Adapter for connecting concentric Christmas tree with eccentric production base

Abstract

The present disclosure refers to equipment designed to enable the adaptation of obsolete oil exploration installations, allowing the connection of wet concentric Christmas trees or of different eccent

Description

[002] The subsea equipment of the wet Christmas tree (WCT) type are designed for a determined useful life, their integrity being limited by the thickness of walls made of forged metal parts, generally in pipes of lower thickness, by wear and tear and by corrosion, being governed by applicable codes that limit the safety factor to its components. After reaching a certain age or wear, there is a need to decommission (withdraw) the WCT set, generating high costs that are often not duly foreseen, besides the loss of oil or gas production. Once it is deemed that the well may still be viable, the removal of the production column to change the WCT implies high additional costs and risks that tend to dash the feasibility of maintaining production, as these costs may not offset the low productivity that is typical of wells referred to as mature, being near the end of their useful life and having lower productivity.

[003] If a well is still viable, maintenance is justified of part of the equipment installed, such as the production column and the adapter production base (APB), when present, 22 04 where the production tubing hanger (TH) is anchored. This utilization provides major savings and lower risk in operations, decreasing the investment to reactivate the well. However, older THs use a system of annulus fluid retention by 5 means of a non~testable dual sealing valve (DSV), activated by the tip of the annulus line, a condition that may not be accepted under the codes in force, since upon withdrawing the tip there is no guarantee of closing the valve, triggering a risk that sea water will enter into the well, an unacceptable 10 condition under the codes in force.

[004] The problem consists of the difference in standards of interfaces among standardized equipment, initially using models with two eccentric lines with 4.1 / 16in (10.32 cm) for the production of oil and gas and 2.1 / 16in (5.24 cm) for 5 injection of fluids to the well, whereas the most up-to-date equipment uses a concentric production line of 5.1 / 8in (13.02 cm) and eccentric injection line of 2.1 / 16in (5.24 cm) making a mutually compatible interface impossible.

[005] The equipment now proposed not only enables the 20 coupling of different interfaces, acting as an adapter, but also allows the production column to be maintained, that the components with compromised integrity or in disagreement with codes in force be substituted and that the DSV, whose function is not supported by the codes, be replaced with at least two 25 testable barriers with metal sealing, as required by the same codes in force, all encompassed within the same equipment that accumulates the function of adaptation.

[006] Additionally, the device also allows the preservation of the lines of the production column that make 30 the outflow of oil and gas and injection in the well, as it permits the maintenance of the APB. [0G7] This solution prevents the withdrawal of the production column coupled to the TH, provides an alternative for substituting the annular blockage safely and testably prior 5 to uncoupling the WCT and permits the use of more current WCT models, delaying well decommissioning, and also at lower cost when compared with the solutions in effect, that imply the complete substitution of the WCT set and the associated production column. 10

[008] Document NO20140270 shows a system to perform subsea well review operations comprising a single-bore emergency cut package located on a lower riser package that can be connected } to a valve tree to be closed off, the system having a main I bore extending through the system from a riser coupled to the *15 mono-bore emergency disconnection package.

[009] US2017183935 shows an adapter for a Christmas tree I in the field of oil or gas comprising a first interface to connect the adapter to a corresponding Christmas tree interface on top of the Christmas tree, and a second interface, at least 20 a feed passage and at least one of: a well barrier element, an internal profile for defining a plug, a hanger or a hanger and plug combined.

[010] US2015247371 shows a subsea Christmas tree set having a main bore and a ring bore, wherein the main bore 25 aligns with the main bore of the pipes hanger and the ring bore of the Christmas tree communicates with the bore of the pipe hook annulus, when the Christmas tree set is installed above a pipes hanger of a subsea well. [Oil] The solutions proposed in EP1021637 teach a slimbore 30 marine riser and a BOP for a subsea completion system which includes a tubing spool secured to the wellhead at the sea floor, whereby the tubing spool has an internal landing profile for a tubing hanger with reduced diameter, arranged and dimensioned to pass through the bore of the riser and the BOP 5 at the end of a landing string, providing a passage through the tubing spool which provides communication from a point above the tubing hanger to the well annulus below the hanger.

[012] Patent US9797226 shows a wellbore apparatus and method comprising a first wellbore tool having a primary flow 10 path and at least a secondary flow path and a second wellbore tool having a primary flow path and a secondary flow path, wherein the radial center of the primary flow path in the first wellbore tool is offset from a radial center of the primary C\J flow path in the second wellbore tool. Said wellbore comprises xj15 a crossover joint connecting the first wellbore tool to the second wellbore tool having a primary flow path fluidly connecting the primary flow path of the first well tool to the primary flow path of the second well tool and at least one secondary flow path fluidly connecting the at least one 20 secondary flow path of the first well tool to the at least one secondary flow path of the second wellbore tool.

[013] Document BR202015019725-5 shows a simple integral wellhead and other components for application in oil and gas producing wells with natural elevation and artificial 25 elevation and fluid injection wells, all with the subsurface installations with a column of tubes and components, with characteristics similar to the production head and conventional simple Christmas tree, which, when installed, eliminates the disconnection of the production line during the 30 interventions. [.014] CN202441313 shows a single-tube double-well sea thermal well port device, applicable to the thickened oil thermal production process of an offshore single-tube doublewell platform, where the glove head, a pipe head and a 5 Christmas tree are divided structures, in the form of a fan, a pipe head is connected to the lower flange and flange sleeve of the head, where the structures form eccentric and concentric arrangements .

[015] As seen, no publication cited mentions a device 10 designed to enable the association of wet concentric Christmas trees with eccentric adapter production bases or provides a solution that enables the exploitation of the production column LO with its tubing hanger, and that substitutes a dual barrier CM valve with metal sealing and testable solving the problem of xj 15 non-compliance with codes currently in force. CM Description of the drawings CM -----------------

[016] Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional and blown-up view of the central arrangement of the adapter of the APB (9) 20 represented with its mandrel, where it is possible to see the body (4), the false tubing hanger (3), the guide bushing of the connection (6) of the non-concentric production line to the concentric line with the penetrators (5), the DSV (7) and the resident tubing hanger (TH) with non-concentric boring 25 (8) .

[017] Figure 2 schematically shows the arrangement of the system with the adapter (1) of the present disclosure, where it is possible to see the WCT (2), the APB (9), the connection with the resident tubing hanger (8), the penetrators (5), the 30 false tubing hanger (3), the DSV (7), the AI valves (25), the flow line mandrel - FLM (10), the adapter flow line connector - AFLC (11), the main flow line connector - MFLC (12) and the wellhead (26).

[018] Figure 3 illustrates an adapter according to an 5 example of the present disclosure in a rear view, where it is possible to see the hydraulic (15) and electric (13) interface plates, the ROV panel (18), the top integrated flow line mandrel - FLM (14), the flow line connector - FLC (16), the top interface (19) to WCT, the bottom interface (17) to APB 10 and TH and the locking system of the connector (21). 20

[019] Figure 4 illustrates an adapter according to an example of the present disclosure in a rear view, where it is possible to see the ROV panel (18), the top interface (19) to WCT, the bottom interface (17) to APB and the eccentricity (23) between the top and bottom interfaces.

[020] Figure 5 presents a cross-sectional view of an arrangement according to an example of this disclosure in a configuration with complete (stack-up) set, where it is possible to see the WCT (2), the adapter (1), the APB (9) with TH (8), the penetrator of the ring line (22) which is a sub item of the penetrators (5), the DSV (7) and the false hanger (3) .

[021] Figure 6 presents a cross-sectional view of an example device in an alternative configuration applicable to an APB (9) without TH, where it is possible to see the new concentric tubing hanger (20), the WCT (2), the adapter (1) and eccentricity (23) .

[022] Figure 7 represents a sectional side view of a device in an arrangement focusing on the interface of the FLM (10) of the APB (9) with the MFLC (12) of the WCT (2) and with the AFLC (11), where it is possible to see the eccentricity (23), and the inputs and outputs for the flow lines (24). Detailed description 5

[023] The disclosure proposed herein consists of equipment used in oil exploration that enables continued use of an old subsea production system, normally endowed with interfaces considered obsolete or non-standard, preserving part of the equipment by replacing only those elements whose integrity 10 might typically be compromised, preserving the production column and the connected flow lines.

[024] In one embodiment, there is provided an adapter (1) LO that permits the installation of concentric wet Christmas trees C\J - WCT (2) and greater production passages in adapter production xj 15 bases - APB (9), associating a tubing hanger (8) with an eccentric profile and of smaller passage, without the need for removing the production column. [02.5] Accordingly, the device of the present disclosure may provide for longer life of the equipment whose integrity 20 is compromised, enabling the substitution of part of the system in use preserving the APB (9) with the production column, preventing the high costs related to the recovery and or eventual substitution thereof. Additionally, it may enable the preservation of the flow lines previously installed in the APB 25 (9) .

[026] Further, the use thereof may replace the function of the dual sealing valve - DSV (7) in the annulus of the tubing hanger - TH (8) with one or more slide valves (25) testable after installation, in accordance with the standard currently 30 provided in the WCT (2) used. [.027] Installed on the APB (9), the adapter (1) is endowed with an eccentric connector capable of aligning the production passages, enabling the concentric WCT (2) to land on the eccentric APB (9), regardless of the manufacturer's model. 5

[028] Said adapter (1) is further provided with penetrators (5) , with one specifically on the annulus line (22) which opens the DSV (7), allowing the passage of the line permanently after installation. Additionally, on the body (4) of the adapter (1), which performs the function of interface 10 for the concentric WCT (2), there are provided two slide valves (25), also known as "annulus intervention" (AI), that enable the blockage of the flow and the sealing test of the annulus, ensuring the feasibility of future barrier tests prior to CM operations with the WCT (2), allowing the safe withdrawal xj 15 thereof by preventing sea water from entering into the well, an undesirable condition for obvious reasons. CM [.029] The adapter (1) described herein may enable the substitution of the most critical parts, such as the WCT (2), preserving the most expensive part of the system and 20 operations, which is the removal and substitution of the production column, maintaining the APB (9), the TH (8) and even the flow lines, optimizing the cost for updating the systems with compromised integrity and complying with legislation in force. 25

[030] In other words, the adapter of this disclosure may allow the installation of the WCT (2) having different standards (pre-salt or post-salt) and classes of pressure (5ksi and lOksi). Further, it may allow the WCT (2) to be altered to receive hub-type connections enabling the connection by 30 vertical connection modules (VCM) or horizontal (HCS) for 22 04 interfaces with the production, injection and / or umbilical lines .

[031] These properties confer to the adapter (1) the property of allowing the withdrawal of just part of the WCT 5 (2) set, maintaining the original production column, even if the obsolete valves DSV (7) are installed, transforming the original system with eccentric WCT (2) into a concentric one, replacing the DSV (7) with AI valves (25).

[032] In this adjustment, there are other relevant points 10 to enable the exchange between the parts, such as the hydraulic logics using auxiliary hydraulic plates (15) (stab plates) which provide the hydraulic interface that was previously exclusive to the mandrel of the flow lines (10) and its connector (16), enabling that, jointly with a false hanger 5 (3), or dummy tubing hanger, installed within the adapter (1), and with a false mandrel of the flow lines, herein denominated flow line connector adapter- FLCA (11), can ensure the maintenance of the original hydraulic logics of both equipment of different standards. 20

[033] The adapter (1) of this example, illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, is comprised of: a) hydraulic connector (21); b) guide bushing (6) with penetrators (5) for actuation of the DSV (7) ; 25 c) hydraulic (15) and electric (13) plates having command and monitoring functions of the resident equipment; d) 2 slide AI valves (25) for testable barrier of the annulus; e) ROV panel (18) to command the hydraulic functions; f) the top interface (19) for interaction with the WCT (2), 30 shaped, like a structure with top guide funnel; 10 22 04 20 g) the bottom interface (17) for APB (9) and TH (8) configured like a connector and guide bushing (6) with penetrators (5); h) flow line connector - FLC (16) with integrated flow line mandrel - FLM (14); i) locking system (21) with sealing lip inside the bottom interface (17) for interfacing with the APB (9). [034 ] The adapter (1) is normally associated to a false tubing hanger (3), if there is already a TH (8) in the APB (9), and to a hydraulic or electric connector by way of penetrators (5) for the false tubing hanger (3) with the already-resident hanger (8). Optionally, in the place of the false tubing hanger (3), it may receive a new tubing hanger (20) compatible with the WCT (2) to be installed, preserving the flow lines already installed.

[035] Therefore, in a preferred arrangement for using the adapter (1) of the present disclosure, as illustrated in Figure 2, the adapter (1) is allocated between the WCT (2) and the APB (9), and the central part of the adapter (1) is connected with the non-concentric tubing hanger (8) 4"x2" by means of a guide bushing (6) of the penetrators (5) that provides an interface to a false hanger (3) with concentric top 5"x 1" anchored on the adapter (1), enabling the interface with an equally concentric WCT (2). The guide bushing (6) is provided with a set of penetrators (5), one penetrator (22) being dedicated to the annulus line with the function of activating the DSV (7) keeping it permanently open, and its function being testably replaced with two AI valves (25). On the side interface, the FLM (10) of the APB (9) provides interface with the MFLC (12) situated on the WCT (2) by means of the AFLC (11), guaranteeing the continuity of all the lines of the FLM (10) of the APB (3) up to the MFLC (12) on the WCT (2), following the hydraulic logics and serving all the interfaces in effect in the WCT (2) to be installed.

[036] The adapter (1) of the present disclosure is further 5 endowed with a ROV panel (18), that enables the actioning of the interfaces and hydraulic valves. The top interface (19) provides the connection with the WCT (2), whereas the bottom interface (17) communicates with the APB (9) and with the resident TH (8). 10

[037] In this construction, prominence is given to the eccentricity (23) between the top interface (19) and the APB (9) with the tubing hanger (8) of different profiles, line LO gauge and standardizations, as illustrated in Figures 4 to 6. CM [.038] In the configuration of a complete set or "stack- xj 15 up", the penetrator of the annulus (22) keeps the DSV (7) permanently open, as seen in Figure 5, such that the AI valves CM (25), shown in the arrangement of Figure 2, thereafter redundantly and testably execute the function of blockage.

[039] In an alternative configuration for using the 20 adapter (1) in an APB (9) without TH (8), as illustrated in Figure 6, the original tubing hanger (20) of the WCT (2) to be installed can be anchored to the mandrel of the adapter (1), making it feasible to install a concentric WCT (2) . This configuration enables the APB (9) to be maintained, along with 25 the flow lines connected thereto, enabling gain preventing deinstallation of the lines - which is an operation of considerable cost and risk.

[040] Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the adapter (1), where it is possible to see the interface of the FLM (10) 30 of the APB (9) with the MFLC (12) of the WCT (2), which also has eccentricity due to the displacement of the WCT (2), since the mandrel of the adapter (1) is misaligned relative to its connector. The misalignment is offset on the interface (11), CLF set of the adapter, by means of its connector (16) and the 5 FLM (14), enabling the interfaces of production, annulus and all other hydraulic and electric interfaces, and the latter when present. The flow lines (24) that provide an interface with the flanges remain connected.

[041] This disclosure is not limited to the 10 representations mentioned or illustrated herein and should be understood within its broad scope. Many changes and other representations of the disclosure will come to mind for those LO skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains, having CM the benefit of the teaching presented in the prior descriptions xj15 and accompanying drawings. Additionally, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific CM form disclosed, and that the changes and other forms are deemed CM to be comprised within the scope of the accompanying claims. Although specific terms are used herein, they are used only 20 generically and descriptively and not with a limitative purpose . 22 04

Claims

1) An adapter (1) for connecting a concentric wet Christmas tree(WCT) to an eccentric adapter production base (APB) , the AFB containing a tubing hanger - TH (8) having an annulus, wherein the adapter comprises:a) a hydraulic connector (21);b) a guide bushing (6) with penetrators (5) for actuation of a dual sealing valve - DSC (7) ;c) hydraulic (15) and electric (13) plates having' command and monitoring functions of resident equipment;d) 2 slide annulus intervention (AI) valves (25) for testable barrier of the annulus;e) ROV panel (18) to command hydraulic functions;f) a top interface (19) for interaction with the WCT (2), shaped like a structure with top guide funnel;g) a. bottom interface (17) for interaction with the APB (9) and TH (8), the bottom interface (17) being provided with the guide bushing (6) and penetrators (5);h) flow line connector - FLC (16) with integrated flow line mandrel - ELM (14);i) locking system (21) with sealing lip inside the bottom interface (17) for interfacing with the APB (9).

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