Drilling Magazine Media Intelligence, Contextual Wisdom
Since the day mankind started digging wells on earth in search of hydrocarbon resources, they have been struggling with the phenomenon of uncontrolled well blowout. Over the past hundred years, it has been repeated again and again, causing extensive damage to the environment and to the tools and work force. With the increasing depth of wells drilled in different parts of the world, the probability of encountering this phenomenon and the severity of damages has increased significantly. In the drilling history, engineers and specialists of this industry have identified and applied different ways to identify, control, and fight against the unwanted well blowout. However, despite all the improvements, incidents still recur.
Makando incident, which happened in April 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico in a well, in depths of more than a thousand meters in the water, caused the complete destruction of the drilling rig, the death of eleven members of the platform as well as the spread of more than 5 million barrels of crude oil at the sea and environmental damages. Such cases demonstrate the importance of well controlling. Statistical studies in oil industry show that in drilling at normal depth (vertical depth of below 3000 m) .The probability of experiencing a downhole kick equals one experience out of seven wells drilling, while this probability in drilling at high depth (vertical depth more than 3,000 meters) is one experience in every well.
It should be noted that any downhole kick does not necessarily lead to a well blowout phenomenon. One or more of the following is required for a blowout to occur:
1. The failure to recognize dangerous situations and lack of planning to deal with them;
2. The lack of decision-making and appropriate response when a downhole kick happens;
3. Absence, weakness or malfunction of well controlling equipment
Examining a large number of unwanted well flow events and statistical studies of the wells indicates that the human error factor has been the most important of and the most influential factor in occurrence of uncontrollable events. Experts in the field insist that spending time and money on two factors of education and standardization of operations can greatly reduce the human error factor.
Developing Training
In 1982, a committee composed of representatives of Department of Energy in various countries in Europe, representatives of big oil companies and the union of employees concluded after a series of meetings that establishing a standard training curriculum with valid certificate after completion of the course would be a good solution to fight and prevent the blowout phenomenon. After concerted efforts in 1992, the European Well Controlling Federation was established in the Netherlands. This establishment was globalized after its development and its name was changed to IWCF.
The main task of this organization is the standardization of different methods of controlling wells, determining the required training in each course and certification for people with different responsibilities in the field of drilling operations.
Today, an internationally recognized qualification is not only mandatory for people working in the drilling industry in many countries, but is also among the requirements of working with companies insuring drilling operations or governments issuing the drilling license.
Although other certifications are offered in this area, global attention to the evidence provided by the IWCF is increased day after day. This could be due to the focus- strictness in issuing documentation, specific courses to train teachers and providing inspection and continuous assessment from providing centers. There are certainly other valid certificates in this area. For example, the International Association of Drilling (IADC) also provides similar courses for training and providing valid well controlling certificates. Still, some countries, like the United States of America regard this document as a valid proof in their countries. In Canada, Second Line Well Control certificate is perceived as valid and acceptable for those involved in the drilling operation.
Developing Standards against the Blowout
During the development of drilling industry, companies in this industry have made many efforts to eliminate the risk of uncontrollable blowout phenomena in wells. Among the measures taken have been holding training courses for the staff or the development of standards to control the blowout. For example, companies such as Shell, BP, Exon, Saudi Aramco and most national oil companies in various countries have begun to formulate and develop guidelines to prevent and fight against oil and gas well blowouts. With the passage of time and deepening of the wells, these guidelines have been regularly updated and they have included new experiences. This has also happened in Contractor rig companies, where they have been aware of the importance of unwanted well blowout and the extensive damages made to tools and individuals as a result of this phenomenon. As a result, they also have developed instructions to periodically check tools and methods to fight against the unwanted blowouts. After the all-round development of these standards by client- contractor companies and national companies, several differences between these companies and incompatibility between the clients and contractors’ instructions were reported that following one would mean violating another. To resolve this issue, now, before starting a project, key personnel in client and contractor companies review the disputed issues in meetings and finally publish a joint document that the parties consider acceptable. This document is known as a birding document; the senior managers of both sides sign it and regard it as acceptable.
Examining the Laws in Canada
In Canada and in Alberta province, Alberta Energy Regulator or AER, as a state representative, monitors all activities in the oil and gas industry. To control drilling activities, AER has codified instructions that examine the most sensitive issues for controlling a well and has made some rules mandatory to ensure the safety of these operations. Examples of these are as follows:
1. Instruction 8 = Depth needed to install surface casing
2. Instruction 9 = Minimum requirements for cementing surface casing
3. Instruction 10 = Minimum requirements for surface casing design
4. Instruction 13 = Minimum requirements for temporary and final suspension of a well
5. Instruction 36 = Methods and requirements to prevent unwanted well blowout
Any company willing to drill a well in Canada needs to receive license from the state government and as a result the government’s representative, i.e. AER. The first and most basic requirement to apply for a license is having a valid insurance license for drilling operations in the desired area. Without a valid insurance license from the Control of Well Insurance (COW), it is impossible to start any drilling operations.
Several companies such as Lloyds in London have insurance coverage for drilling operations. These companies examine the desired oil field for drilling, the design of the well , the number of wells, the types of wells, service providing companies of the project, etc.; determine the insurance costs; then, make a contract to cover the drilling operations for insurance. The insurance cost is normally about three times the approved cost for each well (AFE). This amount covers the unwanted accidents during drilling or the costs resulting from well blowout and damage to the environment.
After confirmation of drilling operators as well as insurance license and the drilling insurer, AER issues drilling license to the operator. Before starting the drilling operations, the operator makes contracts to prevent or combat unwanted well blowouts with individuals and companies specialized in well control activities so that it can dispatch the needed operation teams to the region quickly.
Typically, a company sends its well control specialists to the region in level one or two downhole accidents (like downhole kick or killing the well) so that it can control the well efficiently. In level three accidents or unwanted and uncontrolled blowout of fluid to the surface, the drilling operator sends companies specialized in well controlling fields such as Boots & Coots, with which they have a deal, to the region and these companies implement all the stages and operations required for controlling the well.
By law, the operator is required to inform AER within 24 hours in level one and two accidents and within 2 hours in level three accidents. AER dispatches representatives in all cases that examine the current situation and make reports. All these reports will be later used in federal courts to examine the aspects of the accident and the damage.
AER has created Instruction 19: Compliance Assurance for operators and the client and making sure that they follow the approved rules: AER representatives compare the current situation with rules and guidelines by periodic inspection of the operations, and based on the results of the examinations publish reports in two categories of Low Risk and High Risk. In this instruction, the accountability, the time required for troubleshooting and financial penalties that the operator company should pay in each case are specified. It should be noted that the strength of these reports is to the extent that in certain circumstances AER has the authority to stop the operations completely, revoke the drilling license to taking over the operation until the situation is safe. All of these reports will remain in the company’s records and will directly affect their rankings.
It should be noted that AER introduces the existing laws and changes to senior managers with continuous periodic meetings and workshops.
The objective cycle to ensure the compliance of all operations with the law adopted by the AER is a cycle among three mechanisms of prevention, training, and implementation based on the image below.
Author: Amir Hosein Zamani