FR2504591A1 - METHOD FOR SETTING UP AN EQUIPMENT FOR PRODUCING HYDROCARBONS EXTRACTED FROM THE SUBSEA BOTTOM AND PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT FOR IMPLEMENTING THE PROCESS - Google Patents

Abstract

METHOD OF SETTING UP ON SUBWATER HEAD 1 OF EQUIPMENT COMPRISING A PRODUCTION SHAFT 5 CAPABLE OF BEING CONNECTED TO THE WELLHEAD AND UNDERWATER CONDUITS 7, INCLUDING SERVICE PRODUCTION PIPES AND REMOTE CONTROL LINES, LIKELY TO BE CONNECTED BY AN END TO THE PRODUCTION TREE AND THE OTHER END TO A SURFACE SUPPORT 18, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT IT IS SIMULTANEOUSLY LOWERED FROM THE SAME SURFACE SUPPORT UNDERWATER PIPES AND AT LEAST PART OF THE PRODUCTION SHAFT, THE PIPES BEING PREVIOUSLY CONNECTED ON THE SURFACE TO SUCH PART OF THE PRODUCTION SHAFT.

Description

The present invention relates to a method for setting up a

  equipment for the production of hydrocarbons extracted from an underwater bottom, and more specifically relates to the setting up of production equipment on a wellhead previously installed after drilling, to ensure production tion of the corresponding well and the rise of hydrocarbons

  products up to a floating surface support or not.

  Currently when such a decision to produce the well is taken, we proceed as follows: After having installed guide cables using naval drilling support, either with divers or on the train rods, remove the protective cap then lower the production shaft and install it to the drill string using the drilling port. The production shaft being connected, we test this' connection by pressurization of the drill string connected to the production ar We then descend submarine pipes, comprising production, service and line piping

  remote control, and we lock them on the production shaft.

  These operations are carried out using a specialized vessel and can relate to rigid or flexible pipes and use automatic or manual connections, that is to say pz divers After having tested this connection by pressurization

  underwater pipes we remove the cables-

  guides and putting into production by connecting pipes

  submarine to a production surface support.

  It has turned out in practice that the installation of the production shaft and the connection test of this on the well head usually do not pose any particular problem. However, it is not the same for the operations of laying and connecting submarine pipes on the production tree

in deep waters.

  In addition, a production carried out by these conventional methods requires several different surface supports, namely a naval drilling support for the installation of the production tree, of a specialized vessel for the installation.

  i.e. the laying, connection and testing of the under-

  navies and a naval production support to collect the

  hydrocarbons when the well is put into production.

  This succession on the site of the various surface supports translates into very cost and operating times.

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  important. In addition, the successive descent of the various elements, namely the production tree then the underwater pipes

  requires connection tests after each handling.

  The present invention therefore proposes to

  provide an implementation process, particularly for large depths

  donors of production equipment, allowing the use of rapidly mobilizable, inexpensive, recoverable equipment, and

  easy implementation and maintenance.

  The process according to the invention is characterized essential-

  ment by the fact that the submarine pipes and at least part of the production tree are lowered simultaneously from the same surface support, the pipes being previously

  surface connected to said part of the production tree.

  In a first embodiment, the production shaft is of the monobloc type and is lowered to the wellhead suspended from the end of the pipes, deposited and connected to the

wellhead.

  By submarine pipes within the meaning of the invention means the production and service lines as well as the lines

  hydraulic and / or electric remote control of the prop shaft

  duction; the invention also extends to the access pipes to the

  well for cable work interventions.

  In a preferred embodiment of the invention the submarine pipes are flexible pipes, such as, for example, those manufactured in great length by the company COFLEXIP However the invention is not limited to it and can be used used with rigid underwater pipes or rigid pipes connected to the production tree by a short

hose length.

  The descent of the production tree suspended from the

  underwater picks can be done by cables-

  guides previously installed between the surface support and the

wellhead.

  Alternatively we can ensure the descent of the tree

  production and its installation on the well head without cables-

  guides, by a guide known per se as a "reentry cone", the base plate of the wellhead, as well as the production shaft then being equipped with a guide system by cone and landing ring such as those currently used in interventions

at great depths.

  In a preferred embodiment of the invention, after connecting the production shaft to the well head, provision is made to tilt the pipes at the level of the production shaft and to deposit them on the bottom by displacement of surface support For this purpose the conduits are integral near their lower end with a stirrup capable of

  rotate relative to the production tree.

  So in production phase the surface support does not

  not plumb with the fitted wellhead.

  After completion of the well operation, or when

  we wish to set up on the well head another team-

  Production steps are carried out in the opposite direction to the process steps described above, and the production shaft is thus lifted up. The production tree is suspended from the undersea pipelines.

  using the same surface support.

  The process according to the invention has just been described for a one-piece production shaft, but the process according to the invention can also, as a variant, be implemented with a double shaft of the "SPLIT TREE" type comprising a lower part or safety block (MVA) and an upper part or production block

tion (PCA).

  In this case, the lower safety block is lowered from the production shaft suspended from the submarine pipes as indicated above, and after the pipes have been tilted, the lower production block is fixed and fixed. production tree by all appropriate descent processes,

especially the drill string.

  The same surface support being used, it is in c

  if necessary, before lowering the abandonment production block

  give the end of the underwater pipes by attaching them to an immersed or semi-floating buoy, the pipes being taken up by the surface support after connection of the production block to 1

  safety block forming together the production tree.

  Other advantages and characteristics of the invention

  will appear on reading the attached description of examples,

  implementation with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: FIG. 1 represents a well head provided with a production equipment during the implementation of the method according to the invention -3- -4- Figures 2 to 6 illustrate the different phases of a first mode of implementation of the method according to the invention and, FIGS. 7 to 12 illustrate the different phases of a second mode of implementation of the method according to the invention. Figures 13 and 14 show a wellhead provided with an alternative embodiment of production equipment at

  course of two phases of implementation of the method according to the

  vention. FIG. 1 shows a well head 1, comprising

  a base plate 2 and from which extends a con-

  conductor 3 in the seabed 4.

  On this wellhead is set up a production tree designated overall by 5, more precisely in the mode

  embodiment described in FIG. 1, the safety block constitutes

  tituant the lower part of a double tree, this tree comprising

  an upper part, not shown, called production block.

  The tree shown in Figure 1 has a connector

  tor 6 for connection to the wellhead and descended according to the invention by hanging from flexible pipes, generally designated by 7, and comprising in the particular example of FIG. 1 a flexible service pipe 8 a flexible pipe

  9 and a hydraulic umbilical 10.

  Lines 8 and 9 are connected to the production tree

  by rotary connectors 11 and respectively 12 In the example

  ple shown the pipe 9 comprises a rigid section 9 '.

  The set of pipes 7 is fixed to a bracket 13 mounted

  tilting at its ends 14 and 15 on the production shaft.

  Locking mechanisms 16 are provided for immobobi-

  read the stirrup relative to the production shaft during the descent of the latter There are also provided stops 17 of

  locking of the stirrup 13.

  We now refer to Figures 2 to 6 to describe a

  first mode of implementation of the method according to the invention.

  On a wellhead 1 on standby after drilling has been carried out

  in submarine soil 4 we install by means of plon-

  guides from a surface support 18 of the guide lines 19 As shown diagrammatically in FIG. 3, the production shaft 5 is then lowered suspended from the flexible pipes 7 which are unwound from the same surface support 18 In the embodiment example des -5 r 459 figures 2 to 6 the production shaft is of the monobloc type The guide of the descent is carried out via cables

guides 19.

  As seen in Figure 4 the production shaft is placed on the well head and the connector 6 is locked After testing the connection by pressurizing

  the guide cables are removed 19.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the clamp is tilted and the surface support 18 is moved away from the well head fitted to the production start-up position shown.

in Figure 6.

  We now refer to Figures 7 to 12 which will illustrate

  a second embodiment of the method according to the invention.

  This embodiment uses a double production shaft comprising a lower part or safety block 5 a el

  an upper part or a production block 5 b.

  As can be seen in FIGS. 7 to 9, the lower part 5 a of the production shaft is first lowered in the same manner as in the first embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6 with the exception of the fact that guide cables are not used but a conventional guide system by reentrant cone, the base plate of the well head and the production shaft being equipped with 'a system

  guidance by cone and landing ring.

  This embodiment could however be implemented.

  works with guide cables, in the same way as the first

  mier described implementation mode may not use cable

  guides but guidance by reentry cone.

  As seen in Figure 10 once the conduits brought into the position corresponding to the start of production or abandons their end on a so-called sub-surface buoy 19 or

  still at the bottom of the water with a marking buoy.

  As illustrated in FIG. 11, we then descend by appropriate means, from the same surface support 18 the upper part E 5 b of the production shaft which is connected to part 5 a, the end of the pipes 7 then being taken up by E surface support 18 for production as shown in

figure 12.

  We now refer to Figures 13 and 14 which illus-

  trent a variant implementation of the invention.

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  Figure 13 is a view similar to Figure 1 and the similar parts have the same reference numerals there as

those shown in Figure 1.

  The stirrup 13 is articulated at its upper part on a ball joint 20 integral with the conduits 7. At their lower part the conduits are connected by connecting pieces 21 to sections of rigid conduits 22

  ensuring a link with the production tree.

  Illustrated in Figure 14, in side elevation, the

  device of FIG. 13 after pivoting of the stirrup 13.

  It will be seen on examining FIG. 14 that the pivoting stirrup 13 limits the curvature of the pipe section between the ball joint 20, at the upper end of the stirrup, and the connection piece 21 at the end of flexible pipe In this pipe section, additional devices, not shown, for curvature limitation, such as for example

vertebrate rings.

  Although the invention has been described in connection with particular modes of implementation, it is obvious that it is in no way limited thereto and that it can be brought to many variations and modifications without departing from or of its frame

nor of his mind.

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Claims (9)

  1 Method of placing on a sub well head   seafarer of equipment comprising a production shaft capable of being connected to the wellhead and underwater pipes, comprising in particular service production pipes and remote control lines, capable of being connected by one end to the production tree and by the other end to a surface support, characterized in that one descends simu   temporarily from the same surface support the pipes under   marines and at least part of the production tree, the con-   picks being previously connected on the surface to said part the production tree.   2 A method according to claim 1 characterized in that the production shaft is of the monobloc type and is descen   entirely suspended from the end of said pipes.   3 Method according to claim characterized in that the production shaft is of the double type comprising a part, lower or safety block and an upper part or production block, the lower part being lowered suspended from the ex   end of the pipes, the upper part being lowered later   laughingly and connected to the bottom.   4 Method according to any one of claims 1   3 characterized by the fact that after connection to the wellhead of the production shaft or of the part thereof lowered to the end of the pipes, the pipes are tilted at the edges of the production tree and we put these on the bottom by displacement of the surface support.   Method according to any of claims 3   and 4 characterized by the fact that after having deposited the pipes on the bottom, their upper end fixed to a buoy is abandoned.   6 Method according to any one of claims   previous characterized by the fact that it is fully set   work from the same surface support.   7 Hydrocarbon production equipment for putting   implementing the method according to any one of the claims   previous of the type characterized by the fact that it comprises a production arbi provided with means for connection to a wellhead and a plurality of submarine conduits connected to said production tree, said submarine conduits being integral at -8 25 t '1591 near their lower end of a stirrup likely to   rotate relative to the production tree.   8 Equipment according to claim 7, wherein the production shaft comprises a lower part or safety block and an upper part or production block, characterized in that said stirrup and said pipes are   attached to said lower part of the production tree.   9 Equipment according to any one of claims 7   and 8 characterized in that it comprises locking means   lage to immobilize said pivoting bracket on the production shaft.