SOLUTION
The repair involved pre-machining the sealing areas in the AJT Tullos workshops and reclaiming the surfaces utilising the latest in rotary head hot wire pulsed gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) process technology.
Specialised welding equipment has the ability to control the travel motion of the welding torch through a set of computer-controlled slides, which enabled precise deposition of the weld metal where it was required.
Due to the advanced technology employed this operation can be carried out in a shorter time than that associated with conventional processes and to more exacting standards, reducing cycle times by up to a third.
Because the weld metal was not transferred directly across the electric arc like most open arc welding processes, a vast assortment of welding filler metal is available to the welding engineer however in this instance the seal areas were reclaimed using a high strength alloy base material.
The BOP was finally machined and assembled within AJT then returned to the Spanish drilling contractor in a timescale which allowed him to continue his drilling programme with no loss of time or revenue.
Blowout preventers are critical to the safety of crew, rig and environment, and to the monitoring and maintenance of well integrity, regulations require that BOPs be regularly inspected, tested and refurbished.