Method and system for developing offshore hydrocarbon reserves
First Claim
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1. A method for establishing hydrocarbon production from an offshore reservoir, comprising:
- a) installing a compliant platform at a selected site;
b) restraining an offshore drilling vessel with respect to the compliant platform and positioning the offshore drilling vessel over a selected well site at an ocean floor;
c) conducting drilling operations from the offshore drilling vessel through a drilling riser connected to a well at the selected well site;
d) transferring a production riser which extends from the well near the ocean floor to the offshore drilling vessel from the offshore drilling vessel to the compliant platform;
e) securing the production riser to the compliant platform; and
f) establishing communication between the reservoir and a facility on the compliant platform.
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Abstract
A method are disclosed for establishing hydrocarbon production for offshore reservoirs in which a compliant platform is installed at a selected site, an offshore drilling vessel is docked to the compliant platform and the vessel is positioned over a selected well site for conducting drilling operations, and the production riser is transferred from the vessel to the compliant platform and secured there. Communication between a surface tree installed on the production riser and facilities supported by the compliant platform is established and these steps are repeated for each selected well site served by the compliant platform.
45 Citations
62 Claims
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1. A method for establishing hydrocarbon production from an offshore reservoir, comprising:
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a) installing a compliant platform at a selected site; b) restraining an offshore drilling vessel with respect to the compliant platform and positioning the offshore drilling vessel over a selected well site at an ocean floor; c) conducting drilling operations from the offshore drilling vessel through a drilling riser connected to a well at the selected well site; d) transferring a production riser which extends from the well near the ocean floor to the offshore drilling vessel from the offshore drilling vessel to the compliant platform; e) securing the production riser to the compliant platform; and f) establishing communication between the reservoir and a facility on the compliant platform. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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2. A method for establishing hydrocarbon production from a deepwater offshore reservoir, comprising:
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a) installing a compliant platform at a selected site; b) restraining an offshore drilling vessel with respect to the compliant platform and positioning the offshore drilling vessel over a selected well site; c) conducting drilling operations from the offshore drilling vessel through a substantially vertical drilling riser in communication with a well at the selected well site; d) transferring from the offshore drilling vessel to the compliant platform an assembled production riser which extends from the well adjacent an ocean floor to above an ocean surface; e) securing the production riser to the compliant platform; f) establishing communication between the reservoir and a facility on the compliant platform; and g) repositioning the offshore drilling vessel over another selected well site and repeating steps (c) through (f) for each additional selected well site. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for establishing hydrocarbon production from a deepwater offshore reservoir, comprising:
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a) installing a compliant platform at a selected location in substantially vertical alignment with a well pattern; b) docking a semisubmersible vessel to the compliant platform and driving the joined semisubmersible vessel and compliant platform such that the compliant platform is edged out of alignment with the well pattern and the semisubmersible vessel is brought into substantially vertical alignment over a selected well site within the well pattern; c) conducting drilling operations for a well at the selected well site from the semisubmersible vessel through a substantially vertical drilling riser; d) replacing the drilling riser with a production riser which extends from the well at an ocean floor to above an ocean surface using the semisubmersible vessel; e) completing the well through the production riser using the semisubmersible vessel; f) transferring the completed production riser from the semisubmersible vessel to the compliant platform; g) securing the production riser to the compliant platform through a dynamic tensioning device; h) connecting a surface tree of the completed production riser to a facility on the compliant platform through a flexible flowline; and i) positioning the semisubmersible vessel over another selected well site and repeating steps (c) through (h) for additional selected well sites.
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21. A method for establishing hydrocarbon production from a deepwater offshore reservoir, comprising:
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a) installing a compliant platform having a laterally accessible well bay; b) positioning a drilling derrick of a semisubmersible vessel substantially over the well bay of the compliant platform and restraining the movement of the compliant platform with respect to the semisubmersible vessel; c) conducting drilling operations for a well at an ocean floor from the semisubmersible vessel through a substantially vertical drilling riser supported by the semisubmersible vessel adjacent the well bay of the compliant tower; d) replacing the drilling riser with a production riser which extends from the well at the ocean floor to the semisubmersible vessel; e) transferring the production riser from the semisubmersible vessel to the well bay of the compliant platform; f) securing the production riser to the compliant platform through a dynamic tensioning device; g) completing the well through the production riser using the drilling derrick of the semisubmersible vessel; h) connecting a surface tree of the completed production riser to a facility on the compliant platform through a flexible flowline; i) positioning the semisubmersible vessel over another selected well site and repeating steps (b) through (h) for additional selected well sites.
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22. A method for establishing hydrocarbon production from an offshore reservoir, comprising:
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a) installing a compliant platform at a selected site; b) docking an offshore drilling vessel to the compliant platform and positioning the offshore drilling vessel over a selected well site on the ocean floor; c) conducting drilling operations from the offshore drilling vessel through a substantially vertical riser which extends from a well at the selected well site to the offshore drilling vessel; d) transferring the riser from the offshore drilling vessel to the compliant platform; e) securing the riser to the compliant platform through a dynamic tensioning device; f) establishing communication between a surface completion of the riser and facilities on the compliant platform; and g) relocating the offshore vessel over another selected well site and repeating steps (c) through (f) for additional selected well sites. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method for developing deepwater hydrocarbon reserves comprising:
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a) providing production facilities on a compliant platform positioned to serve a plurality of well sites arranged substantially vertically therebeneath on the ocean floor; b) providing non-dedicated drilling operations on an offshore drilling vessel; c) docking the offshore drilling vessel to the compliant platform; d) displacing the compliant platform with the offshore drilling vessel as necessary to place a derrick of the offshore drilling vessel in substantially vertical alignment with a selected well site; e) drilling a well at the selected well site with the offshore drilling vessel through a substantially vertical drilling riser; f) completing the well through a production riser and installing a surface tree on the top of the production riser; g) laterally transferring the production riser, which extends from the well at the ocean floor to above an ocean surface, from the offshore drilling vessel to a laterally receiving riser tensioning system on the platform; h) establishing communication between the surface tree of the production riser and facilities on the compliant platform; i) shifting the offshore drilling vessel to a position in which the offshore drilling vessel is substantially in vertical alignment with another well site; and j) repeating steps (c) through (i) as set forth above until each of the desired wells is drilled and placed in communication with the facilities on the compliant platform.
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36. A method for establishing production of hydrocarbons from offshore reservoirs, said method comprising:
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installing a tension leg well jacket at a selected site; drilling and completing a well at a selected position within a pattern about the base of the tension leg well jacket using a semisubmersible vessel temporarily docked to the tension leg well jacket; laterally transferring from the semisubmersible vessel to riser tensioners supported by the tension leg well jacket, a surface accessible production riser which extends from the well adjacent an ocean floor to above an ocean surface; and connecting a surface tree at the top of the production riser to a production facility carried on the tension leg well jacket. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39)
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40. A method for establishing production of hydrocarbons from offshore reservoirs, said method comprising:
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installing a tension leg well jacket at a selected site; drilling and completing a well at a selected position within a pattern about the base of the tension leg well jacket using a semisubmersible vessel temporarily docked to the tension leg well jacket; laterally transferring from the semisubmersible vessel to riser tensioners supported by the tension leg well jacket a surface accessible, completed production riser in communication with the well extending to the well at a lower end and projecting above an ocean surface at an upper end; connecting a surface tree at the top of the production riser to a production facility carried on the tension leg well jacket; and shifting the semisubmersible vessel over another selected well site within the pattern about the base of the TLP and repeating the drilling, completion, transferring and connection steps set forth above until the desired wells have been drilled and completed with the facilities on the semisubmersible vessel and are secured to the tension leg well jacket for production operations. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44)
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62. A method for establishing hydrocarbon production from an offshore reservoir, comprising:
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a) installing a compliant platform at a selected offshore location and anchoring the compliant platform to the ocean floor; b) an offshore drilling vessel with respect to the compliant platform and positioning at least a portion of the offshore drilling vessel over a selected well site; c) conducting well drilling operations from the offshore drilling vessel through a substantially vertical drilling riser to drill a well into the ocean floor to the offshore reservoir; d) removing the drilling riser and installing an assembled production riser that extends substantially vertically from the top of the well to above the ocean surface; e) transferring the support for the assembled production riser from the offshore drilling vessel to the compliant platform; f) securing the upper end of the production riser under tension to the compliant platform; and g) establishing communication between the reservoir and a facility on the compliant platform.
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Specification