Page 140 - Well Control for Completions and Interventions

132 Well Control for Completions and Interventions

Figure 3.36 Annulus safety valve.

ASVs are mandatory in some European jurisdictions where gas lifted
wells are located on manned offshore platforms. They are not a require-
ment for subsea wells, unmanned platforms, or land wells.

3.20 LUBRICATOR VALVES
A lubricator valve is a surface controlled downhole ball valve designed
to hold pressure from above and below. Lubricator valves are used to allow
the deployment of a long intervention tool string without the need to kill
the well. For instance, running long perforating guns allows a long interval
perforating in a single run. Lubricator valves are commonly installed in
completions where rig up of intervention pressure control equipment is
height limited. Unlike the downhole safety valve, the lubricator valve is
not fail-safe. The Valve is opened and closed by pressuring a hydraulic
control line(s) from the surface. If a lubricator valve fails, it will fail “as
is,” be that open or closed.
A lubricator valve is run as part of the completion string, and is
located above the tubing or wireline retrievable downhole safety valves.
This gives the safety valve protection while long tool strings are being