1INGLÉS TÉCNICO II

1 BOP shear ram built to meet BSEE’s new wireline-cutting requirement in 2019-
2 15,000-psi model already in use in GOM; new 20,000-psi version now in development
3 and expected to launch later this year

5 A recently implemented US requirement for subsea BOP shear rams from the
6Well Control Rule of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has
7added wireline cutting to the list of critical wellbore sealing capabilities. This is a
8significant departure from historical pipe-shearing capabilities. Cutting wireline, in
9addition to a variety of tubulars, required an extensive testing and design program to
10develop the technology. The Wireline Blind Shear Ram (WBSR) was designed with
11no-bolt shear blades. It can cut wireline and shear tubulars even without tension. It
12meets BSEE requirements, as well as API 16A qualification standards. It is also the
13industry’s first shear ram that meets National Association of Corrosion Engineers
14(NACE) corrosion standards through the pressure load path. The ram has sheared, cut
15and sealed complex sub-assemblies with combinations of pipe, wireline, coiled tubing
16and control lines in an on-bottom condition. The 18 ¾-in., 15,000-psi model is being
17used in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the United Kingdom and Latin America.

18Shearing Versus Cutting

19 The process of shearing pipe versus cutting wire is markedly different.

20Shearing pipe can be likened to blunt force crushing, then fracturing of pipe, while
21cutting a wireline requires making a clean cut with sharp blades and maintaining
22precise blade gap control. Doing both reliably requires a carefully designed balance of
23features. The WBSR uses no-bolt shear blades with fewer replaceable components and
24incorporates replaceable wear pads to increase ram block service life in harsh
25environments. To consistently shear wires and cables, the design uses gap control
26arms to ensure a minimum gap is maintained while still being robust enough to
27withstand shearing a heavy wall tubular. The arms also position the tubular within the
28shear-blade cutting plane. Where offshore servicing and inspection is possible, the low
29alloy steel wear pads located on the gap control arms can be easily checked and
30changed. The ram is a drop-in upgrade to a 18 ¾-in. 15,000-psi compact ram BOP and
31can be installed during routine offshore operations. It builds on ram BOP model lines
32for all surface and subsea applications, including blind, blind shear, casing, casing
33shear, fixed bore, tubing and wireline shear. The ability to operate effectively, whether
34wellbore materials are in tension, enhances cutting performance in difficult
35operations, such as lost-in-hole scenarios.

36Shear Design

37 The design process for the WBSR started in 2014 as a multidisciplinary effort,
38beginning with a review of existing shearing methodologies. The study focused on
39shearing tubulars and adapting those blade geometries to the task of cutting wireline.
40Factors considered include material selection, heat treat and welding processes,
41elastomer and seal technologies, and geometry and cutting advancements. It also
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42relied on an extensive BHGE archive of shear data, as well as field history reports on
43existing designs.

44 To optimize wellbore pressure sealing, the non-metallic seal design team

45conducted studies to guide the production of the elastomer seals and reduce the
46number of seal prototypes to be validated. The studies included hyper-elastic, non-
47linear modeling to accelerate the seal development program and compare the
48prototype WBSR seal designs with existing validated models. The known elastomeric
49models were used to develop the baseline seal characteristics related to rubber flow,
50contact loads and geometry. Developing the new ram required precisely balancing
51metallurgy and design. Considerations included a range of softer and harder metallic
52and non-metallic materials and its alignment with blade geometry, such as angle,
53width and height. The material selected for the ram block balances the metallurgical
54process with the block geometry to prevent structural material challenges, while
55maintaining NACE physical property characteristics. In addition, attention was given
56to reducing high-stress areas to improve the fatigue life characteristic of the ram
57blocks. Finite element analysis was used to optimize blade geometry and prevent
58high stress areas. The WBSR is coupled with BHGE’s multi-position locking
59mechanism for safety and risk mitigation. The mechanism’s clutch design holds the
60shear ram closed even if hydraulic pressure is lost, preventing blade retraction so the
61wellbore seal is maintained.

62 To date, more than 100 shear tests have been performed at BHGE facilities on
63wireline, slick line, drill pipe and casing up to 10 ¾-in. P110 85.3 lb/ft. Tests involved
64combinations of shear blade design and ram prototypes and have been performed in
65various configurations of slack wireline, on-bottom shear subs, combination shear
66assemblies, off center and side load shearing. Tests were conducted with customer
67and third-party witnesses who participated in multiple shearing and sealing events.
68Successful shearing and sealing was defined as zero fluid leakage at full pressure
69following prescribed cycles or shearing events.