The blowout preventer or BOP is a particular device used during the drilling of a hydrocarbon well that has the task of securing the well during the drilling phase, in case the underground fluids accidentally migrate to the outside of the well , during drilling.
The well can be assimilated to a circular section duct, therefore substantially to a long pipe . The hydrocarbon is contained in the porous ground pores, subjected to the formation pressure and maintained in the rock by the counter pressure exerted on the hole walls of the drilling mud .
If for any reason, these fluids, coming from the well, toward the surface, would reach the perforation plant , which is on the surface of the well mouth. In this way the plant would be seriously threatened by the risk of fires and explosions , just because the gas is easily flammable . Among other things, such gases, rising upwards, expand because it decreases the hydrostatic pressure to which they are subjected. This would mean that the whole plant would be wrapped in flammable gas, ready to light up to the minimum spark or hot surface contact. Even if the gases do not get burned, they would cause respiratory or asphyxiating problems as wellpersonal poisoning .
The BOP is therefore used to close the shaft in emergency situations, ie blocking its section in case of blowout , that is, the shaft eruption (so is called the hydrocarbon spill from it).
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