IADC/SPE 87113

Drilling in Brazil in 2887m Water Depth using a Surface BOP system and a DP Vessel
G. Brander, E. Magne, T. Newman, T. Taklo (Shell International Exploration & Production), C. Mitchell (Shell Brazil
Exploration & Production)

Copyright 2004, IADC/SPE Drilling Conference

also gives Shell the capability of drilling beyond the 10,000ft
This paper was prepared for presentation at the IADC/SPE Drilling Conference held in Dallas, water depth barrier making use of the existing worldwide rig
Texas, U.S.A., 2–4 March 2004.
fleet.
This paper was selected for presentation by an IADC/SPE Program Committee following
review of information contained in a proposal submitted by the author(s). Contents of the
paper, as presented, have not been reviewed by the International Association of Drilling INTRODUCTION
Contractors or Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to correction by the author(s).
The material, as presented, does not necessarily reflect any position of the International
Association of Drilling Contractors or Society of Petroleum Engineers, their officers, or This document discusses the design, installation and operation
members. Papers presented at IADC/SPE meetings are subject to publication review by of the Surface BOP (SBOP) system on the Dynamically
Editorial Committees of the International Association of Drilling Contractors and Society of
Petroleum Engineers. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper Positioned (DP) drilling rig “Stena Tay” to drill the well 1-
for commercial purposes without the written consent of the International Association of Drilling
Contractors and Society of Petroleum Engineers is prohibited. Permission to reproduce in print
SHEL-14-RJS in block BM-C-10 offshore Brazil. As such it
is restricted to a proposal of not more than 300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The includes the following:
proposal must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of where and by whom the paper was
presented. Write Librarian, SPE, P.O. Box 833836, Richardson, TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., Motivation for operations with SBOP in Brazil in
fax 01-972-952-9435.
2887m water with a DP rig:
Detailed description of the SBOP system
ABSTRACT Summary of the rig modifications required
Summary of the risk management process for the safe
The deepwater well 1-SHEL-14-RJS (block BM-C-10 in the
application of SBOP operations
Campos Basin offshore Brazil) was successfully drilled by
Brief description of the actual operation
Shell Brazil in May/June 2003. The well was drilled to beyond
Significant learnings and conclusions
5200m total depth in 2887m water by the Stena Tay, a
dynamically positioned (DP) semi-submersible, using a
WHY SBOP in BM-C-10 ?
Surface BOP system. Subsequent to this well in Brasil, a
further drilling campaign with the same SBOP system on the
The BM-C-10 block, in the Campos basin, offshore Brazil,
Stena Tay, has commenced in Egypt in late November 2003.
lies in 2850 to 3150m water.
At the time of writing the first well has been drilled to TD.
There are only a handful of conventional drilling rigs that
The SBOP system included a Surface mounted BOP
are currently equipped to drill in these water depths. As a
(SBOP), a high pressure casing riser, a Seabed Disconnect
consequence, these tend to attract high day-rates, making such
System (SDS), and control systems for these components. In
projects very expensive. This is compounded by the fact that
order to utilize this equipment on the Stena Tay, a number of
the availability of such rigs cannot be guaranteed and a high
relatively minor rig modifications were completed prior to the
mobilization fee is likely. None of these conventional rigs are
start of operations.
equipped to drill in water deeper than 3050m, and hence for
Throughout the project planning phases, an intense and
the deeper part of the BM-C-10 block a new solution is
comprehensive risk management process was followed. The
required.
results of this work concluded that SBOP operations are as
Due to the high costs associated with deepwater drilling in
safe, if not safer than conventional operations in terms of
general, recent Shell study work has focused on a means to
Health, Safety and Environment. The operation was
drill deepwater wells more cheaply. SBOP technology was
successfully completed without any significant HSE incidents.
identified to be one of the key enablers, and it subsequently
During the operations with the SBOP system a large
became one of Shell’s core technology focus areas for
number of learning’s and ideas for improvements to the
deepwater drilling.
system were gathered. These improvements will be prioritized
After some initial screening and design work it was
and implemented for future SBOP drilling campaigns.
decided to apply the technique to drill the BM-C-10 well. The
Overall, the SBOP operation on BM-C-10 was extremely
advantages of using SBOP for this particular well were:
successful, particularly when considering that this was the first
Potential to use smaller, cheaper rig
application of a new technology in an extreme environment,
Potential to reduce time spent drilling wells
conducted from a dynamically positioned vessel in record
Reduction of rig mobilization cost (suitable rigs for
breaking water depths for Brazil. This heralds a new era for
SBOP were already in Brazil)
such operations and provides a strong basis for planning for
Improved Health, Safety and Environmental
future operations with SBOP in many areas of the world. It
performance
2 IADC/SPE 87113
Rig selection
A number of candidate rigs in Brazil were initially identified
for the BMC-10 work. These included the Sedco 707, the P-
23, the Lousiana (all under contract to Petrobras) and also the
Stena Tay (under long term contract to Shell). Due to program
and contractual constraints the Sedco 707 and the P-23 were
unavailable. Inspection of the Louisiana indicated that the rig
was potentially capable of performing the work, and its day
rate was relatively low, however significant modifications
would be required, in particular to the Hydro-acoustic
Positioning Reference (HPR) system. These costs would
potentially have to be written off against a single well, thus
significantly increasing the effective day rate.
The Stena Tay is a DP semi-sub, capable of drilling in up
to 2450m of water with a conventional subsea BOP stack. She
is on a long-term contract to Shell, and had been working in
Brazil for 2 years at the time of rig selection. In general terms,
due to its high specification and day rate the vessel is/was not
the ideal rig for realizing the long-term cost benefits from
SBOP technology. However, the Stena Tay:
was already equipped with a 3000m capable Hydro-
acoustic Position Reference (HPR) system
did not require many other major modifications
had time available in its sequence to drill the BM-
C-10 well
Coupled with this incentive for Shell to use the Stena-Tay,
was that the goal of drilling the first well in nearly 3000m of
water with SBOP represented a massive technology jump.
While every effort would be (and was) made during the design
of the SBOP system to minimize the level of risk, there would
always be some ‘perceived’ risks that could only be disproved
after the system had been successfully operated. For this first
project and being fully cognizant of the extreme operating
environment, risk was mitigated by building in redundancy
features in areas where novel and or critical technology had
been applied e.g. the SDS control system which had, if
required, three separate operating systems (hard control line,
acoustic and ROV hot stab) Throughout the project, all three
systems were routinely tested and performed admirably giving
valuable data and experience for future operations
Shell Brazil had already worked with the Stena Tay for 2
years, during which an extremely good safety record had been
maintained. Due to this, and the fact that the rig would be
operating well within its capabilities in deploying an SBOP
system in 3000m, it was felt that the potential for rig related
risks would be much lower for the Stena Tay than for any of
the other identified rigs.
Another great advantage in using this vessel was that no
mobilization of another rig would be required, thus
eliminating the inherent cost, crew training etc. that are
normally involved with such a mobilization.
Drilling time
By using an SBOP system, the well duration would be reduced
due to:
Quicker riser running and retrieval
Faster circulation times
Faster BOP testing
Potentially higher ROP allowed due to less cuttings
accumulating in the riser
Health, Safety and Environmental issues
The HSE issues associated with the use of SBOP technology
have created a great deal of controversy amongst operators
and contractors alike with some level of polarization apparent
(ref. IADC SBOP meeting Nov 2002 – Houston).
Shell’s initial study work into the use of SBOP technology
indicated that risks appeared to be lower for SBOP than for
conventional operations. Nevertheless, as described later in
this paper, a very comprehensive safety management process
was implemented early on in an effort to categorically ensure
that all risks were covered and addressed, in particular those
risks associated with doing something for the first time.
Throughout this risk management process it became more
apparent to those involved that the risks were indeed lower for
just about everything considered. Some of the advantages
identified were as follows:
Short-term improvements
Much less mud required (3500 bbl versus 5700 bbl
active mud system)
Less chemicals needed and consequently less
HAZMAT exposure to personnel
Less exposure to heavy lifting of riser and
conventional BOP components
Well time reduced leading to a reduction in overall
risk exposure time
Less waste to dispose of
Improved well control (short C&K lines, no risk of
uncontrolled gas expansion in riser, more
flexibility, etc.)
Reduced risk of hydrate formation
More efficient hole cleaning characteristics
Larger watch circle tolerance than for a
conventional marine riser system
Reduced exposure to VIV riser downtime
Long-term improvements
Smaller rigs required, extended use of existing rig
fleet
Less fuel required
Less raw materials to build system
Less waste
Lower cost exploration wells and possibly more
wells to be drilled
Lower cost developments
For this particular well, in deep water with a relatively
shallow reservoir, the well control advantage was found to be
quite pertinent.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION of BOP FUNCTIONS
BOP systems for floating rig operations have two main
functions:
Provide well control functionality in the case of a kick,
and
Seal the well and allow the riser to be disconnected
from the seabed in case of a rig-positioning problem.
IADC/SPE 87113
Well control
When using a Conventional Subsea BOP system the BOP pipe
rams (or blind ram) in the Subsea BOP are used to seal the
well-bore and provide well control on the seabed. The Choke
and Kill system can then be used to safely circulate fluid in
and out of the well through a series of valves on the BOP, two
high-pressure lines running up the side of the marine riser
(low pressure) and a Choke and Kill manifold at the surface.
For a Surface BOP system, the well control is performed
using a standard ‘Jack-up type’ BOP (SBOP) which is located
in the rig’s moon pool and which is attached to the top of the
high-pressure drilling riser (for this operation the riser is
comprised of 13-3/8” casing). In the case of a well control
incident, the well is closed in at the SBOP. The kick can then
be circulated up the casing riser and out of the BOP and
through the Choke. In this regard, well control techniques are
identical to the well control techniques used for jack-up rig
operations. Using a surface BOP in this way has a number of
significant advantages over using a conventional subsea stack,
namely:
The pressure loss while circulating through the 13-
3/8” riser will be much less than while circulating
in a conventional system through very long choke
and Kill lines.
The SBOP enables gas in the riser to be controlled.
With the BOP on the seabed, the options are very
limited once a gas bubble has passed the BOP stack
and is allowed to expand up through the riser.
In the case that the BOP leaks or there is a problem,
this can be fixed at surface without having to pull
the riser. The riser, however, has to be unlatched
from the SDS prior conducting work at the SBOP.
The chance of hydrates plugging the well control
equipment at the seabed is reduced, as the gas
pressure is not altered at the seabed. Hydrate
remediation is also easier with a high-pressure riser.
More redundancy and flexibility with both the Shut-
off and Disconnect System and the Surface BOP
Seal well and disconnect
When using a Conventional Subsea BOP system, in the case
the rig is unable to maintain position, the well bore is sealed
using the Shearing Blind Ram in the Subsea BOP Stack. Once
the well is sealed, the marine riser can be disconnected from
the top of the BOP Stack at the Lower Marine Riser Package
When using the Surface BOP system, two Shearing Blind
Rams inside the Seabed Disconnect System (SDS) are used to
shear the pipe and seal the well. The riser connector at the top
of the SDS will subsequently open, releasing the riser (as
would be the case for an emergency disconnect using a subsea
stack from a DP vessel).
DESCRIPTION of SBOP EQUIPMENT
In order to utilize SBOP technology on the Stena Tay for
drilling BM-C-10 wells, a completely new BOP system and
casing riser was required. The existing BOP and marine riser
system remained in storage on the rig but was not used.
An overview of the SBOP system components and their
configuration is shown in Figure 1 – SBOP system diagram
3
The SBOP system is comprised of the following
components (bottom to top):
Seabed Disconnect System– SDS (3000m water depth
rating, 10000psi)
SDS control system (control cable and acoustic signal
transmission)
High pressure casing riser 13-3/8” (5000psi)
Surface BOP – SBOP (rams rated to 10000psi, annular
preventer to 5000psi)
Surface BOP control system
Telescoping joint and existing riser tensioning system
Existing Diverter
Existing Choke and Kill lines to manifold (15000psi)
Overall the SBOP system is rated to a maximum working
pressure of 5000psi, based on the pressure rating of the riser.
A full description of the design process of the SBOP
system can be found in:
IADC/SPE paper 87109: Surface BOP: Equipment
Development for Extending the Water Depth Capability of a
D.P. Semisubmersible by 1,900 feet
Subsea Disconnect System (SDS)
The SDS is designed to shear the drill string, seal off the well
and disconnect the riser in an emergency situation. The SDS is
composed of the following main components (bottom to top):
18-3/4” wellhead connector
13-5/8” lower and upper shearing blind rams (SBR)
with ram locks
13-5/8” riser connector (upward facing)
See Figure 2 – Seabed Disconnect System
The two SBR’s are identical Cameron 10k UM type 13-5/8”
BOP's with tandem boosters and ram locks. SBR close and
lock functions are activated by the MUX control system and
can also be actuated manually by the ROV. The two SBR’s
are spaced out so that a drill pipe tool joint is able to fit
between the two rams ensuring that at least one SBR is always
cutting drill pipe and not a tool joint.
The SDS is equipped with a mechanical automatic closure
system.
SDS Control System
The SDS is designed to be a safety device to seal the well and
to disconnect the riser in case of emergencies only. Regular
well control will be maintained by using the SBOP. It is not
planned, nor expected, that any of the functions on the SDS
will be operated regularly although this capability is designed
into the system. Based on this, there is no fixed hydraulic
supply line from the surface to the SDS.
9 x 40 gallon piston type hydraulic accumulators are
mounted on the SDS that provide the pressurized fluid
required to operate the shear rams, ram locks and the
connectors.
The SDS is controlled by a multiplex, electric over
hydraulic, control system. There are 2 control panels for the
SDS:
Master Control Panel in the Toolpusher's Office.
Drillers Panel located in the Driller's Cabin.
4 IADC/SPE 87113
Electric signals from these panels are sent from the surface
to the SDS in two ways:
Acoustic signal transmitted through the water
column from a surface mounted transducer to 2
identical receivers and electronic control pods on
the SDS.
Electrical signal transmitted down through a
hardwire, attached to the riser.
These signals cause valves in the control package to
actuate, thus sending hydraulic fluid to the appropriate
function on the SDS. In the case of a blackout on the surface,
power is maintained to the control system through a UPS
system.
Both of the hardwired and acoustic systems allow
continuous monitoring of system operability throughout the
course of the well. Failure of either acoustic or electrical cable
will set an alarm.
In the case that an emergency disconnect is required, the
Driller pushes a single button on a Control Panel located in the
Driller's Cabin. The emergency disconnect sequence is then
executed automatically as follows:
Close and lock lower shear rams.
Close and lock upper shear rams.
Primary and Secondary unlock riser connector.
The disconnect sequence takes 38 seconds to complete.
High Pressure Casing Riser
The casing riser is rated to 7500psi API burst rating, however
it has been analyzed as a drilling riser to 5000psi.
Transition joints are located at the bottom of the riser, just
above the SDS, and at the top of the riser, just below the
SBOP. These joints avoid stress concentration points between
the ‘flexible’ riser and the stiff SDS and SBOP.
There was a potential for strong currents in BM-C-10 with
associated potential for Vortex Induced Vibrations (VIV).
Specially designed VIV suppression sleeves were therefore
attached to the upper 150m of the riser. In addition, an over-
pull was applied to the riser during operations to help to
suppress VIV and current effects.
See Table 1 - Riser casing properties
Surface BOP (SBOP)
The SBOP is a conventional surface type BOP stack that
would typically be found on a jack-up rig. The arrangement of
preventers and the Choke and Kill line outlets allows
maximum flexibility during well control operations which will
be conducted in the same way as well control operations on a
jack-up.
The SBOP is composed of the following components
(bottom to top):
13-5/8” mechanical wellhead connector
13-5/8” lower pipe rams
Kill line inlet port
3-5/8” upper pipe rams
Choke line outlet port
13-5/8” tandem boosted SBR
13-5/8” annular preventer
See Figure 3 – SBOP in moonpool
Rams are rated to 10000psi, the annular preventer to
5000psi.
Downstream of the Choke and Kill inlets, 2 x 3 1/16” gate
valves are located on each line. The rig’s existing Choke and
Kill manifold and piping was utilized without modification.
The Choke and Kill line outlets on the SBOP were designed to
match the rig’s existing flexible Choke and Kill lines that were
simply ‘dropped’ into position on the SBOP.
Surface BOP Control System
An electro-hydraulic control manifold, located adjacent to the
SDS MUX reel, provides control for the SBOP. Both the
manifold and the MUX reel are located on a new deck
constructed specifically for the purpose. Pressurised fluid is
delivered to the manifold from the existing rig BOP surface
accumulator package.
The SBOP can be controlled from 3 panels:
Direct from the control manifold in the moon pool
Driller’s Remote Panel in the Driller’s Cabin
Toolpusher’s Panel located in the Toolpusher's
Office
Riser Tensioning System Telescoping Joint and Diverter
The Stena Tay is equipped with 6 Hydralift ‘N’-Line Riser
Tensioners with a 15m stroke.
The casing riser is hung off on the existing riser load ring.
A donut shaped Load Ring Adaptor (LRA) provides the
necessary load-carrying interface between the casing riser
Upper Transition Joint and the larger diameter load ring
(existing).
A purpose-built 3-piece Telescoping Joint (TJ), fitted
above the SBOP, compensates for rig movement. A Flex Joint
is incorporated into the top of the TJ.
The existing rig diverter (with the existing rig flex joint
removed) is used to provide a connection between the TJ and
the rig diverter housing.
RIG MODIFICATIONS
In addition to the main system components, a number of rig
modifications have been undertaken as follows:
Installation of SBOP gantry crane
Installation of hydrophone system
Installation of MUX and SBOP Control Manifold
Deck
Depth upgrade to ROV and installation of pump
skid
SBOP Gantry Crane
A 40mt gantry crane has been installed under the rig floor.
This crane is used to lift the SBOP from the main Deck and
move it into the well center between the Riser Tensioner
Cylinders, and to then lower it down onto the wellhead on the
top of the riser.
Hydrophone System
A Nautronix hydrophone is deployed below the hull in order
to communicate with the Nautronix control system on the
SDS. A purpose built deployment pipe and internal
deployment system was installed through which the
hydrophone is lowered.
IADC/SPE 87113
MUX and SBOP Control Manifold Deck
A new deck has been provided to support the new 3000m
MUX line and SBOP control Manifold. This deck is located
directly above the existing MUX deck and is attached to the
shaker house wall.
ROV
Oceaneering fitted a new umbilical and winch to the ROV, for
operations in 3000m water. Power cabling has also been
upgraded to supply the additional power required by the
upgraded winch.
In order to refill the SDS accumulators subsea during the
course of the SBOP operations, a pumping skid with a 135 gal
reservoir is fitted to the ROV.
SBOP RISK ASSESSMENT/MANAGEMENT PROCESS
The comprehensive Risk assessment and management process
encompassed a number of steps:
HAZID
QRA
Acoustic reliability study
HAZOP
Communication and Training program
Additional studies
Third party inspection program
HAZID
An early Hazard Identification (HAZID) exercise was held in
February 2002 in order to identify potential issues for the use
of the SBOP system on BMC-10.
The exercise identified no “showstoppers” for the planned
operations, but did highlight several issues that needed to be
addressed prior to deployment. In particular, concerns around
the reliability of the SDS acoustic control system were
addressed.
Most of the hazards were judged as issues that would be
addressed during design. In addition, operator training and
development of detailed procedures was perceived as being
very important for safe operations.
QRA
An independent Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) was
completed between March and October 2002, by 3rd party
consultants and independently verified by competent industry
and Shell groups. This compared the use of an SBOP system
with a conventional system.
The description of the QRA analysis is beyond the scope
of this paper, however the conclusions were as follows:
“In conclusion, overall hydrocarbon release probability
and potential loss of life results were found to favor the
surface stack configuration, while total potential
environmental release was found to be roughly equivalent to
the sub sea BOP stack.
The results from the study (supported by conservative
input values and sensitivity analysis) support the conclusion
that the overall risks associated with surface stack drilling are
equivalent to or less than those associated with conventional
sub sea stack drilling configuration.”
5
Acoustic reliability study
After the HAZID highlighted some issues with regard to the
reliability of acoustic systems, a specific Study on reliability
of acoustic BOP-controls was completed between May and
October 2002. This study concluded:
“Although it can be stated that the reliability of an
acoustic BOP control system is more reliable than the earlier
designs, a recommended failure to function on demand
frequency cannot be established based on experience.
For the purpose of further analyses where a reliability
figure for the acoustic system is required, it is recommended
to assume that 1 out of 100 attempts to activate fails, i.e. 1%.”
Based on this conclusion a new-technology Broadband
acoustic system was selected to provide the primary acoustic
link between the seabed and the surface. However, a
hardwired MUX cable backup was also specified for this first
well(s), until such a time that the reliability of the acoustic link
could be conclusively proven.
HAZOP
A Hazard Operation Analysis (HAZOP) was completed in
January 2003. This HAZOP was run with key contractor
personnel directly involved in the operation. The purpose of
the exercise was to provide a final comprehensive operability
review of the SBOP system ‘as built’ to identify any
additional hazards. The conclusions of this study were as
follows:
The Hazards identified during this workshop mainly
related to personnel safety and assets
The group felt comfortable with conclusions from
previous hazard assessments with respect to threats
to the environment and reputation that were already
felt to be below ALARP levels.
Items identified were mainly of an operational
efficiency nature rather than safety specific
Areas of concern fell into the following categories:
Lifting/handling, valve operation, trapped pressure,
spurious operation, control system status.
Cathodic protection was identified as a hydrogen
embrittlement hazard to P-110 casing riser – anodes
were removed from the SDS
No “showstoppers”, but a number of actions to be
closed out
Communication and training
The HAZID identified that due to the novel nature of SBOP
operations it was critical that there was clear communication
between all parties involved and that operations personnel
were involved at all stages of the project. Due to the global
nature of the project with people located in Houston, Brazil,
Aberdeen, Australia and on the rig a number of steps were
taken:
Weekly global teleconferences were held with all
main parties represented
A comprehensive issues register was updated on a
weekly basis. This provided the comprehensive
actions list for the project. 342 individual
6 IADC/SPE 87113
actions/issues were tracked throughout the course of
the project.
A series of workshops (design, operations, DTL,
etc) with relevant parties were held throughout the
course of the project in Aberdeen, Houston and Rio
A comprehensive procedures document was
developed which detailed all operations and
contingency planning for the safe operation of the
SBOP system
A series of comprehensive 2 day SBOP training
sessions were held for all the senior rig personnel
(derrick man and upwards)
A video animation of the SBOP running sequence
was made to help the crew to visualize and plan the
operations
Additional studies that were identified as critical
early on in the HAZID were also performed:
o Riser analysis and VIV study (February
2002 to January 2003)
o Riser recoil study (October to December
2002)
Third-party specialists were used all over the world
to carry out inspections and verifications during the
equipment fabrication and construction phases.
A fuller discussion of the risk management process can be
found in:
IADC/SPE XXXXX –2004 - Risk
management process for ultra-deepwater Surface BOP
operations from a dynamically positioned drilling rig
WELL OPERATIONS
1-SHEL-14-RJS was a vertical deep-water exploration well
drilled, using the “Stena Tay” drilling rig equipped with an
SBOP system, to a total depth beyond 5000m in a water depth
of 2,887m.
The well duration was 52.8 days from spud to release.
During the drilling of this well a total of 15 days of Non-
Productive Time (NPT) was recorded.
This NPT can be split fairly evenly between initial start up
problems with the SDS, which required a re-run of the riser,
and well related problems involving serious losses, which led
to slow drilling and the requirement to set an additional liner
string.
After the initial ‘teething’ problems with the SDS, the
SBOP system worked extremely well, without any problems
for the remainder of the well. At the end of the well, a full
function test proved that the system remained fully operable.
Deployment
The outline SBOP system preparation and deployment
sequence was as follows:
Preparation phase
1. Load out of equipment
2. Pressure and function test the SDS
3. Pressure and function test SBOP
4. Function test and deploy acoustic
hydrophone
5. M/U and rack back 13-3/8” casing riser
Riser running
1. Confirm conditions required prior to start of
SBOP running
2. Prepare SDS
3. Suspend load ring adapter
4. Run lower transition joint assembly
5. Run riser
6. Space out and land off on load ring
7. Run SBOP
8. Run telescopic joint and diverter
9. Land SDS onto subsea wellhead
10. Commission SDS on wellhead
11. Pressure test system
Operational highlights / lowlights
The well was spudded on April 24th.
After top-hole operations were completed the SDS was
picked-up and run down to the seabed on the casing riser. The
riser run went very smoothly with only a few of hours lost due
to bad make-up of riser connections.
The SBOP was landed and latched onto the top of the riser,
and subsequently the SDS was landed and latched to the
wellhead, all without problem.
A full function test of the SDS was then performed which
revealed an unexpected problem with the ram preventer
balance system. This was corrected by using the ROV to cut
the balance system hoses, which fixed the problem. This ‘fix’
had a minor drawback in that it allowed seawater to enter the
non-powered tandem booster ‘open’ cavities, which if not
rectified over the long term could cause a corrosion issue,
however this did not provide any risk to the ongoing
operations on this well.
While the ROV was fixing the balance system problem
some additional hours were also lost due to damaged seals on
the hotstab that the ROV used to charge and operate the SDS.
Once the SDS was landed back onto the wellhead it was fully
function tested and prepared for operation. Just prior to
completing the last function, it was noticed that all the
pressure appeared to have been lost from the SDS accumulator
bank. Further investigation with the ROV indicated that a
rupture disk, which was designed to prevent over-pressuring
of the control system at surface, had unexpectedly ruptured,
thus emptying the accumulator. No repair was possible at the
seabed and consequently the SDS was pulled back to surface
where it was repaired and prepared for a re-run.
When the weather subsequently reduced the SDS was
landed and fully commissioned without problem. It was then
handed-over for drilling operations to commence. Subsequent
to this, there were no problems with the SBOP system for the
remainder of the well.
After the well was plugged and abandoned, a full function
test of the system was completed which indicated that all
systems were operating as expected. The SDS was then
recovered to the surface without problem. A disconnect test
was then performed at surface which worked as expected.
Timings
In total it took 310 hour (12.9 days) from the time the SDS
was initially picked up to the time the system was finally
IADC/SPE 87113
handed over for drilling. This included 56 hours of waiting on
weather, and also a riser pull and a second riser run.
Riser run #1 took 164 hours in total. If there had not been
any Trouble Time it would have taken 88 hours on this first
occasion to run the SDS. When all first time only operations
(things that would only ever be done during the first
deployment of the SBOP system) were removed from this
time and some assumptions on performance improvements
were made, this suggested that a future expected trouble-free
running time would be 58 hours.
Riser run #2 took 99 hours in total. If there had not been
any weather downtime it would have taken 58 hours to run the
system, which is a significant improvement (30 hours) over
the first run, and (in fact) equal to the calculated expected
time.
Riser pull #1 and #2 were both achieved in approximately
the same time of 48 hours, however there is significant room
for improvement in these times.
Considering the water depth of 2887m, these are extremely
good riser running times, particularly in light of the fact that
this was the first deployment of this equipment and that
extreme care and time were being taken. There is also
significant scope in the future to reduce these times through
minor improvements in the running procedures and
equipment.
Lessons
There is still a lot of scope for optimizing the SBOP system
and operating procedures. However, this first operation, after
the initial problems, brings Shell into the leading position for
SBOP deployment and operations. A significant part of this
success is due to the long term, team-planning effort that went
into preparing the SBOP equipment and the rig for these
operations. Most notably there were not any significant HSE
incidents associated with the running of the SBOP system.
A huge number of learning’s were made throughout the
course of the well, which will be gradually implemented as
opportunity, and budgets permit. A majority of these
learning’s are simply procedural issues that will be
incorporated into revised SBOP installation and operating
procedures
The initial failures of the balance system and rupture disc,
which caused the requirement to pull and re-run the system,
must be seen as once-off system teething problems which will
be rectified fully during the post-well modification work.
The acoustic system worked well. The MUX cable proved
to be a good investment. For future operations there are some
options to improve the reliability of the acoustic system and it
is hoped that eventually it may be possible to remove the
requirement for a MUX cable.
The operation of the SDS by ROV proved to be workable,
however the system was difficult to operate without first
installing the SDS on the wellhead. A series of relatively low
cost improvement ideas have been developed which will be
implemented when budget is available. In the meantime, it is
felt to be critical that having experienced ROV pilots, and
continuity in crewing, will be a key to maintaining successful
SBOP operations
7
CONCLUSIONS
The Shell operated exploration well BMC-10, in partnership
with Wintershall and Statoil, offshore Brazil was successfully
drilled to a total depth beyond 5000m. The well was drilled in
2887m of water by the dynamically positioned semi-
submersible rig, Stena Tay, utilising a Surface BOP drilling
system which replaced the conventional 18¾” subsea BOP
and 21¼” riser.
Although the Surface BOP technique has been extensively
utilized in the past, this has been under relatively benign
metocean conditions, primarily in the Far East. For the harsher
offshore environment found in Brazil, and due to the use of a
Dynamically Positioned drilling rig, it was necessary to
develop the Subsea Disconnect System. This BMC-10 well
conclusively proved that the SBOP technique can safely work
in harsh environments with a DP rig and consequently SBOP
drilling can now be considered to be a proven technology for
future wells in similar environments.
The use of a Surface BOP drilling system provides a way
to increase the depth capability of a conventionally equipped
drilling vessel, leading to the potential to significantly reduce
the costs of deepwater drilling. In the future, the SBOP system
will permit the use of lower capacity, lower cost vessels (3rd,
4th generation) for deep water operations rather than the more
costly, higher capacity, 5th generation type vessel, needed to
accommodate the conventional subsea BOP and large riser.
Based on the operating conditions during the BMC-10
well, the novel nature of the SBOP system, the new equipment
and procedures, and the extreme water depth, the decision to
use the Stena Tay was certainly the correct in terms of
mitigating against some of the inherent risks associated with
deploying an alternative, relatively unknown vessel where
there would have been lower involvement of the rig contractor
during the planning process.
The detailed risk management work (and the actual
operations) indicated that SBOP is indeed safer, more efficient
and more environmentally friendly than conventional systems.
Although there are some technology limitations, the portfolio
of wells that can be drilled with such an approach is certainly
more than 50% of the portfolio, and even more in deepwater.
In addition, this technology has more potential for expansion
than conventional drilling. In particular, it is an almost a
perfect fit with the development of expandables which enable
the use of smaller diameter casing and in the future the drilling
of monobore wells.
The project can claim a number of industry records,
namely:
The first time the SBOP technique has been used
with a DP vessel.
The deepest water depth for exploration drilling in
Brazil.
The fourth deepest water depth for exploration
drilling in the world to date
The deepest water depth drilled by Shell and Stena
The deepest water depth ever drilled with Surface
BOP utilization
8 IADC/SPE 87113

A key element of the success of the project was the active

support by all Partners, contractors and the commitment of all
stakeholders. Considerable consultation, cooperation,
challenge, and engineering effort was contributed by all
parties ensuring that the objectives of this ground-breaking
technology were fully achieved.
For the future, this technology will allow a greater number
of rig contractors to compete in the ultra deepwater arena with
their existing fleet. The benefit to Shell and Partners will be
lower cost operations, improved development economics and
sustainability of our business into the longer term.
This Brazilian project therefore heralds a new era in
deepwater operations and provides a key technology
breakthrough for substantially reducing development-drilling
costs and extending the deepwater business into harsher ultra
deep operating environments.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The following people and companies must be acknowledged

and thanked for their direct involvement and input throughout
this project: Jim Adam (Shell), Gary Ether (Shell), Thor
Lovoll (Shell), Steve Burman (Shell), Sjouke Hijlkema
(Shell), Abe Steiginga (Shell), Max Cowap (Shell), Georg
Harwalik (Wintershall), Fred Foreman (OPT), John Banks
(Stena), Iain Fraser (Stena), Graham Brunt (Stena), John
Shields (Stena), Crew of Stena Tay (Stena), Paul Toudouce
(Cameron), Mac Kennedy (Cameron), Mel Whitby (Cameron)
Scott Elson (Nautronix), Alistair Birnie (Nautronix), David
Soper (Nautronix), Lauran Pefferkorn (V&M), Carlos Ventura
(V&M), Sergio Lopes (V&M), Frank Fleckner (Weatherford),
Donald Bearb (Weatherford), Dell Dodson (Oceaneering),
John Davis (Oceaneering).
IADC/SPE 87113 9

Nominal Grade Weight ID Drift Yield Ultimate Collapse Internal

Size Strength Yield
in Ppf in in lbs lbs psi psi

13-3/8 P110 72 12.347 12.250 2,284,000 2,596,000 2,880 7,400

Table 1 - Riser casing properties

Rig floor Diverter

Flex joint 3 piece telescoping

joint
Riser tensioner
13-5/8” Surface BOP
SBOP control
system SDS control system
Load ring adaptor 13-5/8” surface wellhead
Load ring and extension spool
Upper transition
joint Surface acoustic
transducer
VIV strakes
13-3/8” casing riser
SDS control
umbilical
Lower transition joint

Subsea Disconnect
SDS control
System (SDS)
system

Subsea wellhead

Figure 1 – SBOP system diagram

Figure 2 – Seabed Disconnect System Figure 3 – SBOP in moonpool