Preparation, planning and procedure for running 30" conductor.

Job Preparation

Note: Well must be drilled to depth.  Plan on top 30” conductor pipe being 1.285m down from top of cellar.  Do not drill extra depth.

Weld stab in float shoe to first joint.

Ensure both cellar jet and submersible pump are working properly.

While tripping

Rig crane in front of casing on driller’s side

Pump out and clean out cellar.

Run cutting leads to floor and ensure adequate supply of gas

Rig up all slings and shackles

Pick up OO circulating head/cement stinger and place in corner of drill floor

Take spare 30” seals to floor

Take spare grease cartrige to floor for pins

Lay out welding leads close to cellar

Check for spare retainer bolts, wrench size

Have 2 hands at pipe rack to install slings

When out of hole

Ensure hole is full

Clean up floor when last joint is pulled

Flush and pump out cellar

Dry up cellar as much as possible for safety while welding

Hold pre job operational / safety meeting ensuring all personnel understand the job parameters

Operations sequence

  1. Pick up joint with crane and place in V-door.
  2. Latch on with rig and pick up joint, run thru rotary table and land using landing eyes.
  3. Double check holes landing ring to ensure spaghetti pipe for top up job will pass through without problems
  4. Note**** the landing ring must be placed on the top of the 42” conductor – do not tack into place.  Allow landing ring to remain moving freely while running conductor.  Use spirit level to verify that 42”has been cut level.
  5. Pick up second joint of conductor and suspend over first joint.
  6. Remove protectors, clean and film 30” pin (use grease not thread dope to film the pin) and boxes as per instructions.
  7. Back out the three retaining bolts 2 turns on box snap ring
  8. Lower box over pin until you hear and feel snap ring engage.  Pull test connection to ensure snap ring is engaged and tap pad eyes on rotary table to check ring is locked into position.
  9. Remove bolts – it is not necessary to plug the bolt holes because this pipe will not be retrieved after cement job
  10. Cut off landing pads to pass the pipe thru rotary table.
  11. Pump out cellar while running in hole.
  12. Fill every joint while running in hole.  ( capacity of pipe is 0.426m3/m )
  13. Repeat the process until the conductor is landed on bottom.  Last joint picked up should be a landing joint with slightly extended bolts with nut and reinforced washers.  These bolts MUST NOT BE REMOVED FROM THE SNAP RING.
  14. NOTE*** landing joint snap ring retaining bolts must be left in place to facilitate removal of landing joint.    Extra length bolts had been delivered to rig 779 prior to first well.  These should be used
  15. While the landing joint is still in the elevator, with tension, center the pipe in the rotary table.
  16. (OPTION: Weld bracing guide inside the 42” stove pipe to prevent the 30” moving out of alignment with rotary table)
  17. Land conductor pipe on landing ring and weld in place.  If the ring is off center because the 30” is off center it must be welded in this position.  If the ring is significantly off centre extra bracing may be required to support the conductor.  (anticipated bouyed wt of 26,000lb / 12tonne)
  18. Back off landing joint and lay out.
  19. Pick up Conductor Riser pipe and stab onto 30” pin
  20. Install STAB IN STINGER and centralisers onto drill pipe
  21. RIH with STAB IN STINGER on drill pipe.
  22. Extra rig crew members can begin installing turnbuckles and flow line to 30” riser while running in hole with stinger assembly.

 

 

Reminder for running 30” conductor pipe.

 

  • The lifting and circulating head must have the retraction bolts attached to the snap ring before being installed on the last joint.
  • The snap ring must be tested before running the 30” pipe to ensure it flexes properly with the retraction bolts.
  • When running the last joint of 30” pipe ensure that the guide pin is oriented correctly with the riser pipe flow line outlet.  – Note that if the pin – slot orientation is not right the consequence will be cutting out the flow line outlet from the riser and rewelding.  This would be a time and cost wasting process.  Double check before landing the last joint.
  • Ensure that the 30” pipe is correctly centered both before and after cementing.