SECTION 4

GATE VALVES

• Subsea Gate Valves

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 Subsea Valves
The term "subsea valves" is used in preference of the more traditional "failsafe
valves" to reflect the operating limitations of some valve designs.

A hydraulic operator is used to open and close subsea valves. The operators are
almost exclusively of the failsafe type in which hydraulic pressure pushes a piston
against a spring. The piston, via the operator stem, pushes the valve gate from the
closed position to the open position. If hydraulic pressure is removed from the open
side of the operator, the operator spring should return the piston and valve gate to the
closed position. The close or spring side of the operator is also pressurised during
valve closure. Depending upon valve / operator type, close hydraulic pressure can
vary from hydrostatic pressure to BOP control system manifold regulator pressure.

Subsea valves can be divided into two types, balanced and unbalanced.

A balanced valve has a tailrod of the same diameter as the operator stem. There is no
differential area between the operator stem and the tailrod. When the valve is stroked
open, no wellbore fluid is displaced from the valve cavity and no cavity pressure build
up occurs. To close the valve, the operator relies on its spring and close hydraulic
pressure. Examples are the Cameron type DF and MCK.

An unbalanced valve either does not have a tailrod, or has a tailrod of a different
diameter than the operator stem. In either case, a differential area results upon which
wellbore pressure acts. When the valve is stroked open, the operator has to overcome
any forces resulting from wellbore pressure opposing it. Opening the valve displaces
fluid from the cavity and can result in a wellbore pressure increase. When open
pressure is removed from the operator, wellbore pressure acting on the unbalanced
operator stem will close the valve. The operator spring and any close hydraulic
pressure also acts to close the valve. This type of valve has an operating ratio which is
the relationship between the effective area of the open side of the operator piston and
the unbalanced area of the operator stem. A typical operating ratio is 7:1. To open the
valve against 10,000 psi wellbore pressure, a hydraulic operating pressure of 10,000 ÷
7 = 1,428 psi would be required. Conversely, wellbore pressure can close an
unbalanced valve if insufficient operator open pressure is maintained. Examples of
unbalanced valves are the Cameron type A and AF.

Figure 1

Valve is balanced. Area of tailrod is the same as area of operator stem

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Figure 2

Valve is unbalanced. Wellbore pressure acts on operator stem to close the valve

The following is a quote from Cooper Oil Tools (Cameron) Product Alert # 38.

The term "failsafe" as applied to gate valves is commonly used to describe a power
operated valve which automatically moves to the closed position when actuator
control pressure is removed. However, automatic operation can be affected by control
system design, water depth, valve bore pressure and other variables. Since many
factors can affect valve performance, no valve design should be considered as
"failsafe" or automatic under all conditions.

Automatic closure of an actuated gate valve can be accomplished in one of two ways.
In a "line pressure closure" valve (unbalanced), internal bore pressure acting on an
unbalanced stem area closes the valve. Alternatively, in a "system closure" valve
(balanced), an external source of hydraulic pressure is applied to the closing side of
the actuator piston to provide valve closure. In no case does mechanical spring force
alone provide automatic closure under all conditions.

Valve Operators and Controls

Single function operators have only one BOP control system hose connected, namely
" open". The close or spring side of the operator is filled with a hydraulic fluid which,
when the operator is stroked open, is displaced into a bladder. The bladder may be
mounted around the operator (Cameron A and AF) or be in the valve tailrod sea chest
(Shaffer CB). Hydrostatic pressure acts upon the bladder and, after open pressure is
removed, pushes the fluid back into the spring side of the operator to assist with valve
closure. It is imperative that all the air is expelled from the operator and bladder

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otherwise hydrostatic pressure may partially open the valve. Single function operators
are often found on unbalanced valves.

Dual function operators have two control lines connected, "open" and "close". The
"open" function will always be connected to the BOP control system pods. The
"close" function may also be a "pod function", but may alternatively be connected to a
"failsafe pressure assist close" system. Pressure assist close systems are used for two
basic reasons:

1. There are insufficient functions available from the BOP control system to provide
direct valve closure from the pods.
2. Regulations require valve closure to be failsafe. ie loss of valve open pressure will
cause the valve to close, regardless of wellbore pressure. (this is a requirement of
the NPD).

Two types of pressure assist close systems are described below:

• The close or spring side of all the subsea valves are connected to an accumulator
mounted on the BOP stack. The accumulator is charged from a surface regulator
via the pod hoses and a pod straight through function. Accumulator pressure
would be in the region of 300 psi which in turn becomes valve close pressure.
This system always has pressure on the close side of the operator. The effective
opening pressure is the actual opening pressure minus the accumulator pressure.
eg 1,500 psi - 300 psi = 1,200 psi. This relationship must be considered when
operating unbalanced valves.

• More commonly used is the system where each subsea valve or pair of valves are
connected to an accumulator. Valve open pressure also charges the accumulator
via a pilot operated control valve. When valve open pressure is vented the control
valve shifts and directs accumulator pressure to the close side of the operator.
When the valve is in the open position, the close side of the operator is vented
through the control valve. See attached schematic.

Gate Valves
High pressure gate valves are used both subsea on the BOP stack and at surface in the
choke and kill manifold. The principle of operation of the gate and seat assembly for
each type of valve will be the same regardless of surface or subsea service. What does
change for "subsea" valves is the method of operating the valve. All subsea valves,
regardless of manufacturer or type, have a hydraulic operator. Surface valves, in
general, are manually operated although it is not uncommon to find several valves

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with hydraulic operators installed in 15K choke manifolds (due to the high operating
torque required to open manual valves with maximum wellbore pressure applied).

There are many manufacturer's of gate valves for the Oil and Gas industry. The
majority of these gate valves are bi-directional, single piece gate (slab gate) design.
The gate "floats" to form a metal to metal seal with the downstream valve seat.
Because the seal is on the downstream seat, the valve cavity will be pressurised by
any wellbore pressure. Variations on the slab gate design include:

WKM Pow-R-Seal Has a two piece expanding gate which forms a simultaneous
upstream and downstream seal.

McEvoy Again has a two piece gate. Uses wellbore pressure to inject
sealant between the gate and the downstream seat.

WOM Single piece floating gate with two piece pressure energised
seats. Valve seals upstream and downstream simultaneously.

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Typical Manual Gate Valve (Slab Gate)

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SHAFFER TYPE HB SUBSEA VALVE WITH SHORT SEACHEST

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SHAFFER TYPE HB SUBSEA VALVE WITH LONG SEACHEST

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