EP3597854A1 - Agencement pour supporter une tête de puits - Google Patents

Agencement pour supporter une tête de puits Download PDF

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Publication number
EP3597854A1
EP3597854A1 EP18184631.2A EP18184631A EP3597854A1 EP 3597854 A1 EP3597854 A1 EP 3597854A1 EP 18184631 A EP18184631 A EP 18184631A EP 3597854 A1 EP3597854 A1 EP 3597854A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
wellhead
supporting frame
casing
suction anchor
bending moment
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.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP18184631.2A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Harald Strand
Wolfgang MATHIS
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.)
Neodrill AS
Original Assignee
Neodrill AS
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 Neodrill AS filed Critical Neodrill AS
Priority to EP18184631.2A priority Critical patent/EP3597854A1/fr
Publication of EP3597854A1 publication Critical patent/EP3597854A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • 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
    • E21B17/017—Bend restrictors for limiting stress on risers
    • 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
    • B63B21/24—Anchors
    • B63B21/26—Anchors securing to bed
    • B63B21/27—Anchors securing to bed by suction
    • 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
    • E21B33/00—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells
    • E21B33/02—Surface sealing or packing
    • E21B33/03—Well heads; Setting-up thereof
    • E21B33/035—Well heads; Setting-up thereof specially adapted for underwater installations
    • 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
    • E21B41/00—Equipment or details not covered by groups E21B15/00 - E21B40/00
    • E21B41/08—Underwater guide bases, e.g. drilling templates; Levelling thereof
    • 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
    • E21B43/013—Connecting a production flow line to an underwater well head

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a suction anchor with a device for reducing the strain on a wellhead casing from a bending moment generated by a horizontal load component from a well element arranged over a wellhead.
  • BOP blowout preventer
  • a suction anchor enclosing an upper portion of a conductor casing and parts of a wellhead is known.
  • a frame is connected, arranged to carry a swivel device for the horizontal connection of a riser et cetera, the frame resting on separate suction anchors placed at a distance from the former suction anchor.
  • a stabilizing device for a wellhead with the upper portion of a wellhead casing projecting up above a seabed in which a wellhead valve which projects up from the upper portion of the wellhead casing is completely or partially supported on the suction foundation by several supporting elements being arranged between the wellhead valve and the suction foundation.
  • US2006162933A1 discloses a system and a method of establishing a subsea exploration and production system, in which a well casing, projecting up from a seabed where a well is to be stablished, is provided with a buoyancy body arranged at a distance above the seabed.
  • the buoyancy body is stabilized by means of adjustable stabilizing elements, which are anchored to the seabed at a distance from the well casing.
  • US2010/0212916 A1 is disclosing a stabilizer for a wellhead, comprising: a ground engaging support structure having lateral dimensions suitable for laterally stabilizing the wellhead; wellhead stabilizer elements disposed within the ground engaging support structure, the wellhead stabilizer elements having wellhead abutting faces spaced to laterally cage the wellhead to restrict lateral movement of the wellhead while permitting the wellhead to move in a vertical direction.
  • the wellhead may include various wellhead components, including for example casing bowls, spools, blowout preventers, and other suitable components.
  • the portion of wellhead that is laterally caged need not be circular in cross-section, but may be a suitable geometry.
  • the dimension of the wellhead casing has gradually been increased, the diameter having increased from 30 inches to 36 inches and further to 42 inches, with a wall thickness that has increased from 1 inch all the way up to 2 inches.
  • wellhead valve covers both a blowout preventer (BOP) alone and also a combination of a blowout preventer and other valve types (for example production valves), and other valve types or combinations of valve types alone, said wellhead valve being arranged on a wellhead on an end portion of a wellhead casing projecting above a seabed.
  • BOP blowout preventer
  • other valve types for example production valves
  • suction anchors have been known to provide significant lateral support to conductors such as disclosed in the above-mentioned NO 313340 , which corresponds to US 6692194 .
  • the applicant's own WO 2016/085348 discloses a supporting frame provided on a suction anchor, where the supporting frame also transfers a significant portion of bending moment exerted on the wellhead, directly or indirectly, from the wellhead to the suction anchor.
  • a disadvantage of the supporting frame disclosed in WO 2016/085348 is that the frame itself needs to have a certain height, typically around 1 meter, in order to create a force pair that may handle the high loads in question. This leads to a higher stick-up requiring a correspondingly large trawl protection.
  • the invention has for its object to remedy or reduce at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art or at least provide a useful alternative to the prior art.
  • the invention provides a suction anchor including a device for reducing the risk of fatigue in a wellhead without increasing the pipe dimension, that is to say the pipe-wall thickness, the pipe diameter or the material quality, of the wellhead casing projecting up above the seabed and forming the wellhead, and without intervening in valves and so on mounted on the wellhead and while avoiding a large stickup from the suction anchor
  • the invention relates to a suction anchor having a supporting frame integrated into a top portion of the suction anchor that rests on a seabed, the supporting frame being rigidly connected, directly or indirectly, to the wellhead casing to absorb a substantial portion of a bending moment applied to the wellhead casing by a horizontal load component.
  • the invention relates, more specifically, to a suction anchor with a device for reducing the strain on a wellhead casing from a bending moment generated by a horizontal load component from a well element arranged over a wellhead, wherein the device includes a supporting frame being integrated with the top portion of the suction anchor and connected, directly or indirectly, to an upper portion of the wellhead casing and projecting outwards from the centre axis of the wellhead casing and being provided with abutments resting in a supporting manner against the top portion of the suction anchor at a radial distance from the wellhead casing, the supporting frame being arranged to absorb a portion of said bending moment.
  • the supporting frame may include a well-casing extension adapted for connection to the wellhead casing.
  • the ratio of the bending moment absorbed by the supporting frame to the bending moment applied to the wellhead casing may be at least 1:2, alternatively at least 3:4, alternatively at least 9:10.
  • connection between the supporting frame and the wellhead casing, possibly between the supporting frame and the well-casing extension may preferable be formed as a zero-clearance connection.
  • the supporting frame may include a coupling formed as a sleeve enclosing a portion of the wellhead casing or the well-casing extension, by a press fit.
  • the sleeve may have been shrunk around a portion of the wellhead casing or the well-casing extension.
  • the so-called low-pressure housing may be integrated with the supporting frame of the suction anchor for optimal load transfer.
  • the high-pressure housing/wellhead may be connected inside the low-pressure housing,
  • the low pressure housing may be a standard 30" or 36" housing and the high-pressure housing may be a standard 18 3/4" housing.
  • the bending moment exerted on the wellhead will be transferred into a vertical force pair that is directly transmitted into the suction anchor and further into ground.
  • the well equipment below the supporting frame will not be exposed to significant loads and enables the use of small diameter dimensions. Basis for this transfer of forces is the stiffness relation between the supporting frame and the equipment below the supporting frame in the well. If the stiffness would be equal, the load sharing would be 50/50.
  • the piping (e.g. conductor) below the supporting frame is intended to be of small diameter and therefore has a low stiffness. This way, most of, and in principle almost all, the bending moment may be transferred through the supporting frame. This is also beneficial for fatigue lifetime as stresses in the material will be very small.
  • the connection between the supporting frame and the wellhead, via the low-pressure housing, is preferably zero clearance.
  • FIG 1 showing a suction anchor 14 according to the prior art as disclosed in the above-referenced WO2016/085348 .
  • the suction anchor is formed with a closed upper portion (13) and an open lower portion (15).
  • a subsea well 1 extends downwards in an underground 4 under a water mass 5.
  • a wellhead 11 is arranged immediately above a seabed 41, an upper portion 12a of a wellhead casing 12 projecting up from the seabed and forming the wellhead 11 in which one or more wellhead elements 2 are arranged, such as a Christmas tree or blowout preventer (also referred to as a BOP), a wellhead connector 21 connecting the wellhead elements 2 to the wellhead casing 12.
  • a Christmas tree or blowout preventer also referred to as a BOP
  • a marine riser 3 extends up through the water mass 5 to a surface installation (not shown).
  • the riser 3 is shown as being deflected in order to indicate a situation in which the wellhead 11 is subjected to a horizontal load component L h which subjects the wellhead casing 12 to a bending moment M w .
  • the deflection of the riser 3 may be due to currents in the water mass 5 or the position of the surface installation not shown. Currents in the water mass 5 may also subject the wellhead element 2 to a horizontal load component L h , and skewed distribution of the mass of the wellhead element 2 will also subject the wellhead 11 to a horizontal load component L h .
  • the wellhead casing 12 is shown here as a casing 122 extending up through a so-called conductor casing 121 which bounds the well 1 in a manner known per se towards the unconsolidated masses in the upper part of the base 4.
  • An upper portion 12a of the wellhead casing 12 is rising from an upper portion 121a of the conductor casing 121.
  • the upper portion 12a of the wellhead casing is often also referred to as the wellhead or the high-pressure housing.
  • the upper portion 121a of the conductor casing 121 is often referred to as the low-pressure housing.
  • the combined low-pressure and high-pressure housings have also been known to be referred to as the wellhead.
  • a supporting frame 6 which projects radially outwards from the wellhead casing 12 and is provided with several abutments 61 resting in a supporting manner against the top portion 13 of the suction anchor 14, the suction anchor 14 shown schematically here as an element which is embedded into the seabed 41.
  • the wellhead casing 12 and the supporting frame 6 are connected to each other in a way that makes it possible for the supporting frame 6 to absorb a bending moment M f as a reaction to the horizontal load component L h from the wellhead element 2 subjecting the wellhead casing 12 to said bending moment M w .
  • a coupling 62 may be arranged in such a way that the wellhead casing 12 is allowed a certain deflection before hitting the supporting frame 6 and the further load being substantially absorbed by the supporting frame 6.
  • the design of the coupling 62 and the dimensioning of the supporting frame 6 can thereby be used to control how great a load the wellhead casing 12 may be subjected to.
  • the coupling 62 may be formed as a sleeve 621 surrounding a portion of the wellhead casing 12 without radial clearance. This may be achieved by shrinking the sleeve 621.
  • the supporting frame 6 according to figure 1 is suitable for permanent installation on the wellhead 11.
  • FIG 3 in which the supporting frame 6 is provided with a well-casing extension 63 which is adapted for insertion between the wellhead casing 12 and the wellhead element 2. Thereby the supporting frame 6 can be installed without any intervention into the wellhead casing 12.
  • This embodiment is well suited for temporary installation, for example while drilling is in progress, indicated here by a drill string 7 extending from a surface installation not shown and through the wellhead 11.
  • the well-casing extension 63 also works as a protection of the wellhead 11 during the temporary installation of wellhead elements 2 or the insertion or withdrawal of drilling equipment.
  • FIG. 2 shows the statics of the supporting frame 6 in principle, the statics being representative for the supporting frames 6 shown in each of the figures 1 , 3 and 4 .
  • Solid, oblique connecting lines between horizontal and vertical lines indicate that the connection is rigid.
  • Fig. 4 shows a suction anchor 14 with a device according to the present invention.
  • the supporting frame 6 is fully embedded into the top portion 13 of the suction anchor 14, significantly reducing the stick-up and thereby the need for a large trawl protection structure.
  • the principle for transfer of bending moment is the same as for the suction anchors shown in figures 1 and 3 .
  • the connection between the upper portion of the conductor 121a and the supporting frame 6 is shown without any coupling 62.
  • suction anchor 14 may be located at the upper end, lower end or anywhere in between of the upper and lower ends of the support structure 6.
  • the supporting frame 6 When the supporting frame 6 is mounted on the wellhead 11 and the wellhead 11 is subjected to a bending moment M w generated by a horizontal load component L n from above-lying elements 2, 3, the supporting frame 6 is subjected to a vertical load L v which is transmitted to the seabed 41 at a distance from the centre axis of the wellhead casing 12 through the abutment of the supporting frame 6 against the base.
  • the portion of the applied bending moment M w absorbed by the supporting frame that is to say M f /M w , M f being the bending moment absorbed by the supporting frame 6, will vary. Calculations show that it is quite possible to dimension the supporting frame 6 to enable absorption of at least 9/10 of the bending moment M w applied.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
  • Excavating Of Shafts Or Tunnels (AREA)
EP18184631.2A 2018-07-20 2018-07-20 Agencement pour supporter une tête de puits Withdrawn EP3597854A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP18184631.2A EP3597854A1 (fr) 2018-07-20 2018-07-20 Agencement pour supporter une tête de puits

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP18184631.2A EP3597854A1 (fr) 2018-07-20 2018-07-20 Agencement pour supporter une tête de puits

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP3597854A1 true EP3597854A1 (fr) 2020-01-22

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EP18184631.2A Withdrawn EP3597854A1 (fr) 2018-07-20 2018-07-20 Agencement pour supporter une tête de puits

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Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN111219161A (zh) * 2020-04-17 2020-06-02 上海临希智能科技有限公司 用于水下资源开采的井口系统
CN113734358A (zh) * 2020-05-27 2021-12-03 中国石油化工股份有限公司 一种深海天然气水合物吸力锚机构及安装方法
CN114687700A (zh) * 2022-03-28 2022-07-01 中国石油大学(华东) 一种适合于深海浅层多气合采事故油气回收的吸力锚井口装置

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
NO305179B1 (no) 1996-08-27 1999-04-12 Norske Stats Oljeselskap Anordning ved undervannsbr°nn
NO313340B1 (no) 2000-02-29 2002-09-16 Harald Strand Fremgangsmåte for å pæle lederør ned i en vannbunn
US20060162933A1 (en) 2004-09-01 2006-07-27 Millheim Keith K System and method of installing and maintaining an offshore exploration and production system having an adjustable buoyancy chamber
US20100212916A1 (en) 2009-02-26 2010-08-26 Jim Rice Stabilizing structure for wellhead equipment
WO2011162616A1 (fr) 2010-06-22 2011-12-29 Neodrill As Dispositif et procédé pour stabiliser une tête de puits, et utilisation d'une sous-structure d'aspiration pour supporter une tête de puits
WO2016085348A1 (fr) 2014-11-27 2016-06-02 Neodrill As Arrangement pour soutenir une tête de puits
WO2017155415A1 (fr) * 2016-03-08 2017-09-14 Statoil Petroleum As Ensemble tête de puits sous-marine

Patent Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
NO305179B1 (no) 1996-08-27 1999-04-12 Norske Stats Oljeselskap Anordning ved undervannsbr°nn
NO313340B1 (no) 2000-02-29 2002-09-16 Harald Strand Fremgangsmåte for å pæle lederør ned i en vannbunn
US6692194B2 (en) 2000-02-29 2004-02-17 Harald Strand Method for installing a conductor casing through a suction substructure
US20060162933A1 (en) 2004-09-01 2006-07-27 Millheim Keith K System and method of installing and maintaining an offshore exploration and production system having an adjustable buoyancy chamber
US20100212916A1 (en) 2009-02-26 2010-08-26 Jim Rice Stabilizing structure for wellhead equipment
WO2011162616A1 (fr) 2010-06-22 2011-12-29 Neodrill As Dispositif et procédé pour stabiliser une tête de puits, et utilisation d'une sous-structure d'aspiration pour supporter une tête de puits
NO331978B1 (no) 2010-06-22 2012-05-14 Neodrill As Anordning og framgangsmåte for stabilisering av et brønnhode, samt anvendelse av et sugefundament til understøttelse av et brønnhode
WO2016085348A1 (fr) 2014-11-27 2016-06-02 Neodrill As Arrangement pour soutenir une tête de puits
WO2017155415A1 (fr) * 2016-03-08 2017-09-14 Statoil Petroleum As Ensemble tête de puits sous-marine

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN111219161A (zh) * 2020-04-17 2020-06-02 上海临希智能科技有限公司 用于水下资源开采的井口系统
CN113734358A (zh) * 2020-05-27 2021-12-03 中国石油化工股份有限公司 一种深海天然气水合物吸力锚机构及安装方法
CN114687700A (zh) * 2022-03-28 2022-07-01 中国石油大学(华东) 一种适合于深海浅层多气合采事故油气回收的吸力锚井口装置
CN114687700B (zh) * 2022-03-28 2023-09-29 中国石油大学(华东) 一种适合于深海浅层多气合采事故油气回收的吸力锚井口装置

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