Connection system for subsea flow interface equipment

• US 9,260,944 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2014
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OneSubsea IP UK Limited (SLB)
• Original Assignee: OneSubsea IP UK Limited (SLB)
• Inventors: Donald, Ian, Reid, John, Crawford, Alan, White, Paul W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buck, Matthew R
• Application Number:
  US14/282,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20140332222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 166/344, 166/338, 166/347, 166/351, 166/360, 166/368, 166/263, 166/90.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/047 for plural tubing strings
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/076 specially adapted for underwater installations
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/0007 for underwater installations E21B41/005, E21B41/04, E21B41/06, E21B41/08, E21B41/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/12 Methods or apparatus for controlling the flow of the obtained fluid to or in wells E21B43/25 takes precedence; valve arrangements E21B34/00
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/16 Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/162 Injecting fluid from longitudinally spaced locations in injection well
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/166 Injecting a gaseous medium; Injecting a gaseous medium and a liquid medium CO2 injection E21B43/164; steam injection E21B43/24

Abstract

A system for connecting flow interface equipment to a subsea manifold is disclosed. The system relates particularly to an apparatus adapted to inject fluids into a well having a flow bore. The system includes a connection apparatus adapted to land a conduit means on a subsea manifold and to connect a conduit means of the connection apparatus to a choke body of the manifold.

Claims

1. An assembly for injecting chemicals into a well having a flow bore extending through a tree and into the well, the tree including a lateral branch extending from the tree and having a lateral branch bore with a first lateral branch bore portion communicating with the flow bore and a second lateral branch bore portion communicating with a lateral branch outlet, the assembly comprising:

an access port disposed into the lateral branch between the first and second lateral branch bore portions;

a chemical injection apparatus communicating with the access port; and

an injection flowpath extending from the chemical injection apparatus through the access port and either into the first lateral branch bore portion to inject chemicals into the well flow bore or into the second lateral branch bore portion and through the outlet to inject chemicals into a flowline.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the injection flowpath includes a releasable conduit communicating the chemical injection apparatus with the lateral branch bore to inject chemicals into the well flow bore.

3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein the lateral branch bore communicates with a flowline, the flowline being closed during injection into the tree flow bore.

4. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a mounting apparatus on the tree;

a utility skid tree support system including a utility skid with a conduit communicating with the chemical injection apparatus;

the lateral branch having an upwardly facing access bore extending from the lateral branch bore; and

the conduit having a connector to connect with the upwardly facing access bore and an aligning member for engaging the mounting apparatus to locate and align the connector with respect to the upwardly facing access bore.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the tree having an upper end and a tree guide;

a utility skid tree support system on the tree;

a utility skid with a skid guide and a fluid conduit communicating with the chemical injection apparatus;

the lateral branch being mounted to the tree below the upper end and including an access bore extending upwardly from the lateral branch bore; and

the skid guide being engageable with the tree guide to locate and align the fluid conduit of the utility skid with the access bore of the lateral branch.

6. An assembly for injection of fluids into a well having a flow bore extending through a tree and into the well, comprising:

a lateral branch on the tree having a lateral branch bore communicating with the flow bore and having an end port, the lateral branch including an access port communicating with the lateral branch bore through the wall of the lateral branch between the flow bore and the end port;

an injection conduit communicating with the access port to form an injection flowpath extending from an apparatus, through the access port, and into the lateral branch bore to either inject fluids into the flow bore or to inject fluids through the end port; and

a closure member for opening and closing the end port of the lateral branch.

7. An assembly for injection into a well having a tree flow bore extending through a tree and into the well, comprising:

a lateral branch on the tree having a lateral branch bore, the lateral branch bore communicating with the flow bore and having an outlet communicating with a line and the lateral branch including a choke body having a choke passage therethrough forming part of the lateral branch bore and at least one port through a wall thereof communicating with the choke passage and not forming a part of the choke passage; and

a conduit communicating with the at least one port to form a single path injection flowpath extending from an injection apparatus and through the wall of the choke body into the choke passage to either inject fluids into the flow bore or through the outlet and into the line.

8. The assembly of claim 7 wherein the injection apparatus is a chemical injection apparatus, the lateral branch bore being in communication with the tree flow bore to inject chemicals into the tree flow bore.

9. The assembly of claim 7 wherein the injection apparatus is a chemical injection apparatus, the lateral branch bore being in communication with a flowline to inject chemicals into the flowline.

10. The assembly of claim 7 wherein the injection apparatus injects materials, the lateral branch bore being in communication with the tree flow bore to inject materials into the tree flow bore.

11. The assembly of claim 7 wherein the injection apparatus injects materials, the lateral branch bore being in communication with a flowline to inject materials into the flowline.

12. An assembly for injection of fluids into a well having a flow bore extending through a tree and into the well, the tree including a lateral branch extending from the tree and having a branch bore communicating with the flow bore, comprising:

the lateral branch including an access port communicating with the branch bore and the branch bore having an outlet;

a fluids injection apparatus communicating with the access port;

a closure member for closing the branch bore between the access port and the outlet; and

with the closure member closed, an injection flowpath extending from the fluids injection apparatus through the access port and into the branch bore to inject fluids into the well flow bore.

13. The assembly of claim 12 wherein a conduit communicates the fluids injection apparatus with the access port.

14. The assembly of claim 13 wherein a single path injection flowpath is formed between the fluids injection apparatus and the flowbore.

15. The assembly of claim 12 wherein the lateral branch includes an outlet and a closure member for opening and closing the outlet of the branch.

16. The assembly of claim 12 wherein the fluids include water from the sea.

17. The assembly of claim 12 wherein the fluids are chemicals.

18. The assembly of claim 12 wherein the branch port is formed by a choke body.

19. An assembly for the injection of fluids into a well having a flow bore extending through a tree and into the well, the tree including a lateral branch extending from the tree and having a branch bore communicating with the flow bore and having an outlet communicating with a flowline, comprising:

a choke body having a first port communicating with the branch bore and a second port communicating with the flowline;

first and second hubs disposed on the tree, the first hub being connected to the first port and the second hub being connected to the second port; and

a processing apparatus being releasably connected to the first and second hubs.

20. The assembly of claim 19 wherein the processing apparatus includes at least one of the group consisting of a pump, a process fluid turbine, an injection apparatus for injecting gas or steam, a materials injection apparatus, a chemical reaction vessel, a pressure regulation apparatus, a fluid riser, a measurement apparatus, a temperature measurement apparatus, a flow rate measurement apparatus, a constitution measurement apparatus, a consistency measurement apparatus, a gas separation apparatus, a water separation apparatus, a solids separation apparatus, a hydrocarbon separation apparatus, and a combination thereof.