Title 30

SECTION 250.723

250.723 What additional safety measures must I take when I conduct operations on a platform that has producing wells or has other hydrocarbon flow

§ 250.723 What additional safety measures must I take when I conduct operations on a platform that has producing wells or has other hydrocarbon flow?

You must take the following safety measures when you conduct operations with a rig unit on or jacked-up over a platform with producing wells or that has other hydrocarbon flow:

(a) The movement of rig units and related equipment on and off a platform or from well to well on the same platform, including rigging up and rigging down, must be conducted in a safe manner;

(b) You must install an emergency shutdown station for the production system near the rig operator's console;

(c) You must shut-in all producible wells located in the affected wellbay below the surface and at the wellhead when:

(1) You move a rig unit or related equipment on and off a platform. This includes rigging up and rigging down activities within 500 feet of the affected platform;

(2) You move or skid a rig unit between wells on a platform; or

(3) A MODU moves within 500 feet of a platform. You may resume production once the MODU is in place, secured, and ready to begin operations.

(d) All wells in the same well-bay which are capable of producing hydrocarbons must be shut-in below the surface with a pump-through-type tubing plug and at the surface with a closed master valve prior to moving rig units and related equipment, unless otherwise approved by the District Manager.

(1) A closed surface-controlled subsurface safety valve of the pump-through-type may be used in lieu of the pump-through-type tubing plug provided that the surface control has been locked out of operation.

(2) The well to which a rig unit or related equipment is to be moved must be equipped with a back-pressure valve prior to removing the tree and installing and testing the BOP system.

(3) The well from which a rig unit or related equipment is to be moved must be equipped with a back pressure valve prior to removing the BOP system and installing the production tree.

(e) Coiled tubing units, snubbing units, or wireline units may be moved onto and off of a platform without shutting in wells.

[81 FR 26022, Apr. 29, 2016, as amended at 84 FR 21977, May 15, 2019]