Hydraulic and earth engineering – Subterranean or submarine pipe or cable laying – retrieving,... – Submerging – raising – or manipulating line of pipe or cable...
Patent
1992-01-29
1995-06-06
Corbin, David H.
Hydraulic and earth engineering
Subterranean or submarine pipe or cable laying, retrieving,...
Submerging, raising, or manipulating line of pipe or cable...
405169, F16L 116
Patent
active
054216745
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates mainly to a flexible tubular handling conduit, in particular for release, as well as a device and a process using such a conduit.
It is known to place flexible tubular conduits on the bottom of a body of water, such as, for example, the bottom of an ocean or the bottom of a lake, to transport a fluid. The transported fluid is, for example, water, liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons or air. Such flexible tubular conduits are described, for example, in French patent no. 83 16883 (published under number FR-A-2 553 859). The laying operations of such a flexible tubular conduit must be able to be interrupted in an emergency, for example, in a storm. This interruption is performed in a known way by using a winch unrolling a steel cable making it possible to lay on the floor one end of a portion of the flexible tubular conduit that was being laid.
This technique exhibits many drawbacks. It requires the presence of a winch able to support the weight of the flexible tubular conduit between the floor and the laying ship. This equipment is extremely bulky and expensive as soon as very shallow depths are exceeded. Moreover, no equipment of this type exists for great depths, for example, on the order of 1000 meters, at which flexible tubular conduits have not yet been laid.
According to this invention, a flexible tubular conduit is used to perform the quick release, on the ocean floor, of a flexible tubular conduit that was being laid. This release is performed to interrupt the work, for example in a storm, to make the ship laying the conduits free to maneuver, or at the end of the laying operation. After releasing, on the floor, of the flexible tubular conduit, whose laying has been interrupted, the raising of the flexible tubular release conduit is performed, for its use later. During such a procedure, as soon as the upper end of the flexible tubular conduit, whose laying has been stopped, has reached the floor, the separation of the two flexible tubular conduits is performed.
The conduit laid or released on the floor exhibits different technical characteristics from the flexible tubular handling conduit. According to this invention, it is possible to use a flexible tubular handling conduit in various handling operations. Each handling operation begins by connecting the flexible tubular handling conduit and ends by recovering the flexible tubular handling conduit for its use later on. In contrast with the standard flexible tubular conduit, the flexible tubular handling conduit is not an installation but a tool making it possible to perform various handling operations: conduit; the final test of a flexible tubular conduit, with its optional prior filling with sea water in the case where the flexible tubular conduit would have been laid filled with air; flexible tubular conduit being filled, in particular with sea water, with the raising of the end of the flexible tubular conduit laid on an ocean floor, aboard the laying ship which has reversed its direction; filled with air. An at least partial filling of the flexible tubular conduit with a liquid, in particular sea water, is performed. Pressurization occurs to perform the test. Depressurization is performed. The handling hoses are raised, the laying ship moving back to perform the recovery. The flexible tubular conduit to be laid is emptied of liquid. And to finish, a new section of flexible tubular conduit is connected to continue the laying operations.
In another operating mode, as soon as the upper end of the flexible tubular conduit whose laying has been accomplished reaches the floor, the pipe can be filled with a fluid, for example water, the flexible tubular release conduit being connected to the surface equipment of the laying ship.
Of course, the laying of a flexible tubular conduit filled with a desired fluid, for example with pressurized fresh water, does not go outside the scope of this invention.
It is then possible to proceed to hydrostatic pressure resistance tests. This procedure is used when the pipe is completely laid and is to be c
REFERENCES:
patent: 3751932 (1973-08-01), Matthews, Jr.
patent: 3777499 (1973-12-01), Matthews, Jr.
R. Reynard et al, Prix des Techniciens du Petrole 1977 (Charles Bihoreau), "Les flexibles Coflexip . . . ", pp. 9-17.
International Search Report, Appl. No. PCT/FR91/00260, 14 Aug. 1991, European Patent Office.
Coutarel Alain
Maloberti Rene
Coflexip
Corbin David H.
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