Well Operations

Relevant Statutes:

Offshore Installations and Wells (Design and Construction, etc.) Regulations 1996 [DCR]

This section applies to wells drilled with a view to the extraction of petroleum or which have been drilled from an installation.

Definitions

Well - means all wells offshore including injection and monitoring wells and certain wells onshore. The well is defined in terms of its pressure containment boundary and ends

at the top of the BOP stack and outside the choke and kill valves
downstream of the swab and production wing valves of a Christmas tree
at the top of the stuffing box of a wireline BOP

Well Operator - the person appointed by the concession owner to execute the function of organising and supervising all operations to be carried out by such well or where no such person has been appointed the concession owner.

General Duty

The Well Operator shall ensure that a well is so designed, modified, commissioned, constructed, equipped, operated, maintained, suspended and abandoned that,

so far as is reasonably practicable, there can be no unplanned escape of fluids from the well, and
risks to health and safety, or in the strata to which it is connected, are as low as is reasonably practicable.

On an installation the Duty Holder shall ensure that the well control equipment supplied by the well operator is deployed when required.

Conditions Below Ground

Before the design of a well is commenced the Well Operator shall ensure

the geological strata and formations etc.
any hazards which such strata and formations may contain
are assessed and kept under review, and taken into account when the well is designed and constructed and if necessary the design etc. is appropriately modified.

Design and Materials

The Well Operator shall ensure that a well is so designed and constructed that, so far as is reasonably practicable;

it can be suspended in a safe manner and
after suspension or abandonment there can be no unplanned escape of fluids

The Well Operator shall ensure that all materials (e.g. cement, casing, tubulars, wellhead equipment etc.) are suitable.

The old requirement for a well control certificate has ceased. It is for the well operator to ensure that personnel are competent and many companies are using the International Well Control Forum certificate but this is just one way of showing that personnel have a certain level of knowledge and is not mandatory.

The Well Operator shall ensure that suitable well control equipment is provided to protect against blowouts.

The deployment of this equipment is the responsibility of

the Duty Holder on an installation
the Well Operator if not on an installation.

Well Examination Scheme

The Well Operator shall put into effect written arrangements for examining any part of:

the well,
information of
work in progress.

and the making of such reports and recommendations. as are suitable to ensure the well is designed and constructed, and maintained so that

so far as is reasonably practicable, there are no unplanned escapes of fluid
risks to (a) health and safety to persons or to (b) the strata, are as low as is reasonably practicable

The objective of the examination is to obtain assurance that the well is designed and constructed properly, and is maintained adequately. It is essential for the examination to demonstrate that the pressure boundary of the well is controlled and that equipment is suitable.

The examination scheme does not necessarily have to rely on physical examination of the wells, it could use documentary evidence provided that evidence is reliable.

The Well Operator shall review and revise the scheme as appropriate and keep a copy of:
the scheme including revisions,
any reports and recommendations
for six months at an address in Great Britain which has been notified to the HSE.

The examination should be undertaken by an independent and competent person who is separate from the immediate line management of the well operations involved. This can be a person employed by the well operator's organisation

Relationship between the well examination and verification schemes

There will be overlap between the two schemes and where wells form part of the verification scheme (see section oil verification) the work carried out by the well operator may be cited by the duty holder as part of the verification and vice versa. The HSE does not expect work to be repeated.

Provision of information

The Well Operator shall ensure a report is sent to the HSE, every week or other agreed intervals containing the following information:

the identifying and slot number of the well
the name of installation or vessel involved
a summary of activity since the previous
report the diameter, TVD and ND of any holes drilled or casing installed
the mud density immediately before making the report
for existing wells. its operational state (drilling, workover, completed, suspended etc.).

The reporting requirements apply to:

a drilling operation
a workover operation
an abandonment operation
an operation consisting in the completion of a well
any other operation involving substantial risk of the unplanned escape of fluids.

Every person must co-operate with the well operator so far as is necessary to enable him to carry out his duties.

Information, instruction, training and supervision

During well operations from an installation the Duty Holder, and for operations not on an Installation the Well Operator, shall ensure every person carrying out the operation will:

have received such information, instruction and training
and are being supervised

so that the risk to health and safety is reduced to the lowest level that is reasonably practicable. (see Well Control)

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