9

OTC 7120

Contingency PLanning for Offshore Blowouts

N,J. Adams and L.G. Kuhlman, Neal Adams Firefighters Inc.

Copyright 1993, Offshore Technology Conference

This peper was presented st the 25th Annual OTC In Houston, Texas, U. S.A.,3-6 May 1993.

This peper wee selected for presentation by the OTC Program Committee following review of information contained in an ebetract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the pspar,
se presented, have not been reviewed by the Offshore Technology Conference and are subject to aorrectlon by the author(s). The mat9rialt as praaented, does not n~essarilY reffact
any position of the Offshore Technology Conference or its officers. Permission to copy is restricted to an abstract of not more than 3@lwords. Illustrations may not be copied. The abstract
should centeln censplcuous acknowledgment of where end by whom the paper Is presented.

ABSTRACT OVERVIEW OF THE BLOWOUT CONTIN-

GENCY PLAN
This paper describes requirements for blowout
contingency planning with emphasis on plan- The blowout contingency plan should be part of
ning for offshore blowouts. The contents are an overall emergency plan. It is a guide giving
also generally applicable to onshore blowouts. directions and procedures required for handling
The paper is influenced by the authors’ experi- any type of emergency, regardless of the na-
ences as blowout specialists. ture. The emergency plan could be used in
conjunction with blowout plans, hurricane or
Topics to be included in the contingency plan typhoon contingency planning, fire control
are discussed. These include management operations or other similar disaster situations.
structure, Stage 1 - disaster early response,
Stage 2- disaster containment, Stage 3- dis- A blowout contingency plan should contain
aster control, blowout equipment requirements, directives for handling most aspects of blowout
specialist personnel, and kill technique selec- management, personnel assignments and
tion. responsibilities, and specialists for specific
assignments, It may contain specialized equip-
Computerized blowout contingency planning ment requirements and include equipment
will be discussed briefly Comments will ad- stockpiling in some areas.
dress accessing a blowout database for case
histories similar to the current event and access- Blowout contingency plans are dependent on
ing a blowout equipment and services database. the operator’s personnel and management
structures. Since these differ among compa-
The paper has applications for operators (1) nies, it is not common to find identical plans for
required to present contingency plans to regu/a- several companies. It should be customized to
tory agencies or (2) desiring to introduce or utilize specific personnel and management but
enhance this technical capability within their also must be designed to handle the most likely
company disasters and the surrounding conditions.

References and illustrations at end of paper,

365
2 CONTINGENCY PLANNING FOR OFFSHORE BLOWOUTS OTC 7120

The contingency planning described herein The time period for initiating containment opera-
should be used as a guide. Each company must tions is short. The blowout will often do most
weigh alternatives and make selections to form damage within 1-2 hours. Operations must be
their unique contingency plan. Consultation assessed and implemented within this time
with blowout specialists during contingency frame to mitigate substantial damage. This
plan development is recommended. phase is influenced by the type and severity of
blowout so on-site decisions must be made.
This discussion identifies topics found in con- Pre-planning and drills can assist the operator.
tingency plans including the following: The responsibility for this phase rests on the
operator because third party blowout special-
a) Management structure ists will normally not be on-site at this time.
b) Stage 1 - Disaster Early Response
c) Stage 2- Disaster Containment Blowout control (Stage 3) is usually implement-
d) Stage 3- Disaster Control ed with the assistance of specialists, An on-
e) Blowout data and information requirements site inspection is usually required before plan-
f) Blowout control equipment ning can be completed. The specialist will
g) Specialist third party personnel require some information about the well before
h) Kill technique selection making recommendations.

The format for the contingency plan will vary
among operators. Also, it may be prepared as a
written document and/or computerized,
Relief well contingency planning is a sub-set of
blowout control contingency planning (Stage 3).
Relief well plans can be large and are often
prepared as a separate document. Most infor-
mation is available on a preliminary basis to
prepare the relief well plan. Capping operations
can not be pre-planned to the same level of
detail as relief wells since capping is dependent
on blowout conditions and the resulting dam-
age, Relief well contingency planning will be
described briefly.
Blowout management can be separated into
several stages, A possible division is as follows:
A training program for company personnel
should be defined and presented in the contin-
gency plan. The training may be restricted to
developing an understanding of the contingency
plan or it can be extended to cover advanced
well control topics designed to develop a
knowledgeable group of internal company
specialists. Drills are recommended. A periodic
review of job functions will refresh personnel
with their roles and task requirements,
Some companies organize their management so
a team of in-house well control specialists can
take an active part in operations. In some
cases, this includes capping specialists and
relief well engineers. An advanced well control
school designed for these personnel is appro-
priate.

a) Stage 1 - Early response MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE

b) Stage 2- Blowout containment
c) Stage 3- Blowout control Company management. The company manage-
ment structure defines the organizational chain
The early response phase (Stage 1 ) should be of command for the operator in charge of the
predetermined operations implemented without well. Groups reporting to the operations
significant influence by characteristics of the manager may include the following:
blowout. These operations are executed by the
operator without assistance of specialist a) Capping operations
companies. b) Relief well operations
c) Operations support/contractor personnel
Blowout containment (Stage 2) can be de- d) News media interface
scribed as operations designed to mitigate or e) Regulatory interface
minimize possible damage from the blowout. f) Logistics

366
OTC 7120 N.J. ADAMS AND L.G. KUHLMAN 3

g) Insurance adjusters personnel become more knowledgeable on

h) Pollution control blowout control and disaster management.

Figure 1 shows the relationship. Several organi- Command center. A command center is the
zational structures will usually be required to focus point for operations on the well, third
handle various tasks. Sub-levels of manage- party relations and contact with parties outside
ment structures should be identified. immediate involvement with the well. The
command center should be located slightly
Each position must be identified in terms of its away from the well site so it will not be affect-
responsibility, personnel filling the position and ed by the well’s noise or heat and traffic to the
back-up (relief) personnel. well. The center should be located within a
reasonable distance to the well so operations
The operations manager is a key position. personnel can easily commute to the well as
Several philosophies exist as to the type of necessary.
individual assigned to this post.
The facility could contain the following:
a) The operations manager should be from
outside the district. The existing district a) Telecommunications including telephone,
manager can continue his normal duties. radios, fax and telex links. Multiple tele-
The (blowout) operations manager can phone lines should be available.
perform his duties without the burden of b) Meeting rooms including a conference room.
blame and fault judgment that occasionally c) A computer system with all appropriate
accompanies disasters. software for management, word processing,
contingency planning, relief well drilling and
b) The operations manager should be from well killing.
within the district. He is knowledgeable of d) Resting/sleeping accommodations for 2-4
previous conditions, current operations persons.
structure, and suppliers. e) Audio-visual equipment including TV, VCR,
overhead vu-graph projector, video recorder,
c) A company specialist trained for this camera, and marking boards.
situation. f) Multiple copies of the site plan, local maps,
telephone lists, blowout contingency plan
A good option is an operations manager current- and well records.
Iy assigned outside the district but who formerly g) Reference material such as applicable
served in a top role within the district. government regulations, emergency equip-
ment lists, photographs and videos of the
Most operations managers for blowout control site before the blowout, etc.
are from drilling or production groups. Few h) Rig layout drawings for offshore installa-
have pollution control experience. Due to tions, emergency equipment layouts, fire-
demanding requirements associated with a fighting equipment layout, power generation
polluting event, it is recommended to provide system information, tank configuration and
basic pollution control training to these manag- operating manual for semisubmersibles,
ers. jacking system and operating manual infor-
mation for jackups, and details of major
Contractor interface. A recommended contrac- systems and structures for platforms.
tor-operator structure is shown in Figure 1.
Other options for relating to blowout specialists Drills (exercises). Regular drills should be
are shown in Figures 2 and 3. Some blowout conducted to maintain operational readiness of
specialists historically have taken charge of all personnel. The drills should be scheduled so
operations and given few options to the opera- crews can plan and organize their actions
tor. This structure is changing as operating before the event. Also, unannounced drills are
necessary to improve sudden action responses.

367
4 CONTINGENCY PLANNING FOR OFFSHORE BLOWOUTS OTC 7120

Field and office drills should be conducted,
It is beneficial to plan the exercises in conjunc-
tion with a blowout specialist, He can offer real
situations from his experiences and prompt
company personnel on recommended actions.
Drills simulating actual conditions are valuable.
recognized by crew members. This information
on hydrogen sulfide ignition should be defined in
the contingency plan.
Notification of the blowout to certain parties
should begin as soon as possible. This can
include the following:

STAGE 1- DISASTER EARLY RESPONSE a) Onshore personnel

Company management
Early response involves a set of pre-planned Evacuation support services
operations that are almost independent of Local fire brigade
blowout characteristics. Some operations b) Regulatory authorities
include the following: c) Coast Guard personnel
d) Local law enforcement agency
a) Issue an SOS.
b) Implement an ESD (emergency shut down) The list is defined by the well’s location, type of
if on an offshore rig or shut-down all en- well and company structure,
gines on a land rig,
c) Evacuate rig personnel. Maintenance of the communications section of
d) Evacuate the surrounding area if on land, the blowout contingency plan requires signifi-
e) Consider igniting an HZS well, cant effort. Personnel in key positions will
f) Initiate the notification process, change on a relatively frequent basis. Also,
g) Take appropriate blowout control actions: phone, fax and telex numbers will change. This
shut-in the BOPS, etc. task is well suited for computerization where a
single change can be accessed by all concerned
The operations manager designated for disaster parties immediately.
control should be notified immediately. This
initiates Stage 1, He will promptly contact STAGE 2- BLOWOUT CONTAINMENT
specified members who react according to
previously designated assignments. Some Blowout containment is an effort to mitigate
actions will be independent of the blowout damage from the blowout, Typical containment
situation while others are situation-dependent. results might include some of the following:

Ordering an offshore rig evacuation is a serious a) Preventing blowout ignition

event. Fatalities have occurred during evacua- b) Confinement to one section of the platform
tion where none were recorded by the actual or rig
blowout, The evacuation decision can be based c) Channeling or pooling oil spills
cm a pre-established set of events that would d) Safe removal of rig equipment
trigger the decision. The on-site decision is
often complicated by noise, confusion and A list of operations designed to contain damage
stress. Realistic drills are valuable aids to these is extensive and depends on well and rig condi-
decision makers. tions. Typical operations may include some,
but not all, of the following, Sequence of
An HZS well must be ignited if concentrations operations must be specified for each blowout
are lethal’. Flares are usually used. Ignition can scenario,
not be done until personnel are evacuated.
Assigned crew members should practice with a) Spray water if the well has not ignited.
the flare guns occasionally, Flares should be b) Shut-down all power sources.
replaced on a periodic basis. Well ignition can c) Shear the pipe and shut-in the well,
be difficult in some situations. This should be

368

—
OTC 7120 N.J. ADAMS AND L.G. KUHLMAN 5

d) Inject water into the wellhead to reduce Blowout control services can be classified as
erosion on the BOP or lines, follows:
e) Flare to an overboard line.
f) Deploy booms and skimmers for offshore a) Direct services related to capping hands-on
events or build containment dikes and estab- work or relief well planning and supervision.
Iish flow channels for oil to avoid location b) Support services for the direct operations
flooding on land sites. including pumping, equipment fabrication,
g) Implement active bridging techniques. well drilling, engineering, pollution control,
h) Position a tool joint immediately above the transport/logistics, etc.
rig floor. c) Associated services are necessary but not
i) Close and lock pipe rams to prevent pipe linked to direct services. These can include
from being blown out of the well. news media interfacing, working with regu-
j) Drive off the location if the well is blowing Iatory authorities, preparing insurance
out through the riser on a floater. claims, etc.
k) Ignite an oil spill if possible or practical. d) Required support services are dependent on
kill technique selection. The kill techniques
Blowout specialists have the experience neces- are discussed in a later section.
sary to advise operators on detailed plans for
damage mitigation, General information about BLOWOUT DATA AND INFORMATION RE-
the operator’s production structures should be QUIREMENTS
provided to the blowout specialist. A review of
similar events from a blowout database is bene- The contingency plan should identify required
ficial to provide insight into anticipated circum- data and information for blowout specialists to
stances, select and implement the kill techniques. A
sample list as included here, has been devel-
STAGE 3- BLOWOUT CONTROL oped from the authors’ blowout control experi-
ences. Some situations will require other data.
Blowout control efforts may require a few hours
to many months, The options are usually sepa- a) Well name/number/identification, drilling
rated into surface and sub-surface operations contractor and rig name.
commonly called capping and relief well drilling. b) Well location (onshore/offshore), directions
and arrangements to travel to the well
The starting point to develop a contingency plan c) Maps of the area, data on distances to
for blowout control is a definition of worst case available transport centers (airports, supply
scenarios that might reasonably be encoun- bases, boat docks, etc.)
tered. These might be defined as follows: d) Type of blowout - shallow gas, hydrocar-
bons (moderate to deep), geothermal, etc.
a) High control difficulty to include a multiwell e) Well type - exploration, producing, work-
platform fire or a shallow gas blowout with over, etc.
possible rig or platform fire. f) Probable cause(s) of the blowout
b) High environmental impact such as an oil g) Status at the time of the blowout:
production platform blowing out and collaps- - Date and time of the blowout
ing below the water line or a subsea oil well - Total depth
blowout. - Hole configuration
Bit location
A blowout database is beneficial to assist in - Casing/liner sizes and setting depths
developing worst case scenarios that will coin- - Drill string, bottomhole assembly, tub-
cide with the type of production the operator ing, and other downhole equipment
currently has offshore. sizes and configuration
Mud type/weight/properties

369
6 CONTINGENCY PLANNING FOR OFFSHORE BLOWOUTS OTC 7120

- Operation in progress (activities, timing, The required equipment is dependent primarily

pressures, etc. ) on the selected kill technique. As an example,
- Type, description, rating, and drawings capping jobs often require the following:
(if available) for riglsnubbing
unit/workover unit, BOP, wellhead Athey wagon
equipment, pumps, and other surface Firewater pumps
equipment Piping and monitors
- Water depth Casing cutters
h) Status at the time blowout specialists are Capping heads or BOP stacks
called: Stingers
On fire or only blowing?
Approximate flow rate (if known) Relief wells use the following:
Fluid type - oil, water, natural gas, HZS,
C02, etc. Magnetic range and distance logging
- Fire/blowing stream description and tools (proximity logs)
configuration Kill spools
Cratered? . Specialized kill hydraulics software
Single point? Kill pumps
. Vertical flow/flame? Height?
Horizontal flow/flame? Length/ These partial lists should be expanded in the
direction? plan,
Smoke color
Description of probable leak loca- Vendors for the equipment should be re-
tions searched and specified. Some service compa-
- Ground fires (land well) nies have a special division for blowout support
Pollution situation to their clients. Identification of qualified serv-
Wellhead/BOP/xmas tree damage ice personnel is a key element of successful
Description and configuration of equip- applications for sophisticated requirements such
ment or structures around the blowing as magnetic ranging, relief well planning, kill
well hydraulics and special designs for capping
Firefighting boats or other intervention equipment, Operators should spend time re-
equipment in the area searching this issue and include notes in the
Weather conditions - current and fore- contingency plan to identify preferred service
cast personnel,
i) Operator/drilling contractor/service person-
nel - names, assignments, authority, etc. Well control equipment is not generally stock-
under any blowout contingency plan in piled at numerous locations worldwide, Current
place air freight capabilities allow most equipment to
j) Pertinent reservoir/geological data be delivered worldwide in approximately 24
k) Well records - daily driiling/production re- hours from the time the client places a call to
ports, logs, surveys, etc. the specialist.

BLOWOUT CONTROL EQUIPMENT Operators stockpiling equipment at various sites

The blowout contingency plan should include
general equipment specifications for blowout
control, Since much of the equipment is unique
to blowout control, this part of the contingency
plan aids the management team in making
informed decisions and allows them to work
more effectively with the blowout specialists.
worldwide should consider routine maintenance
and testing, This has proven to be an additional
task (burden) beyond initial equipment purchase
and delivery. Non-functional equipment at the
blowout site has no value.

370
OTC 7120 N.J. ADAMS AND L.G. KUHLMAN 7

SPECIALISTS drilling is substantially more complicated than

routine directional drilling, The specialists in
A list of approved specialists should be given in this area should be experienced, have a working
the blowout contingency plan. It should contain knowledge of ranging tool theory, understand
telephone, telex, and fax numbers. Preferred kill dynamics, and have access to specialized kill
contact personnel should be included. software. The optimum approach is to have the
relief well supervised by the same group that
Various specialists will be required to handle a planned the relief well.
blowout job. A few or many may be required
depending on the blowout. Some are as fol- Blowout engineering and technology. Some
lows: jobs require unique solutions not previously
implemented. Examples include subsea snub-
s) Firefighting and capping bing and operations of a semisubmersible rig
b) Relief well planning, drilling and supervision over a live blowout. Few specialists provide
c) Blowout engineering and technology devel- these services. Their capabilities should be
opment explored and identified in the contingency plan,
d) Pollution control A good situation occurs if the developers can
e) Insurance adjusters also supervise the operations.
f) Media interface
g) Regulatory authorities interface Pollution control. Control of spilled oil requires
a separate contingency plan. Pollution special-
A description of each is given below. ists should be identified.

Each commercial blowout company offers a Subsea blowout pollution control requires
range of services, Some are extensive while unique and novel solutions. This approach is
others are more concentrated. As an example, particularly applicable in a rough sea environ-
several companies offer well capping and fire- ment where surface containment is difficult.
fighting services exclusively while others may
offer capping, firefighting, relief well operations Insurance adjusters. Most operating companies
and blowout engineering services within the maintain insurance coverage for blowouts. The
same company. It is wise to visit with each insurance underwriters contract services of
company and become familiar with their servic- third-party adjusters to settle claims on a
es. blowout event. Some adjusting companies will
provide an on-site representative to monitor
Contract terms should be discussed with the operations during control efforts.
specialists prior to a blowout. Fees and terms
of work should be defined. The operator is at a Effective interfacing with the adjusters usually
disadvantage for fee and contract negotiations expedites claims payment. The adjusters are
if required to call a specialist after the blowout ultimately responsible to the underwriters to
has occurred, provide an accurate claims assessment. An
“open door” policy between the operator and
Firefighting and capping specialists. Firefighting adjuster usually assists in a quicker settlement.
and capping specialists provide surface kill
capability. They usually can provide equipment News media interface. Although it may seem
and experienced personnel on a call-out basis. initially counterproductive, it is important to
The equipment stocked by most blowout spe- provide immediate and direct contact with news
cialists is designed primarily for land wells with media representatives. The news staff have a
some offshore applications. perceived obligation to report new events to the
public. Some situations have occurred where
Relief well planning, drilling and supervision. the reported events were not completely correct
Contrary to some industry opinions, relief well with the actual facts. Experiences have shown

371
8 CONTINGENCY PIANNING
that formal news releases with factual content
is the best approach to containing adverse
publicity.
The news media contact needs several qualifi-
cations, He should be knowledgeable of news
media requirements, technically competent and
an articulate speaker. It is recommended to
provide a written statement daily,
Regulatory authorities interface. The operator
should provide a contact person to interface
with governing groups. Regulatory groups are
required by law to monitor blowouts. The level
of monitoring varies with each agency, Most
groups have some degree of legal power to
interact with the operator, Some have the
ultimate power to shut down operations if they
believe prudent actions are not being carried
out.
KILL TECHNIQUE SELECTION
The blowout contingency plan should contain
guidelines on blowout control as part of Stage
3. These guidelines will be used by the opera-
tions manager (and team) to direct control
procedures. Many operators are beginning to
exercise more control over the field operations
and relying to a lesser degree upon blowout
specialists. Guidelines are necessary because
most operations managers will not have signifi-
cant levels of blowout experience.
Some operators prepare comprehensive contin-
gency plans for several kill techniques as sup-
porting documents to the plan. These include
shallow gas handling, relief well drilling and, to
a lesser degree, well capping. These plans can
be general in nature or customized for a specific
platform or field, If the operator elects to
prepare a general relief well plan, as an exam-
ple, it is recommended to include a detailed
case example of actions and calculations for a
sample blowout. This provides additional
guidance for the management team.
The initial step is kill technique selection, This
is a crucial step that sets the future course of
operations. The decision must be made quickly
in some cases without undue influence from
situation stress, panic, or public pressure,
372
FOR OFFSHORE BLOWOUTS OTC 7120
It is obvious that a blowout should be controlled
with the optimum approach. However, history
of blowout control efforts shows optimum
approaches are not always used. In some
cases, inappropriate techniques have been used
resulting in loss of the well or platform, or cost
huge sums of money without yielding success,
Some operators are now taking control of the
decision making process away from firefighters
and blowout specialists.
Factors constituting an “optimum approach” for
kill technique selection include the following:
a) Probability that the technique will work
under the blowout conditions
b) Time, cost and logistical requirements for
the technique
c) Terminal nature of the technique
d) Safety of personnel
e) Comparison to other techniques
These factors warrant discussions.
Success probability. An important question
relates to the probability that the proposed
technique will be successful under reasonable
conditions. It is important that a strong differ-
entiation be made between “probability of
success under reasonable conditions” versus
“technical possibility”.
Kill options should be evaluated technically, A
“hunch” or a “feel” should not suffiCe to inVeSt
time and money into a kill effort. Usually, the
“gut instinct” must be combined with a techni-
cal approach. Statistical analysis and/or the use
of a blowout database can assist in making an
‘educated’ decision.
One suggestion involves using the “decision
tree” approach to determine the best kill option.
(Figure 4) This could result in a kill procedure
that takes into account most variables, Ad-
vance pre-planning is necessary for this ap-
proach, Unanticipated conditions and circum-
stances at the site must be considered in the
decision tree process.
Time, cost and logistical requirements. For
each possible kill technique, an evaluation must
OTC 7120 N.J. ADAMS AND L.G. KUHLMAN
be made for time to complete the kill, cost and
logistical requirements. The time aspect relates
to the point at which the well is safely killed or
controlled.
Logistical requirements can be extensive in
some situations. Remote locations can pose
transportation problems. Movement of explo-
sives can cause significant “red-tape”,
If only one kill option exists for a blowout, the
time and cost evaluation has little significance.
Cost is an important topic that should be dis-
cussed. The typical approach to cost consider-
ations for most drilling wells is to get “best
value for the money”. In dealing with most
aspects of blowout control, the recommended
approach is to prioritize the best service avail-
able and then compare costs if the services are
nearly equal. Real savings do not mean accept-
ing the lowest bidder, but rather using the best
service available that can safely do the required
task effectively and efficiently.
Terminal nature of the technique. A proposed
kill approach must be evaluated to determine if
it could eliminate other options if unsuccessful
(i.e., if it does not work, it terminates other
options).
Safety of personnel. Without understating the
issue, personnel safety must always be the high
priority concern. During the final stages of an
intense kill operation, it is easy to become
“tunnel-visioned” on the well control objectives
and lose sight of personnel safety matters, The
well control specialist must always maintain the
safety issue in the forefront of his operations.
Firefighters and blowout specialists are often
involved in operations containing risks. They
are supposed to know how to handle these
risks. Other personnel involved with the killing
operations often want to provide assistance,
sometimes in a very eager manner, They usual-
Iy do not understand the risks and related safety
procedures. They can expose themselves to
the danger of an accident, It is incumbent on
the well control leader to be cognizant of this
potential problem area,
373
9
Safety to personnel off location should also be
considered, High volumes of sour gas, accumu-
Iations of combustible hydrocarbons and large
fires can pose a hazard to people working and
living near the blowout. Panic and flight from
the area during evacuation can also result in
injury. Selection of a “quick” kill technique may
be warranted in such a situation even though it
may have a lower probability of success than
other techniques, This presumes that personnel
directly involved in the kill are adequately pro-
tected.
Comparison of other techniques. Consideration
must be given to all kill options prior to making
a final decision on one approach. Recent situa-
tions have occurred in which one approach was
followed against recommendations of other
groups for alternative approaches that had
significantly more technical merit and a definite
safety advantage. The alternative approaches
were not given due consideration, Ultimately
the initial approach resulted in failure and
tremendous financial losses, The alternative
solutions were finally used efficiently and effec-
tively but only after major efforts were expend-
ed on a “brute force” initial approach. In
summary, all options should be evaluated on an
equal basis and then make a decision for a kill
technique.
The operator must participate in these evalua-
tions. They should be the experts with respect
to drilling and reservoir conditions for the blow-
ing well. Without their input, an inappropriate
or less-than-optimum technique could be used.
A “decision tree”, prepared by the blowout
specialists and/or other team members, is
suggested to allow the operator the conduct an
informed comparison of the various kill tech-
niques.
Description of available techniques. A variety
of blowout kill techniques are available. Some
are applicable only in certain situations. Others
are more universally applicable. An example is
capping and snubbing into a land well. This
technique does not have easy applicability on
underwater offshore blowouts. Relief wells can
be used almost universally.
10 CONTINGENCY PLANNING FOR OFFSHORE BLOWOUTS OTC 7120

Kill techniques can be separated in two broad the well bridges or it does not bridge, but no
categories: one has much control over it.

a) Top kill techniques involve surface control Techniques are available for active bridging,
methods such as well capping and subse- Some firefighters and blowout specialists can
quent bullheading or lubrication of mud, implement techniques to accelerate the bridg-
b) Bottom kills require that mud be circulated ing. An active bridging technique involves
from the bottom to the top of the well. opening the BOP/diverter stack or removing
damaged, leaking wellhead component(s) to
Some require a combination of surface control allow accelerated entry of reservoir fluids result-
and a bottom kill, An example is capping and ing in high annulus velocities and subsequent
diverting a well followed by snubbing pipe for a bridging.
bottom kill.
Factors generally found in bridging situations
Common kill techniques are as follows: include:

a) Bridging a) Shallow casing strings

b) Capping/shut-in b) Formation instability under drawdown situa-
c) Capping/diverting tions
d) Surface stinger c) Gas blowout fluids
e) Vertical intervention d) High flow rates
f) Offset kill e) Land or shallow water depths
g) Relief wells
Also, saltwater flows in deeper wells can cause
Each of these is briefly described in the follow- the formation to become unstable and bridge
ing subsections. More substantive descriptions after some time has elapsed.
and examples should be included in Stage 3 of
the contingency plan, Capping/shut-in. Capping means, in simple
terms, to put a cap on a blowing well. Typical-
Bridging. Many blowouts have been killed by ly, this involves clearing debris, removing the
well bridging. The formation around the well- old BOP stack and wellhead, installing a new
bore collapses and seals the flow path. wellhead and stack, then closing the BOPS,

Bridging typically occurs within 24 hours after
the well blows out, This observation is con-
firmed by a computerized database of almost
1000 blowouts, If the well does not bridge
within 24 hours, it is likely to blow for an
extended time or until it is killed. Bridging does
occur however, on wells after the 24 hour
period in some situations, Technical reasons
exist for the 24 hour bridging phenomenon,
These involve near-wellbore pressure draw-
down, erosion of wellhead and BOP compon-
ents and formation integrity under open flow
conditions.
Bridging is typi~ally considered a passive tech-
nique. The term “passive” means that it is
subject to formation properties and generally is
not influenced by kill attempts. In simple terms,
If the well is shut in, access to a competent
casing string is required. The casing string
must have integrity and must be sufficiently
deep to have a fracture gradient that will with-
stand shut-in conditions. Reservoir drawdown
pressures should be evaluated and compared
with the fracture gradient at the casing seat
before the decision is made to shut-in the well.
Considerations for capping and shutting in the
blowout include the following:
a) Access to a casing string with the neces-
sary pressure rating.
b) Fracture gradients sufficient to withstand
shut-in pressures. Initial and drawndown
pressures must be considered.

374
OTC 7120 N.J. ADAMS
c) Sufficient blowout flow rates for the fluids
to extend some distance above the top of
the casing or BOPS or the fire must be
extinguished.
d) If H2S is present, the well must be capped
on fire. All equipment must be H2S service-
able,
Typically a casing string is set deep to achieve
the desired fracture gradient.
Capping/Diverting. A capped well must be
diverted when the shut-in pressures would
exceed the casing integrity or the formation
fracture gradient. The capping assembly nor-
really has a blind ram and 1 or 2, 4-6 in, divert-
er lines.
Access to the inner casing string is required for
this technique to be effective. Also, if the well
is flowing H S gas, the well must be capped on
fire and all %ow lines and BOPS must be H2S
serviceable.
Surface stinger. A quick and effective approach
to handling certain blowouts is with a surface
stinger. The stinger may be some type of
packer forced into drill pipe or casing and
hydraulically set. Tapered metal cones with a
through bore may be used as an alternative to a
packer. Fluid is pumped into the well through
the stinger.
The most frequent application of the stinger is
with blowouts where access to the drill pipe or
tubing is available. Methods have been devel-
oped in certain situations to stab a small packer
into the pipe and set it hydraulically. Kill fluid is
pumped into the pipe. Stingers are limited
generally to wells with low flow rates and
pressures. Many wells on Piper Alpha and in
Kuwait were killed with stingers,
Vertical intervention. The term “vertical inter-
vention”, was coined by Adams in 1986-87. It
has received wide spread industry acceptance
since that time.
The operations are restricted to offshore blow-
outs. A semisubmersible is moved directly
(vertically) over a live blowout, Work is done
AND L.G. KUHLMAN 11
on the blowout from the vertical position. The
work can include killing a shallow gas blowout,
entering a blowout through the casing string,
explosively removing a wellhead or BOP stack,
or other similar operations,
The range of capabilities for the approach has
not been completely explored at this time, New
technology and field experiences continue to
add capabilities to vertical intervention.
Vertical intervention techniques are complicated
and should be employed only by groups with
knowledge and experience in this type of opera-
tion, Many safety systems must be employed,
Also, only semisubmersibles are applicable for
most situations. Current technology expressly
prohibits the use of jack-ups or drillship.
Offset kill. The offset kill technique was devel-
oped simultaneous with the vertical intervention
method. It also is applicable offshore, With the
offset approach, the service vessel works near
to the blowout at the surface but slightly offset
of the center. The service vessel can be a
semisubmersible, derrick barge or some other
type of floating vessel, It is possible that a
jack-up could be considered for use with an
offset kill but with several restrictions,
One advantage to the offset kill is that it can be
implemented if the well is on fire. The heat
normally precludes the implementation of the
vertical intervention approach.
Relief wells. One of the most well known
blowout control methods is the relief well. It
uses the bottom kill approach by intersecting
the blowout well with a directionally controlled
well. Contrary to the opinion of many opera-
tors, the relief well is not just another direction-
al hole. It involves complex operations and
requires a skilled technical engineering approach
combined with experience in relief well drilling.
Kill techniques used in relief wells include the
dynamic kill or reservoir flood. Reservoir deple-
tion is an important factor that has been seldom
considered,
Factors required for a successful relief well are;
375
12 CONTINGENCY PLANNING FOR OFFSHORE BLOWOUTS OTC 7120

a) Casing or drill pipe must be in the well at a) Capping operations that are reasonably
least as deep as the minimum intercept quick and “routine”,
point, b) The blowout fluid is sweet gas rather than
b) Reasonable surveys indicating the general oil or sour gas,
bottom hole location, c) A second approach is not technically or
c) Ability to locate the surface site of the realistically feasible.
blowout well. This presents difficulties if
the blowout is in a deepwater environment. Other reasons probably exist for using a single
kill method,
The well must be blowing out for a relief well to
be successful. If the well is shut in under high Most wells have been killed by using a single
pressure and surface intervention is not a safe approach. However, some wells have caused
option for any reasons, a relief well can be extended problems because the initial approach
highly effective if the trouble well can be flowed failed and a second approach had not been
from the top in a controlled manner, implemented.

Simultaneous implementation of several kill Requirements for a simultaneous implementa-

techniques on a blowout. Considerations tion of kill options. The question arises as to
should be given to the simultaneous implemen- the requirements for the simultaneous impie-
tation of several kill techniques on a blowout. mentation of kill operations. The answer is
simple. Simultaneous operations can include
Some reasons for such considerations include any of the kill options that are technically possi-
the following: ble for the given situation yet do not interfere
with each other.
a) The initial kill selection has a high factor for
risk or uncertainty. An example is capping As an example, capping a well as a control
a sour gas well when the integrity of the method is not consistent with implementing
casing is uncertain, techniques to let it bridge. Also, capping and
b) Public pressure or media response is heavy shutting in a well is not consistent with capping
and negative in nature. and diverting.
c) The blowout fluid is oil.
d) The initial kill selection has a high degree of RANKING OF KILL TECHNIQUE VIABILITY FOR
complexity and/or will require a long time to DIFFERENT BLOWOUT SCENARIOS
implement,
An effort has been made to rank kill options for
Complex operations or long implementation various blowout scenarios, Figure 4 contains
times. A simultaneous operation should be the results.
planned if the primary approach is complex or
will require a long time for implementation. A Figure 4 should be used as a guide, Circum-
complex operation has the potential for failure stances for each blowout should be evaluated
because of the uncertainties associated with to determine the best kill approach,
blowouts. Also, long operational times such as
those required for deep relief wells support the Fire has a great effect on the kill technique
need for consideration for a simultaneous selection, For the purposes of Figure 4 it is
approach. assumed that blowouts in water depths greater
than 300 ft will likely not have a fire, or the fire
Single approaches. Many blowouts do not will extinguish itself. The previously mentioned
warrant the time and expense associated with a blowout database supports this assumption,
simultaneous kill operation, These situations Also, the dynamics of deep water, subsea
can include the following: blowouts make it difficult for a fire to sustain
itself,

376
OTC 7120 N.J. ADAMS AND L.G. KUHLMAN 13

The impact of water depth on a subsea H S No blowout database is available which covers
well is interesting to note. It appears that t~e every blowout event to-date. Several proprie-
water may strip the HZS and create sulfuric tary blowout databases exist incorporating
acid. The escaping gas is sweet, The key enough events to allow general analyses. In the
variables are the gas concentration and water case of a current blowout, it may be useful to
depth. It is believed that in depths of 500-600 access data on similar blowouts. Although
ft, the gas will be sweetened. Lesser water conditions may not be exactly the same, such
depths have appeared to have sweetened the factors as kill methods, blowout duration and
gas in the few field cases that are available. pollution volumes can assist in making educated
However, it is clearly recommended to conduct decisions on a current blowout.
on-going tests to evaluate this situation if plans
involve working near a sour gas blowout, Computerized blowout database analyses can
also be used for statistical analyses covering
COMPUTERIZED BLOWOUT CONTIN- the above items plus provide additional benefits:
GENCY PLAN
a) Identification of blowout causes for better
Blowout contingency planning is a suitable well control training and planning.
candidate for a personal computer-based soft- b) Identification of blowout situations for
ware application. It can be tailored for a partic- which suitable handling procedures have not
ular geographical area if desired. The various been developed.
options which must be considered for a particu- C) Investigation of damage extent and costs.
Iar scenario can be evaluated quickly on the d) Identification of blowout pollution volumes
computer. Recommendations can be presented and comparisons to other sources (tankers,
for use by crisis managers and operations etc. ).
personnel. e) Presentation of data to support discussions
with insurance underwriters and regulatory
Software can be programmed to provide infor- agencies.
mation and capabilities for specific scenarios
including: Interface with a computerized blowout equip-
ment and services database can be beneficial in
a) Management organizations a crisis situation. The database should contain
Project task requirements names of companies; key contact personnel;
Organization structures fax, telephone and telex numbers; addresses;
Contact data - phonelpagerlfaxltelex and descriptions of available products and
numbers services.
b) Kill technique selection
Sub-routines for analyzing kill options The database would be interfaced with task
Equipment/services required for each descriptions for each blowout scenario. Sug-
option gested vendors, service companies and equip-
C) Interface with a blowout database for data ment can be listed for each task. Specific
on similar events contacts would be identified. Without back-
d) Interface with a blowout equipment/services ground knowledge, a large amount of time can
database be wasted trying to determine which specialized
e) Emergency response and control measures services and equipment are needed, available
f) Data transmission sources and the particular person in charge of
the special services/equipment.
Details of most of these items are presented in
other parts of this paper. Interfacing with other ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
databases needs further discussion.
The authors wish to thank the Offshore
Technology Conference for the opportunity to

377
14 CONTINGENCY PLANNING FOR OFFSHORE BLOWOUTS OTC 7120

make these comments. Also, we wish to thank

DeAnne Lofthouse for taking care of manuscript
preparation on a rush basis,

REFERENCES

Adams N.J. and Kuhlman, L.G., “Firefighting

and Blowout Control in Kuwait, ” Offshore South
East Asia, Singapore, 1-4 December, 1992.

Adams N.J, and Kuhlman, L.G., “How to Prev-

ent or Minimize Shallow Gas Blowouts - Part 1,“
World Oil, May 1991,

Adams N.J, and Kuhlman, L.G., “How to Prev-

ent or Minimize Shallow Gas Blowouts - Part 2,”
World Oil, June 1991.

Adams, N.J. and Kuhlman, L.G., “What Can Go

Wrong and HOW to Deal With It,” OTC paper
7099, Offshore Technology Conference, Hous-
ton, TX, 3-6 May, 1993,

Phillips, M., “Design of an Emergency Response

Center,” Journal of Petroleum Technology,
January, 1993, pp. 63-65.

378
 F
OPERATOR

----izzl

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SUPPORT
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I
PUBUC
RELATIONS
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Figure 1

QRGAN17ATION.
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Blowout Advisor to the Operator

+
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————— ———— ——

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382