Offshore staff
ABERDEEN, UK –SPEX plans to unveil its new emergency severance tool (EST) in late September.
SPEX will attend the Shell Global Wells Conference in Kuala Lumpur on Sept. 25 to promote the tool.
This follows Shell contracting SPEX to continue development of the tool and for further testing for commercial release in 2014.
The EST operates at depths up to 10,000 ft (3,408 m) as an integral part of the drilling riser. The EST sits just above the BOP.
If there is an uncontrolled event, similar to the Macondo incident, the EST is trigged and severs the non–shearable item that is otherwise obstructing the BOP, allowing the severed drillstring to fall into the well, and enabling the BOP to safely close and seal.
8/26/2013
