RIG EQUIPMENT

1 Function of derricks and masts

 To support the crown block
 To allow the tubular to be stored vertically in stands of three lengths

2 V-Door
The high opening at the bottom of one side of the derrick which has a clearance to lift 12m lengths
of pipe from the pipe racks into the derrick

3 Monkey Board
The derrickman’s platform which situated eighty feet above the derrick floor

4 Gin Pole
A single beam, situated above the crown, which is used to support a pulley block used solely to lift
the crown into position

5 Conventional or standard derricks are used:

 Where there are many wells on the same location: without dismantling, the derrick is rolled to
the next cellar
 On small, tender supported platforms where there is insufficient space to assemble a mast
horizontally
 In situations where mast sections cannot be transported
 On very heavy duty rigs for deep wells where the inherently stable layout of a standard
derrick can be made stronger than a portable mast and has more racking capacity

6 Disadvantages of conventional or standard derrick:

 Specialist rig builders are required
 Erection and dismantling is time consuming

7 Hoisting Power
Power = Force x Speed
SI Kilowatts = (Newton x Metres/Second) / 1000
Field Horsepower = (Pounds x Feet/Second) / 550

8 Rotary Power
Torque applied to the drill string determines the power requirements for rotary drilling
Rotary Power = 2 x Torque x Rotary Speed
SI Kilowatts = (Newton. Metres) x Rpm / 9549
Field Horsepower = (Pound. Feet x Rpm) / 5252

9 Rig Pump Power

The circulating rate and the pressure losses in the system determine the power requirements of the
rig pumps
Hydraulic Horsepower = Pump pressure x Flow rate
SI Kilowatts = Kilopascals x (metre3 / Second)
Field Horsepower = (psi x barrels / min) / 40.81
Horsepower = (psi x Gallons / min) / 1714

10 Electric Power
Electric power = Voltage x Current
SI Watts = Volts x Amperes
Field 1 HP = 746 watts
11 Mechanical Efficiency
Percentage relation of mechanical power output to mechanical power input

12 Hydraulic Efficiency
Percentage relation of hydraulic horsepower output to mechanical horsepower input

13 Volumetric Efficiency
Percentage relation between the actual delivered capacity of a pump and the calculated
displacement of the pump

14 Dynamometer
Used to inspect the tension in the cable lines

ROTARY AND HOISTING EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING WIRE ROPES

1 Rotary Table
 To apply torque to the drill string
 To support the string on slips while making a connection

2 The ring gear and pinion of the rotary table is provided with spiral teething to allows it to work
more smoothly so that it does not jerk and is less noisy

3 The locking device of the rotary table should not be used to replace the back-up tong when
making up or breaking out connections as the combination of a torque and a bending momnet
could result in the pipe strength being exceeded
4 Master Bushing - Split or Solid
 To drive the kelly bushing, which in turn drives the kelly
 To accommodate the slips when the pipe is suspended in the slips
 To acts as a wear sleeve

5 Kelly Bushing - Square drive or 4 pin drive

Equipped with rollers that permit the kelly to move freely upwards or downwards when the rotary
is turning or when it is stationary
Four plane rollers when kelly is square
Two plane rollers and two 120 V-rollers when kelly is hexagonal

6 Kelly - Square or Hexagonal

Fully heat-treated chrome molybdenum steel, 4145 hardness range, Brinel 285-341 or Rockwell
C30-50
 Transmits or absorbs torque to or from the drilling string while carrying all the tensile load
 Directs drilling fluid into the string under high pressure
7 Advantage of two-roller kelly bushing:
 Improved kelly guide which reduced vibration and wear

8 Hexagonal kelly has a longer service life than the square kelly as:
 They are subjected to lower stress level
 The machined hexagonal kelly has a greater resistance to wear than the forged square kelly

2 Kelly Cock
Above kelly: Flapper type, bulbous (round) and manually operated
Below kelly: Flush joint, manually operated ball valve used to shut off drill pipe pressure so that
kelly could be disconnected
 Provide protection against flow from the drill pipe and isolate the swivel washpipe packing
and rotary hose from high pressure
3 Kelly Saver Sub
This is made up to the kelly bottom connection and provided with a rubber protector
 It preserves the actual kelly connections and keeping the pin which mates with the drill pipe
in good condition

4 Scabbards
 Used to protect the kelly, when moving it from one location to another, to prevent it from
being bent
 It also serves as a kelly hole on the rig floor and is known as rat hole

5 Bend kelly could results:

 Severe vibrations
 Rubbing and extra wear on the drill pipe tool joints and inside of the wellhead/BOP stack
 Extra alternative bending stresses in the upper part of the string
 Extra wear of kelly and master bushing

6 Swivel
 It is suspended from the hook and travelling block and forms the top of the drill stem and
permits this to rotate freely
 It also provides a connection for the rotary hose and a passage for the flow of drilling fluid
into the drill string

7 Slips
Drill pipe and tubing slips consist of three body segments while slips for drill collars and casing
are made up of a large number of segments
 Wedge-shaped segments with special dies inserted on the inside, which support the pipe when
suspended in the rotary bushings

8 Rotary Tong
 To tighten the screwed connection in the drill string and casing to the recommended torque
and to break these connections when required

9 Power Tong
Hydraulically or pneumatically driven tongs

10 Iron Roughneck
The spinning and torquing tool which is made up of a pipe spinning tool, a power tong and a back-
up tong
 The last tong grip the bottom part of the joint and prevent it from rotation
 The power tong provide the make-up or break-out torque

11 Drums
One step grooved (Parallel) Suitable for two to three layers of line only
Two step grooved (Counter balance) Give good spooling with many more layers of lines

19 Brakes
 Main brakes Utilised to stop the draw works drum
- Band brake
Consists of two flexible steel lined bands that fit around the drum flanges
Brake bands are made of bonded asbestos fibre interwoven with copper wire
Braking capacity depends on diameter of the drum flange, width of the drum flange and
the band and angle of wrap of the band around the drum flange
- Disc brake
Consisting of disks, calliper assembly and hydraulic system
 Auxiliary brakes Utilised to control the descent rate of the travelling block carrying a
heavy load
Ensure that the load comes down slowly and smoothly
Reduce the wear of the mechanical brakes
Take shock loads and weight off the friction brake
Help to stop the travelling block before setting the slips

- Hydromatic brake
Consists of a stator with fixed blades in which a rotor with blades can turn
Amount of energy that can be absorbed depends on the velocity of the rotor and the
quantity of water in the unit
- Electro-dynamic or Eddy current brake
Consists of a steel drum which is rotated through a magnetic field produced by concentric
electromagnets mounted inside the drum
Varying the current supply controls braking force
- Magnetic Particle brake
Consists of a housing containing coils, a rotor and a certain quantity of iron powder
Regulating the power supplied to the coil can control braking force

20 Advantages of Disc brakes over Band brakes:

 Significant noise reduction
 Less downtime on change out of brake pads
 Greater holding power because of less fade than a band brake
 No brake handle “kick back” caused by dragging brake bands
 Ease of remote control and use of advanced controls

21 Advantages of Electro-dynamic or Eddy current brake:

 High braking torque at low rotational speeds
 Slips set without friction brake
 No overrunning clutch
 No belts, slip rings, bands or other wearing devices
 Continual dead weight and heavy shock loads taken off friction brake

22 Summary of the brakes:

 Friction brakes may have very high static friction, the dynamic friction is limited
 Hydraulic or hydromatic brakes and eddy current brakes have no brake torque when the rotor
is not turning. The torque increases as the speed increases. Eddy current brakes achieve their
maximum torque at lower rotating rates than hydromatic brakes
 Magnetic particle brakes can supply a very high torque independent of the rotating rate and,
like the friction brakes, are able to hold the load

23 Block
The crown block is the assembly sheaves on top of the derrick and has one sheave more than the
travelling blockmounted on a common shaft

24 Sheaves
Sheaves diameter depends on the size of wire rope used and the larger the diameter of the sheaves,
the lower the wear on the wire rope

12 Groove
The grooves in the sheaves have a depth of 1.5 times the cable diameter to guide the block line
The groove radius is checked regularly using GO and NO GO gauges

13 Hook
 To support the drilling string
14 Spring between the shank of the hook and the housing
 To pretension the stand of drill pipe so that the tool joint thread will jump out automatically
when spinning out the pipe
 To absorb shocks while pulling the pipe out of the slips

15 Hook/Block Combination
 It is shorter
 The entire assembly has to be taken to the workshop if only the hook has to be repaired

29 Advantages of Top Drive System:

 It saves connection time
 It allows the driller to rotate through tight hole sections without sticking and circulate while
pulling out
 It allows drilling without stopping to pick up the kelly
 It allows better control in directional drilling
 It reduces possibility for accident
 Rapid response to well kick
 It has the ability to rotate and circulate casing through tight spots
 It allows continuous cutting of coring

30 Disadvantages of Top Drive System:

 Most derrick would have to re-modify to accommodate for them
 Drill line has to be slip and cut more often due to increased weight
 It is expensive
 Greater change of having something dropping on the drill floor

31 Elevator
It support the drillpipe, casing, or tubing while it is being raised from, or lowered into the hole
They are attached to the hook by elevator links or bails
May be sub-divided into:
- Centre latch elevators
- Side door elevators
Or may be sub-divided into:
- Collar type elevator
- 18 type elevators It has a conical opening identical to drill pipe
- Slip type elevators Mainly used for tubing

32 Casing Elevators
- Single joint elevator
To pull a single joint of casing from the V-door to the derrick
- Spider elevator
Heavy duty elevator designed for handling long, heavy casing string
Can be converted into casing spider by installing top guard and guide plates
Casing guide bell is installed to the bottom for quick stabbing when used as an elevator

33 Automatic pipe handling

Capable of operating in rough weather and thus reduce down time
They increase safety on the rig floor
They are extremely expensive, relatively complicated and slow in operation
34 Materials that can be used for cores of the Wire Rope:
 Jute
Soft and used for small or medium sized rope where compression is low
 Sisal
Hard, has a greater resistance to compression and required regular lubrication
 Nylon and propylene (fibres)
Extremely wear resistance and does not absorb moisture
 Independent wire rope core
Have a wire core which is the same size as the outer strands and is used where heavy
compression loads are likely and under high temperature conditions

35 Types of LAY:
Regular lay The direction of the lay of the strands is opposite to the lay of the wires in the
strand
Lang Lay The direction of the lay of the strands and the lay of wires in the strand are the
same
It tends to uncoil
Right-handed and left-handed are distinguished according to the direction of the helical line of the
strands

36 Advantages of Regular Lay:

 More stable in operation
 Greater resistance to crushing and distortion
 Less tendency to kink and knot under load
 Easier to handle

37 Advantages of Lang Lay:

 More flexible
 Better resistance to bending fatigue
 Greater wearing surface

38 Preforming
Each individual strand in a steel wire rope is permantly formed into the helical shape it will
assume in the finished rope which means that they are free of internal stress
Advantages:
 No tendency to unstrand
 Greater flexibility
 Easier to handle
 Attaching fittings is easier
 Less susceptible to whipping and vibration
Disadvantages:
 More difficult to spot broken wires

39 Strand Designs:
 Ordinary
Consists of wires, with same diameter, wound in several layers around a wire core
 Seale construction
Consists of several layers of wire, with the same number of wires in each layer
 Warrington construction
The outside layer has double the number of wires of an inside layer
 Filler construction
The empty spaces between the layers of wires are filled up by thin wires
 Warrington-seale construction
There is an additional layer containing the same number of wires as the outside layer
40 Number of strands:
Traditionally most wire ropes consist of six strands around a core.
Advantages of increasing the number of strands:
 Improved flexibility
 Decreased surface pressure
 Increased load carrying capacity
Types:
 6 strand construction
 8 strand construction
 multi-strand construction

41 Non-rotating and Semi-balanced wire ropes

They have two layers of strands around a core, instead of one and these layers are struck to give
them opposite rotating directions under load, to limit the tendency of a steel wire rope to rotate

42 Materials for steel wire rope:

 Bright steel wire
Mainly used for steel wire ropes whose average life span is determined by wear and
destruction and not corrosion
 Galvanised steel
Zinc layer on galvanised steel wire offers better protection against corrosion than greasing a
bright steel wire does
 Stainless steel
Have a high resistance to heat and corrosion

43 Sling angle
When the angle exceeds 120, the tension in the sling will be much higher than the loads it is
carrying

44 Wire rope terminations:

 Spliced eye with timble and serving 100% of breaking strength of wire rope
 Wire with Thimble and Grips 80% of breaking strength of wire rope
 Press grip 90-95% of breaking strength of wire rope
 superloop connection 100% of breaking strength of wire rope
 Cast socket 100% of breaking strength of wire rope
 Wedgr socket 70% of breaking strength of wire rope
 Plate clamp 50% of breaking strength of wire rope

45 Capacity of Drum or Reels

SI L = (A + B) x A x C x K / 1000
Field L = (A + B) x A x C x K
Where: L = rope length in m or feet
A = depth of rope layer in cm or inches = 0.5 (H – B) – M
B = diameter of drum in cm or inches
C = width between reel flanges in cm or inches
H = diameter of flange
M = desired clearance in cm or inches
K =  / d2 in SI unit
K =  / 12 d2 = 0.262 / d2 in field unit
Where d is the nominal rope diameter
46 Fleet angle Angle created when the wire rope moves out of the centre of the hoisting drum
Too large Excessive friction wear on the wire rope and will have a tendency to spool the
cable more to the middle of the draw work drum
Too small Have a tendency not to move fast enough from the flanges of the draw work
towards the middle of the drum, causing prematurely winding up of the cable on
the previous layer
Keep the fleet angle between ½ and 1½

47 Wireline Stabilisers/Guides
Used to reduce bad or uneven spooling onto the draw work drum and reduce whipping in the line

48 Turn Back Rollers

Utilised to reduce scrubbing near the drum flanges

16 Crown-O-Matic
Safety device used to prevent the travelling block from being hoisted too high and hitting the
crown

17 Kinetic Energy Monitoring System or Emergency Stop system

Fitted on rigs with disk brake system
Utilising a block height sensor and the weight indicator, it calculates the travelling block position
and kinetic energy. If the rate of descent is excessive, the alarm will go off and if no action is
taken, the main brake will come on.

18 Reeving
Threading the block line through a number of sheaves in the blocks and fastening the line to the
drum and dead line anchor

52 Snake skin Used to connect the old cable to the new cable on the storage reel

DRILLING FLUID SYSTEMS

1 Drilling Fluid tank

 To store the fluid in sufficient quantity to ensure a constant supply to the suction of the pump
 To serve as a reservoir in which the drilling fluid is cooled and has a low velocity so that the
cuttings can settle out

2 Pumps
- Duplex pump
Cranks are at 90 and the pump can be run at a maximum of 70spm
Efficiency is usually 90% or over
- Triplex pump
Cranks are at 120 and can be run at a maximum of 150 – 170spm
Efficiency is usually 95% or over
To reduce wear, mud pump is usually operating at pressure less than 21000kpa

3 Advantages of triplex pump over duplex pump:

 More even discharge and thus longer service life
 It is lighter and occupies less space
 It is more accessible and thus faster and cheaper maintenance

4 Piston rubber is made of polyurethane and its service life depends on the clearance between the
liner and the piston
5 Losses of volumetric efficiency:
 Leakage losses of the discharge valve
 Leakage losses of the suction valve
 Losses due to a leaking stuffing box
 Leakage losses between piston and liner
 Leakage losses in suction lines
 Air or gas absorbed in liquids

6 Determining the pump efficiency:

By pumping a known volume of fluid from one tank to another and comparing it with the
theorectical volume calculated from the number of strokes made. This should be done whilst
pumping over the well at a reasonable rate to ensure the pump is delivering against pressure

7 Operating limits:
Maximum discharge pressure is determined by the size of liner installed, and the available torque
from the power end
The output volume for a given liner depends on the attainable pump speed

8 Pressure Relief Valve

To prevent too high a pressure being built up in the circulating system
- Cameron shear relief valve
Tripping pressure of the valve is determined by the strength of the shear pin
- Cameron type “B” reset relief valve
Pressure setting is indicated by a pointer and can be changed by turning an adjusting nut

9 Pulsation Dampeners
Placed in the suction and discharge lines in an attempt to minimise the pressure surges caused by
the change of the fluid velocity
- Suction dampeners
During suction stroke, the pump draws the liquid from the dampener and once the suction
stroke has been completed, the air chamber absorbs the flow from the tank and in this
way dampens the shock in the suction line
- Discharge dampeners/ Pulsation dampeners
It is partly pressurised by nitrogen. During the discharge stroke the gas in the pulsation
dampener is compressed. At the end of the discharge stroke the compressed gas expands
sustaining a reasonable steady flow in the the discharge line and dampening the peaks in
discharge pressure.
Consists of a steel spherical body in which a diaphragm is fitted and this separate the
nitrogen from the drilling fluid.
Pre-charge pressure should be 75% of the minimum anticipated pump-operating pressure
and the maximum pressure should not exceed 5250kpa.

10 Booster pumps
To eliminate cavitation, booster or charge pumps are used to maintain a positive a positive
pressure at all times

11 Ways to ensure that the pump cylinders are filled correctly to prevent piston hammering or
pressure surges:
 Pump suction has to be as low as possible to maintain a positive fluid head
 Pump has to be as near to the tank as possible to reduce suction resistance
 Suction line must have an internal diameter as large as possible and it must be well sealed and
secured to prevent air being secked to it
 Tank has to be kept to the normal operating level so that the maximum head is maintain on the
suction
12 Applications of centrifugal pumps:
 For wash down water
 For brake and engine cooling
 For mixing
 For drilling fluid agitation
 For desanding, desilting and degassing the drilling fluid returns from the well
 For supercharging slush pump suction
 For circulating trip tank contents over well head during trips

13 Comparison with reciprocating pumps:

 Centrifugal pump is suitable for constant speed/ variable-delivery operation
 Reciprocating pump’s required power is in proportion to the output pressure, whereas,
centrifugal pump’s required power is in proportional to the throughput. In system overloading
with a positive displacement pump, a bypass valve should open to reduce the pressure and
thus reduce the power required, whereas with a centrifugal pump the throughput must be
lowered to lower the power requirements

14 Advantages and Disadvantages of centrifugal pump as compare to reciprocating pump:

Advantages:
 Light weight
 Take up small space
 Constant flow of liquid
 Quiet running
 High realiability
 Simple drive, direct by electric motor
 Easily adjustable
 Limited maximum pressure which cannot cause damage to the pump casing or discharge line
 No valve needed
Disadvantages:
 Pump is not self-priming and thus has to be filled with liquid when starting up
 Change of milling when air or gas is drawn in
 Less suitable for volatile or hot liquids under atmospheric pressure
 Lower efficiency than plunger pumps
 Low discharge pressure

15 Reasons for having a check valve in the suction line of a centrifugal pump:
 To keep the liquid in the pump from flowing back, which ensures that the pump remains filled
with liquid
 With a high lift it is possible that if the drive falls out the direction of rotation of the impeller
will be reversed which can cause the impeller and shaft to come loose causing damage to the
pump.

16 Fluid delivery output of a centrifugal pump can be regulated by:

 Changing the speed of rotation
 Throttling the discharge valve
Throttling the discharge valve will ultimately damage the throttling valve by fluid erosion. So if it
must continue to run with the discharge shut off, the best method would be to provide a small
return line to recirculate a small amount of fluid.

17 Pressure is proportional to the square of the impeller diameter, and the power proportional to the
third power of the impeller diameter.
18 Impeller sizes:

Application Speed of 1150 rpm Speed of 1750 rpm

Maximum size Minimum size Maximum size Minimum size
mm inch mm inch mm inch mm inch
Desander 355.6 14 330.2 13 266.7 10 ½ 228.6 9
Desilter 355.6 14 330.2 13 266.7 10 ½ 228.6 9
Mud mixing 358.8 14 1/8 330.2 13 266.7 10 ½ 228.6 9
Degassing 358.8 14 1/8 304.8 12 266.7 10 ½ 228.6 9
Supercharging 330.2 13 279.4 11 N/R N/R
Brake cooling N/R 330.2 13 266.7 10 ½

19 Required input power of a centrifugal pump:

Power = Q.h..g / 1000 kw
Where Q = pumping rate m3/s
H = Pressure head m
 = density of drilling fluid kg/m3
g = 9.807 m/s2

20 Drilling fluid treatment:

- Adding or removing solids or their equivalent
- Adding chemicals

21 Basic solids removal techniques:

- Settling, where size and density are both important factors
- Screening, where size of the particle is the important factor

22 Stoke’s Law
Vt = ds2. (s - 1).g / 18
Where Vt = terminal settling velocity of the sphere
ds = diameter of the sphere
s = density of the sphere
1 = density of the liquid
g = acceleration due to gravity
 = viscosity of the liquid

23 Screening The separation of particles by passing the drilling fluid over a wire mesh

24 Functions of the drilling fluid treatment equipment:

 To prepare drilling fluid, or make additional fluid as required
 To treat the circulating drilling fluid and maintain properties as required
 To enable the drilling fluid density to be increased quickly during kick control
 To separate solids from the fluid returns
 To separate gas from the fluid returns

25 Hoppers
Used to mix the additives from bulk storage or sacks into the liquid system. They consist of a
funnel, butterfly valve, vacuum chamber, jet nozzle and a venturi

26 Critical points for correct operation of hoppers:

 Hopper nozzle has to be the correct size and not washed out
 Size of the venturi tube is correct
 Butterfly valve operation is smooth
  Lifting head is not excessive

27 Types of agitators:
 Paddle stirrers
 Bottom jets
 Mud gun

28 Solid removal equipments:

 Shale shaker
 Clay ball trap
 Sand trap
 Hydrocyclones requires a gas-free liquid feed
 Mud cleaners requires a gas-free liquid feed
 Centrifuge requires a gas-free liquid feed

29 Shale shaker
 Is a spring mounted screen which is vibrated by the rotation of an eccentric shaft mounted on
top of the screen frame
 Volume of fluid that can be processed over the screen depends on:
- size of openings in the wire screen
- percentage of open area
- speed and amplitude of the vibrations
- type of motion
- fluid flow properties
- type, size and amount of solids
 Rate of solids discharge depends on:
- type of motion
- speed and amplitude of vibration
- mesh design
- screen strength
 Mesh of the screen can be either:
- square
- rectangular, also known as oblong mesh screen, is stronger than an equivalent square
screen, has a higher open area percentage and therefore a higher capacity
 During operation, 2/3 of the screen area should be wet and 1/3 should be dry
 Required capacity should be set at greater than the maximum pump capacity (150%)
 Advantages of early removal of solids:
- Minimisation of recirculation of cuttings down hole
- Prevention of overloading of the cyclones
- Prevention of generation of fines which can not be removed by cyclones
- Elimination of bit bottom fill
 Disadvantages of early removal of solids:
- Loss of fluid if the screen is too fine
 Types of shale shaker:
- Single deck shakers
Only coarser formation particles could be removed
- Differential single deck shakers
Screens are in parallel and the angle of the screen slope varies
- Double and multiple screen shakers
These have a second, finer screen in series that removes the majority of the finer particles
  Characteristics of shale shaker:
- Amplitude and speed
Normal screen uses low amplitudes and high vibrator speed
Fine screen shaker has high amplitudes at low speed to ensure plugging of screen
- Motion types and slope
Unbalanced motion occurs when the vibrator is mounted in the centre above the screen.
In this mode of operation, the cuttings build up at the discharge end and to dispose of
them the screen must slope towards the solids discharge end
A balanced screen has the vibrator mounted at the centre of gravity and this gives a
circular motion at all positions of the screen and thus an even discharge of the cuttings
Linear motion shakers have the vibrator mounted at the front of the basket through the
centre of gravity and this is achieved by using two counter rotating vibrators which
because of their positioning and vibration dynamics, will naturally operate in phase. This
gives a saw tooth type motion allowing longer residence time on the screen and increased
throughput compared to unbalanced and balanced motion type shakers.
Note: The direction of motion should be in the direction of flow, otherwise the screening action
will be very inefficient

30 Clay Ball Trap

Agglomerations of clay cuttings can cause problems by plugging the return fluid line between the
well and the shale shaker, and if they reach the shale shaker they can interfere with its operation
Current methods:
 Welding a device around the top of the stove pipe where the clay balls can be removed by
hand before entering and plugging the flow line
 Equipping the shale shakers with perforated plates where the fluid enters the screening area;
the clay balls caught in this way can be removed manually or by water spray

31 Sand Trap
It is a tank compartment underneath the shale shaker. It is not agitated, thus allowing the larger
solid particle to settle.

32 Desander / Desilter
 They are used to remove sand and silt particles from the drilling fluid that has already passed
the shale shaker. Their advantages:
- remove fine drill solids
- relatively simple in design
- have no moving parts
- easy to operate
- have a large capacity
 Their capacity must exceed the maximum pump volume of the rig pumps
 They are used only for unweighted drilling fluids as barytes particles will always be removed
more effectively than sand and silt
 The smaller the diameter of the cyclone, the higher is the operating pressure and the smaller
the particles that can be removed. Operating at too low a pressure will results in inefficient
separation; while too high a pressure will give a better separation but the bladders will wear
too rapidly.
 When operating in maximum efficiency, the underflow of the cyclones should be discharged
as a spray. When roping occurs, solid stream of liquid heavily laden with solids, the aperture
in the apex must be opened further. Rope type discharge indicates the cyclone is overloaded;
separation will be inefficient and rig pump wear will be excessive.
  Operating problems:
Sympton Possible cause:
No discharge at the apex - Bottom apex opening plugged
- Inlet orifice completely plugged
- Bladder cut out and plugging discharge
- Feeder header full of trash
Flooding discharge out of apex - Too low pump pressure
- Inlet orifice partially or completely plugged
- Bladder cut out
- Inlet orifice of liner improperly installed
- Feed header full of trash
Inlet-header pressure fluctuating - Air, gas or foam in mud at pump suction
 Problems with hydrocyclones:
- The centrifugal pump and cyclone might operate with entrapped air if the fluid head at
the suction head is below 1.5m
- Apexes might become plugged with solids
- Uneven feed distribution in multi-cone sets
- Irregular operation due to faulty manifolding

33 Mud Cleaners
This consists of a bettery of 101.6mm desilters, mounted over a fine screen shaker. They are used
to separate and save barytes in weighted mud, for low solids muds and oil muds. They are very
inefficient and has been replaced by the advent of linear motion shakers combined with the use of
centrifuges.

34 Decanting Centrifuges
 Two uses:
- To save fines in weighted drilling fluid
- To save fluid phase in unweighted drilling fluid

35 Summary of solids control equipment:

 Shale shaker and sand trap remove coarse particles in the range of 1540 – 200 microns and in
the sand trap particles down to 74 microns
 The desander removes abrasive drilled solids down to 150 microns
 The desilter removes drilled solids and barytes. It separates mainly in the range of 44 – 1000
microns for drilled solids and greater than 30m microns for barytes. Desilters are mainly used
continuously in unweighted drilling fluid. In weighted fluid the desilter is not used, because
too much barytes is expelled, making the addition of new barytes necessary
 The centrifuge separates out particles with a cut off of 3 microns

36 Barytes recovery equipment

 Centrifuges
 Hydrocyclones

37 Gas Removal Equipment

 Mud/gas separator (also known as poor boy separator)
 Vacuum Degasser

38 Separation of gas out of a liquid is promoted by:

 Low pressure
 High temperature
 Movement of gas cut liquids
  Large surface area

39 Problems that can occur with a vacuum degasser:

Symptom Cause/Remedy
Output too low - Increase pressure on jet pump
- Partially or fully plugged jet nozzle
- Suction inlet covered by sand or plugged
Mud after degasser is air/gas cut - Leaks in jet pump/ vacuum chamber
Output too high - Reduce mud flow to jet nozzle
- Throttle butterfly valve
Insufficient vacuum - Check vacuum pump by closing valve 5
- Check all valves and pipe connections for leakage
- Drain automatic liquid shut-off
- Check condition of the jet nozzle
- Check whether the degasser is clogged with dry mud

RIG INSTRUMENTATION

1 Weight indicators
 Drum-like sensors that are filled with fluid.
 They consist of the sensor, connecting hose and dial, and a connection to a recorder
 It provides the following information:
- Hookload
- A comparison of the calculated and measured string weight
- Information about drill string conditions
- Weight-on-Bit
 3 types:
- Sensors on the Deadline Anchor
Checking of sensor is done by injecting some fluid into the system and checking the
indicator reading against the known weight of the hook and travelling block
The fluid chamber and lines must remain air free
- Sensors on the Deadline (Clamp-on type)
Used on small masts or as a back-up instrument to check the recording of other deadline
weight indicators
The sensor is connected to the deadline and an actuator pin is pressed against a bend in
the line
After installing the weight indicator, the fluid has to be precharged until the indicator
reading is exactly the weight of the travelling block assembly
- Sensors under the crown block
It consists of a compression load cell, a hose and a dial indicator
Hook loads are detected by a load cell supporting a pivot mounted centre sheave
assembly and this virtually eliminates the effects of wireline and sheave bearing friction
which under some loading conditions makes the load indications less accurate
The load cell mounting is designed with stops, which limit the movement of the
indicating sheave support and also prevent over-extension of the load cell, which could
damage the diaphragm
 Weight indicator gauge
- Inner fixed dial monitors the hook loads
- Outer dial monitors the weight on bit

2 Rotary Torque Instruments

 Electrical torque indicators
 Mechanical torque indicators
 Hydraulic torque indicators
3 Rotary and Pump speed instruments
Rotary revolutions per minute and pump strokes per minute can be measured by tachometers,
mechanical counter or by the use of a non-contacting (proximity) sensor

4 Standpipe and Casing Pressure Gauges

- Standpipe gauge
Which monitors the surface drill pipe pressure during circulation and while drilling
- Casing pressure gauge
Which monitors the pressure exerted on the annulus
- Remote reading pressure gauges
Sensors with a rubber diaphragm installed at any point where it is desired to measure the pressure
and connected to the indicator unit by a hose, which allows drillpipe and annulus pressures to be
displayed on the driller’s console
- Bourdon-type gauge
It consists of a length of thin-walled metal tubing flattened into an elliptical cross section and then
rolled into a “C” shape. When pressure is applied, the tube tends to straighten out and is
transmitted by levers and gears to indicate the pressure. They are usually used to monitor
standpipe pressure, but are relatively fragile.
Note: Gauges and sensors should always be installed vertically on top of the fluid flow line to
prevent them from becoming clogged by solids

5 Drilling rate recorders

Changes in formation type (lithology, rock strength, porosity) and bit wear can be detected by
changes in drilling rate
Geolograph
- Kelly height system
This system consists of a stainless steel bottle mounted on the kelly goose-neck or top
drive, and linked to a service box by two connecting hoses. A pressurised column of
water is maintained between the kelly chamber and the service box. The pressure in the
transducer, mounted in the service box, detects these variations in pressure and sends a
corresponding signal to the display.
- Block height system
This system uses the draw work rotation to provide measurements of depth and bit
location. The rotation of the draw work results in digital pulses being transmitted via an
electric cable to a decoder, where the signals are converted to a linear output.

6 Tong torque indicators

A tong torque sensor is mounted in the tong line, and consists of a load cell, connected to a gauge
by a hose. The load cell measures the tension or pull, while the gauge indicates either line pull or
tong torque. For the latter case, a particular gauge or gauge face is suitable for one length of tong
arm only.

7 Pit Volume Totaliser

This gives a signal of changes taking place in the active pit volumes during drilling and tripping
and these are obtained by measuring the changes in liquid levels. The degree of accuracy is
inversely proportional to the total surface area of the tanks.
The liquid levels in the tanks are measured by floats, or ultrasonically:
Swing arm float
It consists of a floating ball on a swing arm that rotates a rheostat, as it rises or falls, providing a
response to angular movement
Vertical float
The displacement of the float is transmitted via a cable and a pulley to a potentiometer
 Delaval sensor
It consists of a float which moves on a hollow, but, closed, central pillar. Inside the pillar is a
linear potentiometer plus an array of magnetically actuated reed switches. The reed switches are
actuated by a magnet within the float and make contact with the potentiometer in turn as the float
moves up and down the pillar
Ultrasonic sensors
An ultrasonic transducer, mounted 1 meter above the highest drilling fluid level, transmits a sound
wave downward into the drilling fluid tank and the sound wave is reflected by the liquid surface
and received by a second transducer. This cannot be used if the drilling fluid is foaming.

8 Return flow meters

Their primary application is to detect changes in the rate of return flow, more advanced types can
be calibrated to measures flow volume. To achieve a high accuracy, the flow line must have a low
angle of decline and never be more than three-quarters full.
Paddle types These operate on the principle of hinged paddles which deflected as the flow
passed through. The degree of deflection is transmitted to a meter, a data
acquisition system or a recorder and is calibrated to measure flow
Target type A smaller, narrower paddle attached to a rigid hinge using a strain gauge to
measure the lateral force, which is calibrated to measure flow.

9 Differential flow meters

It is the best indicator that fluid is being produced by, or lost to, the well. It consists of two
electromagnetic induction flow meters, one in the pump line and one in the return line. The
indicator computes the difference and displays it as a net flow to or from the well.

10 Flammability of both H2S and hydrocarbon gases will occur between two limits:
Low Explosive Limit (LEL)
Below which the concentration of gas and air is too lean to exploded and burn
Upper Explosive Limit (UEL)
Above which the concentration of gas is too rich to explode

11 Gas Detection
 Return drilling fluid detectors
- Flame Ionisation Detectors (HC detection)
It ionises hydrocarbon gases into hydrogen and carbon and induced a current which is
proportional to the percentage of hydrocarbons in the sample
- Thermal Conductivity Detectors (HC detection)
It uses a Wheatstone Bridge circuit in which two heated metal filament resistors are
exposed to reference (air) and hydrocarbon gases. The filament will be cooled by an
amount based on the thermal conductivities of the gases and its resistance will change
- Catalytic Combustion Detectors (HC detection)
In addition to the Wheatstone Bridge technique, a catalyst is used to promote the
oxidation of the hydrocarbons and this oxidation increases the temperature and thus the
resistance of the filament
- Infrared Detectors (HC detection)
It compares the wavelengths of the radiation emitted by the reference (air) and the sample
gases to detect for hydrocarbon
- Metal-oxide Detectors (H2S detection)
It depends on the reversible reduction of a metallic oxide by hydrogen sulphide, which
causes a change in electrical resistance, as the means of detection
- Metal-acetate Detectors (H2S detection)
It uses a substrate of metallic acetate, which turns from white to brown/ black, as it reacts
with H2S to form metallic sulphide
Note: H2S is usually removed before passing to other detectors as the HC gas detectors usually
contain catalyst that could be poisoned by H2S

 Stand alone continuous monitoring systems

They are automatic detectors and alarm devices that are installed on a rig at places where
hydrocarbon and H2S can be expected.
 Hand held gas detectors
Drager gas detector
It consists of a hand held bellows pump with a test-tube holder. The stroke of the bellow is
limited by a chain, which ensures that the volume per stroke is constant. The test tube is filled
with a colourless, crystalline material, which becomes coloured after coming into contact with
the gas. The length of the coloured section of the column, in combination with the number of
strokes on the bellows, determines the concentration of the gas.
Explosion meter (Sniffer)
As oxygen and the hydrocarbon gas reacts near the surface of the platinum wire, its
temperature increases and increases its resistance. This change in resistance is measured by a
very sensitive ohmmeter which indicates the value in percentages of the lower explosive limit.

WELL CONTROL EQUIPMENT

1 Functions of Well Control Equipment

 To close off the well bore and stop a well flow in case of loss of primary control
 To be able to keep the bottom hole pressure equal to the formation pressure while preparing
for and restoring primary control

2 Well Control Equipment includes:

 Preventer stack
 Last set casing string
 Well head
 Choke and kill manifold
 Control unit
 Drill string components

3 Working pressure classification

 13800kpa (2000psi) WP
 20700kpa (3000psi) WP
 34500kpa (5000psi) WP
 69000kpa (10000psi) WP
 103500kpa (15000psi) WP
Note: Well control equipment can only provide proper protection only if the pressure rating is adequate

4 General considerations:
 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 34500kpa (5000psi) WP and
higher with a trend to the 69000kpa (10000psi) WP classification
 The blow out preventer stack should consist of remote controlled equipment 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 13800kpa
(2000psi)
 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 508mm (20in) and 45
seconds for annular preventers of 508mm (20in) and larger

5 Number and type of BOP to be used will depends on:

 Size
 Formation pressure
 Probability of these pressures

6 Choke Manifold:
 Assembly of valves, through which the return flow from the well is routed when the blowout
preventers are closed, with the purpose of applying a calculated back pressure
 They always include at least two adjustable chokes
 They provide alternative flow paths for the fluid so that if necessary chokes can be changed
and valves repaired without stopping the flow
 All high pressure parts of the manifold should have the same working pressure rating as the
BOP stack
 They are connected to the hydraulically operated choke line valve and the BOP stack by a
high pressure flexible hose, or alternatively a high pressure steel line

7 Valve setting
Whenever 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

8 Valves
 Cameron Type F gate valve Page3/5/13
 WKM gate valve Page 3/5/14
 Hydraulically operated choke line valve Page 3/5/15
 HCR pressure operated gate valve Page 3/5/15

9 Choke and kill line outlet valves:

 Choke line must have a minimum ID of 76.2mm (3”), the kill line may be as small as 50.8mm
(2”), albeit that this might restrain operational flexibility should immediate substitution of a
choke line be required. During normal operation, the inner choke and kill line valves should
remain open and the outer 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 aurment the choke line, it is highly
desirable to install a check valve upstream of the stack valves

10 Chokes:
 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
 3 types: page3/5/16
- Manual adjustable choke
Typical needle valve type manual adjustable choke
This type of choke should never be left “closed” for long periods of time as temperature
expansion of the needle can damage the seat and the needle may freeze in the seat
- Replaceable fixed choke
Here the adjustable spindle valve is 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
- Remote controlled choke
 They are operated from a panel, usually on the rig floor
This operating panel should include:
Drill pipe pressure gauge, annulus pressure gauge, pump stroke counter, choke selection
switch, maximum allowable annulus pressure setting regulator, choke control lever and
throttles for the pumps
 Types of choke:
- Cameron AX choke
- Swaco Super choke

11 High pressure lines and hoses: Page3/5/20

 Hammer unions
 Chiksan swivel joint
 High pressure hoses

12 BOP stack
Shallow well large diameter stack with low working pressure rating
Deeper well small diameter stack with high working pressure rating

13 Annular preventer
 Factors affecting life span of annular preventer
- Closing pressure should be as low as practically possible
- Testing the annular preventer under high test pressures significantly shortens the life of
the packing unit
- Closing the annular preventer without pipe in the the hole will shorten the life of the
packing unit
- Motion reversal is hard on the packing unit
- Spare packing units should be stored in a dark, cool room
 Time taken to closed the annular preventer could be reduced by using larger lines and fittings
 Regulator valve, used to regulate the annular preventer closing pressure, should allow fluid
passage back through it if the line pressure increases (stripping a tool joint)
 The arrangement of small accumulator bottle placed in the closing line of the annular
preventer, to allow for hydraulic fluid movement when stripping, can reduce the packing unit
wear
 Hydril GK Annular preventer, NL shaffer spherical annular preventer, Cameron type D
annular preventer

14 Ram type preventers

 It consists of a ram head with extrudable packer material for sealing and a pipe centring
wedge
 The ram head sits on a piston rod, which connects it to the hydraulic chambers and seals
 Shearing blind rams, pipe rams, variable rams

15 Shearing procedure
 Raise the bit off the bottom and position the drill pipe in the preventer so that the tool joint is
definitely not located in the shear ram cavity
 To ensure proper alignment for shearing, a set of pipe rams may be closed before the shear
rams are activated. Also, if the string is not to fall down the hole after being sheared a string
may first be landed on a closed and locked pair of pipe rams some 750mm below the shear
rams. The tool joint and upset portion of the drill pipe must be below the lower edge of the
shear ram cavity to ensure that the pipe is sheared successfully
 Close the shear blind rams with 20700kpa/3000psi operating pressure

16 Cameron type U ram type BOP

 Available as single or as double units
 The way the BOP is opened to replace the rams is covered in page3/5/34
  Mechanical locking mechanism is a simple bolt engaging the thread in a locking screw
housing that is flanged onto the bonnet
 Subsea system is called a wedge lock which use hydraulic power to force a wedge across the
end of an extension rod attached to the operating piston

17 Shaffer Ram type BOP

 Each ram and its operator are completely self-contained in the end section, with hydraulic
connections built into the hinge. This eliminates drainage problems and the need to break or
remake connections when changing or servicing rams
 Rams can be easily changed by unbolting and swinging open the doors
 Mechanical locking mechanism is a bolt which screws not into a housing but into the ram
shaft itself
 Advantage is that the threads on the manual locking shaft are enclosed in the hydraulic fluid
and are not exposed to corrosion from mud and salt water or to freezing
 Subsea system is called Poslock, locks the rams each time they are closed, which eliminates
the additional complication and cost of a second hydraulic function for locking the rams

18 Hydril Ram type BOP

 A single BOP with a manual locking mechanism designed for land operations
 Like the shaffer system the rams are contained in hinged outer sections of the housing
 They have two separate hinges at each joint with two different functions, which are to carry
the load and to make a connection for the hydraulic fluid
 Locking mechanism is identical to the shaffer
 Hydraulic locking mechanism is called Multiple Position Locking and also locks the rams
automatically each time that they are closed

19 Diverters
 A surface diverter system, consisting of an annular preventer and vent lines, allows the flow to
be directed to a safe area
 Vent line should be as large and as straight as practical, so as to minimise back pressure,
erosion and the risk of plugging by formation debris
 Hydraulic operating line should have a 38.1mm diameter to allows the diverter to closed
within a specified time period

20 Accumulator bottle
 The hydraulic energy required to operate the BOPs is stored in a number of accumulator
bottles which contain either a bladder type diaphragm or a piston to separate the nitrogen from
the hydraulic fluid
 Precharge pressure of the nitrogen should be approximately 1380kpa/200psi below the
minimum operating pressure
 Without recharging, the accumulator capacity shall be adequate for closing and opening all
preventers and closing again the annular preventer and one ram type preventer, and holding
them closed against the rated working pressures of the preventers

21 Four way valves

 Used for closing and opening the blowout preventers and they are actuated either by remote
control, which activates a hydraulic cylinder, or by hand
 If remotely operated, a pilot signal may first activate a three-way pilot valve

22 Pressure regulating valve

 They keep a pre-set reduced pressure on a hydraulic system
 It works on the principle of a pressure differential between the force exerted by a spring and
the oil pressure to the regulator. Equilibrium is reached therefore when the set spring pressure
is equal to the force exerted by the oil pressure – the regulator is then closed. If the pressure to
 the regulator is higher than the spring force, the regulator spool will rise, overcoming the
spring force, and allow oil to escape. As soon as the pressure behind the regulator has dropped
below the set value, the spring force will move the spool downwards and supply oil until the
required pressure has been achieved

23 Additional required well control tools:

 Two lower kelly cocks
 Subs, for connecting the kelly cock to the drill collars in use
 Two drop-in type back pressure valves
 A gray type inside BOP
 A 69000kpa (10000psi) WP, 50.8mm/2inch or 76.2mm/3inch rotating type circulating head
with correct bottom subs for the drill string sizes in use
 A left hand threaded upper kelly cock
 A test sub for testing the kelly and kelly cock should be available on site

24 Upper kelly cock

 Often a Omsco kelly cock
 It maintains pressure from below after it is closed
 It is used when the kelly is almost down, the string stuck and the swivel or hose starts to leak
during a well kill

25 Lower kelly cock

 Often a Hydril or T.I.W. kelly cock
 The simplicity and reduced weight of this type of valve have led to it being used more and
more as a stab-in valve
 It can be ordered with either left hand or right hand thread, and could in principle also replace
the Omsco upper kelly cock

26 Inside BOPs
 3 types
- Gray valve
- Drop in check valve
- Float sub (bit sub)
 They are check valves closing with flow from below but free to pump through from above
 When there is light flow the gray valve can be installed directly on the drill pipe
 With strong back flow the force of the flowing mud can be so strong that it is not possible to
install the gray valve due to its obstructed bore. In such case, a kelly cock, which has full bore
passage, has to be installed first. After the kelly cock is made up and the annular preventer is
closed, the gray valve will then be installed if it is decided to strip the string into the hole. The
valve release screw is undone and the spring will close the valve. The locking sub is then
removed and the kelly cock opened.

27 Circulating head
 They must be designed to withstand the rated pressure of all other surface equipment and
possess the same standards of safety

28 Mud/gas separator
 It is designed to provide rapid venting of gas and recovery of the bulk of the drilling fluid
 Main design features:
- Adequate height and diameter (minimum 48” diameter and 16 feet height)
- Internal baffling to aid gas break out
- Fluid seal by U-tube into the trip tank or dip tube
- Gas vent outlet of adequate diameter and length
 - Liquid outlet to be larger diameter

29 Testing of well head and well control equipment

 Functional test on
- all preventers which close around pipe
- all pressure and manually operated kill and choke line valves
- all kelly cocks
should be carried out each time they have been installed and each time a new bit has been run
to the casing shoe. The blind rams should be operated at least once a week
 Pressure test should be made on all blowout preventers, wellhead components and their
connections, the BOP closing unit, the choke manifold, kill and choke lines, the kelly or top
drive valves and other drill string shut-off valves in line with governmental regulations and/or
- after installation of wellhead and BOP assembly and prior to drilling
- Everyweek or every fortnight, depending on type of operation, operator’s governmental
procedures/regulations
- Prior to drilling into expected high pressure zones
- Prior to a production test
- At any time requested by the company drilling representative

30 Casing Tests
 To verify that the casing string integrity is sufficient to contain the maximum anticipated burst
loads
 Integrity for collapse loads is generally only tested, indirectly, when inflow testing liner laps
 The differential pressure exerted at any point is equal to or exceeds the maximum expected
load but remains less than 91% of the rated internal yield pressure
 The preferred time to test the casing is immediately following cementation prior to the cement
setting, also called “green cement test”. This test may not be sufficient as it is further limited
to ensure that:
- the differential pressure at the casing shoe does not exceed the pressure rating of the float
equipment
- the resultant tensile load does not exceed 77% of the rated pipe body yield strength at the
critical point of the string
 P = 0.875 x 2 x t x Y / D
Where
P = internal yield pressure, without safety factor
T = the actual wall thickness
Y = Specified minimum yield strength for the given casing grade
D = Actual OD
Note: It is recommended that a green cement pressure test is restricted to 75% of the casing internal
yield pressure
When testing with a retrievable packer, it should preferably be set above the top of cement and
shall not be placed within 80m of the shoe or within 80m of a hydrocarbon bearing zone
Casing pressure tests should be carried out for 10 minutes

31 Subsequent pressure tests

 Surface and intermediate casings may be pressure tested after a maximum period of about 30
days drilling through it and thereafter when it is judged necessary. It also tested after a liner
has been installed.
  Bottom 80m of the casing is not pressure tested during these subsequent tests to avoid damage
to the primary cementation by causing a microannulus to form. The same consideration
applies if hydrocarbon are present behind the casing

32 Tests of X-bushing and slip and seal assembly or BRX hanger

 Before a casing head spool is installed on the well head the side outlet valves are installed.
These valves are first pressure tested to their rated pressure using a test flange
 Once the spool is installed on the well head the X-bushing seal is energised by injecting
plastic. As soon as the seal is energised it is pressure tested before the complete BOP stack is
bolted onto it
 If a BRX hanger has been used the pressure test can be carried out immediately after the spool
is installed

33 Surface wellhead and BOP tests

 After flanging up the BOPs, a function test is done to ensure all hydraulic operating lines are
hooked up correctly. The whole well head, stack and manifold connection can be pressure
tested using the CUP TYPE tester and the close annular preventer
 The test pressure is the lower value of casing burst pressure and rated pressure of well head
and BOP
 The preventers are tested to their working pressure using a PLUG TYPE tester which seats in
the landing area of the casing head spool. BOWL TYPE tester or a combination tool for
testing and running the wear bushing can also be used
 When applying test pressure the side outlets of the casing head spool, which are or could be
exposed below the test plug, should be opened to avoid pressurising the casing below
 To test preventers closing around pipe, either a test joint or short test sub with a hole drilled
into the side, or the kill line can be used. The first method has the advantage that the test
pressure can be bled off at a choke, installed for this purpose in the standpipe manifold
 To test the blind rams, the kill line must be used, because well pressure assists in closing most
preventers. They should also be tested at a low operating pressure
 The cup tester is run with open ended pipe to prevent pressurisation of the casing. The pipe
must be strong enough to withstand the tensile load caused by the hydraulic pressure on the
cup area
 The choke manifold, valves, kill and choke lines and valves on the side outlets are pressure
tested with water to the rated working pressure of the ram type preventers. All lines must be
first to ensure they are not blocked. These tests may not be performed against closed chokes

34 Accumulator tests
Accumulator precharge pressure must be checked prior to drilling out cement and thereafter at
regular intervals
The complete test procedure is as follows:
 Check accumulator fluid pressure
 Check accumulator reservoir level
 Switch off accumulator pumps
 Close and open all preventers and check accumulator fluid pressure; record closing times.
Adequate pressure and volume should still be present to close one annular and one ram type
preventer
 Switch on accumulator recharging time
 Check BOP closing times and accumulator recharge time with manufacturer’s data for the
system in use
35 Evaluation of pressure tests
 To ensure that small leaks are also detected the applied test pressure should be observed for at
least 10 minutes
 A constant pressure during the full 10 minutes of test is the ideal result, but a certain drop in
pressure is also often acceptable, depending on the way in which this drop occurs
 Initial drop of less than 10% and then stable for remaining time is acceptable

35 Installation requirements for well head and BOP equipment:

The following practices and procedures enable safe well control operations to be carried out:
 Adequate well head equipment should be installed to withstand anticipated pressures and
allow for future remedial operations
 Ram type preventers should be installed the correct way up
 All connections, valves, fittings, piping must be flanged, clamped or welded and have a
minimum working pressure equal to the rated working pressure of the preventers
 Valves must be of the flush through bore type when in the open position. Screwed valves and
fittings are only acceptable on installations up to 13800kpa/2000psi WP
 When installed, all ring gaskets should be new, checked for cleanliness and coated with light
oil. Dry and/or previously used ring gaskets should never be installed
 All bolts and fittings should be in place and tight, and all connections pressure tested, before
drilling is resumed
 The ID of the bell nipple to be installed should be large enough for hanger and seal assemblies
to pass through. Slip and seal assemblies should preferably be landed through the BOPs
before lifting the BOP stack
 When boll-weevil hangers (BRX) are used to land the casing string before cementing, well
head side outlets should have a bore large enough to avoid excessive annular pressure whilst
cementing
 All manually operated valves should be equipped with handwheels, and be ready for
immediate use
 Ram type preventers on surface BOP stacks should be installed with extensions and
handwheels connected, and ready for use
 The company drilling representative should inspect and approve every BOP installation after
flanging up and testing
 Well head side outlets should not be used for killing purposes, except in case of serious
emergencies
 All pipe lines should be securely anchored
 Choke lines should be as straight as possible: no more than one choke line should be
connected to the choke manifold
 Kill lines should not be used for routine fill-up operations