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Guidance On Practice For Wellhead Control Panels: Document No. Applicability Date
Guidance On Practice For Wellhead Control Panels: Document No. Applicability Date
GP 30-66
Applicability Group
Date 20 August 2002
GP 30-66
BP GROUP
ENGINEERING TECHNICAL PRACTICES
20 August 2002 GP 30-66
Guidance on Practice for Wellhead Control Panels
Foreword
This is the first issue of Engineering Technical Practice (ETP) GP 30-66. This Guidance on Practice
(GP) is based on the BP heritage RPSE document GS 130-12.
Copyright 2002, BP Group. All rights reserved. The information contained in this
document is subject to the terms and conditions of the agreement or contract under which
the document was supplied to the recipient’s organization. None of the information
contained in this document shall be disclosed outside the recipient’s own organization
without the prior written permission of Manager, Standards, BP Group, unless the terms of
such agreement or contract expressly allow.
Table of Contents
Page
Foreword.......................................................................................................................................... 2
1. Scope...................................................................................................................................... 5
2. Normative references.............................................................................................................. 5
3. Symbols and abbreviations.....................................................................................................5
4. General................................................................................................................................... 6
5. Wellhead control system design..............................................................................................6
5.1. General........................................................................................................................ 6
5.2. Monitoring and controls................................................................................................8
5.3. Shutdown..................................................................................................................... 9
5.4. Materials..................................................................................................................... 10
6. System components.............................................................................................................. 10
7. Hydraulic power unit package...............................................................................................12
7.1. Hydraulic power system design..................................................................................12
7.2. Umbilical hose bundles..............................................................................................13
7.3. System hydraulic analysis..........................................................................................14
8. Testing................................................................................................................................... 14
9. Documentation...................................................................................................................... 15
9.1. General...................................................................................................................... 15
9.2. Supplier proposal.......................................................................................................15
10. Shipping................................................................................................................................ 15
ANNEX A (Informative) Example of an Offshore Wellhead Control Panel
Functional Specification and Data Sheet...............................................................................17
A.1. System description................................................................................................................ 17
A.1.1 General................................................................................................................................. 17
A.1.2 System Layout...................................................................................................................... 17
A.1.3 Shutdown Hierarchy.............................................................................................................. 17
A.1.4 System Performance Requirements......................................................................................17
A.1.5 Operator Interface Arrangement............................................................................................17
A.1.6 Interface with other Systems.................................................................................................17
A.1.7 Special to Project Maintenance Facilities..............................................................................17
A.1.8 Device and Equipment/Panel Tag Numbering.......................................................................17
A.2. Environment, area classification and utilities.........................................................................18
A.2.1. Field equipment.......................................................................................................... 18
A.2.2. Utilities and Services..................................................................................................18
A.3. Data sheet............................................................................................................................. 19
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20 August 2002 GP 30-66
Guidance on Practice for Wellhead Control Panels
1. Scope
This GP provides guidance for the selection, design, and installation of wellhead control systems
including the wellhead control panel.
2. Normative references
The following normative documents contain requirements that, through reference in this text,
constitute requirements of this technical practice. For dated references, subsequent amendments to, or
revisions of, any of these publications do not apply. However, parties to agreements based on this
technical practice are encouraged to investigate the possibility of applying the most recent editions of
the normative documents indicated below. For undated references, the latest edition of the normative
document referred to applies.
BP
GP 12-15 Guidance on Practice for Wire and Cable.
GP 12-60 Guidance on Practice for Hazardous Area Electrical Installations.
GP 30-25 Guidance on Practice for Field Instruments - General.
GP 30-40 Guidance on Practice for Process Automation Systems.
GP 30-65 Guidance on Practice for Control Panels.
GP 30-80 Guidance on Practice for Safety Instrumented Systems - Implementation.
GP 30-90 Guidance on Practice for Commissioning of Instrumentation and Control
Systems.
For the purpose of this GP, the following symbols and abbreviations apply:
I/O Input/output.
4. General
a. For physical design, wiring and general guidelines the wellhead control panels shall
comply with GP 30-65.
b. Design shall meet requirements of appropriate local regulatory authorities.
Example of a local requirement is Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 30,
Part 250, - Mineral Resources, Chapter II, Minerals Management Service, Subpart
H, Oil and Gas Production Safety Systems, Sections 250.800 through 250.807,
Requirements for installations in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM).
Furthermore, in the GoM for offshore platforms, the following standards shall be
complied with as per local regulation:
API RP 14B Design, Installation, Repair and Operation of Subsurface
Safety Valve Systems.
API RP 14C Recommended Practice for Analysis, Design, Installation,
and Testing of Basic Surface Safety Systems for Offshore Production
Platforms.
API RP 14FRecommended Practice for Design, Installation of Electrical
Systems for Offshore Production Platforms.
c. Electrical components and installation in hazardous areas shall be in accordance with
GP 12-60.
d. Instruments and/or systems that are part of the Safety Instrumented System of the facility
shall comply with GP 30-80.
e. Process Automation Systems shall be in accordance with GP 30-40.
f. Testing for instruments and controls shall be in accordance with GP 30-90.
g. Field instruments in general shall comply with GP 12-25.
h. Field mounted equipment shall be IEC IP 66 in accordance with IEC 60529 (NEMA 4X in
accordance with NEMA 250), as a minimum.
i. For topsides located wellhead valves and other duties, excluding subsea, the cleanliness
requirement shall be NAS 8. For any subsea valve applications, the cleanliness
requirement shall be NAS 6. Refer to National Aerospace Standard 1638.
j. Cabling and panel wiring shall be flame retardant to industry standards. Refer to GP 12-15
for general cabling and wiring requirements.
k. To enable uniformity of supply with other equipment, compression fittings shall be subject
to BP approval.
5.1. General
a. Wellhead control system should include:
1. Control panels consisting of controls for the hydraulically operated wellhead and
down hole valve actuators for control of single or multiple wells, as required.
These controls are to permit operation and shutdown of wells from a remote control
system.
2. Facilities for partial or total emergency shutdown from a shutdown system, which
may either be included as part of the wellhead control panel supply, or be part of a
separate system outside the scope of the supplier of the wellhead control panel.
For example, in GOMDW there are three categories of remote I/O modules: Process
Safety System (PSS), Process Control System (PCS), and Emergency Support System
(ESS). These three modules are required for interface with the remote control system
and are purchased, installed, and wired in the electrical portion of the panel as
shown on the project design documents.
3. Hydraulic power unit package consisting of pumps together with hydraulic oil
reservoirs and all necessary controls for multiple pressure levels for operation of the
wellhead and downhole valve actuators. The package may also be required to provide
hydraulic power for additional users such as process emergency shutdown valves.
Pumps could be either pneumatic or electrically driven pumps.
4. Fusible plug loop charge circuitry
b. The wellhead control system shall include equipment failure alarms necessary to ensure
system integrity.
c. Hydraulic supply and control design for multipressure applications shall prevent pressure
buildup when hydraulic demand is zero.
d. The number of pressure levels used in a system should be minimised.
A system that uses a common pressure level with pressure letdown for lower-
pressure applications can cause problems with pressure buildup and erosion of
regulator bleedoff ports. This condition is due to regulator seat leakage when
hydraulic demand is zero.
In the past it was usual to install SSSV hydraulic regulators. Typically reservoir pressures drop and there is a
good commercial case to install lower pressure rated components down hole in later field life, maybe during
a well work over. This invariably means that control line pressures, and hydrostatic head, to new lower rated
SSSV are too high. Solution is to retrofit hydraulic (self relieving) regulator. Consider need for regulator for
SSSV control lines on each well control drawer. Alternatively, allow space on drawer either on back or front.
Or pipe in a dummy regulator, with tubing fittings to facilitate retrofit later. SSSV regulator is also useful for
nursing sick SSSVs, or extending the life of healthy ones as a slowly increasing control line pressure is better
than switching on full pressure. The installation of these regulators may increase maintenance problems and
bring other issues; hence an assessment of their real need is recommended.
e. If multiple pressure levels are required, separate pumped circuits are preferred.
Overpressure, backregulation, or circulating bleedoff may be considered. Tight shutoff
regulators may only be considered as a temporary solution to relieve problems that result
from regulator seat leakage.
f. Pressure-sensing transmitters shall be used in place of pressure switches for alarm and
shutdown activation.
g. Pressure-sensing transmitters shall have test manifolds to facilitate testing.
h. Wellhead control system should be built on a modular basis to allow independent servicing
of individual well controls.
i. Design shall include capability to modify control function, example from a producer well
to a water injection well or vice versa.
j. Potential expansion to accommodate control of additional wells shall be considered in
design.
Additional panels may have to be added if design does not consider future
expansion.
k. The data highways for the PAS and the SIS system shall be distinct. Routed separately and
redundant for each system.
l. Air supply header shall have redundant filters and regulators with the required piping to
facilitate the replacement or repair of one of the filters or regulators without shutting down
the air supply header.
m. The air supply shall be protected from overpressure if the regulator fails or any other
abnormal condition occurs.
n. Wellhead control panels shall be fully assembled, piped, cabled, and provided with all
necessary lighting, heating, and environmental protection. Assemblies shall provide
connections to be made from readily accessible terminal points.
o. Hydraulic panels shall be provided with drip trays, bunds and panel floor drains.
All hydraulic panels leak, it is important that leakage drains are provided.
p. Cable routes shall be away from sources of leak.
q. Design and layout of equipment shall give free access for maintenance, testing and repair.
Wellhead control panel layouts can be very congested. Access to components and
fittings must be ensured.
r. Repair and routine maintenance shall be possible without total system shutdown, and
facilities lost during any fault repair period shall be minimised.
s. First-line fault repair shall be possible using nonexpert multitrade technicians.
5.3. Shutdown
a. Wellhead shutdown design shall be failsafe.
Fail safe, i.e., de-energised, depressurised, contacts open to trip.
b. Wellhead valves shall be failsafe spring action to close.
c. Remote shutdown is allowed.
d. Shutdown initiation from central control facilities or from separate shutdown systems shall
be hardwired with the following components:
1. Control devices shall be 24Vdc, powered from a remote control system.
2. Solenoids shall be 24Vdc, low power, high temperature moulded coil with stainless
steel body and fittings.
e. Voltages specified for solenoid valves shall account for cable voltage drops.
f. The design of the wellhead controls shall be such that shutdown bypasses any control logic
incorporated into the panel while retaining wellhead valve closure timing.
There are often problems with valve closure times. This may result in the installation
of large bore hydraulic return lines mainly for critical offshore applications.
g. Shutdown design shall include the following:
1. Controls shall permit local or manual control and remote control of each well surface
safety valve.
2. The opening and closing sequence of the well control valves, subsurface, surface, and
wing, shall be provided by the shutdown system.
h. Unless facilities are unmanned, ESD shutdown shall require emergency shutdown (ESD)
reset at the wellhead panel.
i. Shutdown level requirements shall be detailed, to include at least the following three
levels:
1. ESD or Fire: All wing, surface, and subsurface valves are closed.
2. Process shutdown (PSD): All wing and surface valves are closed.
3. Individual Well Shutdown: Selected well wing and surface valves are closed.
j. Controls shall include wellhead shutdown valve sequence timing facilities to ensure
closure of valves in the following sequence:
1. Wing.
2. Master.
3. Downhole safety.
Such timing should ensure that closure of subsequent valves is not inhibited if the
timing device fails.
k. Controls shall also include wellhead opening valve sequence timing facilities to ensure
opening of valves in the following sequence:
1. Downhole safety.
2. Master.
3. Wing.
l. Control shall also include an “Out of Sequence” override.
This overrides the normal enforced sequencing and is particularly useful for
managing handover of wells from operations to well services and vice versa.
m. The opening and closing of all automated valves shall have adjustable speed control
devices built into the valve actuator control circuits.
This minimises the hydraulic ram effect that results from quickly opening and
closing valves.
n. If required, key protected inhibit facilities shall be provided, as necessary, to enable routine
testing of the system, inputs, and outputs. All inhibits shall be reported to the central
control equipment and indication shall not be cancelled until the inhibit has been removed.
Keys shall be retained in the defeat position.
Provision of test facilities can result in system complexity and cost but it does
minimize testing time.
5.4. Materials
a. Materials of construction shall be suitable for the service and the environment where the
system is located.
b. For offshore applications, AISI 316 stainless steel is preferred for items such as control
panels, cable tray, and cladding.
c. Stainless steel is recommended for hydraulic reservoirs and pipework. If material other
than stainless steel is proposed, alternative selection shall be justified.
Stainless steel ensures system cleanliness.
6. System components
The wellhead control system may not require all the components listed below. Each
wellhead installation requirement should be evaluated based on project specifics.
Important elements include the ability to shut down a well quickly and safely to
avoid endangerment of personnel, and without the risk of polluting the environment.
a. A horn and strobe suitable for outdoor installation in a classified area should be installed
on top of the panel. The horn and strobe shall be activated when any alarm or shutdown set
point is achieved.
The horn volume and strobe colour should be specified as per the local facility requirements.
b. Bulkhead fittings for the hydraulic connections between the wellhead control panel and the
wellheads.
c. The following front panel mounted controls/indicators may be considered for each well:
1. Manual 3-way valve for each well shutoff valve (subsurface valve, surface safety
valve, and wing valve) to allow local manual closing and lockout of each individual
well.
2. Hydraulic line pressure gauges for each automated well shutoff valve.
d. The following non-front of panel devices may be considered for each well:
1. Pressure transmitters for hydraulic supply to each automated well shutoff valve.
2. System common 3-way solenoid valves and 3-way air-operated hydraulic valves for
each automated well shutoff valve.
3. Hydraulic pressure relief valves for supply to each automated well shutoff valve.
4. Needle valves for hydraulic supply and return of each subsurface automated shutoff
valve.
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Guidance on Practice for Wellhead Control Panels
5. Block and check valves for hydraulic supply to each automated well shutoff valve.
6. Flow line pressure safety transmitters for each segment of each well, including any
required testing accessories.
e. Other devices that may be considered to be on the front panel are:
1. Push to hold to test ESD solenoid.
2. Pressure gauge for indication of the ESD solenoid outlet pressure.
3. Pressure gauge for indication of the panel air supply pressure.
4. Pressure gauge for indication of the regulated panel supply pressure.
5. A 3-way test valve for the fusible plug loop pressure transmitter.
6. “Push to Charge” push button for fusible plug loop.
7. Pressure gauge for indication of the wellhead fusible plug loop pressure.
8. Air regulator for the subsurface valve hydraulic pump.
9. Air regulator for the surface safety valve hydraulic pump.
10. Air regulator for the wing valve hydraulic pump.
11. Selector valve for the normal pump/spare pump for the high pressure subsurface
safety valve.
12. Selector valve for the normal pump/spare pump for the intermediate pressure
subsurface safety valve.
13. Selector valve for the normal pump/spare pump for the surface safety valves.
14. Selector valve for test/spare pump.
15. Pressure gauge for indication of the hydraulic pump air supply pressure for the high
pressure subsurface valve.
16. Pressure gauge for indication of the hydraulic pump air supply pressure for the
intermediate pressure subsurface safety valve.
17. Pressure gauge for indication of the hydraulic pump air supply pressure for the
subsurface safety valves.
18. Pressure gauge for indication of the hydraulic pump output pressure for the
subsurface valve.
19. Pressure gauge for indication of the hydraulic pump output pressure for the surface
valve.
20. Pressure gauge for indication of the hydraulic pump output pressure for the wing
valve.
21. Air regulator for the test/spare pump.
22. Pressure gauge for the test/spare pump pressure indication.
23. Pressure gauge for the test/spare pump output pressure indication.
24. ESD push button.
25. PSD push button.
26. Pressure gauge for indication of the upstream segment flow line pressure for each well.
27. Pressure gauge for indication of the downstream segment flow line pressure for each well.
28. Manual 3-way valve for each flowline segment transmitter test.
g. Two threaded DN 15 (NPS 1/2) connections with isolation valves for periodic, manual,
high level filtration using external equipment shall be provided. One of these connections
shall also serve as a sampling point.
h. A threaded DN 25 (NPS 1) drain connection shall be provided to the outside of the
hydraulic panel section.
i. Continuous signals shall be provided for hydraulic pressure and reservoir level.
j. Each supply line to the hydraulically actuated valves shall have a check valve installed as
close as feasible to the actuator, upstream of the solenoid valve.
This will allow maintenance on the hydraulic system upstream of the actuator
without changing the valve position.
k. Each hydraulic supply line shall have a panel-mounted pressure gauge.
This gauge serves as a valve position indicator.
l. A separate return tank with vent for entrained gas shall be provided for return from
downhole safety valves. Means shall be provided for test of return tank contents and
filtered return to the main reservoir as well as dumping contaminated oil to drain or barrel.
Tank shall be sized to permit two closing operations of all valves before reaching high
alarm level.
Consideration should be given to the possibility of contamination of hydraulic fluid
from other users.
m. The recommended hydraulic fluid shall be demonstrated to be suitabile for the application.
Suitability shall be based on downhole and ambient temperatures considering fluid
degradation and the viscosity necessary for operation.
n. The following front panel mounted controls or indicators may be considered for common
systems:
1. Hydraulic pressure gauges for each hydraulic pressure supply header.
2. Air pressure regulator for each air operated hydraulic pump.
3. Operator interface terminal to facilitate required testing.
o. The following minimum non-front mounted panel devices may be considered for the
common hydraulic system:
1. Redundant air supply filters, valves, and pressure gauges.
2. Air pressure regulator, pressure gauge, and pressure transmitter for each regulated air
pressure circuit.
3. Safety pressure relief valves as required to prevent system overpressure in any
abnormal condition.
4. Hydraulic pressure transmitter for each hydraulic pressure circuit.
5. Hydraulic reservoir level transmitter.
6. ESD solenoid valve (and associated pilot valves) to stop hydraulic pumps.
7. Hydraulic test pump with all associated devices to allow testing of hydraulic pressure
transmitters. This pump should also be installed as a standby spare for each of the
other pumps.
Umbilicals are most suitable for multiple wellhead installations where hard piping
is difficult and expensive. Umbilicals for small or simple installations may be
inappropriate.
b. Multitube umbilical hose bundle design shall:
1. Be suitable for operating pressures and temperatures and sheathed overall to provide
protection from the installed environment, risk of impact damage, and fire resistance.
2. Maintain flexibility without flattening for installation purposes.
3. Have a minimum service life of 20 years.
Need for armour depends on method of installation. Umbilicals may be subject to
oil spills and specification of outer sheath shall account for this.
It may be more cost effective to accept the Vendor recommended umbilical and have
stringent periodic maintenance testing procedures to assure safety and reliability. It
seems likely that periodic testing would be required even if “20 year” umbilicals
were used.
c. Individual hydraulic hoses within the umbilicals shall be sized to ensure that closure of
wellhead valves is achieved within specified times.
d. Umbilicals shall include all connectors, mounting plates, and individual hoses for
connection and reconnection to wellhead panel and individual wellhead valves.
8. Testing
a. Detailed test procedures shall be produced to demonstrate design integrity along with
correct operation of each element of the total wellhead control system.
b. Tests shall be performed with simulated interconnecting pipework and drain lines
connected, which provide equivalent restriction and pressure drop.
9. Documentation
9.1. General
a. Documentation shall be provided to enable assessment of design.
b. Documentation shall be limited to that essential to verify conformance with specified
functionality and as necessary to permit installation, operation, calibration, and
maintenance of the system.
c. Documentation requirement should be detailed in the Functional Specification.
10. Shipping
a. Each panel shall be cleaned, secured, protected, and packaged in a weatherproof enclosure.
Additional shipping preparation for ocean shipping to an offshore platform may be
required.
b. Cabinet internals shall contain packets of desiccant to adequately protect moisture sensitive
items and electrical connections.
c. Package crating and weather protection shall be adequate for storage for six months prior
to installation.
Weather protection includes wind, rain, salt spray, and sun as applicable.
d. Prior to packaging, external system connections such as pipe, tubing, and conduit shall be
plugged, using devices specifically intended and manufactured for these purposes.
ANNEX A
(Informative)
Example of an Offshore Wellhead Control Panel
Functional Specification and Data Sheet
A.1.1 General
No. of Wellheads
Valves Wing Master Downhole Other
Control Local (o/c)
Remote (o/c)
Status Local (o/c)
Remote (o/c)
Shutdown Level
Stroke Volume
Closure Time (max.)
Sequence Time
Actuator Pressure
(max./min. barg)
Panel Environment
Well No:
Length:
Well No:
Length:
ANNEX B
(Informative)
Supplier Documentation
As a minimum the documentation listed below shall be provided after confirmation of order:
a. Front of panel layout drawings.
b. Logic diagrams (hydraulic, pneumatic, and electrical).
c. Equipment utility load estimates.
d. Wiring, electrical distribution, grounding, and interconnection drawings.
e. Installation and terminal point details.
f. Equipment lists, schedules, and data sheets for input to operational maintenance database
systems, if specified.
g. Interface schedules including signal state.
h. Detailed spares and test equipment listings to cover commissioning and two year
operation.
As a minimum the documentation listed below shall be provided prior to factory test:
a. Detailed procedure, program, and test sheets for system testing at the factory, on site
commissioning, and subsequent routine operation and maintenance. These are to include
the system, any subvendors, and any ancillary equipment.
b. Failure mode and effects analysis with corrective actions taken.
c. Dynamic hydraulic analysis with corrective actions taken.
d. Equipment safety certification dossier (as applicable).
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Guidance on Practice for Wellhead Control Panels
e. Operation and maintenance manuals with all information necessary for continued
operation during the life of the installation.
f. Listing of all control and trip settings.
Bibliography
[2] API RP 14C, Recommended Practice for Analysis, Design, Installation, and Testing of Basic Surface
Safety Systems for Offshore Production Platforms
[3] API RP 14F, Recommended Practice for Design, Installation of Electrical Systems for Offshore
Production Platforms
[8] NFPA 496, Purged and Pressurized Enclosures for Electrical Equipment