On May 15, 2021, an incident resulted in the fatality of an offshore worker when two production personnel were pressure testing a 16-inch well surface casing and an
explosion occurred. The explosion entailed a high-pressure release with no signs of ignition. Information obtained by BSEE during the subsequent investigation determined that personnel were using a high-pressure well to supply the pressure to the well casing.
They installed temporary test equipment that included a high-pressure hose and a digital pressure gauge, but they DID NOT USE a:
- pressure-regulating device AND
- pressure safety valve
during the pressure test.
The personnel first opened the surface safety valve to begin the casing pressure test on the 16-inch casing. They then opened the needle valve on the top of the source well and the needle valve on the receiving well’s 16-inch casing. The target test pressure was 250 pounds per square inch gauge (psig).
Also, at the time of the test, the production personnel were unaware of the pressure rating for the 16-inch casing.
As they were monitoring the test pressure, the 16-inch well casing exploded, releasing fluid through a 1½-inch opening between the 36-inch drive pipe and the wellhead base plate.
The resulting surface casing failed due to overpressure, fatally injuring the worker.
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