Check Valve Requirement to Promote Wellhead Safety


Summary

This practice note reviews Texas Rule 3.24, Check Valves Required, as a model rule for the requirement of check valves to promote wellhead safety. Check valves are an important element of wells producing from more than one stratum, or for hardware that combines production from more than well into a common manifold or similar device. The Railroad Commission of Texas requires operators to create safety redundancies for each production string within a multi-production wellhead to protect the environment from spills and other contamination associated with multi-completion wellheads. These safety systems allow an operator to limit the environmental damage caused by a blowout or other well accident, help prevent blowback from affecting other jointly produced wells, and protect worker safety by providing an aboveground safety shutoff valve which can be utilized in the event of emergency.