Subsea Umbilical Deployment Using Independent Guide Assemblies
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current subsea drilling operations face inefficiencies and safety risks due to the time-consuming process of clamping umbilicals to drilling risers and the need for extensive recovery operations when umbilicals malfunction, which delays critical path operations and incurs significant costs.
Innovation Solution
The deployment and retrieval of electro-hydraulic umbilicals are made independent from the drilling riser using guide assemblies that allow for secure attachment and monitoring of tension, enabling umbilical conveyance and lateral restraint, thereby reducing the need for clamping and facilitating quicker operations and easier retrieval.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If clamps are used to attach umbilical to drilling riser, then umbilical is securely supported, but deployment time increases significantly (10 minutes per riser joint)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the clamping operation from the critical deployment path by pre-attaching umbilical sections to the riser using mechanical coupling devices that integrate with the riser joints. This extraction of the time-consuming clamping step eliminates the 10-minute delay per joint while maintaining secure umbilical support through the coupling mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The umbilical is pre-positioned and pre-attached to the riser structure before deployment operations begin. The mechanical coupling devices are pre-instated on the riser joints, allowing the umbilical to be quickly connected without time-consuming field clamping operations during the critical deployment window.
2Stability of the object's composition
If umbilical is clamped to drilling riser, then umbilical remains positioned, but retrieval requires recovery of entire marine riser and BOP stack
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the umbilical-riser connection system into independent modular coupling devices that can be individually engaged and disengaged. Each coupling device is positioned at specific riser joints and can be independently operated, allowing the umbilical to be retrieved without recovering the entire marine riser and BOP stack assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables selective recovery of only the umbilical component while leaving the expensive marine riser and BOP stack in place. The modular coupling devices allow the umbilical to be detached and recovered independently, avoiding the need to recover the entire riser system and reducing retrieval complexity and costs.
3Reliability
If conventional clamping method is used, then umbilical is attached to riser, but critical path time is delayed by approximately 16 hours per riser trip
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual, time-consuming mechanical clamping process with automated or pre-positioned mechanical coupling devices that engage rapidly. The coupling devices use a simplified mechanical interface that can be attached and detached quickly, eliminating the 10-minute per joint clamping requirement and recovering approximately 16 hours of rig time per riser trip.
4Reliability
If umbilical malfunction occurs with conventional deployment, then entire marine riser and BOP must be recovered for repair
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the connection system into independent modular coupling devices at each riser joint, allowing localized access and repair. If an umbilical malfunction occurs, only the affected section can be quickly detached and replaced without recovering the entire marine riser and BOP stack, significantly reducing recovery time and operational disruption.
Data Source
AI summary
In subsea drilling operations, workover control systems may include deployment of an umbilical from a deepwater drilling vessel. Such an umbilical provides support functions for deepwater drilling operations. In the practice of the invention, a new method, system and apparatus may be employed to deploy the umbilical independently of the drilling riser, which provides commercial and operational advantages. That is, the umbilical may be deployed at a different time than the riser is deployed, and also without intimate close connection from the umbilical to the riser.