordinary steel
Galvanized steel
Stainless steel with good H
2
S resistance.
The measuring device
as the name implies, provides the operator with the
location of his tool relative to some datum, usually the
swab valve.
The operator uses this device to locate the tool string,
monitor the speed, and to avoid running the tool
string into the stuffing box when pulling out of the
hole.
Development Phase
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Wireline Equipment
The weight indicator
displays the total load or line tension and is
critical to jarring operations to avoid
breaking the wire.
Types
Hydraulic
electric
The device will also indicate
restrictions in the tubing,
changes in fluid density
losses or increases in weight when setting or
retrieving downhole equipment.
The hay pulley
guides the wire down from the lubricator
and out parallel to the floor to the winch
drum.
The hay pulley is attached to the Xmas tree
via the load cell for the weight indicator.
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Wireline Equipment
Lubricator
Placed on top of the x-mas tree to allow tools to
be run into pressurized well.
Serves as intermediary between surface and
well. Lower part has quick union on end.
Common sections are 8ft long and depend upon
length of string that is going to be run.
Widespread diameters are 2 to 4and series
from 3000 to 10,000 psi.
At the base there is a bleed off valve, used
when BOP is closed
Development Phase
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Wireline Equipment
The wireline clamp is used
to secure the wire when
required e.g. when removing
the lubricator.
The stuffing box provides
the pressure seal on the wire
and consists of a packing gland
that can be adjusted by means
of an external nut.
In the event that the wire
breaks and is forced out of
the packing, there is a an
internal BOP plunger that is
designed to seal off the
stuffing box.
Source:www.uniteddrilling.com
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Wireline Equipment
BOP or wireline valve
Located between lubricator and top of wellhead.
provides a means of well control in emergency situations. BOPs
can either be single or double.
The BOP can isolate pressure with or without wire in the well. The
BOP rams have resilient seals which can close and seal around a
wire, without damaging or cutting the wire.
Dual BOPs are normally employed for braided line or fishing
operations.
Source: Well completions-Perrin
Development Phase
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Wireline Tool String
All equipment placed above
specialized tools and run in hole
along with them.
It is connected to the wire by
special socket.
Rope Socket
Threaded on its lower end and
connected to the wire by a knot
Spring placed in machine cavity
acts as shock absorber.
Used to connect the tools to
wireline.
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Wireline Tool String
Knuckle Joint
Provides flexibility to the tool string in deviated
holes etc.
Prevents wire from twisting around due to tool
string dragging against wall
Jars
Makes it possible to hammer with stems at end
of stroke to shear pin.
Use for maintenance and fishing operations.
Mechanical jars can move upwards/downwards
by sudden pulling
Hydraulic jars allow only upward pulling
Wireline stem or sinker bars
Heavy bars that allow string to be run into well
despite wellhead pressure and friction.
Aids in the jarring of tools.
Available in sizes of 2,3 or 5 feet.
Knuckle
Joint
Mechanical Jar
Development Phase
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Wireline Tools
Wireline tools fall into 4 categories-
Checking and maintenance tools
Running and pulling tools
Lock mandrels, downhole tools and others
Fishing tools
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Wireline Tools
Checking and maintenance tools
Tools screwed directly on the bottom of
wireline tool string.
Checking and cleaning inside of tubing &
bottom of well
Swaging tools
Straighten tubing walls that have been
slightly deformed allowing free passage of
wireline tools
Gage Cutters
Run prior to wireline operations to check the
way is clear.
Allows some deposits to be cleared.
Remove corrosion, paraffin etc.
Source:
www.rebcooiltools.com
Development Phase
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Wireline Tools
Sand Bailers
Used to take sediment fill
at the bottom of the well
or even clean the bottom
Equipped with a check
valve
Mechanical or
hydraulically activated.
Scratchers
Used to clean the inside
of tubing.
Source:
www.rebcooiltools.com
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Wireline Tools
Running and Pulling tools
Specialized tools for pulling and retrieving downhole tools.
Downhole tools are attached to the tool string by means of the
standard landing and fishing heads located in the upper part
of each tool
Running tools
Run and set downhole tools in well.
Holding on to them by retainer pins and gripping dogs
Allow downhole tools to be landed and locked, then to free
them by jarring
Pulling tools
Gripping and retrieving downhole tools from well to surface.
Gripping dogs latch onto fishing head that can be unseated
and pulled up by jarring.
Combination tools
Development Phase
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Wireline Tools
Source: D PERRIN
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Wireline Tools
Other Tools
Locking Mandrel
Carry tools screwed on under them.
Landed and locked into landing nipples integrated in the
tubing or sometimes directly on tubing walls.
Equalizing subs
Inserted between mandrel and plug and allows pressure
differential to be equalized across assembly before it is
unseated.
Kick over tools for installing side pocket mandrels in gas
lift operations
Swabbing tools to start and kick off well
Development Phase
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Wireline Tools
Fishing Tools
Wireline cutters
Designed to cut the wire flush with rope
socket when string is stuck.
Wireline finders
To find upper end of a broken wireline and
tamp it down to make it into a nest.
Bell shaped and very close to tubing
diameters
Wireline grabs
Serve to catch wire and bring it to surface.
Consist of 2 or 3 branches with teeth and
diameter corresponding to inside tubing.
Impression blocks
Identify shape and condition of the head
of fish
Bell shaped and filled with lead
Overshot
Allows broken equipment to be fished.
Bowl equipped with a grapple (basket)
that latches onto head of fish.
Wireline
grab
Impression
block
Overshot
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Electric Line
The primary use is
Cased-hole Formation Evaluation
Production Logging.
Perforating, setting bridge plugs and packers etc.
Production logging is the term used for any survey
which is run to evaluate the nature and behaviour of
fluids in the well during production or injection.
The applications of production logging include:
Well test evaluation.
Determining reservoir characteristics.
Evaluating completion efficiency.
Identifying unwanted fluid flow eg thief zones.
Reviewing stimulation treatments, before and
after.
Development Phase
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Coiled Tubing Units (CTU)
It consists of continuous pipe with a diameter of to 1
or even more, coiled up on a spool.
Can be run in and pulled out of a pressurized well
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Coiled Tubing Equipment
Injector head
Uses friction drive system actuated hydraulically.
Directs tubing into the well and supports it
Equipped with gooseneck (guide), straightener ,
depthometer and weight sensor.
Reel
Diameter of about 8ft can contains the tubing and driven by
hydraulic motor.
Tubing up on the reel is connected by reel swivel to the
rotation axis allowing pumping to continue
Tubing
Strip of mild steel rolled cylindrically and welded
longitudinally
Several hundred meters butted together by radial welding to
make up coils up to 20,000ft long.
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Safety Assembly
Stripper with sealing
elements and stack of
safety rams.
Stripper located above BOP,
sealing element actuated
hydraulically at a pressure
that depends on wellhead
pressure.
BOP Stack consists of
Pipe Rams-close and seal on
tubing
Slip rams-hold the tubing
Shear rams-cut the tubing
Blind rams-total closure
over cut tubing
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Surface equipment
Power pack consisting of diesel engine driving
hydraulic pump required for all equipment.
Control cab with control unit, gages and warning
lights needed to operate and monitor.
Hydraulic crane or mast to retrieve safety
assembly and injector head.
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Standard Coiled Tubing Operations
Coiled tubing units are routinely used for the following
operations:
Nitrogen lifting.
Sand lifting.
Cleaning out the wellbore utilising a downhole motor.
Circulating fluids.
Drill stem testing (DST).
Sand control.
Corrosion inhibitor placement.
Spotting acid, Spotting cement.
Coiled tubing conveyed electric line services.
Inflatable bridge plugs.
Fishing operations.
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Nitrogen Lifting
Pumping nitrogen down coiled tubing to reduce the
hydrostatic head of the well fluids is utilised in a number
of well operations.
Lifting unstable wells and circulating out completion
fluids following a workover are common applications.
The injection rate required to bring on the well is a
function of the pipe size, depth, fluid characteristics and
reservoir performance.
Coiled tubing can also be used to provide the required
underbalance prior to perforating.
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Sand Lifting
Coiled tubing can be used to clean out sand fill
from sumps that has occurred during
production or as a result of hydraulic fracturing
operations.
Coiled tubings ability to maintain circulation
while running in or pulling out of hole make it
ideally suited for this application. If possible
sand lifting should be performed with the well
flowing.
This may alleviate the need for injecting gel,
although cross linked polymer is usually
injected.
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Cleaning Out with DH Motors
This technique is utilised when the deposits in
the well are compacted or cemented and is
particularly useful in the removal of insoluble
scale deposits.
A downhole motor is used to drill out the
deposit which is then washed to the surface.
The downhole motor operates on the Moineau
principle which utilises fluid being forced
through a progressive cavity to supply the
rotational power.
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Clean Out
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Circulating Fluids
Coiled tubing obviously provides a convenient
and economic means of circulating fluids and is
used for such varied purposes as circulating kill
fluid, washing drilling mud, and removing
paraffin and salt using hot oil or water.
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Drill Stem Testing
Coiled tubing is often used as a means of artificial lift to
assist wells which will not flow naturally during DSTs.
Two methods are used, downhole jet pumping and
nitrogen gas lift.
The jet pumping method utilises the coiled tubing to
both locate the jet pump module in a landing nipple
and subsequently convey the power fluid. The power
fluid is usually water, although a combination of water
and nitrogen can be used for low GOR crudes. Heavy
crude oils may also benefit from applying heat to the
power fluid.
The jet pumping technique is most appropriate for
crudes with an API gravity of 12 or less.
Nitrogen gas lifting is more suitable for the higher API
crudes.
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Sand Control
Limitations on pump pressure and rates limit this
application to shallow wells less than 6000 ft.
Both resin coated sand and water activated plastic can be
pumped with coiled tubing.
To place water activated plastic:
CT is run in the hole to the interval to be treated, and
the well fluids are circulated out to diesel. With the
wellbore free of water, the plastic is pumped through
the coiled tubing with the annulus shut off.
After the plastic is squeezed into the formation, the
coiled tubing is shut in for 12 to 24 hours with
sufficient wellhead pressure to prevent backflow of
the plastic from the formation.
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Corrosion Inhibitor Placement
Coiled tubing has been used in conjunction with
an inhibitor valve to atomise corrosion inhibitor
and coat the tubular on low rate gas wells with
potential carbon dioxide corrosion.
However, in many cases the use of inhibitor to
prevent corrosion has not proven to be cost-
effective.
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Stimulation
Coiled tubing is ideally suited for the selective placement
(spotting) of acid and can be used in a number of
applications, including opening perforations and
dissolving acid soluble scale deposits.
Using coiled tubing in this manner avoids having to
bullhead the well. Coiled tubing allows acid to be
circulated across the perforations and take the returns
back up the tubing.
In this way smaller amounts of acid can be used at lower
pressures and the contact time with the production
tubing is reduced.
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CT Conveyed Electric Line Services
Coiled tubing provides a convenient means of
obtaining the functionality of electric line in
highly deviated and horizontal wells.
The system can be adopted in both cased and
open hole. Coiled tubing has certain
advantages over other systems in that no
downhole wet connections are required and the
tools are less prone to damage.
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Inflatable Bridge Plugs
Inflatable bridge plugs can be run through on coiled
tubing, set in production liner and subsequently
retrieved.
The bridge plugs, manufactured by Lynes and Baker Oil
Tools, consist of an inflatable element that is set by
pumping down the tubing and a hydraulic disconnect
which is activated by dropping a ball down the tubing
and pressuring up.
The tool has the advantage of being able to pass through
restrictions in the tubing and set in relatively large
diameters.
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Fishing Operations
Coiled tubing fishing techniques are proven
successful, especially in the recovery of fish
buried under sand, cement or scale.
Fishing with coiled tubing allows fill to be
cleaned out and the fish washed over and
latched during the same operation.
Application of this technology has potential in
remote or offshore locations where rig
availability is a problem or in cases where the
CTU is already available on site.
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Remedial Cementing
Remedial cementing uses various techniques to
place small volumes in specific targets. The
type of operations fall into two categories:
Cement squeezes, where cement is squeezed
under pressure to seal perforations or defects in
the primary cement sheath.
Cement plugs, which are set to isolate part or all
of the wellbore.
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Remedial Cementing
Remedial cementing is usually performed
during the production phase to control the
fluids entering the wellbore, or to restore
pressure integrity.
Common applications include:
Recompletion or perforation squeeze.
Repairing of channels.
Repair of casing leaks.
Supplementing top of cement.
Plug and abandonment.
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Rig Workovers
Conventional rig workovers are usually
employed to perform the following:
Retrieving and running completion strings.
Repairing or modifying the permanent downhole
equipment e.g running scab liners etc.
Changing the completion interval.
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Concentric Workovers
Concentric workovers involve the use of a
smaller diameter workstring which is run inside
the permanent completion.
Concentric workover methods include coiled
tubing, HWUs and small workover rigs.
Coiled tubing and HWUs have the advantage of
being able to be run in the well without killing
the well.
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Hydraulic Workover Units (HWU)
A hydraulic workover or snubbing operates on
the principle that pipe can be inserted or
withdrawn from a well under pressure.
The process utilises jointed tubing or drill pipe
with a hydraulic snubbing unit to run the tubing
string without killing the well, and allows small
diameter tubing to be run through the
completion.
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(HWU)
The unit has to perform
three basic functions:
Feed the pipe into and
out of the well in a
controlled manner
against wellhead
pressure.
Provide a seal which
maintains integrity while
at the same time
allowing the pipe to be
inserted or removed
from the well.
Provide a means of
plugging the inside of the
pipe.
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Hydraulic workover units have several advantages over
conventional workover rigs and greater capability than
coiled tubing:
The workover operation can be performed under
pressure and in certain cases with the well still
flowing. This eliminates the risk of formation damage
in sensitive formations resulting from killing the well
prior to a conventional workover.
Mobilisation and demobilisation are shorter reducing
the overall time a well is off production.
The hydraulic workover unit is flexible, with a lifting
capacity up to 340 000 lbs, allowing it to handle
relatively large tools. The ability to rotate the pipe
enables light drilling and milling work to be
performed.
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The primary use for HWU was for emergency and non-
routine well interventions.
This use has to some extent tarnished the reputation of
HWU, in that most of the experience has been gained
under difficult or emergency situations.
Indeed, in many cases HWU was the only appropriate
technique to control the well. However, for some of the
reasons outlined above, the HWU is now becoming the
preferred well servicing technique for certain situations.
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Current applications include:
Fishing or milling in casing.
Cleaning out cemented solids in the tubing, liner or
casing.
Drilling out bridge plugs.
Washing out frac materials.
Pressure control/well killing.
Circulating out heavy fluids.
Acidising and washing.
Running macaroni tubing to pump nitrogen in wells
where depth and pressure preclude the use of coiled
tubing.
Running completions under pressure.
Sand consolidation.
Squeeze cementing or plugging back.
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Hydraulic Snubbing Unit
Hydraulic snubbing units are made up from modular
units which can be easily transported and rigged up.
When locating the unit, care should be taken to ensure
that the structure or wellhead can support the weight of
the unit together with any forces generated during the
snubbing operation. A hydraulic workover unit (HWU)
consists of the following components
The hydraulic jack assembly, guide tube, window,
travelling and stationary slips, rotary table and power
tongs.
The work basket and control panel.
Hydraulic power pack and accessories.
Circulating swivel, kelly hose and pumps.
BOP stack.
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BOP Stack Configuration
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The main components of the BOP system are
as follows:
stripper rubber
is located immediately below the window and is
used for running pipe in and out of the hole
without using the stripper rams.
The stripper rubber is a solid synthetic rubber
element that can stretch as couplings etc pass
through, and maintain pressure integrity.
Allows pipe to be stripped through the rubber
under pressure.
stripper rams
Should always be incorporated in a snubbing BOP.
The stripper rams provide pressure integrity at
pressures above 3000 psi
Facilitates the running of downhole tools.
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Equalizing loop
This loop runs from below the lower stripper ram to
below the upper ram and is used to equalize the
pressure above the lower ram before opening it.
choke
included in the loop to regulate the rate of
equalisation.
These chokes are changed out to suit the fluid in the
well.
Vent line
ties in below the upper stripping ram and is run to
safe point away from the snubbing unit.
This line is used to bleed down the pressure between
each stripper ram.
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Safety Rams
located below the stripper rams and are used to contain the
well pressure in the event of a stripper ram failure or
change in the stack.
Safety rams are pipe rams and the number used in the
stack will depend on the well conditions and planned
operations.
At least one set of safety rams must be controlled from the
basket.
These are the same as blind rams used in a drilling BOP and
are used to shut in the well when there is no pipe in the
stack.
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Blind/shear rams
will cut the pipe and close in the well in a emergency
situation.
The ram and blade type must be tested prior to rig-up,
to ensure that they will cut the size and grade of pipe.
Outlet spools
provide access to the wellbore and should always be
located above at least one pipe ram preventer and
have double valve isolation.
choke and kill lines
attached to an outlet spool or ram body and as the
name suggests are used to pump fluid into, or take
returns from the well.
These lines must have a working pressure equivalent to
the BOPs.

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Development Phase

September October 2005

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