Subsea wellhead assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10753168-B2
Application number	US-201716082676-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 8, 2017
Priority date	Mar 8, 2016
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

A subsea wellhead assembly is provided. The subsea wellhead assembly comprises: a conductor; a subsea wellhead; and subsea riser system equipment mounted on the subsea wellhead; wherein the subsea riser system equipment is connected to the conductor such that forces can be transmitted from the subsea riser equipment to the conductor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A subsea wellhead assembly, the assembly comprising:
a conductor;
a subsea wellhead; and
a blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree mounted on the subsea wellhead,
wherein the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree is rigidly connected to the conductor such that at least some forces can be transmitted from the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree to the conductor without being transferred via the subsea wellhead,
wherein the assembly comprises a connection device that connects the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree to the conductor,
wherein the connection device comprises a connection bracket mounted on the conductor that permits the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree to be connected to the conductor,
wherein the connection device comprises a connection member, and wherein the connection member is connected between the connection bracket and the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree so that forces can be transmitted from the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree to the conductor, and
wherein the connection bracket is a guidebase.

2. The subsea well assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the connection bracket is designed to retrofit to a standard and/or preinstalled conductor.

3. The subsea well assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein when the connection bracket is located around the conductor it is in contact with a wellhead support such that loads from the subsea riser equipment can be spread into the wellhead support.

4. The subsea wellhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the connection between the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree and the conductor is in compression.

5. The subsea wellhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the connection between the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree and the conductor is in tension.

6. The subsea wellhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the assembly is a free-standing subsea wellhead assembly.

7. A subsea wellhead assembly comprising:
a conductor;
a subsea wellhead; and
a blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree mounted on the subsea wellhead,
wherein the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree is rigidly connected to the conductor such that at least some forces can be transmitted from the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree to the conductor without being transferred via the subsea wellhead,
wherein the assembly comprises a connection device that connects the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree to the conductor,
wherein the connection device comprises a connection bracket mounted on the conductor that permits the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree to be connected to the conductor,
wherein the connection device comprises a connection member, and wherein the connection member is connected between the connection bracket and the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree so that forces can be transmitted from the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree to the conductor, and
wherein the connection member is a guidepost.

8. A subsea wellhead assembly comprising:
a conductor;
a subsea wellhead; and
a blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree mounted on the subsea wellhead,
wherein the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree is rigidly connected to the conductor such that at least some forces can be transmitted from the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree to the conductor without being transferred via the subsea wellhead,
wherein the assembly comprises a connection device that connects the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree to the conductor,
wherein the connection device comprises a connection bracket mounted on the conductor that permits the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree to be connected to the conductor,
wherein the connection device comprises a connection member, and wherein the connection member is connected between the connection bracket and the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree so that forces can be transmitted from the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree to the conductor, and
wherein the assembly comprises a preload device for allowing a preload to be exerted on the connection between the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree and the conductor.

9. The subsea wellhead assembly as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the preload device is a tensioner for putting the connection between the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree and the conductor into tension.

10. The subsea wellhead assembly as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the preload device is a jack for putting the connection between the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree and the conductor into compression.

11. The subsea wellhead assembly as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the preload device is operable using an ROV.

12. A subsea wellhead assembly comprising:
a conductor;
a subsea wellhead; and
a blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree mounted on the subsea wellhead,
wherein the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree is rigidly connected to the conductor such that at least some forces can be transmitted from the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree to the conductor without being transferred via the subsea wellhead,
wherein the assembly comprises a connection device that connects the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree to the conductor,
wherein the connection device comprises a connection bracket mounted on the conductor that permits the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree to be connected to the conductor,
wherein the connection device comprises a connection member, and wherein the connection member is connected between the connection bracket and the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree so that forces can be transmitted from the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree to the conductor, and
wherein the assembly further comprises a support structure, which is clamped onto the conductor to increase the effective area of the conductor immersed in the soil.

13. A method of installing a subsea wellhead assembly, the method comprising:
providing a conductor, a subsea wellhead, and blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree mounted to the wellhead; and
rigidly connecting the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree to the conductor such that at least some forces can be transmitted from the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree to the conductor, without being transferred via the subsea wellhead,
wherein the method comprises connecting the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree to the conductor such that forces can be transmitted from the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree to the conductor using a connection device,
wherein the connection device comprises a connection bracket mounted on the conductor which permits the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree to be connected to the conductor,
wherein the connection device comprises a connection member, and wherein the connection member is connected between the connection bracket and the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree so that forces can be transmitted from the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree to the conductor, and
wherein the connection bracket is a guidebase.

14. The method of installing a subsea wellhead assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the subsea wellhead assembly comprises:
a conductor;
a subsea wellhead; and
a blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree mounted on the subsea wellhead;
wherein the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree is rigidly connected to the conductor such that at least some forces can be transmitted from the blowout preventer and/or Christmas tree to the conductor without being transferred via the subsea wellhead,
wherein the assembly comprises a connection device that connects t

Assignees

• Equinor Energy As

Inventors

• Osen Per
• Saether Morten
• Reinås Lorents
• Nesse Harald Sigurd

Classifications

• E21B33/038 Primary

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

• E21B41/08

  Underwater guide bases, e.g. drilling templates; Levelling thereof · CPC title

• E21B33/035 Primary

  specially adapted for underwater installations (E21B33/043, E21B33/064, E21B33/076 take precedence) · CPC title

• E21B33/03

  Well heads; Setting-up thereof · CPC title

• E21B33/064 Primary

  specially adapted for underwater well heads · CPC title