Technology Bulletin No.

SEQ-95-006

P.O. Drawer 1431, Duncan, Oklahoma 73536-0403 USA Date 09-28-95

Issued
SUBJECT: New API Recommended Practices for Coiled Tubing Approved
Well-Control Equipment Announced
Approved

Introduction

The American Petroleum Institute (API) is drafting the “Recommended Practice for Coiled
Tubing Operations in Oil and Gas Well Services,” which should be implemented in late 1995.
These procedures will become the industry standard, and as a result, customers will likely re-
quire Halliburton’s compliance. This bulletin provides information about the recommended
practices regarding the well-control stack, so that your location can comply with these new
recommendations before they come into effect.

Background

The well-control stack consists of the stripper/packer and the quad blowout preventer (BOP),
which is the primary barrier for containing pressure. The secondary barrier is the shear ram/blind
ram combination.

According to the new API Recommended Practice (RP), the shear rams must be able to shear the
heaviest wall and the highest yield strength of the specified coiled tubing size at the well-control
stack’s rated working pressure. The hydraulic pressure required to effectively shear the coiled
tubing must be below the prime mover hydraulic system’s maximum allowable working pres-
sure.

The new API RP requires operators to demonstrate the shear function by cutting the heaviest
wall of a specified size of coiled tubing at least once every 30 days. Since the shear blades could
be damaged during the demonstration, however, operators are allowed to replace the blades after
completing the test successfully.

Since most Halliburton CT units deliver 1,500 psi nominal pressure on the BOP circuit, the shear
rams should be able to shear the tubing with less than 1,500 psi system pressure. This statement
is true, however, only if the BOP shear ram actuator size matches the hydraulic power unit’s
capabilities.

CAUTION: Do not substitute incompatible or mismatched components on a unit.

Substitutions can compromise the operation and safety of the unit. CT surface equipment
consists of discrete components that are carefully matched to work together properly.
The Service Manager should verify that all surface equipment components match.

NOTICE: This document is confidential, proprietary property of Halliburton Energy Services. It is supplied for
use by Halliburton Energy Services employees only and shall not be copied, published or disclosed in whole or
in part without the prior written consent of Halliburton Energy Services.

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No.
Date
SEQ-95-006
09-28-95
Technology Bulletin

Accumulator Sizing

With the pumps inoperable, the well control component’s backup hydraulic system must have
enough accumulator volume to supply the pressure and volume required to actuate the rams. To
ensure that system components are properly sized, follow the sequence below:

1. Close the slip rams.

2. Close the pipe rams.

3. Close the shear rams and shear the tubing.

4. Close all other well-control stack rams.

5. Open all well-control stack rams.

6. Close all well-control stack rams.

This proposed method of sizing the accumulator equipment differs from the close-open-close
procedure described in the Coiled Tubing Operations Manual, Subsection 1.7. The Halliburton
volume calculation method assumes isothermal conditions. This method is valid because of the
slow discharge rate during the close-open-close cycle. The API procedure is based on adiabatic
expansion of the gas precharge. Both methods agree if the temperature change is minimal.

Example Calculation

Background

A coiled tubing unit (CTU) has a 3 1/16-in. 10,000-psi Quad BOP. The unit usually runs 1.5 ×
0.125-in. wall tubing. The hydraulic system BOP circuit pressure setting is 1,500 psi. The
accumulator package is a nominal 20-gal capacity with 1,000 psi precharge pressure. Each ram
actuation requires 0.136 gal to close and 0.121 gal to open. The shear ram booster cylinder
requires 0.528 gal to close and 0.121 gal to open.

According to the table in Subsection 2.4 of the Coiled Tubing Operations Manual, this model,
equipped with 8011-3541 blades, requires 1,156 psi to shear 1.5 × 0.125-in. wall, 70-grade
tubing when the well pressure is 10,000 psi. The same table indicates that the volume required to
close two rams and the shear rams is 0.8 gal. As a result, you need to test whether the pressure
remaining in the accumulators after 0.8 gal is discharged is at least 1,156 psi.

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 Technology Bulletin No.
Date
SEQ-95-006
09-28-95

After using the sizing method provided in Subsection 1.7 of the Coiled Tubing Operations
Manual, you determine that sufficient pressure exists, but your customer wants to know the
system pressure requirement based on the proposed API document. Use the equation below.

1
Pmax =
1 3(T@p )( VClose )
−
Pcrit ( Pp )(T@max )(V@ p )

where

Pmax = required system pressure, psi

T@p = temperature at precharge, °F
VClose = volume discharged, gal
Pcrit = minimum required pressure after discharge, psi
Pp = gas precharge pressure, psi
T@max = temperature at system pressure, °F
V@p = Nominal accumulated volume, gal

Example

With no hydraulic fluid in the accumulator, Pp was 1,000 psi, and the T @p was 70°F. At the time
of operation, the ambient temperature (T@max) was 90°F. Use the following values for the equa-
tion:

T@p = 70°F
VClose = 0.8 gal 1
Pcrit = 1,156 psi Pmax =
1 3( 70)( 0.8)
Pp = 1,000 psi −
,
1156 (1,000 )(90 )(20 )
T@max = 90°F
V@p = 20 gal

The required system pressure (Pmax) is 1,295 psi. Since the nominal hydraulic system operating
pressure is 1,500 psi, this configuration meets the minimum requirements for shearing the
selected tubing size.

Repeat the calculation to verify that Pmax does not drop below 1,200 psi when you discharge the
amount of oil needed to complete the close-open-close cycle (See API RP 53). Note that the
same BOP without the boosters requires 4,611 psi to cut the same tubing size.

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No.
Date
SEQ-95-006
09-28-95
Technology Bulletin

Halliburton Compliance Guidelines

To ensure customer satisfaction, follow the guidelines below as a part of routine operation:

1. Verify that the operating specifications for the BOP model in service are adequate for
the tubing sizes and grades used with that equipment.

Note: Many BOPs must be equipped with booster cylinders on the shear rams to match the
system pressure limitations. The operating parameters of the most commonly used
BOPs can be found in Subsection 2.4 of the Coiled Tubing Operations Manual.

2. Verify that the hydraulic system of the power pack provides enough pressure to shear the
largest tubing size and highest grade of tubing used with the unit. Most units provide 1,500 psi.
If necessary, you can reset the pumps to 2,000 psi to ensure adequate reserve power.

3. Verify that the accumulator volume and system pressure are adequate to supply the reserve
power needed to achieve the required actuation cycles. Some older systems may not have
enough accumulator volume. See the Coiled Tubing Operations Manual for the proper sizing
procedure.

4. Implement a monthly shear-ram functional test.

5. Upgrade postjob maintenance requirements to include ram actuation and lubrication after
each job. Postjob and scheduled maintenance and inspection checklists are available on the
CT Memo Bulletin Board. Table 1 shows the checklists available.

IMPORTANT: To ensure safety and proper operation, you must evaluate every unit to verify
that the well-control equipment is matched to the hydraulic system and that the accumulators
are sized correctly. Actuate ram-type well control components daily and anytime after hoses
have been reconnected to the equipment.

If equipment upgrades are required to ensure compliance, contact the Duncan Coiled Tubing Tech-
nology Department for assistance.

Table 1—Maintenance/Inspection Checklists

Checklist CEMS System
Description
No. Code
C02A Level A PM—120-day Maintenance C02A
C02B Level B PM—Annual Maintenance C02B
I202 Annual Inspection A101
X051 Postjob Maintenance (Unscheduled) X051
X050 Prejob Inspection (Unscheduled) X050

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