System and method for high-pressure high-temperature tieback

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10119372-B2
Application number	US-201113031502-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2011
Priority date	Feb 21, 2011
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

A high-pressure, high-temperature tieback system including a production casing tieback tool consisting of a ratchet-latch sleeve disposed in a recessed portion of an annular extension of increased wall thickness of the production casing tieback tool and a production casing mudline hanger disposed about the production casing tieback tool. The production casing tieback tool is configured to directly engage the production casing mudline hanger. The ratchet-latch sleeve is configured to directly engage a threaded axial segment of a tubular other than the production casing mudline hanger.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A high-pressure, high-temperature tieback system for connecting a subsea mudline suspension wellhead to a surface wellhead by connecting a tieback string between the surface wellhead and a production casing mudline hanger suspended in the mudline suspension wellhead, the high-pressure, high-temperature tieback system comprising:
a production casing tieback tool connectable to the tieback string and comprising a tubular member comprising an annular extension of increased wall thickness and a ratchet-latch sleeve comprising a helical threaded mating profile formed on an outer surface thereof, the ratchet-latch sleeve being located in a recess in the annular extension and axially bounded by portions of the annular extension having a greater radial wall thickness than the remaining upper and lower portions of the production casing tieback tool;
wherein the tieback tool is configured to stab into the mudline hanger such that the ratchet-latch sleeve engages and ratchets down a helical threaded mating profile formed on an inner surface of a tubular other than the production casing mudline hanger; and
wherein the tieback tool is rotatable relative to the tubular on the mating profile so as to urge the tieback tool downward relative to the mudline hanger.

2. The high-pressure, high-temperature tieback system of claim 1 wherein the ratchet-latch sleeve is configured to directly engage an intermediate casing tieback tool.

3. The high-pressure, high-temperature tieback system of claim 1 wherein the ratchet-latch sleeve is configured to directly engage an intermediate casing mudline hanger.

4. The high-pressure, high-temperature tieback system of claim 1 wherein the annular extension comprises a raised axial segment of the production casing tieback tool, such that a radial wall thickness of the recessed portion is greater than or equal to the radial wall thickness of the production casing tieback tool other than the raised axial segment.

5. The high-pressure, high-temperature tieback system of claim 1 wherein the production casing tieback tool further comprises a metal-to-metal seal that is configured to sealingly engage the production casing mudline hanger as a result of the production casing tieback tool being urged downward relative to the production casing mudline hanger.

6. The high-pressure, high-temperature tieback system of claim 1 wherein the tubular other than the production casing mudline hanger comprises an intermediate casing tieback tool.

7. The high-pressure, high-temperature tieback system of claim 1 wherein the tubular other than the production casing mudline hanger comprises an intermediate casing mudline hanger.

8. A method of stabbing a high-pressure, high-temperature tieback tool into a mudline hanger of a high-pressure, high-temperature well, comprising:
applying motive force to the tieback tool to engage a helical threaded mating profile formed on an outer surface of a ratchet-latch sleeve with a helical threaded mating profile formed on an inner surface of a tubular other than the mudline hanger, the ratchet-latch sleeve located in a recess in an annular extension of increased wall thickness of the tieback tool and axially bounded by portions of the annular extension having a greater radial wall thickness than the remaining upper and lower portions of the tieback tool; and
coupling the tieback tool to the mudline hanger by rotating the tieback tool relative to the tubular other than the mudline hanger to move the tieback tool downward relative to the mudline hanger.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein moving the tieback tool downward causes a metal-to-metal seal of the tieback tool to seal against an inner surface of the mudline hanger.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising extracting hydrocarbons from the high-pressure or high-temperature well through the tieback and the mudline casing.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the ratchet-latch sleeve is disposed in a recessed portion of an annular extension of increased wall thickness of the tieback tool.

12. A high-pressure, high-temperature tieback system comprising:
a subsea mudline suspension wellhead
a tieback string coupled to the mudline suspension wellhead;
a production casing tieback tool connectable to the tieback string and comprising a tubular member comprising an annular extension of increased wall thickness and a ratchet-latch sleeve comprising a helical threaded mating profile formed on an outer surface thereof, the ratchet-latch sleeve being located in a recess in the annular extension and axially bounded by portions of the annular extension having a greater radial wall thickness than the remaining upper and lower portions of the production casing tieback tool;
a production casing mudline hanger suspended in the mudline suspension wellhead and disposed about the production casing tieback tool;
wherein the tieback tool is configured to stab into the mudline hanger such that the ratchet-latch sleeve engages and ratchets down a helical threaded mating profile formed on an inner surface of a tubular other than the production casing mudline hanger; and
wherein the tieback tool is rotatable relative to the tubular on the mating profile so as to urge the tieback tool downward relative to the mudline hanger.

Assignees

• Braithwaite Julian
• Cameron Int Corp

Inventors

• Braithwaite Julian

Classifications

• E21B33/043

  specially adapted for underwater well heads ({E21B33/0407,} E21B33/047 take precedence) · CPC title

• E21B43/10 Primary

  Setting of casings, screens, liners {or the like} in wells · CPC title

• E21B33/038 Primary

  Connectors used on well heads, e.g. for connecting blow-out preventer and riser · CPC title