Oil and gas well completion system and method of installation

• US 20090211761A1
• Filed: 05/01/2009
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dril-Quip Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Argus Subsea Inc.
• Inventors: Broussard, Earl
• Granted Patent: US 8,286,713 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/348
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 23/01 for anchoring the tools or the like E21B23/02 - E21B23/06 take precedence; anchoring of drives in the borehole E21B4/18
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/0422 a suspended tubing or casing being gripped by a slip or an internally serrated member
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/043 specially adapted for underwater well heads E21B33/0407, E21B33/047 take precedence

Abstract

A completion system, and a corresponding method, for completing a subsea well, where the well includes a wellhead and a tubing hanger disposed in the wellhead and supports a string of production tubing, allows for angular alignment-free assembly of the subsea well. The completion system includes a series of circumferential channels formed in a well completion device at a boundary between the tubing hanger and the well completion device. The circumferential channels provide complete circular fluid paths with respect to the tubing hanger and the well completion device. At least one supply bore is in communication with each circumferential channel and is and oriented to supply a fluid to the circumferential channel, and at least one drain bore in communication with each circumferential channel and is oriented to remove fluid from the circumferential channel. Finally a circumferential electrical connector couples the tubing hanger and the completion device. The circumferential channels and bores provide fluid services between the completion device and the tubing hanger and the electrical connector provides electrical services to the tubing hanger. The completion system allows the fluid and electrical services to be provided without requiring any angular alignment between the tubing hanger and the completion device.

Claims

1. A completion system for a subsea well (10), which includes a wellhead (16) and a tubing hanger (42) that is disposed in the wellhead and supports a string of production tubing (44), the completion system, comprising:

a series of circumferential channels (322, 324, 326, 328) formed in a well completion device at a boundary between the tubing hanger (42) and the well completion device, the circumferential channels providing complete circular fluid paths with respect to the tubing hanger (42) and the well completion device;

at least one supply bore (206) in communication with each channel and oriented to supply a fluid to the channel;

at least one drain bore (244a) in communication with each channel and oriented to remove fluid from the channel; and

a circumferential electrical connector (440) coupling the tubing hanger (42) and the completion device, wherein the circumferential channels and bores provide fluid services between the completion device and the tubing hanger and the electrical connector provides electrical services to the tubing hanger, and wherein the fluid and electrical services are provided without requiring any angular alignment between the tubing hanger and the completion device.

2. The completion system of claim 1, wherein the completion device is a Christmas tree (80), and wherein the Christmas which includes a stab sub assembly (94) that connects the Christmas tree (80) and the tubing hanger (42) to supply the fluid and electrical services.

3. The completion system of claim 1, wherein the completion device is a blowout preventer stack (60).

4. The completion system of claim 1, wherein the completion device is a tubing hanger running tool (30).

5. The completion system of claim 1, wherein the series of circumferential channels is formed in the tubing hanger (42).

6. The completion system of claim 1, wherein the series of circumferential channels is formed in the completion device.

7. The completion system of claim 1, where a number of the circumferential channels are formed in the tubing hanger (42) and the remaining circumferential channels are formed in the completion device.

8. The completion system of claim 1, wherein the fluid services comprise one or more of a subsea safety valve service (540), lock/unlock services (500/510), a chemical injection service (520), and an annulus service (530).

9. The completion system of claim 8, wherein the lock/unlock service (500/510) provides hydraulic fluid to lock and seal the production tubing (44) to well casing piping (24) in the well (10).

10. The completion system of claim 8, wherein the annulus service (530) provides annulus access from the completion device to the production tubing (44).

11. The completion system of claim 1, wherein the circumferential channels are semi-circular in cross section.

12. The completion system of claim 1, wherein the circumferential channels are rectangular in cross section.

13. A method for completing a subsea well (10) comprising a wellhead (16) supporting a casing hanger (20) connected to a casing string (24) without requiring any angular alignment among well components, the method comprising:

installing a well completion device on the wellhead (16), wherein the well completion device communicates with a tubing hanger (42) installed in the wellhead, wherein the well completion device and the tubing hanger each comprises a plurality of bores that provide fluid and electrical services to downhole components of the well (10), and wherein communication of fluids and electricity between the well completion device bores and the tubing hanger bores is enabled such that no angular alignment between the well completion device and the tubing hanger is required.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the well completion device is a Christmas tree (80) that includes a housing (81) and a stab sub assembly (94) having a first end connected to the housing and a second end connected to the tubing hanger (42), and wherein the well completion device bores are formed in the stab sub assembly (94).

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the tubing hanger bores and the well completion device bores are in fluid communication using a series of circumferential channels (322, 324, 326, 328) formed at a boundary between the tubing hanger (42) and stab sub assembly (94), the circumferential channels providing complete circular fluid paths with respect to the tubing hanger bores and the well completion device bores, and wherein electrical signaling is provided between the tubing hanger and the well completion device using a circumferential electrical connector (440) coupling the tubing hanger (42) and the stab sub assembly (94).

16. A well completion system, comprising:

a wellhead (16) positioned at seabed level;

a well casing string (24) received in the wellhead (16) and extending down a well bore (B);

a tubing hanger (42) landed in the wellhead and connected to a string of production tubing (44) extending into the well bore and locked and sealed to the well casing (24), wherein the tubing hanger comprises a plurality of lower bores for communicating services to downhole components of the well (10);

a well completion device mated to the wellhead, the well completion device having a lower element extending into the tubing hanger (42), wherein the well completion device comprises a plurality of upper bores for communicating services to the lower bores; and

a plurality of circumferential channels (322, 324, 326, 328) formed at an interface between the tubing hanger (42) and the well completion device, each circumferential channel coupling one or more upper bores with one or more lower bores, and wherein the well completion device is mated to the wellhead without any requirement for angular alignment with the tubing hanger (42).

17. The completion system of claim 16, wherein the circumferential channels are formed in the tubing hanger.

18. The completion system of claim 16, wherein the circumferential channels are formed in the completion device.

19. The completion system of claim 16, where a number of the circumferential channels are formed in the tubing hanger and the remaining circumferential channels are formed in the completion device.

20. The completion system of claim 16, wherein the fluid services comprise one or more of a subsea safety valve service (540), lock/unlock services (500/510), a chemical injection service (520), and an annulus service (530).

21. The completion system of claim 20, wherein the lock/unlock service (500/510) provides hydraulic fluid to lock and seal the production tubing (44) to well casing piping (24) in the well (10).

22. The completion system of claim 20, wherein the annulus service (530) provides annulus access from the completion device to the production tubing (44).

23. The completion system of claim 16, wherein the circumferential channels are semi-circular in cross section.

24. The completion system of claim 16, wherein the circumferential channels are rectangular in cross section.

25. The completion system of claim 16, wherein the completion device is a Christmas tree (80), the Christmas tree including a stab sub assembly (94) that connects the Christmas tree (80) and the tubing hanger (42) to supply the fluid and electrical services.

26. The completion system of claim 16, wherein the completion device is a blowout preventer stack (60).

27. The completion system of claim 16, wherein the completion device is a tubing hanger running tool (30).

28. The completion system of claim 16, further comprising one or more seals (150) positioned above and below each of the circumferential channels, the seals preventing fluid communication along the boundary between the completion device and the tubing hanger.