Oil outlet pipe connection device

Abstract

An apparatus includes a flow line connector having an inner pipe and an outer assembly. The outer assembly includes a frame and an outer pipe, the outer pipe being movable within the frame to allow the outer pipe to move toward the inner pipe. The outer assembly also includes a shaped pipe, the outer pipe being received in the shaped pipe, and the shaped pipe and the outer pipe being connected to move together. The shaped pipe includes at least one guide to change the tilt or deflection of the outer pipe as the outer pipe moves within the frame toward the inner pipe to guide the outer pipe toward alignment with the inner pipe. Additional systems, devices, and methods are also disclosed.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. patent application serial number 16 / 520,054, which was filed on July 23, 2019 and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Background Art

[0003] This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of the technology that may be related to various aspects of the presently described embodiment. It is believed that this discussion helps to provide the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present embodiment. Therefore, it should be understood that these statements should be understood from this perspective and not as an admission of the prior art.

[0004] In order to meet consumer and industrial demand for natural resources, companies typically invest a great deal of time and money to search for and extract oil, natural gas and other subsurface resources from the earth. In particular, once a desired subsurface resource such as oil or natural gas is discovered, drilling and production systems are typically employed to access and extract the resource. These systems may be located onshore or offshore, depending on the location of the desired resource.

[0005] Offshore systems may include topside components located above the water surface, such as on a ship or platform, and subsea components located below the water surface, such as on the seabed. Whether located on the seabed, topside, or on land, the components of the drilling and production system may be connected in fluid communication via various flowlines. For example, a subsea system may include a network of Christmas trees, manifolds, pumps, and other components located on the seabed and connected via subsea jumpers or other flowlines. Flowline connectors may be used to facilitate the connection of jumpers or other flowlines to Christmas trees, manifolds, and other components of the drilling and production system. In a subsea environment, a workboat may be located above a subsea facility, and a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) may be activated to travel to the subsea facility to facilitate the connection of the jumper to the system components via a flowline connector. Summary of the invention

[0006] Certain aspects of some embodiments disclosed herein are described below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented only to provide the reader with a brief overview of some forms that the present invention may take, and these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. In fact, the present invention may encompass various aspects that may not be described below.

[0007] Certain embodiments of the present disclosure are generally directed to connecting a flowline to a manifold, a Christmas tree, or other component. In some embodiments, a flowline connector includes an inner component and an outer component that are horizontally composed to facilitate fluid connection between a jumper and a subsea component. The inner component may include an inner pipe connected to the subsea component, and the outer component may include an outer pipe connected to the jumper. During assembly of the flowline connector, the outer pipe may be moved toward the inner pipe through a frame of the outer component. The outer component may also include one or more guides that guide the outer pipe toward alignment with the inner pipe when the outer pipe moves through the frame. In some embodiments, these guides are disposed on a profiled pipe surrounding the outer pipe. The flowline connector may also include or alternatively include other alignment features, such as a landing gallery of the outer component having a key received in a slot of a bracket of the inner component, or a guide post and a guide funnel that facilitate the landing of the outer component relative to the inner component.

[0008] With respect to various aspects of the present embodiment, there may be various improvements of the above-mentioned features. Additional features may also be incorporated into these various aspects as well. These improvements and additional features may exist individually or in any combination. For example, the various features discussed below with respect to one or more illustrated embodiments may be incorporated into any of the above-mentioned aspects of the present disclosure individually or in any combination. Likewise, the brief overview presented above is intended only to familiarize the reader with certain aspects and backgrounds of some embodiments, without being limited to the claimed subject matter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] These and other features, aspects and advantages of certain embodiments will be better understood upon reading the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like characters refer to like parts throughout the drawings, and in which:

[0010] Figure 1 Generally depicted is a production system having components coupled via flowlines and connectors according to one embodiment;

[0011] Figure 2 Generally depicted is a subsea manifold coupled to a flowline via a flowline connector according to one embodiment;

[0012] Figure 3 is a perspective view of a horizontal flowline connector having an inner assembly and an outer assembly according to one embodiment;

[0013] Figure 4 According to an implementation scheme Figure 3 A perspective view of the inner side assembly of the invention;

[0014] Figure 5 and Figure 6 According to an implementation scheme Figure 3A perspective view of an outer side component of the invention;

[0015] Figure 7 According to an implementation scheme Figure 3 An exploded view of the outer side components;

[0016] Figure 8 According to one embodiment, Figure 3 A guide funnel of the outer assembly;

[0017] Fig. 9 Generally depicts the guide post passing through the outer assembly during landing according to one embodiment Figure 8 Admission of the orifice of the guide funnel;

[0018] Fig.10 depicts generally the landing of an outboard assembly relative to an inboard assembly using a guide post and guide funnel with a common keyed interface according to one embodiment;

[0019] Fig.11 Generally depicts a landing position next to an inner component according to one embodiment. Fig.10 Outer components of

[0020] Fig.12 It is shown that according to one embodiment Fig.10 and Fig.11 Detailed view of the key and keyway of the guide post and guide funnel;

[0021] Fig.13 According to one embodiment, the Figure 3 The tapered slot of the inner component of the bracket Figure 3 The circular key of the outer assembly;

[0022] Fig.14 According to an implementation scheme Figure 3 A front view of a fuel line connector, wherein an accumulator-assisted stroke tool is used to assemble the fuel line connector;

[0023] Figures 15 to 22 is a general description of a Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the assembly sequence of the oil outlet pipe connector;

[0024] Fig.23 is a side elevation view of a lifting tool for facilitating installation of a horizontal flowline connector according to one embodiment;

[0025] Fig.24 According to an implementation scheme Fig.23 A front elevation view of the lifting tool; and

[0026] Fig.25 is a general description of a method for using a Fig.23 and Fig.24 A perspective view of the lifting tool used to install the outboard assembly of the horizontal flowline connector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Specific embodiments of the present disclosure are described below. In order to provide a concise description of these embodiments, all features of the actual implementation may not be described in this specification. It should be understood that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, many implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the specific goals of the developer, such as meeting system-related and business-related constraints, which may be different between different implementations. In addition, it should be understood that such development work may be complex and time-consuming, but it is still a routine work of design, production and manufacture for those of ordinary skill who benefit from the present disclosure.

[0028] When introducing elements of various embodiments, the articles "a," "an," "the," and "said" are intended to indicate that there are one or more of the elements. The terms "comprising," "including," and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. In addition, any use of "top," "bottom," "above," "below," other directional terms, and variations of these terms are for convenience and do not require any particular orientation of the components.

[0029] Turning now to the accompanying drawings of the present invention, Figure 1 1 shows an apparatus 10 according to one embodiment. The depicted apparatus 10 is a production system that facilitates the extraction of resources (such as oil or natural gas) from a subterranean reservoir. The apparatus 10 is Figure 1 1 is a subsea production system generally shown as a tree 12 (e.g., a production or injection tree) coupled to a wellhead on the seabed. The tree 12, which may be a horizontal tree or a vertical tree, includes valves for controlling the flow of fluids into and out of the well through the wellhead.

[0030] Reservoir fluids may be produced from a reservoir through a wellhead and a Christmas tree 12, which are connected to a subsea manifold 14 mounted on the seabed. The manifold 14 includes valves to control the flow of produced hydrocarbons or other fluids from or to the Christmas tree 12 through the manifold 14. The produced fluids may also be transported from the manifold 14 to processing equipment. For example, the produced fluids may be transported to a pump station 16 to add energy to the produced liquids, and to a pipeline end terminal (PLET) 18 or a pipeline end manifold (PLEM) to facilitate delivery of the fluids through various flowlines or risers to some other location, such as a production platform, a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, or an onshore processing facility.

[0031] The various components of the apparatus 10 are coupled in fluid communication via flow pipes 22 (e.g., subsea jumpers) and associated connectors 24. The flow pipes 22 may be configured as rigid or flexible flow pipes that enable fluid to be transported between the Christmas tree 12, the manifold 14, and other components of the apparatus 10. Although the various components of the apparatus 10 are generally described as being connected together by a single flow pipe 22 (e.g., each Christmas tree 12 is connected to the manifold 14 by one flow pipe 22, the manifolds 14 are connected to each other by one flow pipe 22, and the pump station 16 is connected to the manifold 14 by one flow pipe 22), in other embodiments, the number of flow pipes 22 between any two components may vary. For example, multiple flow pipes 22 may be used to connect the manifold 14 to the pump station 16 or to connect the pump station 16 to the PLET 18.

[0032] Although shown here as a subsea system, in different embodiments, the apparatus 10 may take other forms, such as a topside system, an onshore system, or a system having any combination of subsea, topside, and onshore devices. It should be understood that the apparatus 10 may include additional or alternative Figure 1 The various components of those depicted in , and some of the components mentioned above may be omitted in certain embodiments. Additional components may be connected to other components of the device 10 via the oil outlet pipe 22 and the connector 24.

[0033] exist Figure 2 1 and 2. An example of an installed subsea manifold 14 of the apparatus 10 is generally depicted in FIG. The manifold 14 is mounted on the sea floor 28, and the connectors 24 facilitate coupling the manifold 14 to other components (e.g., the Christmas tree 12 or the pump station 16) via the flow lines 22. The manifold 14 is shown mounted on a substructure 32 that is coupled to piles 34 embedded in the sea floor 28. In other embodiments, a plurality of piles 34 may be used to support the manifold 14 via the substructure 32. In some cases, the substructure 32 and the one or more piles 34 are an integral foundation, while in other cases, the substructure 32 is retrievable from the piles 34.

[0034] The connector 24 may include inner and outer components that facilitate forming a fluid connection between the flow tube 22 and the Christmas tree 12, the manifold 14, or other components of the apparatus 10. The form of the connector 24 may vary between embodiments, and the connectors 24 within a given apparatus 10 may differ from one another. However, according to one embodiment, one or more connectors 24 of the apparatus 10 may be configured as Figure 3 The form depicted in .

[0035] like Figure 3As depicted, the flowline connector 40 is a horizontal flowline connector that includes an inner assembly 42 and an outer assembly 44. The inner assembly 42 may be at least partially mounted on a substructure 46 (e.g., a manifold substructure 32 or a substructure of some other component, such as a Christmas tree 12 or a PLET 18), and generally represents the component side of the connector 40. The outer assembly 44 may land on the inner assembly 42, and generally represents the flowline side of the connector 40. That is, in at least one embodiment, the inner assembly 42 is attached to the manifold 14, Christmas tree 12, PLET 18, or other component, the outer assembly 44 is attached to the flowline 22, and the connector 40 operates to make a fluid connection between the flowline 22 and the component via the inner assembly 42 and the outer assembly 44. Although the flowline connector 40 may be used to couple a jumper or other flowline 22 to a subsea component (e.g., a subsea Christmas tree or a manifold), the flowline connector 40 may be used in other applications, such as for coupling surface components or pipelines.

[0036] For the purpose of explanation, Figure 4 Depicted separately Figure 3 4 and 5. The inner assembly 42 of the inner tube 42 is shown, and the inner assembly includes an inner tube 50 having an end hub 52. The inner tube 50 can be part of or connected to the manifold 14 (or another component) to be connected to the oil flow pipe 22 via the connector 40. The inner tube 50 extends through a receiver structure 54, which can be attached to the manifold 14 or another component. The inner tube 50 can be connected to the receiver structure 54 via a split ring 56, which is located in a groove of the inner tube 50 (for example, in a groove of the hub 52) and is fastened to a plate 58 of the receiver structure 54. The inner assembly 42 also includes a guide pin 60 and a buffer 62 to facilitate alignment of the mating portions of the outer assembly 44 during assembly of the connector 40, as discussed in more detail below.

[0037] The receiver structure 54 is Figure 3 and Figure 4 4 is shown within bracket 66 of inner assembly 42. For components to be connected to flowline 22 via connector 40, bracket 66 may be attached to substructure 46. Bracket 66 may be welded to substructure 46 or attached in some other suitable manner. In at least some embodiments, including Figure 3 and Figure 4, the receiver structure 54 is held by the manifold 14 or other component supported by the substructure 46 and is received in the bracket 66 without contacting the bracket 66. The bracket 66 includes features that facilitate alignment of the outboard component 44 with the inboard component 42 during installation. More specifically, the bracket 66 includes a slot 68 and a bumper 70 that engage mating features of the outboard component 44 to control the horizontal alignment, tilt, and yaw of the outboard component 44 relative to the bracket 66. The inboard component 42 also includes a guide post 72 to facilitate landing of the outboard component 44. These alignment features and their functions are discussed in more detail below.

[0038] exist Figures 5 to 7 The inner component 42 is not shown in FIG. Figure 3 4. The outboard assembly 44 includes an outboard conduit 76 having an end hub 82. The outboard conduit 76 is retained by other structures of the outboard assembly 44, including a removable and retrievable subsea landing gallery 78 that facilitates landing of the outboard assembly 44 adjacent the bracket 66 of the inboard assembly 42. More specifically, the depicted gallery 78 includes an arm portion having a key 80 that is received within a slot 68 of the bracket 66 when the outboard assembly 44 is landed. The key 80 may have a rounded surface (e.g., the key 80 may be provided with a cylindrical shape, such as Figures 5 to 7 ) to avoid frictional engagement and facilitate tilting changes in the corridor 78 relative to the bracket 66.

[0039] The depicted outer assembly 44 also includes a clamp 84. In operation, the assembly of the connector 40 includes moving the outer pipe 76 toward the inner pipe 50 and closing the clamp 84 around the hubs 52 and 82 of these pipes. A gasket or other seal may be provided between the hubs 52 and 82 to form a fluid-tight connection between the inner pipe 50 and the outer pipe 76 when the clamp 84 is closed against the hubs 52 and 82. The depicted clamp 84 includes a section that is opened and closed around the hubs 52 and 82 by turning the lead screw 86 (e.g., via an ROV). In other embodiments, the clamp 84 may take other forms and may be opened and closed in any suitable manner. In addition, in certain embodiments, a sleeve connector may be used instead of the clamp 84.

[0040] In the depicted embodiment, the outer tube 76 is formed with a split ring 108 ( Figure 7) is fastened to a support plate 90 of the outboard assembly 44, and the clamp 84 is mounted on the support plate 90. Connecting the outboard duct 76 and the clamp 84 to a common support plate 90 can reduce the cost and weight of the outboard assembly 44, but in other embodiments, the outboard duct 76 and the clamp 84 can be attached to separate support plates 90 (e.g., the outboard duct 76 is connected to one support plate and the clamp 84 is mounted on a different backing plate). The common support plate 90 may include features for holding and guiding segments of the clamp 84. In other embodiments, the clamp 84 can instead be mounted on an inboard assembly, such as on the plate 58.

[0041] The outer assembly 44 also includes a guide funnel 92 and a buffer 94, which are connected from Figure 5 and Figure 7 The support plate 90 in the inner side of the connector 40 extends and interfaces with the corresponding guide pins 60 and bumpers 62 of the inner side component 42 when the connector 40 is assembled by moving the support plate 90 toward the inner side component 42. During assembly, the support plate 90 (along with the connected outer side pipe 76 and clamps 84) is moved relative to the frame 96 of the outer side component 44. As currently shown, the frame 96 includes the gallery 78, the cylinder 98 positioned around the outer side pipe 76, and the back plate 100. The back plate 100 and the support plate 90 include a groove 102 for receiving a stroke tool (e.g., a hydraulic cylinder) that is operable to push the support plate 90 away from the back plate 100 when the connector 40 is assembled and to pull the support plate 90 rearwardly toward the back plate 100 to disconnect.

[0042] The locking bar 104 and the mating latch pin 106 may be provided to secure the support plate 90 in one or more specific positions relative to the inner assembly 42 and the frame 96. In some embodiments, for example, the locking bar 104 includes a generally cylindrical elongated body that is connected to the support plate 90 and is received in a groove of the transverse mating latch pin 106 such that the locking bar 104 travels through the groove of the latch pin 106 when the support plate 90 moves relative to the frame 96. The locking bar 104 may also include one or more grooves 118 ( Fig.14 ) for receiving a body (eg, a cylindrical body) of the mating latch pin 106.

[0043] When the support plate 90 is in a given position such that the groove 118 of the locking bar 104 is located at the latch pin 106, the latch pin 106 can be rotated so that the body of the latch pin 106 enters the groove 118 and the receiving groove of the latch pin 106 moves out of alignment with the travel path of the locking bar 104. The presence of the body of the latch pin 106 in the groove 118 prevents movement of the locking bar 104 and thus secures the support plate 90 (along with the connected outboard pipe 76 and clamp 84) in position relative to the frame 96. The groove 118 can be positioned to facilitate parking the outboard pipe 76 in a specific position, such as to provide one or more specific distances (e.g., 0.2 meters to 1 meter) between the opposing end surfaces of the hubs 52 and 82. In one embodiment, the locking rod 104 includes two grooves 118 for locking the outer pipe 76 in a position that provides a spacing of approximately 0.375 meters and approximately 0.5 meters (i.e., plus or minus ten percent for each) between the end faces of the hubs 52 and 82, which can facilitate replacement of gaskets, cleaning, or other maintenance operations between the end faces.

[0044] The depicted outboard assembly 44 also includes a profiled conduit 110 that is fastened or otherwise connected to the support plate 90. The outboard conduit 76 is received in the profiled conduit 110, and the two tubes move in sync with the support plate 90 during assembly of the flowline connector 40. The profiled conduit 110 includes one or more guides 112 to facilitate aligning the outboard conduit 76 with the inboard conduit 50 during assembly (e.g., changing the tilt or deflection). More specifically, in the presently depicted embodiment, the profiled conduit 110 includes guides 112 for controlling the tilt and deflection of the outboard conduit 76 as the support plate 90 moves toward the inboard assembly 42. As shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown, the guides 112 are angled blocks that are fastened (e.g., bolted) to the exterior of the cylindrical body of the profiled pipe 110. However, in at least one embodiment, the profiled pipe 110 is omitted and one or more guides 112 are disposed directly on the outer pipe 76.

[0045] One or more guides 112 may engage mating features of the frame 96 during assembly of the flowline connector 40 such that the mating features push the shaped pipe 110 (which may also be referred to as a guide pipe) toward alignment with the inner pipe 50. For example, and as discussed in more detail below, these mating features may include an aperture 114 ( Figure 7 ) of the side or frame 96 with a mating guide or buffer 116 ( Fig. 9). Although shown as a fastening block, the guide member 112 may take other forms. In some embodiments, for example, the guide member 112 may include one or more inclined ribs (e.g., annular or arcuate ribs) extending circumferentially around at least a portion of the profiled pipe 110. In addition, the guide member 112 may be coupled to the body of the profiled pipe 110 in any suitable manner, such as by fasteners, welding, or integrally formed with the body.

[0046] In at least some embodiments, a guide funnel 120 can be used to facilitate the landing of the outer assembly 44 relative to the bracket 66. An example of such a guide funnel 120 is shown in FIG. Figure 3 is shown connected to gallery 78 and is Figure 8 In the depicted embodiment, the guide funnel 120 includes a latch 122 for connecting to the end of the gallery 78 above the circular key 80. The guide funnel 120 also includes an aperture 124 for receiving the guide post 72 of the inner assembly 42 and a tapered guide rib 126.

[0047] As the outboard assembly 44 is lowered toward the bracket 66 during installation, such as Fig. 9 As shown, the guide post 72 is received through the aperture 124 and guides the outer assembly 44 as it is lowered. The guide funnel 120 can be rotated about the guide post 72 to substantially align the guide ribs 126 with the sides of the receiver structure 54, after which the outer assembly 44 can be landed, as shown. Figure 3 In this position, the receiver structure 54 is received between the guide ribs 126 and the key 80 of the gallery 78 is received in the mating slot 68 of the bracket 66. The tapered ends of the guide ribs 126 can engage the receiver structure 54 during landing to provide fine rotational (deflection) correction of the gallery 78.

[0048] exist Figures 10 to 12 In another embodiment depicted in FIG. 1 , the guide post 72 includes a key 130 to facilitate rotational alignment of the gallery 78 with the bracket 66 during installation. In this embodiment, the guide funnel 120 includes a keyway 132 ( Fig.12 ). More specifically, Fig.10 and 11As shown, the upper end of the key 130 may be tapered to allow for greater rotational misalignment between the gallery 78 and the bracket 66 when the upper end of the key 130 is initially received in the keyway 132. The width of the portion of the key 130 received in the keyway 132 increases as the guide funnel 120 moves along the taper, and the engagement of the keyway 132 with the tapered edge of the key 130 may cause the gallery 78 to rotate further toward alignment with the bracket 66. In one embodiment, for example, when the key 130 begins to enter the keyway 132, the key 130 and keyway 132 may allow for an initial rotational (deflection) misalignment of the gallery 78 of plus or minus ten to twenty degrees (e.g., plus or minus fifteen degrees), and the taper of the key 130 may guide the guide funnel 120 and the gallery 78 to a reduced misalignment within plus or minus five degrees (e.g., plus or minus two degrees) relative to the bracket 66. Although in Figures 10 to 12 Two keys 130 are shown in FIG. 1 , but other embodiments may have a single key 130 or more than two keys 130. Further, one or more keys 130 may be provided on the guide funnel 120 so as to be received in the keyway 132 of the guide post 72.

[0049] Although in some cases, the guide posts 72 may be fixed to the receiver structure 54, in at least some embodiments, the guide posts 72 may be installed and removed from the receiver structure 54 as needed. For example, the guide posts 72 may be installed on the receiver structure 54 for landing of the outboard assembly 44 and then removed. In another embodiment where the outboard assembly 44 will be landed against the bracket 66 before the receiver structure 54 is received in the bracket 66 (e.g., before the manifold 14 with the receiver structure 54 is landed on the substructure 32), the guide posts 72 may instead be installed on the bracket 66 (e.g., connected to the base of the bracket 66) to facilitate landing of the gallery 78 to engage with the bracket 66.

[0050] refer to Fig.13 The engagement of the gallery 78 with the bracket 66 can be better understood. Each key 80 of the gallery 78 is received in a mating slot 68 of the bracket 66. Each slot 68 may be tapered or otherwise shaped to guide the key 80 received during installation into the Fig.13 This generally controls the horizontal position and deflection of the gallery 78 relative to the bracket 66. In some embodiments, the key 80 is provided with a cylindrical shape, which generally avoids friction locking during landing (such as due to bending of the attached jumper) and facilitates installation.

[0051] In addition, the bumper 70 provides positive tilt control to the outboard component 44 by engaging the end surface 136 of the corridor 78. That is, while the rounded surface of the key 80 at the leading end of the outboard component 44 in the slot 68 allows the trailing end of the outboard component 44 to rise and fall (e.g., due to bending loads of a connected jumper), the bumper 70 is positioned to provide a stop to the movement of the corridor 78 and an upper limit to the tilt of the corridor 78 relative to the bracket 66. In some embodiments, the bumper 70 is positioned so that when the end surface 136 of the corridor 78 rests on the bumper 70, the corridor 78 is oriented with a positive slope of less than three degrees (i.e., the corridor 78 is tilted slightly upward toward the end having the key 80).

[0052] As described above, a stroke tool may be coupled to drive the outer pipe 76 toward the inner pipe 50 to close the distance between the hubs 52 and 82 and facilitate assembly of the oil flow line connector 40. Fig.14 100 is shown coupled to the outer assembly 44 between the support plate 90 and the rear plate 100. More specifically, the end 142 of the stroke tool 140 can be received in the groove 102 of the support plate 90 and the rear plate 100. In some embodiments, including Fig.14 In the depicted embodiment, the stroke tool 140 is attached solely to the outboard assembly 44 and does not interface with the inboard assembly 42. In this arrangement, the stroke tool 140 does not interfere with access to the hubs 52 and 82, which facilitates cleaning of the hubs (e.g., via an ROV) and retrieval or installation of gaskets between the hubs without removing the stroke tool 140.

[0053] The depicted stroke tool 140 includes a rod 144 that can be extended to push the support plate 90 (together with the outer pipe 76 and the special-shaped pipe 110 connected to the support plate 90) toward the inner component 42 during assembly. In some embodiments, the stroke tool 140 is a hydraulic cylinder and the rod 144 is a piston rod controlled via hydraulic pressure. The stroke tool 140 can be an accumulator-assisted stroke tool, wherein the accumulator 148 provides hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic cylinder. In some cases, the ROV can apply hydraulic pressure to the stroke tool 140 to push the support plate 90 and move the outer hub 82 toward the inner hub 52. The ROV can then disconnect from the stroke tool 140 and be used to close the clamp 84 around the hubs 52 and 82 (e.g., by applying torque to the screw 86). The accumulator 148 can provide hydraulic pressure to the stroke tool 140 to resist jumper loading after the ROV is disconnected from the stroke tool 140 (e.g., when the ROV actuates the clamp 84). Although in Fig.14 Although depicted as a hydraulic cylinder, the stroke tool 140 may take any other suitable form, such as an electric actuator.

[0054] As noted, the profiled conduit 110 may guide the alignment of the outer conduit 76 with the inner conduit 50 during assembly of the flowline connector 40. Figures 15 to 22 4 and 5. The assembly sequence of the flowline connector 40 is generally depicted in FIG. 4. For clarity and to better illustrate the movement of the hub 82 (of the outboard pipe 76) into alignment with the hub 52 (of the inboard pipe 50) during assembly, some features of the connector 40 have been omitted from these figures. More specifically, Fig.15 and 16 4 and 5. are schematic plan and front views, respectively, of the connector 40 in a disconnected state at a first time, with the support plate 90 retracted away from the inner assembly 42 and the hubs 52 and 82 separated. Fig.17 and Fig.18 1 are schematic plan and front views showing connector 40 at a second time as support plate 90 , profiled pipe 110 , and hub 82 move toward hub 52 . Fig.19 and Fig. 20 are schematic plan and front views showing connector 40 at a third time when support plate 90, profiled pipe 110, and hub 82 have moved closer to hub 52; and Fig.21 and Fig. 22 are schematic plan and front views showing connector 40 at a subsequent fourth time with hubs 52 and 82 aligned.

[0055] exist Fig.15 and Fig.16 In the disconnected state of the connector 40 shown, the hub 82 and the profiled tube 110 of the outer tube 76 are misaligned relative to the hub 52 of the inner tube 50. That is, the longitudinal axis 156 of the hub 82 and the profiled tube 110 is not aligned with the longitudinal axis 154 of the hub 52. Fig.15 The hub 82 and the profiled pipe 110 are depicted with a deflection that is misaligned with the hub 52, while Fig.16 The hub 82 and the profiled tube 110 are depicted as having a tilt that is not aligned with the hub 52. As noted above, the profiled tube 110 may include one or more guides 112 to facilitate alignment of the outer tube 76 and its hub 82 with the inner tube 50 and its hub 52. Fig.15 and Fig.16 In the embodiment, these guides 112 are provided in the form of side guides 162 and bottom guides 164 at the trailing end (away from the support plate 90) of the profiled pipe 110 and side guides 166 and top guides 168 at the leading end of the profiled pipe 110. These guides 162, 164, 166 and 168 radially protrude from the elongated body (e.g., cylindrical body) of the profiled pipe 110 and may be integrally formed with the elongated body or attached to the elongated body in any suitable manner.

[0056] As the support plate 90, the profiled pipe 110, and the hub 82 move toward the hub 52 (e.g., such as by pushing the support plate 90 toward the hub 52 with the stroke tool 140), one or more of the guides 162, 164, 166, or 168 may change the deflection or tilt of the profiled pipe 110 and the outer pipe 76 with the hub 82 to guide these components toward alignment with the inner pipe 50 with the hub 52. For example, when the support plate 90 moves from the inner pipe 50 to the inner pipe 50, the guides 162, 164, 166, or 168 may change the deflection or tilt of the profiled pipe 110 and the outer pipe 76 with the hub 82 to guide these components toward alignment with the inner pipe 50 with the hub 52. Fig.15 and Fig.16 The position shown is towards Fig.17 and Fig.18 As the profiled tube 110 is moved to the position shown, the profiled tube 110 is pulled through the cylinder 98 (with the outer tube 76 inside the profiled tube 110) so that one of the side guides 162 and the bottom guide 164 contacts the mating bumper 116 of the frame 96. As the radially protruding side guides 162 engage and move along the mating bumper 116 (e.g., as shown in FIG. Fig.17 ), the bumper 116 pushes the trailing end of the profiled pipe 110 to rotate the profiled pipe 110 (and the outer pipe 76, via the support plate 90) toward alignment with the hub 52 of the inner pipe 50. That is, the mating engagement of the side guide 162 with the mating bumper 116 changes the deflection of the profiled pipe 110 and the outer pipe 76 toward alignment with the inner pipe 50. Similarly, when the bottom guide 164 engages the mating bumper 116 (e.g., as Fig.18 110 ), the mating buffer 116 pushes the tail end of the profiled pipe 110 upward, which causes the tilt of the profiled pipe 110 and the outer pipe 76 to change toward alignment with the inner pipe 50. When the side guide 162 and the bottom guide 164 push the tail end of the profiled pipe 110 toward alignment by engaging with the buffer 116, the side guide 166 and the top guide 168 can engage the surface of the frame 96 defining the aperture 114 to push the front end of the profiled pipe 110 (together with the support plate 90 and the outer pipe 76) toward alignment with the inner pipe 50. The use of the guides 162, 164, 166 and 168 to help align the hubs 52 and 82 during assembly can provide increased deflection and tilt tolerances for the flowline connector 40, thereby allowing greater initial misalignment of the outer pipe 76 relative to the inner pipe 50. This in turn can facilitate manufacturing and reduce costs, such as by allowing looser machining tolerances.

[0057] exist Fig.17 and Fig.18 In the position depicted in FIG. 1 , the guide funnel 92 has received the end of the guide pin 60. As the support plate 90, the profiled pipe 110 and the outer pipe 76 continue to move toward Fig.19 and Fig. 20The interaction between the guide funnel 92 and the guide pin 60 can further guide the profiled pipe 110 and the outer pipe 76 toward alignment with the inner pipe 50 when the guide funnel 92 and the guide pin 60 are moved to the position depicted in FIG. That is, the engagement between the guide funnel 92 and the guide pin 60 can help correct the deflection and tilt alignment of the outer pipe 76 relative to the inner pipe 50. In addition, Fig.19 and Fig. 20 In the case of contact between the hubs 52 and 82 in the middle, continuing to drive the support plate 90 toward the hub 52 (or closing the clamp 84 around the hubs 52 and 82) can further rotate the outer pipe 76 (with the hub 82) and the special-shaped pipe 110 into alignment with the hub 52, such as Fig.21 and Fig. 22 shown.

[0058] The oil flow line connector can be moved and installed in any suitable manner. For example, Figure 3 The flowline connector depicted in FIG. 4 includes four lifting loops on the outboard assembly 44: two lifting loops at the upper end of the support plate 90 and two lifting loops at the upper end of the back plate 100. These lifting loops are depicted as shackles, but may take other forms. The rigging transmission may connect the lifting loops to a lifting device (e.g., a crane) to move the outboard assembly 44, such as during installation or removal of the outboard assembly 44 from a subsea facility.

[0059] In some cases, a lifting tool may be used to facilitate installation of the flowline connector. Fig.23 and Fig.24 In one example shown, the lifting tool 172 includes an arm 174 connected to an upper body 176 via a hub 178 that allows the arm 174 to rotate relative to the body 176 (i.e., about an axis 180). A lifting rope or other rigging can be coupled to the lifting tool 172 via a lifting ring 182 attached to the body 176 (e.g., a shackle attached to an eye plate of the lifting beam body 176).

[0060] Fig.23 and Fig.24 The lower end of the lifting tool 172 depicted in FIG. 1 includes an interface latch assembly for coupling the lifting tool 172 to the outer component 44. More specifically, a bracket 186 is connected to the lower end of the arm 174 to facilitate attaching the lifting tool 172 to an outer component 44 received in the bracket 186, such as Fig.25 In the depicted embodiment, the arm 174 is connected to the bracket 186 via a hub 188 that allows the bracket 186 to rotate relative to the arm 174 (ie, about the axis 190).

[0061] In at least some embodiments, the lifting tool 172 includes one or more anti-rotation features to selectively inhibit rotation of the bracket 186 relative to the arm 174. Figure 23 to Figure 25In the example of FIG. 1 , the interface latch assembly includes a locking pin 192 to selectively inhibit rotation of the bracket 186 relative to the arm 174. The locking pin 192 can be moved between an engaged (locked) position in which the locking pin 192 prevents the bracket 186 from rotating relative to the arm 174 and a disengaged (unlocked) position in which the locking pin 192 does not interfere with such rotation of the bracket 186 relative to the arm 174. Fig.24 As depicted, locking pin 192 extends through arm 174. Locking pin 192 can be moved inward to insert the end of locking pin 192 into a mating recess 194 (e.g., hole) in bracket 186 so that the end of locking pin 192 prevents rotation of bracket 186 relative to arm 174. Locking pin 192 can be retracted to pull the end of locking pin 192 out of recess 194 and allow rotation of bracket 186 relative to the arm. Although in Fig.24 A pair of locking pins 192 are depicted in FIG, but the lifting tool 172 may include any suitable number of locking pins 192. This may include more than two locking pins 192, only one locking pin 192, or no locking pin 192.

[0062] To attach the lifting tool 172 to the outboard component 44, the lifting tool 172 may be moved to receive the outboard component 44 within the bracket 186, such as Fig.25 The lifting tool 172 may be attached to the outer assembly 44 in any suitable manner. Fig.25 In the depicted embodiment, the outer component 44 includes plates 196 and 198, the bracket 186 is located between the plates 196 and 198, and the bracket 186 is locked to the outer component 44 via engagement of a locking pin 202 with a mating recess 204 (e.g., a hole) in the bracket 186. The locking pin 202 extends through the plate 196 and is movable between an engaged (locked) position and a disengaged (unlocked) position, in which the locking pin 202 is received in the recess 204 and secures the outer component 44 to the bracket 186, and in the disengaged (unlocked) position, the locking pin 202 is withdrawn from the recess 204 to allow the bracket 186 to be separated from the outer component 44. In at least some embodiments, the locking pins 192 and 202 are movable between the locked position and the unlocked position via an ROV. Fig.25 In the embodiment of the present invention, the outer component 44 includes two locking pins 202 to selectively engage the two recesses 204 on the side of the bracket 186 and lock the outer component 44 to the lifting tool 172. In other cases, the outer component 44 may include more than two locking pins 202, only one locking pin 202, or no locking pin 202.

[0063] It will be appreciated that the lifting tool 172 can be used to lower the outboard assembly 44 to the subsea facility. To connect the outboard assembly 44 to the lifting tool 172, the lifting tool 172 can be hoisted (e.g., from the deck of the vessel via a crane connected to the lifting ring 182 by a lifting device) above the outboard assembly 44, and then lowered so that the outboard assembly 44 is received within the bracket 186. In some embodiments, the bracket 186 lands on the outboard assembly 44 between the plates 196 and 198 (e.g., on the gallery 78). The locking pin 192 can be in its locked position before the lifting tool 172 is hoisted to prevent rotation of the bracket 186 relative to the arm 174. With the outboard assembly 44 located within the bracket 186, the locking pin 202 can be moved to its locked position to extend into the recess 204 of the bracket 186 and secure the lifting tool 172 to the outboard assembly 44. The locking pin 192 can then be disengaged to allow rotation of the arm 174 relative to the bracket 186 and the outboard assembly 44. In some cases, arm 174 may pivot about axis 190 to lower arm 174, body 176, and lifting ring 182 from an upright position above outboard component 44 to a lateral position (e.g., parallel to the deck on which outboard component 44 rests such that arm 174 extends through guide funnel 120).

[0064] A flexible flow line (such as a flexible jumper) may be connected to the outboard assembly 44 (e.g., to Fig.25 76). In some embodiments, the connected flexible flowline may be raised to lift the outboard assembly 44 from the deck and suspend the outboard assembly 44 from the flexible flowline. The outboard assembly 44 may then be lowered through the water toward the seabed on the flexible flowline. During the initial lowering of the outboard assembly 44 through the water, the weight of the outboard assembly 44 may be supported largely or entirely by the flexible flowline so that the outboard assembly 44 is in a generally vertical orientation (e.g., with the gallery 78 generally vertical and the guide funnel 120 located below the clamp 84). As the outboard assembly 44 approaches the seabed on the flexible flowline, the lifting tool 172 may be pulled via a lifting cable to rotate the outboard assembly 44 toward a generally horizontal position, such as Fig.25 The guide funnel 120 may then be captured by the guide post 72 and the outboard component 44 may be aligned with and landed against the inboard component 42, such as in the manner described above.

[0065] During the landing process, the orientation of the outer assembly 44 can be controlled in any suitable manner. In at least some embodiments, including Figure 23 to Figure 25In the embodiment depicted in FIG, the lifting tool 172 includes a rigid arm 174, which, together with the bracket 186, firmly holds the opposite side of the outer assembly 44 and prevents the outer assembly 44 from rolling around its longitudinal axis. Additional rigging can be used to maintain the tilt and deflection of the outer assembly 44 within a desired range. In some cases, the additional rigging may include at least one winch to reel in or release at least one cable to control the deflection or tilt angle of the outer assembly 44 during installation. For example, the winch and cable may be connected between the lifting tool 172 and the rear plate 100 of the outer assembly 44 and operated to control the deflection and tilt angle of the outer assembly 44 for installation. Once the outer assembly 44 lands in the desired position (e.g., at the seabed facility), the locking pin 202 can be disengaged (e.g., by ROV) to release the lifting tool 172 from the outer assembly 44, and the lifting tool 172 can then be removed. Outboard assembly 44 may later be retrieved from the subsea facility by lowering lifting tool 172 onto outboard assembly 44, engaging locking pin 202 to secure lifting tool 172 to outboard assembly 44, and then raising lifting tool 172 with outboard assembly 44 attached.

[0066] Although various modifications and alternative forms are possible in various aspects of the present disclosure, specific embodiments have been shown in the drawings and described in detail herein by way of example. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not intended to be limited to the specific forms disclosed. On the contrary, the present invention encompasses all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives that fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An oil outlet pipe connection device, the oil outlet pipe connection device comprising: A flowline connector, the flowline connector comprising an inner pipe and an outer assembly, the outer assembly comprising the outer pipe supported within a frame so that the outer pipe can move within the frame to allow the outer pipe to move toward the inner pipe, wherein the outer assembly further comprises a profiled pipe, the outer pipe is received within the profiled pipe, the profiled pipe and the outer pipe are connected to move synchronously, and the profiled pipe comprises at least one guide to change the inclination or deflection of the outer pipe when the outer pipe moves within the frame toward the inner pipe to guide the outer pipe toward alignment with the inner pipe; Wherein, the flowline connector includes an inner assembly having the inner pipe, wherein the outer assembly includes a landing gallery with a circular key configured to be received in a mating slot of the inner assembly.

2. The flow line connection device of claim 1, wherein the at least one guide member is fastened to the special-shaped pipe.

3. The oil flow pipe connection device according to claim 2, wherein the at least one guide member comprises: a first guide member, the first guide member being fastened to the special-shaped pipe and being positioned to change the deflection of the outer pipe to guide the outer pipe toward alignment with the inner pipe when the outer pipe moves toward the inner pipe within the frame; and a second guide member, the second guide member being fastened to the special-shaped pipe and being positioned to change the inclination of the outer pipe to guide the outer pipe toward alignment with the inner pipe when the outer pipe moves toward the inner pipe within the frame.

4. The flowline connection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inner assembly includes a bracket that receives the inner pipe and has the mating slot.

5. The flowline connection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inner assembly includes a bumper positioned to engage the landing gallery and limit positive tilt of the outer pipe when the circular key is received in the mating slot of the inner assembly.

6. The flowline connection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inner assembly includes a guide post and the outer assembly includes a guide funnel having an aperture for receiving the guide post.

7. The oil outlet pipe connection device according to claim 6, wherein the guide column and the guide funnel share a keyed interface.

8. The flow line connection apparatus of claim 1, comprising a stroke tool coupled to drive movement of the outer pipe toward the inner pipe.

9. The flow line connection apparatus of claim 8, wherein the stroking tool is an accumulator-assisted stroking tool.

10. The flowline connection apparatus of claim 1, comprising a lifting tool coupled to the outboard component, wherein the lifting tool comprises rigid arms rotatably coupled to opposite sides of the outboard component.

11. The oil outlet pipe connection device according to claim 10, comprising: A first locking pin inhibits rotation of the rigid arm relative to the outboard assembly and a second locking pin secures the lifting tool to the outboard assembly.

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