Riser pipe section with flanged auxiliary lines and bayonet connections

• US 8,881,830 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2008
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IFP Energies Nouvelles
• Original Assignee: IFP Energies Nouvelles
• Inventors: Persent, Emmanuel, Papon, Grard
• Primary Examiner(s): Sayre, James G
• Application Number:
  US12/747,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20100319925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,171 Days
• Field of Search: 285/26, 285/29, 285/81, 285/91, 285/92, 285/351, 285/402, 285/913, 285/914, 403348-349, 166350-352, 166/355, 166/367
• US Class Current: 166/367
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 17/0853 Connections between sections of riser provided with auxiliary lines, e.g. kill and choke lines

Abstract

A riser pipe section (4) is disclose for offshore well drilling operations comprising a main tube element (6) having as an extension a male connector element (10) and a female connector element (9) comprising a first series of tenons. At least one auxiliary tube element (7) is secured to the male connector element (10) and to the female connector element (9) so that the main tube element (6) and the auxiliary tube element (7) jointly transmit tensile stresses between the male connector element (10) and the female connector element (9). A locking ring is mounted on the male connector element and the ring comprises a second series of tenons.

Claims

1. A riser pipe section for offshore well drilling operations, comprising a main tube element including an extension with a male connector element and a female connector element comprising:

first tenons, at least one auxiliary tube element secured to the male connector element and to the female connector element so that the main tube and the at least one auxiliary tube element jointly transmit tensile stresses between the male connector element and the female connector element, and wherein a locking ring is mounted on the male connector element such that the locking ring will be positioned between a female connector element of an adjacent riser pipe section and the male connector element, with the locking ring comprising second tenons interacting with first tenons of the female connector element of the adjacent riser pipe section for locking the female connector element of the adjacent riser pipe section and the male connector element together,

wherein the first tenons are positioned on an inner surface of the female connector element and the second tenons are positioned on an outer surface of the locking ring.

2. A riser pipe section as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locking ring is housed in a slot disposed on an outer surface of the male connector element.

3. A riser pipe section as claimed in claim 2, wherein the male connector element comprises a tubular part forming an extension of the main tube element and an annular part mounted on the tubular part, with the locking ring being mounted on the tubular part and locked in translation between the tubular part and annular part.

4. A riser pipe section as claimed in claim 3, wherein the male connector element includes a first shoulder extending outwardly relative to the main tube element and the female connector element includes a second shoulder extending outwardly relative to the main tube element and the at least one auxiliary tube element is mounted axially abutted against the first shoulder and against the second shoulder.

5. A riser pipe section as claimed in claim 4, wherein the male connector element is an extension of the main tube element and progressively increases in thickness relative to a thickness of the main tube element up to the first shoulder and the female connector element is an extension of main tube element and progressively increases in thickness relative to a thickness of the main tube element up to the second shoulder.

6. A riser pipe section as claimed in claim 2, wherein the male connector element comprises a first part including an extension of the main tube element and a second tubular part mounted on the first part, the locking ring being mounted on the second tubular part and locked in translation between the first part and the second tubular part.

7. A riser pipe section as claimed in claim 6, wherein the male connector element includes a first shoulder extending outwardly relative to the main tube element and the female connector element includes a second shoulder extending outwardly relative to the main tube element and the at least one auxiliary tube element is mounted axially abutted against the first shoulder and against the second shoulder.

8. A riser pipe section as claimed in claim 7, wherein the male connector element is an extension of the main tube element and progressively increases in thickness relative to a thickness of the main tube element up to the first shoulder and the female connector element is an extension of main tube element and progressively increases in thickness relative to a thickness of the main tube element up to the second shoulder.

9. A riser pipe section as claimed in claim 2, wherein the male connector element includes a first shoulder extending outwardly relative to the main tube element and the female connector element includes a second shoulder extending outwardly relative to the main tube element and the at least one auxiliary tube element is mounted axially abutted against the first shoulder and against the second shoulder.

10. A riser pipe section as claimed in claim 9, wherein the male connector element is an extension of the main tube element and progressively increases in thickness relative to a thickness of the main tube element up to the first shoulder and the female connector element is an extension of main tube element and progressively increases in thickness relative to a thickness of the main tube element up to the second shoulder.

11. A riser pipe section as claimed in claim 1, wherein the male connector element includes a first shoulder extending outwardly relative to the main tube element and the female connector element includes a second shoulder extending outwardly relative to the main tube element and the at least one auxiliary tube element is mounted axially abutted against the first shoulder and against the second shoulder.

12. A riser pipe section as claimed in claim 11, wherein the male connector element is an extension of the main tube element and progressively increases in thickness relative to a thickness of the main tube element up to the first shoulder and the female connector element is an extension of main tube element and progressively increases in thickness relative to a thickness of the main tube element up to the second shoulder.

13. A riser pipe section as claimed in claim 1, comprising a part which forms an extension of one end of the at least one auxiliary tube element, wherein the part is configured to receive wear.

14. A riser pipe section as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ring comprises means for rotating the locking ring.

15. A riser pipe section as claimed in claim 1, comprising a means for locking the locking ring.

16. A riser pipe comprising a plurality of riser pipe sections comprising a main tube element including an extension with a male connector element and a female connector element including first tenons, at least one auxiliary tube element secured to the male connector element and to the female connector element so that the main tube and the at least one auxiliary tube element jointly transmit tensile stresses between the male connector element and the female connector element, and wherein a locking ring is mounted on the male connector element, with the locking ring comprising second tenons for locking the female and male connector elements together and wherein the longitudinal tensile stresses are distributed among the main tube element and the at least one auxiliary tube element of each riser pipe section,

wherein the locking ring is configured to be positioned between the female and the male connector elements, and the first tenons are positioned on an inner surface of the female connector element and the second tenons are positioned on an outer surface of the locking ring.

17. A riser pipe as claimed in claim 16, wherein the locking ring is positioned between the female and the male connector elements.

18. A riser pipe comprising:

a plurality of riser pipe sections, at least two riser pipe sections of the plurality of riser pipe sections each comprising a main tube element and at least one auxiliary tube element, a first end of the main tube element comprising a male connector element and a second end of the main tube element comprising a female connector element, the at least one auxiliary tube element being secured to the male connector element and to the female connector element so that the main tube element and the at least one auxiliary tube element jointly transmit tensile stresses between the male connector element and the female connector element, wherein an inner surface of the female connector element comprises first tenons; and

a locking ring mounted on the male connector element, an outer surface of the locking ring comprising second tenons, the second tenons being configured to lock with the first tenons of the female connector element of an adjacent riser pipe section, the locking ring being configured to be positioned between the male connector element and the female connector element of the adjacent riser pipe section.