Modular High-Pressure Riser System for Flexible Well Operations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for performing well operations from a floating installation require frequent reconfiguration and equipment replacement, leading to reduced flexibility and increased operational costs due to the need for multiple equipment setups and frequent maintenance of valves and shearing functionalities in the upper workover riser package.
Innovation Solution
A modular high-pressure riser system with a housing and interchangeable modules that can be assembled and pressure-tested on the floating installation, allowing for specific equipment configurations for different operations, enabling flexible adaptation to various well operations while minimizing load on the riser and allowing for module replacement or maintenance without disrupting ongoing operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the UWRP is equipped with multiple kinds of equipment for different activities (closing passage, shearing equipment), then the system can perform multiple operations, but the device complexity increases and maintenance becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into modular components: the UWRP housing remains fixed while the insert assembly can be exchanged. The insert assembly further segments functional elements (closing device, shearing device) that can be selectively configured. This segmentation allows versatility through different insert configurations while keeping the main housing simple and easy to maintain.
Solution Approach 2:
The UWRP housing serves as a universal platform that can accommodate different insert assemblies for various operations (wire line, coiled tubing, etc.). The standardized housing design with appropriate interfaces enables multiple operational capabilities without requiring complex integrated systems, as the same housing can work with different inserts.
2Reliability
If the UWRP includes valves and shearing functionalities that need replacement, then the system can maintain operational capability, but the whole riser configuration must be released and taken up, resulting in loss of time
Solution Approach 1:
The insert assembly is segmented from the UWRP housing, allowing only the insert containing the valves and shearing functionalities to be removed and replaced. This eliminates the need to release and retrieve the entire riser configuration, reducing maintenance time significantly while maintaining reliability through replaceable functional components.
Solution Approach 2:
The functional components (valves, shearing devices) are extracted from the main riser system and placed in a removable insert assembly. This extraction allows these components to be independently accessed, removed, and replaced without affecting the rest of the riser configuration, thereby reducing maintenance downtime while preserving operational reliability.
3Productivity
If fixed equipment is installed in the UWRP for specific operations, then the operation can be performed, but the system loses flexibility for other operations
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static, fixed equipment configuration to a dynamic, exchangeable insert assembly configuration. The insert can be changed based on operational requirements, allowing the system to adapt to different operations (wire line, coiled tubing, etc.) while maintaining efficiency through ready-to-use pre-configured inserts.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for performing well operations from a floating installation comprising a high pressure riser (8) connected to the floating installation through a tension system, and where the riser comprises a housing (18) with an internal diameter larger than an internal diameter of the riser and connected at the top of the riser, where it for performing operations is made an assembly (15) comprising a desired numbers of modules for use in a specific operation, the modules are assembled at the installation, then positioned in the housing and the operation is performed through the assembly.