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Blowout Preventer
Blowout Preventer is the most critical equipment on rig for safety of drilling crew,drilling rig and environment when blowout threatens.It is basically a large valve on the top of the well used to prevent blowout by sealing and controlling release of crude oil and natural gas from well.BOP’s are developed to handle extreme pressure and formation kick generated from reservoir during drilling as they can lead to potential dangerous situation known as blowout.Additionally BOP’s are also intended to prevent drill pipe,casings,tools and drilling fluid to get blown out of the rig.
When drilling crew looses control of formation fluids,they close BOP ,usually its closed remotely by hydraulic mechanism.Once drilling crew regains control of reservoir than they can increase mud weight until its possible to open BOP and keep pressure in control.
When BOP is closed,it performs below primary functions:-
- Keeps well fluid within wellbore.
- Provide ways to add fluid to wellbore
- Let drilling crew withdraw limited volume of fluid from reservoir.
Secondary functions performed by BOP’s are :-
- Monitor and control wellbore pressure.
- Suspend drillstring in the wellbore.
- Cut the casing or drill pipe in emergency.
- Shut the well and if required kill the well