fax 01-972-952-9435. AbstractEffective blowout preventer (BOP) requirements and well control policies are crucial in maintaining safe drilling and workover operations. These requirements/policies generally are tailored to the individual oil and gas operator's specific drilling environment. Changes in well profile, depth, temperature, pressure, hydrogen sulfide concentration, and safety margin may require changes in BOP equipment and well control. Saudi Aramco has recently revised their equipment requirements and well control policies in an effort to further optimize drilling safety and efficiency in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This paper discusses changes in BOP stack arrangements, kill/ choke line requirements, replacement part criteria, elastomer application limits, and use of variable bore rams and shear blind rams. Also included are requirements for number of isolation barriers, pressure testing/maintenance, and minimum overbalance. A new tripping policy and shut-in procedure are also discussed, with the introduction of a new trip sheet and kill sheets. Specific well control policies are provided.