In this paper, we will share the results of the collaborative efforts completed during Phase XII of the DeepStar joint industry technology development project; specifically, the results of CTR 12504, Real-time Monitoring for Critical Barriers, which was conducted within the X500 Drilling and Completions committee in 2016. We will outline the process used to identify the critical data needed to verify and maintain primary and secondary barriers to flow within deepwater wells, required to conduct safe offshore drilling operations.
The objectives of Real-time Monitoring for Critical Barriers were to identify and define critical data sources required for the real-time monitoring of both, the drilling margins and physical safety barriers. The use of real-time data monitoring has now become a regulatory requirement for US deepwater and critical well operations.
The scope of this work covered the Drilling, Completion, Well Testing and Well Intervention phases of a well's life cycle. An international perspective was employed by integrating the barrier strategies of API RP 96, NORSOK D-10, IOGP Reports 415 / 544, UKOG Well Life Cycle Integrity Guidelines, 30 CFR Part 250 Final Rule and NAS TRB Report 322. From these documents, the common themes and definitions were examined to produce a matrix that defined the primary and secondary barrier envelopes, identify the rig sensors for their validation, then insure that they are verified and maintained during the various operations conducted over the life of the well.
The real-time data monitoring, considered in this effort, included sensors on the drilling rig's hoisting and mud systems, downhole tools, and to the largely independent sub-sea BOP stack. While the rig and downhole tool sensing equipment is fairly standardized across the industry, the same cannot be said for sub-sea BOP systems. While individual BOP vendor systems share similar overall design structures, the sensors, measurement protocols, system architecture, and data processing are unique to each. Secondary activation systems (i.e., acoustic, ROV) are also unique to each vendor.
This paper addresses real-time monitoring as it applies the verification and monitoring of barrier elements.
