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
  • E21B33/00—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells
  • E21B33/02—Surface sealing or packing
  • E21B33/03—Well heads; Setting-up thereof
  • E21B33/06—Blow-out preventers, i.e. apparatus closing around a drill pipe, e.g. annular blow-out preventers
  • E21B33/061—Ram-type blow-out preventers, e.g. with pivoting rams
  • E21B33/062—Ram-type blow-out preventers, e.g. with pivoting rams with sliding rams
• • 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
  • E21B33/00—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells
  • E21B33/02—Surface sealing or packing
  • E21B33/03—Well heads; Setting-up thereof
  • E21B33/06—Blow-out preventers, i.e. apparatus closing around a drill pipe, e.g. annular blow-out preventers
  • E21B33/064—Blow-out preventers, i.e. apparatus closing around a drill pipe, e.g. annular blow-out preventers specially adapted for underwater well heads

Definitions

• the present invention relates generally to the configuration and deployment of pressure control equipment used in drilling subsea wells. More particularly, the present invention relates to subsea blowout preventer stack systems.
• drilling rigs venture into ever increasing water depths and encounter new challenges, well control has become increasingly problematic.
• time-intensive operations are constantly being reevaluated in an effort to reduce overall non-drilling time, thereby increasing the drilling efficiency of the rig.
• One of the most time-intensive operations is running the riser, which provides a plurality of parallel fluid conduits between the drilling rig at the surface and the blowout preventer (BOP) stack coupled to the wellhead at the seafloor.
• BOP blowout preventer
• the riser In order to facilitate handling of the riser on the rig, the riser is usually constructed by connecting a number of joints that are generally less than fifty fett in length. The riser is "run” by connecting a joint of riser to the BOP stack, lowering the riser-connected BOP stack a short distance, and then connecting another joint of riser to the uppermost end of the riser string. This process continues until the BOP stack is lowered to the wellhead at the seafloor.
• Drilling in deep water has often utilized subsea BOP stacks having four to six ram BOP cavities, Increasing the number of ram BOP cavities, such as to eight or ten cavities would increase the weight of the BOP stack, in some cases to a million pounds or more.
• Many existing rigs do not have the capacity to handle and operate such a BOP stack.
• enhancements would be required to not only the BOP stack handling equipment on the rig, but also to the drill floor equipment, the drawworks and other hoisting equipment, the rotary table, the derrick, and the riser. Enhancing all of this equipment would likely require expanding the basic rig design to allow it to carry the additional weight of all the enhanced equipment systems and provide room for handling and storing the BOP stack.
• the embodiments of the present invention are directed toward methods for deploying a subsea blowout preventer stack system comprising a lower marine riser package, a blowout preventer stack with a first ram blowout preventer, and an additional blowout preventer package releasably coupled to the blowout preventer stack and comprising a second ram blowout preventer.
• the subsea blowout preventer stack assembly can be deployed by coupling a drilling riser to the lower marine riser package that is releasably connected to the blowout preventer stack.
• the lower marine riser package and blowout preventer stack are then lowered toward a subsea wellhead and landed on the additional blowout preventer package that is already in place on the subsea wellhead.
• neither a drilling rig nor the drilling riser is used to deploy and land the first additional blowout preventer package on the subsea wellhead.
• the ram blowout preventers in the first additional blowout preventer package can be used as the primary blowout preventers, leaving the ram blowout preventers in the blowout preventer stack unused.
• a first additional blowout preventer package is deployed on a first wellhead and a second additional blowout preventer package is deployed on a second subsea wellhead.
• the BOP stack is landed on the first additional blowout preventer package and drilling operations performed through the first wellhead using the ram blowout preventers of the first additional blowout preventer package as the primary blowout preventers.
• the blowout preventer stack is disconnected from the first additional blowout preventer package landed on the second additional blowout preventer package.
• the blowout preventer stack can stay subsea while drilling several wells using more than one additional blowout preventer package.
• a second additional blowout preventer package is deployed to a subsea parking pile.
• the blowout preventer stack is disconnected from the first additional blowout preventer package and landed on the second additional blowout preventer package.
• the first additional blowout preventer package is then disconnected from the subsea wellhead and retrieved to the surface while the blowout preventer stack and the second additional blowout preventer package are landed on the subsea wellhead.
• the blowout preventer stack can remain subsea with minimal disruption to the drilling program while the additional blowout preventer packages are retrieved and maintained.
• the present invention comprises a combination of features and advantages that enable it to overcome various problems of prior devices.
• the various characteristics described above, as well as other features, will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, and by referring to the accompanying drawings.
• Figure 1 is an elevation view of a blowout preventer stack system constructed in accordance with embodiments of the present invention
• Figure 2 is an isometric view of a blowout preventer stack system constructed in accordance with embodiments of the present invention
• Figures 3A and 3B illustrate the deployment and utilization of a blowout preventer stack system constructed in accordance with embodiments of the present invention with a single wellhead;
• Figure 4 illustrates the deployment and utilization of a blowout preventer stack system constructed in accordance with embodiments of the present invention with a single wellhead and a parking pile;
• Figures 5A-5C illustrate the deployment and utilization of a blowout preventer stack system constructed in accordance with embodiments of the present invention with a plurality of wellheads.
• subsea BOP stack system 10 comprises lower marine riser package (LMRP) 12, BOP stack 14, and additional BOP package (ABP) 16.
• LMRP 12 comprises a flex joint/riser connector 20, annular BOP 22, wellbore connector 23, control pods 24, and choke/kill line connectors 26.
• BOP stack 14 comprises annular BOP 22, ram BOP's 28, choke/kill line connectors 26, choke/kill valves 30, wellbore connector 32, and auxiliary control pods 34.
• ABP 16 comprises rain BOP's 28, choke/kill valves 30, and wellbore connector 32.
• LMRP 12 and BOP stack 14 are coupled together by wellbore connector 23 that is engaged with a corresponding mandrel on the upper end of stack 14. As is shown in Figure
• BOP stack 14 is similarly coupled to ABP 16 by connector 32 that engages mandrel 33 on
• Both LMRP 12 and BOP stack 14 comprise re-entry and alignment systems 40 that allow the LMRP 12/BOP stack 14 and stack 14/ ABP 16 connections to be made subsea with all the auxiliary connections (i.e. control pods, choke/kill lines) aligned.
• Choke/kill line connectors 26 interconnect choke/kill lines 36 and choke/kill valves 30 on stack 14 and ABP
• Control pods 24 of LMRP 12 provide control signals to BOP stack 14 while auxiliary control pods 34 on BOP stack 14 provide control signals to ABP 16.
• ram BOP's 28 in ABP 16 are controlled by auxiliary control pods 34, which may be communicatively linked to control pods 24 via umbilical jumpers or some other releasable connection.
• the control functions for ram BOP's 28 of ABP 16 may be integrated into control pods 24 on LMRP 12, thus eliminating the need for auxiliary control pods 34.
• ABP 16 is operated with BOP stack 14, hydraulic accumulator bottles 42 mounted on the BOP stack can be used to support operation of the ABP, ABP 16 may also comprise a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) panel 44 that provides control of the ABP functions by an ROV 46,
• ROV remotely operated vehicle
• LMRP 12 and BOP stack 14 are similar to, and can operate as, a convention two- component stack assembly
• ABP 16 is installed between wellhead 18 and BOP stack 14 and provides additional ram BOP's 28 to provide redundancy and increase effective service life.
• ABP 16 will not be lowered from the rig to the wellhead on a conventional riser with the rest of the BOP stack but will be deployed separately. This separate deployment can be accomplished on drill pipe, heavy wireline, or any other means, either from the drilling rig if it has a dual activity derrick, from another rig (perhaps of lesser drilling capabilities), or from a heavy duty workboat or tender vessel.
• the ABP 16 could be stored and serviced by a vessel other than the drilling rig, thus eliminating the need for additional storage space and handling capacity on the drilling rig.
• a single ABP 16 can be landed on wellhead 18 via drill string, wireline, or other non-riser system by service vessel 48 prior to drilling rig 50 arriving on site.
• Drilling rig 50 would then run the BOP stack 14 and LMRP 12 assembly on conventional drilling riser and land the stack on ABP 16.
• Normal drilling operations could utilize the ram BOP's of ABP 16 until their useful life was reached. At that point, drilling could continue with the ram BOP's of BOP stack 14 without disturbing the stack assembly, thus increasing drilling time before having to bring the stack to the surface for maintenance.
• a drilling site may comprise a wellhead 18 and a parking pile 52.
• Parking pile 52 provides a location for the subsea storage of an additional ABP 16.
• a first ABP 16 can be run as described above in reference to Figure 3 A by service vessel 48.
• BOP stack 14 and LMRP 16 can then be run by a drilling rig and drilling operations performed using the ram BOP's in ABP 16.
• a replacement ABP 16A can be run by a service vessel and landed on parking pile 52.
• stack 14 and LMRP 12 can be disconnect from the ABP but remain subsea.
• replacement ABP 16A can be disconnected form parking pile 52 and landed on wellhead 18.
• Replacement ABP 16A can be moved from parking pile 52 to wellhead 18 by drilling rig 50 by landing BOP stack 14 on ABP 16A and then moving the entire assembly together.
• Replacement ABP 16A can also be moved onto wellhead 18 by a service vessel as BOP stack 14 is supported by the drilling rig.
• multiple ABP systems 16A-16B can be used to drill multiple wells on a plurality of wellheads 18A-18C.
• a first ABP 16A can be deployed onto wellhead 18A with BOP stack 14 and LMRP 12 being run and landed atop ABP 16A and drilling operations commenced. While the first well is being drilled, a second ABP 16B is deployed and landed onto the next wellhead 18B.
• the BOP stack 14 and LMRP 12 can simply be unlatched, lifted, relocated the second wellhead 18B and landed on second ABP 16B.
• the first ABP 16A can be retrieved from the first wellhead 18A and moved to a third wellhead 18C 5 or brought back to the surface for maintenance or repair.
• the ram BOP cavities in the ABP can be considered the primary cavities while the ram BOP cavities in the BOP stack would then be considered the secondary cavities.
• the primary BOP cavities in the ABP could be retrieved to the surface and maintained while the BOP stack and LMRP were drilling atop another ABP. While preferred embodiments of this invention have been shown and described, modifications thereof can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or teaching of this invention. The embodiments described herein are exemplary only and are not limiting.

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• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (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)
• Earth Drilling (AREA)
• Stackable Containers (AREA)

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• 2008
  • 2008-06-06 US US12/134,958 patent/US7921917B2/en active Active
  • 2008-06-09 NO NO08770496A patent/NO2165042T3/no unknown
  • 2008-06-09 WO PCT/US2008/066314 patent/WO2008154486A2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2008-06-09 EP EP08770496.1A patent/EP2165042B1/en not_active Not-in-force
  • 2008-06-09 BR BRPI0812466-3A2A patent/BRPI0812466A2/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2011
  • 2011-03-09 US US13/043,660 patent/US8365830B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2013
  • 2013-01-03 US US13/733,477 patent/US8640775B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related

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