This blog discusses blowout preventers and its uses. It also talks about the new technologies and advancements in the BOP manufacturing process.

1. Ameliorating for Excellence
Oil rigging may be one of the most profitable industries in the world; but it is also one of the
most dangerous. Blowout preventers or BOPs as they are called in the industry; are the last
defense for preventing a complete blowout on an oil rig.
When it comes to offshore drilling, rigs usually use both ram and annular Blow out preventers
for more safety. BOPs are usually controlled by activating the hydraulic pressure in the BOP,
which is monitored via remote control. While this may be the basic method, there are different
ways in which a BOP can be controlled:
1. Electrical signals sent via a control cable
2. Remote operated vehicles to manually operate valves at deep surfaces
3. Dead man switches, which is a fail-safe option during emergencies.
New technologies are constantly being developed to make the work easier and safer.
Companies are expanding their product line of new remote monitoring and diagnostic
technologies. This will help drillers to increase safety and performance, increase durability of
products and optimize efficiency. A new technology that is making waves is a gas and drilling
system. This is helping engineers to create up-to-date reports with detailed information on
cycle counts, event sequences and machinery maintenance. New hardware is being produced
to display the exact position of the ram blocks and the amount of pressure that is used to close
it. This saves a lot of time in determining problems with the ram blocks and immediate action
can be taken. Gas handler systems are also being developed to divert gases that have gone into
the riser before the blowout preventer could be closed. They prevent gases from reaching the
bottom of the rig, just below the wellhead.
While these advancements are definitely making oil rigs a safer place to work, other bodies are
taking steps to make the work safer. Greater scrutiny is going into the design of oil rigs. Some
experts are suggesting placing more instrumentation on wellheads and BOPs to monitor what is
going on underground or in subsea.