NO781093L

NO781093L - REGULATOR DEVICE FOR UNDERWATER OIL WELLS

Info

Publication number: NO781093L
Application number: NO781093A
Authority: NO
Inventors: Valeriano Banzoli; Leonardo Beccegato; Paolo Minardi; Emilio Morganti; Marco Paolo Selleroni
Original assignee: Tecnomare Spa
Priority date: 1977-04-01
Filing date: 1978-03-29
Publication date: 1978-10-03
Also published as: FR2385887A1; IT1071925B; DE2813768C3; JPS53123302A; DE2813768A1; DE2813768B2; DK138578A; CA1109783A; NL7803402A; FR2385887B1; GB1595529A

Description

Foreliggende oppfinnelse angår en reguleringsanordning for brønnhoder på undersjøiske oljebrønner på dypt vann (ned til 600meters dybde). The present invention relates to a regulation device for wellheads on underwater oil wells in deep water (down to a depth of 600 metres).

Det er kjent flere anordninger for regulering av oljebrønner på sjøbunnen, men ingen av disse anordninger kombinerer alle trekk og egenskaper ved anordningen i henhold til foreliggende oppfinnelse. Several devices are known for regulating oil wells on the seabed, but none of these devices combine all features and characteristics of the device according to the present invention.

Brønnhodet i henhold til foreliggende oppfinnelse krever ikke The wellhead according to the present invention does not require

innsats av froskemenn for installasjon og drift. Det er fjern-styrt både akustisk og over kabel, samt også elektrisk langs rørledningene for de hydrokarboner som tas ut av oljebrønnen. Reguleringsinnretningen drives elektrisk ved hjelp av en under-sjøisk radioaktiv isotop-generator. efforts of frogmen for installation and operation. It is remotely controlled both acoustically and via cable, as well as electrically along the pipelines for the hydrocarbons that are taken out of the oil well. The regulating device is operated electrically by means of an underwater radioactive isotope generator.

Den mekaniske del av brønnhodet er oppbygget etter et modul-mønster. Den nedre del omfatter de komponenter som er beregnet for opphold på sjøbunnen i lange tidsperioder, mens den øvre del inneholder de komponenter som krever regelmessig ettersyn. Denne øvre del inneholder alle komponenter av selve regulerings-utstyret. The mechanical part of the wellhead is structured according to a module pattern. The lower part includes the components that are intended to stay on the seabed for long periods of time, while the upper part contains the components that require regular inspection. This upper part contains all components of the regulation equipment itself.

Da reguleringsutstyr og kraftforsyning er innebygd i brønnhodet, krever dette ikke noen forbindelse med brønnplattformen, bortsett fra rørledningene for uttatte hydrokarboner fra oljebrønnen. Ved dette arrangement unngås alle problemer i forbindelse med anvendelse av undersjøiske elektriske kabler og koblinger. As control equipment and power supply are built into the wellhead, this does not require any connection with the well platform, apart from the pipelines for extracted hydrocarbons from the oil well. This arrangement avoids all problems in connection with the use of submarine electrical cables and connectors.

Foreliggende reguleringsanordning for brønnhoder vil nå bli nærmere beskrevet under henvisning til den vedføyde tegning, som skjematisk viser en praktisk utførelse av anordningen, men bare er angitt som et utførelseseksempel, idet det er fullt mulig å innføre flere modifikasjoner og forandringer uten å overskride oppfinnelsens ramme og arbeidsfunksjon. The existing regulation device for wellheads will now be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawing, which schematically shows a practical implementation of the device, but is only indicated as an example of implementation, as it is entirely possible to introduce several modifications and changes without exceeding the scope of the invention and work function.

Den foreliggende reguleringsanordning. omfatter en beholder 1 som inneholder elektroniske reguleringskretser i forbindelse med hydro-foner bg en stasjon for utsendelse og mottaging av akustiske signaler. The present regulation device. comprises a container 1 which contains electronic control circuits in connection with hydrophones bg a station for sending and receiving acoustic signals.

Disse elektroniske kretser er også utført for mottagelse og sending av de nødvendige signaler ved hjelp av elektrisk kabel og undersjøiske kanaler. These electronic circuits are also designed for receiving and sending the necessary signals by means of electric cable and submarine channels.

De nevnte elektroniske kretser er innrettet for koding og avkoding av de signaler som mottas av og utsendes fra brønnhodet. The aforementioned electronic circuits are arranged for coding and decoding of the signals received by and emitted from the wellhead.

Disse elektroniske kretser har som oppgave å styre brønnens av-sperringsventiler ved hjelp av anordningens elektrohydrauliske utstyr, samt å sende analoge data (avlesninger av trykk, elektrisk spenning og andre måleverdier) og anvisningsverdier som angir stillingen av brønnens avstengningsverdier samt opplysninger om mulige tilstander som utløser blokkering og alarm. The task of these electronic circuits is to control the well's shut-off valves using the device's electro-hydraulic equipment, as well as to send analogue data (readings of pressure, electrical voltage and other measured values) and instruction values that indicate the position of the well's shut-off values as well as information about possible conditions that trigger blocking and alarm.

De elektriske kretser er forbundet med et hus 2 som omslutter The electrical circuits are connected by a housing 2 which encloses

det elektrohydrauliske utstyr. Dette hus er oppdelt i to kamre som er innbyrdes adskilt av en koblingsplate, hvorigjennom det er ført alle passasjer for elektriske og hydrauliske kanaler både mellom de to tilstøtende kamre og for ytre forbindelser, med det formål å påvirke de ventildrivende organer, for fastleggelse av deres stilling, for avlesning av trykkverdiene i brønnhodet og andre måledata. the electro-hydraulic equipment. This housing is divided into two chambers which are mutually separated by a connecting plate, through which are led all passages for electrical and hydraulic channels both between the two adjacent chambers and for external connections, for the purpose of influencing the valve driving organs, for determining their position, for reading the pressure values in the wellhead and other measurement data.

I det øvre kammer, som befinner seg under atmosfærisk trykk, befinner det seg en koblingsenhet sammen med akkumulatorbatterier for effekt-tilførsel både til det elektrohydrauliske utstyr og til de elektroniske kretser. In the upper chamber, which is under atmospheric pressure, there is a coupling unit together with accumulator batteries for power supply both to the electro-hydraulic equipment and to the electronic circuits.

Koblingsenheten har som oppgave å styre start og stopp av . en elektrisk motor som driver en hydraulisk pumpe, på grunnlag av anvisninger fra trykkfølere på de foreliggende hydrauliske akkumulatorer, samt å overføre alle de elektriske signaler som kommer fra den hydrauliske utrustning samt fra den utrustning som er montert på brønnhodet til de elektroniske reguleringskretser og vise versa. The switching unit's task is to control the start and stop of . an electric motor that drives a hydraulic pump, on the basis of instructions from pressure sensors on the available hydraulic accumulators, as well as to transfer all the electrical signals coming from the hydraulic equipment as well as from the equipment mounted on the wellhead to the electronic control circuits and vice versa .

I det nedre kammer, som er trykkkompensert og således befinner seg under et trykk som tilsvarer trykket på brønnhodets dybde-nivå, er den hydrauliske utrustning og nevnte elektriske motor anordnet innesluttet i et oljebad. In the lower chamber, which is pressure compensated and thus located under a pressure corresponding to the pressure at the depth level of the wellhead, the hydraulic equipment and said electric motor are arranged enclosed in an oil bath.

Den elektriske motor driver en pumpe som bare har til oppgave å trykklade de foreliggende hydrauliske akkumulatorer. The electric motor drives a pump whose sole task is to pressurize the available hydraulic accumulators.

Disse hydrauliske akkumulatorer sørger for drivtrykk til driv-organene for brønnens avstengningsventiler når disse skal påvirkes, og i løpet av den tid som kreves for innstilling av disse ventiler. Overføring av hydraulisk drivvæske til forbrukerorganene finner sted gjennom rettede elektromagnetiske ventiler, som styres av de elektroniske reguleringskretser. En radioaktiv isotop-generator 3 forsyner hele anlegget med den nødvendige elektriske effekt gjennom de nevnte akkumulatorbatterier i det øvre kammer av huset 2. These hydraulic accumulators provide drive pressure for the drive means for the well's shut-off valves when these are to be actuated, and during the time required for setting these valves. Transmission of hydraulic drive fluid to the consumer organs takes place through directional electromagnetic valves, which are controlled by the electronic control circuits. A radioactive isotope generator 3 supplies the entire plant with the necessary electrical power through the aforementioned accumulator batteries in the upper chamber of the housing 2.

For styring av ventilene i brønnhodet direkte fra overflaten, For controlling the valves in the wellhead directly from the surface,

er det anordnet en sperreblokk 4, som ved hjelp av passende hydraulisk drevne ventiler muliggjør utkobling av det ovenfor beskrevne elektrohydrauliske utstyr som er installert i brønnhodet. a blocking block 4 is arranged, which, by means of suitable hydraulically driven valves, enables disconnection of the above-described electro-hydraulic equipment which is installed in the wellhead.

Claims

1. Regulating device for wellheads for regulating subsea oil wells in deep water down to 600 meters, characterized in that the device is composed of: a) an electrical unit for regulation and control, b) an electrohydraulic unit for influencing the oil well's valves, c) a unit for generation of electrical power, and d) a unit for connecting the hydraulic control lines from the surface with the hydraulic control lines from the electro-hydraulic unit.

2. Regulation device as specified in claim 1, characterized in that the electrical unit for regulation and control includes: a) electrical circuits designed to be used as a transmission channel for both acoustic transmission through seawater and electrical transmission through a cable or along the flow channels for hydrocarbon products from the well with feedback for the signals through seawater, b) alarm systems for automatic closing of the well valves in the event of a fault in the remote control or power supply, or in the event of abnormal operating conditions in the oil well or breaks in the flow channels for the well's hydrocarbon products, in the event of failure to transmit the acoustic signals, and c) control equipment that can affect a number of subsea wellheads at the same time in the event of alarm conditions on the surface platform.

3. Regulating device as stated in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the electrohydraulic unit for influencing the oil burner's shut-off valves includes: a) a steel housing divided into two chambers separated from each other by a connecting plate, through which all passages for electrical and hydraulic channels are led between the two chambers and the surroundings, b) hydraulic components and pump unit in the lower part of said chambers, which are pressure compensated and separated with oil, c) a hydraulic system composed of two circuits, namely a high pressure circuit and a low pressure circuit driven by the same pump unit, and d) a built-in safety system in the hydraulic equipment for the automatic release of the hydraulic pressure from all influencing devices for the well valves (with subsequent shutdown of the well), both in the event of a failure of the supply system and abnormal pressure conditions in the well, as well as in fault on the remote control system or failed reception of control signals.

4. Regulation device as stated in claims 1-3, k a r a k', t e r i s e r. b y that it is designed as a modular system designed for use on wellheads of different types with regard to the number of valves to be controlled, as well as calibrated for different operating conditions.

5. Regulating device as specified in claims 1-4, characterized in that it includes such technical solutions for the hydraulic equipment that require low electrical power and thus can be used with underwater electrical power sources (radioactive isotope generators) with low emitted power.