Subsea equipment alignment device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11199066-B2
Application number	US-202017112951-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2020
Priority date	Oct 19, 2017
Publication date	Dec 14, 2021
Grant date	Dec 14, 2021

Abstract

Systems and methods for coupling subsea tubular members together are provided. An apparatus may be used to properly orient and/or provide communication between a first subsea tubular member that is being landed on a second subsea tubular member. An apparatus for coupling subsea tubular members may include an alignment sub and a corresponding alignment member. The alignment sub includes: a generally cylindrical body having one or more fluid, electric, or fiber optic lines extending therethrough, one or more couplings coupled to at least one end of the alignment sub, and an orientation profile disposed on a surface of the alignment sub. The alignment member has a profile designed to interface with the orientation profile of the alignment sub. One of the alignment sub and the alignment member remains stationary while the other rotates relative to the stationary structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for coupling subsea tubular members, comprising:
(a) an alignment sub adapted to be coupled to a stab, the alignment sub comprising:
(i) a generally cylindrical body having one or more fluid, electric, or fiber optic lines extending therethrough, wherein the generally cylindrical body is adapted to be connected to the stab via an interface that enables rotation of the alignment sub relative to the stab while the stab is moved in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the stab,
(ii) one or more couplings coupled to at least one end of the alignment sub, and
(iii) an orientation profile disposed on a surface of the alignment sub; and

(b) a corresponding alignment member having a profile designed to interface with the orientation profile of the alignment sub, the alignment member remaining stationary while the alignment sub rotates relative to the alignment member.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the orientation profile is disposed on an outside surface of the alignment sub.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the orientation profile is disposed on an inside surface of the alignment sub.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the orientation profile comprises a helical recess.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the orientation profile comprises a helical protrusion.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the alignment member comprises a key and the orientation profile comprises a helical groove, wherein the key is a generally rectangular shaped member having at least one tapered surface at one end thereof.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the orientation profile of the alignment sub comprises a key and the profile of the alignment member comprises a helical groove, wherein the key is a generally rectangular shaped member having at least one tapered surface at one end thereof.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the orientation profile of the alignment sub and at least a portion of the profile of the alignment member are both helically shaped.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the orientation profile of the alignment sub comprises a helical groove and the profile of the alignment member comprises a helical protrusion.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the orientation profile of the alignment sub comprises a helical protrusion and the profile of the alignment member comprises a helical groove.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the orientation profile of the alignment sub and the profile of the alignment member both comprise at least one vertically oriented portion at an axial end thereof.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one vertically oriented portion comprises a tapered shape at one end.

13. A system, comprising:
a subsea equipment alignment device for coupling a first subsea tubular member to a second subsea tubular member;
wherein the subsea equipment alignment device comprises one or more fluid, electric, or fiber optic lines extending therethrough and one or more couplings disposed on at least one end thereof;
wherein at least part of the subsea equipment alignment device is adapted to be connected to a stab via an interface that enables rotation of the at least part of the subsea equipment alignment device relative to the stab while the stab is moved in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the stab; and
wherein the subsea equipment alignment device is configured to couple one or more fluid, electric, or fiber optic lines of the first subsea tubular member with one or more fluid, electric, or fiber optic couplings of the second subsea tubular member regardless of a relative orientation of the first subsea tubular member and the second subsea tubular member with respect to each other.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first subsea tubular member comprises a tubing hanger.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the second subsea tubular member comprises one of a tree body, a spool, or a flowline connection body.

16. The system of claim 13 , further comprising the first subsea tubular member coupled to the subsea equipment alignment device.

17. The system of claim 13 , further comprising the second subsea tubular member coupled to the subsea equipment alignment device.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the subsea equipment alignment device is self-aligning between the first subsea tubular member and the second subsea tubular member.

19. The system of claim 13 , wherein the subsea equipment alignment device comprises:
the stab;
a rotating sub disposed around and rotatably coupled to the stab, wherein the one or more fluid, electric, or fiber optic lines of the subsea equipment alignment device extend through the rotating sub to the one or more couplings of the subsea equipment alignment device at an end of the rotating sub; and
one or more conduits wrapped around the stab, wherein the one or more conduits are coupled to the one or more fluid, electric, or fiber optic lines of the rotating sub at one end and configured to be coupled to the one or more fluid, electric, or fiber optic lines of the second subsea tubular member at an opposite end.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the stab is configured to be coupled to the second subsea tubular member.

21. The system of claim 19 , wherein the subsea equipment alignment device further comprises an alignment key which is configured to interface with a radially inward facing orientation profile to align the one or more couplings of the rotating sub with the one or more couplings on the first subsea tubular member.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the subsea equipment alignment device further comprises an orientation sub having the orientation profile disposed on an inner cylindrical surface thereof, wherein the orientation sub is configured to be coupled to the first subsea tubular member.

23. The system of claim 19 , wherein the rotating sub comprises an orientation profile disposed on an outer cylindrical surface of the rotating sub, wherein the orientation profile is configured to interface with a radially inward facing alignment key to align the one or more couplings of the rotating sub with the one or more couplings on the first subsea tubular member.

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the subsea equipment alignment device further comprises the alignment key configured to be disposed on an inner cylindrical surface of the first subsea tubular member.

25. A system for coupling a first subsea tubular member to a second subsea tubular member, comprising:
a rotating sub rotatably coupled to a stab of the first subsea tubular member, the rotating sub being adapted to rotate relative to the stab while at least the stab is being moved in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the stab;
one or more fluid, electric, or fiber optic lines extending through the rotating sub and terminating at one or more couplings disposed at an end of the rotating sub;
an orientation profile disposed on a surface of the rotating sub; and
a corresponding alignment member with a profile designed to interface with the orientation profile of the rotating sub, wherein the alignment member remains stationary while the rotating sub rotates relative to the alignment member.

26. The system of claim 25 , wherein the stab is coupled to a body of the first subsea tubular member, wherein the rotating sub is disposed around and rotatably coupled to the stab of

Assignees

• Dril Quip Inc

Inventors

• Deberry Blake T
• Wade Morris B
• Santos Flavio
• Mitchell Andrew
• Norwood Gregory
• Buxton Robert
• Scantlebury David
• Crotwell Matthew
• Rye Justin
• Scaggs Todd L

Classifications

• E21B33/0415

  rotating or floating support for tubing or casing hanger · CPC title

• E21B33/043

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

• E21B33/0407

  with a suspended electrical cable · CPC title

• E21B33/04 Primary

  Casing heads; Suspending casings or tubings in well heads · CPC title

• E21B17/023 Primary

  Arrangements for connecting cables or wirelines to downhole devices · CPC title