Method for installing a device for recovering hydrocarbons

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9340942-B2
Application number	US-201113993487-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2011
Priority date	Dec 14, 2010
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

A method for installing an assembly ( 10 ) for recovering hydrocarbons escaping from an underwater facility ( 21 ), including a first bottom assembly ( 25 ) including a rigid canopy having a large surface area, and a second top assembly ( 26 ) for raising fluids up to a surface facility ( 13 ). The steps of towing the fluid-raising top assembly are carried out concurrently during the installation of the fluid-raising top assembly ( 26 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of installing an assembly for recovering hydrocarbons escaping from an underwater installation, the method comprising the steps of:
bringing to a destination site, where the underwater installation is located, a lower hydrocarbon raising assembly including a canopy and ballasting compartments;
deploying the lower assembly toward a seabed and vertically above the underwater installation;
assembling, while at sea, an upper fluid raising assembly configured and operable to raise hydrocarbon fluid between the seabed and a surface installation, the upper assembly including:
a first flexible pipe configured to extend substantially vertically between the seabed at the destination site and a surface of the sea;
a collecting chamber connected to an upstream end of the first flexible pipe;
a buoy connected to a downstream end of the first flexible pipe, the buoy being configured and adapted to be immersed below the surface of the sea at the destination site to maintain the first flexible pipe substantially in its vertical position; and
a second flexible pipe extending in the form of a catenary and connected to the downstream end of the first flexible pipe and to the surface installation;

towing the upper assembly to the destination site;
connecting the collecting chamber to the lower assembly;
tensioning the first flexible pipe; and
connecting a downstream end of the second flexible pipe to the surface installation,
wherein the steps of assembling the upper assembly and towing the upper assembly to the destination site are performed in a first time period which is included in a second time period during which the step of bringing the lower assembly to the destination site is performed, or is included in a third time period during which the step of deploying the lower assembly toward the seabed is performed, or is included in a fourth time period during which the steps of bringing the lower assembly to the destination site and deploying the lower assembly toward the seabed are performed.

2. The installation method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step of assembling the upper assembly comprises:
bringing the buoy to the sea;
paying out in catenary form the first flexible pipe from a pipelaying ship and connecting the downstream end of the first flexible pipe to the buoy while retaining the upstream end on the ship;
paying out the second flexible pipe and connecting an upstream end thereof to the buoy; and
connecting the collecting chamber to the upstream end of the first flexible pipe.

3. The installation method as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising: at the destination site, the steps of:
attaching a cable from the pipelaying ship to the collecting chamber,
deploying the upstream end of the first flexible pipe together with the collecting chamber toward the seabed by paying out the cable, and then
connecting the upstream end of the first flexible pipe with the collecting chamber to the canopy of the lower assembly.

4. The installation method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising the step of increasing the buoyancy of the buoy to maintain the first flexible pipe substantially in a vertical configuration by exerting a vertical traction force toward the surface of the sea.

5. The installation method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising the step of recovering the downstream end of the second flexible pipe before the step of connecting the downstream end of the second flexible pipe to the surface installation.

6. The installation method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the buoy has a height (H)/diameter (D) ratio less than 1.5, and further comprising the steps of:
connecting the first and second flexible pipes to the buoy after a pulling-in operation carried out from the upper surface of the buoy, and
establishing a fluidic connection between the first and second flexible pipes on top of the buoy using a rigid pipe connector.

7. The installation method according to claim 1 , wherein the canopy has the shape of an inverted funnel.

Assignees

• Luppi Ange
• Technip France

Inventors

• Luppi Ange

Classifications

• E21B43/0122 Primary

  Collecting oil or the like from a submerged leakage (cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or the like E02B15/04) · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• E02B15/04 Primary

  Devices for cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like floating materials by separating or removing these materials ({stopping water-borne material in artificial water canals E02B5/085; stopping water-borne material at barrages or weirs E02B8/023}; other treatment of water, waste water or sewage C02F; materials for treating liquid pollutants, e.g. oil, gasoline, fat, C09K3/32 {; separation of oil in sewage conduits E03F5/16}) · CPC title

• E21B43/0135

  using a pulling cable · CPC title

• E02B2015/005

  Tent-like structures for dealing with pollutant emissions below the water surface · CPC title