Definition(s)


Pressure Containment Barrier

The well is defined in terms of its pressure containment boundary. Any equipment that is vital to controlling the pressure within the well is therefore covered. This would include downhole pressure-containing equipment and the pressure-containing equipment on top of the well such as blowout preventers or Christmas trees, but excludes well control equipment downstream that can be isolated from the well by valves. Examples of where the well ends are:

  • above the top blowout preventer (BOP) in the BOP stack and outside the choke and kill valves;
  • downstream of the swab and production win valves of a Christmas tree;
  • at the top of the wireline stuffing box of a wireline BOP.

Regulation 2, paragraph 14, DCR Guidance

Source: Oil & Gas UK, Guidelines on subsea BOP systems, Issue 1, July 2012, Global Standards

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