Tubular severing system and method of using same

A blade for severing a tubular of a wellbore, the wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation, the blade extendable by a ram of a blowout preventer positionable about the tubular, the blade comprising:

• a blade body having a front face on a side thereof facing the tubular, the blade body comprising:
• a loading surface on an opposite side of the blade body to the front face, the loading surface receivable by the ram;
• a cutting surface along at least a portion of the front face for engagement with the tubular;
• a piercing point along the front face for piercing the tubular, the piercing point having a tip extending a distance from the cutting surface;
• and
• a pair of shavers along the front face of the blade body, each of the pair of shavers having a projection extending a distance beyond the cutting surface, the pair of shavers positioned a distance from the tip on either side thereof for engagement with the tubular.

A blowout preventer for severing a tubular of a wellbore, the wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation, the blowout preventer comprising:

• a housing having a channel therethrough for receiving the tubular;
• a plurality of rams slidably positionable in the housing;
• at least one pair of opposing blades supportable by the plurality of rams and selectively extendable thereby, at least one of the pair of opposing blades comprising:
• a blade body having a front face on a side thereof facing the tubular, at least a portion of the front face having a vertical surface and at least a portion of the front face has an inclined surface, the vertical surface perpendicular to a bottom surface of the blade body, the blade body comprising:
• a loading surface on an opposite side of the blade body to the front face, the loading surface receivable by at least one of the plurality of rams;
• a cutting surface along at least a portion of the front face for engagement with the tubular;
• and
• a piercing point along the front face for piercing the tubular, the piercing point having a tip extending a distance from the cutting surface.

A method of severing a tubular of a wellbore, the wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation, the method comprising:

• positioning a blowout preventer about the tubular, the blowout preventer having a plurality of rams slidably positionable therein;
• providing each of the rams with a blade, at least one of the blades comprising:
• a blade body having a front face on a side thereof facing the tubular, at least a portion of the front face having a vertical surface and at least a portion of the front face having an inclined surface, the vertical surface perpendicular to a bottom surface of the blade body, the blade body comprising:
• a loading surface on an opposite side of the blade body to the front face, the loading surface receivable by at least one of the plurality of rams;
• a cutting surface along at least a portion of the front face for engagement with the tubular;
• and
• a piercing point along the front face for piercing the tubular, the piercing point having a tip extending a distance from the cutting surface;
• advancing the plurality of rams such that the piercing point pierces a hole in the tubular;
• and
• advancing the plurality of rams such that the cutting surface rakes through at least a portion of the tubular.