Well Control Rule
BSEE staff are working to develop guidance for implementation of the final rule on Blowout Prevention and Well Control. Guidance will be provided on a rolling basis through question and answer format that will be posted here. If you have a question or seek guidance on a particular topic, please submit your question directly to the following email address: wellcontrolrule@bsee.gov. Guidance will be provided based on the timing of implementation. Please check back regularly here for updates.
Finalization of the Well Control Rule in 2016 resulted in reforms that establish (phased in over time) the following items: (1) incorporation of the latest industry standards that establish minimum baseline requirements for the design, manufacture, repair, and maintenance of blowout preventers, (2) additional controls over the maintenance and repair of BOPs, (3) use of dual shear rams in deepwater BOPs (API Standard 53), (4) requirement that BOP systems include a technology that allows the drill pipe to be centered during shearing operations, (5) more rigorous third party certification of the shearing capability of BOPs, (6) expanded accumulator capacity and operational capabilities for increased functionality, (7) real-time monitoring capability for deepwater and high-temperature/high- pressure drilling activities, (8) establishment by regulation of criteria for the testing and inspection of subsea well containment equipment, (9) increased reporting of BOP failure data to BSEE and the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), (10) sets expectations of what constitutes a safe drilling margin and allows for alternative safe drilling margins when justified, Requires the use of accepted engineering principles and establishes general performance criteria for drilling and completion equipment, (11) requires the use of accepted engineering principles and establishes general performance criteria for drilling and completion equipment, (12) Establishes additional requirements for using remotely operated vehicles (ROV) to function certain components on the BOP stack, (13) requires adequate centralization of casing during cementing, and (14) Makes the testing frequency of BOPs used on workover and decommissioning operations the same as drilling operations.
Well Control Rule Interpretation Workshop Presentation, Houston, August 17, 2016
Well Control Rule Guidance
(you can view by Date Posted or by Subpart and Section)
Guidance by Subpart and Section:
Preamble
Ongoing Operations
Existing Permits
Standards
- Subpart A—General
- What does this part do? (§ 250.102)
- What must I do to protect health, safety, property, and the environment? (§ 250.107)
- Service Fees (§ 250.125)
- Documents Incorporated by Reference (§ 250.198)
- Paperwork Reduction Act Statements—Information Collection (§ 250.199)
- Subpart B—Plans and Information
- What must the DWOP contain? (§ 250.292)
- Subpart D—Oil and Gas Drilling Operations General Requirements (§ 250.400)
- What information must I submit with my application? (§ 250.411)
- What must my description of well drilling design criteria address? (§ 250.413)
- What must my drilling prognosis include? (§ 250.414)
- What must my casing and cementing programs include? (§ 250.415)
- What must I include in the diverter description? (§ 250.416)
- What additional information must I submit with my APD? (§ 250.418)
- What well casing and cementing requirements must I meet? (§ 250.420)
- What are the casing and cementing requirements by type of casing string? (§ 250.421)
- What are the requirements for casing and liner installation? (§ 250.423)
- What are the requirements for pressure integrity tests? (§ 250.427)
- What must I do in certain cementing and casing situations? (§ 250.428)
- What are the source control, containment, and collocated equipment requirements? (§ 250.462)
- When must I submit an application for permit to modify (APM) or an end of operations report to BSEE? (§ 250.465)
- Subpart E—Oil and Gas Well-Completion Operations
- General Requirements (§ 250.500)
- Approval and reporting of well-completion operations (§250.513)
- Tubing and Wellhead Equipment (§§ 250.518—Completion Operations and 250.619—Workover Operations)
- Subpart F—Oil and Gas Well-Workover Operations
- General Requirements (§ 250.600)
- Approval and reporting for well-workover operations (§ 250.613)
- Coiled Tubing and Snubbing Operations (§ 250.616)
- Tubing and wellhead equipment (§ 250.619)
- Subpart G—Well Operations and Equipment
- General Requirements
- What operations and equipment does this subpart cover? (§ 250.700)
- What sections of Subpart G apply to coiled tubing operations?
- May I use alternate procedures or equipment during operations? (§ 250.701)
- May I obtain departures from these requirements? (§ 250.702)
- What must I do to keep wells under control? (§ 250.703)
- Rig Requirements
- What instructions must be given to personnel engaged in well operations? (§ 250.710)
- What are the requirements for well-control drills? (§ 250.711)
- What rig unit movements must I report? (§ 250.712)
- What must I provide if I plan to use a mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU) for well operations? (§ 250.713)
- Do I have to develop a dropped objects plan? (§ 250.714)
- Do I need a global positioning system (GPS) for all MODUs? (§ 250.715)
- Well Operations
- When and how must I secure a well? (§ 250.720)
- What are the requirements for pressure testing casing and liners? (§ 250.721)
- What are the requirements for prolonged operations in a well? (§ 250.722)
- What additional safety measures must I take when I conduct operations on a platform that has producing wells or has other hydrocarbon flow? (§ 250.723)
- What are the real-time monitoring requirements? (§ 250.724)
- Blowout Preventer (BOP) System Requirements
- What are the general requirements for BOP systems and system components? (§ 250.730)
- What information must I submit for BOP systems and system components? (§ 250.731)
- What are the BSEE-approved verification organization (BAVO) requirements for BOP systems and system components? (§ 250.732)
- What are the requirements for a surface BOP stack? (§ 250.733)
- What are the requirements for a subsea BOP system? (§ 250.734)
- What associated systems and related equipment must all BOP systems include? (§ 250.735)
- What are the requirements for choke manifolds, kelly-type valves, inside BOPs, and drill string safety valves? (§ 250.736)
- What are the BOP system testing requirements? (§ 250.737)
- What must I do in certain situations involving BOP equipment or systems? (§ 250.738)
- What are the BOP maintenance and inspection requirements? (§ 250.739)
- Records and Reporting
- What records must I keep? (§ 250.740)
- How long must I keep records? (§ 250.741)
- What well records am I required to submit? (§ 250.742)
- What are the well activity reporting requirements? (§ 250.743)
- What are the end of operation reporting requirements? (§ 250.744)
- What other well records could I be required to submit? (§ 250.745)
- What are the recordkeeping requirements for casing, liner, and BOP tests, and inspections of BOP systems and marine risers? (§ 250.746)
- General Requirements
- Subpart P—Sulfur Operations
- Well-Control Drills (§ 250.1612)
- Subpart Q—Decommissioning Activities
- What are the general requirements for decommissioning? (§ 250.1703)
- When must I submit decommissioning applications and reports? (§ 250.1704)
- Coiled Tubing and Snubbing Operations (§ 250.1706)
- How must I permanently plug a well? (§ 250.1715)