Coiled tubing workover riser

• US 6,102,125 A
• Filed: 08/06/1998
• Issued: 08/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ABB Vetco Gray, Inc. (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: ABB Vetco Gray, Inc. (GE Aerospace)
• Inventors: Calder, Ian D.
• Primary Examiner(s): SUCHFIELD, GEORGE A
• Application Number:
  US09/130,575
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 166/97.5, 166/242.2, 166/242.3, 166/359, 166/363, 166/364, 166/367, 166/368, 166/384, 405/195.1, 405/224
• US Class Current: 166/359
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/035 specially adapted for underwater installations E21B33/043, E21B33/064, E21B33/076 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/076 specially adapted for underwater installations
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/013 Connecting a production flow line to an underwater well head

Abstract

An apparatus for performing workover operations on a subsea well that has a subsea production tree with a production passage and an annulus access passageway. The subsea production tree is secured to a lower riser portion. The lower riser portion connects to the tree and has a production passage which registers with a production passage of the tree. The apparatus also has an annulus access passage which registers with the annulus access passage of the tree. The apparatus further includes a monobore riser which extends downward from the surface. A string of tubing, preferably coiled tubing, extends through the monobore riser and defines an inner riser passage and an annular riser passage. A circulation plug is secured proximate a lower end of the coiled tubing and is landed in the lower riser portion of the subsea well. The circulation plug communicates the inner riser passage with the annulus access passage. A flow-by passage is provided in the circulation plug to communicate the production passage with the annular riser passage.

Claims

1. An apparatus for performing workover operations on a subsea well comprising:

a lower riser portion for connecting to a subsea production tree, said lower riser portion having a production passage adapted to register with the production passage of said tree, and an annulus access passage adapted to register with an annulus access passage in said tree;

a monobore riser extending upward from the lower riser portion to the surface;

a string of tubing extending from the surface through said monobore riser, defining an inner riser passage and annular riser passage; and

a circulation plug secured proximate a lower end of the tubing and landed in said lower riser portion, said circulation plug having a first passage communicating the production passage in said lower riser portion with one of the riser passages, and a second passage communicating the annulus access passage in said lower riser portion with the other of the riser passages.

2. The apparatus for performing workover operations according to claim 1 wherein the first passage communicates the production passage in said lower riser portion with said annular riser passage.

3. The apparatus for performing workover operations according to claim 1 wherein the first passage is a flow-by passageway extending through the plug which communicates said production passage in said lower riser portion with said annular riser passage, and the second passage is a lateral annulus access passageway that communicates said annulus access passage in said lower riser portion with said inner riser passage.

4. An apparatus for performing workover operations according to claim 1 wherein said string of tubing is coiled tubing.

5. An apparatus for performing workover operations according to claim 1 wherein said production passage and said annulus access passage in said lower riser portion are parallel and offset axially from one another, with said annulus access passage in said lower riser portion being smaller than said production passage in said lower riser portion.

6. An apparatus for performing workover operations according to claim 1 wherein said production passage and said annulus access passage in said lower riser portion are parallel, with said annular riser passage in said lower riser portion being smaller in flow area than said production passage in said lower riser portion, and said annulus access passage in said lower riser portion extends axially through a wall of the lower riser portion.

7. An apparatus for performing workover operations according to claim 1 wherein said production passage and said annulus access passage in said lower riser portion are parallel, with said annulus access passage in said lower riser portion being smaller than said production passage in said lower riser portion and comprising an axial portion extending axially through a wall of said lower riser portion and a lateral portion extending laterally from said axial portion to the production passage of said lower riser portion.

8. An apparatus for performing workover operations according to claim 1 wherein said lower rise portion has a landing profile, and said circulation plug has a lock member that engages said landing profile.

9. An apparatus for performing workover operations on a subsea well comprising:

a lower riser portion for connecting to a subsea production tree

said lower riser portion having a production passage adapted to register with a production passage of said tree, and an annulus access passage adapted to register with an annulus access passage of said tree, wherein said lower riser portion has a landing profile;

a monobore riser portion extending upward from the lower riser portion to the surface;

a string of coiled tubing extending from the surface through said monobore riser, defining inner and annular riser passages; and

a circulation plug secured to a lower end of the tubing and landed in the production passage in said lower riser portion, said circulation plug having a flow-by passage which communicates said production passage of said lower riser portion below said circulation plug with said annular riser passage and having a lateral annulus access passageway which communicates said annulus access passage of said lower riser portion with said inner riser passage, said circulation plug having a lock member that engages said landing profile.

10. An apparatus for performing workover operations according to claim 9 wherein said circulation plug comprises:

a lower body and an upper body, said upper body being connected to said lower end of coiled tubing and being axially movable from upper and lower positions relative to said lower body, the lock member being carried by the upper and lower bodies and being movable to a locked position in response to movement of the bodies relative to each other;

a central bore in said upper and said lower body, said central bore in said lower body being closed at a lower end of said lower body and open at an upper end to the interior of the coiled tubing; and

wherein the lateral annulus access passageway is located in said lower body and communicates said central bore with said annulus access passage in said lower riser portion.

11. An apparatus for performing workover operations according to claim 9 further comprising a lubricator mounted to an upper end of the monobore riser portion, wherein said string of coiled tubing passes sealingly through the lubricator.

12. An apparatus for performing workover operations according to claim 9, further comprising a valve in said annulus access passage in said lower riser portion and a valve in said production passage in said lower riser portion.

13. A method for performing workover operations on a subsea well having a subsea production tree comprising the steps of:

connecting a monobore riser to a lower riser portion, which has a production passage adapted to register with a production passage of the tree, and an annulus access passage adapted to register with an annulus access passage of the tree;

lowering the monobore riser and connecting the lower riser portion to the subsea production tree;

engaging a circulation plug which has first and second passages to a string of tubing;

lowering the string of tubing and the circulation plug through the monobore riser and landing the circulation plug in the lower riser portion, defining an inner riser passage in the string of tubing and an annulus riser passage surrounding the string of tubing; and

with said first passage, communicating the annular access passage of said lower riser portion with one of the passages in said monobore riser and with said second passage, communicating the production passage of said lower riser portion with the other of the passages in said monobore riser.

14. The method of performing workover operations according to claim 13 further comprising the step of:

communicating said production passage in said lower riser portion with said annulus access passage in said lower riser portion.