US3502143A - Marine riser support system - Google Patents

Marine riser support system Download PDF

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Publication number
US3502143A
US3502143A US732916A US3502143DA US3502143A US 3502143 A US3502143 A US 3502143A US 732916 A US732916 A US 732916A US 3502143D A US3502143D A US 3502143DA US 3502143 A US3502143 A US 3502143A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
vessel
assembly
connector
marine conductor
wellhead
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
US732916A
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English (en)
Inventor
William H Petersen
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.)
Shell USA Inc
Original Assignee
Shell Oil Co
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Shell Oil Co filed Critical Shell Oil Co
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Publication of US3502143A publication Critical patent/US3502143A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • 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
    • 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
    • E21B19/08—Apparatus for feeding the rods or cables; Apparatus for increasing or decreasing the pressure on the drilling tool; Apparatus for counterbalancing the weight of the rods
    • E21B19/09—Apparatus for feeding the rods or cables; Apparatus for increasing or decreasing the pressure on the drilling tool; Apparatus for counterbalancing the weight of the rods specially adapted for drilling underwater formations from a floating support using heave compensators supporting the drill string
    • 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
    • E21B33/038—Connectors used on well heads, e.g. for connecting blow-out preventer and riser
    • 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
    • E21B41/10—Guide posts, e.g. releasable; Attaching guide lines to underwater guide bases
    • 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
    • E21B7/00—Special methods or apparatus for drilling
    • E21B7/12—Underwater drilling
    • E21B7/128—Underwater drilling from floating support with independent underwater anchored guide base

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a method and apparatus for use in drilling, completing and working-over operations in oil and gas wells at offshore locations. More particularly, the subject invention pertains to a method and apparatus for effecting communication between a vessel on the surface of a body of water and a wellhead structure positioned on the sea bed or at a substantial depth below the surface of the water.
  • a further object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus whereby a controlled pull down of a marine conductor assembly, including a connector and a marine conductor pipe, onto an underwater wellhead structure may be eflected from a floating vessel from which the marine conductor assembly depends, with the distance between said marine conductor assembly and said structure remaining substantially constant during a given stage of the pull down operation regardless of the degree of up and down movement of the floating vessel.
  • FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view taken in longitudinal projection illustrating the lower portion of a floating vessel having depending therefrom a marine conductor assembly prior to its operative engagement with an underwater wellhead structure;
  • FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic view taken in longitudinal projection and in enlarged detail of a portion of the floating vessel and the pulldown and motion compensatting apparatus according to the present invention
  • FIGURE 3 is a side view in enlarged detail of a clamp and sheave member utilized in the arrangement of FIG- URE 2;
  • FIGURES 4 and 5 are schematic illustrations showing the operation of the motion compensating apparatus according to the present invention during the rise and fall of the floating vessel.
  • a platform or barge 11 of any suitable floatable type is illustrated as floating on the surface of a body of water 12 and positioned over a preselected well site by suitable barge positioning means or by being anchored to the sea bed 13 by suitable anchors (not shown) connected to anchor lines 14 and 15.
  • Equipment of this type may be used when carrying on well workover Operations in water depths varying from about 100 to 1,500 feet or more.
  • the vessel is equipped with a conventional derrick 16 as well as other usual auxiliary equipment needed during workover operations relating to a well such as a rotary table '17, a hoist system (not shown), etc.
  • the derrick 16 is preferably, but not necessarily, positioned on an elevated rig floor or operating platform 18 which is supported by means of a framework 19 over slot or well 20.
  • the slot 20 may be either centrally located or extend in from one edge. However, operations may be carried out over the side of the barge or vessel without the use of a slot as from a portion of the operating platform extending out over one end of the remainder of the vessel.
  • An underwater wellhead structure is illustrated as comprising a base member 22 which is positioned on the sea bed 13 and fixedly secured to conductor pipe or a large diameter well casing 23 which extends down into a well which has been previously drilled, and is preferably cemented therein.
  • a pair of vertically-extending guide columns 24 and 25 are afiixed to base member 22 for the purpose which will be more fully brought out below.
  • a production wellhead assembly 26 Disposed between guide columns 24 and 25 is a production wellhead assembly 26 which is of conventional design. Although illustrated herein in somewhat schematic fashion, it may be assumed that the disclosed assembly is of the general type disclosed in the above-mentioned U.S. Patent No. 3,064,735, issued Nov. 20, 1962, to R. J.
  • the assembly includes at least one production flow line 26a which is connected by suitable coupling means to underwater pipeline 26b.
  • Assembly 26 is maintained in operative communication with well casing 23 by means of a conventional wellhead connector unit 27.
  • An elongated landing mandrel or entry conduit 28 is fixedly secured at its lower end to the topmost portion of the remainder of assembly 26.
  • Production wellhead assembly 26 differs from that disclosed in US. Patent No. 3,064,735 in that entry conduit or landing mandrel 28 has extending therefrom in an offset manner a bracket member 29 with a mono-post 30 atfixed thereto and extending vertically therefrom.
  • a single guide cable 31 is affixed to the end of monopost element 30 and extends upwardly to vessel 11.
  • the guide cable 31 may be permanently atached to mono-post 30 or may be secured thereto by suitable latch means which has been previously remotely brought into engagement with the mono-post by means of suitable apparatus manipulated from vesel '11.
  • suitable apparatus for performing this is disclosed in copending U.S. application Ser. No. 749,171, filed July 31, 1968.
  • a specially designed tool incorporating wellhead assembly locating and positioning means such as a TV camera and/ or a sonar unit, is lowered by means of a pipe string from a floating vessel onto the assembly to attach a latching element and cable or guide line to a mono-post.
  • the cable may be permanently attached to the mono-post with grappling hooks or other means being employed to initially establish a connection between the free end of the cable and the vessel.
  • the cable or monoguideline 31 passes over sheave 32, which is rotatably mounted on arm 33, and thence to a hoist 34 of any known design which is fixedly mounted on deck member 35 of vessel 11.
  • a marine riser or conductor pipe 36 with tubing members 36a and 36b disposed therein depends from vessel 11 and is biased in an upwardly direction under a substantially constant predetermined force by means of a hydraulic tensioner 37 of any known type.
  • the tensioner is illustrated schematically in FIGURE 2 and essentially comprises a housing 38 having disposed therein a double acting hydraulic piston 39 which is afiixed in any desired fashion to the upper portion of marine conductor 36.
  • a substantially constant upward presur is exerted on piston 39 and hence marine conductor 36 by pressuring up the lowermost end of housing 38 with hydraulic fluid through conduit 40.
  • a conventional hydraulic accumulator arrangement (not shown) is in communication with conduit 41 near the upper portion of housing 38 to maintain the upwardly directed force at a substantially constant value.
  • a wellhead connector 42 Disposed at the lower end of marine conductor 36 is a wellhead connector 42 (FIGURE 1) of any desired type and construction.
  • the connector is of a size and having a bore to fit telescopically onto and to make sealing engagement with landing mandrel 28 of wellhead assembly 26.
  • guideline connector means may be frame mounted on the connector 42 to establish guidelines 43 and 44 between the vessel 11 and the underwater wellhead structure 21.
  • the guideline connector means forms no part of the present invention but is shown here for purposes of illustration only. Quite briefly, the form shown comprises cylindrical housing members 45 and 46 in which latch connector members 47 and 48, respectively, are freely disposed.
  • Latch connector members 47 and 48 are held in the position illustrated in FIGURE 1 by virtue of the fact that guide cables 43 and 44 are maintained under tension by constant tension hoists 49 and 50 on vessel 11.
  • the constant tension hoists 49 and 50 may be of any suitable design and exert a tensile force on the guide cables -to maintain the cone-shaped members 51 and 52, which constitute portions of latch connector members 47 and 48, against the respective bottoms of cylindrical housing members 45 and 46. It is to be understood that upon release of the force imparted by the constant tension hoists 49 and S0, latch connector matter 47 and 48 will be free to drop downwardly through the cylindrical housing members.
  • the particular arrangement shown here is more fully disclosed in copending US. patent application Ser. No. 731,382, filed May 23, 1968. As stated above, however, the guideline or cable connecting means forms no part of the present invention.
  • a guide housing 53 defining a throughbore is frame mounted on the connector 42.
  • the mono-guideline 31 passes through the throughbore of the guide housing to stabilize the connector and related apparatus as lowering operations are carried out from the vessel. These operations will be described in greater detail below.
  • a pulldown line or cable 54 is connected by attachment member 55 to a bracket 56 extending from an upper section of marine conductor pipe 36.
  • the pull-down line 54 then passes under pulley or sheave 57 which is afiixed for rotatable movement on mono-guideline 31 at a predetermined location below bracket 56.
  • a hydraulic clamping mechanism is preferred since such an arrangement offers the advantage of permitting the operator to readily position the pulley 57 at any desired location on the mono-guideline and also providing a positive grip of great magnitude to be made with respect to the mono-guideline upon application of hydraulic pressure.
  • FIGURES 2 and 3 illustrate one form of hydraulic clamping mechanism 58 which may be used for this purpose.
  • the clamping mechanism comprises relatively movable clamping portions 59' and 60 which are brought into engagement over mono-guideline 31 through application of hydraulic pressure by hydraulic lines 61 and 62.
  • pull-down line 54 passes upwardly and over still another sheave or pulley 63 (FIG- URES 1 and 2) rotatably mounted on the free end of arm 33 and thence to a hoist or power .winch '64 mounted on deck member 35 of vessel 11.
  • Arm 33 is integrally attached to a hydraulic piston member 65 which is disposed within cylinder 66 connected to operating platform 18 by any desired means.
  • a hydraulic accumulator 67 is aflixed to cylinder 66 and communicates with the interior thereof in the known manner to bias piston member 65 in an upward direction so that a tensional force of a predetermined magnitude is applied to both mono-guideline 31 and pull-down line 54, which pass over pulley 32 and pulley 63, respectively.
  • FIGURES 4 and 5 illustrate in schematic fashion the mode of operation of the above-described apparatus.
  • FIGURE 4 an attempt has been made to show the relative positions assumed by the various elements of the invention when vessel -11, due to wave action or otherwise, is in its lowest position, i.e. when vessel 11 is at its closest position with respect to the underwater wellhead structure 21.
  • FIGURE 5 shows vessel 11 at its extreme upward position, i.e. the position assumed thereby when it is at its maximum distance from structure 21.
  • wellhead connector 42 is a substantially fixed distance, indicated by the letter X, from structure 21.
  • said support means being secured to the upper portion of said marine conductor pipe to urge the marine conductor assembly means in a substantially upward direction with a force greater than the weight of the marine conductor assembly means; first sheave means; means for mounting said first sheave means at a substantially fixed distance from said wellhead assembly;
  • pull-down line means having one end thereof attached to said marine conductor pipe and having the other end thereof in operative association with a first line take-up means mounted on said floating vessel; said pull-down line means being in cooperative engagement with said first sheave means and said second sheave means whereby actuation of said first line take-up means serves to pull down said marine conductor assembly means against the force of said yieldable support means to bring the connector means into engagement with said wellhead assembly.
  • said means for mounting said first sheave means comprises a guideline means attached to said wellhead assembly and extending to said floating vessel and a means for clamping said first sheave means on said guideline means whereby the sheave means is mounted for rotatable movement at a fixed point with respect to the guideline means.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Earth Drilling (AREA)
US732916A 1968-05-29 1968-05-29 Marine riser support system Expired - Lifetime US3502143A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US73291668A 1968-05-29 1968-05-29

Publications (1)

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US3502143A true US3502143A (en) 1970-03-24

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US732916A Expired - Lifetime US3502143A (en) 1968-05-29 1968-05-29 Marine riser support system

Country Status (5)

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US (1) US3502143A (ja)
JP (1) JPS5025402B1 (ja)
DE (1) DE1925912C3 (ja)
FR (1) FR2009548A1 (ja)
GB (1) GB1264848A (ja)

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3785445A (en) * 1972-05-01 1974-01-15 J Scozzafava Combined riser tensioner and drill string heave compensator
US3791442A (en) * 1971-09-28 1974-02-12 Regan Forge & Eng Co Coupling means for a riser string run from a floating vessel to a subsea well
US3889747A (en) * 1973-07-23 1975-06-17 Regan Offshore Int Telescopic riser tensioning apparatus
US4194857A (en) * 1976-11-22 1980-03-25 Societe Nationale Elf Aquitaine (Production) Subsea station
US4668126A (en) * 1986-02-24 1987-05-26 Hydril Company Floating drilling rig apparatus and method
WO1998040602A1 (en) * 1997-02-27 1998-09-17 Abb Offshore Technology As A method and a means for arranging and installing a structure on the sea bed
US6129151A (en) * 1998-12-10 2000-10-10 Dril-Quip, Inc. Apparatus for use in the completion of subsea wells
EP1747323A1 (en) * 2004-04-22 2007-01-31 Seahorse Equipment Corporation Top tensioned riser
US20160376848A1 (en) * 2013-07-16 2016-12-29 Castor Drilling Solution As Drilling rig arrangement
US9988848B2 (en) 2011-10-05 2018-06-05 Single Buoy Moorings, Inc. Method and apparatus for drilling multiple subsea wells from an offshore platform at a single site

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3021909A (en) * 1958-10-01 1962-02-20 California Research Corp Means for offshore drilling
US3191696A (en) * 1958-05-16 1965-06-29 Richfield Oil Corp Offshore drilling system
US3208728A (en) * 1962-11-19 1965-09-28 Exxon Production Research Co Apparatus for use on floating drilling platforms
US3221817A (en) * 1962-09-13 1965-12-07 Shell Oil Co Marine conductor pipe assembly
US3369600A (en) * 1965-12-06 1968-02-20 Exxon Production Research Co Offshore operations in wells
US3403728A (en) * 1965-12-17 1968-10-01 Transp Engineering Inc Apparatus for the suspension of well bore devices
US3421581A (en) * 1965-10-19 1969-01-14 Shell Oil Co Method and apparatus for carrying out operations on a well under water

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3191696A (en) * 1958-05-16 1965-06-29 Richfield Oil Corp Offshore drilling system
US3021909A (en) * 1958-10-01 1962-02-20 California Research Corp Means for offshore drilling
US3221817A (en) * 1962-09-13 1965-12-07 Shell Oil Co Marine conductor pipe assembly
US3208728A (en) * 1962-11-19 1965-09-28 Exxon Production Research Co Apparatus for use on floating drilling platforms
US3421581A (en) * 1965-10-19 1969-01-14 Shell Oil Co Method and apparatus for carrying out operations on a well under water
US3369600A (en) * 1965-12-06 1968-02-20 Exxon Production Research Co Offshore operations in wells
US3403728A (en) * 1965-12-17 1968-10-01 Transp Engineering Inc Apparatus for the suspension of well bore devices

Cited By (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3791442A (en) * 1971-09-28 1974-02-12 Regan Forge & Eng Co Coupling means for a riser string run from a floating vessel to a subsea well
US3785445A (en) * 1972-05-01 1974-01-15 J Scozzafava Combined riser tensioner and drill string heave compensator
US3889747A (en) * 1973-07-23 1975-06-17 Regan Offshore Int Telescopic riser tensioning apparatus
US4194857A (en) * 1976-11-22 1980-03-25 Societe Nationale Elf Aquitaine (Production) Subsea station
US4668126A (en) * 1986-02-24 1987-05-26 Hydril Company Floating drilling rig apparatus and method
GB2338739A (en) * 1997-02-27 1999-12-29 Abb Offshore Technology As A method and a means for arranging and installing a structure on the sea bed
WO1998040602A1 (en) * 1997-02-27 1998-09-17 Abb Offshore Technology As A method and a means for arranging and installing a structure on the sea bed
US6129151A (en) * 1998-12-10 2000-10-10 Dril-Quip, Inc. Apparatus for use in the completion of subsea wells
EP1747323A1 (en) * 2004-04-22 2007-01-31 Seahorse Equipment Corporation Top tensioned riser
EP1747323A4 (en) * 2004-04-22 2008-07-16 Seahorse Equip Corp RISER WITH TOP VOLTAGE
US9988848B2 (en) 2011-10-05 2018-06-05 Single Buoy Moorings, Inc. Method and apparatus for drilling multiple subsea wells from an offshore platform at a single site
US20160376848A1 (en) * 2013-07-16 2016-12-29 Castor Drilling Solution As Drilling rig arrangement
US9856703B2 (en) * 2013-07-16 2018-01-02 Castor Drilling Solution As Drilling rig arrangement

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR2009548A1 (ja) 1970-02-06
DE1925912C3 (de) 1978-12-07
JPS5025402B1 (ja) 1975-08-23
DE1925912B2 (de) 1978-04-13
DE1925912A1 (de) 1969-12-04
GB1264848A (ja) 1972-02-23

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