Riser bolt torque system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11767721-B2
Application number	US-202117321822-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2021
Priority date	May 17, 2021
Publication date	Sep 26, 2023
Grant date	Sep 26, 2023

Abstract

Present embodiments relate to a riser bolt torque device that is configured to couple a first riser joint to a second riser joint to form a riser of a subsea drilling system. The riser bolt torque device includes a first arm and a second arm, multiple torque tools supported on the first arm and the second arm, and one or more actuators configured to drive the first arm and the second arm to pivot relative to one another from an open configuration to a closed configuration to enable alignment between the multiple torque tools and a flange of the first riser joint.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A riser bolt torque device configured to couple a first riser joint to a second riser joint to form a riser of a subsea drilling system, the riser bolt torque device comprising:
a first arm having an inner curved surface and a second arm having an inner curved surface, wherein the first arm and the second arm are pivotably coupled to each other about a same pivot point;
a plurality of torque tools supported on the first arm and the second arm; and
one or more actuators configured to drive the first arm and the second arm to pivot relative to one another from an open configuration to a closed configuration to enable alignment between the plurality of torque tools and a flange of the first riser joint, wherein one or more grooves are formed radially along the inner curved surfaces of each of the first and second arms to accommodate one or more auxiliary lines when in the closed configuration.

2. The riser bolt torque device of claim 1 , wherein respective first ends of the first arm and the second arm are pivotally coupled to a pivot assembly.

3. The riser bolt torque device of claim 2 , wherein respective second ends of the first arm and the second arm are separated by a first distance in the open configuration and by a second distance in the closed configuration, and the first distance is greater than the second distance.

4. The riser bolt torque device of claim 2 , wherein the pivot assembly comprises a support and at least one pin, and the respective first ends of the first arm and the second arm are pivotally coupled to the at least one pin.

5. The riser bolt torque device of claim 4 , wherein the one or more actuators comprise a first actuator that extends between the support and the first arm and a second actuator that extends between the support and the second arm.

6. The riser bolt torque device of claim 1 , wherein a first set of the plurality of torque tools comprises at least two torque tools that are spaced apart from one another along the first arm, and a second set of the plurality of torque tools comprises at least two torque tools that are spaced apart from one another along the second arm.

7. The riser bolt torque device of claim 1 , wherein respective sockets of the plurality of torque tools are positioned radially-inwardly of the first arm and the second arm.

8. A riser bolt torque system configured to couple a first riser joint to a second riser joint to form a riser of a subsea drilling system, the riser bolt torque system comprising:
a riser bolt torque device, comprising:
a first arm and a second arm each having inner curved surfaces and one or more grooves formed radially along the inner curved surfaces of each of the first and second arms to accommodate one or more auxiliary lines when in a closed configuration, wherein the first arm and the second arm are pivotably coupled to each other about a same pivot point;
a plurality of torque tools supported on the first arm and the second arm; and one or more actuators; and
a controller configured to:
instruct the one or more actuators to drive the first arm and the second arm from an open configuration to the closed configuration to enable alignment between the plurality of torque tools and a flange of the first riser joint, wherein the first arm and the second arm form an annular ring that is configured to surround the first riser joint in the closed configuration; and
instruct the plurality of torque tools to apply torque to one or more bolts to couple the first riser joint to the second riser joint to form the riser of the subsea drilling system.

9. The riser bolt torque system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to instruct the plurality of torque tools to apply the torque to the one or more bolts simultaneously.

10. The riser bolt torque system of claim 8 , wherein respective ends of the first arm and the second arm are separated from one another in the open configuration and contact one another in the closed configuration.

11. The riser bolt torque system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to instruct the one or more actuators to drive the first arm and the second arm to pivot from the open configuration to the closed configuration.

12. The riser bolt torque system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more actuators comprise a first actuator that extends from a support to the first arm and a second actuator that extends from the support to the second arm.

13. The riser bolt torque system of claim 12 , comprising a pivot assembly that comprises the support and at least one pin, wherein respective ends of the first arm and the second arm are pivotally coupled at the at least one pin.

14. The riser bolt torque system of claim 8 , wherein a first set of the plurality of torque tools comprises at least two torque tools that are spaced apart from one another along the first arm, and a second set of the plurality of torque tools comprises at least two torque tools that are spaced apart from one another along the second arm.

15. The riser bolt torque system of claim 8 , wherein respective sockets of the plurality of torque tools are positioned radially-inwardly of the first arm and the second arm.

16. The riser bolt torque system of claim 8 , comprising a magazine of stored bolts, wherein the riser bolt torque device is configured to transfer the one or more bolts from the magazine of stored bolts to the first riser joint.

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Tenorio Harold
• Zahl John
• Tyler Jon

Classifications

• E21B19/164 Primary

  motor actuated (E21B19/162 and E21B19/163 take precedence) · CPC title

• B23P19/061

  for pipes or pipe-couplings · CPC title

• B23P19/069 Primary

  Multi-spindle machines · CPC title

• E21B17/085

  Riser connections (connectors for wellhead E21B33/038) · CPC title

• E21B19/004

  supporting a riser from a drilling or production platform · CPC title