Methane hydrate production equipment and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12560042-B2
Application number	US-202217967624-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2022
Priority date	Oct 27, 2021
Publication date	Feb 24, 2026
Grant date	Feb 24, 2026

Abstract

A system for subsea operations and associated methods are disclosed. The system includes a well adapter to be associated with a production or monitoring well where the well adapter can receive a cap for capping the production or monitoring well and can receive a valve package to allow flow of production fluids therethrough, from the production well to the well adapter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A system for subsea operations, comprising:
a well adapter to be associated with a production or monitoring well, wherein the well adapter is configured to receive a cap for capping the production or monitoring well, is configured to receive a valve package, and is configured to allow flow of production fluids therethrough, from the production well to the valve package.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more of an Xmas tree, a lower riser package (LRP), and an emergency disconnect package (EDP) to form the valve package.

3 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
access ports in the well adapter to allow communication equipment, downhole pressure transducers (DHPTs), or monitoring equipment to access the production or monitoring well.

4 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a passthrough feature of the well adapter to allow water to flow independent of gas from a methane hydrate layer of the production or monitoring well.

5 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an alignment frame to form part of the well adapter and to comprise controls for operation by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV).

6 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a wellhead coupler to be part of the well adapter and to sit over a wellhead housing of the production or monitoring well; and dogs within the wellhead coupler to lock against grooves of an outer diameter of the wellhead housing.

7 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a tubing associated with the well adapter, the tubing to be within a casing hanger of the production or monitoring well.

8 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a tubing hanger to be associated with a wellhead housing of the production or monitoring well, the tubing hanger to receive the well adapter that is stabbed connected using an open water intervention riser system (OWIRS).

9 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a tubing hanger to be associated with the well adapter and with a tubing, the tubing to be within a casing hanger of the production or monitoring well.

10 . A well adapter configured to be associated with a production or monitoring well, the well adapter further configured to receive a cap for capping the production or monitoring well and further configured to receive a valve package to allow flow of production fluids therethrough, from the production well to the valve package.

11 . The well adapter of claim 10 , further comprising one or more of:
access ports in the well adapter to allow communication equipment, downhole pressure transducers (DHPTs), or monitoring equipment to access the production or monitoring well; a passthrough feature of the well adapter to allow water to flow independent of gas from a methane hydrate layer of the production or monitoring well; or an alignment frame to form part of the well adapter and to comprise controls for operation by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV).

12 . A method for subsea operations, comprising:
enabling a well adapter to be associated with a production or monitoring well; and associating a cap or a valve package with the well adapter, the cap to allow capping of the production or monitoring well and the valve package to receive a flow of production fluids there through, from the production well and through the well adapter.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
enabling the valve package using one or more of an Xmas tree, a lower riser package (LRP), and an emergency disconnect package (EDP).

14 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
enabling access ports in the well adapter to allow communication equipment, downhole pressure transducers (DHPTs), or monitoring equipment to access the production or monitoring well.

15 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
providing a passthrough feature of the well adapter to allow water to flow independent of gas from a methane hydrate layer of the production or monitoring well.

16 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
providing the well adapter with an alignment frame that comprises controls for operation by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV).

17 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
enabling a wellhead coupler to be part of the well adapter and to sit over a wellhead housing of the production or monitoring well; and providing dogs within the wellhead coupler to lock against grooves of an outer diameter of the wellhead housing.

18 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
associating a tubing with the well adapter, the tubing to be within a casing hanger of the production or monitoring well.

19 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
associating a tubing hanger with a wellhead housing of the production or monitoring well, the tubing hanger to receive the well adapter that is stabbed connected using an open water intervention riser system (OWIRS).

20 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
associating a tubing hanger with the well adapter and with a tubing, the tubing to be within a casing hanger of the production or monitoring well.

Assignees

• Baker Hughes Energy Technology UK Ltd

Inventors

• Anderson David A
• Robertson Fiona
• Clark Paul
• Rajan Robin

Classifications

• E21B34/04

  in underwater well heads · CPC title

• E21B41/04

  Manipulators for underwater operations, e.g. temporarily connected to well heads · CPC title

• E21B41/0099 Primary

  specially adapted for drilling for or production of natural hydrate or clathrate gas reservoirs; Drilling through or monitoring of formations containing gas hydrates or clathrates · CPC title

• E21B33/043

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

• E21B47/06

  Measuring temperature or pressure · CPC title