Saudi Aramco GI 1853.001 ISOLATION BARRIERS FOR WELLS DURING DRILLING & WORKOVER OPERATIONS (WITH AND WITHOUT RIG)

This Saudi Aramco General Instruction (GI) 1853.001, titled ISOLATION BARRIERS FOR WELLS DURING DRILLING & WORKOVER OPERATIONS (WITH AND WITHOUT RIG), provides critical guidelines for ensuring wellbore integrity and operational safety. It details the mandatory requirements for establishing effective isolation barriers, also known as shut-offs, when surface control equipment such as Blow Out Preventers (BOPs) must be temporarily removed during drilling, workover, or wellhead repair operations, regardless of rig presence.

The document comprehensively covers the objective of maintaining surface well control, the background context necessitating isolation barriers, specific minimum requirements based on well types (oil, gas, water injection, water supply), and a detailed breakdown of various mechanical and non-mechanical isolation barrier types. It also addresses the reliability of these barriers through testing procedures and outlines the process and strict limitations for obtaining waivers from these established safety protocols.

This vital document ensures that reservoir pressure is safely managed, reducing the risk of uncontrolled surface flow and costly downtime. Ideal for drilling engineers, workover supervisors, HSE officers, and well integrity specialists working within the oil and gas industry, particularly those adhering to Saudi Aramco standards.