METHOD AND DEVICE FOR INTERFACING WITH SUBSEA PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT
Generally, the present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for interfacing with subsea production equipment during operation. In one illustrative embodiment, a fluid sealing and transfer element is disclosed that includes, among other things, a flow body having a first end and a second end, a first flow groove (656g) proximate the first end, and a second flow groove (656g) proximate the second end. The illustrative fluid sealing and transfer element further includes first and second flow passages passing through the flow body, wherein the first flow passage intersects the first flow groove and the second flow passage intersects the second flow groove. Moreover, the fluid sealing and transfer element disclosed herein also includes and a third flow passage passing through the flow body, wherein the third flow passage intersects the first and second flow passages and facilitates fluid communication between the first and second flow grooves.
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1. Field of the Invention
Generally, the present invention relates to the operation and maintenance of subsea production equipment, and more specifically to devices and methods for interfacing with subsea production equipment during operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the oil and gas industry, the properties and characteristics of the various fluids that are produced from oil wells can be critical for a proper understanding and assessment of an oil and/or gas reservoir. For example, in many cases, reliable knowledge of the individual flow rates of the different fluid phases that might be produced from a given well, such as liquid hydrocarbons, gaseous hydrocarbons, and/or water and the like, is often required to facilitate proper reservoir management, optimize overall field development, enable accurate production allocations, and/or ensure that operational control and flow assurance are maintained.
One conventional approach employed in the oil and gas industry for collecting data on the fluids that are produced from an individual well involves obtaining a material sample from the producing well at the wellhead, and then analyzing the sample to determine its relative multiphase constituents and characteristics. However, such an approach usually involves the use expensive equipment, e.g., test separators, requires periodic intervention by field/test personnel, and does not readily lend itself to continuous monitoring or metering. Furthermore, it should be appreciated that for applications involving subsea completions, at least some of these issues may become even more problematic. For example, the problems associated with obtaining samples from a subsea facility may be formidable, which may include thing such as the difficulty and cost associated with regularly accessing the subsea facility, the possibility of obtaining contaminated samples, and the environmental concerns associated with sample spillage and/or well leakage at the point of sampling. Additionally, the complexity and/or physical geometry of the hardware associated with a given subsea facility may substantially affect access to the facility's various sampling points when conventional sampling equipment is used. As such, in at least some instances, a test sample may not be readily obtained until the produced fluid has reached the surface through a dedicated test pipeline, where the sampling conditions may be more manageable. However, test samples obtained in this fashion may be degraded to some degree due to changes in temperature or pressure from the conditions at the wellhead, and/or the test samples may be contaminated by residual fluids that might still be present in the test pipeline from previous well tests or by corrosion byproducts from the test pipeline.
Furthermore, some subsea facilities involve multiple different wells, each of which may be producing fluids from different locations within a given reservoir or formation, or even from different formations. Moreover, in such cases each of the several different producing wells may be owned by different owners, and/or operated by different operators. However, as is the case in most subsea installations, the fluids produced from any one of these several different wells are usually routed to a common production manifold or other similar structure, where they are then mixed with the fluids from other wells in the field before flowing through a single production pipeline to a central production platform. When, as noted above, a fluid sample is then obtained at the central production platform and tested, it may provide relative information on the mixture of fluids being produced from the subsea installation as a whole, but that information may not be representative of any one particular well within the field. The issues associated with obtaining test samples from a mixture of several different production fluids are sometimes avoided by utilizing the production manifold valving to individually divert the various production fluids from the production manifold header to a test header. From there, a second line, e.g., a dedicated test pipeline as noted above, can be used to send the individual test samples to the surface. However, the sample degradation and environmental contamination issues described above still remain.
As may be appreciated, the characteristics and quantity of fluids that are produced from each of the wells in a given subsea installation may be different—and in some cases, significantly different. For example, a first well may produce fluids with a high percentage of liquid hydrocarbons and a relatively low percentage of produced water and/or noxious or corrosive gases, e.g., hydrogen sulfide and the like. On the other hand, a second well in the same subsea installation may be drilled to a different depth within the same formation, or it may be drilled in an entirely different formation, and it may therefore produce fluids having substantially different characteristics, e.g., a lower percentage of liquid hydrocarbons, or a higher percentage of gaseous hydrocarbons, or more produced water, or more hydrogen sulfide, etc. In such cases the second well may be considered to be less economically productive, and/or it may have a relatively higher operating and maintenance costs. Accordingly, it would be beneficial to have a clear understanding of the quantity and characteristics of the fluids that are produced from each individual well before they are combined with the fluids from other wells in the same subsea installation in the manifold or the pipeline leading to the production platform, so that each well might be properly evaluated on its own merits.
In recent years, the oil and gas industry has increasingly looked to the use of multiphase flow meters (MPFM's) in subsea applications as a valuable tool in assisting with the evaluation and assessment of the various individual producing wells in given subsea facility, and to offset the cost of a dedicated test pipeline. In practice, a different MPFM may be incorporated into the wellhead equipment for each individual producing well in a given subsea installation, where it is able to provide continuous information on the flow rates of the multiple fluid phases that are produced from the well, thereby facilitating at least some of the reservoir management goals described above. However, it should be appreciated that the fluid characteristics from any single producing well may vary over the effective life of the well, e.g., the liquid hydrocarbon rate may decrease while the produced water rate increases, etc. Multiphase flow meters are generally calibrated and adjusted for greatest accuracy within a predetermined range of a given well's produced fluid properties, and when the actual characteristics of the produced fluids deviates from that predetermined range, measurement accuracy may be compromised. Furthermore, measurement accuracy may also drift over time, should recalibration efforts based on actual fluid properties, e.g., from test samples, become less frequent. Accordingly, it may still be necessary to periodically obtain specific fluid samples from each producing well so as to ensure that calibration and adjustment of a dedicated MPFM for a particular well is maintained within the appropriate accuracy range, although typically the sampling frequency is not generally as often as may have been previously required.
With reference to
The sampling tool 100 includes a sample coupling 101 having and axis 101x, one or more sample bottles 102, and a fluid communication system 103 (schematically depicted in
Depending on the specific design and overall configuration of the subsea equipment where test fluid samples are obtained, e.g., the subsea structure 150, the width 157 may be in the range of approximately 10-12 feet, and the distance 156 between the docking probes 105 and docking receptacles 155 may be on the order of 5-6 feet. Furthermore, as noted above, the width 116 of the sampling tool 100 may be about 6-7 feet, while the width 136 of the ROV 130 may be approximately 7-8 feet. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that in many applications, the sampling system 110, which includes both the sampling tool 100 and the ROV 130, can take up a significant amount of the available space, e.g., the width 157, of the subsea structure 150 along the side 159 during the docking and sampling operations.
Also as shown in
During the sampling operation, it should be appreciated that any fluid samples that are taken from the producing subsea equipment should be extracted in such a state as to reflect the actual fluid components and/or conditions or the producing well 170 as closely as possible, so that any calibrations and/or adjustment to the MPFM's that are made based on the tested properties of the fluid samples result in metering accuracy. However, in some prior art applications, if the sample bottles used to store the extracted fluid samples (such as the sample bottles 102 of the sampling tool 100) are separated from the sampling point (such as the sample coupling 101) by too great a distance, some degree of fluid component separation and/or sample degradation may occur, which could thereby affect testing accuracy and subsequent MPFM adjustments. For example, in the prior art sampling system 110 illustrated in
With continuing reference to
As shown in
It should be appreciated that, even though the sampling tool 200 is supported by the manipulator arm 231 (instead of being directly mounted to an ROV as in the prior art sampling system 110), the sampling system 210 still requires an appropriately sized docking space in front of the side 259 of the subsea structure 250 so as to perform the requisite ROV approach and coupling/docking activities. Accordingly, the docking space length 239 adjacent to the side 259 may also be approximately 25 feet or even greater. As such, it should be appreciated that the manipulator arm-supported sampling tool 200 shown in
Additionally, as shown in
Moreover, as may be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, the strength and load-carrying capacity of robotic manipulator arms that might typically be used on ROV's in subsea applications, such as the manipulator arm 231, is somewhat limited. For example, a typical ROV-supported manipulator arms may have a maximum load capacity of approximately 250-600 pounds while undergoing an arm extension in the range of approximately 4-6 feet. On the other hand, in some cases the prior art sampling tool 200 may weigh as much as 500-1000 pounds. As such, the capabilities of the manipulator arm 231, including how far it may have to reach, can limit how and where the sampling tool 200 may be positioned relative to the ROV 230, due at least in part to the load-carrying capacity of the manipulator arm 231. Furthermore, the size of the load and the distance it may have to be extended during the docking operation can also adversely affect the pitch (tilt) of the ROV 230, or change the center of buoyancy/gravity of the ROV 230. Accordingly, in the prior art sampling system 210 illustrated in
As may be appreciated, the overall size and maneuverability of the prior art systems described above present various restrictions and limitations on their use in at least some subsea production applications. Additionally, sample spillage and/or well leakage to the surrounding environment during the docking and sampling operations remains a matter of great concern. Accordingly, there is a need to develop equipment and methods that may overcome, or at least mitigate, one or more of the problems associated with the subsea production equipment interfacing operations outlined above.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSUREThe following presents a simplified summary of the present disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects disclosed herein. This summary is not an exhaustive overview of the disclosure, nor is it intended to identify key or critical elements of the subject matter disclosed here. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is discussed later.
Generally, the present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for interfacing with subsea production equipment during operation. In one illustrative embodiment, a fluid sealing and transfer element is disclosed that includes, among other things, a flow body having a first end and a second end, a first flow groove proximate the first end, and a second flow groove proximate the second end. The illustrative fluid sealing and transfer element further includes first and second flow passages passing through the flow body, wherein the first flow passage intersects the first flow groove and the second flow passage intersects the second flow groove. Moreover, the fluid sealing and transfer element disclosed herein also includes and a third flow passage passing through the flow body, wherein the third flow passage intersects the first and second flow passages and facilitates fluid communication between the first and second flow grooves.
Also disclosed herein is an illustrative flow control system that is adapted to establish fluid communication between an interface tool and an equipment item, the flow control system comprising a movable transfer tube sealing cartridge having a first end, a second end, and a plurality of flow passages that are adapted to facilitate fluid flow between the first end and the second end. Additionally, the disclosed flow control system includes a movement apparatus that is adapted to move the movable transfer tube sealing cartridge to a flow position so as to facilitate fluid flow between a first flow channel of the equipment item and a second flow channel of the interface tool.
In another illustrative embodiment, an interface tool that is adapted to interface with an equipment coupling on subsea equipment is disclosed, the interface tool including an interface coupling that is adapted to be removably coupled to the equipment coupling on the subsea equipment during a coupling operation. Additionally, the interface tool also includes, among other things; and a flow control system that is adapted to establish fluid communication between the interface tool and the subsea equipment after the coupling operation. Moreover, the flow control system of the illustrative interface tool includes a fluid sealing and transfer element that is adapted to replace a replaceable fluid sealing and transfer element that, prior to the coupling operation, is positioned in the equipment coupling.
The present subject matter also discloses a system that is adapted to interface with subsea equipment, wherein the system includes an interface tool having an interface coupling, the interface coupling being adapted to be removably coupled to an equipment coupling on the subsea equipment during a coupling operation. Furthermore, the interface tool of the illustrative system disclosed herein also includes a fluid transfer element that is adapted to facilitate fluid communication between the interface tool and the subsea equipment after the coupling operation, the fluid transfer element being further adapted to replace a replaceable fluid transfer element that, prior to the coupling operation, is positioned in the equipment coupling. Additionally, the illustrative system disclosed herein also includes, among other things, a manipulator arm that is adapted to support and position the interface tool during the coupling operation.
The disclosure may be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which:
While the subject matter disclosed herein is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONVarious illustrative embodiments of the present subject matter are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.
The present subject matter will now be described with reference to the attached figures. Various structures and devices are schematically depicted in the drawings for purposes of explanation only and so as to not obscure the present disclosure with details that are well known to those skilled in the art. Nevertheless, the attached drawings are included to describe and explain illustrative examples of the present disclosure. The words and phrases used herein should be understood and interpreted to have a meaning consistent with the understanding of those words and phrases by those skilled in the relevant art. No special definition of a term or phrase, i.e., a definition that is different from the ordinary and customary meaning as understood by those skilled in the art, is intended to be implied by consistent usage of the term or phrase herein. To the extent that a term or phrase is intended to have a special meaning, i.e., a meaning other than that understood by skilled artisans, such a special definition will be expressly set forth in the specification in a definitional manner that directly and unequivocally provides the special definition for the term or phrase.
Generally, the subject matter disclosed herein is directed to various devices and methods for interfacing with subsea production equipment during operation. For example, in some illustrative embodiments, a subsea equipment interface system is disclosed that may be used to extract production fluid test samples from equipment in a subsea oil and gas installation during equipment operation without contaminating the sample to any appreciable degree, and without causing or permitting spillage of any appreciable amount of the production fluid to the subsea environment. Additionally, the disclosed system may also have fluid reservoirs of such a size so that any contaminants that may be present in various the lines that are used to extract the test fluid samples may be substantially flushed and/or isolated prior to sample extraction. Furthermore, the disclosed equipment system may also be arranged in a substantially compact configuration so as to minimize the length of the flow path along which the test samples must flow during sample extraction, thereby reducing sample separation, degradation, and/or contamination and the like.
In other embodiments, the disclosed subsea equipment interface system may also be used to perform equipment clean-out operations, e.g., removing sand and/or other solids materials from separator equipment and the like. In still other illustrative embodiments, the subsea equipment interface system of the present disclosure may be used to perform other intervention activities on subsea equipment, such as, chemical injection and/or hydrate remediation at, for example, pipeline end termination (PLET) structures, subsea piping manifolds, and the like.
It should be noted that, where appropriate, like reference numbers shown in
In certain embodiments, the interface system 310 includes a robotic manipulator arm 331 that is adapted to support the sampling tool 300 by a handle 307, such as a T-bar handle and the like, that is adapted to releasably grasp the sampling tool 300. In some illustrative embodiments, the manipulator arm 331 may be operatively mounted on an underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) 330, both of which may be operated by personnel located on surface ship, a production platform, and the like, in a typical manner as is well known in the art. The interface system 310 may also include belly skid 340 that is removably coupled to the bottom side of the ROV 330, and which may contain additional equipment 341 (schematically shown in
Generally, the sampling tool 300 is significantly smaller than the comparable prior art sampling tools 100 and 200 described above. For example, in some illustrative embodiments, the sampling tool 300 may have length 317 and width 316 dimensions on the order of approximately 2 feet or less, and a height 309 of about 1-1½ feet or even smaller, although other sizes may also be used. Furthermore, in certain embodiments the sampling tool 300 may weigh approximately 50-100 pounds or even less, depending on the specific design of the sample coupling 301, the number of sample bottles 302, the size and extent of the fluid communication system 303, and the like. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that the smaller, lighter sampling tool 300 may impose significantly fewer limitations and/or restrictions on the manipulator arm 331, as compared to, for example, the prior art system 210 described above.
As noted previously, the sampling tool 300 may be substantially smaller than, for example, the prior art sampling tool 200 described above. It should therefore be appreciated that the relatively smaller size of the sampling tool 300 may thereby facilitate easier handling and manipulation of the sampling tool 300 by the manipulator arm 331 during docking operations of the sample coupling 301 to the sample coupling 351 on the subsea structure 350. For example, in certain illustrative embodiments, the reduced size of the sampling tool 300 may enable the manipulator arm 331 to more readily align the axis 301x of the sample coupling 301 with the axis 351x of the sample coupling 351 during the coupling operation.
Moreover, due to the substantially compact design of the sampling tool 300, the distance 312 between the sample coupling 301 and the sample bottle 303 may be substantially less than, for example, the comparable distances 112 and 212 of the prior art sampling systems 100 and 200, respectively. As such, the total flow distance that a test sample must flow through the fluid communication system 303 in order to reach a respective sample bottle 302 may be also be substantially reduced, and in certain illustrative embodiments may be on the order of only 2-3 feet, or even less. Furthermore, in at least some embodiments the flow distance may be less than approximately 1 foot. As such, the possibility that some amount of fluid component separation and/or sample degradation may occur when using the sampling tool 300 to extract test fluid samples from the well 370 may be substantially reduced when compared to the prior art sampling systems 100 and/or 200. Furthermore, as previously noted, in at least some illustrative embodiments, the sampling tool 300 may also include heating blankets and/or coils (see, e.g.,
As shown in the illustrative embodiment of
As may be appreciated, in those embodiments of the present disclosure wherein the manipulator arm 331 is used to move the sampling tool 300 into position so that the sample coupling 301 engages the sample coupling 351, the production fluid test samples may be extracted from the well 370 without having to dock the entire ROV 330 on the side 359 of the subsea structure 350, as would be required with the prior art sampling system 110 illustrated in
For example, in some illustrative embodiments, the ROV 330 may approach the subsea structure 350 such that the axis 330x of the ROV 330 moves substantially along either a normal (i.e., substantially perpendicular) or a non-normal path 360x relative to the side 359 of the subsea structure 350 where the sample coupling 351 is located. In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the approach angle 360 of the ROV 330 relative to the axis 351x that may range, for example, from approximately 0° (i.e., wherein the ROV 330 takes a substantially parallel approach relative to the axis 351x) to approximately 90° (i.e., wherein the ROV 330 takes a substantially perpendicular approach relative to the axis 351x). Furthermore, in at least some embodiments, once the ROV 330 is positioned adjacent to the subsea structure 350, at least part of the manipulator arm 331 may be adjusted so that the sampling tool 300 is presented to the side 359 with the axis 301x substantially parallel to the axis 351x, so that the manipulator arm 331 can properly engage the sample coupling 301 with the sample coupling 351 on the subsea structure 350.
As thus configured, it may therefore be possible to have adequate access to, and obtain test fluid samples from, subsea production equipment, such as the subsea structure 350 and the like, without having a large space available in front of the side 359 of the subsea structure 350 so as to move and/or dock the ROV 330 with the subsea structure 350, such as the docking space length 139 that is required to maneuver the ROV 130 in the prior art system 110 illustrated in
As illustrated in
For example, in some applications, a respective sample coupling, such as the sample coupling 351 shown in
In the illustrative embodiment of
In some embodiments, the sample bottles 402a and 402b may each include a piston 402p that is adapted to minimize an amount of dead space within the sample bottles 402a/b prior to obtaining test fluid samples from a piece of subsea production equipment (not shown). Additionally, the samples bottles 402a and 402b are connected to and in fluid communication with metering valves 404a and 404b, respectively, which, in conjunction with the pistons 402p, may be adapted to facilitate a regulated flow of a respective test fluid sample into each of the test bottles 402a/b during a test fluid sampling operation, as will be further described below. The sampling tool 400 may also include heating coils 446c in appropriate locations as needed so as to maintain the sampling tool 400 and/or various components thereof above a predetermined temperature so as to thereby prevent hydrate freezing during the sampling operation.
It should be appreciated that, while two sample bottles 402a and 402b have been schematically depicted
In one illustrative embodiment, the manipulator arm 431 is operatively mounted on the ROV 430, and furthermore holds and supports the sampling tool 400. In another illustrative embodiment, the ROV 430 also supports a belly skid 440, which may contain various support and/or operational equipment 441 as noted above. The equipment 441 may include, among other things, a methanol (MeOH) pump 442p and a supply of methanol in an MeOH supply reservoir 442. In some embodiments, the methanol may be used for cleaning and/or purging the fluid communication system 403, any flow lines that provide fluid communication between the sample coupling 451 and an isolation valve (not shown) on the subsea production equipment (not shown), and any umbilicals 406 that may provide fluid communication between the equipment 441 and the fluid communication system 403. In certain embodiments, the MeOH supply reservoir 442 may be in fluid communication with the 2-position/3-way valve 403c of the fluid communication system 403 of the sampling tool 400 by way of an umbilical 406a, which may be a suitable member such as a hose and the like. Additionally, the system may include a one-way valve 442a that is located downstream of the MeOH pump 442p, and that is adapted to prevent a backflow of methanol to the MeOH pump 442p.
The equipment 441 on the belly skid 440 may further include a purge reservoir 443 that is adapted to receive and store various fluids that are flushed or purged through sampling tool 400, such as, for example, seawater (which may be naturally present), MeOH (as indicated above), and/or old production fluids that may be present in flow lines (not shown) between an isolation valve (not shown) on the subsea production equipment (not shown) and the sample coupling 451. In some embodiments, the purge reservoir may include an internal piston 443p, which, in conjunction with a metering valve 443a, may be adapted to facilitate a regulated flow of purge materials into the purge reservoir 443, as will be further described below. Furthermore, the purge reservoir 443 may be in fluid communication with the 2-position/3-way valve 403c of the fluid communication system 403 by way of an umbilical 406b, which may also be a suitable flow member, such as a hose and the like.
In certain embodiments, the support and/or operational equipment 441 may also include an ethylene glycol (MEG) supply reservoir 444, which may be used as in conjunction with the metering valves 404a/b for regulating a flow of test fluid samples into the sample bottles 402a/b during the sampling operation. Similarly, the MEG supply reservoir 444 may also be used in conjunction with the metering valve 443a so as to regulate a flow of purge material into the purge reservoir 443 during purging operations. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the MEG supply reservoir 444 may be in fluid communication with the metering valves 404a/b by way of an umbilical 406c (e.g., a hose), and in fluid communication with the metering valve 443a by way of the flow line 443b.
Also as shown in
In certain illustrative embodiments, the 2-position/3-way valve 403a of the fluid communication system 403 may be adapted to provide fluid communication between the sample coupling 401 and the 2-position/3-way valve 403b while in a first position, and to provide fluid communication between the sample coupling 401 and the sample bottle 402a while in a second position. In other embodiments, the 2-position/3-way valve 403b may be adapted to provide fluid communication between the 2-position/3-way valve 403a and the 2-position/3-way valve 403c while in a first position, and to also provide fluid communication between the 2-position/3-way valve 403a (as well as the sample coupling 401) and the sample bottle 402b while in a second position. In still other embodiments, the 2-position/3-way valve 403c may be adapted to provide fluid communication between the 2-position/3-way valve 403b (as well as the 2-position/3-way valve 403a and the sample coupling 401) and the MeOH pump 442p while in a first position, and to provide fluid communication between the 2-position/3-way valve 403b and the purge reservoir 443 while in a second position.
As a preliminary step to performing a purging and sampling operation on a piece of subsea production equipment (see, e.g., the subsea structure 350 of
After fluid communication has been established between the sample couplings 401 and 451, an isolation valve (not shown) positioned on or near the subsea production equipment may then be opened so that the sampling system 410 is in fluid communication with the production fluid in the subsea production equipment. Furthermore, the 2-position/3-way valves 403a-c of the fluid communication system 403 are each placed in the first positions described above, so that fluid communication is established between the subsea production equipment and the one-way valve 442a. In this configuration, flow is permitted from the MeOH pump 442p, through the one-way valve 442a and each of the 2-position/3-way valves 403a-c, and to the sample coupling 401, while flow is blocked to the sample bottle 402a by the 2-position/3-way valve 403a, to the sample bottle 402b by the 2-position/3-way valve 403b, and to the purge reservoir 443 by the 2-position/3-way valve 403c.
Thereafter, in some illustrative embodiments, the MeOH pump 442p is activated at a discharge pressure that is higher than the pressure of the subsea equipment so as to push a flow of MeOH from the MeOH supply reservoir 442, through the one-way valve 442a, through the 2-position/3-way valves 403a-c, through the sample couplings 401 and 405, and into the subsea production equipment (not shown). During this initial purge step, any seawater, solids particles (e.g., sand, etc.), and/or residual production fluids that may be present in the respective flow lines of the sampling system 410 and/or the subsea production equipment (such as, for example, the fluid communication system 353 of
As a next step, the 2-position/3-way valve 403c is moved from the first position to the second position (as described above) so that fluid communication is established between the subsea production equipment and the purge reservoir 443, and so that flow is blocked to and/or from the MeOH pump 442p. In this configuration, a flow of fluid from the subsea production equipment (not shown) is permitted to flow back through the sample couplings 451 and 401, through each of the 2-position/3-way valves 403a-c, and into the purge reservoir 443. In some embodiments, fluid flow into the purge reservoir 443 is permitted until an amount of fluid that is at least equal to 1× the total volume of all flow lines has passed through the sampling system 410, so as to increase the likelihood that a substantially “pure” sample of production test fluid can be obtained in the sample bottles 402a/b. In other embodiments, as much as 2-3× the system volume is allowed to flow into the purge reservoir 443.
In certain embodiments, fluid flow into the purge reservoir 443 is regulated by the piston 443p, the metering valve 443a, and the MEG supply reservoir 444 (see,
As noted above, an initial purge step may be performed so as to substantially remove fluids and other materials that may be present in the respective flow lines of the sampling system 410 and a fluid communication system on the subsea production equipment—collectively referred to hereinafter as a sampling/purging system circuit (not shown)—from the flow lines. In at least some embodiments of the present disclosure, the various several components that make up the sampling system 410 may be designed and operated such that any “dead,” or “trapped,” volumes that are not fully purged/flushed from the sampling/purging system circuit during the above-described purging operations may be substantially minimized. For example, the sampling system 410 may be adapted such that at least approximately 70% of the total pre-purged volume of fluids and other materials contained with the sampling/purging system circuit may be purged/flushed, whereas less than approximately 30% of the total pre-purged volume may remain trapped within the system after completion of the purging operations. Accordingly the likelihood that contaminated test samples may be acquired during a subsequently performed sampling operation may be substantially reduced.
After the sampling system 400 has been purged, and a substantially “pure” sample production fluid may now be present in the sampling system 400 downstream of the sample couplings 451 and 401, the 2-position/3-way valve 403a is then moved from the first position to the second position (as described above) so that fluid communication may be established between the subsea production equipment and the sample bottle 402a and flow is blocked to the 2-position/3-way valve 403b. In this configuration, a first test sample of substantially “pure” production fluid may then be allowed to flow into the sample bottle 402a. In some embodiments, the flow of the first production fluid test sample into the sample bottle 402a is substantially regulated by the piston 402p, the metering valve 404a, and the MEG supply reservoir 444, similar to the regulated flow of purge material into the purge reservoir 443. Prior to obtaining the first test sample, the piston 402p may be positioned close to an inlet 402i to the sample bottle 402a so as to minimize an amount of “dead,” or “trapped,” volume within the sample bottle 402a that may not be flushed or purged during the above-described purging operations. For example, in certain embodiments, the relative configurations of the sample bottle 402a and its associated components—such as the 2-position/3-way valve 403a, the metering valve 404a, the piston 402p, and any inlet/outlet piping system components and the like—may be adapted such that any unpurged/unflushed trapped volume that may remain within the sample bottle 402a after completion of the purging operation may be less than approximately 2% of a total sample-receiving volume contained within the sample bottle 402a. See, e.g., the sample-receiving volume 502v shown in
As schematically shown in
In certain illustrative embodiments disclosed herein, after the test bottle 402a has been substantially filled with the first production fluid test sample, a second production fluid test sample may then be obtained in the sample bottle 402b. As a first step of obtaining a sample in the sample bottle 402b, flow to the sample bottle 402a may be blocked by moving the 2-position/3-way valve 403a from the second position back to the first position, so that fluid communication is re-established to the 2-position/3-way valve 403b. Next, the 2-position/3-way valve 403b is moved from the first position to the second position (as described above) so that fluid communication is established between the subsea production equipment and the sample bottle 402b and flow is blocked to the 2-position/3-way valve 403c. In this configuration, a second test sample of substantially “pure” production fluid may then be allowed to flow into the sample bottle 402b. Flow is regulated into the sample bottle 402b via the metering valve 404b, piston 402p, and MEG supply reservoir 444 in substantially the same fashion as described above with respect to the first test sample, until the sample bottle 402b is substantially completely filled.
It should be appreciated that sampling sequence described above, i.e., filling the sample bottle 402a first and filling the sample bottle 402b second, may be reversed. For example, after the fluid communication system 403 has been flushed with MeOH, and a reverse flow of production fluid been allowed to flow from the subsea production equipment into the purge reservoir 443 until a substantially “pure” production fluid sample is present in the fluid communication system 403, the 2-position/3-way valve 403b may be operated so as to establish fluid communication between the subsea production equipment and the sample bottle 402b. The sample bottle 402b may then be filled with a first production fluid test sample in the manner described above. Thereafter, the 2-position/3-way valves 403b and 403a may be re-positioned so that the second production fluid test sample is obtained in the sample bottle 402a.
In at least some illustrative embodiments, and after both substantially “pure” production fluid test samples have been obtained in the sample bottles 402a/b, each of the 2-position/3-way valves 403a-c may be re-positioned to the first position so as to re-establish fluid communication between the subsea production equipment and the one-way valve 442a that is downstream of the MeOH pump 442p. Furthermore, in this configuration, flow is once again blocked to the sample bottle 402a by the 2-position/3-way valve 403a, to the sample bottle 402b by the 2-position/3-way valve 403b, and to purge reservoir 443 by the 2-position/3-way valve 403c. Then, the MeOH pump 442p is once again activated so as to push a flow of methanol from the MeOH supply reservoir 442, through the one-way valve 442a, through the 2-position/3-way valves 403a-c, through the sample couplings 401 and 405, and back into the subsea production equipment. In this way, the substantially “pure” production fluid that may still be present in sampling system 410 and in the flow lines between the sample coupling 451 and the isolation valve (not shown) on the subsea production equipment can be removed from the system so that it does not contaminate the subsea environment when the sample coupling 401 of the sampling tool 400 is disconnected from the sample coupling 451 on the subsea production equipment.
After a sufficient volume of MeOH is pumped through sampling tool 400 and the flow lines on the subsea production equipment so as to reduce the likelihood that any production fluid remains in either system (e.g., at least 1× the total volume of both systems), the isolation valve on the subsea production equipment may be closed and the MeOH pump 442p shut in. Thereafter, fluid communication between the sample couplings 451 and 401 is discontinued and the sample coupling 401 is disconnected from the sample coupling 451. In certain illustrative embodiments disclosed herein, fluid communication between the sample couplings 451 and 401 may be discontinued by properly positioning an appropriately designed sealing and fluid transfer element, such as the transfer tube sealing cartridge 656 illustrated in
In certain embodiments, the sampling tool 500 may include an appropriately designed interface coupling 501 having an axis 501x that is adapted to be removably coupled to a corresponding interface coupling (not shown) on a respective piece of subsea production equipment. For example, in some embodiments, such as the illustrative embodiment shown in
It should be appreciated that other standard interface coupling configurations may also be used, such as, for example, an API 17H high-torque rotary interface and the like, as will also be described with respect to
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, such as when the interface system 510 is adapted to be a sampling system 510 and the interface tool 500 is adapted to be a sampling tool 500 as described with respect to
In some embodiments, the sample bottles 502a/b may be removably attached to the housing 500h by, for example, a plurality of fasteners (not shown) at the fastener holes 562a. Similarly, the 2-position/3-way valve assemblies 503a/b, including the valve actuators 508a/b, may also be removably attached to the housing 500h by a plurality of fasteners (not shown) at the fastener holes 562b.
The sample bottles 502a/b may each include an internal piston 502p, which is shown in
It should be further appreciated that the sampling tool 500 may also include, among other things, a third 2-position/3-way valve and associated valve actuator (not shown), such as the 2-position/3-way valve 403c schematically depicted in
As noted above, the sample bottle 502a may include an internal piston 502p that is adapted to separate and isolate a production test fluid sample from the supply of MEG that may be used to help regulate flow of the test sample into the sample bottle 502a, as previously described with respect to
In at least some embodiments, the valve actuator 508a may be made up of, among other things, a cylindrically shaped gear-toothed rack 563a that is adapted to engage a pinion gear 563b. The pinion gear 563b is in turn adapted to engage the stem gear 563c of the 2-position/3-way valve assembly 503a. In certain embodiments, the rack 563a is further adapted to be axially actuated so as to turn the pinion gear 563b, which correspondingly turns the stem gear 563c, the valve stem 564, and the ball 565, thus moving the right-angled flow channel 565a that passes through the ball 565 from a first ball position to a second ball position. Furthermore, and as required, the rack 563a may be axially actuated in an opposite direction so as to move the right-angled flow channel 565a from the second ball position to the first ball position.
The 2-position/3-way valve assembly 503a is adapted so that when the ball 565 is set in the first ball position, the right-angled flow channel 565a may facilitate fluid communication between the above-noted sample point on a respective piece of subsea production equipment and the above-noted MeOH/purge stem, via the flow channels 567 and 566, respectively. Furthermore, in the first ball position, flow to the sample bottle 502a (via the flow channel 502i) is blocked by the ball 565. The 2-position/3-way valve assembly 503a is further adapted so that when the ball 565 is rotated to the second ball position, the right-angled flow channel 565a may facilitate fluid communication between the subsea production equipment and the sample bottle 502a (via the flow channels 567 and 502i, respectively), and flow to or from the MeOH/purge system (via the flow channel 566) is blocked by the ball 565.
As shown in
As shown in
It should be appreciated that the various components and operational configurations of the sample bottle 502b, the 2-position/3-way valve assembly 503b, and the valve actuator 508b may be substantially the same as is described above for the sample bottle 502a, the 2-position/3-way valve assembly 503a, and the valve actuator 508a, respectively
In those embodiments of the present disclosure wherein the interface coupling 651 may be a standard API 17H type B interface flange, the interface coupling 601 on the interface tool 600 may include, among other things, a pair of symmetrical flange ring sections 601f that, when viewed together, form a substantially annular shape that is adapted to substantially encompass the API 17H type B interface flange. See, e.g.,
In some illustrative embodiments, the interface tool 600 may also include a housing 600h and a handle 607 mounted thereto that is adapted to be gripped by an appropriately designed gripper coupled to an ROV-mounted manipulator arm (see, e.g., the gripper 532 and manipulator arm 531 shown in
As shown in
In certain embodiments, each end 656m, 656n of the transfer tube 656 may have a chamfer or radius 656x, and in other embodiments, the transfer tube 656 may also have a flow groove 656g disposed proximate each end 656m and 656n. In some embodiments, the transfer tube 656 may also include flow blocking portions 656z that are positioned between the flow grooves 656g. Furthermore, at least some of the seal rings 656s (and associated seal ring grooves 656t) may be positioned adjacent to and on either side of each flow groove 656g, such that a pair of seal rings 656s straddles each flow groove 656g, whereas other seal rings 656s may be positioned so as separate the flow block portions 656z. In some embodiments, a first pair of intersecting flow passages 656a and 656b may be positioned in the flow groove 656g proximate the first end 656m and a second pair of intersecting flow passages 656c and 656d may be positioned in the flow groove 656g proximate the second end 656n. Each of the respective flow passages 656a-d extends in a substantially radial direction across the circumference of the respective flow grooves 656g, thereby providing fluid communication between the respective flow grooves 656g and the respective intersection points of each respective first and second pairs of intersecting flow channels 656a/b and 656c/d.
Additionally, the transfer tube 656 may also include an axial flow passage 656e that extends in a substantially axial direction between the respective intersection point of the first pair of intersecting flow passages 656a/b and the respective intersection point of the second pair of intersection flow passages 656c/d. Accordingly, fluid communication is thereby established between the flow groove 656g proximate the first end 656m and the flow groove 656g proximate the second end 656n by way of the first pair of intersecting flow passages 656a/b, the axial flow passage 656e, and the second pair of intersecting flow passages 656c/d.
It should be appreciated that in at least some illustrative embodiments, the transfer tube 656 may be radially symmetrical with respect to a centerline axis running from the first end 656m to the second end 656n and along the axial flow passage 656e. Furthermore, the transfer tube 656 may also mirror symmetry with respect to a plane that is perpendicular to the centerline axis, such that the first end 656m, including the flow groove 656g and intersecting flow passages 656a/b adjacent thereto, is symmetrical the second end 656n, including the flow groove 656g and intersecting flow passages 656c/d adjacent thereto. Accordingly, in certain embodiments, the transfer tube 656 is substantially a reversible transfer tube, so that it can be inserted into a respective bore of a respective interface coupling, such as the bore 651b of the interface coupling 651 (see,
As shown in
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the interface coupling 601 may include an interface flow body 601g attached to the front of the housing 600h, and each flange ring section 601f may be attached to the front of the interface flow body 601g. The latching mechanism 601L that is positioned in the bottom space 601z between the flange rings sections 601f (see,
The flow control system 680 may include a front bore 601b in the interface flow body 601g that is substantially aligned with and separated from a rear bore 601c by a plunger stop 601y. Additionally, the flow control system may also include a housing bore 600b positioned in the front of the housing 600h of the interface tool 600, which may be substantially aligned with the rear bore 601c. In certain embodiments, the flow control system may include a plunger 601p that is adapted to move in a substantially axial fashion within the bores 601b, 601c, and 600b, as will be described with respect to
In certain illustrative embodiments, the first end 601m of the plunger 601p may include a seal ring 601s, such as an o-ring seal and the like, that is adapted to affect a substantially leak-proof seal between the first end 601m and the front bore 601b. Similarly, the second end 601n may also include a seal ring 601s that is adapted to affect a substantially leak-proof seal between the second end 601n and the rear bore 601c, as well as the housing bore 600b. In certain embodiments, the plunger stop 601y may be adapted to prevent the first end 601m of the plunger 601p from moving into the rear bore 601c of the interface flow body 601g, and to prevent the second end 601n from moving into the front bore 601b. Additionally, the plunger stop 601y may also include a seal ring 601s, e.g., an o-ring seal, that is adapted to affect a substantially leak-proof seal between the plunger stop 601y and the plunger shaft 601w. Accordingly, the seal ring 601s of the plunger stop 601y may substantially prevent any fluid that may be present within the rear bore 601c and/or the housing bore 600b, such as, for example, hydraulic fluid and the like, from passing into the front bore 601b. Likewise, the seal ring 601s of the plunger stop 601y may also substantially prevent any fluid that may be present in the front bore 601b, such as production fluid from the subsea production equipment 650 and/or MeOH/purge fluid from the interface tool 611, from passing into the rear bore 601c and/or the housing bore 600b.
The flow control system 680 may also include flow channels 601d and 601e that may be in fluid communication with the rear bore 601c of the interface flow body 601g, as well as a fluid flow channel 600d that may be in fluid communication with the housing bore 600b of the housing 600h. In some embodiments, the flow channels 601d/e and 600b may also be in fluid communication with a hydraulic and/or pneumatic control system (not shown) that may be used to control the operation of the various elements that make up the interface tool 600, e.g., 2-position/3-way valves and/or metering valves and the like as are described above with respect to
In the illustrative configuration shown in
As noted previously with respect to
In certain illustrative embodiments, an ROV-mounted manipulator arm, such as any manipulator arm disclosed herein (see, e.g., manipulator arms 331 and 531 of
In certain embodiments, the spring-assisted latch locking mechanism 601k may pivot the pivotably mounted latch mechanism 601L so the latch mechanism 601L is locked into place at the bottom of the interface flange 651f, thereby securely coupling the interface coupling 601 to the interface coupling 651. Furthermore, as noted above, spring-assisted or hydraulic pressure may be applied in the opening 601i so as to augment the operation of the latch locking mechanism 601k, and which may be continued throughout subsequent interfacing operations. In at least some illustrative embodiments, once the interface couplings 601 and 651 have been securely coupled and locked in place, the manipulator arm (not shown) may thereafter release the handle 607, and the manipulator arm and/or the ROV (not shown) may be moved away from the interface point, as described with respect to
As shown in the illustrative embodiment of
In the relative positions of the plunger 601p, the replacement transfer tube 656r, and the transfer tube 656 shown in
In some embodiments of the flow control system 680 described herein, the length of the plunger 601p may be adapted so that when the plunger 601p is in a first position as shown in
As shown in
It should be appreciated that, due to presence of the plurality of seal rings 656s spaced down the length 656L (see,
As noted above, the plunger 601p may be moved through the bores 601b and 601c by operation of a suitably designed hydraulic or pneumatic system (not shown). Furthermore, regarding the relative positions of the plunger 601p, the replacement transfer tube 656r, and the transfer tube 656 shown in
In some illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure, the flow control system 680 may position the replacement transfer tube 656r within the bore 651b in substantially the same position that was previously occupied by the transfer tube 656 as shown in
In certain illustrative embodiments, the spring 600s may be adapted so that, in the event power is lost to the hydraulic/pneumatic system, such that fluid pressure to the flow channels 601d/e and 600d is no longer available to actuate the plunger 601p, the spring 600s may be allowed to fully extend, thereby moving the plunger 601p to the position illustrated in
In the illustrative embodiment shown in
The interface tool 700 may include an appropriately designed interface coupling 701 that is substantially based on a standard API 17H high-torque rotary interface configuration, and which is adapted to be removably coupled to a corresponding interface coupling 751 on a respective piece of subsea production equipment 750 (see,
In certain embodiments, the coupling housing 751h may include a pair of slots 751s disposed on the inside of the recess 751r and on opposing sides thereof, and which may be adapted to receive, during a docking and coupling operation, the two latching mechanisms 701L that are positioned on opposite sides of the interface flow body 701g. Furthermore, each slot 751s may include an appropriate sized and positioned notch 751n that is adapted to receive a spring and/or pressure actuated locking clip 701c on each latching mechanism 701L so as to thereby securely couple the interface coupling 701 to the interface coupling 751 in a proper position.
In some embodiments, the subsea wellhead 850a may include a flow module 850b that may also, or alternatively, include an interface point 851b, such as an illustrative sample coupling and the like. In other embodiments, the flow module 850b may be connected by a flowline jumper 850c to a pipeline end termination (PLET) 850d, through which a flow of production fluid 870f may flow to other subsea production equipment, such as separator vessels and/or flow manifolds and the like. In certain embodiments, an interface point 851d, which may be any interface coupling of the present disclosure, may be located on the PLET 850d, where a respective interface system as described herein may be coupled, and an interfacing operation performed, such as a chemical injection and/or hydrate remediation operation and the like.
Depending on the operational strategy of a subsea installation in general and of the separator vessel 950 in specific, various interface points may be included on the separator vessel 950 so as to obtain different type of fluid samples, and/or to perform other types of interfacing operations as previously described. For example, in some embodiments, an interface point 951a may be positioned at an inlet to the separator vessel 950, where the flow of production fluid 970f is received from another piece of subsea production equipment, e.g., a subsea structure, flow module, PLET, and the like. Accordingly, fluid samples may be obtained from the interface point 951a so as to determine the quality and characteristics of the fluid flowing into the separator vessel 950. In other embodiments, an interface point 951b may be positioned at an outlet from the separator vessel 950, e.g., where a flow 971b of separated oil from the oil zone 970b is discharged from the separator vessel, so that fluid samples may be obtained that can be used for various testing and evaluation purposes, such as evaluating the performance of the separator vessel 950. It should be appreciated that other interface points may also be positioned on the separator vessel 950, which may be used for any of the interfacing operations described herein.
As may be appreciated by those having ordinary skill in the art, maintenance, i.e., clean-out, operations must generally be periodically performed on the separator vessel 950 so as to remove the sand in the sand zone 970c from the bottom of the separator vessel, as it may eventually affect the available volume within the separator vessel 950 as well as the separator's overall efficiency and performance. Typically, this clean-out operation requires that the separator vessel 950 be shut down and taken out of service so that the vessel can be opened and the sand removed from the sand zone 970c.
In certain illustrative embodiments, an interface point 951c may be positioned on the separator vessel 950 in the sand zone 970c so than an interface system of the present disclosure may be used to perform clean-out operation to remove sand from the sand zone 970c while the separator vessel 950 is in operation, thereby avoiding the periodic maintenance shut-down periods described above. For example, in some embodiments, the interface point 951c may include any of the interface couplings disclosed herein, such as the interface coupling 651 illustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6D-6H and described above. Furthermore, an interface tool of the present disclosure, such as the interface tool 600 shown in FIGS. 6A and 6D-6H, may be coupled to the interface point 951c (e.g., to the interface coupling 651), and fluid communication established between the interface tool (e.g., the interface tool 600) and the separator vessel 950 by way of a suitably designed fluid transfer element, such as the transfer tube sealing cartridge 656 shown in
For example, in at least some illustrative embodiments, 2-position/3-way valves on the interface tool, such as the 2-position/3-way valves 403a-c of the interface system 410 shown in
Depending on the overall capacity of given interface system such as the interface system 410, which may be a function of the size of the MeOH supply reservoir 442 and the size of the purge reservoir 443, the MeOH/purging/cleaning steps described above may be performed until: 1) the supply of MeOH is exhausted or the capacity of the purge reservoir is reached; or 2) the sand zone 970c in the separator vessel 950 has been substantially cleared of sand. In the event the sand zone 970c is not substantially cleared of sand, the performance of the separator vessel 950 may be re-evaluated to determine whether or not further immediate purging/cleaning of the separator vessel 950 may be required, in which case another interface system 410 may be brought into service so as to complete the operation. However, it should be appreciated that, due to the on-line purging/cleaning capabilities of the various interface systems disclosed herein, i.e., while the subsea production equipment is still in operation, the overall efficiency and cost-effectiveness of a subsea installation utilizing the disclosed interface systems may be substantially enhanced.
As a result of the above-described subject matter, various systems and methods for interfacing with subsea production equipment while the equipment is in operation are disclosed, which may improve the cost and efficiency, as well as the environmental safety, of a subsea production installation.
The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as the invention may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. For example, the process steps set forth above may be performed in a different order. Furthermore, no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown, other than as described in the claims below. It is therefore evident that the particular embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the protection sought herein is as set forth in the claims below.
Claims
1. A fluid sealing and transfer element, comprising:
- a flow body comprising a first end and a second end;
- a first flow groove proximate said first end and a second flow groove proximate said second end;
- first and second flow passages passing through said flow body, wherein said first flow passage intersects said first flow groove and said second flow passage intersects said second flow groove; and
- a third flow passage passing through said flow body, wherein said third flow passage intersects said first and second flow passages and facilitates fluid communication between said first and second flow grooves.
2. The fluid sealing and transfer element of claim 1, wherein each of said first and second flow grooves are disposed around a perimeter of said flow body.
3. The fluid sealing and transfer element of claim 1, wherein said flow body comprises a cylindrical shape, wherein said perimeter is a circumference of said cylindrical shape, and wherein at least one of said first and second flow grooves is substantially continuously disposed around said circumference.
4. The fluid sealing and transfer element of claim 3, further comprising a plurality of seals, wherein each of said plurality of seals is substantially continuously disposed around said circumference.
5. The fluid sealing and transfer element of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second flow passages comprises a pair of intersecting flow passages.
6. The fluid sealing and transfer element of claim 1, wherein said fluid sealing and transfer element is adapted to be positioned at a flow position in a first coupling so as to establish a continuous flow path between a first flow channel of said first coupling and a second flow channel of a second coupling positioned proximate said first coupling.
7. The fluid sealing and transfer element of claim 6, wherein said fluid sealing and transfer element is adapted to establish said continuous flow path when said first flow groove is positioned in fluid communication with said first flow channel of said first coupling and when said second flow groove is positioned in fluid communication with said second flow channel of said second coupling.
8. The fluid sealing and transfer element of claim 1, wherein said fluid sealing and transfer element is adapted to be positioned at a sealing position in a first coupling so as to block flow between a first flow channel of said first coupling and a second flow channel of a second coupling positioned proximate said first coupling.
9. The fluid sealing and transfer element of claim 8, wherein said flow body further comprises a flow blocking portion between said first and second flow grooves, and wherein said fluid sealing and transfer element is further adapted to block said flow when said flow blocking portion of said flow body is positioned so as to block flow from said first flow channel of said first coupling.
10. A flow control system that is adapted to establish fluid communication between an interface tool and an equipment item, the flow control system comprising:
- a movable transfer tube sealing cartridge comprising a first end, a second end, and a plurality of flow passages that are adapted to facilitate fluid flow between said first end and said second end; and
- a movement apparatus that is adapted to move said movable transfer tube sealing cartridge to a flow position so as to facilitate fluid flow between a first flow channel of said equipment item and a second flow channel of said interface tool.
11. The flow control system of claim 10, wherein said movable transfer tube sealing cartridge is adapted to at least partially displace a replaceable transfer tube sealing cartridge from a sealing position in said equipment item when said movement apparatus moves said movable transfer tube sealing cartridge to said flow position.
12. The flow control system of claim 10, wherein said plurality of flow passages comprises a first flow groove that is positioned proximate said first end of said movable transfer tube sealing cartridge and a second flow groove that is positioned proximate said second end of said movable transfer tube sealing cartridge, and wherein said movement apparatus is adapted to position said movable transfer tube sealing cartridge so that said first flow groove is in fluid communication with said first flow channel of said equipment item and said second flow groove is in fluid communication with said second flow channel of said interface tool.
13. The flow control system of claim 10, wherein said movement apparatus is further adapted to move said movable transfer tube sealing cartridge to a sealing position so as to block fluid flow between said first and second flow channels.
14. The flow control system of claim 13, wherein said movable transfer tube sealing cartridge is adapted to replace a replaceable transfer tube sealing cartridge positioned in said equipment item when said movement apparatus moves said movable transfer tube sealing cartridge to said sealing position.
15. The flow control system of claim 10, wherein said movable transfer tube sealing cartridge further comprises a flow blocking portion positioned between said first end and said second end, and wherein said movement apparatus is adapted to position said movable transfer tube sealing cartridge so that said flow blocking portion substantially blocks flow to or from said first flow channel of said equipment item.
16. The flow control system of claim 10, wherein said movement apparatus comprises one of a pneumatic and a hydraulic control system that is adapted to control movement of said movable transfer tube sealing cartridge.
17. An interface tool that is adapted to interface with an equipment coupling on subsea equipment, the interface tool comprising:
- an interface coupling that is adapted to be removably coupled to said equipment coupling on said subsea equipment during a coupling operation; and
- a flow control system that is adapted to establish fluid communication between said interface tool and said subsea equipment after said coupling operation, said flow control system comprising a fluid sealing and transfer element, said fluid sealing and transfer element being adapted to replace a replaceable fluid sealing and transfer element that, prior to said coupling operation, is positioned in said equipment coupling.
18. The interface tool of claim 17, wherein said interface tool is adapted to perform at least one interfacing operation with said subsea equipment after said fluid communication has been established.
19. The interface tool of claim 18, wherein said at least one interfacing operation comprises at least one of a purging operation, a fluid sampling operation, a clean-out operation, and a chemical injection operation.
20. The interface tool of claim 17, wherein said interface tool is adapted to be releasably supported by a manipulator arm, and wherein said interface tool is further adapted to be removably coupled to said equipment coupling by said manipulator arm.
21. The interface tool of claim 17, wherein an axis of said interface coupling is adapted to be substantially aligned with an axis of said equipment coupling during said coupling operation.
22. The interface tool of claim 21, wherein said interface tool is adapted to be oriented at a non-zero angle relative to a substantially horizontal reference plane after said coupling operation.
23. The interface tool of claim 17, wherein said flow control system comprises a movement apparatus that is adapted to move said fluid sealing and transfer element from said interface coupling to said equipment coupling.
24. The interface tool of claim 17, wherein said fluid sealing and transfer element is adapted to be positioned in a first position so as to facilitate said fluid communication.
25. The interface tool of claim 24, wherein said fluid sealing and transfer element is further adapted to be positioned in a second position so as to prevent said fluid communication.
26. The interface tool of claim 17, further comprising at least one sample bottle proximate said interface coupling, wherein said at least one sample bottle comprises a sample-receiving volume that is adapted to receive a flow of a fluid sample from said subsea equipment during a sampling operation.
27. The interface tool of claim 26, wherein said sample bottle is adapted so that, after said sampling operation, said fluid sample fills at least approximately 98% of said sample-receiving volume.
28. The interface tool of claim 26, wherein a fluid flow distance between said interface coupling and said sample bottle is approximately 3 feet or less.
29. The interface tool of claim 28, wherein said fluid flow distance is approximately 1 foot or less.
30. The interface tool of claim 26, further comprising a fluid communication system that is adapted control said flow of said fluid sample into said at least one sample bottle.
31. The interface tool of claim 30, wherein said fluid communication system comprises a plurality of valves, wherein each of said plurality of valves is adapted to control fluid communication between at least three fluid sources.
32. The interface tool of claim 31, wherein at least one of said plurality of valves comprises a 2-position/3-way valve.
33. The interface tool of claim 31, wherein at least one of said plurality valves is adapted to facilitate fluid communication between said interface tool and a fluid flushing and purging system that is adapted to perform a purging operation so as to purge a residual fluid from a sampling/purging system circuit prior to said sampling operation, said sampling/purging system circuit comprising said fluid communication system, said flow control system, and an equipment fluid communication system on said subsea equipment.
34. The interface tool of claim 33, wherein said fluid communication system is further adapted to control a flow of a purging fluid from said flushing and purging system to said subsea equipment during said purging operation.
35. The interface tool of claim 34, wherein said fluid communication system is further adapted to control said purging operation so that less than approximately 30% of a pre-purged volume of said residual fluid remains in said sampling/purging system circuit after said purging operation.
36. A system that is adapted to interface with subsea equipment, the system comprising:
- an interface tool comprising an interface coupling, said interface coupling being adapted to be removably coupled to an equipment coupling on said subsea equipment during a coupling operation, said interface tool further comprising a fluid transfer element that is adapted to facilitate fluid communication between said interface tool and said subsea equipment after said coupling operation, said fluid transfer element being further adapted to replace a replaceable fluid transfer element that, prior to said coupling operation, is positioned in said equipment coupling; and
- a manipulator arm that is adapted to support and position said interface tool during said coupling operation.
37. The system of claim 36, wherein said manipulator arm is further adapted to align an axis of said interface coupling with an axis of said equipment coupling during said coupling operation.
38. The system of claim 36, wherein said manipulator arm is adapted to release said interface tool after said coupling operation.
39. The system of claim 36, wherein said interface tool is adapted to be oriented at a non-zero angle relative to a substantially horizontal reference plane after said coupling operation.
40. The system of claim 36, wherein said system is adapted to perform at least one interfacing operation on said subsea equipment.
41. The system of claim 40, wherein said at least one interfacing operation comprises at least one of a fluid sampling operation, a clean-out operation, and a chemical injection operation.
42. The system of claim 36, further comprising an ROV that is adapted to position said system adjacent to said subsea equipment, wherein said manipulator arm is mounted on said ROV.
43. The system of claim 42, wherein said ROV comprises an axis that is substantially aligned with a direction of forward travel of said ROV, and wherein said ROV is adapted to be positioned adjacent to said subsea equipment during said coupling operation so that said axis of said ROV is oriented along a plane that intersects an axis of said equipment coupling at a non-zero angle.
44. The system of claim 43, wherein said non-zero angle is approximately 90° or less.
45. The system of claim 42, further comprising an equipment skid supported by said ROV, said equipment skid comprising interfacing equipment that is adapted to facilitate said at least one interfacing operation.
46. The system of claim 45, wherein said interface tool is operatively coupled to said interfacing equipment.
47. The system of claim 45, wherein said interfacing equipment comprises at least one of a methanol supply, a methanol pump, a purge fluid reservoir, a glycol supply, a valve control unit, and a heating control unit.
48. The system of claim 36, wherein said subsea equipment comprises one of a wellhead, a flow module, a pipeline end termination and a separator vessel.
49. The system of claim 36, wherein a configuration of said fluid transfer element is substantially the same as a configuration of said replaceable fluid transfer element.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 13, 2012
Publication Date: Jul 23, 2015
Applicant: FMC Technologies, Inc. (Houston, TX)
Inventors: Harold Brian Skeels (Kingwood, TX), Tyler Schilling (Davis, CA), William Klassen (Davis, CA), Scott Fulenwider (West Sacramento, CA)
Application Number: 14/385,102