Patent Application
20070036550
This invention relates to a communications apparatus for controlling and/or monitoring an underwater hydrocarbon well, a connection device for joining two cables and a method for enabling communication with an underwater well facility.
Control of offshore fluid extraction wells is typically effected from the shore via an umbilical. The umbilical typically carries hydraulic and electrical power, and communication for control and monitoring of the well. Earlier installations were relatively close to the shore and thus communication with the well complex could be achieved with conventional wires and modems. Later installations tended to be at greater distances from the shore, such as 100 Km, and benefited from the application of fibre optic methods of communication. Installations are now planned at distances in the order of 600 Km from the shore, which presents new problems for the supply of power and communications via an umbilical. Fibre optic communication is limited, using relatively cheap laser diodes to about 200 Km with current technology, although research organizations are proposing to stretch this to about 300 Km with further development of optical devices. Above this distance it is necessary and traditional to use either high power gas lasers or electronic repeaters (modems), both of which are expensive and power-hungry solutions.
The manufacture and deployment of a continuous length of some 600 Km of umbilical is accepted by subsea well operators as impractical and thus splicing of the umbilical is a necessity. The splicing techniques used are similar to those employed by transatlantic cable systems whereby the splice is effected in a torpedo-shaped pod of a specific shape and size. The reason for the confined specification of the splice pod is that the tension of a cable during its deployment from a cable-laying vessel is carefully controlled by a mechanism called the ‘cable-laying engine’ at the stern. This mechanism is designed to allow the passage of a splice pod of defined dimensions whilst still controlling the cable tension. Thus the splice pod in a subsea umbilical must be compatible with the facilities, such as the ‘cable-laying engine’, of a cable-laying vessel, since such vessels are also used to deploy subsea well umbilicals. The problem with electronic repeaters is that they are not only power-thirsty but bulky. This is compounded by the fact that it is normally necessary to employ at least eight and typically sixteen fibres, each with a repeater, to provide dual channel duplex operation and spares, for acceptable availability.
It is an aim of the present invention to provide a communications system, which overcomes the above problems and enables long cables to be laid without the use of electronic repeaters.
The aim is achieved by employing a non-electronic repeater, such as Erbium Doped Fibre-optic Amplifiers (EDFAs) as repeaters in the fibre-optic cables in the umbilical. Investigations have shown that they are small enough to enable the necessary repeaters to be incorporated into a splice pod compatible with vessel deployment ‘cable laying engines’.
An EDFA power consumption typically comprises 1 watt for the laser diode, 5 watts max for the Peltier device and 4 watts for the control electronics, making a total requirement of only 10 watts. This is a significant power reduction over a conventional electronic modem repeater, which consumes typically between 16 and 28 watts, dependent on the environmental temperature.
The low power consumption of the EDFA allows its electric power supply to be fed down the umbilical via small, typically 16 mm2, wires which are run alongside the fibre-optic bundles, replacing some of the ‘fillers’ used in the cable construction whilst avoiding compromising the main power feeds. Typically, power is fed at 500 V DC to minimize voltage drop down the umbilical and is then dropped to a voltage suitable for the EDFAs by small DC/DC converters.
The gain of the EDFA is typically 30 db, which allows communication with a 20 db margin over a 600 Km fibre optic link, with only two EDFAs located at 200 and 400 Km from the sources. This suits practical umbilical lengths of 200 metres, resulting in splice pods housing the EDFAs at these distances. Longer distances will require additional EDFAs.
This invention overcomes the problems outlined above and enables reliable fibre-optic communications for control and monitoring of subsea wells at distances in excess of 600 Km between the control centre and the well, whilst maintaining compatibility with cable-laying vessels during deployment of the umbilical.
In accordance with a first aspect of the invention there is provided a communications apparatus for controlling and/or monitoring an underwater hydrocarbon well, comprising an umbilical which contains:
The optical amplifier may only pass signals in one direction. A second length of optical fibre may be provided within the umbilical, with a second respective optical amplifier provided along said second length, the arrangement of the first and second amplifiers being such that communications signals may be passed in one direction through the first length, and in a second, opposite direction through the second length. Alternatively, a portion of the length of optical fibre may be split to provide two parallel optical pathways along said portion. In this case, the optical amplifier may be provided in one of the pathways and a second amplifier provided in the other pathway, the arrangement of the amplifiers being such that communication signals may be passed in one direction through one pathway, and in a second, opposite direction throughway the other pathway.
Advantageously, the umbilical may include a connection device for joining sections of umbilical cable, and the amplifier being located within the connection device.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connection device for joining first and second cables, each cable carrying a length of optical fibre for carrying communications signals, comprising:
(a) a housing having first and second ports for accepting respective ones of the cables; and
(b) an optical amplifier for boosting the intensity of said signals, the amplifier being supplied with power by an electrical power line carried by at least one of the cables.
Advantageously, the device may comprise a plurality of optical amplifiers.
Preferably, each optical amplifier is an EDFA.
The or each optical amplifier may be mounted on an inner wall of the housing.
In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an underwater hydrocarbon extraction facility comprising the apparatus according to the first or second aspects.
In accordance with a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of enabling communication with an underwater well facility, comprising the steps of connecting an umbilical to the facility, the umbilical containing:
The optical amplifier may only pass signals in one direction. A second length of optical fibre may be provided within the umbilical, with a second respective optical amplifier along said second length, the arrangement of the first and second amplifiers being such that communications signals may be passed in one direction through the first length, and in a second, opposite direction through the second length. Alternatively, a portion of the length of optical fibre may be split to provide two parallel optical pathways along said portion. In this case, the optical amplifier may be provided in one of the pathways and a second amplifier provided in the other pathway, the arrangement of the amplifiers being such that communication signals may be passed in one direction through one pathway, and in a second, opposite direction throughway the other pathway.
Advantageously, a connection device may be included for joining sections of umbilical cable, and locating the amplifier within the connection device.
The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Looking firstly at
EDFAs are not full duplex devices and can only handle communication in one direction.
A key advantage of the invention is that it achieves reliable communication over the recent operator requirement of an increased distance of 600 Km between a control centre and a subsea well complex, via fibre optic cables without the use of high power gas lasers, and with a substantial reduction of power consumption. The apparatus is also suitable for incorporation into ‘standard’ torpedo-shaped field splice pods already in use in the transatlantic cable industry, thus also allowing the use of standard cable laying vessels to deploy the subsea well, power and control umbilical.
While the invention has been described with particular reference to the embodiments shown in the figures, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many variations are possible within the scope of the claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0516321.7 | Aug 2005 | GB | national |
