Annular Preventers

• General information.
• What annular preventers are designed to do.
• Design of specific preventers.
• Shaffer
• Hydril
• Cameron
• Important usage points.
 General Information
• Annular preventers are BOPs which use circular
rubber or rubber-like elements.
• They are extremely versatile in use and can close
on most items.
• They are normally used on top of several ram type
BOPs.
• The annular BOP is usually the first to be closed
when a kick occurs.
 What are they designed to do?
• Seal around smooth objects in the wellbore e.g. drill collars,
drill pipe, casing, tubing, square kelly and wireline.
• Seal off an open hole although not necessarily at full R.W.P.
(this will shorten the working life).
• Allow stripping of drill pipe under pressure while maintaining a
seal.
• Allow reciprocation of the drillstring during well control
operations.
• Allow rotation of the drillstring during well control operations.
 Packing Element Materials
Three types of materials are used:
• Natural rubber
– WBM from -20o f to 170o f
– Good wear resistance
• Nitrile synthetic compound
– OBM from 40o f to 170o f
• Neoprene synthetic compound
– OBM from -30o f to 170o f
 General Operations
• Closing on tool joints
– Can cause severe damage
• Closing on casing
– Consider initial closing pressure
• Stripping Operations
– Provide for tooljoints
• Operating pressures
 Annular Preventer Types
• Shaffer
• Hydril GK
• Hydril GL
• Cameron ‘D’
• Operating pressures
• Range between 700 and 1500 psi for normal operations
• May require 3000 psi for open hole.
Shaffer
Shaffer
Shaffer
Hydril GK
Hydril GX
Hydril GX
Hydril GX
Hydril GL
Hydril GL
 Hydril
Packing Units
 High quality rubber compounds bonded to
flanged steel segments
 Flanged steel segments anchor the packing
unit and control rubber extrusion and flow
during sealing

Original Packing Unit LL Long Life Packing Unit

Cameron ‘D’