US3517737A - Marine riser pull-down device - Google Patents

Marine riser pull-down device Download PDF

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Publication number
US3517737A
US3517737A US731495A US3517737DA US3517737A US 3517737 A US3517737 A US 3517737A US 731495 A US731495 A US 731495A US 3517737D A US3517737D A US 3517737DA US 3517737 A US3517737 A US 3517737A
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United States
Prior art keywords
wellhead
connector
vessel
pull
underwater
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
US731495A
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English (en)
Inventor
William H Petersen
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Shell USA Inc
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Shell Oil Co
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Filing date
Publication date
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Publication of US3517737A publication Critical patent/US3517737A/en
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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
    • 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 object has been attained in the present invention by providing a marine conductor adapted to be yieldably supported by a oating platform, said conductor having attached to the lower end thereof wellhead connector means adapted to cooperatively engage mandrel means on an underwater wellhead assembly.
  • a pull-down apparatus including prime mover means is fixedly positioned with respect to the wellhead connector means. Downward movement of the pull-down apparatus over upstanding post means associated with the wellhead assembly serves to lock these two elements into engagement. Actuation of the prime mover means is then effective to pull the wellhead connector means down into engagement with said mandrel means against the upward force exerted by said yieldable support means.
  • FIG. 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;
  • FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic longitudinal view in partial cross-section illustrating the relative positions assumed by elements of the apparatus according to the present invention and the marine conductor assembly associated therewith after initial engagement has been made with the underwater wellhead structure and prior to iinal pull down of the connector into operative engagement with the landing mandrel of the wellhead structure; and
  • FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic, longitudinal view in partial cross-section illustrating the relative positions assumed by elements of the apparatus according to the present invention and the marine conductor assembly associated therewith after final pull down of the connector into operative engagement with the landing mandrel of the wellhead structure.
  • a platform or barge 11 of any suitable fioatable 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 sea bed 13 and lixedly secured to conductor pipe or 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 axed to base member 22 for the purpose which will be more fully lbrought out below.
  • a production wellhead assembly 26 Disposed Ibetween 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 shown in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,064,735, issued Nov. 20, 1962, to R. I.
  • the assembly includes at least one production ow 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 ixedly secured at its lower end to the body portion of the remainder of assembly 26.
  • Production wellhead assembly 26 differs from that disclosed in U.S. Pat. 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 affixed thereto and extending vertically therefrom.
  • a single guide cable 31 is affixed to the end of monopost 30 and extends upwardly to vessel 11.
  • the guide cable 31 may be permanently attached to mono-post 30 or may Ibe 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 vessel 11.
  • suitable apparatus for performing this is disclosed in copending U.S. patent 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 mono-guideline 31 passes over sheave 32 on board vessel 11 and thence to a hoist 33 of any known design which is iixedly secured to deck member 34.
  • Sheave 32 is rotatably mounted on arm 35 which in turn is operatively associated for reciprocal movement with tensioner device 36 of any known type which is aixed to operating platform 18.
  • a power winch 37 is also xedly secured to deck member 34 and has operatively associated therewith a pulldown line or cable 38. From winch 37 pull-down line 38 passes over pulley or sheave 39 rotatably mounted on arm 35 in ganged fixed relationship with respect to pulley 32. Pull-down line 38, after passing over pulley 39, proceeds downwardly and under a still additionally pulley 40 which is mounted for rotatable movement at a preselected location on mono-guideline 31 by any suitable means, such as a hydraulic clamp member 41. Pull-down line 38 is then connected at its end to a marine riser or marine conductor 42 which depends from vessel 11 and is biased in an upward direction under a substantially constant predetermined force by means of a hydraulic tensioner 43 of any known type.
  • a wellhead connector 43 Disposed at the lower end of marine conductor 42 is a wellhead connector 43 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 43 to establish guidelines 44 and 45 be- -tween 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 46 and 47 in which latch connector members 48 and ⁇ 49, respectively, are freely and 49, against the respective bottoms of cylindrical housing members 46 and 47.
  • a pull-down apparatus is affixed at its lower end to wellhead connector 43 by previously referred to frame 43b.
  • the pull-down apparatus includes a lower tubular portion 61 having a ilange 62 and an upper tubular portion 63.
  • Upper tubular portion has a ange 64 which is affixed by any known fastening means, such as bolts (not shown) to ange 62, thereby serving to concentrically align tubular portions 61 and 63 and maintain them in a -fixed endto-end relationship to one another.
  • upper tubular portion 63 may be connected by means of a bracket member 65 to a lower portion of marine conductor 42. Welded or otherwise attached to the top-most end of upper tubular portion 63 is an end plate 66 having a centrally located circular throughbore 67 therein. The opposite end of upper tubular portion 63, i.e. the lowermost end as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3, is also partially closed by an inwardly extending wall 68 defining a throughbore 69 of a size corresponding to that of throughbore 67.
  • a hollow cylindrical element 70 Disposed within both tubular portions 61 and 63 and passing through each of the thoughbores l67 and 69 is a hollow cylindrical element 70 which has aiiixed thereto a piston member 71.
  • Piston member 71 engages the inner wall of upper tubular portion 63 in a fluid-tight manner while at the same time being of a dimension permitting longitudinal movement therein.
  • Seal members are preferably provided about throughbores 67 and 69, as well as around the periphery of piston member 71, to ensure, a liquid-tight seal with their respective mating elements.
  • Cylindrical element 70 terminates at its lowermost end with an integrally attached housing 72 which s also of cylindrical configuration with an external diameter slightly less than that of the inner wall of lower tubular portion 61.
  • housing 72 forms a cavity 73 having a configuration corresponding to the top portion of mono-post 30.
  • a latch 74 is mounted on housing 72 and has a locking element 75 which is selectively movable in or out of cavity 73.
  • latch 74 is of a simple hydraulic type with line 76 leading to any desired source of hydraulic uid. It should be understood, however, that any manner or type of latch, such as one electrically activated, may be used to equal advantage.
  • Line 76 and a portion of latch 74 pass through a longitudinal slot in the side of lower tubular portion 61.
  • hydraulic lines 77 and 78 communicate with the interior of upper tubular portion 63 with line 77 positioned above piston member 71 and line 78 being positioned below.
  • hydraulic lines 77 and 78 communicate with a suitable source of hydraulic uid under pressure (not shown) preferably on board vessel 11.
  • monoguideline 31 has been attached previously to mono-post 30 and extends upwardly to vessel 11.
  • mono-guideline 31 is threaded through hollow cylindrical element 70 and the wellhead connector 43 ⁇ and apparatus depending therefrom, including pull-down apparatus 60, are lowered from the vessel by lengthening marine conductor 42 in the usual manner, i.e. through the addition of individual conductor pipe sections to the string.
  • latch 74 is actuated by pressuring up line 76 thereby bringing locking element 75 into engagement with a cooperating indent on the mono-post as shown in FIG. 2. In this manner, housing 72 is positively locked to mono-post 30.
  • the wellhead connector includes one or more passageways which establish fluid communication between the interior of the well and either the interior of the marine conductor 42 itself o1' tubing strings, such as those designated by reference numerals 80 and 81, disposed within the conductor and extending to the vessel.
  • such an alignment means is in the form of a pin and slot arrangement, with a fixed pin 82 being positioned near the bottom of lower tubular portion 61 to cooperate with a shoulder 83 on mono-post 30 as the tubular portion 61 is lowered thereover upon application of pressurized hydraulic lluid through line 78. In this manner, connector 43 is placed in alignment with landing mandrel 28 during initial stages of the tinal pulldown.
  • lIn combination a marine conductor vadapted to be yieldably supported by operational platform means floating on the surface of a vbody of water; l wellhead assembly positioned below the surface of the Water and in operative communication with a well extending into the earth below 'said body of water, said wellhead assembly including upstanding post means and mandrel means; wellhead connector means attached to said marine conductor at the lower end of the'conductor and adapted to cooperatively engage said mandrel means; pull-down apparatus including Vprime mover means xedly positioned with respect to said wellhead connector means;

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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)
  • Earth Drilling (AREA)
  • Excavating Of Shafts Or Tunnels (AREA)
  • Details Of Connecting Devices For Male And Female Coupling (AREA)
US731495A 1968-05-23 1968-05-23 Marine riser pull-down device Expired - Lifetime US3517737A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US73149568A 1968-05-23 1968-05-23

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US3517737A true US3517737A (en) 1970-06-30

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US731495A Expired - Lifetime US3517737A (en) 1968-05-23 1968-05-23 Marine riser pull-down device

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US (1) US3517737A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE1925913A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR2009178A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1263786A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (16)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3913669A (en) * 1971-12-27 1975-10-21 Subsea Equipment Ass Ltd Method of installation and control of underwater equipment
US3954137A (en) * 1974-12-11 1976-05-04 Vetco Offshore Industries, Inc. Sub-sea well re-entry guidance apparatus
US4095649A (en) * 1977-01-13 1978-06-20 Societe Nationale Elf Aquitaine (Production) Reentry system for subsea well apparatus
US4260289A (en) * 1978-06-21 1981-04-07 Societe Nationale Elf Aquitaine (Production) Connection-disconnection device between tubing and underwater wellhead for use with articulated production installations
US4367796A (en) * 1980-11-21 1983-01-11 Global Marine, Inc. Blowout preventer and guideline handling
US4408929A (en) * 1982-01-22 1983-10-11 Baugh Hollis A Latching system for control lines for pipe-laying barges
US4541754A (en) * 1982-07-06 1985-09-17 Societe Nationale Elf Aquitaine (Production) Tour Aquitaine Device and process for lowering a connector suspended from guide line to a guide column installed on an underwater station
US4858857A (en) * 1988-12-30 1989-08-22 The United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration Docking mechanism for spacecraft
US5249891A (en) * 1992-04-30 1993-10-05 Texaco Inc. Guideline system for underwater observation camera systems
US5467833A (en) * 1994-06-08 1995-11-21 Crain; Jack A. System for lifting tubulars and equipment below the main deck of platforms
WO1997013953A1 (en) * 1995-10-13 1997-04-17 Buck David A Portable well service rig
US5816565A (en) * 1997-02-05 1998-10-06 M Torque, Inc. Hydraulic blowout preventer lifter
US20040156684A1 (en) * 2001-06-15 2004-08-12 Francois-Regis Pionetti Underwater pipeline connection joined to a riser
US20110297389A1 (en) * 2008-12-17 2011-12-08 Subsea Technologies Limited Subsea system
US20120234549A1 (en) * 2011-03-16 2012-09-20 Heerema Marine Contractors Nederland B.V. Method for removing a hydrocarbon production platform from sea
CN111691834A (zh) * 2020-06-12 2020-09-22 广州海洋地质调查局 一种深水隔水管应急悬挂管柱系统和方法

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4120171A (en) * 1977-01-13 1978-10-17 Societe Nationale Elf Aquitaine (Production) Apparatus and method of connecting a flexible line to a subsea station
FR2384101A1 (fr) * 1977-03-18 1978-10-13 Seal Participants Holdings Procede de positionnement et de raccordement de conduits d'un bloc porteur aux conduits d'un bloc fixe et moyen de mise en oeuvre du procede
GB9717359D0 (en) * 1997-08-16 1997-10-22 Schoolhill Hydraulic Eng An engagement mechanism
US8056634B2 (en) * 2008-04-14 2011-11-15 Spencer David N Off-center running tool for subsea tree

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3062287A (en) * 1960-12-12 1962-11-06 Shell Oil Co Method and apparatus for cleaning a wellhead guide system
US3179176A (en) * 1963-09-18 1965-04-20 Shell Oil Co Method and apparatus for carrying out operations at underwater installations
US3236302A (en) * 1962-11-05 1966-02-22 Chevron Res Apparatus for attaching and detaching a working base to an underwater well base
US3313347A (en) * 1963-01-09 1967-04-11 Gray Tool Co Well completion procedures and apparatus
US3368619A (en) * 1966-06-13 1968-02-13 Chevron Res Method and apparatus for working on underwater wells

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3062287A (en) * 1960-12-12 1962-11-06 Shell Oil Co Method and apparatus for cleaning a wellhead guide system
US3236302A (en) * 1962-11-05 1966-02-22 Chevron Res Apparatus for attaching and detaching a working base to an underwater well base
US3313347A (en) * 1963-01-09 1967-04-11 Gray Tool Co Well completion procedures and apparatus
US3179176A (en) * 1963-09-18 1965-04-20 Shell Oil Co Method and apparatus for carrying out operations at underwater installations
US3368619A (en) * 1966-06-13 1968-02-13 Chevron Res Method and apparatus for working on underwater wells

Cited By (20)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3913669A (en) * 1971-12-27 1975-10-21 Subsea Equipment Ass Ltd Method of installation and control of underwater equipment
US3954137A (en) * 1974-12-11 1976-05-04 Vetco Offshore Industries, Inc. Sub-sea well re-entry guidance apparatus
US4095649A (en) * 1977-01-13 1978-06-20 Societe Nationale Elf Aquitaine (Production) Reentry system for subsea well apparatus
US4260289A (en) * 1978-06-21 1981-04-07 Societe Nationale Elf Aquitaine (Production) Connection-disconnection device between tubing and underwater wellhead for use with articulated production installations
US4367796A (en) * 1980-11-21 1983-01-11 Global Marine, Inc. Blowout preventer and guideline handling
US4408929A (en) * 1982-01-22 1983-10-11 Baugh Hollis A Latching system for control lines for pipe-laying barges
US4541754A (en) * 1982-07-06 1985-09-17 Societe Nationale Elf Aquitaine (Production) Tour Aquitaine Device and process for lowering a connector suspended from guide line to a guide column installed on an underwater station
US4858857A (en) * 1988-12-30 1989-08-22 The United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration Docking mechanism for spacecraft
US5249891A (en) * 1992-04-30 1993-10-05 Texaco Inc. Guideline system for underwater observation camera systems
US5467833A (en) * 1994-06-08 1995-11-21 Crain; Jack A. System for lifting tubulars and equipment below the main deck of platforms
WO1997013953A1 (en) * 1995-10-13 1997-04-17 Buck David A Portable well service rig
US5704427A (en) * 1995-10-13 1998-01-06 Buck; David A. Portable well service rig
US5816565A (en) * 1997-02-05 1998-10-06 M Torque, Inc. Hydraulic blowout preventer lifter
US20040156684A1 (en) * 2001-06-15 2004-08-12 Francois-Regis Pionetti Underwater pipeline connection joined to a riser
US6854930B2 (en) * 2001-06-15 2005-02-15 Saipem S.A. Underwater pipeline connection joined to a riser
US20110297389A1 (en) * 2008-12-17 2011-12-08 Subsea Technologies Limited Subsea system
US9045971B2 (en) * 2008-12-17 2015-06-02 Subsea Technologies Group Limited Subsea system
US20120234549A1 (en) * 2011-03-16 2012-09-20 Heerema Marine Contractors Nederland B.V. Method for removing a hydrocarbon production platform from sea
US9109406B2 (en) * 2011-03-16 2015-08-18 Heerema Marine Contractors Nederland Se Method for removing a hydrocarbon production platform from sea
CN111691834A (zh) * 2020-06-12 2020-09-22 广州海洋地质调查局 一种深水隔水管应急悬挂管柱系统和方法

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Publication number Publication date
DE1925913A1 (de) 1969-11-27
GB1263786A (en) 1972-02-16
FR2009178A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1970-01-30

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