Wellhead Operation & Maintenance Course

Mahmoud F. Radwan
Subsurface & Integrity Operation Sec. Head
Presenter Name:
Mahmoud Farag Radwan

Mahmoud Radwan is a Subsurface & Integrity Operations Sec. Head at AMAL

Petroleum Company (AMAPETCO) with 12 years of experience in oil & gas
industry. Mahmoud worked in Well Engineering, Intervention, Integrity & Work-
Short over at several companies, including Badr El-Din Pet. Co. (BAPETCO), Qarun
Biography Pet. Co. (QPC) and Wadi El-Sahel Petroleum Co. (WASPETCO).
Also, a freelance instructor at upstream Oil & Gas since 2008.
Mahmoud received a BSc degree in Petroleum Engineering from Al-Azhar
University in 2007.

- Evaluating Sustainable Annulus Pressure (SAP) in Sour Wells and the

Possible Causes to Avoid Recurrence to the Well Integrity Annual Middle East
Conference in Abu Dhabi; UAE in Apr 2015
- Implementing NDT methods for maintenance and inspection to the Asset
Integrity Management North Africa Conference in Cairo; Egypt in Nov 2015
- Feasibility Evaluation of Using Downhole Gas-water Separation Technology
Publications in gas Reservoirs with Bottom Water; paper number: SPE-183739-MS to the
20th Middle East Oil & Gas Show and Conference in Mar 2017
http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/183739-MS
- Managing the Operational Challenges in Corroded Wells through Well
Integrity Management System to the Improving Brownfield Performance
Technical Convention, in Cairo; Egypt in Dec 2019
 WELL
Construction
principles
 Well Construction Principles
• Generally a well will consist of conductor, casing,
tubing, wellhead and Christmas tree.
• The conductor protects the casing from seabed to
platform surface, and provides a stable support for
the wellhead and Christmas tree.
• Three or four strings of casing will be run inside the
conductor, with diminishing I.D’s
• Typically 30” conductor.
• 20” Surface Casing
• 13.3/8” Intermediate Casing
• 9.5/8” Production Casing
• 7” Liner
Type of Casing
1. Conductor Pipe
2. Surface Casing
3. Intermediate Casing
4. Production Casing
5. Liner

1 CONDUCTOR PIPE
 Prevents unconsolidated formations being
eroded.
 Provides flow path for drilling fluids.
 Cemented in pre-drilled hole or pile driven.
 Sizes ranging from 16” – 30” OD.
 Depth varies from surface to 40’ – 400’.
Surface Casing

 Protection in case of blowout & Acts as

wellhead foundation.

 Isolates shallow consolidated & fresh water

formations.

 Cemented along its whole length.

 Sizes ranging from 13 3/8” – 20” OD.

 Setting depth up to 1 500’ below surface.

Intermediate Casing
 Seals off problem zones, loss circulation
zones, high pressure gas pockets & soft
formations encountered.

 Protects production casing from corrosive

fluids.

 Cemented up to surface casing shoe.

 Sizes ranging from 7” – 13 3/8” OD.

 Depth depends on total well depth &

conditions encountered, shallow wells not
necessary to set this.
Production Casing
 Set above or through producing formations.

 Isolates reservoir from other fluid bearing

formations.

 Cemented from intermediate casing shoe

to its bottom.

 Sizes ranging from 5” – 9 5/8” OD.

Liner
 Shortened casing hangs from bottom of
previous casing through producing
formations.

 Used when geological & pressure

conditions make it hazardous to penetrate
the producing formation without the hole
being protected by casing.

 Cemented along its length.

 Cost effective
 Casing Design : Basic Construction

1 1. 30” conductor
2 2. Conductor setting depth
3 3. 20” surface casing
4 4. 20” shoe
5 5. Cement
6. Formation open to C annulus
6
7 7. 13 3/8” casing
8. Formation open to B annulus
8
9. 9 5/8” production casing
9
10 10. Liner hanger
11. 7” Liner
11 12. TD – Total Depth

12
 Completion Components – What’s
installed
1
1. Tubing hanger (Upper annulus barrier)
2 2. SC-SSSV (Sub-surface barrier)
3 3. Control line
4 4. Tubing (Vertical barrier)
5 5. A annulus (tubing-casing)
6. Gas lift valves (in SPMs)
9 5/8” 6 7. Expansion joint: Tubing Seal Receptacle
Production
Casing 8. Anchor seal assembly
9. Production packer
8 7 10. Packer sealing element (Lower barrier)
9 11. Tailpipe
10
12. WEG
11
12
 Completion Components – Why?
1 Function :

3 2 1. Upper annulus barrier & supports tubing

2. Protects the surface installation
4
3. Hydraulically operates the SC-SSSV
5 4. Conveys hydrocarbons to surface
9 5/8” 6 5. Protects production casing from attack
Production
Casing
6. Permit entry of lift gas annulus to tubing
7. Accommodates expansion / contraction
8 7 8. Ties & seals tubing string to packer
9. Anchors tubing string to production csg
9 10 10. Forms lower barrier of the A annulus
11. Allows installation of instrumentation
11 12. Easy entry of production logging tools
12 back into tailpipe
VALVES
 VALVES
•Valves or taps are
devices fitted to piping or
equipment and designed
to control the flow of fluids.
•ex: a 3” gate, ball or
butterfly valve, means a 3”
ID
VALVES

HIGH pressure MEDIUM pressure LOW pressure

(5000 psi and above) (~1500 psi) (~180 psi)

Flowhead Separators Tanks

Choke manifold, Sand-trap Oil/Gas manifolds
Heater & Steam-exchanger Pumps, Burners

1)GATE valves 1)BALL valves 1)BUTTERFLY

2)NEEDLE valves 2)PLUG valves 2)GLOBE valves
(~sampling~)

1)WOM new, (McEvoy, 1)Mapegaz, Gachot

Malbranque, Sereg old) 2)Texseal, Balon
2)Kerotest, Autoclave
 GATE valves
•Used for shut off, (on/off function)
•High pressure (5, 10, 15, 20Kpsi)
•ex: FH, CM, Steam-exchanger, Sand-
trap
•Sealing method:
-metal/metal for WOM valve
-grease sealing compound for
McEvoy valve
•Standard sizes= 3 1/16” to 4 1/16”
GATE
valves

WOM
GATE Gate
Seal assembly with 0-ring
valves

WOM

Grease Fitting
(for storage
metal seals only)
 GATE
valves

GATE
WOM

metal/metal seal
 Surface
GATE Testing
valves

McEvoy (pressure trapped)

Sealing done Grease fittings for

with the special
Special sealing
grease
compound grease

Grease fitting for

standard grease

VALVE CLOSED
 NEEDLE valves

•Used for shut off, (on/off) + Flow

control (bleed off part of flow)
•High pressure (5, 10, 15, 20Kpsi)
•ex: instrumentation on FH, CM,
Steam-exchanger, Sand-trap
•Kerotest (up to 10Kpsi)
•Autoclave Engineers (10, 15, 20K)
•Sealing method: metal/metal (~sizes= ¼”, ½”, ¾”)
 BALL / PLUG valves
•Used for shut off, (on/off)
•¼ turn
•Medium pressure (~1500 psi)
•ex: separator, burners, pumps,
etc.
•Sealing method:
-PTFE (Teflon) seal ring or
seat
Standard sizes= 1” to 4”
 BALL valve (spherical)

Mapega
z
•Sealing= (white teflon
ring)
white
(Spherical)
teflon ring
seal

Cross Section of a Mapegaz valve

 BALL valve (spherical)
Gachot

•Medium pressure
•Sampling / bleed-
off points
•Sealing= white
teflon seal ring
•Standard sizes=
¼”, ½”, ¾”, 1”
 top
PLUG valve hexagonal
nut
(cylindrical)
Texseal
O-ring
stem
Seats (black teflon)
•Sealing=
black teflon seat Plug (cylindrical)
 BUTTERFLY
valve
Weco
•Used for shut off, (on/off)
•Low pressure
•Tanks
•Sealing= rubber seal
•Standard sizes= 1”, 2” 3”
 GLOBE valves
•Used for control of flow and shut off
•Low pressure
•Rig Water / air lines
•Sealing= metal/metal
•Standard sizes= 1”, 2” 3”
 Automatic Control valves

Fisher
•Used for flow control +
throttle action
•Medium pressure
•Separator, Surge tank
•Sealing (not 100%)=
metal/metal
•Standard sizes= 1”, 2”,
3”,4”
Swing check Flow through valve

valves
•To allow flow in one
direction only
•High/Medium/Low
pressure
Flow ceases or fails below back pressure
•Separator inlet, pump
outlet
•Sealing= metal/metal
•Standard sizes= 1”, 2”,
3”,4”

CHECK valves
 RELIEF valves
Farris
•Spring loaded and set to open
at a given pressure to protect
systems from over pressure
•High/Medium/Low pressure
•Separator, flowlines, Steam-
exchanger, Surge-tank
•Sealing= metal/metal
•Standard sizes= 1”, 2”, 3”,4”
 RELIEF valves
Anderson
Greewood
•Piloted safety relief
valves
•High/Medium/Low
pressure
•New Separator and
Surge-tank
•Sealing= metal/metal
•Standard sizes= 3”,4”, 6”
 SAFETY
GATE / BALL / PLUG valves:
• must not be used for throttling
(i.e.: must be fully open or fully
closed) because a restricted flow
through it will erode the seal or
gate or seat, and the valve will
not seal correctly / reliably.
 SAFETY
GATE valves:
• it is common practice to
count the number of turns
taken to open / close a valve
because the operator can tell
if the valve has become
plugged or is not seating
correctly.
 SAFETY
GATE / GLOBE valves:
• it is best to close the gate and
globe valves by ¼ turn after they
are fully opened and vice-versa
because over tightening the
valve upon closing may damage
the disk and seat. Leading to
seizure or leakage.
 SAFETY
NEEDLE valves:
• when used with an instrument, the
valve should only be opened enough: -
to permit flow and allow the instrument to
register correctly. - to allow a quick
closure of the valve and to isolate the dial
gauge in case of a sudden increase of
pressure, above the range of the gauge.

One or two turns is usually sufficient.

OUTLINES
• Background on Oil and Gas Wells.
• Component Requirements Applicable to All Wellheads.
• Basic Components of a Wellhead.
• Advanced wellhead techniques
• Sweet Flowing Wells.
• Critical Sour, Sour and Corrosive Wells.
• Artificial Lift Wells.
• Other Well Types.
• Wellhead Installation & Maintenance.
BACKGROUND ON OIL AND GAS WELLS

• fresh water sources pre-date 5000 BC.

BACKGROUND ON OIL AND GAS WELLS

• By 1000 AD, drilled depths of over 200 m were

achieved and wood was being used to cap or
contain the fluid and pipeline production.
• The first "modern" wells were drilled in the mid-
late 1800s.
• But wells were opened to air!!!!!
WELLHEAD MAIN FUNCTIONS
1. Casing/Tubing suspension.

2. Pressure sealing and isolation between casing at surface when many casing strings are used.

3. Provides a means of attaching a blowout preventer during drilling.

4. Provides a means of attaching a Christmas tree for production operations.

5. Provides a reliable means of well access. (Tubing Head)

6. Provides a mean of attaching a well pump. (Artificial Lift)

7. Provides pressure monitoring and pumping access to annuli between the different
casing/tubing strings
WELLHEAD CLASSIFICATION

ACCO R D I NG TO T H E W E L L ACCO R D I NG TO T H E W E L L H E A D
LO C AT I O N DESIGN

• Wellhead for land drilling. • Spool Wellhead System

• Surface location offshore. • Unitized Wellhead System
– Jack-up, platform (Mudline Suspension
sys.)

• Subsea wellhead.
WELLHEAD CLASSIFICATION
Well Types
• ACCORDING TO WELL TYPES
Artificial Lift
Flowing Wells EOR Other Types
Wells

Sucker Rod
Sweet Injection Cavern wells
Pump

Hydraulic Observation
Sour ESP
Fracking Wells

PCP Disposal Well

Gas Lift Steam Assisted

Gravity Drainage

Plunger Lift Cycle Steam

Stimulation
Other Types
Hydraulic
Pump

Velocity
String
COMPONENT REQUIREMENTS
APPLICABLE TO ALL WELLHEADS
• Wellhead equipment that meets API Specification 6A (equivalent to ISO
10423) is available in standard pressure increments:
– 13.8 MPa (2000 psi)
– 20.7 MPa (3000 psi)
– 34.5 MPa (5000 psi)
– 69.0 MPa (10,000 psi)
– 103.5 MPa (15,000 psi)
– 138.0 MPa (20,000 psi)
– 207 MPa (30,000 psi)
COMPONENT REQUIREMENTS
APPLICABLE TO ALL WELLHEADS
• Standard temperature ratings are defined by an operating range.
– Conventional operations span -60 to 121⁰C in 8 ranges (K, L, P, R, S, T, U, V). K and U are
the largest and overlap the other ranges.
– Elevated temperature operations span -18 to 345⁰C in 2 ranges (X, Y). Y has the highest
temperature rating.
COMPONENT REQUIREMENTS
APPLICABLE TO ALL WELLHEADS
• Product Service Level (PSL) defines the degree of
testing applied to the wellhead component.
– PSL-1 is the baseline.
– PSL-2, PSL-3, PSL-3G, and PSL-4 include additional and
ever more stringent requirements to confirm component
suitability for challenging operations (e.g. high pressure,
elevated temperature, sour).
BASIC COMPONENTS OF A WELLHEAD

• Casing Head • Tubing Hanger

• Casing Spool • Tubing Head Adaptor
• Casing Hangers • Christmas Tree
• Pack-off Flange • Connections
• Tubing Head • seals
CASING HEAD

• The casing head, also referred to as a casing bowl.

• Is the lowest part of the wellhead assembly.
• The bottom of the casing head is configured to attach to the casing below (typically, the
surface casing).
• The upper inside of the casing head provides a bowl in which the next casing string can
be set and sealed (if required).
• The top of the casing head then connects to the next wellhead component.
• A casing head may also be supplied with a landing base plate that takes the weight load
off the surface casing and spreads it over the conductor pipe.
• Access to the annulus between the surface casing and the next casing string is available
through side outlets.
W2 CASING HEAD

2,000 : 10,000 psi

PRL-2
Accept all hanger
types
W2 CASING HEAD WITH S4 SURELOK
CONNECTOR
Would eliminating welding save you rig time?
SCH1 CASING HEAD

Want to save time installing your Casing Head?

• No welding required to install riser on conductor.

• No waiting on cement required when running
surface casing.
• Installed through drilling riser as part of surface
casing string.
• No welding required to install the casing head.
• Allows normal cementing.
• 3,000, 5,000 or 10,000 psi working pressure.
CASING HEAD FUNCTION

• Isolate the inside of the surface casing from the outside environment.
• Provide a platform for and a means to test the rig BOP stack during drilling and
well servicing operations.
• Support or transfer the weight of drilling and workover equipment during
drilling and well servicing operations.
• Allow for suspending and packing off the next casing string
• Provide access to the surface inner casing annulus for monitoring and fluid
return purposes.
• Access to the annulus is available through side outlets drilled through the
casing head.
CASING SPOOL

• If a well includes one or more intermediate casing strings between the surface and
production casing, the next component required after the casing head is the casing
spool.
• The bottom of the casing spool mounts on top of a casing head or previous spool,
and the top connects to the next spool or tubing head assembly.
• The spool is designed so the bottom bowl or counter-bore will allow a secondary seal
to be set on the previous casing string, while the top bowl will hold a casing hanger
to suspend and allow a primary seal around the next string of casing. Multiple casing
spools may be used, one on top of the other, to hang intermediate casing strings and
the final production casing string.
W2 CASING SPOOL
CASING SPOOL FUNCTION

• Allow for a secondary seal on the previous casing string in the counter-bore.
• With a secondary seal in place, flange or hub seals and casing hanger seals are isolated
from internal casing pressure.
• Provide a port for pressure testing primary and secondary casing seals and flange
connections.
• Provide a platform to support, seal and pressure test the BOP during drilling and well
servicing operations.
• Provide a load shoulder and controlled bore in the top bowl to support the next casing
hanger and enable a primary seal for the next intermediate or production casing.
• Provide annular access for fluid returns or fluid injections and pressure monitoring,
through side outlets drilled in the spool assembly.
CASING HANGER

• Both casing heads and casing spool assemblies may require the use of casing
hangers.
• Casing hangers attach to the end of a given casing string and suspend and seal the
casing string in the top bowl of a casing head or spool.
• Casing hangers come in two main varieties:
– Slip type hangers that are installed around the casing after it is run, either
before or after the casing is cemented into place.
• Slip type casing hangers are used as a contingency when pipe is stuck, allowing
the casing to be cut off and set where it sits.
– Mandrel type hangers that are threaded onto the casing.
• Mandrel type casing hangers provide superior well control when landing the
hanger and improve the annular seal.
CASING HANGER
• Shallow intermediate strings are usually suspended from the hanger and then
cemented to surface.
• Longer intermediate and production strings that are not cemented to surface are
usually cemented while the casing is suspended in tension from the rig traveling block.
• After the cement has set for a few hours, the traveling block pulls a calculated tension
on the casing above the cement and it is at this point the hanger is set in the bowl.
• Casing hangers are often called slips or seals as they are designed with built-in seals.
• Sometimes, we install only a primary seal in shallow depth.
• Lock-down (also called hold-down) screws are used to hold the hanger in place.
• It may be one piece, two or three pieces ( in larger diameters)
 Slip-types CSG hanger

Mandrel-types CSG hanger

CASING HANGER FUNCTION

• To suspend the load of the casing string from the casing head or spool.
• To center the casing in the head.
• To provide a primary seal against the inside of the casing head and isolate the casing
annulus pressure from upper wellhead components.
PACK-OFF FLANGE

• A pack-off flange is rarely used.

• It is set above a casing head or spool assembly and also sealed against
the intermediate or production casing to enable a safe increase in
pressure rating between the casing head or spool and any wellhead
equipment above the flange, for example, a tubing head.
• It is also known as a “restricted pack-off flange” or “crossover flange”.
PACK-OFF FLANGE FUNCTION

• It may be used during well re-entry where anticipated

pressure rise.
• In temporary operations such as
– Pressure testing primary seals
– As a safety device when drilling out the cement that remains in
the shoe joint.
PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS
• The new pressure in the production casing is expected to jump from 10
MPa to 30 MPa on a well with a 13.8 MPa Casing Head and Tubing
Head.
– Solution: A packoff flange on the casing head that provides a transition
from 13.8 MPa to 20.7 MPa. The tubing head is upgraded to 34.5 MPa.
• The new pressure in the production casing is expected to jump from 10
MPa to 40 MPa on a well with a 13.8 MPa Casing Head and Tubing
Head.
– Solution: A packoff flange on the casing head that provides a transition
from 13.8 MPa to 20.7 MPa. Another packoff flange on top of the
previous that provides a transition from 20.7 MPa to 34.5 MPa. The
tubing head is upgraded to 69.0 MPa.
TUBING HEAD
• The tubing head assembly provides a means to suspend and seal the production
tubing in the wellhead.
• The tubing head is the top spool in the wellhead assembly and is installed after the last
casing string is set.
• The bottom of the tubing spool includes a counterbore that can be used to set a seal
against the production casing.
• The top of the tubing head provides a landing shoulder and a seal bore for landing
and enabling a seal to the tubing hanger.
• Above the tubing head is the tubing head adaptor which provides a transition to the
Christmas tree.
TUBING HEAD TYPES
• Top connection threaded; bottom connection threaded or welded
– should be limited to low pressure gas or oil wells.
– it does not offer lock screws for tubing hanger retention.
– A workover flange needs to be installed in order to install a BOP stack.
 TUBING HEAD TYPES
• Top connection flanged; bottom connection threaded or welded.
– may be used for re-entry operations, new shallow gas or oil wells, and thermal operations
such as cyclic steam injection.
– It does not provide a secondary seal on the production casing.
– No ability to pressure test between the production casing and the previous casings string
TUBING HEAD TYPES

• Top and bottom connection flanged or clamp hub

– Can be used for any operation
TD TUBING HEAD (DUAL COMPLETION)
 MTH2 MINI TUBING HEAD

• provides a low cost tubing support solution for fracking and

siphon string applications.

• Reduced equipment cost compared to conventional fracking

equipment

• Secondary casing seal fully rated to the working pressure of the

tubing head.

• Secondary casing seal can be monitored through the seal test port

• Eliminates the need for a secondary seal to protect the isolation

tool during multiple frack Operations.
TUBING HEAD FUNCTION
• Enable the suspension of the tubing.
• Allow for sealing the annulus between the tubing and the production casing.
• Allow access to the annulus between the tubing and production casing, through side
outlets.
• Provide a means to support and test the service rig BOP during well completions.
• Provide a bit guide for running the tubing without causing damage to the production
casing.
• Allow a secondary annulus seal to be set around the top of the production casing.
• Provide access for a test port to test primary and secondary seals.
• Ensure safe running and retrieving of tubing hangers in high pressure operations
(e.g., snubbing operations).
• Allow for correct orientation of equipment to enable running multiple tubing strings.
TUBING HANGER

• A tubing hanger is also commonly known as a dog nut.

• A tubing hanger typically is threaded onto the top of a tubing string and
is designed to sit and seal in the tubing head.
• Usually the tubing hanger is run through the BOP and landed in the top
bowl of the tubing head.
• The top of the tubing hanger provides a profile necessary for the lock
screws that will secure the hanger in the tubing head.
TUBING HANGER TYPES
TUBING HANGER TYPES

• Extended neck tubing hangers

– Allow for a primary and secondary seal on the tubing hanger. In this
configuration, a secondary seal packs off inside the tubing head adaptor. As a
result, the lock down screws are isolated from the well bore fluids and the
primary and secondary seals can be pressure tested.
• Extended neck tubing hangers are required for sour wells and possibly
corrosive wells.
T-M TUBING HANGERS/ADAPTERS

The T-M tubing hanger is a high capacity, mandrel tubing

hanger pressure rated to 15,000 psi.
TD-M DUAL TUBING
HANGERS/ADAPTERS

• The TD-M dual tubing hanger is a high capacity, dual

mandrel tubing hanger pressure rated to 15,000 psi.

• To accommodate down-hole control lines use a TD-M-CCL

tubing hanger and tubing head adapter.
T-2W WRAP-AROUND TUBING
HANGER
• Seals against H2S
• Provides a reciprocating
action
O2 COUPLING AND ADAPTER
• Increase suspension capacity.
• Extra seal against corrosive fluids.
• Reciprocating movement of tubing that helps in packer
setting.
O3 COUPLING AND ADAPTER
• A metal-to-metal neck seal for superior sealing.
• A coupling nut for simplified make up of the adapter and
tree.
 TUBING HANGER BACK-PRESSURE
VALVE
• Tubing hangers may come with a back
pressure thread profile that enables the
operator to lubricate and isolation plug into
the tubing hanger.
• With an isolation plug in place, pressure
testing can now be carried out above the
tubing head.
• It also provides well control for installing and
removing the BOP or Christmas Tree, and for
temporary well suspensions.
TUBING HEAD ADAPTOR

• The tubing head adaptor provides a transition from the tubing head to the
Christmas tree.
• With a basic tubing head configuration where the tubing hanger is seated in
the top of the tubing head.
• The bottom of the tubing head adaptor will seal against the tubing head and
contain reservoir or injection fluids moving through the top of the tubing.
• With an extended neck tubing hanger, the adaptor will provide a secondary
seal against the hanger, isolating the seal between tubing head and adaptor
and any lock screws holding the tubing hanger in place. This configuration
provides a means to test the primary and secondary seals on the tubing
hanger.
TUBING HEAD ADAPTOR TYPES
WEAR BUSHING

• While drilling the well, it is required that the seal bores in each of the intermediate
casing spools and tubing spools be protected.
• A series of wear bushings are supplied to protect the seal areas discussed during the
drilling operation.
• The wear bushings are run on a drill pipe tool with J-lugs located on the OD that
interface with J-slots located in the top ID section of the wear bushing.
 wear bushing running tools. wear bushings for a typical land drilling wellhead system.
These tools are also used to test the BOP stack.
CHRISTMAS TREE

• A Christmas tree is an assembly of gate valves, chokes and fittings included with the
wellhead during well completion.
• Christmas tree provides a means to control the flow of fluids produced from or fluids
injected into the well, at surface.
• While Christmas trees come in a variety of configurations based on a number of well
design and operating considerations, typically the bottom connection of the tree
matches the top connection of the tubing head adaptor and these are generally
installed as a unit, immediately after production tubing is suspended.
Christmas tree for a flowing well
Christmas tree for Sucker Rod Pump
TYPICAL CHRISTMAS TREE
COMPONENTS
• A minimum of one master valve that will control all flows to and from each tubing
string.
• Under certain service conditions and well pressures, additional master valves.
– The upper valve is typically used in routine operations while the lower valve provides
backup and the ability to service the upper valve as the need arises.
• A tee or cross leading to control valves such as production gate valves, surface safety
valves, flow control valves or chokes
• Potentially a swab valve above the tee that permits vertical access to the wellbore.
• A tree cap that might be fitted with a pressure gauge. The tree cap provides quick
access to the tubing bore for bottom hole testing, installing down hole equipment,
swabbing, paraffin scraping, and other thru-tubing well work.
CONNECTIONS

• Connections provide a secure, leak free joint between wellhead components. There
are five basic connection types commonly used in wellhead design.
– Threaded
– Welded
– Flanged
– Studded
– Clamp hub
– Sliplock
– Connection that is unique to coiled tubing.
THREADED
• Typically used only in lower pressures, sweet operations and for smaller diameter pipe or
fittings.
• Casing head to surface casing connections • Bull plugs
• Casing head to upper wellhead components • Pressure and temperature gauges
• Side outlets • Needle valves
• Tubing hangers • Bottom hole test adapter or fluid sampling
• Tubing heads port
• Adaptors • Polished Rod BOPs
• Valves • Polished Rod Stuffing boxes
• Flow tees • Plunger lift lubricator
• Pipe nipples • Back pressure valve
• Erosion (e.g. sand) or corrosion monitoring
probes
WELDED
• Seal + Connection
SLIP-ON WELD BUT WELD

• Used to make a connection between • connecting two lengths of pipe of the

different diameters. same unit weight (kg/m) and diameter.
• joining different lengths of wellhead
piping
• where a casing extension or repair is
required at surface.
STUDDED
• one component that has studs threaded into its housing and a second component with
a flange bolted to the studs.
• Uses:
– Typically used in any high pressure (i.e., 2000 psi to 30,000 psi) or higher risk operations.
– Used in any operations where there are requirements to shorten the height or length of the
wellhead components.
– Used in any operations where there is a need to reduce the bending moment on equipment.
– Along with flanged connections, studded connections allow for the installation of a test port
to meet requirements of pressure testing between primary and secondary seals.
CLAM HUB

• the hubs of the two components being joined

are squeezed together over a seal ring or ring
gasket and held in-place by a clamp.
• The two clamp halves wrap around the hub
and are bolted to each other to a specified
torque to provide the required connection
strength and seal rating.
CLAM HUB USES

• Typically used in any high pressure or higher risk operations.

• Most commonly found in thermal operations.
• Provides a superior ability to align and seal wellhead components and piping
modules as compared to flanged or studded connections, as small differences in
alignment are more easily “absorbed” by this type of connection.
• Provides a higher fatigue resistance than flanged or studded connections.
• Offers a faster make up time versus flanged or studded connections.
• Since any damage to the face of the hub may compromise the metal to metal seal,
special care must be taken in any operation where there is potential for this type of
damage.
SLIPLOCK

• Typically used in drilling or other temporary

operations in place of welded or threaded
connections as the Sliplock provides a faster
connection time than either of these other
methods.
• May be used in observation style wells
where the well bore is not exposed to
formation conditions.
COIL TUBING CONNECTION TYPES
SEALS

• Seal composition:
– Elastomer and Graphite / Carbon Seals.
– Metal Seals.
• Seal types:
– Primary Seals
– Secondary Seals
• If both are installed the wellhead can be pressure
tested.
 FLOWING WELLS

• When the reservoir pressure is capable to lift fluid to the surface.

• Flowing wellheads typically are simple.
• Depending on the type of produced fluids and well completion, production can be up
the production casing, production tubing, or the tubing-casing annulus.
– Sweet, low pressure, low risk wells (e.g., shallow gas) often do not have a tubing string
installed.
SWEET FLOWING WELLS

Above 13.8 MPa P≤ 13.8 MPa

• Low Pressure / Low Risk Gas Wells
SOUR WELLS

• Death + Corrosion
• The following examples all present a corrosion hazard:
– CO2 and water
– Salt water
– Aggressive solvents (e.g., DMDS)
– Acid (well stimulation)
ARTIFICIAL LIFT WELLS

• Gas Lift
• ESP
• PCP
Special Wellhead Design
• Plunger Lift
• Sucker Rod Pump
• Hydraulic Pump
The conventional wellhead should be modified to meet the artificial lift method.
Each method along with the modification applied will be discussed.
 BEAM PUMPING
• the wellhead must be modified to seal
around the reciprocating rod.
• Emergency precaution in case of broken rod.
WELLHEAD EQUIPMENT

• Flowing T
• BOP
• Stuffing Box
• Lubricator
FLOWING TEE
• Replaced the wing valve in conventional well head,
to direct the fluid towards surface facilities.
BOP
• Designed to prevent oil spills in case
of sucker rod or polished rod breaks
• May be installed
– Between tubing head and flowing T
– Between flowing T and stuffing box
• Can be operated manually or
automatically (hydraulically or
pneumatically)

A flapper valve may be used to

seal the wellbore in case of
complete drop of the rod.
STUFFING BOX
• Assembly to seal around the
polished rod to prevent leakage
to the surface
• Many stuffing boxes have two
sets of packing elements.
• The lower is relaxed in normal
conditions, but used in case of
the upper one fails

• The packing element is made

of rubber or Teflon to offer
low friction but provide the
required seal

• The sealing mechanism is the

bolted being tightened
 LUBRICATION

• Normally the packing element is lubricated by

the fluid in the well.
• Intermittent pumping or high water cut may
lead to poor lubrication.
• Poorly lubricated (dry) packing element may
burn leading to fluid leakage to the surface.
• A lubrication oil reservoir may be mounted
above the stuffing box
 PCP LIFTING
• the wellhead must be modified to seal
around the rotating rod.
• Emergency precaution in case of broken rod.
• The rod string is supported on the wellhead
The Wellhead must perform the following
functions:

•Suspend the rod string and carry the axial loads

•Deliver the torque required at the polished rod
•Safely rotate the polished rod at the required
speed
•Prevent produced fluid from escaping the system
WELLHEAD EQUIPMENT

• Wellhead frame containing

– Flowing T
– BOP
– Stuffing Box

– Prime mover
• Power transmission equipment
 PRIME MOVER

Electric motor along with switch

board and transformer will be needed
PRIME MOVER

ICE will provide the

prime motion
 GAS LIFTING

• The X-tree is used not only to

control the production but also
the injection of the gas
 ESP LIFTING
• the wellhead must include a gas tight feed for the electric power cable that runs
from surface to the downhole ESP motor.
 HYDRAULIC LIFTING
• the wellhead must provide:
– Inlet of the injected fluid
– Outlet for the formation fluid mixed with the
injection fluid
– The wellhead should also withstand the high P of
the injected fluid.
 PLUNGER LIFTING
• the wellhead must accommodate a
lubricator / “plunger catcher” installed on
top of the flow cross.
• At surface the arriving plunger is captured in
a lubricator, the produced fluid unload to the
flowline.
• In normal operations, the force of the
incoming plunger is absorbed by the fluid
column and springs and stops in the
lubricator assembly.
• In some cases the plunger may be lifted
without fluid, the velocity will be faster, the
impact will be stronger.
• In extreme circumstances, a plunger arriving
at a high velocity without a fluid column may
be capable of blowing through the top of the
lubricator.
INJECTION WELLHEAD
– Similar in configuration to flowing wells.
– The major concerns in the wellhead are
• The operation pressure.
• The injected fluid
• Temperature (especially in STEAM INJECTION)
 THE OPERATION PRESSURE.
• The wellhead pressure in case of injection wells is always greater than a normal flowing
well, so the wellhead must be chosen to withstand the anticipated pressure.
The injected fluid
• A wise selection of the wellhead material is a must to be suitable for the injected fluid and
TEMPERATURE variation.
OFFSHORE
WELLHEADS
 OFFSHORE WELLHEAD

• Mudline suspension
• Subsea wellhead
MUDLINE SUSPENSION SYSTEM

• as jackup drilling vessels drilled in deeper water, the need to transfer the
weight of the well to the seabed and provide a disconnect-and-
reconnect capability became clearly beneficial. This series of hangers,
called mudline suspension equipment, provides landing rings and
shoulders to transfer the weight of each casing string to the conductor
and the sea bed.
• The mudline suspension system also allows the well to be temporarily
abandoned (disconnected) when total depth (TD) is achieved (when
drilling is finished at total depth)
THE MUDLINE HANGER SYSTEM CONSISTS
OF THE FOLLOWING COMPONENTS

• Butt-weld sub
• Shoulder hangers
• Split-ring hangers
• Mudline hanger running tools
• Temporary abandonment caps and running tool
• Tieback tools
 MUDLINE HANGER SYSTEM
• Each mudline hanger landing shoulder and landing ring
centralizes the hanger body, and establishes concentricity around
the center line of the well. Concentricity is important when tying
the well back to the surface.
• In addition, each hanger body stacks down relative to the
previously installed hanger for washout efficiency.
• Washout efficiency is necessary to clean the annulus area of the
previously run mudline hanger and running tool. This ensures that
cement and debris cannot hinder disconnect and retrieval of each
casing riser to the rig floor upon abandonment of the well.
TEMPORARILY ABANDONING THE WELL

• After each casing string is disconnected from the mudline suspension hanger and
retrieved to the rig floor in the reverse order of the drilling process, threaded
temporary abandonment caps or stab-in temporary abandonment caps (both of which
makeup into the threaded running profile of the mudline hanger) are installed in
selected mudline hangers before the drilling vessel finishes and leaves the location.
The temporary abandonment caps can be retrieved with the same tool that installed
them.
RECONNECTING TO THE WELL

• A mudline suspension system also incorporates tieback tools

to reconnect the mudline hanger to the surface for re-entry
and/or completion.
• A surface wellhead system is installed, and the well is
completed similarly to the method used on land drilling
operations.
• The mudline suspension system has been designed to
accommodate tying the well back to the surface for surface
completion, and it also can be adapted for a subsea
production tree. A tieback tubing head can be installed to the
mudline suspension system at the seabed, and a subsea tree
can be installed on this tubing head.
 Sea surface

When
The wellthe
drilling desired
is reconnected
rig is removed
Drilling
depth
using
,so isis reached
thetiebackdonetool
abandonment by,for
jackcap
mudline
up
deeper
is installed system
rig drilling and or is well is
the
installed
completion
disconnected .
Sea bed
 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE LAND
WELLHEADS AND A THE JACKUP MUDLINE
• The main difference between the wellheads used in the land drilling
application and the jackup drilling application (with mudline) is the slip-
and-seal assembly
• Because the weight of the well now sits at the seabed, a weight-set slip-
and-seal assembly is not used. Instead, a mechanical set (energizing the
seal by hand) is used, in which cap screws are made up with a wrench
against an upper compression plate on the slip-and-seal assembly to
energize the elastomeric seal.
A MECHANICAL-SET SLIP-AND-SEAL
ASSEMBLY
 SUBSEA WELLHEAD SYSTEMS
• is a pressure-containing vessel that provides a means to hang off
and seal off casing used in drilling the well.
• The wellhead also provides a profile to latch the subsea blowout
preventer (BOP) stack and drilling riser back to the floating drilling
rig. In this way, access to the wellbore is secure in a pressure-
controlled environment.
• The subsea wellhead system is located on the ocean floor, and
must be installed remotely with running tools and drillpipe
A STANDARD SUBSEA WELLHEAD SYSTEM WILL
TYPICALLY CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING:

• Drilling guide base.

• Low-pressure housing.
• High-pressure wellhead housing (typically 18¾ in.).
• Casing hangers
• Metal-to-metal annulus sealing assembly.
• Bore protectors and wear bushings.
 DRILLING GUIDE BASE
• provides a means for guiding and aligning the
BOP onto the wellhead. Guide wires from the
rig are attached to the guideposts of the base,
and the wires are run subsea with the base to
provide guidance from the rig down to the
wellhead system.
 LOW-PRESSURE HOUSING
• provides a location point for the drilling guide base,
and provides an interface for the 18¾-in. high-
pressure housing. It is important for this first string
to be jetted or cemented in place correctly, because
this string is the foundation for the rest of the well.
 HIGH-PRESSURE HOUSING
• a unitized wellhead with no annulus access.
• It provides an interface between the subsea BOP
stack and the subsea well.
• The subsea wellhead is the male member to a
large-bore connection, (the female counterpart is
the wellhead connector on the bottom of the BOP
stack)
 CASING HANGERS
• The casing hanger provides a metal-to-metal sealing
area for a seal assembly to seal off the annulus
between the casing hanger and the wellhead.
• The casing weight is transferred into the wellhead by
means of the casing hanger/wellhead landing
shoulder.
• Each casing hanger stacks on top of another, and all
casing loads are transferred through each hanger to
the landing shoulder at the bottom of the subsea
wellhead.
• Each casing hanger incorporates flow-by slots to
facilitate the passage of fluid while running through
the drilling riser and BOP stack, and during
the cementing operation.
 METAL-TO METAL ANNULUS SEAL
ASSEMBLY
• isolates the annulus between the casing hanger and
the high-pressure wellhead housing.
• The seal incorporates a metal-to-metal sealing system
that today is typically weight-set (torque-set seal
assemblies were available in earlier subsea wellhead
systems).
• During the installation process, the seal is locked to
the casing hanger to keep it in place.
• If the well is placed into production, then an option to
lock down the seal to the high-pressure wellhead is
available. This is to prevent the casing hanger and
seal assembly from being lifted because of thermal
expansion of the casing down hole.
 BORE PROTECTORS AND WEAR
BUSHINGS
• Once the high-pressure wellhead housing and the
BOP stack are installed, all drilling operations will
take place through the wellhead housing.
• The risk of mechanical damage during drilling
operations is relatively high, and the critical landing
and sealing areas in the wellhead system need to
be protected with a removable bore protector and
wear bushings
 BIG BORE SUBSEA WELLHEAD SYSTEMS
• as a result of the challenges associated with deepwater drilling.
• Ocean-floor conditions in deep and ultradeep water can be extremely
mushy and unconsolidated, which creates well-foundation problems that
require development of new well designs to overcome the conditions.
• Second, underground aquifers in deep water have been observed in far
greater frequency than in shallower waters, and it quickly became clear that
these zones would have to be isolated with a casing string.
• wellhead equipment designs would also have to change to accommodate
the additional requirements.
WITH SUBSEA WELLHEAD SYSTEMS

• conductor and intermediate casing strings can be reconfigured to strengthen and

stiffen the upper section of the well (for higher bending capacities), and overcome the
challenges of an unconsolidated ocean floor at the well site.
• Each “water flow” zone encountered while drilling requires isolation with casing and,
at the same time, consumes a casing-hanger position in the wellhead.
• It became obvious that more casing strings and hangers were required to reach the
targeted depth than the existing wellhead-system designs would accommodate.
UNITIZED WELLHEAD (C0MPACT)

• The unitized wellhead is a one-piece body that is typically run on 13 3/8 -in. casing
through the BOP, and lands on a landing shoulder located inside the starting head or
on top of the conductor itself.
• The casing hangers used are threaded and preassembled with a pup joint.
• This way, the threaded connection can be pressure tested before leaving the factory,
ensuring that the assembly will have pressure-containing competence.
• Gate valves are installed on the external outlet connections of the unitized wellhead to
enable annulus access to each of the intermediate and the production casing strings.
UNITIZED WELLHEAD (C0MPACT)

• After the next hole section is drilled, the casing string, topped out with its mandrel
hanger, is run and landed on a shoulder located in the ID of the unitized wellhead.
• A seal assembly is run on a drillpipe tool to complete the casing-hanger and seal-
installation process.
• Each additional intermediate casing string and mandrel hanger is run and landed on
top of the previously installed casing hanger without removing the BOP stack.
• Besides saving valuable rig time, the other advantage of the unitized wellhead system
over spool wellhead systems is complete BOP control throughout the entire drilling
process.
TIME-SAVING WELLHEAD

• These types of wellhead is used when rig daily rate is high and
there is a massive need to decrease the rig cost by decreasing
the time necessary to install the wellhead
• Decreasing the time of testing the BOP.
SH2 SPLIT SPEEDHEAD SYSTEM
• No need to un-screw the BOP.
• Reduces waste time in testing BOP.
• Maximum pressure 15,000psi.

Pack-off
SH3 SPEEDHEAD SYSTEM
• Improved safety
– Eliminates one flange
– Eliminates all lock down screws
• Time savings
– Reduced BOP/diverter handling
– Replaces lock down screws with lock rings
• Flexible system
– Emergency equipment
– Alternate casing programs
– Adapts to conventional equipment for extended
casing programs.
• Maximum pressure 15,000psi.
LSH LAND SPEEDHEAD SYSTEM

• The LSH System is designed for use as a 2-stage

starting head, combining the casing head and
casing spool into a single housing.
• The BOP stack is made up to the starting head
before drilling commences and is not removed
until two strings of casing have been run.
• Maximum pressure 5,000psi
MULTI-WELL COMPLETION
MWC SYSTEM

• Completion of different wells from the same

conductor pipe.
• We can use SH-2, SH-3, LSH in this type
completion.
• It is more common in offshore application.
 OSH (OFFSHORE SPEED WELLHEAD(

• It has a 2-stage starting head,

combining the casing head and
casing spool into a single housing.
• The diverter or BOP stack is made
up to the starting head before
drilling commences and is not
removed until two strings of casing
have been run.
• This technique impacts both rig costs and safety. By landing two casing strings in one
compact forged housing, the OSH system eliminates one complete BOP nipple-
down/nipple-up thereby saving significant rig time. By reducing handling of wellhead and
BOP equipment and minimizing potential wellhead leakpaths,
• the OSH system substantially improves safety. When combined with the SH2 Split Speed
Wellhead System, this package can save from 24 to 40 hours of valuable rig time.
FEATURES
1- Improved safety ,
• Field proven,
– Weld-less attachment option to drive pipe
– Run annular seals through BOP.
– External seal testing/monitoring capability

2- Time saving
– Reduces BOP/diverter handling
– Eliminates wait-on-cement time
– Uses simple emergency procedure
– Installs tubing spool with casing spool
3- Flexible system
– Allows alternate casing programs
– Has pressure ratings up to 15,000 psi
– Accepts standard tubing hangers with continuous control lines
– Accepts standard casing hangers in the upper bowl and will connect to a conventional
tubing head spool for extended casing program
– Accepts conventional casing spool/tubingSpool
Introduction to API 6A (ISO 10423):
Specification for Wellhead
and Christmas Tree Equipment
Overview
• API Specification 6A (ISO 10423) is the
recognized industry standard for Wellhead
and Christmas Tree Equipment that was
formulated to provide for the availability of
safe, dimensionally and functionally
interchangeable Wellhead and Christmas Tree
Equipment. This specification includes
detailed requirements for the manufacture of
tubular suspension equipment, valves and
fittings used at the location of oil and gas
wells to contain and control pressure and fluid
flows. Specification 6A also serves as the
reference source for the design of flanged end
and outlet connections for use at 2000 to
30,000 psi maximum rated working pressures
and a family of gate valves for use over these
same pressure ranges. API Specification 6A is
also specified as the base standard for
manufacture of subsea equipment in
accordance with API Specification.
 Equipment
• API Specification 6A covers Wellhead and
Christmas Tree Equipment as follows:
 Surface & Underwater
Safety Valves

Background:
• Products covered by API 6A include Surface
Safety Valves (SSV) and Underwater Safety
Valves (USV). An SSV or USV is defined as a
power-actuated wellhead valve which will
automatically close upon cutoff of the
actuator’s power supply. API Recommended
Practice (RP) 14C covers the use of an SSV or
USV, typically as the second master valve in
a Christmas tree. An SSV is intended for use
on offshore platforms, while a USV is used
subsea. Originally, API 14D covered SSV and
USV requirements, but in 1995 API 14D was
withdrawn, and an SSV/USV section was
added to API 6A. While actuated valves and
valve actuators for general use are also
covered in API 6A, unique additional
requirements apply to SSVs and USVs.
 Surface & Underwater
Safety Valves (Cont’d)

PSL, PR, and Service Class:

The minimum Product Specification Level for
an SSV or USV is PSL 2. All SSV and USV designs
are required to meet a Performance
Requirement of PR 2. A unique performance
verification test procedure is required for an
SSV/USV design, and this is covered in API
6AV1 and Annex I of API 6A. This verification
can be for either of two Service Classes:
• PR2 Class I (“Standard Service”): Verification
testing of 500 cycles with water is required.
• PR2 Class II (“Sandy Service”): Verification
testing of 500 cycles with a sand slurry is
required.
The Service Class I or II must be specified when
ordering an SSV or USV.
 Surface & Underwater
Safety Valves (Cont’d)

Special Design Requirements:

Requirements for SSV and USV design apart

from those for general-use actuated valves
include:
• Threaded end connections are not permitted.
• Actuators may be hydraulic or pneumatic
only.
• The valve must be of normally-closed
automatic design.
• No lock-open devices are permitted on an
SSV actuator except for heat-sensitive designs
which will automatically allow the valve to
close in proximity to a fire.
Product Specification Levels (PSLs)
API Specification 6A (ISO 10423) provides definition of standard service
conditions and introduces the concept of product specification levels
(PSLs) which will be referred to throughout the document. The PSLs
define different levels of documentation, or levels of technical
requirements which may be specified for a product. Generally, these
levels represent industry practice for various service conditions. The
decision tree shown below is designed to assist the purchaser in
selecting the proper specification levels (PSLs) for primary parts of
Wellhead and Christmas Tree Equipment.
 Pressure Rating (PR)

• Wellhead equipment that meets

API Specification 6A (equivalent to
ISO 10423) is available in standard
pressure increments:

– 13.8 MPa (2000 psi)

– 20.7 MPa (3000 psi)
– 34.5 MPa (5000 psi)
– 69.0 MPa (10,000 psi)
– 103.5 MPa (15,000 psi)
– 138.0 MPa (20,000 psi)
– 207 MPa (30,000 psi)
Temperature Classes
Eight Temperature Classes, each of
which represent a range of temperatures
from the minimum ambient air
temperature to the maximum
temperature of the well fluid passing
through or contained by the equipment.
Design Verification Testing
Performance verification testing is often
performed on prototypes or production
models of API Specification 6A (ISO 10423)
equipment to validate that the
performance requirements (PRs) specified
for pressure, temperature, load,
mechanical cycles, and standard test fluids
are met in the design of the product.
Performance Verification Testing may
include:
• Pressure/Temperature Cycles
• Load/Mechanical Cycles
• Nonmetallic Seal Thermochemical
Testing
Scalable Performance Verification levels
(i.e. PR1, PR2) are applicable to many API
6A products. Although Annex F Testing is
not a requirement in API 6A
 Material Classes
• There are seven Material Classes which specify
minimum material requirements for general or sour
service shown below. API 6A (ISO 10423) equipment
must be designed, tested and marked as satisfactory
for one of these Material Classes.

Minimum Material Requirements

 NACE MR0175 (ISO 15156)
• API 6A and other product specifications require that metals
used for critical parts of equipment in sour service be in
compliance with NACE MR0175. Sour service is defined as any
case where the absolute partial pressure of hydrogen sulfide
(H2S) exceeds 0.05 psi (0,0003 Mpa). As an example, if the
total shut-in pressure is 2000 psi (13,8 Mpa), a concentration
of 25 parts per million (ppm) is equivalent to 0.05 psi partial
pressure, so NACE MR0175 would apply.
• NACE MR0175 lists acceptable materials, including any
restrictions on mechanical properties, heat treat procedures,
and method of manufacture. As an example, carbon and low-
alloy steels must have a hardness of no more than 22 HRC,
and if an acceptable steel is welded in an exposed area, it
must be stress-relieved at a temperature of at least 1100° F
(593° C).
• MR0175 is revised yearly. While many additions have been
made since it was first published in 1975. The environmental
restrictions have been placed on many acceptable materials
which previously had no or little restriction as to use. As a
result, most stainless steels and corrosion resistant alloys
(CRAs) are not approved for use across the board, but are
approved for use only within certain limits of well fluid
chemistry and temperature.
Examples of Material Usage Limits
per NACE MR0175, 2003 Revision
(Assuming 5000 psi Total Pressure
and No Elemental Sulfur)
• There are sound reasons for the changes to NACE MR0175. Previous editions
did not address the effects of environmental factors other than H2S on the
resistance of materials to sulfide stress cracking. While the major oil and gas
companies, drilling companies, and equipment manufacturers were aware
of the limitations of the materials they used, the standard did not provide
enough guidance for companies with less experience or metallurgical
expertise.

• In a few cases, materials that have been approved in MR0175 and widely
used for certain components are no longer permitted by the standard. An
example is the use of 17-4 PH® stainless steel for tubing hangers. In other
cases, the new restrictions may dictate a change in materials from past
usage. For instance, tubing hangers or valve stems made from 410 or F6NM
stainless steel are approved for use only if the partial pressure of H2S is no
higher than 1.5 psi. As a result of such limitations, it may not be possible to
certify that a product complies with NACE MR0175, without knowing
specific fluid conditions.
• Another change to the standard is the expansion of scope to cover stress
corrosion cracking (SCC) as well as sulfide stress cracking (SSC). As a result,
AISI 316 and other austenitic stainless steels are limited as to service
temperature and chloride content as well as H2S.
• Recognizing the impact of the new environmental limits in NACE MR0175,
the standard now allows purchasers to qualify materials for use outside
those limits, or to use materials not listed. This can be done by using “like-
for-like” materials in an existing field or by documenting successful service
history in a comparable application. Purchasers can also perform material
qualification testing, as detailed in MR0175, and avoid the lengthy balloting
and approval process. API 6A recognizes materials specified and qualified
under this provision of MR0175 as material Class ZZ.
• There are many additional factors that can dramatically influence the
selection of proper materials in addition to those included in NACE. Factors
such as temperature are important considerations during completion and
throughout the service life of the well.
 Welding
• Quality control requirements for welding generally
increase as the PSL level increases from 1 through 3
with each level building on the level below it. No
welding is permitted on PSL-4 equipment except for
corrosion resistant alloy overlays. The following table
applies to pressure containing fabrication and repair
weldments for bodies, bonnets, and end and outlet
connections:
 Quality Control
• Specification 6A (ISO 10423) describes pertinent
information on inspections, tests, examinations, and
required documentation. Since the selection of Product
Specification Level (PSL) is ultimately a purchaser’s
decision, quality control information is provided to make it
easy for users to select the PSL level consistent with their
risk management needs.

Quality Control Requirements for Equipment

 Quality Control (Cont’d)
• Quality Control Requirements for Bodies, Bonnets, and End and Outlet
Connections.

Note:
• API 6A allows for the use of cast bodies, bonnets, and end and outlet
connections for PSL 1-4.
• ISO 10423 does not allow castings for PSL-3 or PSL-4, only forgings are
permitted.
Definitions:
• End and Outlet Connections - Integral threads, male or female; flanges,
studded or through-bolted; or any other means used to join together
equipment that contains or controls pressure.
• Body - Any portion of API Spec 6A equipment between end connections, with
or without internal parts, which contains well-bore pressure.
• Bonnet - A pressure-containing closure for a body, other than an API end or
outlet connection.
 Markings
• Section 8 of Specification 6A and the chart below describe
marking instructions for equipment. The marking requirements
include the following:

Note:
• For API monogrammed equipment, the API monogram is also marked
along with the license number of the API approved manufacturing
facility.

Example:
• A product marked FF-1,5 indicates material class FF and a 1.5 PSIA
maximum allowable H S partial pressure.
Wellhead Equipment
Christmas Tree Equipment
Wellhead API Trim Guide
 How to Order
General Wellhead Equipment
Data Sheet
Thank You