IWCF WELL CONTROL REFRESHER

(SUBSEA EQUIPMENT supplement)

CONNECTORS

FAIL SAFE VALVES

Valves are usually placed in pairs on the choke and
kill lines.
They are opened hydraulically from the surface
(0.6 gals
typically reqd).
Spring action automatically forces the gate closed
once
opening pressure released.
To compensate for the tendency in deep water for
the
hydrostatic head of fluid in the line to cause the
valve to
open by itself.

CAMERON

Some designs have a system which transmit

seawater
hydrostatic pressure to an oil chamber on the
spring
side of the piston to compensate for this
effect
TYPE
AF

FAIL SAFE VALVES

Due to space limitations, the first valve out from
the stack
(the inner failsafe) is usually a 90O type with a
target to avoid
fluid or sand cutting.
The outer valve is straight through and must be bidirectional i.e. able to hold pressure from on top as
well
as below for when the choke and kill lines are
tested.
Liquid lock between the two valves in each line is
eliminated by porting the fluid, exhausted from the
pressure chamber when opening the valve, away
from the
neighbouring valve.
Line pressure acting against the lower end of the
balancing stem assists in closing the valve.

CAMERON TYPE AF

BOP CONTROL SYSTEMS

The simplest form of BOP control is to assign a hydraulic line direct to
each individual function.
Surface stack systems This is the usual practice
The large number of control lines can easily be handled.
The distances the control fluid has to travel is not great (reaction times
ok).
Subsea Stack systems This direct control system is impractical.
Too many individual lines would be needed.
Unacceptable reaction times due to excessive pressure drop in the lines.
For Subsea systems, the standard practice;
One main hydraulic line through which power fluid is sent to the stack
Pilot valves located on the stack direct the power fluid to the various
functions on
command from surface.
The commands can be easily transmitted to the pilot valves in various
ways;
Either Hydraulically, Electrically, or Acoustically.

OP CONTROL SYSTEMS Hydraulic Syste

A master hydraulic power unit supplied fluid to both pilot and hydraulic lines via accumulator
bottles.
The stack can be controlled from this unit or from a remote control panel on the rig floor
or an electric mini panel usually located in the rig office.
Pilot and operating fluid is sent to the stack via one of two hose bundles each of which
terminates in a pod
(conventionally termed yellow or blue)
blue mounted on the lower marine riser package.
The pods are identical, one providing complete backup for the other,
either one being selected for use from the control panels.
A typical hose bundle is made up of a 1 supply hose for
the power fluid and up to 64, 3/16 hoses for the
pilot fluid.
Inside each pod, the pilot lines terminate at pilot valves,
each of which is connected to the common power fluid
supply.
When a particular stack function command is selected,
pilot fluid pressure is directed down a pilot line to the
corresponding pilot valve.
This valve then opens to allow the operating fluid to
pass through it and then via a shuttle valve to the
operating cylinder.

Hydraulic control System Description of Operation

The shuttle valves, which are mounted on the stack, allow the fluid to flow
to the operating
cylinder from the one selected pod only.
The operating fluid is stored in the accumulator bottles at 3000 psi. This
pressure is too high
for normal operation of the annular or rams and so the control pods contain
regulators in
order that closing pressures can be controlled as required usually from 0
1500psi.
The subsea regulator is controlled from surface via a pilot line and another
line is used to
return to a panel gauge the readback operating pressure downstream of
the regulator.
Each control pod is mounted in a receptacle on the lower riser package and
can usually be
retrieved independently if repairs become necessary.
Whilst the stack is being run, the hose bundle is fed out from a power
driven reel which is

Hydraulic control System -

Shuttle valve operation (Principle of redund

Shuttle
valve

Operating
cylinder

Hydraulic control System Description of Operation

Some of the hydraulic power fluid is stored in accumulators located on the stack in order to reduce
closing times and
also to provide a surge chamber effect for the annular preventers.
All the operating fluid on the low pressure side of a function is vented to the sea via the pilot
valves. Hence the need to
use environmentally safe fluids which must also inhibit corrosion and bacterial growth as well as
being compatible with
anti freeze additives.
Large volumes of the fluid are prepared and stored near the hydraulic unit and are transferred
automatically to the
accumulators by electrically driven triplex pumps whenever accumulator pressure falls below a preset level.
The pilot fluid circuit is a closed one.
A turbine type flow meter mounted on the hydraulic unit measures the volume of hydraulic fluid
used every time a
function is operated.
This can indicate whether or not a ram is closing all the way, for example, or if there is a leak
somewhere in the system.
Apart from the obvious close and open positions, it is possible to place a function in block.
In the block position, the lines carrying pilot pressure to the pilot valves have a vented spring
action in the pilot valves
which shuts off the power fluid supply and vents both sides of the operating piston.
Diagrammatic representation of a
4-way/3-function valve

Hydraulic System Operation

SPM: sub plate mounted

BOP CONTROL SYSTEMS Electro Hydraulic

System

The object of the BOP control system is to move sufficient power fluid, at the
required pressure,
to the operating cylinder in the minimum time.
For very long lengths of hose bundles, (over 2,000 ft) friction losses inside the
small pilot lines
result in unacceptably long reaction times.
If the diameter of these lines was increased, the hose bundle would be too bulky
to handle so an
alternative to the purely hydraulic control system is needed for deep water
operations.
The alternative is the electro-hydraulic system in which the 3/16 hydraulic
pilot lines are
replaced by electrical lines which operate solenoid valves in the control pods.
High pressure is taken from the main power line in the pod under control of the
solenoid valve
and is used as pilot pressure to open the pilot valve and thus allow regulated
power fluid
through to the operating cylinder.
A further refinement to this system replaces all the separate electrical lines in
the hose bundle
with just two, down which coded multiplexed signals are transmitted.

HYDRAULIC CONTROL
SYSTEM WITH ELECTRIC
CONTROL PANELS

Subsea Control Pod

BOP CONTROL SYSTEMS

Acoustic System (Surface compone
compon

ACOUSTIC
BACKUP SYSTEM

SPV: solenoid valve

PV: pilot valve

ACOUSTIC CONTROL SYSTEM

In addition to the assured redundancy through the use of two identical control pods, a further
fully independent system is sometimes desired for complete backup.
To suit this requirement, acoustic control systems have been designed which can operate certain
vital stack functions even if the rig is forced off location and is not physically attached to the
wellhead.
This system uses a portable battery powered surface control unit connected to either a hull
mounted or portable acoustic transducer to transmit an acoustic signal to a receiver on the stack.
The receiver and battery powered subsea control unit respond to the signal and transmit a reply
back to surface.
A subsea valve package on the stack interfaces the acoustic and primary hydraulic systems via
shuttle valves. It contains solenoid valves powered by the subsea battery pack (rechargeable only
on surface) and pilot valves.
Pilot fluid comes from a separate pilot fluid accumulator and power fluid is stored in a separate
bank of stack mounted accumulator bottles. These store fluid at 3000 psi and can be recharged via
the primary control systems. The valve package contains no subsea regulator, hence the 3000 psi is
applied directly to the operating piston.
If necessary, the accumulators can be dumped under control of the primary system.
A secure coded signalling system and noise rejection circuit eliminate the possibility of a function
being executed by accident.
To improve signal reception on the stack, the two subsea transducers are mounted on long
horizontal arms which swing down automatically on opposite sides of the BOP stack when it is
lowered.

DRILLPIPE SHUT-OFF VALVES

If a kick is taken whilst the Kelly is removed from the drill string, flow up the pipe might be so
strong that it is
impossible to stab a safety valve.
In this case a fast shut-off coupling, designed to be dropped over the drill pipe and
automatically latch under the
tool joint can be used.
The coupling is very heavy and has a Kelly cock either integral with it or screwed on top of it.
It should be ensured that any drill pipe that might be used has tool joints that are well within
API specifications,
otherwise the couplings ability to latch and seal correctly would be in doubt.

STORM VALVE (i)

In the event that the string has to be hung-off whilst waiting
on weather or pulling the BOP stack for repair, the well can be
secured by using a storm valve.
This valve is run above a retrievable packer and serves both
as a means of sealing off the drillpipe and as a means of
releasing the running string.
It is a sleeve type valve operated by left hand rotation.
As the upper mandrel is backed out of the upper body,
it pulls up
and closes the valve sleeve.
Continued rotation then releases the upper mandrel
which is retrieved
with the running string.
To recover the string, the mandrel is carefully stabbed into
the upper body and turned to the right.
This will move the valve sleeve down and allow a check
to be made for any pressure build-up which might have
occurred under the valve.

STORM VALVE (ii)

The coarse threads should always be checked after using
the valve since they can easily be damaged if the mandrel is
run into the upper body before being made up.
The retrieving string should be well centralized to try
and reduce this problem.
Another difficulty often encountered when retrieving
the valve is that solids can drop out of the mud and
settle inside the upper body, in which case they have to
be carefully washed out.
Some models of storm valve have an expendable plug on the
bottom held in place by shear pins.
If wireline operations are necessary after the valve has
been re-opened, then dropping a sinker bar will knock
out the plug to provide an unrestricted opening through
the valve.
Alternatively, the plug can be pumped out with the
valve in the closed position.

Diverters
If shallow gas pockets are encountered whilst drilling an offshore well, it is vital that
shut in.

Instead the well should be allowed to flow with the produced gas being vented downw
For this a diverter system is required.

For offshore use, the overboard lines of the diverter system are usually 12 or more i
order to minimise the back pressure on the formation during high flow rates which are
feature of shallow blowouts.

The control system to close the diverter element and open the overboard line valves
interlocked so that once the element is closed, one of the valves automatically opens
valve closes.

Another feature of a shallow gas blowout is that large amounts of sand and stones ca

In this event, seawater should be pumped down the drill string at maximum rate to re
of sparks igniting the gas.
Ideally, the overboard lines would contain no elbows or sharp radius bends.

Diverters Hydril DS valves

With the Hydril DS valves, it is possible to select the
evacuation direction
(starboard or portside) while keeping one line open at all
times.

On floating rigs, the diverter is incorporated below the rotary table, above the sli
As far as pressures are concerned, the weak point is the sealing at the slip joint.
Its WP is generally 500 psi.

Diverters Used on
Floating Rigs

Details of diverter used on

floating rigs
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)

Closing Line
Outer packer
Vent Line
Seals
Insert Packer
Diverter
Lockdown Dogs
(7) - Diverter Housing
(8) - Insert Packer
lockdown
On floating rigs, the diverter is incorporated below the rotary table, above the slip joint.
As far as pressures are concerned, the weak point is the sealing at the slip joint.
Its WP is generally 500 psi.

Diverters
Details of Hydril FS assembly
(diverter open)

Details of Hydril FS assembly

(diverter closed)

With this system, the fluids of the well are directed to the shakers when
the diverter is open.
The evacuation line (vent line) being closed.
When the diverter is closed, the fluids of the well are evacuated through

HYDRIL TYPE GL SUBSEA HOOK-UP

Accumulator Calculations
Usable Volume Requirements

Accumulator Calculations
Usable Volume Requirements

If for example, the water depth is 305 m (1,000 ft), this corresponds to;
305 x 10.1 = 3,080 kPa (1,000 x 0.445 = 445 psi).
The required pressures are found as follows: