Page 56: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Nov/Dec 2019)

55 57

OpEd Proserv

Understanding Market Needs

Can Shape Control Valve Design

By David Nemetz, President, and Brett Robinson, Sales & Strategic Accounts Manager –

Business Development, Gilmore, a Proserv Company hen it comes to smooth, safe drilling, you’d be dollars’ worth of kit designed to enable drilling activities hard-pressed to argue that the blowout pre- but in effect – the system is only as reliable as its least reli- venter (BOP) stack isn’t the key to the whole able component. In the challenging subsea environment,

W operation. A series of mechanisms to regulate pressure lev- BOP stacks are inevitably more complex and involve even els in a well and prevent blowouts, which could potentially more components than surface stacks.

endanger personnel and the environment, let alone halt At Gilmore, we develop a range of hydraulic ? ow con- production, is unquestionably vital equipment. trol valves and regulators to perform a variety of critical

This sizeable unit weighs more than 300 metric tons tasks topside, subsea and downhole. For instance, on BOP and subsea stacks can be over sixty feet in height, consist- stacks, our products play multiple roles, including helping ing of multiple ram and annular preventers, and a myriad to alleviate pressure kicks encountered while drilling and of critical pipework. The BOP is essentially one vast valve initiating the closure of the BOP when issues arise.

whose basic role is to shut in a well when required, some- We recognize that if a key subcomponent fails then the times within minutes, if a control problem, such as a kick, whole BOP stack will most likely need to be pulled, such occurs during the drilling process and threatens a blowout. is the crucial nature of this piece of the drilling infrastruc-

But within the BOP stack are many further integral ture. A stack pull represents a major intervention to the smaller parts, from valves to actuators, which must func- entire operation, which could be forced to shut down for tion reliably. The BOP stack is basically tens of millions of up to a fortnight, depending on water depth.

A technician works on a new regulator in Gilmore’s Houston facility.

Source all images: Gilmore 56 OFFSHORE ENGINEER OEDIGITAL.COM