Modular Valve Block Assembly for Fast Wellhead Reconfiguration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional oil and gas production equipment, such as Christmas trees, require significant time, personnel, and cost for assembly and maintenance due to their complex and bulky designs, and are difficult to repair or reconfigure for different operations, leading to inefficiencies and increased downtime.
Innovation Solution
A modular, pre-packaged, purpose-built valve block system where each segment is connected via seat pocket inserts and a retention system, allowing for quick assembly, reassembly, and replacement, with a digital control system for automation and remote operation, enabling pre-function testing and standardization for specific applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If conventional trees use separate valves and piping components connected via flanged spools, then each component can be individually accessed for maintenance, but assembly time and personnel requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The tree assembly is divided into modular valve blocks that can be independently handled and replaced. Each valve block contains integrated valves and flow crosses, allowing the entire block to be swapped as a single unit rather than disassembling individual components with multiple bolts.
Solution Approach 2:
Valves and flow crosses are combined into single integrated valve blocks. This merging reduces the number of separate connections and bolted joints, enabling faster assembly while maintaining the ability to replace individual functional units.
2Loss of time
If composite trees use a single body with all valves and cross-flow components formed together, then assembly time is reduced, but repair becomes difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The single composite body is segmented into multiple replaceable valve blocks. Each block can be independently removed and replaced without affecting other blocks, combining the assembly speed of composite trees with the repairability of conventional modular systems.
3Device complexity
If frac and drill out trees are combined into one tree, then equipment quantity is reduced, but the tree is tied up for long periods due to low utilization
Solution Approach 1:
The combined frac and drill out tree is segmented into separate functional valve blocks. These blocks can be independently swapped based on operational needs, allowing the frac tree to be quickly converted to a drill out tree or vice versa, thereby improving utilization efficiency while maintaining reduced equipment quantity.
Solution Approach 2:
The tree configuration becomes dynamic through quick-swchangeable valve blocks. The system can adapt its functionality by replacing specific blocks, enabling rapid transition between frac and drill out operations without being permanently tied to a single configuration.
4Strength
If conventional trees use multiple flanged spools with six or more bolts per connection, then structural integrity is maintained, but the overall height of the tree increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple flanged spool connections are merged into single integrated valve block interfaces. This eliminates intermediate spools and reduces the cumulative height contributed by multiple flange assemblies while maintaining connection integrity through the integrated block design.
Data Source
AI summary
A valve block may be assembled, in a controlled environment, a valve block to be modular and purpose built for a specific application. The specific application may be an operation to be performed at a well site. The modular purpose built valve block may be function tested, in the controlled environment. Additionally, the modular purpose built valve block may be pre-packaged, in the controlled environment, to have a digital system to operate and automate the modular purpose built valve block. Further, the modular pre-packaged purpose built valve block may be deployed to the well site, and the modular pre-packaged purpose built valve block may be fluidly coupled to a wellhead. The modular pre-packaged purpose built valve block may be operated to perform the operation at the well site.