Worries About Well Control Open the Way for New Ideas

摘要

The future of blowout preventer [BOP] technology is defined by obstacles, such as pipe connectors with steel walls 3 in. thick. While BOP makers are rolling out new models that apply more hydraulic force to shear pipes, others are seeking ways to blast through them using explosives and lasers. Shell has created two devices it hopes to commercialize using carefully calibrated explosive charges-one to seal off a well deep in the ground and another to quickly cut through pipe above the BOP to allow a drillship to make a quick exit, said Curtis Wilie, technology delivery manager for deepwater wells for Shell.