Method for using a multipurpose unit with multipurpose tower and a surface blow out preventer

• US 7,021,402 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2004
• Issued: 04/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itrec BV (Ace Innovation Holding BV)
• Original Assignee: Itrec BV (Ace Innovation Holding BV), Drillmar, Inc.
• Inventors: Roodenburg, Joop, Beato, Christopher Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): Beach, Thomas A
• Application Number:
  US11/012,781
• Publication Number:
  US 20050126790A1
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: 166/338, 166/345, 166/349, 166/351, 166/352, 166/358, 166/363, 166/364, 166/367, 175/5, 175/7, 175/8
• US Class Current: 175/7
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 15/003 adapted to be moved on their substructure, e.g. with skidding means; adapted to drill a plurality of wells
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 15/02 specially adapted for underwater drilling E21B15/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/002 specially adapted for underwater drilling E21B19/09, E21B19/143 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/06 Blow-out preventers , i.e. apparatus closing around a drill pipe, e.g. annular blow-out preventers rotating blow-out preventers E21B33/085

Abstract

A method of drilling and completing an underwater well entails installing conductor casing from a floating vessel into a seabed; drilling a bore through the conductor casing to a defined depth in the seabed; and installing surface casing through the conductor casing. A high pressure wellhead and mudline suspension system engages the surface casing and are disposed on the first end. The lower stress joint is connected to a lower saver sub that connects to the casing riser'"'"'s lower end. The casing riser on an upper end is connected to an upper saver sub that engages a upper stress joint. The method ends by connecting the upper stress joint to a surface wellhead in fluid communication with a surface BOP; and connecting the surface BOP and the surface wellhead to a tensioning system on the floating vessel; and using a telescoping joint.

Claims

1. A method of drilling and completing an underwater well, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

a. installing conductor casing from a floating vessel into a seabed and wherein the floating vessel has a mooring system that can limit excursions to a point that there is no risk of damage to a casing riser;

b. drilling a bore through the conductor casing to a defined depth in the seabed;

c. installing surface casing through the conductor casing, wherein the surface casing comprises a first end and a second end,

d. disposing on a first end of the surface casing, a wellhead and a mudline suspension system;

e. connecting the wellhead to a connector which is then connected to a lower stress joint;

f. connecting the lower stress joint to a lower end of a tubular riser;

g. connecting the tubular riser to an upper stress joint;

h. connecting the upper stress joint to a surface wellhead in fluid communication with a surface blow out preventer;

i. connecting the surface blow out preventer and the surface wellhead to a tensioning system on the floating vessel; and

j. using a telescoping joint comprising a first joint end and a second joint end, wherein the first joint end connects to the surface blow out perventer and the second joint end connects to the floating vessel.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of

a. drilling a second bore hole deeper through the surface casing to a second depth;

b. installing a smaller diameter casing comprised of a lower section of smaller diameter casing connected to a mudline suspension hanger which is connected to a upper section of smaller diameter casing, wherein the lower section smaller diameter casing is suspended from the mudline suspension system that is attached to the wellhead that is connected to the first end of the surface casing; and

c. installing an upper section smaller diameter casing between the mudline suspension hanger and the surface wellhead, wherein the upper section smaller diameter casing is suspended with a casing hanger from the surface wellhead.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the steps of drilling to the second bore hole and installing the smaller diameter casing is repeated until the desired depth of the bore hole is achieved.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of pre-forming the surface wellhead and the upper and the lower stress joints as a one piece unit prior to installation at sea.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of installing a lower saver sub between the connection of the lower stress joint and a lower end of the tubular riser.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of installing an upper saver sub between the connection of a upper end of the tubular riser and the upper stress joint.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the lower stress joint is selected from the group consisting of, rigid stress joint, ball joint and flex joint and combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the upper stress joint is selected from the group consisting of, rigid stress joint, ball joint and flex joint and combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the rigid upper stress joint is a tapered steel structure, and the upper rigid stress joint comprises a wall thickness thicker than the upper and lower saver subs or tubular riser.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the rigid lower stress joint is a tapered steel structure, and the lower rigid stress joint comprises a wall thickness thicker than the upper and lower saver subs or tubular riser.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of tensioning the surface blow out preventer and the surface wellhead using a tensioning system comprising:

a. a tensioning frame;

b. a tensioning base moveably disposed in the tensioning frame for supporting the surface wellhead and the surface blow out preventer;

c. at least two tensioning cylinders, wherein each tensioning cylinder is connected to the tensioning base and;

d. a BOP lifting table adapted to lift and support the surface BOP from the surface wellhead.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein tensioning of the surface blow out preventer comprises connecting at least two tensioning cylinders to the tensioning base, and wherein sheaves and cables are controlled by the tensioning cylinders to provide a constant tension on the casing riser.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the tensioning cylinders are selected from the group consisting of, hydraulically operated tensioning cylinders, pneumatically operated cylinders and combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the tensioning system is gimbaled to minimize the lateral load on the upper and lower stress joints.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising landing concentrically different diameter casing strings within a housing while supporting the weight of casing strings suspended below using the mudline suspension system.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of using a low pressure subsea wellhead housing for the subsea wellhead.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a floating vessel with a multipurpose drilling unit.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the multipurpose unit comprises:

a. a mast comprising two struts, a mast top side, a mast bottom side, a mast forward side, a mast inward side, and a mast back side;

b. a plurality of cable blocks connected to the mast top side;

c. a main trolley comprising a first gripper moveably connected to the mast inward side;

d. at least one main hoist connected to the mast; and

e. a hoisting cable connected to the at least one main hoist adapted to be guided over the plurality of cable blocks and adapted to move the main trolley relative to the mast.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the multipurpose unit is rotatable at the mast bottom side.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the multipurpose unit further comprises an auxiliary trolley and a least one secondary hoist connected to the mast, wherein the auxiliary trolley is adapted to move relative to the mast, and the auxiliary trolley comprises a second gripper moveably connected to the mast forward side.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of connecting a compensator to the mast.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of supporting the cable blocks from the mast top side, and using a lattice structure of the mast top side to support the cable blocks.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the drilling is casing drilling.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of installing a mooring system to be used with the drilling system wherein the mooring system comprises:

a. at least eight anchors;

b. at least eight mooring lines, each line consisting of;

a first length of steel wire rope secured to each of the anchors;

a length of polymer rope secured to each of the first length of steel wire rope;

a second length of steel wire rope having a first end and the second end, and wherein the first end is secured to the length of polymer rope and the second end is secured to the floating vessel; and

wherein the mooring lines have adequate elasticity, stiffness and strength to accommodate the load on the tender under an environmental load produced by an up to a 10-year storm in the tendering position, and further wherein the mooring lines have a strength to withstand the environmental load produced by up to a 100-year extreme weather condition when the tender is moved to a 100-year extreme weather condition standby position; and

the mooring lines of the method are adapted to synchronize the movements between the floating vessel and a deep draft caisson vessel, while tendering.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of installing the mooring system involves using a mooring design engineered to withstand a 100-year storm event.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the mooring system is stiff enough to minimize floating vessel excursions that apply forces to components between the subsurface wellhead and the surface blow out preventer so that the forces do not exceed any one component'"'"'s rated working strength or defined fatigue limit.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the mooring system is secured to a floating platform wherein the floating platform has three columns, and wherein the shape of the floating platform allows for less movement than a similarly sized floating platform and mooring system.

28. The method of claim 1, further comprising the following steps for installing the blow out preventer (BOP):

a. running and jetting a conductor and drilling a smaller open hole through the conductor;

b. skidding a BOP support frame into position for running casing and cementing casing;

c. tensioning the casing using the BOP support frame;

d. skidding the BOP support frame for installing the BOP;

e. installing the BOP in the BOP support frame;

f. skidding the BOP support frame under the drill floor;

g. ruining a slipjoint with a flexjoint and a diverter into place for connecting to the BOP;

h. drilling a second hole;

i. running casing and landing casing on the mudline suspension system;

j. cementing casing below the mudline suspension system;

k. disconnecting the BOP from the surface wellhead and lifting the BOP; and

l. setting slips and cutting off casing ends.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the blow out perventer is a surface blow out perventer.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the lifting of the BOP, is done by the BOP lifting device comprising:

a. a BOP lifting table;

b. a lifting arm, wherein the lifting arm is connected to the BOP;

c. a piston connected to the lifting arm;

wherein the lifting arm pivots at a point attached to a BOP lifting table; and

d. a guide connected to the BOP lifting table, wherein the guide is for guiding the vertical movement of the BOP.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising moving the BOP support base vertically within the BOP support frame.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising using at least one gas cylinder to facilitate the moving of the BOP support base vertically within the BOP support frame.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein the connector is an H4 connector.