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Title: Shear ram use affected by accumulator size

Journal Article · · Oil and Gas Journal; (United States)
OSTI ID:5432854
 [1]
  1. Gulf Canada Resources Ltd., Calgary (CA)

On many onshore drilling operations, once the annular blowout preventer (BOP) is closed, there may be insufficient remaining accumulator pressure to shear the drill pipe immediately. Initial function tests of several onshore accumulator systems identified significant differences between actual and calculated remaining system pressure. The remaining system pressure becomes important because various drill pipe sizes, weights, and grades require different shearing pressures. The temperature and pressure drops associated with nitrogen expansion (accumulator gas) after BOP functioning dramatically impact remaining system pressure. Subsequent to the last Lodgepole blowout in October 1982 and the issuance in July 1987 of the Alberta Recommended Practices (ARPs) for Drilling Critical Sour Wells, the Energy Resources and Conservation Board (ERCB) has required shear rams for many critical sour wells. A critical sour well, according to ERCB, is a classification based on H{sub 2}S release rate potential and well proximity to populated centers. This paper reports on a study of accumulator systems because little onshore operational data on shear ram deployment were available.

OSTI ID:
5432854
Journal Information:
Oil and Gas Journal; (United States), Vol. 89:31; ISSN 0030-1388
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English