Fluid tolerant subsea manifold system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10745995-B2
Application number	US-201715783396-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2017
Priority date	Oct 13, 2017
Publication date	Aug 18, 2020
Grant date	Aug 18, 2020

Abstract

A technique which enables construction and operation of a subsea landing string system having a system manifold or manifolds unprotected by a dielectric fluid compensated enclosure. The manifolds contain directional control valves and corresponding solenoids which are able to operate while being exposed to environmental fluids such as seawater. The ability to operate manifolds in an unprotected environment enables the manifolds to be positioned in a variety of locations along the subsea landing string system or in cooperation with the subsea landing string system. The subsea landing string system also may be a modular system in which manifolds are added or removed according to the parameters of a given operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for use in a subsea well operation, comprising:
a subsea landing string system comprising a plurality of manifolds exposed to environmental fluids, the manifolds being modular to enable mounting and removal of selected manifolds with respect to manifold mounting sites disposed along the subsea landing string, the number of manifolds being selectable according to the parameters of a given operation, each manifold comprising a manifold body containing a plurality of directional control valves selectively controlled via solenoids, each solenoid being electrically coupled with a solenoid control line within a sealed region, the solenoid control line being routed through the manifold body and into the sealed region, the sealed region being established by at least one seal positioned to protect the sealed region with respect to environmental fluids surrounding the manifold body, each manifold being removably mounted to a corresponding manifold mounting site while remaining exposed to the environmental fluids without the protection of a compensated enclosure.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the subsea landing string system further comprises a subsea electronics module coupled in communication with the plurality of manifolds.

3. The system as recited in claim 2 , wherein each manifold comprises a manifold electronics module to receive commands from the subsea electronics module, the manifold electronics module being operatively connected to the solenoids of the manifold via the solenoid control lines.

4. The system as recited in claim 3 , wherein each manifold electronics module is sealed within the manifold body of the manifold.

5. The system as recited in claim 3 , wherein each manifold electronics module is coupled to the subsea electronics module by a subsea tolerant cable.

6. The system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a blowout preventer, the subsea landing string system being landed within the blowout preventer.

7. The system as recited in claim 6 , further comprising a riser coupled between the blowout preventer and a surface facility.

8. The system as recited in claim 7 , wherein the manifolds are located within the riser.

9. The system as recited in claim 3 , wherein the manifold electronics module is separate from the manifold body.

10. A method, comprising:
deploying a subsea landing string system down through a riser and into a blowout preventer;
providing manifolds which are modular to enable removable mounting of the manifolds at selected manifold mounting sites along the subsea landing string;
locating directional control valves and corresponding solenoids in manifolds of the subsea landing string system such that the manifolds, as well as an external surface of the corresponding solenoids, are exposed to surrounding environmental fluid without the protection of compensated enclosures;
controlling the corresponding solenoids via signals provided through electrical control lines;
protecting the electrical control lines from the surrounding environmental fluid by connecting the electrical control lines to the corresponding solenoids within sealed regions located adjacent the corresponding solenoids; and
controlling hydraulic actuation of at least one tool via operation of selected directional control valves via the corresponding solenoids.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 , further comprising changing the number of manifolds along the subsea landing string system according to the parameters of a given subsea operation.

12. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein controlling comprises utilizing a subsea electronics module to provide command signals for controlling operation of specific solenoids.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 , further comprising forming the sealed regions via O-ring seals.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein protecting comprises routing the electrical control lines through manifold bodies and positioning the seals within the manifold bodies to isolate the solenoid control lines.

15. The method as recited in claim 14 , further comprising providing command signals through the electrical control lines of each manifold via a manifold electronics module coupled with the subsea electronics module via a subsea tolerant cable.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 , further comprising sealing the manifold electronics module of each manifold within the manifold body.

17. A system, comprising:
a modular subsea landing string having a plurality of manifold mounting sites to receive a selected number of manifolds for controlling flow of actuating fluid, each manifold being removably mounted along the modular subsea landing string and remaining without protection from a compensated enclosure during operation such that external surfaces of the plurality of manifolds are contacted by environmental fluid, the modular subsea landing string further having a landing string structure enabling the mounting of additional manifolds at manifold mounting sites, disposed along an exterior of the landing string, the number of manifolds being selected according to the parameters of a subsea operation.

18. The system as recited in claim 17 , wherein each manifold comprises at least one directional control valve controlled by a plurality of solenoids actuated via electrical signals provided via an electrical solenoid control line.

19. The system as recited in claim 18 , wherein the electrical solenoid control line is sealed within a manifold body to prevent exposure to surrounding environmental fluids.

20. The system as recited in claim 19 , wherein each manifold is in hydraulic communication with a hydraulically actuated tool.

Assignees

• Onesubsea Ip Uk Ltd

Inventors

• Bhadbhade Tej
• Zeouita Ahmed
• Tusing Adam

Classifications

• E21B33/0355

  Control systems, e.g. hydraulic, pneumatic, electric, acoustic, for submerged well heads · CPC title

• E21B34/045 Primary

  adapted to be lowered on a tubular string into position within a blow-out preventer stack, e.g. so-called test trees · CPC title

• E21B33/076

  specially adapted for underwater installations · CPC title

• E21B43/013

  Connecting a production flow line to an underwater well head · CPC title

• E21B33/064

  specially adapted for underwater well heads · CPC title