Diverter Policy

Mandatory when:
offshore and no BOP nippled up
onshore if shallow gas
expected

Flow Line

Diverter

Minimum WP:
200 psi (land rigs)
300 psi (offshore, barge)

Minimum line diameter:

10 offshore ( 2 lines)
6 land ( 1 line OK)

To Trip Diverter
Tank Line
Valve
Diverter Line

Closing times:
20 or less, 30 seconds or less
> 20, 45 seconds or less

Full-Opening Valves
(automatically opens
when diverter closes).
Gate valves ok. Ball
valves are best. No
guillotine valves

Drilling Spool
Required on all rigs
Flanged connections
Height sufficient to
allow stripping
3 minimum choke
line outlet
2 minimum kill line
outlet
Use of BOP side outlet
requires deviation

Annular

Drilling
Spool
Drill Pipe

Blind

Drill Pipe

HCV and Manual Gate Valve on

Choke Line
Annular

Kill
line
side
Note: a check valve
and manual gate
valve are acceptable
on Kill line side for
some low pressure
wells

Drill Pipe

Blind

Master Valve

Manu
al
Gate
Valve HCV

Chok
e line
side

Master Ram Concept

Lowermost ram

Annular

Emergency use only

Never hang-off pipe

Drill Pipe

Never strip pipe

Pipe rams only. No
VBRs
Can close to change
rams higher in stack

Blind

Master Ram

Surface BOP Stack

Arrangements
Minimum requirements have been set for a range
of drilling scenarios (well types)
Arrangement selected on a well by well basis
Pressure rating established by pre-determination
of maximum anticipated surface pressure
Maximum anticipated surface pressure
determined by
Casing design per ExxonMobil LRFD Methodology
Overriding regulatory requirements

Pressure rating must be = or > wellhead WP

General Guidelines
(from Surface BOPE Manual)
Conditions
Drilling Below Surface
Casing

Min # of
Preventer
s
2

Arrangeme
nt
Type
2A, 2B

Working
Pressure
not to
Exceed
2,000 psi

Drilling Below Surface

Casing

3,000 psi

Drilling Below Protective

Casing

3A, 3B, 3C.

3D

3A, 3B, 3D

5,000 psi

Drilling Below Protective

Casing

4A, 4B, 4C

10,000 psi

5A, 5B

15,000 psi

Drilling Below Protective

Casing

Five BOP (Four Ram) Stack Drilling Configuration

Annular

Drill Pipe

Designation is 5A

All USA water

operations

Up to 15,000 psi
rating

Double ram BOP

permitted above
spool

Blind

Drill Pipe

Drill Pipe

Five BOP Stack for Tapered

String - Drilling
Annular

Large Drill Pipe

Designation is 5B

Small pipe rams

third ram cavity
(from top)

Change small rams

to large rams if
ram-ram stripping
required with large
pipe

Blind

Small Drill Pipe

Large Drill Pipe

Surface BOP Stack

Connections
Use only bolted flanges
Clamped connections require an exception

Use only API RX or BX ring gaskets

6B flanges/RX gaskets for WP up to 5,000 psi
6BX flanges/BX gaskets when WP>5,000 psi

Discard all used ring gaskets

Do NOT use Teflon or rubber coated
ring gaskets

Hydril Annular BOP

Large, bowl-shaped valve

designed to seal the
annulus

Donut shaped rubber

sealing element

Seals around any drill

string component,
including open hole

Hydraulically actuated

Hydril Annular Element

Commonly used Annular
BOP
Element can be split
Choice of materials
Excessive closing
pressure causes extrusion
and rubber loss
Wellbore clearance
reduced with time and
wear
Natural rubber Code = R
Hydril recommends use of
muds
the LL element - Long Life
Nitrile rubber
Code = S
Neoprene
Code = N

Water base
Oil base muds
Oil muds at