O I L S E A R C H L I M I T E D

1
Barriers to flow
Surface or seabed
Shallow casings set to prevent
hole collapse or losses of mud
Sandstone containing oil
and gas
Cement to seal around casing,
prevent leak to surface
Pressure from heavy mud prevents
gas / oil flowing into well
Wellhead and BOP allow closing in at
surface or seabed if flow occurs
O I L S E A R C H L I M I T E D
Lessons from Montara and BP
blowouts update on
implications to OSL
L Bundesen / C Fraser
26
th
August 2010
O I L S E A R C H L I M I T E D
3
Before blowout caught fire
O I L S E A R C H L I M I T E D
4
Montara well diagram suspension
Sea level
Seabed
ormation
top
!his bo" indicates #mud line hanger$
Casing #shoe track$
%& &/'$ casing cemented in %( )$ hole
* +/'$ casing in %, -$ hole
Blowout preventers removed during suspension and casings removed to seabed
Pressure.containing corrosion cap on * +/'$
Brine left in * +/'$
B/00120S 0234156 O57
%8 Cemented * +/' inch
,8 Brine left in * +/' inch
&8 Pressure containing corrosion cap
O I L S E A R C H L I M I T E D
5
Causes of Montara Blowout
Inquiry results not yet released, however
ver!dis"la#ed a$ter % &/'( #e)ent *o+, leaving "ath $or oil
and /or gas to $low u" the inside o$ the #asing
,id not #ondu#t "ressure test o$ the #e)ent *o+ a$ter that
Inadequate +arriers in "la#e -+rine that )ay have +een too
low a density. sealing #orrosion #a"/ and re)oved the
#orrosion #a" without having B0s installed
A$ter a "eriod o$ hours, the well #o))en#ed $lowing1
2u)an errors, la#3 o$ review, #utting #orners1
O I L S E A R C H L I M I T E D
6
Causes of BP Blowout:
Inquiries and ata Sources
Full in$or)ation is not yet availa+le. in$or)ation here is
+ased on a nu)+er o$ sour#es, )ainly B0 and 4ranso#ean
dra$t investigations availa+le on internet. 56 6enate su+!
#o))ittee inquiry letter to B0 and 780 day( re"ort +y the
56A ,e"t o$ Interior to the 56A 0resident1
In$o on ne9t slides is +ased on a B0 dra$t do#u)ent. they
show an overview o$ what the #riti#al $a#tors were1
4he in#ident o##urred during dis"la#e)ent o$ )ud +y
seawater "rior to setting the $inal -shallow/ #e)ent "lug
+e$ore dis#onne#ting the B0 and riser and leaving the
lo#ation -with intention o$ #o)ing +a#3 later to #o)"lete
the well as an oil "rodu#er/1
O I L S E A R C H L I M I T E D
7
Causes of BP Blowout:
O!er!iew of Critical "actors
Criti#al Fa#tors
11 Loss o$ Integrity o$ the % :/'( 9 :( #asing
#reated a "ath $or hydro#ar+on -2C/ in$lu9
21 5nre#ogni;ed well #onditions
< In$lu9 unre#ogni;ed ! Integrity test $ailed
to identi$y #o))uni#ation with the
reservoir
< "erations allowed 2C in$lu9 to enter and
)ove u" the well +ore < well became
capable of flowing
< =es"onse $ailed to #ontrol the well
81 B0 > ?)ergen#y 6yste)s $ailed to isolate the
2C sour#e
@1 Aas "lu)e ignited
Criti#al Fa#tors
11 Loss o$ Integrity o$ the % :/'( 9 :( #asing
#reated a "ath $or hydro#ar+on -2C/ in$lu9
21 5nre#ogni;ed well #onditions
< In$lu9 unre#ogni;ed ! Integrity test $ailed
to identi$y #o))uni#ation with the
reservoir
< "erations allowed 2C in$lu9 to enter and
)ove u" the well +ore < well became
capable of flowing
< =es"onse $ailed to #ontrol the well
81 B0 > ?)ergen#y 6yste)s $ailed to isolate the
2C sour#e
@1 Aas "lu)e ignited
upper annular
lower annular
LMRP connector
Riser
blind shear
case shear
Top of Wellhead
mudline 5,067
T!"#,$60
BOP
%ariable pipe ram
9 7/8 x 7 Casing
Wellbore fuid
Seal Assembly
Floa Collar
Cemen


!rillsring
O I L S E A R C H L I M I T E D
8
Critical "actor # Loss of Integrit$ of
Casing
Loss of Integrit$ of %&'()* + '* Casing
< Ce)ent $ailed to isolate the
reservoir
< 4he $loat #ollar -1/ or the seal
asse)+ly -2/ lea3ed
Loss of Integrit$ of %&'()* + '* Casing
< Ce)ent $ailed to isolate the
reservoir
< 4he $loat #ollar -1/ or the seal
asse)+ly -2/ lea3ed
O I L S E A R C H L I M I T E D
9
BP Blowout Causes: Casing Cementing
Losses during drilling hole, oil / gas +earing
Internal B0 ris3 review #onsidered the o"tion o$ running and
#e)enting a liner, thus allowing an additional dee" set +arrier -liner
to" "a#3er/, then tying +a#3 with #asing to sea+ed1 B0 re*e#ting that
o"tion and #hose instead to run a $ull string o$ -ta"ered/ #asing +a#3
to the sea+ed1 It is alleged that this de#ision was solely to #ut #ost
B0 used a $oa) #e)ent to )ini)ise losses. 4ranso#ean alleges it
would ta3e @' hours to develo" reasona+le strength1
Alleged not enough #e)ent "u)"ed, % atte)"ts to a#tivate the $loat
valves, other #e)enting issues
Casing was not as well #entralised as re#o))ended +y 2alli+urton
verall, the #e)ent *o+ design had an in#reased ris3 o$ hydro#ar+on
in$lu9 during #e)ent setting1
O I L S E A R C H L I M I T E D
10
,ellhead rawing Showing Seal
-ssembl$ and Loc.down
O I L S E A R C H L I M I T E D
11
BP Blowout Seal -ssembl$
4he other "otential lea3 "ath identi$ied +y B0 is u" the annulus and
"ast the 7seal asse)+ly(
B0 says 76et and test o$ seal asse)+ly was nor)al(
4he letter $ro) the 6enate 6u+!Co))ittee to B0 alleges 7$ailure to
se#ure the wellhead with a lo#3down sleeve(1 Also alleged +y
4ranso#ean who also question whether 7outer lo#3 ring( was run on
the #asing hanger1
4ranso#ean allege the "ressure was su$$i#ient to 7$loat( the #asing -li$t
hanger and seal asse)+ly o$$ nor)al "osition/1 6u""osition is that the
seal asse)+ly and/or #asing hanger )oved u" and wedged a#ross the
B0Bs, "reventing the) $ro) e$$e#tively #losing to seal o$$ the well
4ranso#ean #o))ent that all B0 tests were done / "assed1
O I L S E A R C H L I M I T E D
12
Critical "actor /:
0nrecognised ,ell Conditions

Integrity test $ailed to identi$y #o))uni#ation with the

reservoir (plug bumped, casing pressure test to
2500psi was reported to be successful)

"erations allowed 2C in$lu9 to enter and )ove u" the

well +ore < well became capable of flowing

(see later comments about the operation of displacing

mud with seawater)

=ig #rew res"onse to well $low $ailed to #ontrol the well1

O I L S E A R C H L I M I T E D
13
isplacement of Mud b$ Seawater
1# of /2
B0 internal do#s say the #asing was su##ess$ully "ressure tested to
2&00"si
Ce9t ste" was trans$erring )ud to a +oat while dis"la#ing the )ud
with seawater -in "re"aration $or setting shallow #e)ent "lug then
dis#onne#ting the B0 and riser/
B0 ad)its that the )ethod o$ trans$erring )ud did not allow
)onitoring $or 3i#3s
4hey also ad)it that the o"eration was #on$using as regards the
"ressure over+alan#e or under+alan#e #reated in the well1 4here
were une9"lained "ressures during the o"eration1
At one "oint the #rew +led o$$ "ressure, +ut )ay have ta3en a 3i#3
-B0 inter"retation/
O I L S E A R C H L I M I T E D
14
isplacement of Mud b$ Seawater
1/ of /2
4hey )onitored "ressures at the #e)ent unit. Ce)enter said
the well #ontinued to $low and s"urted. shut 3ill line and
"ressure +uilt1
A$ter )onitoring, #rew were satis$ied the well was dead -+ut B0
later inter"retation was that an in$lu9 was in #asing or annulus/
4hey o"ened the annular B0 and #ontinued with dis"la#e)ent
o$ the well to seawater, #he#3ed that there was no oil sheen,
then "u)"ed over+oard -$ro) that "oint, they had no )easure
o$ $low out/1
Later #he#3s o$ the dis"la#e)ent rates and return $low rates
show that the well was $lowing -B0 in$o/, +ut this was not
dete#ted at the ti)e1
O I L S E A R C H L I M I T E D
15
Critical "actor 3 BOP failed to seal

A#tion to a#tivate the B0 on#e well #ondition was

re#ogni;ed, $ailed to isolate the sour#e

?)ergen#y ,is#onne#t 6yste) $ailed to se#ure the well

-when a#tivated $ro) +ridge a$ter e9"losion/1 4he ?,6
$un#tion #an +e a#tivated $ro) either the +ridge or drill
$loor Its $un#tion is to seal the well and dis#onne#t the
vessel $ro) the well1

ADF/,ead!)an $ailed to se#ure well1 4he ADF is an

e)ergen#y sequen#e that should a#tivate the +lind shear
ra)s to seal the well1

6u+sequent =E interventions $ailed to se#ure the well

O I L S E A R C H L I M I T E D
16
Lessons for Oil Search from
Montara and BP blowouts
0ro+le)s during #e)enting a##ount $or &0F o$ +lowouts -in$o
given to Dontara Inquiry/
< i))ediate #ause o$ Dontara +lowout and )ost li3ely root #ause on
the B0 one
0rogra)s with )ini)al and un#onventional +arriers
< 6us"ension o$ Dontara well would not have satis$ied 6L +arrier "oli#y
$or two inde"endently tested )e#hani#al +arriers
6eries o$ #hanges o$ "lan -short#uts/ without ris3 assess)ent1
Changes to +arriers and "rogra)s -without "ro"er ris3
assess)ent, "ro#edures, #ontingen#y "lans and understanding o$
"ersonnel on site/
< =eview and #ontrol $ro) the o$$i#e is #riti#al1 Dorning o"s )eetings
and regular "eer reviews are standard "ra#ti#e in 6L
-Dontara/ La#3 o$ understanding o$ site "ersonnel that they had a
#e)enting "ro+le). no thorough #he#3 o$ re"orts +y line
)anage)ent or "eer review
-B0/ La#3 o$ #are or understanding o$ site "ersonnel during
dis"la#e)ent o$ )ud < did not realise they had well 3i#3ing then
$lowing1
O I L S E A R C H L I M I T E D
17
Oil Search Blowout Pre!ention in place
4horough drilling design and "rogra))ing with "eer review and
line )anage)ent #he#3
< 0eer and )anage)ent reviews and sign o$$ at )anage)ent level
6u""orted +y very detailed "rogra)s $or ea#h se#tion o$ well.
these are read through with ,rilling 6u"ervisor and servi#e
#o)"anies
< 0re!"hase )eetings to "revent a)+iguity/)isunderstandings
6tri#t )anage)ent o$ #hange "rin#i"les well understood and
"ra#ti#ed
< 0eer review and ris3 assess)ent o$ any signi$i#ant o"erational #hange
?nsure ,rilling ?ngineering 3ee"s u" with 7what is ha""ening
down holeG(1 It is too late to analyse it a$ter the in#ident
4o" quality ,rilling 6u"ervisors at rigsite
< 6L "ay a "re)iu) $or highly e9"erien#ed wellsite su"ervisors
?qui")ent "ro"erly designed, )aintained, tested every ti)e
6trong #ulture throughout the organisation that sa$ety is not
#o)"ro)ised $or 7"rodu#tion(