Section 250.733 - What are the requirements for a surface BOP stack?(a) When you drill or conduct operations with a surface BOP stack, you must install the BOP system before drilling or conducting operations to deepen the well below the surface casing and after the well is deepened below the surface casing point. The surface BOP stack must include at least four remote-controlled, hydraulically operated BOPs, consisting of one annular BOP, one BOP equipped with blind shear rams, and two BOPs equipped with pipe rams. (1) The blind shear rams must be capable of shearing at any point along the tubular body of any drill pipe (excluding tool joints, bottom-hole tools, and bottom hole assemblies that include heavy-weight pipe or collars), workstring, tubing and associated exterior control lines, and any electric-, wire-, and slick-line that is in the hole and sealing the wellbore after shearing. Prior to April 29, 2021, if your blind shear rams are unable to cut any electric-, wire-, or slick-line under MASP as defined for the operation and seal the wellbore, you must use an alternative cutting device capable of shearing the lines before closing the BOP. This device must be available on the rig floor during operations that require their use.(2) The two BOPs equipped with pipe rams must be capable of closing and sealing on the tubular body of any drill pipe, workstring, and tubing under MASP, as defined for the operation, except for tubing with exterior control lines and flat packs, a bottom hole assembly that includes heavy-weight pipe or collars, and bottom-hole tools.(b) If you plan to use a surface BOP on a floating production facility you must: (1) On new floating production facilities installed after April 29, 2021, that include a surface BOP, or when you replace an entire surface BOP stack on an existing floating production facility, follow the BOP requirements in § 250.734(a)(1) .(2) For risers installed after July 28, 2016, use a dual bore riser configuration before drilling or operating in any hole section or interval where hydrocarbons are, or may be, exposed to the well. The dual bore riser must meet the design requirements of API RP 2RD (as incorporated by reference in § 250.198 ), including appropriate design for the maximum anticipated operating and environmental conditions. (i) For a dual bore riser configuration, the annulus between the risers must be monitored for pressure during operations. You must describe in your APD or APM your annulus monitoring plan and how you will secure the well in the event a leak is detected.(ii) The inner riser for a dual riser configuration is subject to the requirements at § 250.721 for testing the casing or liner.(c) You must install separate side outlets on the BOP stack for the kill and choke lines. If your stack does not have side outlets, you must install a drilling spool with side outlets. The outlet valves must hold pressure from both directions.(d) You must install a choke and a kill line on the BOP stack. You must equip each line with two full-bore, full-opening valves, one of which must be remote-controlled. On the kill line, you may install a check valve and a manual valve instead of the remote-controlled valve. To use this configuration, both manual valves must be readily accessible and you must install the check valve between the manual valves and the pump.(e) Additional requirements for surface BOP systems used in well-completion, workover, and decommissioning operations. The minimum BOP system for well-completion, workover, and decommissioning operations must meet the appropriate standards from the following table: | When . . . | The minimum BOP stack must include . . . |
| (1) The expected pressure is less than 5,000 psi, | Three BOPs consisting of an annular, one set of pipe rams, and one set of blind-shear rams. |
| (2) The expected pressure is 5,000 psi or greater or you use multiple tubing strings, | Four BOPs consisting of an annular, two sets of pipe rams, and one set of blind-shear rams. |
| (3) You handle multiple tubing strings simultaneously, | Four BOPs consisting of an annular, one set of pipe rams, one set of dual pipe rams, and one set of blind-shear rams. |
| (4) You use a tapered drill pipe, work string, or tubing, | At least one set of pipe rams that are capable of sealing around each size of drill pipe, work string, or tubing. If the expected pressure is greater than 5,000 psi, then you must have at least two sets of pipe rams that are capable of sealing around the larger size drill pipe, work string, or tubing. You may substitute one set of variable bore rams for two sets of pipe rams. |
| (5) You use a surface BOP on a floating facility, | The elements required by § 250.733(b)(1) of this part. |
81 FR 26022, Apr. 29, 2016, as amended at 84 FR 21979, May 15, 2019; 88 FR 87347, Aug. 23, 2023 81 FR 26022, 7/28/2016; 84 FR 21979, 7/15/2019; 88 FR 57347, 10/23/2023