EP0146461A1 - Appareillage à manchette flottante de raccordement étanche, réversible et télécommande de canalisations, notamment immergées - Google Patents

Appareillage à manchette flottante de raccordement étanche, réversible et télécommande de canalisations, notamment immergées Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0146461A1
EP0146461A1 EP84402500A EP84402500A EP0146461A1 EP 0146461 A1 EP0146461 A1 EP 0146461A1 EP 84402500 A EP84402500 A EP 84402500A EP 84402500 A EP84402500 A EP 84402500A EP 0146461 A1 EP0146461 A1 EP 0146461A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
carriage
cuff
floating
floating cuff
ball joint
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
EP84402500A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Roland Labbe
Francis Rodriguez
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Alstom SA
Original Assignee
Alstom SA
Alsthom Atlantique SA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Alstom SA, Alsthom Atlantique SA filed Critical Alstom SA
Publication of EP0146461A1 publication Critical patent/EP0146461A1/fr
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
    • E21B43/01—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells specially adapted for obtaining from underwater installations
    • E21B43/013—Connecting a production flow line to an underwater well head
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
    • E21B43/01—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells specially adapted for obtaining from underwater installations
    • E21B43/017—Production satellite stations, i.e. underwater installations comprising a plurality of satellite well heads connected to a central station

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to leaktight, reversible and remote-controlled connection devices, called floating cuff, between pipes which are difficult to access or inaccessible in normal operation, such as submerged pipes.
  • auxiliary module includes, for example, valves for controlling the flow rates of fluid and in particular of oil through a collection, from or to a well head module.
  • the auxiliary module capable of being removed or reassembled in isolation, comprises a section of pipe called a floating cuff which makes it possible to connect a well head module to a collection for the passage of the fluids mentioned above.
  • connection conditions envisaged in French patent application No. 2,500,525 and in particular the connection of a pipe, the end of which is at least fixed, is considered. temporarily made fixed with a collection whose end to be connected is in a predetermined position before connection.
  • the pipe and the collection have their respective end connectors aligned face to face, at a sufficient distance to allow the insertion between them of the auxiliary module carrying the floating cuff, the two ends of which each carry a connector complementary to theirs.
  • the collections end up in determined positions on bases placed at the bottom of the water and the modules are placed in housings provided at the top of the bases.
  • the modules are arranged to be positioned in their housings by remote control from the surface and where in particular the auxiliary modules are provided to be able to be raised for replacement or maintenance, it is necessary to allow their displacement that there is the clearance between each auxiliary module and the ends on the one hand of the wellhead module and on the other hand of the collection which it unites, at least when this auxiliary module is disconnected from these two elements.
  • the ends of the collection and the connecting pipe should be aligned, for example according to a same horizontal axis, to allow easy and convenient connection via a floating cuff.
  • the floating cuff end docking planes on the one hand on the collection end and on the other hand on the end of the connecting pipe are generally not perfectly parallel, as would be desirable in order to be able to easily make a connection under remote control.
  • the present invention therefore proposes an apparatus with floating cuff for tight, reversible and remote-controlled connection of pipes, in particular submerged or not very accessible, provided with connectors which are complementary to those carried by the floating cuff at its ends and which have before connection a predetermined position at least approximately within a range of allowable tolerances so as to allow the successive connection of one of the pipes, of which at least the connector is movable in leaktight manner, by locking this connector with the connector corresponding complement of the floating cuff previously displaced longitudinally by remote control, then of the other pipe by locking the connector of this other pipe with the second connector carried by the floating cuff after reverse longitudinal displacement of the floating cuff and at least the connector from the pipeline co nnected first.
  • said floating cuff apparatus includes a positioning device composed a ball joint which carries the floating cuff in its central part and three carriages mounted one on the other so as to move rectilinearly each along an axis perpendicular to those of the other two.
  • the carriage called the transfer carriage, which carries the other two, moving under the action of at least one remote-controlled hydraulic cylinder on a rectilinear rolling path of a fixed chassis serving as a reference plane for the positioning device, the carriage carried by the other two, itself carrying the articulation ball so as to allow the paralleling of the docking planes of the connectors between them before locking and to ensure continuous alignment of the internal channels of the pipes.
  • the assembly presented in FIG. 1 comprises an operating module 1, symbolized here by a well head module, this operating module is housed at the top of a base 2, in parallel with an auxiliary module 3, one of the functions of which is to connect it to a collection 4 of which only the end is shown.
  • One of the ends of the collection 4 which is here only sketched, is housed in a sleeve 5 of horizontal axis which is fixed on the base 2.
  • This end which is capable of moving in a limited manner in the axis of the sheath, ends with a connector 6 whose docking plane is placed with a certain tolerance in a predetermined position in standby before connection.
  • the collection 4 which is flexible is placed in a short and wide oblique rigid sheath 4 ′ fixed to the sheath 5 by one end and to the collection 4 by the other.
  • the dimensions of the sheath 4 ′ with respect to the collection 4 and its angle with respect to the sheath 5 leaves a possibility of clearance on collection in the sheath and this possibility is taken advantage of to allow one.
  • the auxiliary module 3 comprises a shell in which is housed in particular a floating cuff 7, visible in FIG. 1; this floating cuff is provided at one end with a connector 8 complementary to the connector 6 and at the other with a connector 9 complementary to a connector 10 carried by the operating module 1 at the end d '' a connecting pipe 11.
  • the various connectors 6, 8, 9, 10 can be locked together, for example being of the type of those mentioned in French patent application No. 2,500,525. They are also self-centering, one of the connectors such as 6 or 10 having a chamfered cylindrical end, such as 6A, while the complementary connector 8 or 9 has a flared conical inlet, such as 8A.
  • the auxiliary module 3 whose hull conventionally encloses other component elements and for example valves not shown, is conventionally provided with a handling head 12 allowing its winching and an anchoring device 13 at the bottom of the hull, it also includes at least one remote control connector not shown for control links also not shown here.
  • the connector 10 of the operating module 1 is positioned horizontally opposite the connector 6 with a certain tolerance, it is placed at the end of the connection pipe 11 and at the side wall of the operating module.
  • the operating module 1 or more precisely the wellhead which is represented, comprises a connector 14 placed vertically at the bottom of the module to make a sealed connection with the upper part of a pipe 14A covering a borehole.
  • This pipe 14A has a central channel for petroleum and a coaxial annular channel for the needs of the service.
  • the connector 14 conventionally supplies a lateral deflecting whistle 15 through which two separate conduits 11A, 11B are exited laterally, one for the central channel, the other for the annular channel.
  • the pipes 11A and 11B which form what has been called the two-channel connection pipe, lead to the connector 10.
  • the lateral deflection whistle 15 is conventionally comprised between two sets of two valves of which only the control jacks 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D are visible in Figure 1.
  • FIGS. 2, 3, 5 make it possible to define the positioning device of an apparatus with floating cuff connection according to the invention, this apparatus being able to comprise, as here, a shell in which the positioning device is placed in a determined manner allowing move the floating cuff, or for example a simple base on which is also placed in a determined manner the positioning device.
  • the apparatus also includes in its shell other non-illustrated members such as valves and it constitutes an autonomous auxiliary module capable of being winched in isolation.
  • the floating cuff positioning device makes it possible to move a floating cuff 7, triaxially with respect to a fixed surface defined by a rigid frame, so that this floating cuff can adapt to the different possibilities of position of the connectors. collection and channeling within a range of predetermined tolerances.
  • a transfer carriage 17 is provided for moving the floating cuff 7 along its longitudinal axis ( Figure 5).
  • this transfer carriage 17 moves on a rectilinear raceway defined by two parallel rails 18A, 18B of a rigid structure 18 fixed in the auxiliary module 3, or more precisely in the central part of the shell of this module, so that the rails and therefore the plane of movement of the transfer carriage are horizontal when the auxiliary module is in place in its base housing.
  • the connectors 8 and 9 are housed in the hull so as to be protected against impacts during the winch maneuvers of the module.
  • the transfer carriage 17 of rectangular shape is composed of four beams 17C, 17C ', 17E, 17F and door of conventional rollers 19A, 19A', 19B, 19B 'so as to allow its movement on the rails between stops of limit switch 20A, 20A ', 20B, 20B' conventionally arranged at the ends of the rails 18A, 18B.
  • the rollers 19 are of the side cheek type so as to enclose the rail on which they roll and the carriage is held with its rollers against the rails by four hooking lugs 37A, 37A ', 37B , 37B 'which are arranged at the ends of the carriage near the rollers and which are introduced under an external projection of the rails 18A, 18B in T or preferably in I so as to prevent the derailment of the transfer carriage 17 even if it happened to be raised relative to the chassis during maneuvers.
  • the movement of the transfer carriage on the rails 18A, 18B is conventionally remote-controlled and the remote control acts on at least one and preferably two hydraulic cylinders 31A, 31B inserted between chassis and carriage.
  • An intermediate carriage 21 is provided to allow the floating cuff to move transversely relative to the axis of movement of the transfer carriage 17, its constitution will be defined later ( Figure 3).
  • a carriage 22 carrying the floating cuff 7 is provided to allow movement of the floating cuff along a third axis. displacement perpendicular to the longitudinal displacement axis and to the transverse displacement axis defined above.
  • This carrying carriage 22 which will also be defined below, carries a spherical articulation ball 23, 24 allowing the floating cuff 7 to oscillate with a limited clearance.
  • This ball joint 23, 24 is preferably located in the middle of floating cuff 7 so that its center corresponds to the center of weight in the water of the cuff ( Figure 2).
  • the ball 23, 24 has a spherical part 23 which is integral with the floating cuff 7 in the middle and a hollow cylindrical part 24 which is fixed on the carrier carriage 22 as seen in Figures 2, 3 and 6 to 8.
  • the hollowed-out part 23 is housed in the axis of a central holding part 25 which is intended to be on the one hand vertical, on the other hand crossed horizontally by the cuff so that the connectors 8 and 9 are located on the one hand and other of this holding piece.
  • This retaining part 25 is positioned in the carrier carriage 22 by means mentioned below so that, as indicated above, the sleeve 7 has its longitudinal axis parallel to the direction of movement of the transfer carriage 7 on its rails 18A, 18B.
  • the retaining piece 25 arranged and held vertical by its carrier carriage maintains the floating cuff in a horizontal position by means of a set of elastic, preloaded, retractable pistons 26 placed at the same end. of equidistant brackets 27 fixed on this retaining part 25 so that the pistons 26 disposed at least approximately perpendicular to the normal horizontal cuff axis come to rest on the outside of the tube forming this cuff to position it (figure 6 and 7).
  • the retaining part 25 has four bearing faces 25A, 25B, 25C, 25D parallel to its longitudinal axis and also spaced from this axis, as shown in the cross section of this retaining part presented in FIGS. 3 and 6.
  • Four positioning pieces 22A, 22B, 22C, 22D of elongated shape constitute with the holding piece 25 placed in their center, the main part of the carrying carriage 22.
  • Two of these positioning pieces 22A, 22B are fixed perpendicular to the bearing faces 25A and 25B by one of their ends and provide guiding along an axis perpendicular to the plane of movement of the transfer carriage 7 by means of slide elements (38A , 38B) arranged at their other respective ends.
  • the two positioning pieces 22C and 22D each consist of a first end of two jacks 31C, 31D with opposite actions which are arranged perpendicular to the plane of movement of the transfer carriage 7 in the axis passing through the center of the ball joint 23, 24 and which push on the opposite support faces 25C and 25D of the retaining piece 25 by resting on beams of the intermediate carriage 21.
  • the jack 31C located under the retaining piece 25 is a double-acting hydraulic cylinder powered by an air-pneumatic accumulator not shown so as to exert a vertical upward force which is greater than the weight in water of the assembly comprising the floating cuff 7 and its carrying carriage 22 equipped of the ball joint 23, 24 and which preloads the jack 31D so that the latter, which is of the spring type, exerts a balancing pressure downwards on the holding part.
  • the holding part 25 There is therefore obtained, after immersion, a predetermined positioning of the holding part 25.
  • the intermediate carriage 21 is designed so as to limit as much as possible the overall height of the positioning device for the desired vertical movement of the carrier carriage 22 (FIG. 3).
  • the lower part of the intermediate carriage 21 moves between and lower than the rails 18A, 18B of the chassis.
  • This lower part of intermediate carriage 21 is constituted by a lower beam 21C arranged to be arranged transversely under the rails 18A and 18B when the intermediate carriage is in place, this lower beam 21C supports in its middle the second end of the jack 31C and it is itself carried by two oblique beams 21E, 21F which ensure its positioning between the rails.
  • Each of the two oblique beams 21E, 21F is suspended under and at the end of a rolling beam 21G, 21H moving parallel to the plane of movement of the transfer carriage 17 transversely to the axis of movement of this carriage.
  • the two rolling beams 21G, 21H have their respective flanges which each come to bear by a rolling shoe 32G or 32H on a rolling roller 19E or 19F carried by the transfer carriage 1-7 and more particularly by sections of beams in L referenced 17G, 17G 'and 17H, 17H', the detail for one of the running beams being presented in FIG. 4. These sections are arranged parallel to the displacement plane of the transfer carriage 17 at equal distance from the transverse median plane of this carriage, the roller axes 19 being practically in the same plane.
  • the derailment of the intermediate carriage 21 is prevented by four lateral pads 34 fixed on either side of the rolling beams 21G or 21H, so as to come and surround the parallel wings carrying the roller 19 of the beam sections 17G, 17G 'd on the one hand and 17H, 17H 'on the other hand, such as the pads 34H, 34H' fixed laterally on the rolling beam 21H so as to move parallel to the sections of beam 17H, 17H '.
  • the intermediate carriage 21 also includes three beams forming guide rails 21A, 21B, 21D.
  • the slides 21A, 21B are fixed perpendicular to the rolling beams 21G and 21H, above them so that the different beams 21 are coplanar and that the so-called upper slide 21D is parallel to the lower beam 21C.
  • the slides 21A, 21B are provided to cooperate each with a complementary slide element 38A, 38B carried by one of the two positioning pieces 22A or 22B, for this purpose they have an I-section here and the complementary slide element comes to surround one of the two T-shaped ends of this I, so that it can slide parallel to the longitudinal axis of slides.
  • the upper slide 21D fixed perpendicularly at the end of the slides 21A and 21B extends on either side of its slides 21A, 21B to come to bear by its sole on two complementary slide elements 39A, 39B fixed at the end of two support beams fixed 17A, 17B perpendicular to the beams 17E and 17F of the carriage, transfer 17 and above this carriage.
  • the lower beam 21C and the upper slide 21D each carry in the middle the second end of one of the jacks 31C or 31D, the first end 22C or 22D of which is applied against the holding part 25.
  • Two opposing cylinders, elastic, with preloaded springs 31E, 31F are inserted between each of the support beams 17A or 17B and the beam 21A or 21B serving as the slide which is closest, so as to allow transverse and bidirectional movement of the intermediate carriage 21 , of the carrier carriage 22, of the holding part 25 and therefore of the sleeve 7 relative to the direction of movement of the carrier carriage 17 and from a median position of equilibrium.
  • the simple movement of the transfer carriage 17 towards the sleeve 5 or towards the operating module 1 causes the internal channels of the floating cuff to be aligned with those of the collection 4 or of the pipe 11 by self-centering of the connector 8 or 9 along the axis of the associated connector 6 or 10, due sliding of the chamfered end piece, such as 6A (fig. 1), of one against the conical wall of the flared entry, such as 8A, of the other under the effect of the translational force exerted by the hydraulic cylinders 31A, 31B.
  • At least one and preferably two support arches 41, 41 '(FIG. 9) are provided at at least one and preferably two ends of the chassis 18 carrying the rails 18A and 18B beyond these rails along the axis of movement of the transfer carriage 17.
  • These support arches 41, 41 ′ are rotatably mounted on axes 42, 42 ′ so as to be able to pass from an at least approximately vertical position of support under the floating cuff 7 to a retracted position allowing the movements of the cuff, when these arches are lowered in rotation by cylinders 43, 43 'themselves oscillating and remote-controlled.
EP84402500A 1983-12-07 1984-12-05 Appareillage à manchette flottante de raccordement étanche, réversible et télécommande de canalisations, notamment immergées Ceased EP0146461A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR8319569 1983-12-07
FR8319569A FR2556441B1 (fr) 1983-12-07 1983-12-07 Appareillage a manchette flottante de raccordement etanche, reversible et telecommande de canalisations, notamment immergees

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0146461A1 true EP0146461A1 (fr) 1985-06-26

Family

ID=9294942

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP84402500A Ceased EP0146461A1 (fr) 1983-12-07 1984-12-05 Appareillage à manchette flottante de raccordement étanche, réversible et télécommande de canalisations, notamment immergées

Country Status (7)

Country Link
US (1) US4614459A (es)
EP (1) EP0146461A1 (es)
JP (1) JPS61500621A (es)
ES (1) ES8603986A1 (es)
FR (1) FR2556441B1 (es)
NO (1) NO853098L (es)
WO (1) WO1985002652A1 (es)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5231813A (en) * 1991-09-16 1993-08-03 Drawdy Curtis P Insulated panel apparatus
FR2748293B1 (fr) * 1996-05-03 1998-06-19 Coflexip Installation d'exploitation petroliere incorporant des socles de support de manifold, socle et procede de pose

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2181705A1 (es) * 1972-04-27 1973-12-07 Exxon Research Engineering Co
FR2417001A1 (fr) * 1977-11-18 1979-09-07 Regan Offshore Int Gabarit et structure de guidage mobile pour puits sous-marins
GB2038973A (en) * 1978-12-28 1980-07-30 Mcevoy Oilfield Equipment Co Connection of underwater lines
EP0059376A1 (fr) * 1981-02-23 1982-09-08 ALSTHOM-ATLANTIQUE Société anonyme dite: Installation modulaire de production pétrolière sous-marine

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3658366A (en) * 1970-04-23 1972-04-25 Columbia Gas Syst Underwater pipeline connection
FR2316518A1 (fr) * 1975-07-02 1977-01-28 Petroles Cie Francaise Methode de soudure de conduites immergees par manchon telescopique et dispositif de mise en oeuvre
US4014180A (en) * 1975-11-21 1977-03-29 Hydro Tech International, Inc. Method for making a remote controlled sub-sea pipe connection
US4019334A (en) * 1976-03-17 1977-04-26 Exxon Production Research Company Method and apparatus for making subsea pipe connections

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2181705A1 (es) * 1972-04-27 1973-12-07 Exxon Research Engineering Co
FR2417001A1 (fr) * 1977-11-18 1979-09-07 Regan Offshore Int Gabarit et structure de guidage mobile pour puits sous-marins
GB2038973A (en) * 1978-12-28 1980-07-30 Mcevoy Oilfield Equipment Co Connection of underwater lines
EP0059376A1 (fr) * 1981-02-23 1982-09-08 ALSTHOM-ATLANTIQUE Société anonyme dite: Installation modulaire de production pétrolière sous-marine

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPS61500621A (ja) 1986-04-03
NO853098L (no) 1985-10-07
ES538407A0 (es) 1986-01-01
WO1985002652A1 (fr) 1985-06-20
ES8603986A1 (es) 1986-01-01
FR2556441B1 (fr) 1986-08-22
FR2556441A1 (fr) 1985-06-14
US4614459A (en) 1986-09-30

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Inventor name: RODRIGUEZ, FRANCIS