METHOD AND APPARATUS TO CONROL FLUID FLOW FROM SUBSEA WELLS

• US 20110290495A1
• Filed: 05/27/2011
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David R. Smith
• Original Assignee: David R. Smith
• Inventors: Smith, David R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,807,223 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/335
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/064 specially adapted for underwater well heads
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/076 specially adapted for underwater installations

Abstract

The present invention is directed to methods and apparatus to construct subsea wells with redundant parallel fluid flow control systems to allow new methods to stop subsea blow outs. More specifically, this invention provides methods and apparatus to construct subsea wells with a plurality of redundant parallel paths allowing for the first time drill pipe and other intervention conduits, wire line, and fluids to be deployed below a damaged drilling riser and or a damaged blow out preventer through a separate blow out preventer and riser system presented in this invention.

Claims

1. A method for the construction of a subsea well fluid control system comprising:

(a) connecting the distal end of a subsea multi-path apparatus to said subsea well wherein the subsea multi-path apparatus comprises at least two separate proximal ends converging to said common distal end of said subsea well;

(b) connecting at least one subsea closure apparatus above a proximal end of said subsea multipath apparatus;

(c) connecting a distal end of a riser conduit apparatus above said subsea closure apparatus wherein said riser has the proximal end at or near the surface of the sea; and

(d) hydraulically sealing all connections of said fluid control system including said subsea wellhead, subsea multipath apparatus, subsea closure apparatus, and riser forming a continuous sealed hydraulic conduit from surface into the subsea wellhead.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the subsea closure apparatus comprises a blow out preventer system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the subsea multipath apparatus is deployed to the subsea well before said subsea closure apparatus.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the riser conduit apparatus comprises a drilling riser apparatus.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein conduit is deployed from a rig at the surface through said continuous sealed hydraulic conduit into said subsea well.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a second multi-path apparatus is connected above a proximal end of said subsea multi-path apparatus.

7. A method of controlling the fluid flow from a subsea well comprising:

a. connecting at least two separate subsea blowout apparatus above different proximal end branches of a subsea multi-path apparatus comprising at least two proximal ends converging to a common distal end;

b. connecting above the respective proximal end of at least one of said at least two separate subsea blowout apparatus at least one riser conduit wherein said riser conduit has a proximal end at or near the surface;

c. inserting at least one continuous injection conduit having a proximal end at the surface into at least one of said riser conduit;

d. pumping fluids from the surface into said subsea well through at the least one continuous conduit having a proximal end at the surface and a distal end below said at least on subsea blowout apparatus.

8. The method of claim 7, used in drilling a well comprising;

a. attaching a drill bit and down hole assembly to the continuous conduit;

b. deploying said continuous conduit through said subsea blow out preventer and said multi-passage apparatus;

c. setting the drill assembly and weight of continuous conduit down in the well;

d. rotating the drilling assembly and cutting in the well or wellbore;

e. pumping a drilling fluid through said continuous conduit and said drilling assembly;

f. returning said drilling fluid with drill cuttings to the surface through said multi-path assembly, blow out preventer, and riser conduit;

g. injecting from surface simultaneously a second fluid down a second continuous conduit deployed through a second riser conduit, through a second blow out preventer, and through a proximal end of the multi-path apparatus; and

h. mixing and returning said second fluid with said first fluid and drill cuttings up said riser conduit to surface.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said second fluid has a lower fluid density than said first fluid.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said second fluid has a higher viscosity than said first fluid.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein different fluids are injected down the separate injection conduits through the separate subsea blowout apparatus with said pumping from surface of said fluids.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein a lighter fluid is pumped down the said at least one separate injection fluid conduit mixed at the discharge distal end of said multi-path apparatus with fluids coming from the well.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising an elastomeric and/or metal to metal seal.

20. The method of claim 7, used in grouting a casing in a subsea well comprising;

a. deploying a well casing comprising a back pressure valve assembly the seafloor into a subsea well bore;

b. deploying said continuous conduit through said subsea BOP;

c. pumping a well fluid followed by a grout from the surface down said continuous conduit into said well casing and into the casing outer diameter in said subsea wellbore;

d. displacing with fluids pumped from the surface said continuous conduit inside said casing;

e. returning said fluids up the well bore by a casing annulus through said subsea multipath subsea BOP and riser to the surface;

f. injecting from surface a second fluid down a second continuous conduit having a proximal end at surface and deployed through a second riser conduit, through a second blow out preventer, having the distal end of said conduit in or near the multi-path apparatus; and

g. mixing subsea and returning said second fluid with said first fluid being injected from surface down first continuous conduit up said casing outer diameter in subsea well bore casing wellhead multipath apparatus and riser conduit to surface.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said second fluid has a lower fluid density than said first fluid.

13. A multipath subsea apparatus comprising a subsea spool containing at least two proximal ends where the at least two proximal ends intersect within the spool forming a common exit pathway within the spool at or above the distal end of said subsea multipath apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising mechanical connector means on the proximal and distal ends adapted to form hydraulic seals with connected devices and apparatus.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said multipath subsea apparatus comprises at least one subsea closure device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the subsea closure apparatus is a gate valve.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a blow out preventer connected to a proximal end of the multipath subsea apparatus.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a riser conduit connector and release apparatus attached to at least one of the proximal ends of said subsea multipath apparatus.