The Pressure Testing Research Cooperative (PTRC) is a Joint Industry Program that was started by BakerRisk in 2006 and is an ongoing example of our commitment to doing all we can to keep you safe. The PTRC is funded by oilfield tool and service companies interested in understanding and predicting tool and vessel failure hazards and their consequences during pressure testing. Participation is open for companies in any pressure tool or vessel-related industry. The overall goal of the PTRC is to focus on safety issues common to the industry and to improve pressure testing knowledge and safety, with the results, benefits, and costs being shared by all participants.
Failures during high pressure testing are of great concern to companies that manufacture and use tools and products for drilling, completions, and production of oil and gas. Such failures have potentially high consequences in terms of personnel injury, property damage, and business interruption. Participant companies can apply the findings from PTRC studies to improve safety in their test facilities and field operations by mitigating hazards such as projectiles, blast loads, and liquid spray.
Studies for each program year are driven by the participants and their current needs. With input from the PTRC, BakerRisk is able to then design, set up, and test a wide variety of sudden high pressure releases at the Wilfred E. Baker Test Facility.
The results of each PTRC study are presented at annual meetings, which provide the unique opportunity to discuss results and current safety concerns with industry peers. The results are also provided in technical reports for each annual program, including comparisons to current hazard evaluation and barrier design methodologies. Test data, including regular and high speed videos and pre- and post-test photographs, are also provided to all participants. The photos and videos are an effective tool for training and improving safety awareness, as well as providing test supervisors and operators with a better understanding of high pressure test hazards in their environment.