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
  • E21B19/00—Handling rods, casings, tubes or the like outside the borehole, e.g. in the derrick; Apparatus for feeding the rods or cables
  • E21B19/002—Handling rods, casings, tubes or the like outside the borehole, e.g. in the derrick; Apparatus for feeding the rods or cables specially adapted for underwater drilling
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B17/00—Vessels parts, details, or accessories, not otherwise provided for
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B39/00—Equipment to decrease pitch, roll, or like unwanted vessel movements; Apparatus for indicating vessel attitude
  • B63B39/02—Equipment to decrease pitch, roll, or like unwanted vessel movements; Apparatus for indicating vessel attitude to decrease vessel movements by displacement of masses
  • B63B39/03—Equipment to decrease pitch, roll, or like unwanted vessel movements; Apparatus for indicating vessel attitude to decrease vessel movements by displacement of masses by transferring liquids
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B66—HOISTING; LIFTING; HAULING
  • B66C—CRANES; LOAD-ENGAGING ELEMENTS OR DEVICES FOR CRANES, CAPSTANS, WINCHES, OR TACKLES
  • B66C13/00—Other constructional features or details
  • B66C13/02—Devices for facilitating retrieval of floating objects, e.g. for recovering crafts from water
• • 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
  • E21B19/002—Handling rods, casings, tubes or the like outside the borehole, e.g. in the derrick; Apparatus for feeding the rods or cables specially adapted for underwater drilling
  • E21B19/004—Handling rods, casings, tubes or the like outside the borehole, e.g. in the derrick; Apparatus for feeding the rods or cables specially adapted for underwater drilling supporting a riser from a drilling or production platform
• • 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
  • E21B19/002—Handling rods, casings, tubes or the like outside the borehole, e.g. in the derrick; Apparatus for feeding the rods or cables specially adapted for underwater drilling
  • E21B19/004—Handling rods, casings, tubes or the like outside the borehole, e.g. in the derrick; Apparatus for feeding the rods or cables specially adapted for underwater drilling supporting a riser from a drilling or production platform
  • E21B19/006—Handling rods, casings, tubes or the like outside the borehole, e.g. in the derrick; Apparatus for feeding the rods or cables specially adapted for underwater drilling supporting a riser from a drilling or production platform including heave compensators
• • 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
  • E21B19/22—Handling reeled pipe or rod units, e.g. flexible drilling pipes
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B3/00—Hulls characterised by their structure or component parts
  • B63B3/14—Hull parts
  • B63B2003/147—Moon-pools, e.g. for offshore drilling vessels
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B17/00—Vessels parts, details, or accessories, not otherwise provided for
  • B63B2017/0072—Seaway compensators

Definitions

• the present invention is directed to the interfacing of a Self Supporting Riser (SSR) to a vessel subject to high vessel motions of pitch and roll.
• SSR Self Supporting Riser
• the small vessel employs a unique stabilization system for supporting a coil tubing/wire line injector and supporting equipment on the vessel.
• the present invention is directed to a system including a self supporting riser (SSR) which is connected to a well to provide fluid communication to fossil hydrocarbon reservoirs deep below the seafloor.
• SSR self supporting riser
• the SSR is constructed of a plurality of joints comprising regular joints and specialty joints that define the SSR and are selected to optimize the SSR for a well in a specific location.
• a unique aspect of the invention is further directed to a small vessel subject to high vessel motions that permits a coil tubing/wire line system to be mounted on a stabilizer system mounted on the vessel.
• FIG 1 is a schematic view of a Self Supporting Riser (SSR) connected to a well for producing hydrocarbons from a fossil hydrocarbon reservoir deep below the seafloor, and a small vessel subject to high heave, pitch and roll outfitted for downhole intervention through the SSR.
• SSR Self Supporting Riser
• Figure 2 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the stabilizer system for the intervention system to inject a coil tubing/wire line into the SSR.
• Figure 3 is a schematic view of the detail of the telescoping section of the riser connection from the SSR to the vessel near its midpoint.
• Figure 4 is a schematic view of the detail of the telescoping section of the riser connection from the SSR to the vessel at the upward position of heave of the vessel.
• Figure 5 is a schematic view of the detail of the telescoping section of the riser connection from the SSR to the vessel at the downward position of heave of the vessel.
• a novel Riser Vessel Interface System (RVI) 60 facilitates using the SSR for downhole intervention and workover through the SSR 10 using relatively small vessels.
• the nature of an SSR is such that it may be relatively sensitive to the magnitude of externally applied tension and to variations in externally applied tension. It is the nature of small vessels that their motions in response to waves and swells are greater than those of larger vessels and substantially greater than the motions of platforms or floating production facilities. The interface between an SSR and a small vessel therefore requires a greater range of motion and less tension variation than is provided by the previous art.
• the coiled tubing injector must be supported by the vessel, and the weight of deployed tubing normally hangs from the injector.
• intervention vessel 35 with reel 59 and crane 46, is shown with coil tube injector 120 assembled on the RIV System 60 (not shown).
• the desired downhole tooling has been attached to the coiled tubing and made ready for operations.
• the above equipment and its specific arrangement provide a novel arc of tubing 61 to be used in the present invention to extend the fatigue life of the tubing 63. (see also Figures 14 and 14A of Serial No 12/714,919). This allows the SSR to be fixed to the earth while the reel moves with the deck of the vessel.
• riser extension 64 has a telescoping joint/section 65 that is present as a contingency for exceptional heave.
• Figure 2 illustrates the combination of an SSR, a riser extension 64 between a vessel 35 and, a telescoping joint/section 65, and a pitch roll stabilized frame 68 to engage the SSR to a vessel subject to high vessel motions.
• the method for using this combination allows the system to function without stroking heave cylinders of the RVT structure
• the riser extension with telescoping provisions 65 is engaged to the top of the SSR by connector 92 and hangs from the pitch and roll stabilized frame 68 which is in turn supported by heave platform 66 that in this embodiment may be attached to the deck 33 of vessel 35.
• FIG. 3 illustrates the mid heave position.
• the telescopic function of riser extension 64 is allowed to extend and retract with telescoping section 65 as the vessel heaves.
• the allowable range of vessel heave with respect to the SSR is as great as the allowable travel length of the telescope. Stops can be built into the telescopic joint 65 to limit the minimum and/or maximum extension. Hydrostatic lock is prevented by venting the telescopic section so that fluid can flow into and out of it as the length and internal volume change.
• Venting can be through ports open to seawater or through a line 55 to a supply of water or other fluid that may be filtered or otherwise treated or constituted to reduce corrosion and avoid debris and contamination and enhance lubrication. It is apparent that the effective weight below the attachment point can be increased or decreased by using line 56 to trim the pressure of fluid in chamber 69 in a way that causes the telescopic joint/section to pull on or push against the SSR while flow into and out of line 56 allows the telescoping section to extend and retract.
• Chamber 69 is similar in construction to the rod end of a hydraulic cylinder.
• Figure 4 illustrates a heave downward; and
• Figure 5 illustrates a heave upward.
• Friction in the telescopic joint can be reduced by methods such as filling the volume with lubricating fluid, securing bearings such as balls between the moving parts of the telescopic section, using a liner of material such as ultra high molecular density polyurethane, or some combination of similar methods.
• a valve assembly can be used to prevent exchange of fluid between supporting cylinders for the pitch and roll stabilized frame, thereby locking the riser extension assembly and its load in position so that it pitches and/or rolls with the vessel. Locking the assembly may be advantageous at times when the extension is not connected to the SSR.
• the pitch and roll stabilized frame supports the riser extension in a way that exerts equal lifting force symmetrically around the riser extension regardless of the pitch or roll angle of the vessel.
• active control of verticality can be achieved by trimming the lifting forces that are otherwise equally distributed around the riser extension.
• the load on these cylinders may be substantial, but application of a comparatively small force can trim the balance of forces to compensate for an offset center of gravity or external horizontal forces on the supported assembly.
• the described hydraulic cylinder arrangement allows control of the relative fluid pressure in opposing hydraulic cylinders to balance external forces such as an offset center of gravity.
• a feedback signal proportional to inclination of the riser extension can be used to actively control the balance of forces and thereby maintain verticality of the riser extension.
• the center of gravity is kept as low as is practical while providing clearance between the vessel and the outer perimeter of the equipment attached to the riser extension. This clearance and the dimensions of the moon pool determine the maximum vessel pitch and roll that can be accommodated without clashing or other interference.
• An advantage of this embodiment is that it keeps the center of gravity of the supported equipment low to reduce the overturning moment due to forces acting on this equipment.
• a hydraulic connector between the SSR and the riser extension is not necessary if one moving part of the telescopic joint is attached to the SSR and the other to the riser extension, and there is no lower stop.
• the vessel can then be engaged to the SSR by making up the two halves of the telescopic joint.
• the telescopic joint is free to separate and thereby release the vessel from the SSR if the vessel is forced far enough off station to cause the top of the SSR to set down by more than the maximum stroke of the telescopic joint.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Geology (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
• Earth Drilling (AREA)
• Vibration Prevention Devices (AREA)

Priority Applications (9)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=44908133

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (11)

Families Citing this family (7)

Citations (3)

Family Cites Families (60)

• 2010
  • 2010-10-25 US US12/911,363 patent/US20110209651A1/en not_active Abandoned
• 2011
  • 2011-10-25 AP AP2013006878A patent/AP2013006878A0/xx unknown
  • 2011-10-25 WO PCT/US2011/057628 patent/WO2012061111A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2011-10-25 AU AU2011323775A patent/AU2011323775A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2011-10-25 NZ NZ609895A patent/NZ609895A/en not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2011-10-25 MX MX2013004677A patent/MX2013004677A/es not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2011-10-25 EA EA201390569A patent/EA201390569A1/ru unknown
  • 2011-10-25 EP EP11779307.5A patent/EP2633151A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2011-10-25 CA CA2815795A patent/CA2815795A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2011-10-25 CN CN2011800626594A patent/CN103443390A/zh active Pending
• 2013
  • 2013-04-25 ZA ZA2013/03046A patent/ZA201303046B/en unknown
  • 2013-10-21 US US14/059,059 patent/US20140048276A1/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (3)

Non-Patent Citations (4)

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