Snubbing
Snubbing
Snubbing
CONTROL
SNUBBING OPERATIONS
Learning Objectives
Overview
Overview
Overview
In Live Well Operations there are Dead Well Operations are usually
usually production issues that done for issues related to rig costs
require the well to be worked or space and mobilization issues.
under pressure or there are
mechanical problems that prevent
the well from being killed.
Overview
Snubbing - pipe raising / lowering operations where specialized equipment is used to overcome
forces trying to push the pipe out of the hole due to shut-in wellbore pressures.
Running/pulling production strings
Resetting weight on packers
Fishing operations
Squeezing cement slurry
Washing perforations, sand
Well control
Milling / drilling
Control Panel
Counterbalance Winch
Traveling Slips
Telescoping Mast
Stationary Slips
Guide Tube
Access Window
Tubing Stripper or Annular Preventer
Vent Line
Equalizing Loop
BOP Stack
Ram Preventers
Choke Line
Jack Cylinders
• Provide lifting and lowering force.
• Lifting forces from 120k to 600k.
Slip Assemblies
• Traveling slips attached to operating cylinders, move with Jack head.
• Stationary slips hold tubing for connections and while additional strokes are taken.
• Lower stationary slips used when pipe is “heavy.”
• Inverted stationary slips used when pipe is “light.”
Applications
Travelling
Assembly
Travelling
Slip
Assembly
Leaf
Chain
Drillpipe
Hydraulic
Cylinder
Assembly
Stationary
Slip
Sheave Assembly
Assembly
A Barrier is any device or substance that prevents the flow of the well bore fluids.
Primary Barrier
• Used during normal operations, e.g., a stripper rubber, BPV and stripping rams.
• A liquid (e.g., brine) used as a barrier must be able to control pressures.
- Must be able to monitor density.
- Must be able to adjust density.
Secondary Barrier
• Used in support of normal operations or as a contingency, e.g., a BOP, stripping rams and back
pressure valve
Tertiary Barrier
• Used in emergency, e.g., a shear seal, a master valve that cuts wireline, safety head
Closeable Barriers
• Ability to open and close, e.g., BOP, safety valves
Fluid Barriers
• Seawater, brines, drilling fluid
Mechanical Barriers
• Closes off the flow path by sealing against casing or tubing wall - positive plug in tubing-N nipple
Combination Barriers
• A combination of mechanical and fluid barriers may be used
Testing of a Barriers
• Test in direction of Flow. (BPV against flow)
• Test to maximum anticipated surface pressure
Safety Ram
Crown
Valve
Stripper rams must be separated by a spool for “lubricating” tool joints and have pump in and
bleed off capability between strippers.
Safety Rams - Actually pipe rams - allow safe replacement of stripper ram packing - two rams for
well pressure > 5,000 psi.
Shear or Blind Rams - Cut pipe or seal wellbore - two rams for well pressure > 5,000 psi.
Wellhead - Should have a minimum of two master valves, two blind rams or a combination of
both below the BOP stack.
Piston
Piston Seal
Preventer Body
Stem
Pressure
Plate Bolt Piston
Bonnets Handle
QD Coupling
Preventer Body
STEP 4 Close the lowest safety ram and perform the pressure tests (high and low); bleed
the pressure and open the ram; repeat this procedure for the stripper ram. Fill
with fluid before closing rams.
STEP 5 Test each valve individually; first in the open position and then in the closed
position. Test all inside valves to shorten tests.
STEP 6 Function test each ram under rated working pressure.
Stripper
Bleed
Valve
Upper Stripper Ram
Choke/valve
Bleed
Valves
Equalizing
Equalizin Spacer
Loop Spool
Bleed
Valves
Choke/valve
Upper Safety Ram
Outlet Spool
Outlet Spool
Wellhead/
BOP Connection
STEP 3 Close the stationary slips and use the travelling slips to pull tension on the
workstring to ensure the workstring is not pumped out of the stack during the test procedures.
STEP 4 Close the lower safety ram and test. Bleed pressure and open the ram.
STEP 5 Close the upper safety ram and test. Bleed pressure and open the ram.
STEP 6 Close the lower stripper ram and test. Bleed pressure.
STEP 7 With the lower stripper ram closed, individually test the valves below the stripper
rams. Bleed pressure and open the lower stripper rams.
STEP 8 Close upper stripper rams and test. Following test, bleed pressure but leave the
rams closed.
STEP 9 With upper stripper rams closed, test each valve individually bleeding pressure
after each test.
STEP 10 Function test each ram at full rated working pressure.
Equalizing Spacer
Loop Spool
Outlet Spool
Blind Ram
Outlet Spool
Shear Ram
Outlet Spool
Outlet Spool
Wellhead/
BOP
Connection
WILD WELL CONTROL
Snubbing BOP Stacks
STEP 3 Close the lower safety ram and test. Bleed pressure after the test and open the ram.
STEP 4 Release the slips and pick up the string above the blind rams. Reset the slips so the
workstring is not pumped out of the stack . Close the shear rams. Pump into the
outlet below the blind rams and test the valves and chokes individually.
STEP 5 Close the blind rams, pump into the outlet below the blind rams to test the blinds. Bleed
pressure and open the blind rams. Open the blind rams. Close the upper safety rams and
test. Bleed pressure and open the upper safety rams. Close the lower stripper rams.
STEP 6 Test lower stripper rams. Bleed pressure but leave rams closed. Test valves on outlet
below upper stripper rams individually. Bleed pressure and open the lower stripper rams.
STEP 7 Close the upper stripper rams and test. Test the valves on the outlet below the
upper stripper rams individually. Leave the upper stripper rams closed and
function test each ram under rated working pressure.
Equalizing Spacer
Loop Spool
Outlet Spool
Blind Ram
Outlet Spool
Shear Ram
Outlet Spool
Outlet Spool
Wellhead/
BOP
Connection
WILD WELL CONTROL
Snubbing BOP Stacks
Stripper
Bleed
Valve
Choke/valve Upper Stripper Ram
Bleed
Valves
Equali zing Spacer
Loop Spool
Lower Stripper Ram
Bleed
Valves
Choke /valve Upper Safety Ram
Shear Ram
Outlet Spool
Lower Safety –
Large Pipe Ram
Outlet Spool
Lower Safety –
Small Pipe Ram
Outlet Spool
Wellhead/BOP Connection
STEP 3 Close lowermost safety rams (small pipe) and test. Bleed pressure and open the
lowermost safety rams. Close the next up safety rams (large pipe) and test.
Bleed pressure and open the safety rams.
STEP 4 Release the slips and position the workstring between the blind rams and #2
(2nd from the top) safety rams. Pump into the side outlets below the blind rams
and test the valves/chokes individually.
STEP 5 Close the blind rams and test through the side outlet. Bleed pressure and open
the blind rams. Close the #2 safety rams (2nd from the top) and test. Bleed
pressure and open the safety rams.
STEP 6 Close the upper safety rams and test. Bleed pressure and open the rams. Close
the lower stripper rams and test. Bleed pressure but leave the rams closed. Test
the valves/chokes on the lower portion of the equalizing loop. Bleed pressure and
open the lower stripper rams.
STEP 7 Close the upper stripper rams and test. Then test the valves/choke located on the upper
portion of the equalizing loop. Following the tests, bleed pressure from the valves. Leaving
the upper stripper rams closed, function test all rams under rated working pressure.
• Choke manifold
• Fluids can be circulated in and out of
well in a controlled fashion. Manual
C hoke
• Has same pressure rating as the
To Tubing
BOP stack. Line
To Casing
Line
Hydraulic
Choke
After balance point the pipe is heavy - snubbing stops, and stripping begins.
Lower stationary slips are used. (This is reversed when stripping out.)
There are several companies that build snubbing units. Often the service company builds its own
units. There are charts and tables that can be provided by the manufacturer.
Tubing Size .75” - 3.5” .75” – 5.5” .75 – 7.875 1.0 -9.625”
Range
• Pre-Job Considerations
• Pipe “Light”
When pressure force greater than
pipe weight (sq. inches of area)
Snubbing required
• Pipe “Heavy”
When pipe weight greater than
pressure force
Stripping allowed Pipe
Weight
Pressure
Force
*May be adjusted for
buoyancy effect of fluid.
Note
• Snubbing force is calculated by SICP
taking well pressure and applying it
against the square inches of area
that a BOP is closed around. You
never calculate the OD of Packers
unless you have annular velocity
around these tools. Forces are
calculated at the sealing area. Wellbore
Force on
Pipe Xsec.
Area
Force =
Pipe Area Across Preventer
x Pressure
At what point while snubbing in will the pipe go from “light” to heavy conditions.
Balance Point = Wellbore Force ÷({ 42 gal/bbl x Pipe Capacity x Fluid Weight} + {Buoyancy Factor x Pipe Weight})
At what point while snubbing will the pipe go from “light” to heavy conditions.
Hydraulic
Pressure
Applied
Here to Lift
Hydraulic Cylinder Pressure - = Wellbore Force ÷ (0.7854 x {Cylinder ID2 – Piston Rod OD2} x Number of Cylinders)
Consider friction created between the exterior wall of the workstring and the rubber elements of the BOP’s or tubing stripper
in use at the time.
Required hydraulic pressure would increase when taking this into account.
Buckling is when the pipe being snubbed is disfigured, fatigued, and possibly failed.
Results can be catastrophic.
Snubbing crew should recognize warning signs when buckling occurs.
Two types of buckling:
- Major axis buckling.
- Local buckling.
• Deformation of the pipe due to the Major Axis Buckling Local Buckling
applied force, unsupported length,
Force
Force
pipe wall thickness, and metal
properties. Applied force created by
existing surface pressure and friction
bit of BOP.
Buckling
Force
Force
WILD WELL CONTROL
Snubbing BOP Stacks
Pre-Job Considerations
• Compression Effects on Surface
Pressure
• Surface and BH pressure changes
occur while snubbing
Pipe Direction
• As the string is lowered it takes up
space previously occupied by
wellbore gases and/or liquids
• Surface and bottom hole pressure
will therefore increase due to
displacement of string in “closed
system” environment of a well
Pipe Direction
choke is required.
• An individual is placed at the choke
with instructions on how to maintain
correct constant bottom hole
pressure.
- Back Pressure Valves,( BPV), are installed in the workstring to prevent flowback, or pressure from
below.
- A BPV also allows pumping into the wellbore. This prevents plugging of the BPV.
- A BPV is sometimes referred to as a check valve.
Bottom
Connection
Single Dual
Flapper Flapper
A profile nipple used in production tubing strings and a corresponding locking device and pump-
in plug are utilized when problems develop in the tubing string.
• Holds pressure from both directions.
• Once the positive plug has been pumped down then the tubing string must be pulled out of the hole.
Profile Nipple
BHA is the portion of string with an irregular OD that cannot be stripped through the stripper
rams. BHA is whatever you are running, sometimes only a muleshoe.
BPV, Profile Nipple and BHA must be made up so they can be stripped into and out of the hole.
BHA should allow the use of stripper rams. This allows for a longer BHA, useful in fishing
operations.
If fishing takes place, consider spacing where a long fish may be present.
Spacing
• The length of the BHA that cannot be stripped through the top stripper rams must be less than the
distance between the top stripper rams and the second lowest blind mechanism (ram or valve -
preferably ram).
• The BHA not covered by the BOP stack, must be properly supported if it is to be pulled above the top
stripper ram.
Workstring Selection
• Prior to the selection of a workstring, careful consideration must be given to the loads that will be placed
on the pipe.
Four considerations in this area are –
• Tension
• Collapse
• Buckling
• Burst pumping and volumes to clean the hole should be considered and calculated
Design safety factors for workstrings in four previously mentioned categories are:
• Tension 80% of the pipe tensile strength
(1.25 design factor).
• Buckling 70% of the critical buckling load
(1.43 design factor).
• Collapse 80% of the rated collapse pressure
(1.25 design factor).
• Burst 80% of the rated burst pressure
(1.25 design factor).
If the calculated design factor is less than the values given in tables, consider using a stronger or
heavier and more competent pipe for the job.
Long or short term stripping is the recommended procedure whenever snubbing the pipe into the well.
Avoid using wellbore pressure when equalizing pressure between snubbing preventers, it’s much safer
to use surface injected fluids. Caution should be used as this fluid may freeze in a gas well.
Driller’s Method
• Snubbing units are used to perform workovers on dead wells.
• Should a kick occur, the kill procedure used may be a circulating technique or non-circulating technique.
• The circulating technique would usually be the Driller’s Method.
Argentina
Access Window
Unit Anchors
Guide Tube
Learning Objectives
Tool Baskets
600K
340K
Kill Manifold
Rotary/Power Drive