2001 Technology Pioneers

Drilling Equipment

Subsea BOP Control Systems

The earliest floating drilling operations were carried out with direct control lines from the vessel to each function on the BOP stack. Many innovations were required to make these systems suitable for deeper water and separately retrievable. The pioneering innovators of subsea BOP control systems were individuals with Payne Manufacturing Co., Koomey Division of Stewart & Stevenson Distributing Co. and Hydril Co. The following table summarizes important developments of these systems.

Year	Rig Name	Innovator	Innovation
1953	Submarex	Koomey	Directed connected control lines Air operated hydraulic plunger pumps
1955	CUSS I	Hydril	Electric Hydraulic Plunger Pumps 80 gallon, 1500 psi accumulators
1961	Bluewater 1	Koomey	3000 psi accumulators with two pressure-reducing/regulating valves
1963	Ocean Driller	Payne	Bundled controlled hoses and retrievable control pods
1967	STAFLO	Koomey	SPM valves and choke & kill lines incorporated in control pods
1968	Bluewater II	Koomey Martin-Marietta	Nuclear powered subsea hydraulic pumps and acoustic controls tested but non-commercial
1968	Glomar V	Koomey	Compact design packer seal pods
1968	Sedco 445	Koomey	First electro-hydraulic controls and 6000-psi accumulators
1970	Discoverer	Koomey	First Multiplex (MUX) control system

Recognizing the pioneering efforts of the following people and companies who contributed to the development of this technology:

Harry Burgess, Paul Koomey, Joe LeMoine, George Lewis, and Hershel Payne

Hydril Co., Koomey Division of Stewart & Stevenson Distributing Co. (Shaffer Division of Varco International) and Payne Manufacturing (Cameron).

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