Title 30
SECTION 250.738
250.738 What must I do in certain situations involving BOP equipment or systems
§ 250.738 What must I do in certain situations involving BOP equipment or systems?The table in this section describes actions that you must take when certain situations occur with BOP systems.
| If you encounter the following situation: | Then you must . . . |
|---|---|
| (a) BOP equipment does not hold the required pressure during a test; | Correct the problem and retest the affected equipment. You must report any problems or irregularities, including any leaks, on the daily report as required in § 250.746. |
| (b) Need to repair, replace, or reconfigure a surface BOP or subsea BOP system; | (1) First place the well in a safe, controlled condition as approved by the District Manager (e.g., before drilling out a casing shoe or after setting a cement plug, bridge plug, or a packer). |
| (2) Any repair or replacement parts must be manufactured under a quality assurance program and must meet or exceed the performance of the original part produced by the OEM. | |
| (3) Submit a revised permit with a written statement from an independent third party documenting the repairs, replacement, or reconfiguration and certifying that the previous certification under § 250.731(c) remains valid. | |
| (4) You must receive approval from the District Manager prior to resuming operations. | |
| (c) Need to postpone a BOP test due to well-control problems such as lost circulation, formation fluid influx, or stuck pipe; | Record the reason for postponing the test in the daily report and conduct the required BOP test after the first trip out of the hole. |
| (d) BOP control station or pod that does not function properly; | Suspend operations until that station or pod is operable. You must report any problems or irregularities, including any leaks, to the District Manager. |
| (e) Plan to operate with a tapered string; | Install two or more sets of conventional or variable-bore pipe rams in the BOP stack to provide for the following: two sets of rams must be capable of sealing around the larger-size drill string and one set of pipe rams must be capable of sealing around the smaller size pipe, excluding the bottom hole assembly that includes heavy weight pipe or collars and bottom-hole tools. |
| (f) Plan to install casing rams or casing shear rams in a surface BOP stack; | Before running casing, perform a shell test to the permit approved test pressure of the BOP component above the casing ram/casing shear. If this installation was not included in your approved permit, and changes the BOP configuration approved in the APD or APM, you must notify and receive approval from the District Manager. |
| (g) Plan to use an annular BOP with a RWP less than the anticipated surface pressure; | Demonstrate that your well-control procedures or the anticipated well conditions will not place demands above its RWP and obtain approval from the District Manager. |
| (h) Plan to use a subsea BOP system in an ice-scour area; | Install the BOP stack in a well cellar. The well cellar must be deep enough to ensure that the top of the stack is below the deepest probable ice-scour depth. |
| (i) You activate any shear ram and pipe or casing is sheared; | Retrieve, physically inspect, and conduct a full pressure test of the BOP stack after the situation is fully controlled. You must submit to the District Manager a report from an independent third party certifying that the BOP is fit to return to service. |
| (j) Need to remove the BOP stack; | Have a minimum of two barriers in place prior to BOP removal. You must obtain approval from the District Manager of the two barriers prior to removal and the District Manager may require additional barriers and test(s). |
| (k) In the event of a deadman or autoshear activation, if there is a possibility of the blind shear ram opening immediately upon re-establishing power to the BOP stack; | Place the blind shear ram opening function in the block position prior to re-establishing power to the stack. Contact the District Manager and receive approval of procedures for re-establishing power and functions prior to latching up the BOP stack or re-establishing power to the stack. |
| (l) If a test ram is to be used; | The wellhead/BOP connection must be tested to the MASP plus 500 psi for the hole section to which it is exposed. This can be done by: |
| (1) Testing wellhead/BOP connection to the MASP plus 500 psi for the well upon installation; | |
| (2) Pressure testing each casing to the MASP plus 500 psi for the next hole section; or | |
| (3) Some combination of paragraphs (l)(1) and (2) of this section. | |
| (m) Plan to utilize any other circulating or ancillary equipment (e.g., but not limited to, subsea isolation device, subsea accumulator module, or gas handler) that is in addition to the equipment required in this subpart; | Contact the District Manager and request approval in your APD or APM. Your request must include a report from an independent third party on the equipment's design and suitability for its intended use as well as any other information required by the District Manager. The District Manager may impose any conditions regarding the equipment's capabilities, operation, and testing. |
| (n) You have pipe/variable bore rams that have no current utility or well-control purposes; | Indicate in your APD or APM which pipe/variable bore rams meet these criteria and clearly label them on all BOP control panels. You do not need to function test or pressure test pipe/variable bore rams having no current utility, and that will not be used for well-control purposes, until such time as they are intended to be used during operations. |
| (o) You install redundant components for well control in your BOP system that are in addition to the required components of this subpart (e.g., pipe/variable bore rams, shear rams, annular preventers, gas bleed lines, and choke/kill side outlets or lines); | Comply with all testing, maintenance, and inspection requirements in this subpart that are applicable to those well-control components. If any redundant component fails a test, you must submit a report from an independent third party that describes the failure and confirms that there is no impact on the BOP that will make it unfit for well-control purposes. You must submit this report to the District Manager and receive approval before resuming operations. The District Manager may require you to provide additional information as needed to clarify or evaluate your report. |
| (p) Need to position the bottom hole assembly, including heavy-weight pipe or collars, and bottom-hole tools across the BOP for tripping or any other operations. | Ensure that the well is stable prior to positioning the bottom hole assembly across the BOP. You must have, as part of your well-control plan required by § 250.710, procedures that enable the removal of the bottom hole assembly from across the BOP in the event of a well-control or emergency situation (for dynamically positioned rigs, your plan must also include steps for when the EDS must be activated) before MASP conditions are reached as defined for the operation. |