Riser bolt torque system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11965386-B2
Application number	US-202318453456-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2023
Priority date	May 17, 2021
Publication date	Apr 23, 2024
Grant date	Apr 23, 2024

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 method of operating a riser bolt torque system, the method comprising:
adjusting a riser bolt torque device from a radially-offset position to a centered position relative to a first riser joint;
adjusting the riser bolt torque device from an open configuration to a closed configuration by pivoting a first arm and a second arm of the riser bolt torque device toward one another about a same pivot point;
adjusting a plurality of torque tools of the riser bolt torque device to engage a plurality of bolts that extend through the first riser joint; and
operating the plurality of torque tools to apply torque to the plurality of bolts to couple the first riser joint to a second riser joint to extend a riser of a subsea drilling system.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
adjusting the plurality of torque tools of the riser bolt torque device to disengage from the plurality of bolts that extend through the first riser joint; and
adjusting the riser bolt torque device from the closed configuration to the open configuration by pivoting the first arm and the second arm of the riser bolt torque device away from one another.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
aligning an additional riser joint with the first riser joint;
adjusting the riser bolt torque device from the open configuration to the closed configuration by pivoting the first arm and the second arm of the riser bolt torque device toward one another;
adjusting the plurality of torque tools of the riser bolt torque device to engage a plurality of additional bolts that extend through the additional riser joint; and
operating the plurality of torque tools to apply torque to the plurality of additional bolts to couple the additional riser joint to the first riser joint to extend the riser of the subsea drilling system.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising operating the plurality of torque tools to apply torque to the plurality of bolts to unfasten the first riser joint from the second riser joint to break up the riser of the subsea drilling system.

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

• E21B19/161 Primary

  using a wrench or a spinner adapted to engage a circular section of pipe (E21B19/168 takes precedence) · CPC title