Wells – Above ground apparatus – Cap having transporting means or ground support
Patent
1991-01-31
1992-06-16
Dang, Hoang C.
Wells
Above ground apparatus
Cap having transporting means or ground support
166 92, 166 95, 166 97, E21B 3303, E21B 3500, E21B 4312
Patent
active
051217937
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention concerns capping equipment for a blowout well.
Whether it be an exploration, or production or even a storage site of hydrocarbons, whether oil or gas be involved, whether it be on shore or off, accidental, uncontrolled and powerful accidental leaks of hydrocarbons may take place, with or without fires.
An end must be put as soon as possible to this highly dangerous and greatly damaging situation by placing effective sealing means on the blowout conduit.
In the illustrative case of an on-shore production well, as a rule two parts are involved: a first part consisting of an assembly of underground casings joined at the top into a system called casing liner; a second assembly at the surface and consisting of a plurality of valves usually called the "Christmas tree": this is the top of the producing well.
In the prior art, a first method is used especially for the uncontrolled blowouts on off-shore or on-shore sites, namely in setting up a distance away one or more directional drillings to arrive at the producing deposit site. This procedure requires transporting and setting up one or more drilling rigs and all the pertinent logistics. This is a costly solution because of long and cumbersome methods to stop this blowout.
Another known method on blowout sites consists of ridding the well approaches of the superfluous structures (liner head, production head) and then clearing part of the casing to a sufficient height to thereupon make possible the anchoring of mechanical means designed to support new seals. For that purpose, part of the intermediate string is cleared, enlarging the pit if necessary, then an anchoring collar is placed on the production casing by means of flanges. This collar also includes sealing means. Next, using a vehicle such as a caterpillar with at least one supporting beam and equipped with a system of cables and pulleys, one of the components of the sealing system is placed on the anchoring collar. This sealing element is affixed to the edge of the anchoring collar in one place using bolts and nuts. Next, by means of the transport and handling vehicle, the sealing system is moved horizontally from the upper surface of the anchoring collar in such a manner as to move it in sliding rotation around the aforementioned affixation point opposite the axis of the casing which must be sealed. Again the means for positioning the sealing system are crude and conventional pulley means. Once in place, the anchoring brackets are moved and locked. The set of locking and clamping systems of the nut and bolt type etc. amount to as many human interventions which are very difficult and very dangerous even if the flame was blown out before the diverse sealing means were put in place or if the jet is so strong that sufficient height is left between the ground and the flame to operate the various mechanisms while using conventional protective gear for the operators.
A major drawback of this procedure and this equipment derives from the human presence required to carry out the affixing and locking operations of the positioning and anchoring elements of the sealing system. Such dangers increase furthermore in the presence of blowout wells with acid gases.
The object of the present invention is to provide capping equipment for a freely gushing well without any human intervention in the immediate vicinity of the well. Another object of the invention is to design such equipment so it can meet all freely gushing situations whether the blowout be gaseous or liquid, at an on-shore or off-shore site, with a minimum of equipment adaptation to the particular situation being needed.
Another object yet is to have such equipment available in reserve to be able to rapidly intervene, in view of the ease of disassembly of its components and of transporting it because of such flexibility.
Again an object of the invention is to design such equipment which can easily match various sealing diameters.
To meet these various objectives, the capping equipment of the invention comprises the following means:
a well
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Busch Jean-Charles
Carrau Joseph
Guerrini Yannick
Tag Jean
Dang Hoang C.
Gaz de France
Societe Nationale Elf Aquitaine (Production)
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