Barrier arrangement in wellhead assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12084937-B2
Application number	US-202318453649-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2023
Priority date	Dec 5, 2018
Publication date	Sep 10, 2024
Grant date	Sep 10, 2024

Abstract

A subsea wellhead assembly having an arrangement of primary well barriers provided in equipment that is located within the well and/or the wellhead housing is provided. The subsea wellhead assembly may include a tubing hanger positioned in or below a wellhead housing coupled to a subsea well, a tree cap fluidly coupled to the tubing hanger and disposed atop the wellhead housing, and a pair of master production valves configured to be selectively actuated from an open position to a closed position to shut in the subsea well, each of the pair of master production valves located within or below the wellhead housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a tubing hanger positioned in or below a wellhead housing coupled to a subsea well;
a tree cap fluidly coupled to the tubing hanger and disposed atop the wellhead housing;
a pair of master production valves configured to be selectively actuated from an open position to a closed position to shut in the subsea well, wherein the pair of master production valves is located in and part of the tubing hanger; and
an orientation sub configured to be coupled between the tree cap and the tubing hanger such that one or more couplers on the tree cap can be aligned with one or more couplers on the tubing hanger as the tree cap is lowered onto the wellhead housing.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the orientation sub is attached to a lower portion of the tree cap.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tubing hanger further comprises an annulus barrier valve disposed along an annulus flowpath through the tubing hanger.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the annulus barrier valve is configured to be actuated to selectively couple an annulus below the tubing hanger to one or more downstream annulus flowpaths.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tree cap comprises a crossover valve disposed therein.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pair of master production valves are electrically actuated valves.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tubing hanger is disposed in the wellhead housing.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a casing hanger landed in the wellhead housing, wherein the tubing hanger is landed on the casing hanger within the wellhead housing.

9. A method for routing fluid to or from a subsea well, comprising:
routing fluid through a wellhead assembly, wherein routing the fluid comprises routing fluid either from a tree cap disposed atop a wellhead housing to a tubing string extending downward with respect to the wellhead housing, or from the tubing string to the tree cap, wherein the wellhead assembly comprises:
the tree cap;
a tubing hanger disposed in or below the wellhead housing and suspending the tubing string therefrom;
a pair of master production valves that are located in and part of the tubing hanger, wherein the pair of master production valves is configured to be selectively actuated from an open position to a closed position to shut in the subsea well; and
an orientation sub configured to be coupled between the tree cap and the tubing hanger such that one or more couplers on the tree cap can be aligned with one or more couplers on the tubing hanger as the tree cap is lowered onto the wellhead housing.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the orientation sub is attached to a lower portion of the tree cap.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the tubing hanger further comprises an annulus barrier valve disposed along an annulus flowpath through the tubing hanger.

12. The method of claim 11 , selectively coupling an annulus below the tubing hanger to one or more downstream annulus flowpaths via the annulus barrier valve.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the tree cap comprises a crossover valve disposed therein.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising electrically actuating the pair of master production valves.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the tubing hanger is disposed in the wellhead housing.

16. The method of claim 9 , further comprising landing a casing hanger in the wellhead housing, and landing the tubing hanger on the casing hanger within the wellhead housing.

Assignees

• Dril Quip Inc

Inventors

• Bartlett Chris D
• Mclaughlin Daniel J
• Guillory Raymond A
• Deberry Blake T
• Smedley Marcus
• Norwood Gregory K
• Scantlebury David A
• Mitchell Andrew B
• Mills Darren W

Classifications

• E21B33/038

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

• E21B33/043 Primary

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

• E21B34/04

  in underwater well heads · CPC title

• E21B33/0355 Primary

  Control systems, e.g. hydraulic, pneumatic, electric, acoustic, for submerged well heads · CPC title