Wells – Submerged well – Connection or disconnection of submerged members remotely...
Patent
1981-02-17
1983-06-14
Novosad, Stephen J.
Wells
Submerged well
Connection or disconnection of submerged members remotely...
166347, 166349, 166368, E21B 33035, E21B 33038, E21B 4301, E21B 43013
Patent
active
043877710
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to subsea wells and in particular to a wellhead system whereby for a slight initial expense, accessory modules may be used to turn an exploratory well into a production well.
When it is known in subsea drilling that a well will successfully and economically produce oil, substantial investment is made in the guide base used during the drilling. This investment is directed to strengthening the guide base and locating various components so that the well may be produced by remotely attached equipment.
The large majority of subsea wells, however, are exploratory either as a wildcat or for the purpose of defining the area of an oil field. These exploratory wells use a standard permanent guide base with no provisions for attachments. Should one wish to produce oil from the conventional exploratory well, there are several alternatives at specific geographical locations. A spool piece may be attached to the wellhead and the conductor run up to the surface where a fixed platform carries a surface tree, with production being similar to a land based well. In other locations it is possible to send divers to the seabed so that the various alignment structures may be clamped to the guide base and erected at that location. The use of the spool piece is not acceptable at all locations, and the use of divers is not only very expensive and dangerous but impractical at substantial depth.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to utilize exploratory subsea wells for later production of oil when desired. It is a further object to provide this capability with only a small initial investment which must be made when drilling the exploratory well. Significant investment in the additional apparatus required for production is deferred until a decision is made to produce the particular exploratory well.
It is a further object to provide flexibility in the apparatus which may be added to the exploratory well so that different uses of the well in production may be selected as desired in the particular circumstance.
A wellhead housing (often termed a 30 inch housing) is conventionally secured to the seabed along with a permanent guide structure. A wellhead (sometimes termed a wellhead housing) supported by the housing and cemented in place contains not only the conventional latching profile near its upper end but a second latching profile located just above the top of the wellhead housing. This second profile is located on a separate profile ring which is supported from the housing and which in turn supports the wellhead.
The permanent guide base attached to the housing also carries a plurality of alignment posts which permits alignment of later installed equipment to an approximate location. Precise location and appropriate support are supplied by the arrangement which latches to the second latching profile.
An accessory module has a frame which includes locking dogs attached to the frame and arranged to annularly surround the wellhead. An engaging ring permits locking the dogs to the second latch profile so that the frame is rigidly supported from the wellhead. This module is arranged so that when locked into position it leaves the first latch profile free for attachment of a production tree or a production riser if required.
Production apparatus carried on the frame is selected depending on the particular need at the time that the decision is made to utilize the exploratory well as a production well. If the well is to be a satellite well producing to another location, a production tree is secured to the conventional latching profile. The module carries an alignment structure which permits pulling in a flowline and holding it in place at a precise location for stroking of the production tree flange.
When it is desired to drill additional wells, a cantilever well module is carried which permits the drilling of an adjacent well from a floating platform while the jacket and fixed platform to be installed are being fabricated. Where a jacket is to be installed over th
REFERENCES:
patent: 3143171 (1964-04-01), Otteman et al.
patent: 3242991 (1966-03-01), Johnson et al.
patent: 3347567 (1967-10-01), Watkins
patent: 3618661 (1971-11-01), Peterman
patent: 3716100 (1973-02-01), Nelson
patent: 3834460 (1974-09-01), Brun et al.
patent: 4192383 (1980-03-01), Kirkland
Synder, Robert E., New Concept Unveiled for Subsea Completion, Production", World Oil, Sep. 1976, pp. 41-45.
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