All oil and gas drilling companies use blowout prevention equipment to mitigate the risks of blowouts and explosions. A blowout or a ‘kick’ at a drilling site can be disastrous. That being said, it’s essential to have a reliable blowout preventer to avoid the devastating impacts of any major leaks.
Blowout prevention equipment is essential to control kicks in a drilling site. Here are the different types of blowout preventers (BOPs). Share on XBlowout prevention equipment helps prevent the uncontrollable release of flammable oil and gas during drilling. There are several types of blowout preventers to select, including both annular and ram blowout preventers.
Besides using blowout prevention equipment, drilling companies can also use ‘drilling mud’ to maintain pressure balance in the well to avoid kicks. During application, the mud balances the downward and upward pressure in the well, preventing the fluids from blowing out.
Let’s take a look at the various types of blowout preventers, commonly called BOPs.
- Annular BOPs
- BOP Rams
- API Equipment
Annular BOPs
An annular blowout preventer is a ring-shaped piece of equipment installed on top of other BOP stacks in a blowout prevention system. As the name suggests, annular BOPs prevent oil and gas flow through the well’s annular space.
Annular BOPs are universal as they can seal a vast range of drilling pipes with different diameters. Made of donut-shaped rubber devices, annular BOPs can firmly seal the annular opening and completely shut off the fluid from flowing up unplanned.
BOP Rams
If annual BOPs should fail to work during a ‘kick,’ the BOP rams will be the last resort. This equipment acts as a gate valve that regulates the flow of oil and can seal the well when the need arises. However, there are different types of Ram BOP.
- Blind Shear Rams: Designed to cut the drill pipe and seal the well when activated manually or automatically.
- Shear Rams: Designed to isolate the annular space and drill pipe by shearing off the drill pipe.
- Pipe Rams: Designed to seal the annular space by covering or wrapping around the drill pipe when a kick occurs.
API Equipment
API Equipment is one of the most resourceful tools in a drilling site. The equipment helps ensure that drilling companies operate and keep up with the highest quality standards in the oil and gas industry.
The API equipment market has revolutionized the oil and gas industry significantly. Thankfully, our API equipment has incredible capabilities that will exceed your expectations.
Pro Tip: Our API equipment has features that include a vast range of custom machining and manufacturing proficiencies.
Promoting Oilfield Safety
It’s no doubt that blowout preventers have significantly promoted the safety of workers in oilfields. If you own or manage an oil and gas drilling company, you need to invest in all the blowout prevention techniques for smooth extraction. It will not only improve the productivity of your company but also promote the safety of your workers.
Contact us to learn more about our selection of blowout prevention equipment.
