The Challenge: Lengthy BOP Testing Times
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Beyond timing, the operator’s legacy methods, including circular chart recorders and outdated digital systems, made improving BOP testing efficiency increasingly difficult. These outdated tools often failed to capture complete assurance data, leaving quality issues undetected and complicating BOP testing compliance with API Standard 53.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.
The Solution: Deploying IPT Global’s SureTec PressureTesting Solution for BOP Testing Optimization
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 The solution’s high-resolution, real-time pressure data replaced manual readings and outdated tools to eliminate uncertainty and mitigate human error.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.
Results: Increased Efficiency, Improved Assurance, and Verified Compliance
Efficiency Gains
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 The solution replaced manual data capture and outdated systems with precise, real-time pressure data and automated validation tools.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
- Reduced BOP test time from over six hours to approximately three hours, a 50% improvement in overall BOP testing efficiency
- Achieved consistent average test times of ~4 hours 15 minutes with state-regulated hold times and ~5 hours with longer hold times required by federal regulations
- Optimized BOP testing process, reducing downtime and improving schedule reliability
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.
Assurance & Compliance
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
- Detected and revealed quality issues previously missed by legacy systems
- Verified full BOP testing compliance with API Standard 53 for all BOP testing operations
- Eliminated historical blind spots in testing records, providing traceability
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.
Enhanced Well Integrity Management
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
- Increased data visibility has led to faster, more informed decision-making decisions
- Strengthened well integrity management practices and quality assurance processes
- Supported consistent BOP testing performance across a multi-year program
Conclusion: Setting a New Standard for BOP Testing Efficiency
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.
