US oil and natural gas industry trade association American Petroleum Institute (API) has released two new oil and natural gas industry standards for well design and drilling operations.
The Deepwater Well Design and Construction, API Recommended Practice (RP) 96, will provide engineers a system-wide reference for offshore well design, drilling and completion operations in deep water.
It will include a wide range of considerations that must be taken into account when planning for and undertaking deepwater drilling operations.
The Protocol for Verification and Validation of High-Pressure High-Temperature Equipment, API Technical Report 1PER15K-1, creates a process for evaluating equipment deployed in high-pressure and high-temperature (HPHT) environments both onshore and offshore.
According to API, the new standard will provide industry with a reliable approach to design latest drilling and completion equipment that is fit-for-service in deeper, HPHT wells.
In November 2012, API has published a related document, API Standard 53, Blowout Prevention Equipment Systems for Drilling Wells.
The document updated and reinforced an existing standard for blowout preventers with priority on standardising operating requirements and prioritising preventive maintenance, inspections and testing.
API director of Standards David Miller said that every industry standard developed by the body shares the objective of safely and responsibly producing more energy to meet America’s needs.
"These new guidelines will help the industry to continue operating safely in deeper, higher pressure, and higher temperature environments," Miller added.