Subsea blowout preventer (BOP) soak testing is a long-standing part of pre-deployment programs. However, it remains one of the least consistently executed aspects of BOP control system evaluation. While teams perform the test routinely, they often overlook insight into stabilized pressure behavior.
Once a subsea BOP stack is deployed offshore, limited access significantly increases the cost of uncertainty. In 2023, IPT Global collaborated with Seadrill on an article published by Drilling Contractor examining the operational value of standardizing BOP soak testing and proposing a structured framework aligned with the American Petroleum Institute’s (API) Standard 53.
A subsea BOP soak test is a pressure stabilization procedure. Rigs perform it during pre-deployment testing to evaluate the integrity of the BOP control system under sustained pressure conditions. Unlike dynamic testing, soak testing allows pressures to stabilize and the system to settle into equilibrium.
During this stabilized period is when that behavior often emerges. Gradual pressure decay or inconsistent regulator response become apparent once transient effects dissipate. These conditions are not always obvious but can directly influence stack readiness and long-term system reliability.
Identifying these issues before deployment allows for investigation with limited operational impact. When teams do not identify these behaviors, they often surface during operations. At that stage, troubleshooting options are fewer and consequences are more costly.
Despite the importance of well control assurance, subsea BOP soak testing still varies across rigs, fleets, and regions. Common differences include test duration, applied pressure, acceptance criteria, and documentation practices.
In practice, this variability rarely reflects a lack of focus on safety. In IPT Global’s experience supporting pre-deployment testing, variability most often reflects legacy practices, differing OEM guidance, and misaligned acceptance thresholds. Over time, these inconsistencies make results difficult to compare and increase reliance on interpretation rather than data-driven evidence.
Standardizing subsea BOP soak testing does not mean removing operational judgment or imposing rigid procedures across all systems. Instead, it establishes a shared baseline that supports clearer execution and more consistent interpretation of results.
In the article, we discussed the operational value of more structured subsea BOP soak testing, aligned with API Standard 53. The intent was to reduce unnecessary variability while preserving flexibility across different BOP configurations.
Soak testing offers a rare opportunity to observe control system behavior once transient pressure effects have stabilized. When teams miss or inconsistently execute that opportunity, they overlook meaningful indicators of system health. API Standard 53 already serves as the foundation for subsea BOP equipment system requirements. Expanding guidance to clearly address soak testing would strengthen consistency while preserving flexibility across different system designs and operating environments.
Digital pressure data enables teams to review stabilization trends directly, revealing gradual decay, irregular stabilization, and repeatable anomalies across tests.
With IPT Global’s Equipment Health Monitoring HealthAnalytics software and Monitoring service, digital diagnostics capture high-resolution pressure behavior during soak testing, enabling objective, contextual evaluation of subtle trends. Engineers in IPT Global’s Real-Time Operations Center (RTOC) monitor test data in real time and support decision-making during pre-deployment activities.
Together, our HealthAnalytics and Monitoring modules strengthen engineering judgment rather than replace it. Objective data provides a common reference point, improves alignment between operators, drilling contractors, and OEMs, and supports more confident decisions related to deployment readiness and pre-deployment assurance.
Subsea BOP soak testing delivers value through how teams evaluate results and act on them. Programs that consistently derive data-driven insight approach soak testing as part of a broader assurance process.
As subsea systems continue to increase in complexity, the ability to reduce uncertainty before deployment becomes increasingly important. Subsea BOP soak testing remains one of the few opportunities to observe control system behavior under stabilized pressure conditions.
Through the SureTec® Equipment Health Monitoring solution, IPT Global applies a consistent, data-driven approach to subsea BOP soak testing during pre-deployment operations. By focusing on how control systems behave under stabilized pressure conditions, teams gain clearer insight into system performance before deployment decisions are made.
As subsea systems continue to grow in complexity, the way soak testing is executed and interpreted matters more than ever. Aligning practices with API Standard 53 provides a common framework for evaluating control system behavior, reducing unnecessary variability, and strengthening well control assurance across fleets. When teams pair that framework with objective pressure data and structured evaluation, soak testing becomes less about confirming pressure holds and more about understanding what the system is communicating before it goes offshore.
Looking ahead, IPT Global continues to advance digital software integrations that support consistent application of subsea BOP testing practices and ongoing improvement across the testing lifecycle.
For additional context, read the full article published in Drilling Contractor: Standardizing subsea BOP soak testing: overview of value and recommended best practices – Drilling Contractor by Patrick Hillard and Leonard Childers, IPT Global; and Ahmed Omar, Seadrill
When the operator introduced a new rig into the region, they quickly identified a performance gap in Blowout Preventer (BOP) testing. Rigs with several years of experience using IPT Global’s SureTec® PressureTesting solution consistently delivered faster and more reliable results. The new rig had not yet adopted the standardized digital pressure testing workflow required to achieve comparable performance.
The operator’s objective was to bring the new rig up to mature BOP testing performance as quickly as possible while maintaining verifiable well barrier integrity. Achieving this required shifting from variable manual processes to a consistent, documented digital pressure testing approach that reduced risk, minimized inefficiencies, and supported better operational decisions across the fleet.
IPT Global partnered with the operator to implement its PressureTesting solution, provide hands-on coaching, and establish standardized workflows. The result was a rapid improvement in safety and efficiency, with 210 documented pressure tests over the course of 14 months and significant reductions in critical path time early in the campaign.
Each well is unique, making direct comparisons in well barrier testing difficult. BOP testing provided the most practical benchmark because of its central role in safety and operational efficiency. The operator sought two outcomes: absolute confidence in barrier integrity and a reduction in high-pressure test times to minimize operational exposure and risk.
In addition, they wanted a consistent, documented pressure testing practice across the fleet, along with improved transparency between onshore support engineers and offshore execution teams. This was essential to minimize invisible lost communication time during a compressed drilling program.
IPT Global’s leading digital pressure testing software delivers accuracy, efficiency, and consistent assurance across every pressure test.
Adopting new technology requires the right expertise and support. IPT Global ensures customers maximize the value of our solutions through a unique blend of operational experience and data science. Our team combines direct rig experience with specialized software and analytics knowledge, applying technical excellence with practical execution.
IPT Global deployed field coaches to train crews in real operating conditions and ensure consistent, effective use of the software. Once training was complete, our 24/7 Real-Time Operations Center (RTOC) provided continuous support for planning, execution and oversight. IPT Global also supported the operator by embedding advisors within the wells team and providing real-time visibility across rigs, shore bases, and headquarters.
A key component of the solution was IPT Global’s PressureTesting TestPlanner module – a verification matrix developed alongside drilling engineers as they designed the test plan. TestPlanner provides assurance that every valve and component is tested to the correct pressure. Presented in a clear matrix format, it enables easy identification of optimization opportunities, such as removing unnecessary test steps and ensuring each barrier element is tested in the most efficient sequence.
All 210 pressure tests executed through the wells campaign were documented in standardized format, inclusive of all formation integrity tests (FIT) / Leak off tests (LOT), BOP tests, inflow tests, and completions testing.
Within the PressureTesting solution, pressure data can be captured from existing infrastructure such as cement units, IWOCS, or ROV systems and automatically integrated into the SureTec platform. The PressureTesting DigitalApprovals module removes the inefficiencies of chasing post-test wet signatures or waiting for email confirmations. Our RemoteView module bridges the gap between offshore execution and onshore approval, giving onshore teams real-time transparency into critical wellbore barrier verification. And with the ComplianceReporting module, each test is compiled into an auditable documentation report that can be shared with regulators and incorporated into end-of-well reporting.
A function that sets IPT Global’s SureTec platform apart is its WellSchematic solution, which provides the ability to generate wellbore and barrier schematics, providing offshore teams with clear, visual representations of the well configuration. For years, describing well configurations relied on complex plans and written instructions. IPT Global streamlines this by automatically importing data from industry-standard well planning software and offering drag-and-drop options. Through the BarrierManagement module, primary and secondary barriers can be assigned, making it easy to visualize which barrier envelope is being tested at each stage, reducing confusion and enhancing operational efficiency offshore.
Figure 1. Reduction in total BOP test duration across the campaign, from 14 hours to six hours achieved early and sustained through subsequent tests.
The most significant achievement was the reduction of the overall BOP test sequence from approximately 14 hours to just six hours, and this was achieved after only three BOP tests out of the 14 completed during the campaign. These improvements were driven by a combination of IPT Global’s technology, coaching, and the visual clarity provided by our software solutions.
At the core of this success was our Thermally Compensated Leak Detection, which reduced individual BOP test steps from 17 minutes to eight minutes, delivering more than a 50 percent saving per step. These gains were further supported by TestPlanner, which optimized test planning through our verification matrix, WellSchematic, and BarrierManagement, as well as efficiency improvements achieved through crew training and real-time operational support.
Figure 2. Breakdown of 210 documented pressure tests across the drilling and completion lifecycle, illustrating range of tests captured in standardized reports.
All tests were documented in easy-to-audit reports, ensuring compliance and transparency. While the time savings highlighted here focuses on BOP digital pressure testing, the campaign included 210 documented pressure tests covering the full cycle of drilling and completing these wells.
Importantly, IPT Global’s field coaches were removed from the rig after initial training, with the offshore crew fully supported remotely by our 24-7 Real-Time Operations Center (RTOC). This demonstrated that solution adoption and consistent high performance were embedded in the crew and sustained throughout the campaign.
IPT Global provides confidence in every test for every well by applying stringent in-house criteria, delivering faster results than traditional methods, and working collaboratively with customers to drive operational safety and efficiency. Our software ensures information flows seamlessly to the right people at the right time, while WellSchematic and BarrierManagement allow safe planning and execution ahead of operations. All of this is supported by real-time oversight from our RTOC.
Looking ahead, IPT Global will continue to advance well assurance intelligence and software integrations to make our solutions even more accessible and valuable for end users.
Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) systems operate under demanding conditions, where small deviations in pressure or hydraulic behavior can escalate into equipment failure, unplanned non-productive time (NPT), and increased well control risk. Traditional well control equipment testing often depends on manual interpretation, delayed reporting, and limited visibility into early degradation trends.
In this analysis of MPD equipment failure, we examine how a major offshore operator used MPD control system data and IPT Global’s Equipment Health Monitoring solution to identify the deviation pattern that preceded a Slimline Annular (SLA) element failure. The analysis shows how automated MPD failure analysis and equipment health workflows can reveal early indicators of annular wear long before visible damage.
The operator experienced an unexpected failure of the Slimline Annular (SLA) element on the Integrated Rise Joint (IRJ) after less than two months of deployment and only 13 closures. During retrieval, the rig team discovered large pieces of degraded rubber in the trip tank and on top of the wear bushing.
The failure resulted in more than 250 hours of NPT. While the root cause was established through a lengthy investigation by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), the operator wanted to determine whether early indicators were present in the MPD control system data and if digital analysis could have detected the problem sooner.
This case raises two key questions for the operator:
Figure 1. IPT Global’s MPD Equipment Health Monitoring dashboard enabled the operator to analyze annular pressure response trends and identify early signs of Slimline Annular (SLA) element degradation ahead of failure.
During a technology review, the operator approached IPT Global to evaluate whether digital real-time and MPD integrity management analytics could better support early detection of equipment degradation. They tested whether IPT Global’s Equipment Health Monitoring HealthAnalytics module could analyze MPD control data without context, manual tagging, or event descriptions.
To create a blind test, the operator provided a set of sanitized CSV files from the Transocean drillship MPD system; the files contained only raw time-series data from the SLA subsystem. Using this data set, IPT Global evaluated whether HealthAnalytics could pinpoint the failure window and detect the signal patterns that occurred beforehand.
IPT Global prepared the files, reformatted them, and ingested them into the Equipment Health Monitoring system. This software uses model-driven workflows designed for well control equipment testing, MPD failure analysis, and condition-based monitoring. It evaluates pressure response, hydraulic behavior, and closure performance to identify changes that indicate abnormal equipment performance or early-stage degradation.
Within minutes of data ingestion, the system flagged unusual pressure and hydraulic patterns inconsistent with expected annular behavior. IPT Global engineers ran multiple analysis modes over the next 48 to 72 hours to validate the signal patterns. Ultimately, the results consistently pointed to the same failure window later confirmed by the operator and the OEM.
Key outcomes
The analysis identified a distinct deviation in the annular element’s pressure and hydraulic response with progressive wear. Importantly, this pattern was detectable days before the failure became visible.
“With IPT Global’s Equipment Health Monitoring, we saw in two days what took months to uncover,” said the operator’s Senior Advisor of Rig Systems. “That’s the kind of insight that changes how you think about equipment monitoring.”
Figure 2. IPT Global’s MPD integrity workflows support proactive, data-driven condition monitoring that reduces NPT and improves equipment assurance.
This case demonstrates how digital MPD integrity management testing can improve operational reliability and reduce NPT. By tracking baseline trends and small deviations, operators can detect MPD equipment wear early and improve maintenance and risk decisions.
IPT Global continues to expand its condition-based monitoring and predictive analytics for MPD systems, strengthening well control readiness, accelerating fault detection, and supporting a more proactive approach to equipment assurance.
Well integrity is fundamental to safe and efficient oil and gas operations. It refers to the ability of well barrier elements (WBEs) to prevent uncontrolled fluid flow from the reservoir to the environment. Maintaining the reliability of these barriers is essential for minimizing risk, avoiding costly incidents, and ensuring long-term sustainability.
Across the well lifecycle, from drilling and completion through production and intervention to plug and abandonment (P&A), each phase presents challenges that can compromise integrity. As wells age, equipment and materials degrade, operating conditions shift, and the potential for failure increases.
Ensuring integrity over decades requires centralized data management and full lifecycle visibility. Today, more than ever, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven analytics help detect, predict, and prevent issues before they escalate.
Historically, well integrity management has been fragmented across disciplines and vendors. Data from testing, inspection, and maintenance often resides in separate systems, limiting visibility and slowing response times. Inconsistent documentation and handovers between drilling, production, and abandonment teams create knowledge gaps that can lead to operational and safety risks.
Today’s operators face increasing regulatory scrutiny, growing environmental expectations, and ongoing cost pressures. Managing well integrity across the lifecycle is no longer just about compliance; it is about achieving continuous assurance and operational efficiency through intelligent, connected systems.
AI is transforming how the oil and gas industry approaches well integrity. As a result, modern well integrity software such as IPT Global’s SureTec® uses AI-driven analytics to convert large volumes of operational data, including pressure tests, sensor readings, maintenance logs, and inspection reports, into actionable results.
SureTec solutions incorporating AI models can:
With AI-enhanced reporting and visualization, IPT Global engineers can identify trends across hundreds of wells, verify barrier status in real time, and prioritize interventions that reduce risk and downtime.
The foundation of well integrity begins with precise barrier verification and documentation. During construction, digital wellbore diagrams, automated test planning, and AI-assisted validation ensure that well barrier elements (WBEs) meet design standards. In addition, AI tools evaluate pressure test data using trend analysis and rate-of-change modeling to objectively confirm test outcomes. IPT Global’s SureTec platform provides integrated tools to accomplish this, through the WellSchematic and BarrierManagement and PressureTesting solutions.
This phase benefits from centralized cloud storage and approval workflows, ensuring regulatory traceability and efficient collaboration between the operator, service companies, and regulators.
Meanwhile, during production, operators must balance maximizing output with sustaining barrier integrity. AI-driven well lifecycle management systems consolidate real-time data from sensors, inspections, and historical reports to continuously assess the status of well barriers and envelopes.
By combining analytics and predictive modeling, production teams can detect corrosion, erosion, or equipment wear before they compromise safety. This intelligence supports decisions on workovers, interventions, or decommissioning, reducing unplanned shutdowns and ensuring regulatory compliance across operations. IPT Global’s SureTec platform provides integrated tools to accomplish this, through the WellSchematic and BarrierManagement and PressureTesting solutions.
Workovers and interventions introduce added complexity with multiple crews, shorter timelines, and simultaneous testing. AI-enabled multi-test monitoring allows teams to track test results in real time and automatically flag deviations.
This approach improves the efficiency of barrier verification while maintaining full traceability. With consistent data flow from intervention to production, teams gain visibility into all well integrity tests, ensuring operational continuity and regulatory compliance. IPT Global’s SureTec platform provides integrated tools to accomplish this, through the WellSchematic, PressureTesting, and Equipment Health Monitoring solutions.
In the final stage of the well lifecycle, the goal shifts from production optimization to environmental safety and regulatory compliance. Regulations vary globally, but all require thorough documentation of barrier verification and abandonment procedures.
AI-powered well integrity software aggregates historical WBE data, providing a complete picture of each barrier’s condition before, during, and after abandonment. Predictive analytics can detect defective cement, corrosion pathways, and equipment weaknesses before P&A operations begin. IPT Global’s SureTec platform provides integrated tools to accomplish this, through the WellSchematic and BarrierManagement, PressureTesting, and Equipment Health Monitoring solutions.
This data-driven approach supports a safe, verifiable, and auditable abandonment process, reducing risk and ensuring long-term environmental protection.
Across every phase, data is the foundation of well integrity management. Modern platforms integrate real-time testing data, historical maintenance records, and regulatory reports into a single unified view.
IPT Global’s advanced reporting and analytics capabilities, powered by AI, allow teams to:
By connecting data from drilling and production through abandonment, operators gain insight into well health across the full lifecycle, empowering proactive decision-making and improving safety performance.
Managing well integrity across the full lifecycle of a well is complex, but AI and data-driven insights are making it more predictable, transparent, and efficient than ever before.
By integrating AI-driven analytics, centralized data management, and intelligent reporting, operators can sustain well integrity, reduce non-productive time (NPT), and ensure environmental and regulatory compliance from drilling to abandonment. The future of well integrity lies in connected intelligence, where data, technology, and expertise converge to protect assets, people, and the planet.
As operators continue to evolve their approach to well integrity management, integrating new technologies like AI-driven analytics is key to sustaining well integrity over time. Yet, the fundamentals of sound barrier design, verification, and maintenance remain just as critical.
For a further look at how these well integrity principles apply across drilling, production, intervention, and abandonment, read our article Managing Well Integrity Over the Entire Well Lifecycle.
At the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) Advanced Rig Technology (ART) Conference, IPT Global Chief Technology Officer Cody MacDonald explored the future of drilling automation in oil and gas, emphasizing how data integration between service providers is becoming essential to safer, more efficient rig operations and well integrity management.
As a leader in well assurance intelligence, IPT Global helps operators and drilling contractors strengthen well integrity, improve visibility, and make more confident decisions to achieve greater efficiency from spud to completion.
One of the most significant barriers to effective automation is siloed operational data systems. Many rigs rely on multiple third-party service vendors, each with independent automation tools that rarely exchange data reliably or communicate in real time. This challenge is common across automation in oil and gas, where interoperability underpins digital efficiency.
Through IPT Global’s collaboration with a global super major, Cody showed how the SureTec platform connects service providers through integrated systems, enabling the secure transfer of well integrity data. This unified data approach is essential for optimizing performance in drilling automation and achieving true rig data interoperability across the entire well lifecycle.
Automation in drilling isn’t only a software problem — it’s also about hardware readiness. Certain tasks, like digital pressure testing, can’t be fully automated unless rigs are equipped with actuated sensors positioned correctly on choke manifold valves.
Ultimately, successful rig automation depends on synchronization between physical infrastructure and intelligent digital systems. Software alone can’t deliver consistent, safe results without the right instrumentation in place.
Moreover, Cody cautioned that automation implemented without strong data governance and quality assurance control can have the opposite of its intended effect. In such cases, poorly designed systems or fragmented drilling data management practices may amplify errors instead of reducing them.
To prevent this, operators should:
Operator data ownership remains one of the industry’s most critical challenges. From spud to abandonment, drilling data passes through multiple systems and stakeholders. Key questions include:
Cody proposed a data custodian model: an operator-driven framework that defines, governs, and enforces data standards for all service parties. This model ensures data remains accurate, accessible, and under operator control throughout the well lifecycle.
Cody concluded that the future of drilling automation depends on collaboration, data transparency, and standardization. At IPT Global, our SureTec platform helps operators connect systems, partners, and workflows to enable safer, smarter, and more efficient well delivery.
As the energy industry continues its digital transformation, data integrity and rig automation integration, and the adoption of standardized data, custodian models will form the foundation of the next generation of automated well delivery systems and well assurance intelligence.
Blowout preventer (BOP) testing is a critical-path operation in drilling programs, but for this major onshore operator it had become a persistent bottleneck. Average test durations exceeded six hours per BOP test, increasing non-productive time (NPT) and creating schedule challenges.
Beyond timing, the operator’s legacy methods, including circular chart recorders and outdated digital systems, made improving BOP testing efficiency increasingly difficult. These outdated tools often failed to capture complete assurance data, leaving quality issues undetected and complicating BOP testing compliance with API Standard 53.
The operator needed a digital solution to reduce BOP test time, improve BOP testing accuracy, and provide complete traceability across its rig fleet while supporting safer and more reliable well operations.
To address these challenges, the operator implemented IPT Global’s SureTec platform and its PressureTesting digital solution, designed to improve BOP testing workflows across its onshore rig fleet. Third-party testing companies used SureTec laptops at the rig site, while IPT Global’s Real-Time Operations Center (RTOC) in Houston provided remote technical support as needed. The solution’s high-resolution, real-time pressure data replaced manual readings and outdated tools to eliminate uncertainty and mitigate human error.
Automated validation and digital reporting streamlined the entire process, producing faster, more accurate, and fully verifiable results.
By digitizing and automating pressure test workflows with PressureTesting, the operator achieved a measurable step-change in operational efficiency. The solution replaced manual data capture and outdated systems with precise, real-time pressure data and automated validation tools. This transformation directly translated into faster test cycles, reduced rig downtime, and measurable gains in BOP testing efficiency.
Figure 1. Comparative performance summary showing substantial reductions in test time and enhanced API Standard 53 Compliance after implementing IPT Global’s SureTec PressureTesting solution.
IPT Global’s SureTec Impact
This performance represents a best-in-class reduction in test duration, significantly cutting overall BOP testing duration and improving rig uptime.
Figure 2. Single-test performance metrics recorded by IPT Global’s PressureTesting solution, showing how digital time tracking isolates each stage of the BOP test cycle.
The charts below indicate a decreasing trend over a 4-year period for Total Test Time, Line-Up Time, and Rig Ops Time as a result of optimized BOP testing and learnings from the implementation of PressureTesting. The continued improvement is indicative of the ongoing value and effectiveness of IPT Global’s digital solutions.
Figure 3. Visualization of improving year-over-year BOP test time trends across the operator’s onshore rig fleet, highlighting the reliability and optimization achieved through IPT Global’s SureTec PressureTesting digital workflows.
Consistent, verifiable test data and analysis is critical for maintaining compliance and preventing quality issues. With PressureTesting, the operator gained full traceability into every test event, allowing early identification of irregularities and ensuring that every BOP test aligned with API Standard 53 requirements.
IPT Global’s SureTec Impact
The chart below compares average BOP critical path test times for rigs under state and federal regulations. Despite longer federal hold requirements, SureTec’s PressureTesting maintained shorter average times and tighter variability, demonstrating consistent performance under all compliance conditions.
Figure 4. Average BOP test durations under state and federal regulatory conditions, highlighting reduced test time variability and improved consistency with IPT Global’s SureTec PressureTesting.
SureTec’s centralized digital test records allowed the operator to monitor trends, analyze test performance, and make real-time data-driven decisions faster than ever before. Over time, this capability improved its well integrity management program and established a culture of continuous improvement across rigs and over multiple years of operation.
IPT Global’s SureTec Impact
What began as an effort to reduce BOP test time resulted in a transformation of the operator’s BOP testing workflow. With SureTec PressureTesting, the operator not only achieved faster testing but also improved quality control, regulatory compliance, and data visibility, which improved well integrity management across its entire rig fleet.
Today, IPT Global’s SureTec PressureTesting solution is setting the benchmark for improving BOP testing efficiency and helping operators reduce BOP test time across both onshore and offshore environments. The digital solution continues to set the standard for BOP testing accuracy and assurance, enabling operators worldwide to improve efficiency in BOP testing operations.
Blowout preventer (BOP) testing is a critical path operation in drilling programs, but it is often time-consuming. For this major onshore operator, critical path test times stretched beyond 6 hours per BOP test.
Beyond timing, the operator’s legacy methods including circular chart recorders and outdated digital systems made improving BOP testing efficiency difficult. Key assurance data was missing, quality issues went undetected, and maintaining API Standard 53 BOP testing compliance became increasingly challenging.
The operator needed a solution capable of reducing BOP test time, increasing BOP testing efficiency, and providing accurate digital records across its fleet, while supporting safer and more reliable well operations.
To address these challenges, the operator implemented IPT’s SureTec, a digital pressure testing platform designed to improve BOP testing across its onshore rig fleet.
This performance represents a best-in-class reduction in test duration, significantly cutting overall BOP testing duration and improving rig uptime.
| Before IPT SureTec | After IPT SureTec | |
|---|---|---|
| CP BOP Test Time | > 6 hours | ~ 3 hours (best in class) |
| Average Test Time (State Regulations) | ~ 6 hours | ~ 4 hours |
| Average Test Time (Federal Regulations) | ~ 6 hours | ~ 5 hours (longer hold) |
| Compliance & Assurance | Inconsistent, blind spots | Verified API Standard 53 compliance, enhanced assurance |
What began as an effort to reduce BOP test time resulted in a transformation of the operator’s BOP testing workflow. With IPT SureTec, the operator not only achieved faster testing but also improved quality control, regulatory compliance, and data visibility which improved well integrity management across its entire rig fleet.
IPT SureTec is now setting the benchmark for improving BOP testing efficiency and helping operators reduce BOP test time across both onshore and offshore environments. The platform continues to set the benchmark for BOP testing accuracy and assurance, helping operators worldwide increase efficiency in BOP testing operations.
Looking to cut BOP test time and improve testing assurance? IPT SureTec delivers the tools and insights needed to achieve faster, more efficient, and compliant BOP testing operations.
The oil and gas industry generates vast amounts of data at every stage of the well lifecycle: exploration, drilling, completion, and production. Yet much of it remains siloed and underutilized. The Open Subsurface Data Universe (OSDU™) addresses this challenge by providing a common framework for storing, accessing, and exchanging information across workflows.
At IPT Global, we believe the future of well assurance depends on combining advanced digital solutions with industry-wide standards. By aligning well integrity and operational data with these standards, operators gain new ways to improve efficiency, ensure compliance, and strengthen safety.
The OSDU Forum, launched by The Open Group, provides a neutral space where operators, service companies, and technology providers can standardize the way subsurface and operational data is structured, accessed, and shared. The Forum’s goal is to establish a common data platform that removes silos and promotes interoperability across digital tools.
Through this collaboration, the forum unites operators, service companies, and software providers to create shared standards and reference implementations, forming the foundation for managing and exchanging energy data.
The OSDU Data Platform is an open-source, technology-agnostic environment created to eliminate silos and establish a single source of truth for subsurface, well, and operational data.
By providing a secure, scalable foundation, the framework makes information more accessible to operators, service companies, and regulators. This interoperability drives collaboration, speeds decision-making, and enables advanced digital solutions at scale.
Oil and gas companies face persistent data management challenges, including siloed information, inconsistent formats, limited accessibility, and difficulties collaborating across operators, service companies, and regulators.
The OSDU data platform addresses these challenges by providing standardized frameworks and integration across workflows. Adoption of OSDU enables better data accessibility, faster decision-making, lower costs, and a foundation for advanced analytics like AI and machine learning.
The strength of OSDU lies in its reference architecture and standardized data schema. These define how subsurface and operational information is structured, ensuring it can flow seamlessly between different software and workflows.
At IPT Global, we actively contribute to this effort. Our teams have shaped the schemas for Well Barrier Element (WBE) and Well Control Equipment (WCE) Pressure Tests, which are now part of the OSDU reference implementation. This work standardizes well integrity data and contextualizes it for use across drilling, completion, and abandonment workflows.
By working within the OSDU architecture, IPT Global eliminates inefficiencies of custom integrations and positions data for advanced analytics and automation.
As an active member of the OSDU Forum, IPT Global collaborates with industry leaders, technology providers, and regulators to advance open data standards. Together with other OSDU members, we contribute expertise in well assurance, pressure testing, and barrier management to shape how operational data is stored and exchanged.
This role delivers IPT Global clients access to data models designed with real-world assurance workflows in mind, allowing them to adopt OSDU more efficiently and with greater value.
Our standards-based approach extends into IPT Global technology. Through secure application programming interfaces (APIs), we integrate well data, incorporate pressure test results, and connect with cloud-based data lakes. Built on service bus architecture, these integrations deliver information that is consistent, traceable, and actionable across planning, execution, and real-time operations.
By aligning our well integrity and barrier management solutions with the OSDU platform, IPT Global makes assurance data practical and accessible across day-to-day workflows.
The OSDU™ standard is transforming how oil and gas companies manage and use operational data. By replacing fragmented systems with a unified platform, operators can unlock greater value from their information and more effectively adopt advanced digital technologies.
At IPT Global, we put these standards into action. From structuring assurance data and standardizing formatting to embedding well integrity information into daily workflows, we provide the expertise and tools for end-to-end assurance.
Learn how data standards can be implemented to improve your well assurance.
Data integration, the process of unifying information from multiple sources, is essential for effective well integrity management. This includes gathering and analyzing data from various sources, such as well design and construction, continuous monitoring, and well integrity testing. By integrating data across all phases of a well’s lifecycle, operators gain a holistic understanding of well health, enabling more informed decision-making and improving safety and performance. This article explores how data integration optimizes well integrity management and the benefits it offers for optimizing well operations.
Wellbore data is often used across multiple systems, including well integrity management systems, but is typically entered manually into separate applications. For example, the same data might be used to generate wellbore schematics, barrier diagrams, and test plans—three distinct applications that don’t interact with one another. When wellbore data, such as casing, transitions from “as planned” to “as built,” it must be manually updated in one application (e.g., a spreadsheet) and then reentered into another application for the barrier diagram. This process repeats every time the data changes. Similarly, when a well schematic is used to develop a wellbore integrity test plan prior to operations, it must be updated with as-built data, and then the test plan needs to be revised accordingly. Additionally, wellbore data across different systems or regions may have varying structures or Units of Measurement (UoM), which can lead to issues such as calculation errors and data misinterpretation. This creates inefficiencies and increases the risk of inconsistencies whenever updates occur.
Integrating well integrity data unifies these workflows into a single application, enabling seamless communication of schematic and test plan changes while automating test planning and barrier management processes.
One of the leading causes—as much as 50%— of non-productive time (NPT) is the mechanical failure of equipment such as BOPs, subsea trees, and wellheads. There are more than 100 hydroelectric valves and regulators inside a BOP and historically, little was known about the fatigue life of these components. This lack of insight resulted in BOP manufacturers arbitrarily replacing as much as 25% of the BOP stack each time it underwent scheduled maintenance – an approach designed to prevent breakdowns but often resulting in excessive and unnecessary part replacements.
One of the most significant advantages of data integration in well integrity management is the ability to leverage predictive analytics for proactive maintenance and risk mitigation. By analyzing historical data and monitoring real-time data from multiple sources, operators can reduce the likelihood of well integrity issues that could lead to costly downtime or safety incidents. For BOPs, condition-based monitoring (CBM) allows potential problems to be predicted, based on the remaining service life of individual components. This enables BOPs to remain subsea longer without being retrieved to the rig for premature repairs. CBM also allows operators to schedule maintenance at optimal intervals, minimizing unnecessary NPT while ensuring equipment remains in reliable working condition. As a result, unplanned maintenance and production disruptions are reduced, contributing to improved operational safety and efficiency.
Operators must comply with strict regulatory standards and recommended practices for well integrity monitoring and reporting. Non-compliance can lead to fines, operational delays, or even well shutdowns. Data integration ensures that operators meet regulatory requirements more efficiently and comprehensively. By consolidating production data into a unified system, operators can generate regulatory reports more quickly, reducing the time and effort involved in manual data collection. This automated reporting process minimizes the risk of human error and ensures that all relevant data is captured accurately. Additionally, integrated data systems offer real-time updates on well integrity status, enabling operators to respond swiftly to emergencies and remain compliant.
Well integrity management requires close collaboration between various teams, including engineers, operations staff, and safety personnel. Effective communication between these groups is critical for promptly identifying and resolving well integrity issues. When data is spread across multiple applications, teams often rely on phone calls and emails to share updates, which can lead to delays and miscommunication. Data integration addresses this challenge by providing all teams with real-time access to the same information. This unified data view eliminates silos, enabling teams to collaborate more effectively and identify potential issues sooner. Additionally, integrated data systems allow for single updates across platforms, ensuring that all teams can make informed decisions using the most current data without needing to switch between multiple sources.
The digital transformation in the oil and gas industry is progressing rapidly, with companies increasingly leveraging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and the Internet of Things (IoT) to optimize well operations. Central to this transformation is data integration and the preparation of data for AI analysis, which forms the foundation for applying advanced analytics to well integrity data. For example, AI-powered analytics can process vast amounts of historical well integrity data to uncover trends and anomalies that humans may overlook. These insights can then be used to inform maintenance strategies, optimize well operations, and improve safety.
Data integration is crucial for effective well integrity management. By consolidating information from well design, construction, and continuous monitoring, operators can enhance their understanding of well health, leading to more informed decision-making and improved safety. Data integration enables the use of predictive analytics to anticipate equipment failures, mitigate risks, and reduce downtime. It also supports the development of unified applications that consolidate, integrate, and automate well integrity management workflows. Moreover, data integration simplifies regulatory compliance by enabling faster and more accurate reporting and incident response.
Collaboration among teams is significantly improved as all members gain access to real-time data, breaking down communication barriers. As the oil and gas industry increasingly embraces AI and IoT technologies, data integration will continue to be essential for optimizing operations and ensuring safety.
At IPT Global, we are dedicated to helping organizations tackle data integration challenges. Our team of experts is ready to assist you in streamlining your data processes and maximizing your operational potential. Contact us today to discover how we can support your data integration needs!
Ensuring well integrity throughout a well’s lifecycle is essential for maintaining safe and efficient operations in the oil and gas industry. Effective annular casing pressure (ACP) management is key to preventing problems with well barrier elements (WBEs) such as casing leaks, sustained casing pressure (SCP), and subsea safety valve (SSV) malfunctions. Implementing a structured ACP monitoring and reporting system ensures transparency during operational handovers and provides an auditable record for forensic analysis if required. Without effective integrity management, operators risk unnecessary well shut-ins and costly interventions.
The illustration below shows the standard designations for the “A”, “B”, and “C” annuli in a subsea well. The “A” annulus is the void between the production tubing and the smallest casing string while the “B” and “C” annuli are the voids between the successive outer casing strings.
The sealed annuli contain trapped fluids that later become heated by the high flow rate of formation fluids during production. The hotter fluids expand, causing an increase in the annulus pressure on the well. Eliminating any pressure fluctuations due to thermal effects, a pressure change in the “A” annulus is an indication of a leak. The pressure measured at the wellhead in the “A” annulus, or in the other annuli that terminate at the wellhead, is called the annular casing pressure (ACP).
Annular casing pressure (ACP) is a primary indicator to detect leaks within the barrier envelope. Deviations in pressure within the “A” annulus may indicate leaks in one of the barrier elements, excluding the Downhole Safety Valve (DHSV). Troubleshooting involves adjusting pressure in the adjacent “B” annulus and the production tubing to identify the failing barrier element. The rate of pressure change can help assess well integrity risk levels.
A production packer anchors the tubing string and isolates the “A” annulus from both the formation and the tubing’s interior. Leaks in these seals or any connections can lead to SCP within the “A” annulus. For subsea wells, only the pressure in the “A” annulus can be monitored and bled down, while surface and land wells allow monitoring and bleeding at the wellhead.
API Recommended Practice (RP) 90-1 identifies three sources of annular casing pressure:
Of the three pressure sources, SCP is the only one that will rebuild once bled off. SCP may result from communication with a pressurized formation or from a barrier that inadvertently creates a flow path. The following potential communication paths can affect the “A” annulus and the “B” and “C” annuli.
The occurrence of SCP tends to increase throughout a well’s lifecycle, from drilling to abandonment. Continuous monitoring of ACP is therefore considered best practice.
API RP 90-1 Section 9 outlines recommended procedures for ACP in offshore wells. It highlights the importance of equipping all accessible annuli with the ability to monitor pressure, perform bleed-offs, and inject fluids when necessary. Initial pressure testing should be conducted to establish baseline values and identify any existing ACP resulting from operational conditions.
IPT Global’s SureTec® PressureTesting solution, including the TestEngine module, supports this process by helping operators establish and track baseline pressure values consistently across wells.
Regular monitoring is essential, with operators responsible for setting a minimum frequency to ensure pressure remains within diagnostic limits. The section distinguishes between operator-imposed and thermally induced pressures and emphasizes the need for close observation following any operational changes.
When SCP is detected outside of acceptable thresholds, the frequency of monitoring should be increased. For inaccessible annuli, a formal risk assessment is required to determine the feasibility of restoring monitoring capabilities and to assess the implications of any pressure sources.
Overall, this section offers a comprehensive framework to support safe and effective ACP management and ensure long-term well integrity.
Annular casing pressure management is a critical component of well integrity management. By understanding the causes of ACP fluctuations, implementing best practices, and leveraging solutions like SureTec PressureTesting, operators can proactively prevent integrity failures, minimize costly interventions, and enhance operational safety. Standardized reporting, automated data collection, and routine diagnostics ensure regulatory compliance and long-term sustainability. Investing in a structured ACP management strategy ultimately protects assets, personnel, and the environment. For more information on how like SureTec PressureTesting can enhance your well integrity management, contact IPT Global today.
