SECTION 2

RAM BLOWOUT PREVENTERS

• Cameron Ram Blowout Preventers

• Hydril Ram Blowout Preventers
• Shaffer Ram Blowout Preventers
• Ram Packer Pressure
• Ram Blowout Preventer Operating Ratios

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Cameron Ram BOP’s
There are four models or types of Cameron ram BOP used subsea. These are the U,
the UII, the T and the TL. The type U is the oldest of the Cameron models found
offshore. Available up to 10,000 psi MWP only, the type U is probably the most
widely used ram BOP in the drilling industry. In common with all Cameron ram
BOP’s, the bonnets on the U can be hydraulically powered open or close after the
bonnet bolts have been removed.

The type U was followed by the type UII which, like all subsequent models (to the U),
is available in working pressures up to 15,000 psi at 18-3/4” bore. The UII introduced
hydraulic bonnet studs and radial bore bonnet seals. The U and UII both use the
wedgelock ram locking devise to hold the rams closed in the event that closing
hydraulic pressure is lost. Unlike Shaffer or Hydril ram BOPs, operation of the ram
locking devices (wedgelocks) on the U and UII is not automatic and is a separate
function on the BOP operating panels.

The type T followed the type UII. Enhancements included wear pads on the bottom of
the ram blocks to extend cavity life, metal to metal bonnet gaskets and the ST ram
locking device. Locking of the ST locks is again a separate function though Cameron
does offer an automatic option. One standard feature is that ram open pressure first
unlocks the ST lock before being directed to the ram operator. If the ST lock is not
fully retracted, then no operating fluid can reach the open side of the operator.

The latest ram BOP offered by Cameron is the type TL (T Lightweight). Designed to
meet the demand for a lightweight BOP, the TL has a much more compact bonnet
assembly than the type T. A bonnet seal carrier is also used which eliminates the need
for high make up torque on bonnet studs or nuts (2,000 ft / lbs is specified for the 18-
3/4” 15K model). A sequence valve is also fitted as standard that automatically closes
the ST lock after the ram has closed.

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Ram Locking Systems

The type U and UII ram BOPs are fitted with wedgelocks when used in a subsea
application. The wedgelock is a fairly simple device which, when hydraulically
functioned, moves a wedge in behind the tailrod of the operator after the ram is
closed. A pressure balance chamber is fitted to eliminate the possibility of the
wedgelock becoming unlocked due to hydrostatic pressure. The wedgelock must be
functioned unlock before the ram can be opened again. It is a common practice to
connect all the wedgelocks together hydraulically. At the BOP control unit, only one
function will be available, “wedgelocks lock / unlock”. This will lock (unlock) or
attempt to lock all the wedgelocks together, including wedgelocks on ram operators
where the rams are still open. Opening rams before the wedglocks are completely
unlocked can cause damage to the wedge (aka whistle piston) or operator tailrod.

The type T and TL ram BOPs are fitted with ST locks when used in a subsea
application. The ST lock again uses a wedge, which is hydraulically moved behind the
operator tailrod. The locking wedge incorporates a threaded stem onto which is fitted
an “overhauling nut”. As the wedge is moved behind the tailrod. The overhauling nut
spins on the wedge stem. A toothed brake hub on the overhauling nut ratchets past a
toothed brake ring. The tooth profile prevents the overhauling nut rotating in the
opposite direction thereby holding the locking wedge firmly behind the operator

tailrod. An unlocking piston disengages the brake ring from the brake hub when the
ST lock is
hydraulically unlocked. A sequence cap in the end of the ST lock housing isolates
opening hydraulic fluid from the open side of the ram operator until the locking
wedge is fully retracted and has depressed a poppet valve. This prevents damage to
the locking wedge or operator tailrod caused by the premature opening of the rams
before the ST lock is open.

As previously mentioned. A sequence valve can be installed on the operator tailrod

housing which will automatically lock the ST lock after the rams have closed. If the
automatic locking option is not chosen or available, unlike wedgelocks, individual
operation of each set of ST locks will be available from the BOP operating panels.

Ram Hangoff Capability

Cameron publish hangoff ram part numbers and capacities for type U and UII BOP’s
in Engineering Bulletins EB 636 D for fixed rams and EB 555 D for Variable Bore
Rams (VBR’s) These EB’s are included as attachments.

Cameron Elastomer Operational Temperature Limits

Engineering Bulletin EB 833 D “Cameron High Temperature BOP Elastomers” is

included as an attachment.

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Shear Ram Capacity

Engineering Bulletin EB 702 D “Shearing Capabilities of Cameron Shear Rams” is

attached.

Cavity Wear Limits

The Cameron philosophy to cavity wear is to measure the “Ram-to-Ram-Bore

Clearance. The preferred method is to remove the packer and top seal from the ram
block and insert it in the ram cavity in approximately the fully closed position. Using
feeler gauges the clearance between the top of the ram and the cavity is measured, as
is the clearance between the side of the ram and the cavity. The clearance between the
top of the ram and the cavity should not exceed 0.060 inches and the total side
clearance should not exceed 0.080 inches. Details of this procedure may be found in
“Cameron U and UII Blowout Preventers – Periodic Inspection and Maintenance
Manual”

Hydraulic Operating Pressure

The maximum allowable working pressure for all Cameron ram BOP operators is
3,000 psi although the normal working pressure is 1,500 psi. N.B. The application of
more than 1,500 psi to the lock side of wedgelocks may cause damage to the operator
tailrods if the rams are in the open position.

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Hydril Ram BOP’s
Hydril offer two models of ram BOP suitable for subsea service, the “Conventional
Ram Blowout Preventer” and the “Compact Blowout Preventer” They are of similar
design, but the Compact model is marketed as "typically 15 percent shorter than
comparable dual ram BOPs, and more than 20 percent lighter”. Until recently, Hydril
ram BOPs were unique in that they were equipped with a field replaceable ram cavity
upper seal seat (this feature is available in the new Shaffer model SLX ram BOP).
Both the Conventional and the Compact BOPs use Hydril’s Multiple Position Lock
(MPL) ram locking device for subsea applications.

Ram Locking System

The Multiple Position Lock (MPL) uses a threaded operator tailrod and an uni-
directional clutch assemble to maintain ram closure after closing hydraulic pressure is
lost. The clutch assembly includes a fixed rear clutch plate and the front clutch plate
that can rotate around the tailrod. Both clutch plates are machined with angled teeth,
which, when engaged, only permit rotation in the “closing direction”. As the operator
piston and tail rod move in towards the wellbore, the front clutch plate ratchets past
the rear clutch plate. The profile of the teeth on the clutch plates prevent any rotation
in the “opening direction” thus providing the ram lock. When open hydraulic pressure
is applied to the ram operator, the cylinder liner moves back against a transfer ring
which disengages the clutch plates allowing free rotation of the front plate as the rams
opens.
Incorporated in the MPL is provision for testing the locking mechanism. Manually
operated lockout devices prevent opening pressure from disengaging the clutch
assembly. Application of opening pressure then simulates opening forces applied to
the ram (by wellbore pressure) thus testing proper functioning of the lock. The
lockout device is visually indicated.

Ram Hangoff Capability

Fixed bore pipe rams are suitable for hanging off up to 600, 000 lbs if closing pressure
is maintained on the ram operators. If ram closure is maintained on the MPL’s only,
hangoff capacity is reduced to 550,000 lbs. Hangoff capability for Hydril Variable
Bore rams (HVR) is dependent on pipe size being suspended and if the rams have
closing pressure applied or are on the locks.
See Hydril information attached.

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Hydril Elastomer Operation Temperature Limits.

Standard Ram Rubber Packers 30oF to 180oF - 250oF

intermittent
(pipe and shear)

Hydril Variable Bore Ram rubbers 30oF to 180oF - 250oF

intermittent

Bonnet Seal 30oF to 180oF - 250oF

intermittent

Seal, Connecting Rod 30oF to 190oF - 200oF

intermittent

Hy-Temp Ram Rubber Packers 30oF to 250oF - 350oF

intermittent
(pipe ram packers and top seals only)

Hy-Temp Seal, Connection Rod 30oF to 250oF - 350oF

intermittent

Hydril Hy-Temp fixed bore ram front packers and top seals must be installed in ram
blocks which have been modified to accept them. (Hy-Temp packers are retained by
two bolts inserted through holes in the rear of the ram blocks, standard packers are
retained by the pins of the top seals)

Shear Ram Capacity

Hydril offer three sizes of shear ram operator, 15-1/2”(standard), 19” and 22”.
Information on the hydraulic closing pressure required to shear various grades of drill
pipe for each operator size is attached.

Cavity Wear Limits

Hydril term the cavity height dimension as “Rails to Seat” or, “Rails to Seat Pocket” (if
the upper seal seat has been removed). Maximum allowable cavity height is dependent
on which rams are installed in the particular cavity. Excerpts from the “Hydril Ram
BOP Inspection Manual” are attached with gauge inspection dimensions for 18-3/4”
10K and 15K preventers.

Hydraulic Operating Pressure

Normal hydraulic operating pressure for Hydril ram operators is 1,500 psi.
The maximum allowable working pressure (MWP) for the operators is 3,000 psi

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Shaffer Ram BOP’s
The original model of ram BOP used for subsea application was the LWS
(LightWeight Steel). This was subsequently replaced by the SL (Slim Line) model
though there is very little difference between the two.

Ram Locking Systems

Ram locking systems are designed to maintain wellbore integrity of a ram BOP which
is closed even after the operator closing hydraulic pressure has been removed.

The original Shaffer ram locking system (other than manual locks) was the Poslock.
This system was designed for fixed bore and shear rams which will repeatedly lock in
the same position. After the operator pistons have moved the ram blocks together,
either against the pipe or against each other, and adequate packer pressure has been
generated, a smaller locking cone within the main piston moves forward and four
locking segments are pushed radially outwards to lock the piston to the cylinder.
When required, unlock hydraulic pressure first pushes the locking cone back allowing
the locking segments to disengage from the cylinder, before opening the rams.
Poslocks are adjustable and their setting should be checked on a regular basis.

With the introduction of Multi-Rams, the Multilock locking system was offered by
Shaffer. This worked in a similar manner to the Poslock except two different size of
locking segment are used. The Multilocks are adjusted so that one size of segment
will lock on the top end of the Multi-Ram pipe range, e.g. 5” and the other pair of
segments will lock on the smaller pipe size, e.g. 3-1/2”. The segments are not
individually adjustable; altering the setting for 5” will effect the setting for 3-1/2”.
Again regular checking of the settings are recommended.

In the early 90’s, Shaffer introduced the Ultralock Automatic Ram locking System
which was designed to provide a reliable multi position and adjustment free locking
system. Ultralocks would lock at whatever position the ram stopped at after closing
and were therefore suitable for Multi-Rams which move together more when closed
on smaller pipe than on large pipe. In addition, compensation for packer wear etc was
automatic. The operating principle is slightly different than for the Poslock or
Multilock cylinder. The piston within a piston principle is still used, but now lock
dogs are pushed out to mate with lock rods. Both dogs and rods have a tooth profile
which allows the dogs to “ratchet” in past the lock rods. The teeth on the lock dogs
and rods will maintain ram closure upon the loss of ram closing pressure until opening
pressure is applied which again first shifts the inner piston allowing the lock dogs to
disengage.

The Ultralock has been upgraded to the Ultralock II, which is the current locking
system offered by Shaffer. The system is similar to the original Ultralock, but now
tapered locking segments engage with tapered locking rods. The lock is maintained by
these various mating tapers rather than tooth engagement. The Ultralock II is suitable
for use with all sizes of fixed pipe ram or Multi-Ram without any adjustment required,
but it should be noted that for operation with shear rams, a simple adjustment to the
piston would be required.

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Ram Hangoff Capability
Not all Shaffer fixed pipe or Multi-Rams are suitable for drill pipe suspension.
Standard fixed rams are designated type SL while hangoff rams are designated type
SL-D. Hangoff capability of type SL-D fixed rams is 600, 000 lbs. For Multi-Rams,
see attachment.

Shaffer Elastomer Operation Temperature Limits

The following information is published by Shaffer in Product Information Bulletin

PC91-001DOD, Revision B 2/11/97

Ram BOP’s
Standard Ram Rubber Packers -10oF to 200oF (-23oC to 93o C)
(pipe and shear)

T-SL (T70 or T75) Ram Rubbers -10oF to 250oF (-23oC to 121o C)

Packers drill Stem Testing
(pipe)

Ultratemp Ram Rubber Packers 20oF to 350oF (-7oC to 177oC)

(pipe and shear)

Multi-Ram Rubbers 30oF to 180oF (-1oC to 82oC)

Ram Door Seals -10oF to 350oF (-23oC to 177oC)

Operator Hydraulic Seals -10oF to 225oF (-23oC to 107oC)

Ram Shaft Seal Assemblies -10oF to 350oF (-23oC to 177oC)

(11”, 5,000 psi and larger)

Spherical BOP’s

Nitrile Packing Element 40oF to 170oF (-4oC to 77oC)

Natural Rubber Packing Element -20oF to 170oF (-29oC to 77oC)

SBOP Hydraulic Seals -10oF to 225oF (-23oC to 107oC)

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Shear Ram Capacity
Shaffer Product Information Bulletin PC94-004DOD “Shearing Tables Drill Pipe,
Casing and Tubing” is attached.

Hydraulic Operating Pressure

Normal hydraulic operating pressure for Shaffer ram operators is 1,500 psi.
3,000 psi is the maximum allowable working pressure.

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Ram Packer Pressure

All ram BOPs from the various manufacturers use the principle of ram packer
pressure in order to achieve a wellbore seal against drill pipe (or open hole in the case
of blind shear rams). Ram packer pressure is the internal pressure built up in the
packer rubber after the rams have closed around the drill pipe (or against each other)
and is generated by the BOP hydraulic closing pressure acting on the packer via the
ram block, ram shaft and operator piston. In order to achieve an effective seal, the
packer pressure must be greater than the applied wellbore pressure. After initial seal
off is achieved, increasing wellbore pressure acts on the back of the ram blocks,
squeezing them together which in turn generates a greater packer pressure to maintain
the seal. Worn packers and / or ram cavities may result in insufficient packer pressure
being generated to create the initial seal. A low wellbore pressure test of 250 psi relies
mostly on the packer pressure built up by the ram operator and is more liable to leak
than a test to maximum working pressure where additional packer pressure is
generated by the wellbore pressure acting on the ram blocks.

To provide support for the front packer rubber and inhibit its extrusion by wellbore
pressure, extrusion plates are moulded into the packers. These plates, which come into
contact with the drill pipe, are also used to feed rubber from the back of the packer to
the front as wear occurs. Again, the principle of feedable rubber is common to all the
major ram BOP manufacturers.

Front packer and top seal

Extrusion plates

Wellbore pressure

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Ram BOPs - Operating Ratios
Ram BOPs are closed or opened by applying hydraulic pressure to the pistons of the
operating cylinders which are connected to the ram blocks by the ram shafts (also
called connecting rods).

Operator Piston Ram Block Ram Shaft

Close Pressure Open Pressure Wellbore Pressure

Figure 1

While the application of close or open pressure to the operator pistons will have fairly
predictable results, the effect of any wellbore pressure on the ram blocks and ram
shafts must be understood and considered. When the rams are in the open (or partially
open) position, pressure in the wellbore acts on all surfaces of the blocks, which are
therefore balanced. The wellbore pressure also acts on the ram shaft where, due to the
differential area of the ram shaft “button”, the net effect of the wellbore pressure is to
open the rams or hold them open. This unbalanced force can be calculated as wellbore
pressure x the cross sectional area of the ram shaft. Closing the rams will require
sufficient hydraulic pressure not only to overcome any frictional losses in the operator
or ram cavity but also to oppose any opening force due to wellbore pressure. It should
be noted that for a subsea BOP, wellbore pressure can be generated by the
hydrostatic effect of the mud column as well as the influx of well fluids.

The ram block is balanced Wellbore pressure acts on the ram

shaft button

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 Figure 2

Closing pressure has to overcome the opening effect of wellbore pressure

Figure 3
Closing Ratio
The closing ratio of a ram BOP is the ratio between the area of the operator piston to
which closing hydraulic pressure can be applied and the cross sectional area of the
ram shaft. Closing ratios which vary between 6:1 and 10:1, depending on the BOP
manufacturer and model, can be used to determine the hydraulic closing pressure
required to close a set of rams against a known wellbore pressure (frictional losses are
not considered in these calculations).

API RP 16E is the Recommended Practice for Design of Control Systems for Drilling
Well Control Equipment and defines the minimum calculated operating pressure as
the hydraulic pressure required to “close any ram BOP (excluding shearing pipe) at
the maximum rated wellbore pressure of the stack” (the minimum calculated
operating pressure is used to determine accumulator volumetric capacity
requirements).

Minimum Calculated Operating Pressure = Maximum Rated Wellbore Pressure of the

Stack
Closing Ratio

Example 1

Cameron 18-3/4” 10K Type U Ram BOP.

Closing Ratio = 7.4:1
Operating Pressure = 10,000 / 7.4
Operating Pressure = 1,351 psi

Example 2

Cameron 18-3/4” 10K Type TL Ram BOP

Closing Ratio = 10.3:1
Operating Pressure = 10,000 / 10.3
Operating Pressure = 970 psi

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Example 3

Hydril 18-3/4” 15K Ram BOP with MPL Cylinder

Closing Ratio = 7.27:1
Operating Pressure = 15,000 / 7.27
Operating Pressure = 2,063 psi

The operating pressures calculated in the examples above are the minimum required
to close the BOP against its maximum rated wellbore pressure

Opening Ratio
When rams are closed, wellbore pressure only acts upon a small area of the front of
the ram blocks which changes the net effect on the blocks from an opening force to a
closing force (assisting with the ram seal). To open rams with wellbore pressure
applied, the hydraulic opening pressure must overcome this closing force as well as
any frictional losses. The opening ratio of a ram BOP is the ratio of the area of the
operator piston to which open pressure can be applied and the differential area of the
ram block which occurs after the rams have closed.

Figure 4
After the rams have closed, wellbore pressure assists in maintaining packer pressure

Example 4

Cameron 18-3/4” 10K Type U Ram BOP.

Opening Ratio = 3.7:1
Opening Pressure = 10,000 / 3.7

Opening Pressure = 2,702 psi

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Example 5
Hydril 18-3/4” 15K Ram BOP with MPL Cylinder
Opening Ratio 2.15:1
Opening Pressure = 15,000 / 2.15
Opening Pressure = 6,976 psi

If opening pressure is 1,500 psi,

wellbore pressure which would prevent rams opening =
1,500 x 2.15
=
3,225 psi

Opening rams which have wellbore pressure applied against them is

not recommended and may lead to equipment damage.

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