Well Examination Handbook - Source

7/21/2019 Well Examination Handbook - Source

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N RG

W hat is w ell exam ination?

W ho carries it out?

W hat is required from engineering team s?

W hat w ill the exam iner provide?

GUIDANCE FOR WELL OPERATIONS TEAMS

Wel l Ex am in a t i on Ha n d b ook


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Introduction and Purpose 3

Well Examination Explained 3

The Well Examiner 4

Reporting Relationships for the Examiner 5

What is Examined? 6

Documentation Submissions and Timings 8

Well Equipment Examination 10

Relationship with Installation (Rig) Verification 10

Well Examination Records 11

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Ta b l e o f Con t en t s

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1. INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE

This booklet provides inform ation about the B G G roup w ell exam ination

arrangem ents for personnel involved in w ell operations. It includes the

perform ance standards to be achieved both by B G G roup engineers and by

the w ell exam iner, allow ing the w ell exam ination process to be effectively

m anaged and audited to ensure that the system is w orking effectively and in

accordance w ith the contract.

2. WELL EXAMINATION

W ell exam ination is an independent assurance process on behalf of the W ell

O perator (BG G roup) to ensure that the pressure boundary of the w ell is

controlled throughout its life and the pressure-containm ent equipm ent that

form s part of the w ell is suitable for this purpose.

Independent assurance is a norm al activity for com panies w ishing to ensure

the quality of their processes. In the case of w ell exam ination, the assurance

is on behalf of BG G roup senior m anagem ent so that they can be confident

that high hazard (as opposed to high risk) w ell operations w ill be plannedand carried out in accordance w ith the com panys standards. Adherence to

the com panys w ell operations standards, by B G line m anagem ent and

contractors, contributes to reducing the risks to personnel arising from w ell

operations to levels that are as low as reasonably practicable (ALA RP).

In the U nited K ingdom there is a statutory requirem ent for independent w ell

exam ination contained in The O ffshore Installations and W ells (D esign and

Construction, etc.) Regulations 1996. These regulations are sim ilar to others

in the U K that require independent checks on high hazard activities (e.g.

pressure vessels exam inations, lifting appliance exam inations, offshore

installation safety critical equipm ent integrity checks, etc.).

W ell Exam ination is NO T a substitute for norm al line m anagem ent control and

approvals. In fact it relies on the exam ination of approved, form al

docum entation such as program m es, design basis docum ents, etc. W ell

operations personnel are encouraged to consult the w ell exam iner during the

w ell operations planning process to assist w ith the final program m e exam ination.

Wel l Ex am i n a t i o n Ex p l a i n e d

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3. THE WELL EXAMINER

The Independent W ell Exam iner appointed by B G G roup is N RG Lim ited,

w ho specialise in w ell engineering safety. N RG carry out w ell exam ination

for a num ber of oil com panies in the U K . Each client has assessed N RG s

com petence and they have also been audited by the U K H ealth and Safety

Executive. Contact details for the exam iners are sum m arised below .

3.1 Contact Deta i ls

Address: N RG Lim ited

242 N orth D eeside RoadPeterculter, ABERD EEN AB14 0U Q

Telephone: +44 (0)1224 732475

Fax: +44 (0)1224 735505

E M ail: bgw ellexam iner@ nrgltd.com

ContactNam e:Andrew M ackay

Back-up contact details:

Address: N RG Lim ited (Cum bria)

M illholm e B ank BarnM ansergh, K IRK BY LO N SD ALE, Cum bria LA6 2ES

Telephone: +44 (0)15242 73487

Fax: +44 (0)7764 010519

E M ail: bgw ellexam iner@ nrgltd.com , or:

peter.robinson@ nrgltd.com

ContactN am e:Peter Robinson

3.2 Commu nicat i ons wi th the Wel l Ex ami ner

The w ell exam iner is available during norm al office hours and N RG s policy

is to reply to any m essages left before lunch on the sam e day. A dedicated

em ail address (as above) is available for BG G roup staff and E M ail m essages

w ill also be acknow ledged and review ed the sam e day.

M anagers and engineers are encouraged to contact the exam iner at any tim e

for advice and clarification.

The We l l Ex am i n e r

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4. REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS FOR THE EXAMINER

The w ell exam iner is, by definition, independent of the line m anagem ent

responsible for the safety of w ell design and operations. H ow ever, there

needs to be a m ethod to resolve any issues or reservations, should they

occur during the exam ination process. In addition, the w ell exam iners are

accountable to BG G roup for their perform ance and a reporting relationship

that allow s BG to assess the com pany (by audit) is necessary.

D uring the w ell exam ination process the norm al com m unications channel is

w ith the w ell operations engineers responsible for the design process. The

project team leader is norm ally the focal point.

Should the exam iner have any issues that cannot be resolved to his

satisfaction then he is able to take these to the Asset D rilling (or Production)

M anager. Should any concerns rem ain, then he can raise these w ith the A sset

M anager and, if necessary, call on the A sset Safety Advisor. A w ritten audit

trail w ill alw ays be prepared for such issues.

In addition, the exam iner is able to discuss issues w ith W EPO in Reading.

This m ay be to resolve any issues surrounding the B G G roup standards

applicable to w ell operations.

The A sset is responsible for the w ell exam ination budget. H ow ever, W EPO is

responsible for the appointm ent of the exam iner and for auditing the w ork

against the w ell exam ination standards. (The W ell Exam ination Schem e and

this H andbook contain the w ell exam ination perform ance standards).

Repo r t i n g Re l a t i o n sh i p s

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5. DOCUMENTATION EXAMINED

W ell exam iners require tw o types of docum entation (see Sections 5.1 and

5.2) in order to carry out exam ination. This docum entation is the B G G roup

m anagem ent standards and program m ing that contributes to the reduction of

risks to personnel arising from w ell operations to a level that is As Low As

Reasonably Practicable(ALA RP). This is a legal requirem ent in the U K .

5.1 Comp any Stand ar ds For Well Oper ati ons

The W EPO M S M anagem ent System contains all the com pany's generic

standards for w ell design and operations. These include:

W ell Engineering Policies and G uidelines M anual (W EPG M 01)

W ell Exam ination Schem e (W SD W E 01)

Casing D esign M anual (W SD CD 01)

Casing and Cem enting O perations M anual (W SD CC 01)

W ell Control M anual (W SD W C 01)

D rill String M anual (W SD D S 01)

D irectional D esign and Surveying M anual (W SD D D 01)

W orking in an H 2S Environm ent (W SD H 2S 01)

Com pletion M anual (W SD CM 01)

W ell Services M anual (W SD W S 01)

W ell Testing O perations (W SD W T 01)

The W ell Exam iner has access to these docum ents. Any dispensations from

these standards that m ay be required from W EPO for a particular w ell,

should be referred to in the individual w ell program m e. The exam iner

should be m ade aw are of any dispensation and m ay raise issues but he isnot responsible for the dispensation process.

5.2 Well-Speci fi c Documenta ti on

The list of docum ents overleaf are typical of those exam ined at the w ell

program m ing phase. D aily operations reports are used to verify that the

operations have been com pleted in accordance w ith the program m e.

Wha t i s Ex am i n e d ?

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a. For Dr i l l ing Opera t ions :

W ell proposal (from the exploration team )

W ell basis of design docum entation

D rilling program m e

Casing design/kick tolerance docum entation

Testing program m e/basis of design docum entation

Suspension or abandonm ent program m e

G overnm ent notification (if required)

b. For Comp let ion Oper at i ons:Com pletion basis of design docum entation

Tubing stress analysis report

Com pletion program m e

c. For Wel l I nter vent ion and Wor ko ver Oper at i ons:

W ell status description and diagram s

Intervention/w orkover program m e

Re-com pletion design and program m e

d. For Pr odu ct ion Wel l Oper at i ons:Production w ell annulus m onitoring reports

Tree test results

Tree m aintenance reports

D H SV test results

Program m es should contain sufficient inform ation to dem onstrate that all

relevant risks arising from foreseeable hazards have been assessed and that

m easures are in place to reduce these to as low as reasonably practicable.

For exam ple: Tubing burst and collapse hazards have been consideredandcalculations m ade to ensure that the risks are reduced by selecting the

correct tubulars. Such m easures are usually self-evident but for m ore

unusualoperations a specific risk assessm ent m ay need to be included, e.g.

w elltest hazard assessm ent and risk reduction flow chart.

5.3 Wel l Equi pment Ex ami nat i on

See Section 7 for details of w ell equipm ent exam ination.

Wha t i s Ex am i n ed ?

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6. DOCUMENT SUBMISSIONS AND TIMINGS

The B G G roup W ell Exam ination Schem e (document reference:WSDWE- 01)

contains the detailed w ell exam ination processes. This section explains w hat

is required of the relevant asset staff and the w ell exam iner so that the

process w orks effectively.

6.1 Design and Pr ogr ammi ng Documentat i on

The relevant w ell operations program m es and design docum entation (see

Section 5) should be subm itted to the exam iner as early as possible. D raft

program m es are norm ally presented, since these allow com m ents to be m ade

and, in any case, the final program m e is often only finalised and signed off

close to the date of operations com m encing. H ow ever, the com pletion of

program m ing w ell in advance of operations com m encing is considered to be

im portant for the effective control of operations.

The m inim um tim e required for the exam ination process varies w ith

the program m e under assessm ent. The follow ing m inim um tim ings

are suggested:

Draft Programme - at least 2 w eeks before operations are due to com m ence

Final Operations Programme - D istribute along w ith other recipients

D esign docum entation, especially for field developm ent w ells, w ould be

expected in advance of the above tim ings.

Although the exam ination process is based prim arily on w ritten

docum entation subm itted to the exam iner, he is alw ays available for

consultation. Personnel are encouraged to contact the exam iner to discuss

any issue concerning w ell exam ination. H ow ever, exam ination is not a

substitute for the norm al line m anagem ent process, including program m e

sign off, and W EPO approval.

The final program m e subm itted to the exam iner should include all the

relevant m anagem ent authorisation signatures.

Sub m i ssi o n s t o t he Ex am i n e r

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Exam iners w ill not norm ally repeat the detailed engineering calculations(except for audit purposes) contained in casing or com pletion design

docum ents. Rather they w ill look for evidence that the calculations have

been m ade, that they m eet, or exceed, the relevant safety factors and that

they have been signed off/accepted by line m anagem ent.

If requested by the Asset, detailed drilling and com pletions engineering

calculations can be carried out by N RG engineers, although this is considered

to be part of the line m anagem ent process.

The exam iner can visit the Asset, if requested, to attend m eetings (e.g. D rill

W ell O n Paperor H AZO P m eetings). W hilst this is not a m andatory part of

w ell exam ination, Asset w ell operations team s are encouraged to involve the

w ell exam iner at such m eetings as this has been found to be beneficial to

both parties in the past.

The program m e docum entation w ill be acknow ledged by the exam iner w ho

w ill then com plete the design exam ination docum entation. U nless requested

by the operations team leader, additional correspondence w ill not be sent

unless the exam iner has any issues that he w ishes to raise. Any changes tothe program m e should also be notified to the exam iner in w riting.

6.2 Well Oper ati ons Documentat io n

D uring w ell operations, daily operations reports are copied to the w ell

exam iner w ho exam ines the w ork in progress against the final w ell

program m e and com pletes the w ell construction exam ination docum entation

(Construction Tem plate).

Any program m e changes during this phase should also be notified to the

exam iner and he w ill note the acceptance of the changes in the w ell

construction exam ination docum entation.

Sub m i ssi o n s t o t he Ex am i n e r

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7. EXAMINATION OF WELL EQUIPMENT

W ell exam ination encom passes the com plete pressure boundary of the w ell,

including pressure-containing equipm ent such as the drilling BO P, the christm as

tree, to the top of a w ireline stuffing box and coiled tubing BO Ps. W ell test

equipm ent such as landing strings and surface test trees, is also covered.

M ost equipm ent used dow n hole is dealt w ith, in design term s, in the

drilling/ com pletion design docum entation (e.g. w ellhead design and rating).

The w ell exam iner w ill norm ally exam ine the suitability of such equipm ent

during the program m e exam ination.

The w ell project team has to accept all w ell equipm ent, including third party

tem porary w ell equipm ent, as being suitable, on behalf of BG G roup (The

W ell O perator). This acceptance is in respect of BG s responsibility to ensure

that all parts of a w ell are suitable. The acceptance procedure should be

docum ented as part of the asset m anagem ent system .

Safety critical w ell equipm ent should be m anufactured in accordance w ith an

accepted industry standard (e.g. API 14B for the design and installation of

subsurface safety valve system s). N orm ally such equipm ent is supplied bythe vendor w ith docum entary evidence of equipm ent perform ance standards

and a certificate of conform ity w ith the design standard.

The w ell exam iner w ill verify that w ell equipm ent has been accepted by the

w ell project team in accordance w ith a m anagem ent system . This

exam ination w ill include both the equipm ent and acceptance docum entation.

7.1 Relat ionship w i th I nsta l la t ion ( Rig) Ver i f icat ion

In the U K , the offshore installation operator has to prepare a listing of plant

and equipm ent that is defined as safety criticalto the installation. This

equipm ent has to be verified by an independent com petent person. Exam ples

of such safety critical equipm ent, w hich is also defined as being part of a

w ell, w ould be a B O P stack, w ell test equipm ent, w ireline lubricator, etc.

If an item of rig/platform equipm ent has been verified, the w ell exam iner

w ill take this into account and not duplicate the w ork. The exam iner w ill

norm ally require evidence from the w ell engineering team that the

equipm ent has been assessed as part of the Installation Verification Schem e.

Wel l Eq u i p m en t Ex am i n a t i on

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8. WELL EXAMINATION RECORDS

The BG G roup W ell Exam ination Schem e (document reference:WSDWE- 01)

contains the detailed w ell exam ination processes, including spreadsheets,

w hich are constructed for each w ell exam ination process. These are updated

as w ell operations progress.

All w ell exam ination docum entation is m aintained by N RG in their office.

In the U K , The O ffshore Installations and W ells (D esign and Construction

etc.) Regulations require the W ell O perator to keep all w ell exam inationrecords until at least 6 m onths after the w ell is finally abandoned. The w ell

operator m ust declare the address at w hich these records are kept. The B G

G roup W ell Exam ination Schem e requires each asset to m aintain records and

therefore it is suggested that a m em ber of staff (job title) should be

nom inated by the A sset M anager to be responsible for m aintaining these

records to ensure that this legal requirem ent is com plied w ith.

N RG s office address can be nom inated, if the A sset so requires.

We l l Ex am i n a t i o n Reco r d s

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NRG Limited

242 N orth D eeside Road

Peterculter

Aberdeen

AB14 0U Q

Phone: +44 (0) 1224 732475

Fax: +44 (0) 1224 735505

E M ail: safety@ nrgltd.com

W eb: w w w .nrgltd.com

Document Number: NRG - 02 - 002. Copyright 2002 N RG Consultancy Limited

N RG

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Well Examination Handbook - Source