Gas Wellhead API 6A Governance Standards Governed by API API has not set regulations to

30 Pages·2012·2.65 MB·English

Gas Well Deliquification Workshop
Sheraton Hotel, Denver, Colorado
February 19 – 22, 2012
Plunger Lift Lubricators and API 6A
Wellhead Compliance
Séan Emery
Regional Product Line Manager Deliquification
Weatherford International
Define Plunger Lift Standards
1. How many different styles, specifications and types
of Plunger Lift Lubricators are there on the market
today?

2. Why do we need Standards to be set by API, NACE,
ISO, ASME, EnForm or other governing bodies to
build minimum specification requirements?

3. What is our responsibility?

Feb. 19 – 22, 2012 2012 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop 2
Denver, Colorado
API Organization
• American Petroleum Institute
• First Standards of API set in 1924
• API now maintains 500 standards covering all
segments of the oil and gas industry.
• API standards program has gone global, through
active involvement with the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO) and other
international bodies.
• API references NACE

Feb. 19 – 22, 2012 2012 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop 3
Denver, Colorado
NACE Organization
• National Association of Corrosion Engineers
• Established in 1943 by eleven corrosion
engineers in the pipeline industry
• NACE International’s mission statement is to
“protect people, assets and the environment
from corrosion.”
• API references NACE

Feb. 19 – 22, 2012 2012 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop 4
Denver, Colorado
ISO
• International Organization for Standards (ISO is
derived from the Greek meaning “equal”
• Established in 1947
• ISO has published more than 18,500 International
Standards ranging from standards for activities
such as agriculture and construction, through
mechanical engineering, to medical devices, to the
newest information technology developments
• ISO is the world’s largest standards developing
organization.
Feb. 19 – 22, 2012 2012 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop 5
Denver, Colorado
Gas Wellhead API 6A Governance
API has not set
Standards Governed
regulations to govern
by API
Plunger Lift Lubricators
Feb. 19 – 22, 2012 2012 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop 6
Denver, Colorado
What Industry Standards should a
Lubricator meet?
 A Plunger Lift Lubricator is a wellhead component like a
flow tee, gate valve, tubing head spool etc..
• So at a bare minimum it should meet industry Wellhead specifications
(API 6A:ISO 10423 & use NACE MR0175:ISO 15156 Compliant
materials)
 Plungers are the only foreign bodies, besides hydrate
releases and rare solid releases, impacting surface
equipment
• So additional consideration of potential impact forces from high velocity
arrivals and Lubricator resilience to said impacts must be considered
and applied to Lubricator design (EnForm IRP 5 CDN)
Feb. 19 – 22, 2012 2012 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop 7
Denver, Colorado
What Lubricator should be on the
Wellhead?
Feb. 19 – 22, 2012 2012 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop 8
Denver, Colorado
What Standard Specifications are
Required for our Lubricator?
4130/4140 steel?
2500 ft/s? -60C/-75F Charpy tested?
Stress-oriented
X750 spring?
hydrogen-induced NACE MR0175 standard?
Manual catch? Flow tee
cracking? Dual Flanged?
1500 ft/s? replacement?
How much carbon?
16” flow port
Flanged top cap? Injection port location?
spacing?
Alloys?
EUE threads?
API 16A?
1 or 2 injection ports?
3K?
Galvanically-induced
hydrogen stress
5K?
cracking?
2.5” Bowen?
14” flow port spacing?
3/4” npt injection port? ASME?
Autocatch? 17.4PH spring? ISO?
18” flow port
Chlorides? 10K?
spacing?
7.31” spacing?
½” npt injection port?
What is max impact velocity? 3” Bowen?
2.5” flowport? Retainer ring? Soft zone cracking?
API 6A?
Stress corrosion cracking? H2S partial pressure?
Stepwise
-46C/-50F Charpy tested? MP35N spring?
EUE Thread torque rating? cracking?
2” npt threadolet?
9 High Nitrale elastomer? API stamped/certified?
CO2 partial pressure?
What is the Velocity Consideration?
• Rise Velocities
– Safe Operating Window <1000 ft/min(300m/min)
– Running Hard 1000 ft/min to 2500 ft/min
– Emergency Shut down(ESD) Velocity >2500 ft/min
(762m/min)
Feb. 19 – 22, 2012 2012 Gas Well Deliquification Workshop 10
Denver, Colorado