Novel Use of the Diverless Hard Pipe Jumper Connection Method for Individual Well Completions
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Movement towards deeper waters and harsher environmental conditions has, and will, require the continuous development of new technologies. Especially the design and operation of remote tooling to complete subsea field developments. One of the principal problems faced during both the design and operational phases of a project is the definition of methods and systems to perform the tie-in of production lines to subsea facilities. This, in fact, influences some critical decisions such as: Type of lines (rigid/flexible); Structure layout (tie-in porches and interfaces); Installation method (first- or second-end connections). Sonsub International has developed different systems to perform remote connections of either flexible or rigid lines. Among these, special attention was paid to rigid line connections since this is the preferred option of the industry because of both technical and economic reasons. This has led to the development of a dedicated set of tooling able to perform tie-ins of rigid lines using standard spool pieces and bolted flanges. Sonsub simultaneously investigated the concept of vertical jumper installation in deep water as part of a larger development study. This paper presents a comprehensive comparison between the horizontal (spool piece) tie-in versus the vertical jumper method. The evaluation will include an overview of the systems considered and will outline advantages and drawbacks, both technical and financial, of the two solutions.
Movement towards deeper waters and harsher environmental conditions has, and will, require the continuous development of new technologies. Especially the design and operation of remote tooling to complete subsea field developments. One of the principal problems faced during both the design and operational phases of a project is the definition of methods and systems to perform the tie-in of production lines to subsea facilities. This, in fact, influences some critical decisions such as: Type of lines (rigid/flexible); Structure layout (tie-in porches and interfaces); Installation method (first- or second-end connections). Sonsub International has developed different systems to perform remote connections of either flexible or rigid lines. Among these, special attention was paid to rigid line connections since this is the preferred option of the industry because of both technical and economic reasons. This has led to the development of a dedicated set of tooling able to perform tie-ins of rigid lines using standard spool pieces and bolted flanges. Sonsub simultaneously investigated the concept of vertical jumper installation in deep water as part of a larger development study. This paper presents a comprehensive comparison between the horizontal (spool piece) tie-in versus the vertical jumper method. The evaluation will include an overview of the systems considered and will outline advantages and drawbacks, both technical and financial, of the two solutions.
Summary Movement toward deeper waters and harsher environmental conditions has required the continuous development of new technologies, and will continue to do so. In particular, this need has manifested itself in the design and operation of remote tooling to complete subsea field developments. One of the principal problems faced during both the design and operational phases of a project is the definition of methods and systems to perform the tie-in of production lines to subsea facilities. This problem, in fact, influences some critical decisions such as the type of lines used (rigid/flexible), the structure layout (tie-in porches and interfaces), and the method of installation (first- or second-end connections). Different systems to perform remote connections of either flexible or rigid lines have been developed. Among these, special attention was paid to rigid line connections, which are the preferred option of the industry for both technical and economic reasons. This new focus has, in turn, led to the development of systems able to perform tie-ins of rigid lines using either horizontal spools or vertical jumpers. This paper presents a comprehensive comparison between these two methods, including an overview of the systems considered and an outline of advantages and drawbacks, both technical and financial, of the two solutions. Introduction Until recently, competitive horizontal connection systems for connecting rigid spools in deep water did not exist. With the advent of these new systems, oil and gas operators need to revise their thinking about how this critical and expensive task is performed. This paper sets out to compare the traditional vertical connection methodology with the newer horizontal connection techniques. The horizontal connection technique based on bolted flange joints is described, and the operational issues associated with its use are discussed. The most common vertical spool connection technique, using guideline-deployed inverted "U" spools with collet connectors, is then discussed, along with the operational issues that are involved with this technique. Finally, a technical, and then economic, comparison is performed for the two techniques. Horizontal Connection Techniques Systems Description. Horizontal spools have been widely used by divers in the past, but their use with remote technology is limited. Horizontal spools are typically either L- or Z-shaped (to recover pipe expansion loads and allow flexibility for pull-in and connection) and are characterized by using flanges as connectors. This results in less capital expenditure (CAPEX) when compared to spool-implementing mechanical systems such as clamp or collet connectors. There are two (remote-operated) systems on the market, BRUTUS and MATIS, which operate with this methodology. Unfortunately, owing to a lack of information about MATIS and the proprietary nature of its components, this system is not included within this paper. The comparison between the techniques will therefore be carried out using BRUTUS as the base case.1,2 The BRUTUS system includes the following main tools.A large force pull-in tool called the axial force tool (AFT) (Fig. 1), aimed at applying the required force to stroke the spool flange toward the connection point within an envelope that allows for reasonable angular and linear errors in the spool's metrology, fabrication, and installation.A so-called reaction tool (RT) (Fig. 2), used as a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) -installable and -removable tie-in porch structure, the size of which can be changed as a function of the available space on the relevant subsea structure.A flange connection tool (FCT) (Figs. 3 and 4) that can perform the rotational alignment and connection of the flanges using standard bolts and tensioners. In addition, a suite of tooling and ancillary equipment to perform all required subsea operations is also considered as part of the system. These items are considered proven technology, and include the following.ROV interface skid, allowing each tool to be fitted with standardized interface points, which include mechanical, electrical, and hydraulic interfaces.A set of pipe-handling equipment (see Figs. 5 and 6), such as H-frames, pipe trestles, and winches, to ease spool positioning onto the seabed.A set of standard ROV tooling, including a flange/hub cleaning and inspection tool, flange splitters, a seal-replacement tool, and a metrology system. The system is based on the concept of using lightweight tools flown and operated by a work-class ROV. The advantages of the system include the use of standard spool and flanges, the lack of required subsea permanent hardware, and the lack of heavy equipment with rigid links to surface (excepting the ROV umbilical). Disadvantages include a more complex spread to perform the intervention and longer connection time. Operational Issues. The major drawback of the previously mentioned systems is the tooling spread. The operations necessary to pull in, align, and connect a rigid horizontal spool as divers do require a quite complex procedure, and therefore a number of tools to perform the operation remotely. However, when one considers the BRUTUS system, the following positive aspects are evident. Subsea Structure Size. BRUTUS does not require a "tie-in porch." All that is required subsea is the pipe with a flange. This provides many advantages in terms of reduced interfaces with subcontractors, such as the tree/manifold supplier and the marine pipelay contractor. In addition, having no additional interfaces, all permanent hardware can be installed through a standard procedure without requiring any additional time for the construction spread. Requirement for Guidelines. The system has no guidelines. Low Cost of Connectors. Flanges are certainly the cheapest alternative in diverless connection systems to date. Vertical Connection Techniques System Description. Vertical jumpers are mainly adopted in the Gulf of Mexico, are generally characterized by an inverted "U"-shaped rigid spool, and use mechanical collet connectors at each end (see Fig. 7). Many vertical spool-piece connections have been performed over the past few years with the intervention of ROV's only. There are two different scenarios, which are illustrated here.3,4
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