A Case Study Demonstrating Single Relief Well Contingency for a Prolific Gas Well in Ultra-Deepwater

Abstract

Abstract A blowout contingency plan was made for a gas field in a remote area with water depth exceeding 1600 m. The worst-case discharge analysis for a representative well in the field concluded that the reservoir is capable of producing at a highly prolific rate, which posed a challenge when developing a source control contingency plan that complies with governing regulators’ and operators’ internal requirements. Simulations using a transient multiphase flow simulator showed that the kill requirements could exceed the capability of a single conventional relief well; however, planning to intersect and coordinate a dynamic kill using multiple relief wells involved unacceptable operations risks. Furthermore, considering rig availability, limited pumping resources, and long mobilization times for this region, planning to use multiple relief wells is not a feasable option. A recently developed subsea flow spool system can eliminate the need for multiple relief wells in the case of potentially hard-to-kill blowouts, especially where a dynamic kill using multiple relief wells would involve unacceptable operations risks. Dynamic kill simulation shows that the subsea flow spool, coupled with a supporting mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU), flexible flow lines, a supplementary flow spool, and a casing string placed inside the riser will be able to achieve a successful kill if needed. Furthermore, detailed engineering analysis of triaxial loads, fatigue, and erosion were done for critical hardware components to ensure all potential failure points were addressed. In conclusion, the subsea flow spool is a key component of demonstrating a single-relief well contingency for potentially hard-to-kill blowouts