American Petroleum Institute

Recommended Practice for Design, Selection, Operation and Maintenance of Marine Drilling Riser Systems - FIRST EDITION; FORMERLY RP 2Q AND RP 2K
 N RP 16Q

Annotation

The marine drilling riser is best viewed as a system. Designers, contractors, and operators should be cognizant that the individual components should be designed and selected so as to suit the overall performance of that system. For the purposes of this Recommended Practice, a marine drilling riser system includes the tensioner system and all equipment between the top connection of the upper flex/ball joint and the bottom connection of the lower flex/ball joint. It specifically excludes the diverter, LMRP, BOP stack, and hydraulic connectors. Sections 1 through 4 of this RP are directly applicable to most floating drilling operations. For deepwater locations (exceeding 2000 feet for the purposes of this document), refer to the paragraphs in Section 5 dealing with Deepwater Drilling and Collapse. The special considerations required for Guidelineless Drilling are also addressed in Section 5. In addition, Section 5 addresses precautions when drilling in High Currents, in Cold Weather Areas, or when H2S is present. All riser primary load path components addressed in this RP should be consistent with the load classifications specified in API RP 2R (Design, Rating, and Testing of Marine Drilling Riser Couplings).

PURPOSE. This recommended practice pertains to the design, selection, operation, and maintenance of marine riser systems for floating drilling operations. Its purpose is to serve as a reference for designers, for those who select system components, and for those who use and maintain this equipment. It relies on basic engineering principles and the accumulated experience of offshore operators, contractors, and manufacturers. It should be noted that technology is advancing in this field and that improved methods and equipment are continually evolving. Each owner and operator is encouraged to observe the recommendations outlined herein and to supplement them with other proven technology which may result in more cost effective, safer, and/or more reliable performance.