Wellhead assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11708737-B2
Application number	US-201716334945-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2017
Priority date	Sep 20, 2016
Publication date	Jul 25, 2023
Grant date	Jul 25, 2023

Abstract

A wellhead is provided. The wellhead comprises a high pressure wellhead housing; a casing hanger assembly located within the high pressure wellhead housing; and a casing supported on the casing hanger assembly. The casing hanger assembly is arranged so that the casing is able to move relative to the high pressure wellhead housing. This may be to accommodate well growth experienced by the wellhead during use.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wellhead assembly, the wellhead assembly comprising:
a high pressure wellhead housing;
a casing hanger assembly located within the high pressure wellhead housing; and
a casing having an upper end, the upper end of the casing being supported by the casing hanger assembly,
wherein the casing hanger assembly is arranged so that the upper end of the casing is able to move axially in opposite directions relative to the high pressure wellhead housing after the casing hanger assembly is installed and during use of the wellhead assembly in drilling or production operations, and the wellhead assembly comprises an expansion space for allowing the axial movement of the upper end of the casing relative to the high pressure wellhead housing.

2. A wellhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the casing hanger assembly is arranged so that it is able to move relative to the high pressure wellhead housing to allow the relative movement between the upper end of the casing and the high pressure wellhead housing.

3. A wellhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the casing hanger assembly is arranged so that the upper end of the casing is able to move relative to the casing hanger assembly to allow the relative movement between the upper end of the casing and the high pressure wellhead housing.

4. A wellhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the expansion space is within the high pressure wellhead housing and is a space into which the casing hanger assembly can move.

5. A wellhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the expansion space is within the casing hanger assembly and is a space into which the upper end of the casing can move.

6. A wellhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the casing hanger assembly comprises a dynamically tolerant seal.

7. A wellhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the wellhead assembly comprises a plurality of casing hanger assemblies that are arranged so that they are able to allow relative movement between a casing it supports and to the high pressure wellhead housing, and wherein the plurality of casing hanger assemblies that are arranged so that they are able to move are supported on each other.

8. A wellhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the well head assembly comprises a plurality of casing hanger assemblies, and at least one of the casing hanger assemblies is arranged so that the upper end of the casing is able to move relative to the high pressure wellhead housing, and
wherein the expansion space is adjacent to the uppermost casing hanger assembly that is arranged so that its respective casing is able to move relative to the high pressure wellhead housing.

9. A wellhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the wellhead assembly comprises a production casing hanger assembly.

10. A wellhead assembly as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the production casing hanger assembly is fixed relative to the high pressure wellhead housing.

11. A wellhead assembly as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the production casing hanger assembly is supported by a production casing hanger landing device.

12. A wellhead assembly as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the production casing hanger landing device is an installable device that is locked to the high pressure wellhead housing.

13. A wellhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the wellhead assembly comprises a suction anchor that provides structural support to the high pressure wellhead housing.

14. A wellhead assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the wellhead assembly is part of a production well.

15. A method of accommodating well growth in a wellhead assembly, wherein the method comprises using the wellhead assembly of claim 1 .

16. A method of providing a wellhead assembly, the method comprising:
providing a high pressure wellhead housing;
providing a casing hanger assembly;
providing a casing having an upper end, the upper end of the casing being supported by the casing hanger assembly; and
wherein the casing hanger assembly within the high pressure wellhead housing is arranged such that when the casing hanger assembly is installed in the high pressure wellhead housing the upper end of the casing supported on the casing hanger assembly is able to move axially in opposite directions relative to the high pressure wellhead housing after the casing hanger assembly is installed and during the use of the wellhead assembly in drilling or production operations, and the wellhead assembly comprises an expansion space for allowing the axial movement of the upper end of the casing relative to the high pressure wellhead housing.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the wellhead assembly comprises:
the high pressure wellhead housing;
the casing hanger assembly located within the high pressure wellhead housing; and
the casing having the upper end, the upper end of the casing being supported by the casing hanger assembly,
wherein the wellhead assembly is arranged so that the upper end of the casing is able to move relative to the high pressure wellhead housing after the casing hanger assembly is installed and during the use of the wellhead assembly in drilling or production operations.

Assignees

• Equinor Energy As

Inventors

• Reinås Lorents
• Wernø Tore Geir
• Nesse Harald Sigurd

Classifications

• E21B33/03 Primary

  Well heads; Setting-up thereof · CPC title

• E21B33/0415

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

• E21B33/064

  specially adapted for underwater well heads · CPC title

• E21B43/10

  Setting of casings, screens, liners {or the like} in wells · CPC title

• E21B2200/01

  Sealings characterised by their shape · CPC title