Subsea Well Cap With Pressure-Triggered Leak Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current reactive systems for monitoring subsea well leaks often detect leaks after containment is broken, leading to environmental and financial issues, as well as reputational risks for operators.
Innovation Solution
A proactive leak detection and containment system that includes a cap with a packer to seal the wellbore, a release mechanism activated by pressure thresholds, and a collection mechanism to contain leaks within the system, allowing for early detection and containment without exposing the environment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If reactive monitoring systems are used to detect well leaks, then the system complexity is reduced, but the detection timing is delayed until after containment is broken
Solution Approach 1:
The packer is pre-installed in the wellbore component and the alert system is pre-positioned on the cap, ready to activate immediately upon leak detection. This preliminary preparation enables rapid response without requiring complex real-time deployment mechanisms, thus improving detection timing while maintaining manageable system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the well's own pressure to automatically activate the release mechanism and deploy the alert system when a leak is detected. This self-activating mechanism eliminates the need for external monitoring equipment or complex control systems, achieving early detection with minimal system complexity
2Reliability
If a packer is deployed to seal the wellbore component, then leak containment is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The packer is nested within the cap assembly and is deployed from a compact configuration into the wellbore component. This nested design allows the containment mechanism to be integrated into the existing cap structure rather than requiring a separate complex deployment system, thus improving leak containment while minimizing the increase in device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The packer is actuated using hydraulic or pneumatic pressure from the well itself to expand and seal against the wellbore component. This pressure-actuated mechanism provides reliable containment without requiring complex mechanical actuation systems, achieving high reliability with relatively simple device complexity
3Reliability
If pressure thresholds are used to activate the release mechanism, then the containment integrity is maintained until detection, but the response time may be delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The system monitors pressure as a key parameter and uses predefined pressure thresholds to trigger the release mechanism. By setting appropriate threshold values that reflect early leak conditions, the system maintains containment integrity during normal operation while enabling timely response when leak indicators are detected, balancing reliability and response time through optimized parameter selection
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
Enables early detection and containment of leaks, reducing the likelihood of environmental exposure and providing operators with time to address issues before containment is breached, thus minimizing risks and costs.
Implementation Method 1
a packer coupled to the cap and extending into a bore of the wellbore component, the packer being actuated to seal against the wellbore component and to block flow through the bore
Implementation Method 2
The release mechanism is activated at a first pressure above a first threshold to release the alert system from the cap
Implementation Method 3
the second vent permits flow to the accumulator at a second pressure above a second threshold
Data Source
AI summary
A leak detection and collection system includes a cap configured to couple to a wellbore component. The system also includes an alert system removably coupled to the cap and a packer coupled to the cap. The packer extends into a bore of the wellbore component and the packer is actuated to seal against the wellbore component and to block flow through the bore. The system further includes a release mechanism coupled to the alert system, a first flow path, an accumulator, and a second flow path. The release mechanism is activated at a first pressure above a first threshold to release the alert system and the second flow path directs flow to the accumulator at a second pressure above a second threshold.