Method and apparatus to control fluid flow from subsea wells

• US 8,807,223 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2011
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: David Randolph Smith
• Original Assignee: David Randolph Smith
• Inventors: Smith, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): SAYRE, JAMES G
• Application Number:
  US13/118,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20110290495A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 166/335, 166/339, 166/344, 166/345, 166/347, 166/363, 166/364, 166/366, 166/367, 166/313, 166/386, 166/85.4, 166/85.5, 166/89.2, 166/270
• 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 of controlling the fluid flow from a subsea well, comprising:

connecting at least two separate subsea blowout apparatus above different proximal end branches of a subsea multi-path apparatus, wherein said multi-path apparatus comprises at least two proximal ends that define separate injection conduits converging to a common distal end;

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;

inserting at least one injection conduit having a proximal end at or near the surface into at least one of said riser conduit;

pumping fluids from the surface into said subsea well through the at least one conduit having a proximal end at the surface and a distal end below the surface, wherein different fluids are injected down the separate injection conduits through the separate subsea blowout apparatuses with said pumping from surface of said fluids.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

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

deploying said conduit through said subsea blowout apparatus and said multi-passage apparatus;

setting the drill assembly and weight of the injection conduit down in the well;

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

pumping a drilling fluid through said injection conduit and said drilling assembly;

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

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

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

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said second fluid has a lower fluid density than said first fluid.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said second fluid has a higher viscosity than said first fluid.

5. The method of claim 1, 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.

6. The method of claim 1, used in grouting a casing in a subsea well, comprising:

deploying a well tubular system injection conduit comprising at least one back pressure valve assembly through the seafloor into a subsea well bore;

deploying said injection conduit through at least one of said at least two separate subsea blowout apparatus;

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

displacing fluids and grouts disposed inside said injection conduit or casing with fluids pumped from the surface through said injection conduit or casing;

returning said displaced fluids and grouts up the well bore by a casing outside diameter annulus through said subsea multipath subsea BOP and riser to the surface;

injecting from surface a second fluid down a second injection 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 second injection conduit in or near the multi-path apparatus; and

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

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said second fluid has a lower fluid density than said first fluid.