Adapter for connecting concentric production trees to eccentric production bases

Abstract

This disclosure relates to an apparatus designed to be adaptable to obsolete oil exploration facilities, which allows for the connection of wet concentric production trees or production trees with different degrees of eccentricity to the adapter production base, production channel column hanger products, and eccentric annulus without removing the production column, thus preventing the high costs associated with the recycling or replacement of the production column.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of equipment for oil exploration, and more specifically, to a novel adapter for use in subsea wells, which enables connection of a wet concentric tree to an eccentric adapter production base. Background Technology

[0002] Wet Christmas tree (WCT) type subsea equipment is designed with a defined service life. The integrity of these equipment is limited by the wall thickness of the forged metal parts, typically within thinner pipes; by wear, tear, and corrosion; and by applicable regulations that limit the safety factor of their components. Upon reaching a certain age or wear, in addition to losses in oil or gas production, the WCT unit needs to be decommissioned (retired), resulting in high costs that are often not adequately foreseen. Once a well is deemed still viable, removing the production string to modify the WCT implies high additional costs and risks, often undermining the feasibility of maintaining production, as these costs may not offset the typically low productivity of wells known as mature wells, which are nearing the end of their service life and have low productivity.

[0003] If the well remains viable, there is justification for maintaining a portion of the installed equipment, such as the production string and adapter production base (APB)—if present—where the tubing hanger (TH) is anchored. This utilization significantly reduces costs and operational risks, thereby minimizing the investment required to reactivate the well. However, older TH systems utilize an annular fluid retention system with an untestable dual sealing valve (DSV) activated by the tip of the annular line. This may be unacceptable under current regulations because there is no guarantee that the valve will close when the tip is retracted, potentially leading to seawater entering the well—a situation unacceptable under current regulations.

[0004] The problem lies in the differences in interface standards between standardized equipment. The initial model used two eccentric lines, with 4.1 / 16 in for producing oil and gas and 2.1 / 16 in for injecting fluids into the well. The most advanced equipment uses a 5.1 / 8 in concentric production line and a 2.1 / 16 in eccentric injection line, making mutually compatible interfaces impossible.

[0005] The proposed device not only connects to different interfaces and acts as an adapter, but also allows for the maintenance of production columns, replacement of components with compromised integrity or inconsistent with current specifications, and replacement of DSVs whose functionality is not supported by the specification with at least two testable shields with metal seals, all within the same device with adaptability.

[0006] In addition, the device allows the following lines of the production column to be maintained: these lines allow oil and gas to flow out and be injected into the well, as the device allows for maintenance of the APB.

[0007] This solution prevents the retraction of the production column connected to the TH, provides a safe and testable alternative for replacing the annular blockage before disconnecting the WCT, allows for the use of a more general WCT model, delays well decommissioning, and is also less expensive than effective solutions, meaning a complete replacement of the WCT kit and associated production column.

[0008] Document NO20140270 illustrates a system for performing subsea well inspection operations, the system including a single-hole emergency shut-off seal located on a lower riser seal, the single-hole emergency shut-off seal being connectable to a valve tree to be shut off, and the system having a main hole extending through the system from the riser connected to the single-hole emergency shut-off seal.

[0009] US2017183935 discloses an adapter for use with a wellhead in an oil and gas field, the adapter comprising a first interface and a second interface for connecting the adapter to a corresponding wellhead interface on the top of the wellhead, at least one feed passage, and at least one of the following: a well shielding element, an internal profile for defining a plug, a hanger, or a combination of a hanger and a plug.

[0010] US 2015247371 discloses a subsea tree device with a main bore and annular bore, wherein when the tree device is installed above a pipe hanger of a subsea well, the main bore is aligned with the main bore of the pipe hanger, and the annular bore of the tree is connected to the hole of the pipe hook annulus.

[0011] The solution proposed in EP1021637 teaches a small-bore marine riser and BOP (blowout preventer) for a subsea completion system. The subsea completion system includes a tubing tee fixed to the wellhead at the seabed, wherein the tubing tee has an internal landing profile for a tubing hanger with a reduced diameter, which is arranged and sized to pass through the BOP and riser at the landing drill string end, thereby providing a passage through the tubing tee that provides communication from a point above the tubing hanger to the well annulus below the hanger.

[0012] US Patent 9797226 discloses a wellbore apparatus and method comprising a first wellbore tool having a main flow path and at least one secondary flow path, and a second wellbore tool having a main flow path and a secondary flow path, wherein the radial center of the main flow path in the first wellbore tool is offset from the radial center of the main flow path in the second wellbore tool. The wellbore includes a bridging joint connecting the first wellbore tool to the second wellbore tool, the bridging joint having: a main flow path fluidly connecting the main flow path of the first wellbore tool to the main flow path of the second wellbore tool; and at least one secondary flow path fluidly connecting at least one secondary flow path of the first wellbore tool to at least one secondary flow path of the second wellbore tool.

[0013] Document BR202015019725-5 illustrates a simple monolithic wellhead and other components for use in oil and gas production wells and fluid injection wells with natural and artificial elevations, all of which have an underground facility with a row of pipes and components, characterized similarly to the following production inlet and conventional simple tree: the production inlet and conventional simple tree eliminate the disconnection of the production line during intervention upon installation.

[0014] CN202441313 discloses a single-tube dual-well offshore thermal recovery wellhead device, which is applicable to the heavy oil thermal recovery process of offshore single-tube dual-well platforms. The device includes a finger-glove-type inlet end, a pipe inlet end, and a wellhead, which are separate structures in the form of a fan. The pipe inlet end is connected to the lower flange and flange sleeve of the inlet end. These structural components are arranged in an eccentric and concentric manner.

[0015] As can be seen, no cited publications mention a device designed to associate a wet concentric tree with an eccentric adapter production base, or to provide a solution that utilizes the production column and its tubing hanger and replaces a testable double-shielded valve with a metal seal to address issues that do not comply with current specifications. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 An enlarged cross-sectional view of the adapter of APB 9, centrally arranged with its spindle shown, is shown, in which the body 4, dummy tubing hanger 3, guide bushing of the connector 6 between the non-concentric production line and the concentric line with the penetrator 5, DSV 7, and the resident tubing hanger (TH) with non-concentric borehole 8 can be seen.

[0017] Figure 2The arrangement of a system having the adapter 1 of this disclosure is schematically shown, in which WCT2, APB 9, connector 8 to the stationary tubing hanger, penetrator 5, dummy tubing hanger 3, DSV 7, AI valve 25, flow line mandrel 10, adapter flow line connector 11, main flow line connector 12, and wellhead 26 can be seen.

[0018] Figure 3 The following views illustrate an adapter according to an example of this disclosure, in which the hydraulic interface plate 15 and the electric interface plate 13, the ROV panel 18, the top integrated flowline spindle FLM 14, the flowline connector FLC 16, the top interface 19 leading to the WCT, the bottom interface 17 leading to the APB and TH, and the locking system of the connector 21 can be seen.

[0019] Figure 4 The following view illustrates an adapter according to an example of this disclosure, in which the ROV panel 18, the top interface 19 leading to the WCT, the bottom interface 17 leading to the APB, and the eccentricity 23 between the top and bottom interfaces can be seen.

[0020] Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of the arrangement structure in a configuration with a complete (stacked) kit according to an example of this disclosure is shown, in which WCT 2, adapter 1, APB 9 with TH 8, a penetrator of loop line 22 as a sub-item of penetrator 5, DSV 7, and dummy suspension 3 can be seen.

[0021] Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of an example device in an alternative configuration that can be adapted to the APB 9 without TH is shown, in which the new concentric tubing hanger 20, WCT 2, adapter 1, and eccentricity 23 can be seen.

[0022] Figure 7 The side cross-sectional view of the device shows the arrangement of the FLM 10 of APB 9 and the MFLC 12 of WCT 2 at the interface with AFLC 11, where the eccentricity 23 and the input and output terminals of the flow line 24 can be seen. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The disclosures presented herein include equipment used in oil exploration that can continue to use older subsea production systems that are often considered obsolete or non-standard interfaces, protecting parts of the equipment by replacing only those components whose integrity would typically be compromised, thereby protecting the production column and connected flow lines.

[0024] In one embodiment, an adapter 1 is provided that allows the installation of a concentric wet tree trunk (WCT) 2 and a larger production channel in the adapter production base 9, thereby associating it with a tubing hanger 8 having an eccentric profile and a smaller channel, without removing the production column.

[0025] Therefore, the device disclosed herein can provide a longer service life for equipment with compromised integrity, enabling the replacement of the portion of the system protecting the APB 9 during use with a production column, thereby preventing the high costs associated with recycling and / or eventual replacement. Furthermore, it can protect the flow lines previously installed in the APB 9.

[0026] Furthermore, according to the standards currently provided in WCT 2, its use can replace the function of the double-sealed valve DSV 7 in the annulus of the tubing hanger TH 8 with one or more post-installation testable sliding valves 25.

[0027] The adapter 1, mounted on the APB 9, is equipped with an eccentric connector that enables the production channel to be aligned so that the concentric WCT 2 can be placed on the eccentric APB 9, regardless of the manufacturer's model.

[0028] The adapter 1 is also provided with a penetrator 5, one of which is specifically located on the annular line 22 that opens the DSV 7, thereby allowing the line to pass permanently after installation. Furthermore, on the body 4 of the adapter 1, which performs the interface function for the concentric WCT 2, two sliding valves 25, also known as "annular intervention" (AI), are provided, which can achieve flow blocking and perform an annular sealing test to ensure the feasibility of future shielding tests before operating with the WCT 2, allowing for safe retrieval by preventing seawater from entering the well, which is obviously an undesirable situation.

[0029] The adapter 1 described herein enables the replacement of the most critical components, such as WCT 2, thereby preserving the most expensive parts of the system and operation. This includes removing and replacing production columns, maintaining APB 9, TH 8, and even flow lines, optimizing the update costs of a system with compromised integrity and compliance with current regulations.

[0030] In other words, the adapter disclosed herein can allow the installation of WCT 2 units with different standards (under-salt or above-salt) and pressure ratings (5 ksi and 10 ksi). Furthermore, the adapter can allow the WCT 2 to be modified to accommodate hub-type connectors, which enable connections via vertical connection modules (VCMs) or horizontal connection modules (HCSs) for interfacing with production lines, injection lines, and / or umbilical lines.

[0031] These properties endow adapter 1 with the following capabilities: allowing only a portion of the WCT 2 kit to be recovered, even with the installation of the outdated valve DSV 7, while retaining the original production column, converting the original system with the eccentric WCT 2 into a concentric system, and replacing DSV 7 with AI valve 25.

[0032] In this adjustment, there are other relevant points to enable the exchange between parts, such as the hydraulic logic using an auxiliary hydraulic plate 15 (insert plate), which provides a hydraulic interface previously dedicated to the mandrel and its connector 16 of the flow line 10, thereby enabling the maintenance of the original hydraulic logic of the two devices of different standards to be maintained together with the dummy hanger 3 or dummy tubing hanger installed in the adapter 1 and the dummy mandrel of the flow line, referred to herein as the flow line connector adapter FLCA 11.

[0033] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As illustrated in the diagram, adapter 1 in this example includes:

[0034] a) Hydraulic connector 21;

[0035] b) Guide bushing 6, which has a penetrator 5 for actuating DSV 7;

[0036] c) Hydraulic plate 15 and electric plate 13 with command and monitoring functions for stationary equipment;

[0037] d) Two sliding AI valves 25, the sliding AI valves 25 being used for the testable shielding of the annulus;

[0038] e) ROV panel 18 for commanding hydraulic functions;

[0039] f) Top interface 19 for interacting with WCT 2, top interface 19 having a top guide funnel;

[0040] g) Bottom interface 17 for interacting with APB 9 and TH 8, the bottom interface 17 being provided with a penetrator 5 and a guide bushing 6;

[0041] h) Flow line connector FLC 16 with integrated flow line mandrel FLM 14;

[0042] i) A locking system with a sealing lip located inside the bottom interface 17, which is used for docking with APB 9.

[0043] If TH 8 is already present in APB 9, adapter 1 is typically associated with dummy tubing hanger 3 and with a hydraulic or electric connector via a penetrator 5 for both dummy tubing hanger 3 and the existing hanger 8. Alternatively, in the location of dummy tubing hanger 3, the adapter may accept a new tubing hanger 20 compatible with the WCT 2 to be installed, thus preserving the already installed flow line.

[0044] Therefore, in the preferred arrangement of adapter 1 using the present disclosure, such as Figure 2 As illustrated, adapter 1 is positioned between WCT 2 and APB 9, and the central portion of adapter 1 is connected to the non-concentric tubing hanger 8 "4×2" via the guide bushing 6 of the penetrator 5. The guide bushing 6 provides an interface to the dummy hanger 3, which has a concentric top "5×1" anchored to adapter 1, thus enabling docking with the equally concentric WCT 8. The guide bushing 6 is provided with a set of penetrators 5, one of which, penetrator 22, is dedicated to the annular line and has the function of enabling DSV 7 to remain permanently open. The function of this penetrator is replaced by two AI valves 25 in a testable manner. On the side interface, the FLM 10 of APB 9 provides an interface to the MFLC 12 located on WCT 2 via AFLC 11, ensuring the continuity of all lines from the FLM 10 of APB 3 to the MFLC 12 on WCT 2, thereby following hydraulic logic and serving all valid interfaces in the WCT 2 to be installed.

[0045] The adapter 1 disclosed herein is also equipped with an ROV panel 18, which enables the operation of the interfaces and hydraulic valves. The top interface 19 provides connection to the WCT 2, while the bottom interface 17 communicates with the APB 9 and the residing TH 8.

[0046] In this configuration, the eccentricity 23 between the top interface 19 and APB 9 is highlighted. APB 9 has tubing hangers 8 with different profiles, gauges, and standardization, such as... Figures 4 to 6 As shown in the diagram.

[0047] In a complete or "stacked" configuration, the toroidal 22's transmitter keeps DSV 7 permanently open, such as... Figure 5 As can be seen, it makes Figure 2The AI ​​valve 25 shown in the arrangement then redundantly and in a testable manner performs the blocking function.

[0048] In the alternative configuration of APB 9 without TH 8, such as... Figure 6 As illustrated, the original tubing hanger 20 of the WCT 2 to be installed can be anchored to the spindle of the adapter 1, making it feasible to install the concentric WCT 2. This configuration allows the APB 9 to be maintained together with the flow line connected to the APB 9, thereby preventing line removal—a costly and risky operation.

[0049] Figure 7 A cross-sectional view of adapter 1 is shown, in which the interface of FLM 10 of APB 9 and MFLC 12 of WCT 2 can be seen. This interface is also eccentric due to the displacement of WCT 2, caused by misalignment of the mandrel of adapter 1 and the adapter's connector. This misalignment is offset at interface 11, the adapter's CLF kit, by means of connector 16 and FLM 14, thereby enabling the production interface, annular interface, and all other hydraulic and electrical interfaces, if present. Flow lines 24 are provided to maintain connection with the interface of the flange.

[0050] This disclosure is not limited to the statements mentioned or described herein, and should be understood within its broad scope. Many variations and other statements of this disclosure will occur to those skilled in the art upon which this disclosure pertains, thanks to the teachings presented in the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific forms disclosed, and that such variations and other forms are considered to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terminology is used herein, such terminology is merely general and descriptive and is not intended to be limiting.

Claims

1. An adapter (1) for connecting a concentric wet production tree to an eccentric adapter production base (9), the adapter production base (9) comprising a tubing hanger (8) having an annulus, wherein, The adapter includes: a) Hydraulic connector (21); b) Guide bushing (6), the guide bushing (6) having a penetrator (5) for actuating the double-sealed valve (7). c) A hydraulic plate (15) and an electric plate (13), wherein the hydraulic plate (15) and the electric plate (13) have command and monitoring functions for resident equipment; d) Two sliding annular intervention valves (25), the sliding annular intervention valves (25) being used for testable shielding of the annulus; e) ROV panel (18) for commanding hydraulic functions; f) A top interface (19) for interacting with the wet tree (2), the top interface (19) having a top guide funnel; g) A bottom interface (17) for interacting with the adapter production base (9) and the tubing hanger (8), the bottom interface (17) being provided with a penetrator (5) and the guide bushing (6). h) A flow line connector (16) having an integrated flow line mandrel (14). i) A locking system with a sealing lip located inside the bottom interface (17) for docking with the adapter manufacturing base (9).

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