Connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11346175-B2
Application number	US-201816497219-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2018
Priority date	Mar 28, 2017
Publication date	May 31, 2022
Grant date	May 31, 2022

Abstract

A connector for connecting two subsea well assembly components; wherein the connector is arranged such that it can be preloaded in both tension and compression concurrently. The connector includes a tension part which in use can be in tension and a compression part that in use can be in compression. The tension part has an adjustable length and/or the compression part has an adjustable length. There is also provided a subsea well assembly, that includes a first subsea well assembly component; and a second subsea well assembly component; wherein the first subsea well assembly component and the second subsea well assembly component are connected to each other to provide a well conduit therebetween. The first subsea well assembly component and the second subsea well assembly component are connected such that forces can be transmitted both in tension and compression between the two components without going through the well conduit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A load transmitting connector for connecting two subsea well assembly components fluidly connected by a conduit, the load transmitting connector comprising:
a tension part, a compression part, a first connection point, and a second connection point,
wherein the first connection point is arranged to be connected to one of the subsea well assembly components and the second connection point is arranged to be connected to the other of the subsea well assembly components,
wherein the connector is arranged such that the connector can be preloaded in both tension and compression concurrently,
wherein the tension part is arranged such that the tension part can be preloaded in tension and the compression part is arranged such that the compression part can be preloaded in compression,
wherein the tension part has an adjustable length and/or the compression part has an adjustable length, and
the load transmitting connector is arranged so that force transmitted through the connector between the two subsea wellhead assembly components is not transmitted through a well conduit.

2. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the connector comprises a connection part extending between the first and second connection points, and
wherein, when the connector is otherwise unconstrained, at least one of the connection points is able to move, relative to the connection part to which it is connected.

3. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the tension part that in use is in tension is located within the compression part that in use is in compression.

4. The connector according to claim 3 , wherein the compression part is a telescopic sleeve that surrounds the tension part.

5. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the connector comprises one or more actuators to put the tension part of the connector into tension and to put the compression part of the connector into compression.

6. A method of connecting two subsea well assembly components using the load transmitting connector of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises:
connecting the connector to a first subsea well assembly component;
connecting the connector to a second subsea well assembly component;
preloading at least the tension part of the connector in tension;
preloading at least the compression part of the connector in compression; and
adjusting the length of part of the connector to preload at least the compression part of the connector in compression and/or adjusting the length of part of the connector to preload at least the tension part of the connector in tension.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the preload in tension is not equal to the preload in compression.

8. A subsea well assembly, the assembly comprising:
a first subsea well assembly component; and
a second subsea well assembly component;
wherein the first subsea well assembly component and the second subsea well assembly component are connected to each other to provide a well conduit therebetween; and
wherein the first subsea well assembly component and the second subsea well assembly component are additionally connected by one or more load transmitting connectors such that at least some forces can be transmitted through at least one of the one or more load transmitting connectors both in tension and compression between the two components without those forces going through the well conduit, wherein at least one of the one or more load transmitting connectors can be preloaded in tension and at least one of the one or more load transmitting connectors can be preloaded in compression.

9. The subsea well assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the first subsea well assembly component is a wellhead valve or a well foundation and the second well assembly component is a wellhead valve or a well foundation.

10. The subsea well assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one of the one or more load transmitting connectors that can be preloaded in tension and the at least one of the one or more load transmitting connectors that can be preloaded in compression are the same connector such that there is at least one load transmitting connector that can be preloaded in both tension and compression.

11. The subsea well assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the one or more connectors can be preloaded in both tension and compression such that, in load transfer of alternating loads, the force transmitting connectors have no mechanical tolerances.

12. The subsea well assembly according to claim 8 , wherein one or more of the load transmitting connectors is a connector for connecting two subsea well assembly components;
wherein the connector can be preloaded in both tension and compression concurrently,
wherein the connector comprises a tension part that can be preloaded in tension and a compression part that can be preloaded in compression, and
wherein the tension part has an adjustable length and/or the compression part has an adjustable length.

13. The subsea well assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the one or more connectors are each preloaded in both tension and compression.

14. The subsea well assembly according claim 8 , wherein the one or more connectors are connected at or near the outer edge of one or more of the subsea well assembly components.

15. A method of installing the subsea well assembly of claim 8 , the method comprising:
providing the first subsea well assembly component and the second subsea well assembly component;
connecting the first subsea well assembly component and the second subsea well assembly component such the well conduit extends through both the first subsea well assembly component and the second subsea well assembly component; and
connecting first subsea well assembly component and the second subsea well assembly component by the one or more load transmitting connectors such that forces can be transmitted both in tension and compression between the first and second subsea well assembly components through the one or more load transmitting connectors without those forces going through the well conduit, wherein at least one of the one or more load transmitting connectors can be preloaded in tension and at least one of the one or more load transmitting connectors can be preloaded in compression.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one of the one or more load transmitting connectors that can be preloaded in tension and the at least one of the one or more load transmitting connectors that can be preloaded in compression are the same connector such that there is at least one connector that can be preloaded in both tension and compression.

17. A method of uninstalling the subsea well assembly of claim 8 , the method comprising:
providing the subsea well assembly;
disconnecting the first subsea well assembly component and the second subsea well assembly component to disengage the well conduit; and
additionally disconnecting the additional connection by disconnecting the one or more load transmitting connectors.

18. A subsea well assembly, the assembly comprising:
a first subsea well assembly component;
a second subsea well assembly component; and
a third subsea well assembly component,
wherein the first subsea well assembly component and the second subsea well assembly component are connected to each other by a first well conduit connector to provide a well conduit therebetween;
wherein the second subsea well assembly component and the third subsea well assembly component are connected to each other by a second well condui

Assignees

• Equinor Energy As

Inventors

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

Classifications

• E21B41/10

  Guide posts, e.g. releasable; Attaching guide lines to underwater guide bases · CPC title

• E21B41/08

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

• E21B7/12

  Underwater drilling (using heave compensators E21B19/09) · CPC title

• E21B33/035

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

• E21B33/038 Primary

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