4334 results about "Deep water" patented technology

A method for predicting risk and designing safety management systems of complex production and process systems which has been applied to an FPSO System operating in deep waters. The methods for the design were derived from the inclusion of a weight index in a fuzzy class belief variable in the risk model to assign the relative numerical value or importance a safety device or system has contain a risk hazards within the barrier. The weights index distributes the relative importance of risk events in series or parallel in several interactive risk and safety device systems. The fault tree, the FMECA and the Bow Tie now contains weights in fizzy belief class for implementing safety management programs critical to the process systems. The techniques uses the results of neural networks derived from fuzzy belief systems of weight index to implement the safety design systems thereby limiting use of experienced procedures and benchmarks. The weight index incorporate Safety Factors sets SFri {0, 0.1, 0.2 . . . 1}, and Markov Chain Network to allow the possibility of evaluating the impact of different risks or reliability of multifunctional systems in transient state process. The application of this technique and results of simulation to typical FPSO / Riser systems has been discussed in this invention.

Integrated surface-subsurface modeling has been shown to have a critical impact on field development and optimization. Integrated models are often necessary to analyze properly the pressure interaction between a reservoir and a constrained surface facility network, or to predict the behavior of several fields, which may have different fluid compositions, sharing a common surface facility. The latter is gaining a tremendous significance in recent deepwater field development. These applications require an integrated solution with the following capabilities: * to balance a surface network model with a reservoir simulation model in a robust and efficient manner. * To couple multiple reservoir models, production and injection networks, synchronising their advancement through time. * To allow the reservoir and surface network models to use their own independent fluid descriptions (black oil or compositional descriptions with differing sets of pseudo-components). * To apply global production and injection constraints to the coupled system (including the transfer of re-injection fluids between reservoirs). In this paper we describe a general-purpose multi-platform reservoir and network coupling controller having all the above features. The controller communicates with a selection of reservoir simulators and surface network simulators via an open message-passing interface. It manages the balancing of the reservoirs and surface networks, and synchronizes their advancement through time. The controller also applies the global production and injection constraints, and converts the hydrocarbon fluid streams between the different sets of pseudo-components used in the simulation models. The controller's coupling and synchronization algorithms are described, and example applications are provided. The flexibility of the controller's open interface makes it possible to plug in further modules (to perform optimization, for example) and additional simulators.

An accumulator for use in deepwater operational and control systems which uses a differential between a high pressure ambient pressure source such as sea water pressure and a low pressure source such as a chamber holding vacuum or atmospheric pressure to provide storage and delivery of hydraulic power for operation of equipment.

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for using wind energy to compress air or pressurize a fluid as a means of storing energy. Compressed air or pressurized fluid is generated directly by the wind turbines, thereby avoiding the energy losses that occur when wind power is used first to generate electricity to run an electrically powered air compressor. The compressed air or pressurized fluid is stored by means of expanding a volume at constant or nearly constant pressure. This method avoids energy losses that would otherwise result from compressional heating; while also allowing lower pressures to be employed, reducing the cost of the containment facility and avoiding the need to locate facilities in geographically favored locations where underground storage is available. The invention permits both large and small-scale storage at low cost per unit of energy stored, thereby avoiding the difficulty of using a highly variable and unreliable source of energy such as the wind for electrical power generation. The invention can be used for generation and storage on land, in shallow near-shore waters and in deep-water locations far from shore.

A flexible conduit constructed of overlapping layers of sealing and strengthening materials designed to resist tensile, compressive, and axial forces is employed as a submerged flow line carrying pressurized fluid. Sealing material layers disposed radially on either side of the strengthening layers isolate the strengthening layers from the liquids that contact the internal and external conduit walls. The innermost seal layer is positioned within a burst layer that protects the external strengthening layers from pressure-induced damage. The annular area between the strengthening layers is continuously vented to the atmosphere to prevent pressure damage to the strengthening layers caused by gases leaking or permeating into the annular area through the seal layers. End connectors join sections of the conduit together and connect the vents of the sections to each other to form a continuous vent passage that vents the annulus gas at the water surface.

An impulse-type “wave motor” employs a seabed-mounted or supported structure mounting a wave energy absorbing panel on a hinged lever arm for reciprocation motion to obtain optimal absorption of wave energy from wave motion in the sea. For deepwater wavelengths of L, the panel is optimally positioned in a region within L / 2 depth from the sea surface. The panel motion is coupled by a connecting rod to a fluid pump which generates a high-pressure fluid output that may be used to drive a reverse osmosis desalination unit or to produce other useful work. Seawater or brackish water may be desalinated through reverse osmosis membranes to produce water quality for consumption, agricultural, or other uses. The submerged operating environment of the device in a region of one-half the design wavelength provides the maximum available energy flux and forced oscillations. The pump may be of the positive-displacement piston type, plunger type, or multi-staging driver type, or a variable volume pump.

Installation for harvesting kinetic energy of ocean currents in deepwaters is based on utilization of a semisubmersible platform and the multiple of vertically oriented Darrieus type hydraulic turbines with funnels. The turbines are located bellow sea level on distance sufficient to exclude them from being affected by wave actions. The electric power generators are located on a structure above water and transmit electric power to the shore utilizing flexible cable from semisubmersible to the sea bottom and underwater cable going to the shore, where it connected to the power distributing network. One of the Embodiments of this invention is designed to harvest energy of tides in deepwaters.

An impulse-type "wave motor" employs a seabed-mounted or supported structure mounting a wave energy absorbing panel on a hinged lever arm for reciprocation motion to obtain optimal absorption of wave energy from wave motion in the sea. For deepwater wavelengths of L, the panel is optimally positioned in a region within L / 2 depth from the sea surface. The panel motion is coupled by a connecting rod to a fluid pump which generates a high-pressure fluid output that may be used to drive a reverse osmosis desalination unit or to produce other useful work. Seawater or brackish water may be desalinated through reverse osmosis membranes to produce water quality for consumption, agricultural, or other uses. The submerged operating environment of the device in a region of one-half the design wavelength provides the maximum available energy flux and forced oscillations. The pump may be of the positive-displacement piston type, plunger type, or multi-staging driver type, or a variable volume pump.

Flying lead hydraulic and electrical umbilical arrangements are disclosed for control of a subsea christmas tree for production and workover operations. Alternative arrangements for deep water ROV arrangements for a conventional christmas tree are illustrated in FIGS. 2A, 2B and in FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C. Alternative arrangements for a horizontal christmas tree are illustrated in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7.

A system and method for controlling drilling mud density at a location either at the seabed (or just above the seabed) or alternatively below the seabed of wells in deep water and ultra deep water applications. A base fluid of lesser density than the drilling mud required at the wellhead is used to produce a diluted mud in the riser. By combining the appropriate quantities of drilling mud with base fluid, a diluted riser mud density at or near the density of seawater may be achieved. The present invention also includes a wellhead injection device for injecting the base fluid into the rising drilling mud. The riser charging lines are used to carry the low density base fluid to the injection device for injection into the return mud. At the surface, the diluted return mud is passed through a treatment system to cleanse the mud of drill cuttings and to separate the heavier drilling mud from the lighter base fluid. The present invention further includes a control unit for manipulating drilling fluid systems and displaying drilling and drilling fluid data.

An arrangement and a method to control and regulate the bottom hole pressure in a well during subsea drilling at deep waters: The method involves adjustment of a liquid / gas interface level in a drilling riser up or down. The arrangement comprises a high pressure drilling riser and a surface BOP at the upper end of the drilling riser. The surface BOP havs a gas bleeding outlet. The riser also comprises a BOP, with a by-pass line. The drilling riser has an outlet at a depth below the water surface, and the outlet is connected to a pumping system with a flow return conduit running back to a drilling vessel / platform.

A method for drilling, running casing in, and / or cementing a borehole in a subterranean formation without significant loss of drilling fluid is disclosed, as well as compositions for use in such method. The method employs a drilling fluid comprising a fragile gel or having fragile gel behavior and providing superior oil mud rheology and overall performance. The fluid is especially advantageous for use in deep water wells because the fluid exhibits minimal difference between downhole equivalent circulating density and surface density notwithstanding differences in drilling or penetration rates. When an ester and isomerized olefin blend is used for the base of the fluid, the fluid makes an environmentally acceptable and regulatory compliant invert emulsion drilling fluid. The fluid preferably contains no organophilic clays.

The invention discloses a strong-inhibition water-base drilling fluid which comprises the following components in parts by mass: 100 parts of water, 0.2-4 parts of polyamine inhibitor, 0.1-1 part of coating inhibitor, 10-25 parts of hydrate inhibitor, 0.1-1 part of tackifier, 0.5-5 parts of fluid loss agent and 0.5-3 parts of liquid lubricant. The polyamine inhibitor is an amino polymer polymerized from polyether diamine and epoxy alkane; and the mol ratio of the polyether diamine to the epoxy alkane is 1-10:1-20. The drilling fluid disclosed by the invention can effectively inhibit wellbore instability of deepwater shallow strata, and has equivalent inhibition capability to an oil-base drilling fluid. The drilling fluid disclosed by the invention can solve the problem of generation of hydrate in deepwater drilling, and is applicable to 3000m-deep drilling operation. The drilling fluid disclosed by the invention has favorable low temperature-high temperature stability, and is applicable to a deepwater large-temperature-difference environment (2-150 DEG C).

Sensors, including fiber optic sensors and their umbilicals, are mounted on support structures designed to be retro-fitted to in-place structures, including subsea structures. The sensor support structures are designed to monitor structure conditions, including strain, temperature, and in the instance of pipelines, the existence of production slugs. Moreover the support structures are designed for installation in harsh environments, such as deep water conditions using remotely operated vehicles.

Subsea wells are drilled and completed with an offshore floating platform in a manner that allows simultaneous work on more than one well. A first well is drilled and cased. Then a tubing hanger is run through a drilling riser and landed in the wellhead housing. Then, with the same floating platform, the drilling riser is disconnected and moved to a second well. While performing operations on the second well, the operator lowers a production tree from the floating platform on a lift line, and connects it to the first wellhead housing. An ROV assisted subsea plug removal tool is used for plug removal and setting operations. Seabed separation is configured upstream of a production choke valve.

A method and system for controlling drilling mud density in drilling operations. The mud required at the wellhead is combined with a base fluid of a different density to produce diluted mud in the riser. By combining the appropriate quantities of drilling mud with base fluid, riser mud density at or near the density of seawater may be achieved, thereby permitting greater control over the pressure in the wellbore and various risers. Blowout preventers may also be used in combination with the process to control these pressures. Concentric risers are disclosed, wherein an annulus defined within one riser is utilized to carry the different density base fluid to the injection point for injection into the drilling mud, while an annulus defined within another riser is utilized to carry the combination fluid and cuttings back to the drilling rig. Cuttings are separated in the usual manner at the surface. The diluted mud is passed through a centrifuge system to separate drilling mud from the different density base fluid. The centrifuge system may also be utilized to separate the recovered drilling fluid into a substantially barite portion and a substantially drilling fluid portion, wherein the two portions are stored locally at the rig and recirculated during drilling operations.

A cable deployment system and method for laying a cable on the sea floor. The cable deployment system includes a cable having a first cable section connected to a riser cable section. The riser cable section includes an armor that is connected to a drum capable of containing a required length of the first cable section. A stinger is attached to the drum and shaped to allow the first cable section to exit the drum. The cable deployment system also includes a tensioning device attached to the drum. The tensioning device is capable of maintaining a tension in the first cable section during deployment of the first cable section from the drum. The method of deploying the cable in deep water from a surface vessel includes the steps of containing the first cable section within the drum and lowering the drum from the surface vessel. An end of the first cable section is secured to the sea floor and the first cable section is deployed from the drum onto the sea floor.

The invention discloses an all-weather clean energy comprehensive electricity generating and energy saving method and a facility manufacturing method. In ten inventions, having at least one identical or corresponding specific technical characteristic and related to the total inventive concept, of solar gallery buildings, through graphene series facilities under solar gallery buildings, in a land field, a zero-carbon environment-friendly safe type raft-shaped basic-framed-tube-structured huge building group of a universal wind energy tower shape is established and new energy automobiles and trains are manufactured, wherein cheap wind power solids are established, photoelectric benzene expansion optical fibers are manufactured, lightning is utilized firstly for supplying power externally, various spaces are shared through building three-dimensional afforesting, and three-dimensional energy collection is achieved; in a water field, deep water self-floating buildings of a super steel concrete frame-tube structure (preferably, complete steel plates are adopted) are built, the deep water self-floating buildings are connected in series to form a global ocean water and electricity and agriculture and forestry extraction traffic network and a large lake and reservoir water and electricity and agriculture and forestry dredging dam water level traffic network, wherein the deep water automatic floating buildings are free of influences of earthquakes, tsunamis and wars, the Red Cross can rescue people in all-weather conditions; in a space field, multiple receiving and transmitting solar towers are first established on the equator of the earth and the equator of the moon, the receiving and transmitting solar towers are connected in series to operate in a timed mode in the specific direction and transmit power to the whole world through graphene cables which are all packaged with colored insulating films.

There is provided a high power laser riser blowout preventer system and controller for operation thereof. The system utilizes high power laser cutters that are associated with the riser and the blowout preventer to provided an integrated operation to quickly weaken or cut tubulars to address potential emergency and emergency situations that can arise during deep sea drilling.

It has been discovered that fracturing fluid compositions can be designed for successful deep water completion fracturing fluid operations. These fluids must be pumped relatively long distances from offshore platforms to the reservoir, and they are often subjected to a wide temperature range. Under these conditions, it is necessary to inhibit the formation of gas hydrates in the fracturing fluid compositions, as well as to delay the crosslinking of the gels that are formed to increase the viscosity of the fluids prior to fracturing the formation. Preferably, two different gas hydrate inhibitors are used to ensure placement of a gas hydrate inhibitor in most parts of the operation. In addition, as with all offshore or deep water hydrocarbon recovery operations, it is important that the components of the fracturing fluid compositions be environmentally benign and biodegradable.

The present invention provides improved compositions and methods for cementing casing strings in deep water offshore formations penetrated by well bores. The methods are basically comprised of the steps of preparing a cement composition comprised of hydraulic cement, water, an environmentally degradable water reducing and dispersing additive, an environmentally degradable set retarding additive and an environmentally degradable compressive strength and set accelerating additive.

Sensors, including fiber optic sensors and their umbilicals, are mounted on support structures designed to be retro-fitted to in-place structures, including subsea structures. The sensor support structures are designed to monitor structure conditions, including strain, temperature, and in the instance of pipelines, the existence of production slugs. Moreover the support structures are designed for installation in harsh environments, such as deep water conditions using remotely operated vehicles.

The invention relates to deep-water low-temperature low-density early-strength cementing slurry for well cementation in petroleum drilling engineering, which contains 100 parts of low-temperature early-strength cement, 10 to 30 parts of low-temperature reinforcing material, 10 to 80 parts of low-density light-weight material, 0.5 to 4 parts of drag reducer, 2.5 to 8 parts of fluid loss additive, 0.1 to 5 parts of retarder, 0.15 to 1.2 parts of defoamer, 2.5 to 8 parts of early strength agent and 57 to 95 parts of water, and slurry with the density of 1.2g / cm3 to 1.7g / cm3 can be prepared. The slurry system at least has the following advantages that: the maximum early strength (24 hours) can reach 14.7MPa, the long-term strength stability is good, the static gelling transition time is short, and the system is stable. The invention provides technical support for the quality of deep-water well cementation.

An underwater apparatus for generating electric power from ocean currents and deep water tides. A submersible platform including two or more power pods, each having a rotor with fixed-pitch blades, with drivetrains housed in pressure vessels that are connected by a transverse structure providing buoyancy, which can be a wing depressor, hydrofoil, truss, or faired tube. The platform is connected to anchors on the seafloor by forward mooring lines and a vertical mooring line that restricts the depth of the device in the water column. The platform operates using passive, rather than active, depth control. The wing depressor, along with rotor drag loads, ensures the platform seeks the desired operational current velocity. The rotors are directly coupled to a hydraulic pump that drives at least one constant-speed hydraulic-motor generator set and enables hydraulic braking. A fluidic bearing decouples non-torque rotor loads to the main shaft driving the hydraulic pumps.

A subsea umbilical includes electrically insulated power conductors, fiber optic elements, electrical signal cables, and fillers within a common outer cover. At least one of the electrical signal cables is enclosed within a dedicated metal tube, and the umbilical is hung off on an offshore platform or the like and the metal tube containing the electrical signal cable is hung off separately from the umbilical.

A method for developing a sub-sea hydrocarbons field includes sub-sea wells, sub-sea oil / gas separation, storing the degassed oil in a storage tank located or the seabed, liquefying natural gas aboard a vessel using liquid nitrogen aboard the vessel to obtain liquefied natural gas, transporting the liquefied natural gas to an onshore terminal, re-gasifying the liquefied natural gas, and obtaining a new batch of liquid nitrogen using energy recovered from the re-gasifying the liquefied natural gas.