Part e Well control equipment IWGF Training ___ Page 128 v1.00Contents Page References 127 Resumé 128 2.1 Introduction 129 Funetion 129 Working pressure classification 129 General considerations 130 Minimum requirements 130 2.2 Well killing system 138 Introduction 133 Choke manifold 134 Valves 135 Chokes 138 High pressure lines and hoses 142 2.3 BOP stack equipment 146 Annular preventers 146 Ram-type preventers 152 Diverters 165 2.4 Hydraulic BOP operating units 167 Requirements 167 Hydraulic control unit, 168 Accumulator capacity 168 BOP stack operation 169 2.5 Additional well control equipment 176 Introduction 176 Kelly cocks 177 Inside BOPs 178 Circulating heads 179 ‘Mud/gas separator 180 Vacuum degasser 182 WEF Training i Page 125 v1.002.6 Testing well control and related equipment 183 Introduction 183 Casing tests 183 Tests of X-bushing and slip and seal assembly or BRX hanger 184 Surface wellhead and BOP tests 184 Accumulator tests 186 Evaluation of pressure tests 186 2.7 Installation requirements for well head and BOP equipment 188 Appendix 1 : Example of accumulator size calculation 189 Appendix 2 : Calculating casing test pressures 192 Fogo 128 i PEeSeeeSSCEELE TWEE Training v1.00References Well Engineering DLP, Section 2, Part 1: Drill String Design. Well Engineering DLP, Section 4, Part 2: Well Heads. EP 88-1000 Shallow gas procedure guidance manual EP 89-1500 Pressure control manual EP 95-0210 Drilling HSE manual Shell Drilling Engineers Notebook. e API Spec 16C: Specification for Choke and Kill Systems API Spec 16D: Specification for Control Systems for Drilling Well Control Equipment APIRP16E: Recommended Practice for Design of Control Systems for Drilling Well Control Equipment IWCF Training Page 127 v1.00Resumé An important part of well control is the equipment used, and adequate knowl- edge of this equipment is of vital importance in blowout prevention. This Part deals with most, if not all, equipment used in well control operations.on land or on fixed structures offshore. Page 128 WCF Training V 1.00Topic 2.1 Introduction Well control equipment is the second and last line of defence. Although there are many factors which may contribute to a blow-out, faulty equipment and equipment control have statistically been predominant causes to these events. Selecting the appropriate equipment (capacity, pressure rating etc.) and main- taining its integrity are prerequisites in preventing such a calamity. Drilling contractor personnel and operator personnel alike should be fully familiar with well control equipment, with respect to function, limitation, and how to operate it, should there be a kick situation. 24d FUNCTION The function of well control equipment is to close off the well bore and stop a well flow in ease of loss of primary control, and to be able to keep the bottom hole pressure equal to the formation pressure while preparing for and restoring primary control. ‘Well control equipment includes: the preventer stack, the last set casing string, the well headand auxiliary equipment such as the choke and kill mani- foldand the control unitas well as some srill string components. Well control equipment can provide proper protection only if the pressure rating is adequate. For this reason a working pressure classification has been introduced for all well control equipment. 2.1.2 | WORKING PRESSURE CLASSIFICATION Well control equipment is divided into several working pressure (WP) classifi- cations. The choice of equipment depends on the maximum expected surface pressure that could be encountered during drilling and workover operations. ‘The most common pressure ratings are: 13,800 kPa (2,000 psi) WP. 20,700 kPa (3,000 psi) WP. 34,500 kPa (5,000 psi) WP. 69,000 kPa (10,000 psi) WP. 108,500 kPa (15,000 psi) WP. Although the minimum requirements for each WP classification are well and area specific, some of the general considerations follow below: ‘ACF Training Page 129 v1.002.1.3 GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS The following considerations should be taken into account when selecting well control equipment: ‘* The equipment should be selected to withstand the maximum anticipated surface pressures and meet governmental regulations. * On offshore wells the specifications will generally fall into the 24,500 kPa (6,000 psi) WP and higher with a trend to the 69,000 kPa (10,000 psi) WP classification. ‘* The blow-out preventer stack should consist of remote controlled equip- ment capable of closing in the well with or without the pipe in the hole. * Welded, flanged or hub connections are mandatory on high pressure systems above 13,800 kPa (2,000 psi). * In some areas well control equipment suitable for sour service may be required; in such cases the complete high pressure BOP system should be fabricated of materials resistant to sulphide stress cracking. * The response time of surface BOPs should be as specified in API RP53, i.e. the closing system should be capable of closing each ram preventer within 30 seconds; the closing time should not exceed 30 seconds for annular preventers smaller than 508 mm (20 in) and 45 seconds for annular preventers of 508 mm (20 in) and larger. Although pressure rating of the equipment is the first concern, the layout of the stack is also critical. 2.1.4 MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS, Depending on the working pressure the surface blow-out prevention equip- ment must also comply with minimum compositional requirements. Figure 2.12 shows a schematic set-up of a diverter stack and a BOP stack used on land operations. Figure 2.1b shows a typical BOP stack set-up as used for land or jack-up operations. ‘The number and type of BOPs to be used, apart from size, depends on expected formation pressure and the probability of these pressures (i.e. are we drilling in a known area or wild-catting). The higher the expected pressures, the greater the precaution needs to be (i.e. more BOPs to provide redundancy). Page 130 _IWGF Training V 1.00Figure 2.1a : Set-up of a BOP stack Diverter stack set-up BOP stack set-up IWOF Training v1.00Topic 2.2 Well killing system 221 INTRODUCTION ‘When primary control has been lost and formation fluids enter the well bore, a hydrostatic overbalance is no longer maintained. Instead we have a pressure balance in the annulus between the formation pressure and the sum of the hydrostatic heads of the fluids in the annulus plus viscous friction losses due to flow plus the back pressure applied at the surface. If no, or insufficient, back pressure is applied the rate of flow from formation to well will increase until the friction losses in the annulus enable equilibrium to be reached. The result is a blow out. This pressure balance is maintained in static conditions by closing off the annulus at the surface by means of the BOPs. Flow will then only continue until the well head pressure has increased to the difference between the formation pressure and the hydrostatic pressure of the fluid column in the annulus. Under dynamic conditions (i.e. during well killing operations) the balance is maintained and additional inflow is prevented by applying a calculated back pressure which is equal to the formation pressure minus the hydrostatic head in the annulus minus the friction losses plus a safety factor. Given that the hydrostatic head in the annulus will vary as the initial volume of formation fluid flows up the well, especially if it is gas, and as kill mud is pumped down the drill pipe and enters the annulus, it is necessary to vary the applied back pressure. This is done by passing the flow through a restriction whose size can be changed in a quantifiable manner. Such a restriction is ealled an adjustable choke. The well control equipment on a rig normally contains two adjustable chokes, situated in what is, logically, called a choke manifold (see Figure 2.2). As well as the choke manifold, the well killing system includes some of the mud treating equipment, and the mud pumps, see the Well Engineering DLP, Section 3, Part 3. This part deals with: * Choke manifold * Valves * Chokes * High-pressure (HP) lines and hoses IWICF Training Page 133 v4.002.2.2 CHOKE MANIFOLD A choke manifold is an assembly of valves, as depicted in Figure 2.2, through which the return flow from the well is routed when the blow-out preventers are closed, with the purpose of applying a calculated back pressure. Choke manifolds may be assembled in a variety of layouts but they will always include at least two adjustable chokes. In some cases this may be one manual choke and one remote controlled choke as shown in Figure 2.2. The manifold provides alternative flow paths for the fluid so that if necessary chokes can be changed and valves repaired without stopping the flow. All the high pressure parts of the manifold should have the same working pressure rating as the BOP stack. Figure 2.2 : A choke manifold The manifold is connected to the hydraulically operated choke line valve and the BOP ~ cestack by a high-pressure flexible hose, or alternatively a : high pressure steel line. The flexible hose is a :opedially designed steel armoured hose. Ordinary kelly hoses are not considered suitable. ‘The manifold has to be adequately secured because it may be subjected to violent forces and vibration during certain stages of well killing. Valve settings Of the two choke line valves on or adjacent to the stack, the inner manual valve is kept open, and the second (the remotely controlled hydraulically acti- vated gate valve) kept closed during drilling. All other valves and chokes in the line to the mud/gas separator, are kept open with the exception of the valve immediately upstream of each of the chokes and the second valve in the bypass line after the cross (the centre flow line, the one without a choke). Page 134 HeWherever two valves are fitted it is standard practice that the second valve is the one operated and the first one used as backup, in case the second one fails. When two manual chokes are installed cither one can be used. When a manual choke and a remote controlled choke are installed, the remote controlled choke is the one normally used, keeping the manual choke as a standby choke. Before taking over the shift the driller should make sure that all the valves on the choke manifold are set as described above. 2.2.3 VALVES All high pressure valves used on the casing head housing, wellhead spools, drilling spools and in the choke and kill manifold, should have steel seats and fall gauge opening. Gate valves, e.g. Cameron and WKM, are commonly used in rig manifolds. It is however possible that in some cases plug valves, e.g, Halliburton Lo-Tore valves, have been installed. Such valves are normally prohibited for this application. (CAMERON TYPE F GATE VALVE This valve has a stationary stem. The non rising stem is provided with a back seat which separates the stuffing box from the bonnet flange. To prevent damage to the internal parts, in case excessive torque is applied, the handwheel, connected to the spindle, is equipped with a safety pin (shear pin). These valves use the floating gate design, in which the line pressure forces the gate into sealing contact with a metal seal ring, creating a metal to metal seal. The seat ring and its seal ring are in turn forced against the body sealing surface to complete the sealing process. On early valves the seat rings had 24 teeth cut into the outer circumference which aligned with a dog mechanism on the gate. Each IGF Training Pate Page 135 v4.00 @time the valve was opened the seat ring was rotated 15 degrees. This provided even wear on the seat rings and extended seat ring life. However, the seat rings tended to seize in the retainer plates which were used and invariably were cracked by the dog mechanism. For this reason the rotating seats were phased out. ‘The current version of the type F gate valve is the FL as shown in Figure 2.3, plus its variant the FLS valve. The FLS variant has an improved soat-to- body seal and is the one most commonly used in Group operations. Because the gate floats differential pressure will cause excessive friction. It is often therefore a problem to operate these valves under pressure; sometimes cheaters have to be used to turn the handwheel. If the differential pressure over the valve is too great this pressure should be equalised before opening. WKM GATE VALVE The WKM gate valve has parallel expanding gates which produce an extraor- dinarily high seating force against both the upstream and downstream seats simultaneously. This seating force is entirely mechanical and unaffected by Figure 2.4 WKM gate valve Combination pase Se 'chevron pace Ing, protect wom ie’ ane_coname inten reduees mavnionance corse Reoackatie unger Preeoure IWCF Training V 1.00line pressure fluctuations or vibration (see Figure 2.4). During opening or closing, the gate and segment match at all four surfaces. The face-to-face width of the gate-segment assembly is less than the distance between the upstream and downstream seats, thus the gates move freely between the seats. In the closed position, the upper matching surfaces of gate and segment are in solid contact. The gate wedges against the segment, expanding the gate- segment assembly outward against the seats. This expansion is controlled by the downward movement of the gate, so that an extremely high seating pres- sure is obtained. In the open position, the two bottom angles are in contact and the gate- segment assembly expands, sealing off against the seats, Expansion is controlled by the upward movement of the gate. Flow is isolated from the valve body when the valve is fully opened. HYDRAULICALLY OPERATED CHOKE LINE VALVE This type of valve is an adapted gate valve, e.g. Cameron type LSF, provided with a double acting hydraulic cylinder mounted on the bonnet cap. The stem of the valve is connected to the piston in the cylinder. When hydraulic pressure is applied to the bottom of the cylinder, the piston and gate move upwards and the valve opens. When the hydraulic pressure is on the top of the cylinder the valve will close. A handwheel and locking screw are provided to close the valve manually if required. The lower stuffing box and tail rod on the stem have a three-fold function: © To act as a pressure balance for the stem which connects the gate to the operating piston. To keep the grease packed in the gate cavity of the valve body. * ‘To serve as an indicator whether the valve is “open” or “closed”, Figure 2.5 : Hydraulically operated gate “HCR" PRESSURE OPERATED GATE VALVE Hunt On several rigs an older type remote control gate valve may be found, the “HOR valve” (see Figure 2.6). This pressure operated gate valve is a flow line valve requiring relatively low operating pressures. The closing ratio of well INGF Training ___ Page 137 v1.00pressure to hydraulic oper- ating pressure is approxi mately 8 to 1. The gate is packed with elements similar to the "QRC" ram assembly. These valves are made to hold pressure from one side only. It is therefore of crucial importance that during installation the correct side will face the BOP stack. The flow direc- tion is usually indicated by an arrow on the body of the valve. "HOR" pressure operated Figure 2.6 : HCR pressure operated gate valves are available in gate valve 4" or 6" sizes, either 3,000 psi or 5,000 psi WP, and have standard API flanges. CHOKE AND KILL LINE OUTLET VALVES Owing to area and contractor specific requirements, it is not feasible to specify a standard layout, but the following minimum requirements should be adhered to: * The choke line must have a minimum ID of 76-2 mm (3"), the kill line may be as small as 50-8 mm (2"), albeit that this might restrain opera- tional flexibility should immediate substitution of a choke line be required. During normal operation, the inner (usually manual) choke and kill line valves should remain open and the outer (hydraulically operated) valves closed such as to prevent excessive solids build-up in these lines. Wellhead outlets should, under normal operating conditions, not be used for a choke and kill line tie-in. If the kill line is not meant to ultimately replace or augment the choke line, it is highly desirable to install a check valve upstream of the stack valves. 2.2.4 CHOKES ‘The choke is normally an adjustable orifice installed in the return line. It is used to restrict the flow area so that the pressure drop of the returns through this line can be regulated while a kick is circulated out. Three types of chokes may be encountered in choke manifolds: * The manual adjustable choke. * The replaceable fixed choke. * The remote controlled choke. . Page 138 IWGF Training v1.00MANUAL ADJUSTABLE CHOKE Figure 2.7 shows a typical needle valve type manual adjustable choke. The stem and seat area are of tungsten carbide to make them more wear resis- ‘tant; it must be understood that a choke is not meant to be used as a valve. The tool is designed to create a flow restric tion and not to provide a high-pressure seal. Washed out sealing areas are also common. Therefore the choke must be used for initial closing in only and should immediately be backed up by closing the upstream valve. This type of choke should not be left “closed” for long periods of time. Temperature expansion of the needle can damage the seat and the needle may “freeze” in the seat. FIXED CHOKE Instead of using an adjustable spindle valve, the seat can be replaced by different sizes of "beans". Such chokes are used only if the well returns will have to be produced at a constant rate over a considerable period of time, such as is common during production tests. Fixed chokes are sometimes referred to as positive chokes. Figure 2.7 : Manually operated choke The choke body in such a set-up is provided with a cap instead of a needle assembly. REMOTE CONTROLLED CHOKE Remote controlled chokes are operated from a panel, usually on the rig floor (see Figure 2.8). This operating panel should include: + a drill pipe pressure gauge an annulus pressure gauge a pump stroke counter a choke selection switch a maximum allowable annulus pressure setting regulator (optional) a choke control lever and throttles for the pumps (optional) There are different remote controlled chokes, some of which have specific operating characteristies that may affect the well killing operation. It is therefore important to check details of the unit installed. Some examples are given overleaf. Page 139= Pump stroke/rate: Drill pipe pressure meter . Casing pressure gauge Air supply Es ae Choke position valve - 5 indicator Controt Z Hydraulic regulator Hydraulic pump Hand pump, Figure 2.8 : Choke control console CAMERON AX CHOKE ‘The Cameron AX choke(Figure 2.9) is a choke which uses a sleeve that moves in and out of a tapered seat. It is available for pressures from 34,500 kPa (5,000 psi) to 140,000 kPa (20,000 psi). The movement is controlled by a double acting hydraulic cylinder. The choking action starts when the sleeve approaches and then enters the tapered seat. Here again the wear areas are of tungsten carbide. The choke in this case does not form a positive seal, and thus an upstream valve must be closed after the choke is "closed". 'SWACO SUPER CHOKE The Swaco Super Choke (Figure 2.10) is a hydraulically operated valve avail- able in working pressures of up to 138,000 kPa (20,000 psi) . The size of the Page 140 __IWCF Training v1.00Sleeve Figure 2.9 : Cameron driling choke (5000 - 15000 psi WP) orifice is determined by the overlapping portions of half moon openings in two flat, highly polished tungsten carbide dises which rotate with respect to each other. The downstream disc is fixed while the upstream disc may be rotated up to 180 degrees by a hydraulically driven rotary actuator. The power required to rotate the plates is minimal. One main advantage of this choke is Wear sleeves Downstream, fixed dise am, rotating disc Flow out | I all Flow in I Figure 2.10 : Swaco super choke IWCF Training Page 141 V 1.00that it provides metal to metal shut off and, when closed, it will hold pressure and can therefore be used to shut the well in. It is capable of manual as well as hydraulic operation. ‘To replace the tungsten carbide orifice plates it is necessary to break the line on the downstream side of the choke to gain access. 2.25 HIGH-PRESSURE (HP) LINES AND HOSES. HAMMER UNIONS ‘The connection between HP equipment is normally a fixed set-up consisting of steel pipes. Only in temporary hook-ups male oub COL wig rut baigunera are steel swings used. Thee swings (SS) are provided with hammer unions. a, A union mostly Ly consists of four parts: + A male sub with convex sealing face. * A female sub with a concave sealing face, an external square thread and an inner recess for a seal ring. * Ahammer nut with square threads and two or three lugs. Figure 2.11 : Hammer union + Arubber seal ring. ‘The convex shape of the sub serves for self alignment when making up the union; this improves make up speed and ensures proper seating of the sealing surfaces. It is important that rig site personnel should inspect both sealing surfaces as ‘well as the rubber seal when making up the connections. It is also important that the individual parts of the union should be checked for the correct pressure rating (type) before making up. Some of the pressure classes have nuts and female subs which differ only slightly in dimensions e.g. a WECO union type 1502 nut fits a type 1002 female sub, but the threads engage over a small area only. When high pressure is applied the union expands and comes apart. When large volumes are involved this can cause severe accidents. It is a good practice to secure the union connection with a safety chain or properly clamped steel wire. Page 142 IWCF Training v1.00CHIKSAN SWIVEL JOINT Relatively short sections of jointed pipe called "swings" are used to hook up a temporary line, for example. between cementing pump and cementing head. The flexibility of a swing is achieved by a number of swivel joints installed in between the straight pipe sections. Figure 2.12 : Swing in folded position A swivel joint (Figure 2.13) consists of a sealed ball bearing construction. The balls act as a retainer and bearing which is packed with grease. In addition the construction is such that it prevents the swivel joint from coming apart at the applied pressure. These swivel joints, often called chicksans, are supplied in long or short sweep bends. a. Long sweep b. Short sweep Figure 2.13 : Chiksan swivel joint In confined spaces and for static pressure, e.g. the hydraulic operating lines for the BOPs, short sweep chicksans are used. Long sweeps are preferred in circulating lines, to reduce the frictional pressure drop. HIGH-PRESSURE HOSES Construction High pressure hoses are basically built up of three main parts: An inner hose, a careass, and an outer hose. The inner hose is internally flush and its material should be resistant to the fluids it has to convey. Generally braided steel wires are vuleanised in the rubber. The outer layer of the hose or sheath is intended to protect the reinforcement against corrosion and wear. Figure 2.14 shows an example of a high pressure hose design used for choke lines. IWCF Training V 1.00Figure 2.14: HP hose (Stena-Coflexip design) Hose connections ‘The hose connections should at least have the same strength as the hose. The weakest point of a hose is always just behind the connection, as the hose has the tendency to kink at that point. Handling Each hose has a minimum bending radius (MBR) which is specified by its manufacturer. This should always be respected in order to avoid damage to the hose. If the manufacturers specification is unavailable a rule of thumb is that the MBR is twelve times the ID. Bending the hose close to the end fittings should be avoided - as a rule of thumb the bend should not commence closer than twice the OD from the fitting. ‘Twisting the hose should also be avoided - the rule of thumb in this case is that the maximum twist is 1° per three feet or metre. These handling rules apply not only to hoses but also to flexible steel pipes The sketches on the following page show the right and wrong ways of handling hoses in various situations Page 144 = IWGF Training v1.00IWGF Training v1.00 Figure 2.18 : Hose connections Page 145Topic 2.3 BOP stack equipment Blow-out control equipment must be simple and reliable but still sophisti- cated enough to suit a broad range of applications. ABOP stack should have a large enough internal diameter to pass the drilling tools. For the shallow part of the hole a large diameter stack or diverter set-up with low working pressure ratings is required, while for the deeper sections smaller inside diameters, but high working pressure rating are needed (see Figure 2.1a). ‘When all of these qualifications plus the operational characteristics, such as quick operation and reliable sealing, have been incorporated, a blow-out, preventer stack has become a heavy, massive piece of equipment. Although all these items look indestructible, they should be watched carefully and inspections, tests and maintenance executed conscientiously. Not seldom was a blow-out the result of damaged or failing BOP equipment. This topic will deal with annular and ram-type preventers 2.3.1 ANNULAR PREVENTERS GENERAL The annular preventer (also callled bag type, spherical or universal preventer) is the most versatile piece of equipment on the BOP stack since it can close around casing, drill pipe, drill collars, wireline and even close an open hole. ‘The rubber packing elements of the annular preventers, which allow this flex- ibility, are also subject to wear and abuse. Treated properly, the packing unit, of the annular preventer has a long, reliable life span, but it can be destroyed in a very short time or very few closing cycles by improper use. ‘The following factors influence the life span of annular preventers: + The closing pressure as regulated through the control system should be as low as practically possible in order to maximise the life of the packing unit. * Testing the annular preventer under high test pressures significantly shortens the life of the packing unit. * Closing the annular preventer without pipe in the hole will shorten the life of the packing unit, especially when high closing pressures are required to achieve this. Page 146 IGF Training v4.00* Motion reversal is hard on the packing unit, so pipe should be moved as far as possible in one direction before reversing the direction (i.e. long strokes). * Spare packing units should be stored in a dark, cool room. Closing time of annular preventers ‘The main disadvantage of the annular preventer is the time required to close it. The annular preventer takes three to ten times the volume of fluid to close, compared to a set of rams, and therefore requires a longer closing time. Even though current regulations specify a 38 mm (11/2") minimum diameter hydraulic control line, many surface stacks may still have hydraulic lines to the annular preventer that are smaller, or have a restriction in them which prevents rapid closing. Raising the closing pressure does not help as much as using larger lines and fittings. In addition it increases the wear on the packing unit. The small lines and/or restrictions make the packing unit movement inflexible when trying to strip, and cause excessive packing unit wear during stripping operations, especially when tool joints are passing through it. The regulator valve (sce Topic 4), used to regulate the annular preventer closing pressure, should allow fluid passage back through it if the line pressure increases. That way the packing unit can open against the closing pressure while stripping a tool joint. It is very important to see to it that this regulator is in good shape, that there are no check valves ahead of it (often present in the four-way valve), or that it has been replaced by a plain regu- lator. The arrangement where a small accumulator bottle (surge bottle) is placed in the closing line of the annular preventer, to allow for hydraulic fluid movement when stripping, is very desirable from the viewpoint of reducing packing unit wear. This arrangement is recommended for all surface and subsurface stacks. ‘There are some differences in the operation of the various annular preventers. ‘Therefore the most commonly used types will be discussed. HYDRIL GK ANNULAR PREVENTER ‘The Hydril GK annular preventer (Figure 2.16) is the most common annular preventer in use, particularly in surface stack installations, and is unique in its response to well pressures. Like most other annular preventers, the preventer is closed with about 5,520 kPa (800 psi) pressure. The Hydril GK annular preventer with a working pressure of less than 69,000 kPa (10,000 psi) is however also energised by the well pressure so that when the well pressure increases, the closing pressure must be reduced to avoid damaging the packing unit. This wellhead pressure assist is derived from its piston configuration and applies also to the GL and MSP types of annular preventers (except the 749.3 mm/29-5", 3,450 kPa/500 psi unit) The manufacturer's instructions on Hydril annular preventers should be consulted for more WCF Training v1.00! if i Wt se Open preventer Closed preventer Figure 2.16 : Hydril GK annular preventer detailed information. Charts, determining operating pressures, are also provided in the manufacturer's literature. The packing element The packing element or unit has steel Figure 2.16a : Packing element of segments, vulcanised into the rubber body, to Hydril GK annular reinforce it and limit the amount of extrusion preventer of the rubber when it is activated. Figure 2.16a shows how the packing unit extrudes due to the vertical movement of the piston, whose taper squeezes the packing rubber inward. The type of elastomer (natural rubber, synthetic rubber or neoprene) used in the packing element should be the most suitable for the particular well condi- tions. Refer to Table 2.1. Replacing a worn packing unit is fairly simple: Bleed off operating pressure. Unlock and remove preventer cover. Lift out worn packing unit. Check seals on head and piston. Drop in new packing unit, and replace and lock cover. Should the packing unit have to be replaced while pipe is in the hole, the packing unit has to be cut with a knife between two steel segments, prefer- ably at 90° to the lifting eye bolt holes. eeeee Page 148 IWCF Training v1.00Table 2.1 : Packing unit selection Packing unit | type | compatibility coca Black NR -B0°C to 105°C Waterbased Nitrile _ : Oil based / ae Redband | NBR | -6°C to 85°C algae Neoprene Z = : fee Greenband| CR 80°C to 75°C Oil based It is also advisable to use the kelly and a special cover break-out sub with plate for this job (see Figure 2.17). The tools required are lifting bolts with the correct thread for the packing element and lifting bolts with the correct thread and sufficiently long to lift the piston out. NL SHAFFER SPHERICAL ANNULAR PREVENTER The NL Shaffer spherical annular preventer uses a closing piston that forces the rubber packing element up against a concave cover, which in turn forces the : packing element to close. NL Shaffer suggests a Mic idebetidabatiteliehes closing pressure of 10,350 kPa (1,500 psi) in its litera- ture, but also notes that the pressure should be reduced according to the oper- ating characteristic tables if the pipe is to be moved. |__ Lower housing Figure 2.18 NL Shaffer spherical annular preventer (WCFTainng ~ Page 149 v1.00Figure 2.19 illustrates the action of the packing element. Steel segments moulded into the element partially close over the top of the rubber to prevent excessive extrusion when sealing high pressures. These segments always move out of the well bore when the element is opened, even when the element is old and worn far beyond normal replacement conditions. Only the top portion of the rubber, in the spherical sealing element, contacts Gosirg acton begin. ‘Seal around et pipe ‘Shutoff sain dri pipe. Figure 2.19: Action of the packing element of NL Shaffer spherical annuiar preventers the drill string or kelly. Most of the rubber is held in reserve, to be used for sealing once abrasion makes it & necessary. This large reservoir of rubber makes it possible 6 to strip into or out of a hole without replacing the element A during the trip. Sue! ong soz Long stripping life is especially valuable in offshore use, Figure 2.19: because an annular eroaiee closed around the drill pipe Detail of the packing 7 . el nt of a floating vessel, is constantly exposed to stripping foe movement due to vessel motion. Stripping is claimed to be smooth with a spherical BOP because the element opens and closes easily, due to the steel segments moulded into the rubber. ‘They make metal-to-metal sliding contact with the sphere of the housing, providing a low coefficient of friction. CAMERON TYPE D ANNULAR PREVENTER ‘The Cameron type D annular preventer, shown in Figure 2.20, has a different type of packing element and piston design. During closing the hydraulic pressure is admitted below the inverted T-shaped operating piston, moving it and its pusher plate upwards. The upward movement of the pusher plate forces a large solid rubber toroid (or doughnut) to move the packing element into the closed position around pipe or over the open hole. During opening the process is reversed. Hydraulic pressure above the flange section of the operating piston forces it downwards allowing the preventer to open. Page 150Figure 2.20: Cameron type D annular preventer When the packing element is closing, its steel reinforcing members rotate inward to maintain a continuous steel support ring around the drill pipe. This prevents packing element extru- sion far more effectively than the conventional widely spaced radial fingers (see Figure 2.21). Figure 2.21: Packing element of Cameron D annular preventer ‘STRIPPING THROUGH CLOSED PREVENTER Stripping using the annular preventer is considered the simplest and preferred technique. In order to ensure a long operating life of the annular packing element it is important to reduce the closing pressure to accommo- date the annular pressures encountered. Thus low annular pressures allow the closing pressures to be as low as 3,450 kPa (500 psi), whereas higher pres- sures (10,350 kPa/1,500 psi) and above could severely reduce the condition of the element, in particular when tool joints pass through . To further ensure that the annular is not subjected to excessive pressures as the tool joint is stripped through the element, a surge dampener must be placed in the closing line (see Figure 2.22). Any check valve installed in the WCF Training : Page Ti v1.00