High pressure blowout preventer system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10876369-B2
Application number	US-201715706360-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2017
Priority date	Sep 30, 2014
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

A blowout preventer system including a lower blowout preventer stack comprising a number of hydraulic components, and a lower marine riser package comprising a first control pod and a second control pod adapted to provide, during use, redundant control of hydraulic components of the lower blowout preventer stack where the first and the second control pods are adapted to being connected, during use, to a surface control system and to be controlled, during use, by the surface control system. The blowout preventer system further including at least one additional control pod connected to at least one additional surface control system and to be controlled, during use, by the additional surface control system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A blowout preventer system, comprising:
a lower blowout preventer stack comprising a number of hydraulic components:
a lower marine riser package comprising a first control pod and a second control pod adapted to provide, during use, redundant control of the hydraulic components of the lower blowout preventer stack where the first and the second control pods are adapted to being connected, during use, to a surface control system and to be controlled, during use, by the surface control system:
wherein the lower blowout preventer stack further comprises an additional control pod connected to an additional surface control system separate from the surface control system and to be controlled, during use, by the additional surface control system to provide control of the same hydraulic components of the lower blowout preventer stack;
a first cable connecting at least the first control pod with a first surface control system, adapted to control the first control pod; and
a second cable connecting at least the second control pod with a second surface control system, adapted to control the second control pod;
wherein the first and the second cables are connected to the additional control pod;
wherein the additional surface control system is connected to one or more of the first cable, second cable, the first surface control system and the second surface control system;
wherein the first cable is connected to a first subsea junction box being connected to the first control pod and the additional control pod, and the second cable is connected to a second subsea junction box being connected to the second control pod and the additional control pod; and
wherein first and second subsea junction boxes are connected and further adapted to cross connect signals of one or more conductors of the first and second cables, respectively, and to cross connect one or more of:
signals of one or more conductors between the first junction subsea box and the additional control pod; and
signals of one or more conductors between the second subsea
junction box and the additional control pod.

2. The blowout preventer system according to claim 1 , wherein the additional subsea control unit is adapted to activate, during use, at least one safety instrumented function in response to one or more predetermined conditions.

3. The blowout preventer system according to claim 2 , wherein the predetermined condition is selected from the group of:
a lower marine riser package disconnect feedback signal;
a combination of:
one or more values of one or more blowout preventer system functions as obtained by one or more of a position sensor, and pressure sensor and a pressure
a feedback close signal for an autoshear hydraulic circuit;
a feedback close signal for a deadman hydraulic circuit;
a feedback close signal for at least one closing shear ram circuit; or
a feedback close signal for at least one blind shear ram.

4. The blowout preventer system according to claim 1 , wherein the first surface control system is further adapted to control the second control pod, the second surface control system is further adapted to control the first control pod, and the additional surface control system is adapted to control the additional control pod selectively via the first or second cables.

Assignees

• Hydril Usa Distrib Llc

Inventors

• Holmes John Steven
• Milliman Douglas
• Huerta Luis E
• Larson Eric Dale
• Gillette Gregory Ronald
• Judge Robert Arnold
• Shah Viral

Classifications

• E21B33/0355

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

• E21B34/16

  Control means therefor being outside the borehole {(control systems for submerged well heads E21B33/0355)} · CPC title

• E21B33/064 Primary

  specially adapted for underwater well heads · CPC title

• F15B1/02

  Installations or systems with accumulators · CPC title

• G05B9/03

  with multiple-channel loop, i.e. redundant control systems · CPC title