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SECTION 2
2. WELL CONTROL METHODS
2.1 GENERAL
2.2 BARRIER THEORY
2.3 WELL INTERVENTION PRESSURE CONTROL
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WELL CONTROL METHODS
2. WELL CONTROL METHODS
2.1 GENERAL
This section illustrates the various well control methods and practices employed on all the
various well intervention servicing methods and includes a section to explain barrier theory.
The most significance between the various types of well service methods is whether they are
live well or dead well interventions as this impacts specifically on the equipment and methods
of well control employed. Dead well interventions, in terms of the IWCF, are classified as
work-overs and well control methods for these are covered in the IWCF drilling test. The
methods are addressed in this course are those used specifically in live well interventions.
There is a distinct difference between the terminology used between well control used in
rig work-over operations and that in live well interventions. Work-over well control uses
a combination of barriers and procedures in a systematic method to contain pressure
down-hole whereas live well interventions use a system of barriers to contain pressure at
surface. Barrier theory and these systems are described in the following sections.
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WELL CONTROL METHODS
2.2 BARRIER THEORY
Definition: A Barrier is any device, fluid or substance that prevents the flow of well bore
fluids.
There are two types of barriers:
• Mechanical.
• Hydrostatic.
A rule common to well intervention activities worldwide regarding pressure control is
that a minimum of two independent and tested barriers shall be available at all times. In
any circumstance where either of the barriers has failed, or there are indications that it is
likely to fail, immediate action must be taken to re-instate or supplement that barrier and
returning the well to double barrier protection again.
The ‘primary barrier’ is the term used to describe the first line system of pressure
containment and ‘secondary barrier’ the next line of defense. Nowadays, it is common,
especially of high pressure wells, to install a third line of defense or a ‘tertiary’ barrier.
The particular status of the well will have different barriers in place for given operations and
well circumstances. For instance, the completion provides barriers in the form of individual
Xmas tree valves and a sub-surface safety valve, however, when running coiled tubing, these
cannot be closed and therefore are not available barriers until the BHA is above them.
The function of well control in well interventions, is the arrangement of the barriers into
groups and their systematic operation to provide competent well control. As stated earlier,
these are conveniently arranged into three main categories of pressure control, namely:
• Primary.
• Secondary.
• Tertiary.
Each of these consist of at least one, or a combination of mechanical barriers described below.
NOTE: These categories may not be the terms used in some areas of the
world, especially where the common language is not English.
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WELL CONTROL METHODS
2.2.1 Mechanical Barriers
Mechanical barriers can be either closed barrier systems such as a wireline lubricator system
complete with a stuffing box, i.e. the complete surface pressure envelope or closeable barrier
systems which are held open to allow well entry but available and ready to be closed at any
time on demand. Various types of closed and closeable barriers are listed below.
Types of closed barriers typically are:
• Wireline stuffing box (or grease control head)/lubricator/riser pressure envelopes.
• Coiled Tubing stripper/riser pressure envelops.
• Snubbing strippers (or annular preventers)/riser pressure envelopes.
• Coiled tubing check valves.
• Snubbing work string check valves.(Back pressure valves)
Types of closeable barriers are:
• BOP rams.
• Xmas tree valves.
• Subsurface safety valves. *
• Shear/seal valves/BOPs.
• Annular preventers.
Additional barriers can be installed down-hole, either as a back up to a failed primary or
secondary barrier or to allow removal of the Xmas tree for repair or for installation of
work-over BOPs. These barriers may be:
• Wireline plugs.
• Bridge plugs.
• Cement plugs.
• Ice plugs.
• Overbalance hydrostatic fluid.
* Sub-surface safety valves are acceptable as barriers during normal operations if they
are tested in accordance with the test criteria given below, however, to be used for
well plugging, i.e. for Xmas tree removal before a rig operation, it must be leak tight.
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Common Barrier Definitions
Some other commonly used barrier definitions are given below:
Leak-tight No observable flow or pressure change.
Failsafe A device which returns to the closed position on loss of the control function.
Fail to Test Failure of a barrier to meet test criteria.
Fail to Close Inability of a device to move to the closed position.
Positive Plug Holds pressure from above and below.
Barrier Integrity
Mechanical barriers must be tested, preferably from the direction of anticipated flow.
Tests on closed type barriers should be leak-tight. The leakage rate on closeable barriers
such as Xmas tree valves etc. should be the API leakage criteria: 400 cc/min or 900 scf/hr
with the exception of sub-surface safety valves used in well plugging (refer to note above
in list of closeable barriers). Each operator should develop procedures for testing of Xmas
tree and sub-surface safety valves to meet this criteria. This is problematic in subsea
completions where there are long undulating production flow lines and riser systems
which makes it difficult to calculate leakage rates for various well GORs and downstream
volumes; however to help, formulae are provided in API 14A.
2.2.2 Hydrostatic Barriers
Hydrostatic barriers are provided by liquids. A liquid is only a barrier when the
hydrostatic head of pressure is greater than the formation pore pressure at the top of the
producing interval and when the fluid level and condition (i.e. weight) can be monitored.
The specific gravity of the fluid to be used as a barrier may be difficult to predict without
good formation pressure data. The hydrostatic overbalance provided should be circa 200
psi. but may be adjusted to counter for high losses in wells which cannot support this
differential, especially troublesome when using solids free brines.
A fluid can only be confirmed as a barrier after diligent monitoring of the well over a specified
period of time, to ensure that any thermal expansion contraction effects have ceased.
Typical fluid barriers are:
• Drilling muds.
• Completion brines.
• Seawater.
• Fresh water.
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WELL CONTROL METHODS
2.2.3 Primary Pressure Control
Primary pressure control is the system which provides the first line of defense from an
uncontrolled well flow. In each of the well servicing intervention methods it is provided
by different mechanical systems. On a wireline rig up it is simply the stuffing box and
lubricator envelop, however on a C/T or snubbing rig up, it consists of the riser pressure
envelop and internal work string check valves.
2.2.4 Secondary Pressure Control
Secondary pressure control is the system which provides the second line of defense in the
event that primary well control cannot be properly maintained. This is generally provided
by the BOP system .
If pumping facilities are available, although undesirable, a hydrostatic fluid barrier can be
placed in the wellbore as a secondary barrier when either the primary or original
secondary barrier has failed and there is no tertiary barrier.
2.2.5 Tertiary Pressure Control
Tertiary pressure control is not always available but may be an additional third and final
line of defense in the event that secondary well control cannot be properly maintained.
This is usually a shear seal valve or BOP system. This may be an integral part of the
Xmas tree (e.g. a wireline or coiled tubing cutting actuator), or installed directly on top of
the tree immediately before operations commence.
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WELL CONTROL METHODS
2.3 WELL INTERVENTION PRESSURE CONTROL
The method of pressure control on live wells with wireline, coiled tubing or snubbing
services methods, is provided by primary, secondary and occasionally tertiary barrier
systems as outlined above. In live well interventions, it is not generally necessary to
provide kill facilities unless there is higher risk due extreme high pressure or the presence
of high concentrations of H2S. In many applications, pumping services may be on hand
for other operations such as well clean-outs and stimulations and may double as a kill
facility provided there is a suitable supply of kill fluid and a handling system.
2.3.1 Wireline
Slickline
Wireline relies entirely on the lubricator system to provide primary pressure control.
Secondary pressure control is provided by the wireline BOPs and tertiary well control
may be available in the form of another wireline cutting valve, either contained in the
Xmas tree or as a shear/ seal valve or BOP installed on top of the Xmas tree.
The various pressure control barrier systems are:
Primary
• Stuffing box and lubricator system.
• Check valve if the wireline breaks and is ejected from the lubricator.
• Xmas tree valves when installing into, or removing tools from, the lubricator
Secondary
• Wireline BOP rams/valve which can close and seal around the wire.
• Xmas tree upper master, if the wire is broken and ejected.
• SCSSV, if wire is above it.
The BOP rams can be used for stripping wire out of a well but only when absolutely
necessary. Stripping through the BOPs is only carried out to find the free end of the wire
for wireline recovery.
Tertiary
• Wireline cutting valve/BOP.
• Xmas tree valve, if absolutely necessary.
In the event of primary and secondary failure with no tertiary barriers available, a Xmas
tree valve can be used to sever the wire, as they can easily cut wireline although the valve
seat may be damaged. The valve used should be the upper master for two reasons:
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WELL CONTROL METHODS
• If the lower master is used and damaged, it requires the well to be plugged before repair.
• If the swab is used and damaged the well cannot be used for production as there is
no longer double barrier protection from the production fluid.
Braided Line
The system for braided line is very similar to slickline. Pressure control is provided by:
Primary
• Grease seal and lubricator system.
• Check valve if the wire breaks and is ejected from the lubricator.
• Xmas tree valves when installing into, or removing tools from, the riser.
Secondary
Two wireline BOP rams (in conjunction with a grease pump) which can close and seal
around the wire.
• Xmas tree upper master, if the wire is broken and ejected.
• SCSSV, if wire is above it.
Tertiary
• Wireline cutting valve.
• Shear/seal valve or BOP installed directly onto the top of the Xmas tree.
In general, tertiary barriers are rarely used unless a heavy duty wireline operation is being
carried out.
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2.3.2 Coiled Tubing
Coiled tubing well control equipment is similar to wireline but also includes internal work
string barrier systems.
External pressure control is provided by:
Primary
• Stripper.
• Xmas tree valves when installing into, or removing tools from, the riser.
Secondary
• BOPs .
• SCSSV, if the tubing is not straddling it.
Tertiary
• Shear/seal BOP mounted directly on top of the Xmas tree.
Internal pressure control is provided by:
Primary
• Two check valves in the BHA.
Secondary
• BOPs .
Tertiary
• Shear/seal BOP mounted directly on top of the Xmas tree.
In the North Sea Region, it has almost become obligatory to use shear/seal BOPs due to a
number of instances where the up-to-then commonly used primary and secondary barrier
systems failed to deal with some well control occurrences.
NOTE: Some well interventions are conducted without BHA check valves as it is
necessary to reverse circulate. In these cases the primary inside well control is
the BOP shear rams and a shear/seal BOP becomes the secondary.
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WELL CONTROL METHODS
2.3.3 Snubbing
There are two types of snubbing BOP set-ups, one for running upset pipe and one for non-
upset or tapered upset tubing connections (i.e. not square shouldered); Pressure control is
provided by:
External pressure control is provided by:
Primary
• Stripper BOPs, stripper rubber or annular preventer.
Secondary
• Two safety (pipe) BOP rams.
• SCSSV, if pipe is above it.
Tertiary
• BOP shear and blind rams or a shear/seal valve or BOP mounted directly on top of
the Xmas tree.
Internal pressure control is provided by:
Primary
• Two check valves in the BHA.
Secondary
• Wireline plug installed by wireline in the BHA or an additional third check valve.
Tertiary
• A shear/seal valve or BOP mounted directly on top of the Xmas tree.
• Kill pump facility to install a barite or cement plug.
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