Regulatory Compliance Testing with the SPIDR

By Anil Joy | Tue, 19 May 2009

The USA Minerals Management Service (MMS) is the US federal government agency that oversees the regulation of offshore oil and gas properties.  The MMS requires that an operator conduct a static bottom hole pressure (BHP) survey for each new reservoir and annually for any reservoir with three or more producing completions.  This can be a tedious and cost-intensive test.  The MMS accepts SPIDR wellhead pressure (WHP) converted to BHP for this annual survey on wells that meet certain stipulations outlined in this article, which allows the operator a low cost and no risk approach to their annual BHP survey.  The MMS departure form can be found here on the DRC website.  By filling out this simple departure form and submitting it to the MMS all of the risk and most of the cost of running gauges downhole for your survey can be avoided.

DRCís SPIDR well testing system has been providing operators a risk free way of testing their wells for over 24 years.  Typically to perform a BHP survey an operator will need to find and hire a lift boat, wireline unit and a crew in addition to worrying about putting tools in their wellbore.  With our SPIDR system you simply need to call a DRC engineer, provide some basic information about your well and a planned start date for your test.  Then the SPIDR is sent via FedEx Priority Overnight to your office or field location.  There is virtually no lead time required as DRC can hot shot the SPIDR to the dock or location at momentís notice.  

The MMS requires only a single basis to be met for the SPIDR to be used for an annual bottomhole survey requirement. If any of the following stipulations are met you will be granted a departure to use the SPIDR system for your survey:
ï    If the well is considered dry gas by the MMS agent, which typically means the well produces less than 10 bbls/mmscf of fluid.  
ï    If the well has a section with greater than 50 degrees of deviation from vertical.  
ï    If there is a history of stuck tools or if there are physical obstructions in the well that make sending a downhole gauge impossible.  
ï    If the well has a bottomhole temperature in excess of 300 F the departure will be granted.  
ï    If the well is on a satellite or monopod platform which requires a lift boat, the departure will typically be granted.  

Finally, if there are any other economic, mechanical or physical reasons that you would like the MMS to consider; they will take these into consideration on a case by case basis.

With the current economic situation, the annual MMS survey does not need to be a financial burden.  Our SPIDR system for obtaining BHP from wellhead measurement is a perfect tool for satisfying your regulatory requirements.  Please contact a DRC engineer if you have any questions or needs.