A Blowout Preventer (BOP) is an assembly of specialized valves or similar mechanical devices installed,
during drilling, between the wellhead system and the drill floor. It is used to seal, control and monitor
the well in case of blowout.
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BOP ACTIVATION
The BOP allows the well to be controlled at any time. It is usually installed redundantly in stacks.
A BOP is usually composed of:
an annular BOP, which can close the well at different devices such as the drill string, for example,
differents types of Rams, which can close the well with the drill-pipe inside the well. In an emergency shear Rams can be used to cut the pipe inside the well if necessary
All the Rams are hydraulically activated. During drilling operations the closure of the well with the BOP can be manually or automatically activated.
BOP PRINCIPLES
To control a Blowout, the BOP Stack is fitted with hydraulic lines which allow drillers:
to pump a heavier drilling fluid in the well (Kill line),
to evacuate the lighter fluid from the well (Choke line).
The service pressure of the BOP is chosen to support the maximum pressure encountered during drilling operations. The pressure range is usually from 5000 psi to 15000 psi (345 bar to 1035 bar approximately).
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