Blowout and well control. Handbook / Контроль за выбросом и скважиной. Руководство

Well control problems are always interesting. The raw power that is released by nature in the form of an oil or gas well blowing out of control is awesome. Well control is one thing and WILD well control is something else.
There will be well control problems and wild wells as long as there are drilling operations anywhere in the world. There are some among us that think these problems are always the consequence of some error and can be eliminated. I don’t think so. I’ve seen some that I don’t think anyone could have avoided. These problems are part of the business and just go with the territory.
The consequences of failure are severe. Even the most simple blowout situation can result in the loss of millions of dollars in equipment and valuable natural resources. These situations can also result in the loss of something much more valuable—human life. Well control problems and blowouts are not particular. They occur in the operations of the very
largest companies and the very smallest. They occur in the most complex operations such as deep, high-pressure gas wells, and they occur in the most simple, shallow operations. Men have lost their lives when things went wrong at surface pressures ranging from 12,000 psi to 15 psi. The potential for well control problems and blowouts is ever-present. <...>