EP0941200B1 - Method and apparatus for disconnecting and retrieving multiple risers attached to a floating vessel - Google Patents

Method and apparatus for disconnecting and retrieving multiple risers attached to a floating vessel Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0941200B1
EP0941200B1 EP97948358A EP97948358A EP0941200B1 EP 0941200 B1 EP0941200 B1 EP 0941200B1 EP 97948358 A EP97948358 A EP 97948358A EP 97948358 A EP97948358 A EP 97948358A EP 0941200 B1 EP0941200 B1 EP 0941200B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
buoy
riser
turret
vessel
riser buoy
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.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP97948358A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0941200A1 (en
EP0941200A4 (en
Inventor
Terry L. Boatman
Ron L. Kelm
Brent A. Salyer
Jerry L. Mccollum
Charles O. Etheridge
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.)
FMC Corp
Original Assignee
FMC Corp
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 FMC Corp filed Critical FMC Corp
Publication of EP0941200A1 publication Critical patent/EP0941200A1/en
Publication of EP0941200A4 publication Critical patent/EP0941200A4/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0941200B1 publication Critical patent/EP0941200B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
    • B63B21/00—Tying-up; Shifting, towing, or pushing equipment; Anchoring
    • B63B21/50—Anchoring arrangements or methods for special vessels, e.g. for floating drilling platforms or dredgers
    • B63B21/507—Anchoring arrangements or methods for special vessels, e.g. for floating drilling platforms or dredgers with mooring turrets
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
    • B63B22/00—Buoys
    • B63B22/02—Buoys specially adapted for mooring a vessel
    • B63B22/021—Buoys specially adapted for mooring a vessel and for transferring fluids, e.g. liquids
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
    • B63B22/00—Buoys
    • B63B22/02—Buoys specially adapted for mooring a vessel
    • B63B22/021—Buoys specially adapted for mooring a vessel and for transferring fluids, e.g. liquids
    • B63B22/023—Buoys specially adapted for mooring a vessel and for transferring fluids, e.g. liquids submerged when not in use
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
    • B63B22/00—Buoys
    • B63B22/04—Fixations or other anchoring arrangements
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B17/00—Drilling rods or pipes; Flexible drill strings; Kellies; Drill collars; Sucker rods; Cables; Casings; Tubings
    • E21B17/01—Risers
    • E21B17/015—Non-vertical risers, e.g. articulated or catenary-type
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B19/00—Handling rods, casings, tubes or the like outside the borehole, e.g. in the derrick; Apparatus for feeding the rods or cables
    • E21B19/002—Handling rods, casings, tubes or the like outside the borehole, e.g. in the derrick; Apparatus for feeding the rods or cables specially adapted for underwater drilling
    • E21B19/004—Handling rods, casings, tubes or the like outside the borehole, e.g. in the derrick; Apparatus for feeding the rods or cables specially adapted for underwater drilling supporting a riser from a drilling or production platform
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK 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
    • E21B43/0107—Connecting of flow lines to offshore structures

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a method and apparatus for disconnecting and retrieving multiple risers attached to a floating vessel, and more particularly to such an apparatus and method in which the vessel includes a turret having a releasable riser buoy with a plurality of flexible risers supported thereon for docking within the turret.
  • the de Baan et al. US patent No. 5,044,297 dated September 3, 1991 shows a deep water mooring system in which submerged flotation tanks support production risers or lines in addition to mooring lines.
  • a floating marker buoy includes a retrieval line connected to the submerged flotation tanks so that the risers and the mooring lines may be easily retrieved for connection to a vessel after being disconnected from a previous vessel.
  • a mooring weight on the sea floor may be connected to the flotation tanks to anchor the flotation tanks at a predetermined water depth.
  • the vessel normally includes storage tanks for the production fluids transported by the risers.
  • the support buoys of the '297 patent are not received within a turret; they are provided primarily for the support of mooring lines. The buoys or flotation tanks always remain in a submerged location away from the vessel.
  • U.S. Patent No. 4,509,448 dated April 9, 1985 shows buoys for supporting mooring lines of a drillship both in a submerged position when connected to a vessel and in a floating position on the sea surface when the mooring lines are disconnected from the vessel.
  • the buoys may be pulled onto the deck of a workboat.
  • the buoys do not support risers or riser lines.
  • U.S. Patent No. 5,306,186 which issued April 26, 1994 shows a disconnectable mooring system including a buoy disconnectable from a turret and in equilibrium depth beneath the surface of the sea, such as 100 feet. They buoy supports mooring lines in addition to risers. The buoy is docked against the lower end of the turret and is not received within the turret.
  • the entire disclosure of U.S. Patent No. 5, 306,186 is incorporated by this reference.
  • US-A-4,892,495 (Svensen) describes a riser support structure with a submersible buoy moored or anchored to the sea bed having buoyancy control tanks to raise and lower the buoy for docking with a weathervaning turret on a storage vessel positioned on the surface above the buoy.
  • the buoy defines a central shaft to accommodate a single riser or group of risers for connection to the vessel and requires to have sufficient buoyancy to support riser(s) and anchor chains during the raising and docking process.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide a riser buoy which carries risers which are connected to flow paths which are removably coupled to vessel product lines at a position above sea level.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide a riser buoy which when disconnected from a turret is maintained at a submerged depth in the sea by a buoy anchor leg which is attached to a weight which may be lowered down to the sea floor or raised to the bottom of the turret.
  • the present invention is for a method and apparatus for connecting, disconnecting, and retrieving multiple risers or umbilicals for a floating vessel as claimed in independent claims 1 and 9 and a riser support structer as per independent claims 6.
  • the risers extend to sea floor manifolds or wells. Production fluids are transported by the risers to storage areas of the floating vessel.
  • a riser buoy is removably connected to the turret which is rotatably coupled with the vessel.
  • the turret is anchored to the sea floor independently of the riser buoy.
  • Multiple risers are carried by the riser buoy.
  • the risers are grouped in predetermined assemblies which are connected to the riser buoy. For example, three groups of riser lines may be carried or connected to the riser buoy.
  • the riser buoy is connected to the turret at a location above the draft line or sea level surface in order to provide access to the riser connections during and after mating of the riser buoy to the turret.
  • a retractable weight or gravity base is mounted on the riser buoy.
  • the weight is payed out until it comes to rest on the sea bed in order to moor the riser buoy and limit the excursions of the risers within acceptable limits.
  • the riser buoy may be positioned at a precise water depth when released from the turret to permit the riser buoy and risers to be located below the tanker or other vessel traffic and to be beneath a region of high wave loads.
  • the riser buoy of the present invention does not have buoyancy sufficient to support the mooring lines; thus, it may be substantially smaller than buoys designed to support mooring lines simultaneously with risers.
  • the turret receives the buoy in a docked position at a height above the sea level within the turret.
  • Quick disconnect/connect couplings are provided between the buoy flow paths in the buoy for the flexible risers and product conduits on the turret.
  • workmen are provided dry access for coupling and uncoupling the quick disconnect/connect couplings in the docked position of the riser buoy.
  • the lower end portion of the turret is curved.
  • the flexible riser lines may contact the lower curved portion of the turret when the riser buoy is in the docked position in the turret. If such contact occurs, lateral loads are transferred from the risers to the turret.
  • a storage vessel 10 for the storage and/or collection and transport of production fluids, such as oil or gas from sea floor manifolds or wells (not illustrated).
  • the surface of the sea is shown at 12; the sea bed is shown at 14.
  • a generally cylindrical turret 20 is mounted within a vertical opening or moon pool 22 of vessel 10 and is supported on bearing assemblies 24 so that when anchored to the sea floor 14, the vessel 10 may rotate about the turret 20.
  • thrusters 16 may be mounted externally on the bottom of the hull 18 of vessel 10 for positioning and maintaining vessel 10 at a desired position in the sea.
  • Three groups of mooring lines 17 as shown in Figure 1 anchor the turret 20 to the sea bed 14 for mooring of vessel 10. Mooring lines 17 may not be necessary if vessel 10 is positioned solely by thrusters 16. Three groups of risers 19 which are coupled to subsea wells or manifolds (not illustrated) are positioned between the three groups of mooring lines 17 to minimize any interference between mooring lines 17 and risers 19.
  • Turret 20 has product conduits or lines 26 placed thereon for coupling to risers 19. Suitable swivel arrangements as well known (not shown) may be provided for fluid rotative coupling between conduits 26 and suitable conduits fixed to vessel 10 which extend to storage areas or tanks within vessel 10.
  • turret 20 has a bend shoe or fender shown at 27 with a beveled or arcuate contour for fairleading riser lines 19 in order to cause a substantial portion of the lateral loads from the riser lines 19 to be reacted directly by turret 20.
  • mooring lines or chains 17 extend through tubular guides 21 on turret 20 and are removable connected by stoppers 23 at the upper ends of guide 21. Stoppers 23 as well known fit about a link of chain 17.
  • a retrieval line 25 is connected to a winch 29 for pulling in chain 17.
  • Mooring lines 17 may be disconnected from turret 20 by removal of stoppers 23. If it is desired to move vessel 10 to another location, a separate retrieval line (not shown) for each mooring line 17 may be connected to a marker buoy.
  • An upper main deck 30 is provided on vessel 10.
  • the operating water level or sea level 12 is below deck 30 and below the position of quick disconnect/connect couplings 32 for product conduits 26 thereby permitting product conduits 26 to be connected to buoy flow paths for risers 19 above the sea as explained below.
  • a walkway 33 for workman is provided for workmen access above sea level 12 adjacent docked buoy 36.
  • a riser buoy 36 includes a plurality of product passages or "flow paths" 38 therein connected to lower flexible risers 19.
  • Upper quick disconnect/connect couplings 40 are provided for releasable connection to mating couplings 32 when in the docked position of riser buoy 36 shown in Figure 3. Suitable quick disconnect/connect couplings 32, 40 are available from several manufacturers.
  • a center hawse pipe 42 in riser buoy 36 receives a buoy anchor chain 44 therein.
  • Spaced bumper members 46 are arcuately spaced about the outer periphery of riser buoy 36.
  • Bumper members 46 are preferably of an elastomeric material for contacting the inner periphery of turret 20 when docking.
  • three recesses or slots 48 having notches 50 therein are provided about the outer periphery of buoy 36.
  • Locking arms 52 are pivotally mounted at 54 to turret 20 and are actuated by hydraulic cylinders 56. Cylinders 56 are actuated to move locking arms 52 into engagement with notches 50.
  • Buoy anchor chain 44 has a weight or gravity base 58 connected to its lower end.
  • a light weight retrieval line 60 is connected to the upper end of anchor chain 44.
  • Upper retrieval line 60 is connected to a winch 62 for paying weight 58 in and out relative to riser buoy 36.
  • a removable stopper 64 is positioned on the upper end of chain 44 for engaging the upper end of hawse pipe 42 when weight 58 is at a desired distance from riser buoy 36 for deployment. If vessel 10 is disconnected from mooring lines 17 and moved to another location, retrieval line 60 may be disconnected from turret 20 and connected to a marker buoy 66 as in Figure 7 for floating on the sea surface. If desired, a retrieval line may be connected to anchor chain 44 for connection to marker buoy 66.
  • retrieval line 60 is pulled upwardly over pulley 61 by winch 62 along with weight 58 and anchor chain 44 until weight 58 contacts buoy 36. Then, buoy 36 and weight 58 move upwardly together.
  • Quick disconnect/connect couplings 32 and 40 are vertically aligned, and riser buoy 36 is drawn upwardly inside turret 20 until its top surface is above sea level 12. Thus dry access is provided for connecting couplings 32 and 40.
  • locking arms 52 are actuated into notches 50 to secure riser buoy 36 to turret 20. Then, couplings 32 and 40 are connected.
  • Turret 20 has a lower circumferential fender or shoe 27 as best seen in Figure 3.
  • shoe 27 When risers 19 are angled outwardly into contact with shoe 27, a portion of the lateral load from risers 19 is opposed directly by turret 20 and shoe 27 thereby reducing the load on riser buoy 36 and its connections to turret 20.
  • product may flow from subsea wells through risers 19 and conduits 26 to suitable storage compartments in vessel 10
  • buoy anchor chain 44 and retrieval line 60 along with weight 58 are lowered by winch 62 until a stopper 64 on chain 44 contacts the upper flared end of pipe 42.
  • Weight 58, along with buoy 36, then moves downwardly by gravity in the sea until weight 58 contacts sea bed 14.
  • the length of chain 44 is predetermined in order to position riser buoy 34 at a predetermined submerged location as shown in Figure 7.
  • Retrieval line 60 is connected between buoy 36 and marker buoy 66.
  • a second retrieval line may be connected to a second marker buoy 66 to provide redundancy in the event of failure of a marker buoy or retrieval line.
  • Retrieval line 60 is normally releasably connected to marker buoy 66 by a workman in a small boat.
  • Retrieval line 60 is disconnected from marker buoy 66 and passed over suitable pulleys 61 to winch 62 for lifting riser buoy 36 along with the associated supported risers 19 to within turret 20.
  • buoy 36 in Figure 7 shows the excursions of riser buoy 36 and marker buoy 66 resulting from wind, waves, and water currents or the like or when it is being retrieved by means of winch 62.
  • Riser buoy 36 may be positioned at a water depth of about fifty (50) meters below the surface 12 which permits riser buoy 36 to be suspended below tanker traffic and beneath the region of high wave loads.
  • direct contact between risers 19 and sea bed 14 may be minimized by the length of buoy anchor chain 44 depending on the position of the manifolds or subsea wells on sea bed 14.
  • Weight or gravity base 58 is pulled to the underside of riser buoy 36 by retrieval line 60 during docking. Thus, weight or gravity base 58 is protected by turret 20 when riser buoy 36 is in docked position within turret 20 thereby shielding weight 58 from hydrodynamic loading and vessel motions.
  • the riser buoy arrangment of the present invention for a floating storage vessel provides an arrangement of apparatus for disconnecting a plurality of risers 19 from turret 20 while keeping the risers 19 grouped together in disconnected condition.
  • the riser buoy 36 allows the risers 19 to be suspended in the sea above the sea bed yet below tanker traffic and beneath the region of high wave loads. Because risers 19 are supported in the sea while in a disconnected condition, contact between risers 19 and the sea bed 14 is reduced or prevented.
  • Riser buoy 40 may be used with storage vessels that do not require anchor legs secured to the sea bottom for maintaining the position of the vessel. Such vessels may be maneuvered by thrusters only without mooring anchor legs.
  • Turret 20A is mounted in vertical opening 22A of vessel 10A.
  • a lower bearing assembly 29A engages the hull of vessel 10A.
  • a chain support assembly generally indicated at 31A secures the upper ends of mooring or anchor legs 17A about a pivot 33A.
  • a release link 35A is provided for each anchor leg or chain 17A.
  • Risers 19A are secured to riser buoy 36A as in the embodiment of Figures 1-7.
  • the sea water level 12A in moon pool 20A is below the top surface of riser buoy 36A when in the docked position.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Earth Drilling (AREA)
  • Filling Or Discharging Of Gas Storage Vessels (AREA)
EP97948358A 1996-12-08 1997-11-14 Method and apparatus for disconnecting and retrieving multiple risers attached to a floating vessel Expired - Lifetime EP0941200B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US3366896P 1996-12-08 1996-12-08
US33668P 1996-12-08
PCT/US1997/021061 WO1998024686A1 (en) 1996-12-08 1997-11-14 Method and apparatus for disconnecting and retrieving multiple risers attached to a floating vessel
OA9900129A OA11127A (en) 1996-12-08 1999-06-16 Method and apparatus for disconnecting and retrieving multiple risers attached to a floating vessel

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0941200A1 EP0941200A1 (en) 1999-09-15
EP0941200A4 EP0941200A4 (en) 1999-11-17
EP0941200B1 true EP0941200B1 (en) 2002-05-02

Family

ID=33492572

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP97948358A Expired - Lifetime EP0941200B1 (en) 1996-12-08 1997-11-14 Method and apparatus for disconnecting and retrieving multiple risers attached to a floating vessel

Country Status (8)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0941200B1 (pt)
AU (1) AU714622B2 (pt)
BR (1) BR9713731A (pt)
CA (1) CA2282696A1 (pt)
DK (1) DK0941200T3 (pt)
NO (1) NO992911L (pt)
OA (1) OA11127A (pt)
WO (1) WO1998024686A1 (pt)

Families Citing this family (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2007108694A1 (en) * 2006-03-21 2007-09-27 Advanced Production And Loading As Turret locking system
GB2449488C (en) * 2007-05-24 2016-06-22 Bluewater Energy Services Bv Disconnectable turret mooring system for a vessel
US7770532B2 (en) * 2007-06-12 2010-08-10 Single Buoy Moorings, Inc. Disconnectable riser-mooring system
NO20074115L (no) * 2007-08-09 2009-02-10 Statoilhydro Asa Fortoyningssystem for en flytende offshore-installasjon
GB2481787A (en) * 2010-06-29 2012-01-11 Subsea 7 Ltd A method and apparatus for installing a buoy to an anchoring location
US8967912B2 (en) 2010-06-29 2015-03-03 Subsea 7 Limited Method of installing a buoy and apparatus for tensioning a buoy to an anchoring location
KR101640382B1 (ko) * 2014-09-30 2016-07-22 서울대학교산학협력단 쓰러스터를 응용한 라이저ㆍ움비리컬 케이블 직결식 구형 터렛 계류장치

Family Cites Families (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2666934A (en) * 1950-06-28 1954-01-26 Edward J Leifheit Mooring buoy and cable
US3366896A (en) 1966-04-08 1968-01-30 Army Usa Microwave magneto-acoustic delay line
US3605668A (en) * 1969-07-02 1971-09-20 North American Rockwell Underwater riser and ship connection
FR2236719B1 (pt) * 1973-06-27 1977-05-13 Puchois Gilbert
US4478586A (en) * 1982-06-22 1984-10-23 Mobil Oil Corporation Buoyed moonpool plug for disconnecting a flexible flowline from a process vessel
US4509448A (en) 1983-10-13 1985-04-09 Sonat Offshore Drilling Inc. Quick disconnect/connect mooring method and apparatus for a turret moored drillship
US4648848A (en) * 1985-11-12 1987-03-10 Fluor Corporation Spar buoy fluid transfer system
NO160914C (no) * 1986-03-24 1989-06-14 Svensen Niels Alf Boeyelastningssystem for offshore petroleumsproduksjon.
US5044297A (en) 1990-09-14 1991-09-03 Bluewater Terminal Systems N.V. Disconnectable mooring system for deep water
US5316509A (en) 1991-09-27 1994-05-31 Sofec, Inc. Disconnectable mooring system
KR100258274B1 (ko) * 1991-11-27 2000-06-01 에겔란트 큐욀프 에. 부이와 수납공간을 포함하는 이송장치
US5275510A (en) * 1992-01-16 1994-01-04 Jacob De Baan Offshore tanker loading system

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
NO992911L (no) 1999-08-09
OA11127A (en) 2003-04-17
EP0941200A1 (en) 1999-09-15
WO1998024686A1 (en) 1998-06-11
EP0941200A4 (en) 1999-11-17
CA2282696A1 (en) 1998-06-11
BR9713731A (pt) 2000-01-25
AU5444498A (en) 1998-06-29
NO992911D0 (no) 1999-06-15
DK0941200T3 (da) 2003-04-14
AU714622B2 (en) 2000-01-06

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