Topic 1: Well Surface Equipment

Prof. Ajay Suri

Dept. of Petroleum Engineering
IIT (ISM) Dhanbad
 Topic Content
• Well Head Equipment
• Christmas Tree
• Valves
• Flow Control Devices
• Tubular
• Flowlines

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 Well Head Equipment
• Equipment placed above the well and
attached to the top of casings and tubing for
– Controlling the well production
– For accessing the casing and tubing annulus
– Intervening the well for any work-over
– For injecting any chemicals into the production
stream

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 Well Head Equipments
1. Casing heads
2. Casing hangers
3. Casing spools
4. Wear Bushings
5. Packoff/Seals
6. Tubing Heads
7. Flanges
8. Studded Adapters
9. Christmas tree
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 Well Head Equipments
9. Valves
10.Tees or Crosses
11.Adjustable chokes
12.Tree Cap
13.Test Plugs
14.Running & Retrieving Tools for Casing hanger
and packoff/seals
15.Back Pressure Valves
16.Pipe Fittings
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 Wellhead Description
• Upper termination point of casing & tubing
strings.
• Controls well pressure
• Provides access to main bore of casing, tubing
and the annulus
• Primary and secondary seals are placed in
case of equipment failure

https://petrowiki.org/Wellhead_systems 6
 Christmas Tree
• Set of valves, spools, fittings, pressure gauges,
and chokes fitted above the wellhead of a
completed well to control production

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 Valve
• Device that regulates, directs or controls flow
of a fluid by opening, closing, or partially
obstructing the pathway

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 1. body
2. ports
3. seat
4. stem
5. disc when valve is
open
6. handle or handwheel
when valve is open
7. bonnet
8. packing
9. gland nut
10. fluid flow when
valve is open
11. position of disc if
valve were shut
12. position of handle
or handwheel if valve
Globe Valve were shut
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 Operation of Valves
• Manual (hand driven)
• Hydraulic (Liquid driven)
• Pneumatic (Gas driven)
• Electric (electric driven)
– Solenoid (electromagnetic driven)
– Motor (DC or AC motor driven)

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 Some Common Valves with Videos
1. Gate valve (in wellhead & tree for opening
and closing only)
2. Globe valve (on/off/throttling, very common,
seat is angled so minimum fluid deposit)
3. Plug Valve (quick to turn on/off)
4. Butterfly valve (easy & fast to turn)
5. Ball valve (quick with tight sealing, typically
used in petrochemical industry)
6. Check valve (one way, prevents reverse flow)
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Schematic of Common Valves

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 Control Valve
• Automatically regulates
rate, pressure, temp,
level etc.
• Keeps the process
variable close to set
point
• Consists of
– Valve
– Actuator and other
control elements
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 Control Valve

• Disk can be moved by

hydraulic, pneumatic,
electrical or
mechanical actuator

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 Flow Control Equipments
• Installed at surface and in the well
• Can be
– Valves
– Chokes (type of control valves typically used for oil
and gas rate regulation)
• Control can be
– Manual
– Electronic with remote access

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 Tubular
• A generic term pertaining to any type of
oilfield pipe, such as drill pipe, drill collars,
pup joints, casing, production tubing and
pipeline

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 Flowline (Drilling)
• A large diameter metal pipe that connects the
bell nipple under the rotary table to the
possum belly at mud tanks (simply gravity
flow inclined conduit)

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 Flowline (Production)
• Pipe that connect a wellhead to a manifold or
process equipment
• In a larger well field, multiple flowlines
connect individual wells to a manifold
• Could be metallic or hose
• Usually short in length but could run into kms
• May be single wall or insulated for may have
outer pipe to limit heat loss and for protection
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 Flowline (Production)
• From the manifold, a gathering line transfers
the flow to a pre-process stage/transportation
facility/vessel

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 Wellhead Equipments from Control Flow
Incorporated
• Control Flow Inc. (CFI) wellhead has been
manufactured since 1975
• Wellheads used worldwide
• Both onshore and offshore
• Both desert and arctic
• Hardness controlled in accordance with NACE
MR-01-75
• Critical service/harsh environ. also available
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https://www.controlflow.com/images/pdfs/products/flocon/Wellhead_Equipment-09-2017.pdf
 Well Head Certifications of CF Inc.
(cont.)
• API 6A-0101 (PSL-1-2-3)
• API 7-1
• API 16A-0024
• API 16C-0012
• API 17D-0012
• ISO 9001:2015

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https://www.controlflow.com/images/pdfs/products/flocon/Wellhead_Equipment-09-2017.pdf
 Well Head Design Profiles from CF Inc.
• Straight bowl design flanged and studded
• Casing heads and spools accept a family of
casing hangers
• Hangers support loads in excess of pipe joint
strength
• Automatic or manual set
• Secondary pack-off available

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https://www.controlflow.com/images/pdfs/products/flocon/Wellhead_Equipment-09-2017.pdf
 Tubing Head Design Profiles from CF
Inc.
• Tubing heads and spools accept a family of
straight and tapered tubing hangers
• Tubing hangers enable threading for standard
and proprietary tubing threads, single tubing,
multiple tubing and ESPs

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https://www.controlflow.com/images/pdfs/products/flocon/Wellhead_Equipment-09-2017.pdf
 Location of Wellheads
• Land
• Surface locations offshore (Jackup or platform)
• Subsea

• Offshore are more sophisticated to handle

ocean currents, bending loads and others by
environment during the life

https://petrowiki.org/Wellhead_systems 25
 Wellhead Quality Control
• Material specifications play an important role
in equipment performance; helpful standards
are available from organizations such as:
– American Petroleum Institute (API)
– American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
– National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE
Intl.)

https://petrowiki.org/Wellhead_systems 26
 Deepwater Wellheads
• In deepwater situations, both surface and
subsea wellheads are used
• Between 500-1400 ft subsea WH are used to
explore and develop offshore fields
• Deepwater production platform is placed over
these and tied back to the subsea wellheads
• Top termination at the platform typically is
unitized wellhead with solid block Christmas
trees as access points to each well

https://petrowiki.org/Wellhead_systems 27
 Deepwater Wellheads
• Note spars and tension leg platforms are
floating vessels in deep water
• Wells are drilled with subsea wellheads
• Multiple wellheads are tied to the spar or TLP
using unitized wellheads and solid block trees

https://petrowiki.org/Wellhead_systems 28
Offshore Oil & Gas Platforms

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 Well Head Specifications (cont.)
• Pressure capacities between 2000 – 20,000 psi
• Diameter 1 13/16 inch – 9 inch
• Standard, H2S, CO2, special corrosive and high
temperature trims

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https://www.controlflow.com/images/pdfs/products/flocon/Wellhead_Equipment-09-2017.pdf
 Flange
• Projecting flat rim (edge) or collar on an object
for strengthening or attachment

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 Flange (cont.)
• Connection profile in pipes and associated
equipment to provide a means of assembling
components
• Most oilfield flanges have bolt-holes and a
gasket for securing pressure-tight joints

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 Wear Bushing
• Run to protect casing head or housings
shoulder damage during drilling operations

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 Studded Adapter Flange
• A single or double studded adapter flange
(SAF) is commonly used to connect flanges
with different nominal sizes, pressure ratings
and configurations.

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 Test Plug
• Used in pressure testing a BOP and a X-mas
tree
• Cylindrical body with O.D. slightly smaller than
wellhead
• Landed on a narrow shoulder
• Dogs extended into the annular grooves in the
wellhead

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 Casing Hanger & Packer Running & Retrieval
Tools
• Lowers, lands and settle casing hanger and a
packoff/seal
• Has elongated body with
– A plurality of locking dogs that releasably lock a
casing hanger to the tool
– A plurality of packoff running pins for releasably
locking a packoff to the tool
– A plurality of packoff retrieval pins to engage a
packoff for retrieval
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 Back Pressure Valve or Regulator

• A device that maintains a defined upstream

pressure of itself, i.e. inlet pressure
• When pressure exceeds the set point the valve
opens to relieve the excess pressure
– Example: Valves on separators, treaters, and free
water knockouts

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 Pipe Fittings

• Piping components that help

– Change the direction of flow such as elbows, tees
– Change the size of the pipe such as reducers
– Connect different components such as valves,
meters, couplings, caps, flanges, nipples, plugs,
etc.

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 General Features for On land Wellhead

• Usually placed inside the cellar which is dug

below the ground around 3-15 ft to
accommodate it.
• Typically Christmas tree is visible above the
ground since it is to be accessed conveniently

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 Dual Master Valve tree
Bottom two valves (lower
and upper master) are for
opening or closing the
well

Side valve (wing valve) is

translating the flow to
horizontal

Two barrier rule, i.e. two

valves should be closed
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 Simple,
older
wellhead
on low pr.
Gas well
giving
option
for flow
from
tubing
and
annulus
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A high pressure well head on a dry gas well

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 Casing Head Description
• First piece of wellhead equipment installed
• Lowest part of the wellhead assembly
• Almost always connected to the surface casing
• Supports the subsequent upper parts of the
wellhead

46
 Casing Head Functions
• Provides a means for attachment to the
surface casing
• Supports the BOP and allows for further
intermediate hole drilling
• Provides testing BOP
• Provide fluid return from annulus

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 Casing Head Schematic
Flange plate connection to upper spools
Centralizing and lock down screws

Annular access port Welded, hydraulically formed or screwed to

casing
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Casing Head

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Casing Head

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Casing Head

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Note here wellhead
flange term is used
for casing head

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 In this case we have
directly production casing
after surface casing Hanger

Shoulder

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Seal

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Seal

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Swab Valve

Cross

Master Valve

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Wing Valves Wing Valves

Choke

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Note the term
Bradenhead is used
instead of Casing
head

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 Other names for Casing Head
• Starting head
• Lower most housing
• Braden head
• Wellhead flange
• Drilling flange

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 Casing Hanger
• Connects at the upper most part of the casing
string via slips, threads or other means
• Sits inside the previous head or housing or
spool into which the casing is run
• Transfers part of the load of the casing string
to the previous head or housing or spool

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 Types of Casing Hangers
• Mandrel type (boll weevil) threads to the top
of the casing
– Lands in the casing housing when the casing shoe reaches
the required depth
– Short lengths of casing, known as pup joints may have to
be added to the string so that the casing shoe is at the
correct depth when the hanger lands in the wellhead

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 Types of Casing Hangers (cont.)
• Slip type that suspends the casing in the slip
bowl and may have seals
– Slips are automatically set when the casing is
lowered (in a similar fashion to drill pipe slips)

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Slip Type Casing Hanger

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 Casing Spool
• Wellhead component used in flanged
assemblies to secure the upper end of a casing
string
• Casing spools or bowls available in wide range
of sizes & pressure ratings

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Casing Spool

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Casing Spool

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 Casing Spools
with Annular
Access Ports &
lockdown Screws

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Tubing Spool

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Tubing Head

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 Tubing Hanger
Hangs tubing
Looks different from the casing hanger

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 Tubing Head Adapter
This adapter connects from upper flange to the Christmas tree

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 Tubing Hangers and Packoffs
• Installed in the top bowl of the tubing spool
• Suspends the tubing
• Provides primary seal between tubing annulus
and production casing
• Tubing hangers can use back pressure valves to
seal the wellbore
• Packoffs only provide a seal between tubing
annulus and production casing, do not suspend
tubing, can be used for setting packers and
displacing fluids
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 Unitized Wellhead
• One piece body
• Typically run on 13
3/8 inch casing thru
the BOP
• Lands on shoulder
located in starting
head or conductor
• Casing hangers are
threaded and
pressure tested
• Gate valves are
installed on the
outlets of
intermediate and
production casing
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Unitized Wellhead

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Unitized WH components
• Wellhead body
• Annulus Gate valves
• Mandrel casing hangers
• Mandrel tubing hangers
• Metal-to-metal sealing for the annulus
seals

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 Tools for Unitized Wellhead
• Wellhead-housing running tool
• BOP test tool
• Casing-hanger running tool
• Seal-assembly running and retrieving tool
• Wear-bushing running and retrieving tool

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 Unitized Wellhead (cont.)
• After next section drilled, casing string,
topped out with its mandrel hanger run
and landed on ID of unitized wellhead
• Seal assembly run on a drillpipe tool to
install the hanger and seal
• Each casing hanger is landed on previous
hanger without removing BOP
• Saves rig time & complete BOP control

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Complete
Head

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Christmas Tree on Wellhead

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 Christmas Tree
• Assembly of gate valves, chokes and fittings
• Application:
1. Flow control of oil and gas at surface
2. Well intervention from swab valve
3. Chemical or gas injection from other wing valve
4. Access to a hydraulic line for a surface controlled
sub surface safely valve
5. Electrical interface for ESP (Electrical Submersible
Pump)
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 Christmas Tree
• Design depends on
– Tubing size
– Well depth
– Well shut-in pressures
– Fluids produced
– Completions & hardware

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 Master Valve
• Located above the tubing hanger
• Allows the well to flow or shut-in
• Typically two master valves
• Lower and upper in case one doesn’t work

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Single Master Valve

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Two Master Valves (Upper and Lower)

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 T block or Cross type Fitting

• Allows diversion
of flow from
vertical to
horizontal flow
line

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 Wing Valve (Flowing Valve)
• Located on sides
• Controls/isolates
production from
surface facilities
• Can have one or
two wing valves
• One for main, one
for backup
• Sometime the
backup is known as
kill wing valve
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 Wing Valve (Kill Wing Valve)

• In many cases
one wing valve
is used for
production and
another wing
valve is used as
a kill wing valve
for injection (ex.
corrosion,
hydrate
inhibitors) 103
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh1P-U9Jow4

Choke
• Smallest
restriction
• Fixed beans or
adjustible type
• Controls the
rate
• Controls sand
production

104
For more details: https://docplayer.net/21632722-Chokes-types-reasons-basics-of-operations-
application.html

Choke
• Causes a pressure drop
• Variable chokes good for bringing wells on
gradually
• Optimizes natural gas lift in some cases
• Prone to washouts from high velocity
particles and droplets
• Solution is hardened carbide components
with chokes in series, dual chokes
• ID size is mentioned in 64th of a inch
105
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh1P-U9Jow4

Swab Valve
• Topmost valve
• Provides
vertical access
to the well for
well
intervention
operations via
wireline,
slickline,
coiled tubing
or a snubbing
unit 106
 Different Lines for Intervention
• Wireline (electric cable to lower tools into and
transmit data, ex. production profile data,
cement bond integrity)
• Slickline (a thin cable introduced to deliver or
retrieve tools)
• Coiled tubing (long metal pipe normally 1-3.25
in in dia. spooled on a large reel, sometimes
used as production tubing)

107
 Different Lines for Intervention
• Snubbing unit (have evolved into one of the
most capable and efficient well servicing
tools)
• In 1920’s rig to work with pressures drove the
invention of snubbing unit
• First snubbing unit was for well control –
snubbed drill pipe and or casing into or out of
a wellbore when conventional well killing
methods could not be used
108
 Lubricator (Pressured Pipe)
• Long, high pressure pipe fitted to the top of a
wellhead or X-mas tree so that tools may be
put into a high-pressure well
• Top of lubricator has high pressure grease
injection section and seals
• Bottom has a coupling for quick
connect/disconnect with the top of X-mas tree
• Swab valve is opened to pressurize the
lubricator
109
 Lubricator (cont.)
• To remove, tools pulled up into the lubricator
under wellbore pressure
• Tree valve closed
• Lubricator pressure bled off
• Lubricator opened to remove tools

110
 T-Cap and Pressure Gauge
• T-Cap is a flange on top of the swab valve
• Allows wireline lubricator or coiled tubing /
snubbing unit BOP to connect for well
intervention
• Pressure gauge monitors the pressure
• Most guages are electronic so pr. and temp.
data is transmitted for better well monitoring

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 Vertical Xmas Tree
• Swab & master valves stacked vertically above
tubing hanger which is placed in the wellhead
• Well completion should be finished before
attaching the tree
• Tree can be removed without recovering
downhole completion
• Suggested for subsea fields
• To remove the completion string, the tree has
to be removed
119
 Horizontal Tree
• Master valves are on the lateral sides
• Tubing hanger is installed in the tree body instead
of the wellhead
• Tree is installed on the wellhead before
completion
• Allows easy intervention and tubing recovery
• Best for wells that continually need interventions
• To remove the tree, completion string has to be
removed
120
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 Unitized Christmas Tree

• Integrated Xmas
tree in one body
• Saves operator
installation time

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