Pressure joint

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9605495-B2
Application number	US-201013266245-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2010
Priority date	Apr 27, 2009
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

A pressure joint is provided for use with a floating installation ( 1 ) that is connected to a stiff riser ( 3, 12 ). A low pressure slip joint ( 5 ) connects the installation ( 1 ) to the stiff riser ( 3, 12 ). A telescopic assembly ( 13, 14 ) fitted with a high pressure seal ( 15 ) is arranged to be fitted within the low pressure slip joint ( 5 ) when in a non-extended configuration, such that normal operation of the low pressure slip joint ( 5 ) is not impeded.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pressure joint apparatus for use with a floating installation that is connected to a stiff riser, the pressure joint apparatus comprising:
a low pressure slip joint for connecting the installation to the stiff riser, the low pressure slip joint comprising an inner cylinder, an outer cylinder, and a low pressure dynamic seal; and
a telescopic assembly, the telescopic assembly comprising an inner barrel, an outer barrel, and a high pressure seal,
wherein the inner cylinder, the outer cylinder, the inner barrel and the outer barrel each intersect at least one common plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the low pressure slip joint,
wherein the telescopic assembly, in its entirety, is arranged to be fitted within the low pressure slip joint when in a non-extended configuration, such that normal operation of the low pressure slip joint is not impeded, and
wherein the telescopic assembly is arranged to extend outside the low pressure slip joint when in an extended configuration, and the inner barrel is fixed with respect to the outer barrel when in the extended configuration.

2. The pressure joint apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the telescopic assembly is disposed below a floor level of the installation when in the non-extended configuration.

3. The pressure joint apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the telescopic assembly is housed completely within the slip joint when in the non-extended configuration.

4. The pressure joint apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the non-extended length of the telescopic assembly corresponds to the non-extended length of the slip joint.

5. The pressure joint apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the high pressure first seal is a non-dynamic seal.

6. The pressure joint apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein there is no dynamic seal fitted to the telescopic assembly.

7. The pressure joint apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the telescopic assembly is integrated with the low pressure slip joint with a high pressure connection between a lower part of the slip joint and a lower part of the telescopic assembly.

8. The pressure joint apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a second seal for sealing about an upper portion of the telescopic assembly.

9. The pressure joint apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the second seal is a diverter packer.

10. The pressure joint apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the telescopic assembly includes fitments at its upper end for connection to intervention equipment.

11. The pressure joint apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the telescopic assembly is arranged such that intervention equipment can be skidded and/or jacked onto the upper end thereof at a floor level of the floating installation.

12. The pressure joint apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the telescopic assembly has full non-extended and extended lengths substantially equivalent to the extended and non-extended lengths of slip joint.

13. The pressure joint apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the telescopic assembly is secured at floor level of the installation by hanging its upper end off the floor level.

14. The pressure joint apparatus as claimed in claim 13 , further comprising a member on which the upper end is hung off the floor level.

15. The pressure joint apparatus as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the member is flanges.

16. The pressure joint apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a mechanical lock (or locks) between sections of the telescopic assembly.

17. The pressure joint apparatus as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the or each lock is arranged to be activated in a fully collapsed position and/or a fully extended position.

18. A method of providing a pressure joint between a floating installation and a stiff riser, the method comprising:
providing a low pressure slip joint between the installation and the riser, the low pressure slip joint comprising an inner cylinder, an outer cylinder, and a low pressure dynamic seal; and
providing a telescopic assembly within the low pressure slip joint, the telescopic assembly comprising an inner barrel, an outer barrel, and a high pressure seal,
wherein the inner cylinder, the outer cylinder, the inner barrel and the outer barrel each intersect at least one common plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the low pressure slip joint,
wherein the telescopic assembly is housed within the low pressure slip joint when in its non-extended configuration, such that normal operation of the low pressure slip joint is not impeded, and
wherein the telescopic assembly is arranged to extend outside the low pressure slip joint when in an extended configuration, and the inner barrel is fixed with respect to the outer barrel when in the extended configuration.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the telescopic assembly is fully within the low pressure slip joint when in the non-extended configuration.

20. The method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the high pressure seal is a non-dynamic high pressure seal, and the method comprises activating the non-dynamic high pressure seal during high pressure operation to provide a high pressure envelope within the telescopic assembly, and using the low pressure slip joint to provide a low pressure envelope under low pressure operation such that the telescopic assembly does not require a dynamic seal.

21. The method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein, under low pressure operation, a seal is provided about an upper portion of the telescopic assembly.

22. The method as claimed in claim 18 , further comprising the step of extending the telescopic assembly for connection to intervention equipment.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the step of extending further comprises the step of extending the telescopic assembly to a floor level of the floating installation, then skidding and/or jacking the intervention equipment onto an upper end of the telescopic assembly.

24. The method as claimed in claim 23 , further comprising the step of securing the telescopic assembly at floor level by hanging the upper end off the floor level.

25. A pressure joint apparatus for use with a floating installation that is connected to a stiff riser, the pressure joint apparatus comprising:
a low pressure slip joint for connecting the installation to the stiff riser, the low pressure slip joint comprising an inner cylinder, an outer cylinder, and a low pressure dynamic seal; and
a telescopic assembly, the telescopic assembly comprising an inner barrel, an outer barrel, and a non-dynamic high pressure seal,
wherein the inner cylinder, the outer cylinder, the inner barrel and the outer barrel each intersect at least one common plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the low pressure slip joint,
wherein the telescopic assembly is arranged to be fitted at least partially within the low pressure slip joint comprising said low pressure dynamic seal such that the telescopic assembly thereby requires no further low pressure dynamic seal, and
wherein the telescopic assembly is arranged to extend outside the low pressure slip joint when in an extended configuration, and the inner barrel is fixed with respect to the outer barrel when in the extended configuration.

26. The pressure joint apparatus as claimed in claim 25 , further comprising a non-dynamic seal arranged to seal about a

Assignees

• Reinås Lorents
• Wernø Tore Geir
• Buchanan Alastair
• Statoil Petroleum As

Inventors

• Reinås Lorents
• Wernø Tore Geir
• Buchanan Alastair

Classifications

• E21B17/07 Primary

  Telescoping joints for varying drill string lengths; Shock absorbers · CPC title

• E21B19/00

  Handling rods, casings, tubes or the like outside the borehole, e.g. in the derrick; Apparatus for feeding the rods or cables · CPC title

• E21B17/01 Primary

  Risers · CPC title

• E21B19/006

  including heave compensators · CPC title

• E21B17/085

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