Subsea Fluid Injection Assembly for Direct Vessel Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for delivering pressurized fluid, such as acid, to subsea hydrocarbon wells require the use of complex and costly equipment like jack-up rigs and workover risers, which are not efficient for direct injection from a specialized vessel.
Innovation Solution
A pressurized fluid injection assembly is mounted to a subsea Xmas tree, featuring a second conduit with a fail-safe close valve and a fluid delivery connector, allowing for direct injection of fluid from a marine vessel to the subsea well without the need for a jack-up rig or workover riser.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If jack-up rigs and workover risers are used for fluid delivery, then reliable high-pressure injection is achieved, but operational complexity and daily costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the unnecessary jack-up rig and workover riser components from the fluid delivery system. By mounting the injection assembly directly to the production platform, it removes the intermediate complex equipment while retaining the essential high-pressure injection capability through a simplified direct connection pathway.
Solution Approach 2:
The injection assembly is designed to be mounted directly to the production platform, allowing the existing platform structure to serve multiple functions: both production support and fluid injection delivery. This eliminates the need for separate specialized equipment and reduces overall system complexity while maintaining operational reliability.
2Reliability
If jack-up rigs and workover risers are used for fluid delivery, then high-pressure injection capability is maintained, but daily operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the costly jack-up rig and workover riser components from the operational chain. By using the existing production platform as the mounting base, it eliminates the need to hire or operate specialized heavy equipment, thereby significantly reducing daily operational costs while preserving high-pressure injection capability through the direct-mount injection assembly.
3Device complexity
If direct injection from specialized vessel is implemented, then operational simplicity and cost reduction are achieved, but reliable high-pressure delivery to subsea wells becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the injection assembly directly with the production platform structure, creating an integrated system. This combination eliminates intermediate equipment and connection points that could compromise reliability, while the direct mounting provides a stable, robust platform for high-pressure fluid delivery to subsea wells.
Solution Approach 2:
The production platform itself serves as the intermediary structure, providing a stable base that combines the advantages of both the specialized vessel (mobility, simplicity) and the fixed platform (stability, reliability). The platform's existing infrastructure supports the injection assembly while ensuring reliable high-pressure delivery capabilities.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables efficient and cost-effective delivery of pressurized fluid to subsea hydrocarbon wells, reducing operational complexity and daily costs by eliminating the need for heavy-duty equipment like jack-up rigs.
Implementation Method 1
The valve comprises a valve body, a valve member movable in the valve body between open and closed positions, a spring arranged around a hydraulic actuator and biasing the valve member into the closed position, and a hydraulic actuator arranged in the valve body and movable between an energized state in which the valve member is in the open position and a de-energized state in which the valve member is in the closed position
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to the introduction of pressurized fluid, e.g. acid, into a subsea well directly from a vessel (33). A fluid injection assembly (20) is fitted to the top of a subsea Xmas tree (3), the assembly (20) including fail safe closed valve (21) which is controlled via a hydraulic line (31) from the vessel. The hose and assembly and valve are designed with an internal bore allowing a large diameter ball to be dropped (required for acid stimulation). The subsea subsea control module (8) on the Xmas tree is controlled from the producing platform.