A wellhead is the component at the surface of an oil or gas well that provides the structural and

pressure-containing interface for the drilling and production equipment.

Wellhead gas storage, Etzel Germany

Oil well Christmas tree

The primary purpose of a wellhead is to provide the suspension point and pressure seals for
the casing strings that run from the bottom of the hole sections to the surface pressure control
equipment.[1]
While drilling the oil well, surface pressure control is provided by a blowout preventer (BOP). If the
pressure is not contained during drilling operations by the column of drilling fluid, casings, wellhead,
and BOP, a well blowout could occur.
When the well has been drilled, it is completed to provide an interface with the reservoir rock and a
tubular conduit for the well fluids. The surface pressure control is provided by a Christmas tree,
which is installed on top of the wellhead, with isolation valves and choke equipment to control the
flow of well fluids during production.
Wellheads are typically welded onto the first string of casing, which has been cemented in place
during drilling operations, to form an integral structure of the well. In exploration wells that are later
abandoned, the wellhead may be recovered for refurbishment and re-use.
Offshore, where a wellhead is located on the production platform it is called a surface wellhead, and
if located beneath the water then it is referred to as a subsea wellhead or mudline wellhead
Being independent from major wellhead suppliers also means we can service a variety of
different equipment and manufacturer interfaces, thus ensuring flexibility for our clients.
This service includes hot tapping, cold cutting, Air Saw, Bolting services, flange spreading,
wellhead services and the supply or sale of tools to support the repair / replacement process.
Naturally NIPPUR provides experienced personnel to run all of our tools and services.

Hot Tapping and Valve Boring

Nippur has been providing hot tapping services to the oil, gas
and petrochemical industries. We have systems for pressures
up to 10,000 PSI.

Nippur have the technique of attaching a welded branch fitting to piping or equipment in
service, and then creating an opening in that piping or equipment by drilling or cutting a
portion of the piping or equipment within the attached fitting.(In certain specific situations a
bolted or mechanical fitting may be used). This approach is not common practice in oil
processing and petrochemical facilities

Nippur designs, supplies and operates systems for the provision of hot tapping into valves on
wellheads, Christmas trees, check valves and all types of tubulars. We provide this service for
the global upstream oil and gas industry as well as downstream petrochemical facilities –
working on pipelines, flare lines, valves etc.

Benefits of the Nippur Hot Tapping system:

• Full pressure containment to allow for simultaneous operations

• Proven to cut from standard steel pipe, through to super-hard materials like
honeycomb stellite
• Range of machines for applications up to 10,000 PSI
• Modular systems provide flexible project applications
• Systems that enhance safety and operational efficiency
• Hot tap size is limited only by the pressure that may be present
• Equalization-controlling orifice valve reduces dynamic shock to the pressure retaining
components
• Fully trained field-personnel available
• We provide Standard boring sizes from 0.5 – 19” with larger sizes accommodated on
request