Claims
- 1. A wellhead assembly, comprising:
- a tubular housing having a sidewall, an axial bore, and a housing lateral passage extending from the axial bore through the sidewall;
- a tubing hanger adapted to be secured to a string of tubing and landed in the housing, the tubing hanger having a vertical passage which communicates with the tubing and a tubing lateral passage which extends from the vertical passage and registers with the housing lateral passage;
- a tree block having a central bore for circumferentially receiving the housing, the tree block having an internal tree production passage which registers with the housing lateral passage for directing flow of production fluid from the well; and
- at least one production valve mounted to the tree block for opening and closing the tree production passage.
- 2. The wellhead assembly according to claim 1, further comprising:
- a casing hanger adapted to be connected to a string of casing, the casing hanger landed in the housing below the tubing hanger.
- 3. The wellhead assembly according to claim 1, wherein the tree block comprises two separate members, divided from each other at the central bore, and wherein the wellhead assembly further comprises a plurality of fasteners for fastening the two members together around the housing.
- 4. The wellhead assembly according to claim 1, further comprising:
- a lower annulus port in the sidewall of the housing below the tubing lateral passage and leading to a tubing annulus;
- an upper annulus port in the sidewall of the housing above the tubing lateral passage and leading to the axial bore of the housing; and
- an internal bypass passage in the tree block which connects the upper and lower annulus ports to communicate the axial bore above the tubing hanger with the tubing annulus.
- 5. A wellhead assembly, comprising
- a tubular housing having a sidewall, an axial bore, and a housing lateral passage extending from the bore through the sidewall;
- a tubing hanger adapted to be secured to a string of tubing and landed in the housing, the tubing hanger having a vertical passage which communicates with the tubing and a tubing lateral passage which extends from the vertical passage and registers with the housing lateral passage;
- a tree block having a central opening for receiving the housing, the tree block having a tree production passage which registers with the housing lateral passage for directing flow of production fluid from the well;
- at least one production valve mounted to the tree block for opening and closing the tree production passage; and
- a tapered seat area extending around an exterior portion of the housing, the opening in the tree block being tapered and sealingly mating with the seat area.
- 6. A wellhead assembly, comprising:
- a tubular housing having a sidewall, an axial bore, and a housing lateral passage extending from the bore through the sidewall;
- a tubing hanger adapted to be secured to a string of tubing and landed in the housing, the tubing hanger having a vertical passage which communicates with the tubing and a tubing lateral passage which extends from the vertical passage and registers with the housing lateral passage;
- a tree block having a central opening for receiving the housing, the tree block having a tree production passage which registers with the housing lateral passage for directing flow of production fluid from the well;
- at least one production valve mounted to the tree block for opening and closing the tree production passage; and
- a removable blocking sleeve which engages the housing and blocks the housing lateral passage.
- 7. A wellhead assembly, comprising:
- a tubular housing having a sidewall, an axial bore, and a housing lateral passage extending from the bore through the sidewall;
- a tubing hanger adapted to be secured to a string of tubing and landed in the housing, the tubing hanger having a vertical passage which communicates with the tubing and a tubing lateral passage which extends from the vertical passage and registers with the housing lateral passage;
- a tree block having a central opening for receiving the housing, the tree block having a tree production passage which registers with the housing lateral passage for directing flow of production fluid from the well;
- at least one production valve mounted to the tree block for opening and closing the tree production passage; and
- a latch mounted to the tree block which engages a profile formed on an exterior portion of the sidewall of the housing for removably securing the tree block to the housing.
- 8. A wellhead assembly, comprising:
- a tubular housing having a sidewall, an axial bore, and a housing lateral passage extending from the axial bore through the sidewall;
- a tubing hanger adapted to be secured to a string of tubing and landed in the housing, the tubing hanger having a vertical passage which communicates with the tubing and a tubing lateral passage which extends from the vertical passage and registers with the housing lateral passage;
- upper and lower seals extending around the tubing hanger for sealing a junction of the lateral passages;
- a lower annulus port in the sidewall of the housing below the lower seal and leading to a tubing annulus;
- an upper annulus port in the sidewall of the housing above the upper seal and leading to the bore of the housing;
- a tree block having a central bore for circumferentially receiving the housing, the tree block having an internal tree production passage which registers with the housing lateral passage for directing flow of production fluid from the well;
- a production valve mounted to the tree block for opening and closing the tree production passage;
- an internal bypass passage in the tree block which connects the upper and lower annulus ports to communicate the bore above the tubing hanger with the tubing annulus; and
- an annulus valve mounted to the tree block for opening and closing the bypass passage.
- 9. The wellhead assembly according to claim 8, further comprising:
- a casing hanger adapted to be connected to a string of casing, the casing hanger landed in the housing below the tubing hanger.
- 10. The wellhead assembly according to claim 8, wherein the tree block comprises two separate members, divided from each other at the central bore, and wherein the wellhead assembly further comprises a plurality of fasteners for fastening the two members together around the housing.
- 11. A wellhead assembly, comprising:
- a tubular housing having a sidewall, an axial bore, and a housing lateral passage extending from the bore through the sidewall;
- a tubing hanger adapted to be secured to a string of tubing and landed in the housing, the tubing hanger having a vertical passage which communicates with the tubing and a tubing lateral passage which extends from the vertical passage and registers with the housing lateral passage;
- upper and lower seals extending around the tubing hanger for sealing a junction of the lateral passage;
- a lower annulus port in the sidewall of the housing below the lower seal and leading to a tubing annulus;
- an upper annulus port in the sidewall of the housing above the upper seal and leading to the bore of the housing;
- a tree block having a central opening for receiving the housing, the tree block having a tree production passage which registers with the housing lateral passage for directing flow of production fluid from the well;
- a production valve mounted to the tree block for opening and closing the tree production passage;
- a bypass passage in the tree block which connects the upper and lower annulus ports to communicate the bore above the tubing hanger with the tubing annulus;
- an annulus valve mounted to the tree block for opening and closing the bypass passage; and
- a tapered seat area extending around an exterior portion of the housing, the opening in the tree block being tapered and sealingly mating with the seat area, the housing lateral passage and the upper and lower annulus ports having openings in the seat area.
- 12. The wellhead assembly according to claim 11, further comprising:
- a latch mounted to the tree block which engages a profile formed on an exterior portion of the sidewall of the housing for removably securing the tree block to the housing.
- 13. The wellhead assembly according to claim 11, further comprising:
- a removable blocking sleeve which engages the housing and blocks the housing lateral passage.
- 14. The wellhead assembly according to claim 11, further comprising:
- a removable blocking sleeve having a central opening for receiving the housing prior to installation of the tree block, the blocking sleeve blocking the opening of the housing lateral passage and upper and lower annulus ports.
- 15. A method for completing a subsea well, comprising:
- (a) providing a tubular housing having a sidewall, an axial bore, and a housing lateral passage extending from the bore through the sidewall;
- (b) providing a tree block with a central opening, a tree production passage which extends from the central opening, and a production valve in the tree production passage;
- (c) installing the housing at a sea floor at an upper end of a well;
- (d) securing a tubing hanger to a string of tubing and landing the tubing hanger in the housing, the tubing hanger having a vertical passage which communicates with the tubing and a tubing lateral passage which extends from the vertical passage and registers with the housing lateral passage; and
- (e) lowering the tree block over the housing with the housing extending through the opening and the housing lateral passage registering with the tree production passage.
- 16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:
- before step (d), securing a casing hanger to a string of casing and installing the casing hanger in the housing at a position below the tubing hanger.
- 17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:
- before step (d), placing a blocking sleeve around the housing to close the housing lateral passage to the exterior; then
- drilling the well deeper by lowering a drill string through the housing; then
- after drilling is completed, removing the blocking sleeve and continuing with step (d).
- 18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:
- opening the production valve and flowing production fluid from the tubing through tubing lateral passage, housing lateral passage and tree production passage.
- 19. A method for drilling a subsea well, comprising:
- (a) providing a tubular housing having a sidewall, an axial bore, and a housing lateral passage extending from the bore through the sidewall;
- (b) providing a tree block with a central opening, a tree production passage which extends from the central opening, and a production valve in the tree production passage;
- (c) drilling a well to a first depth and installing the housing at a sea floor at an upper end of the well;
- (d) installing a blocking sleeve which blocks the housing lateral passage from the exterior; then
- (d) lowering drill pipe through the housing and drilling the well to a second depth; then
- (e) running a string of casing through the housing, securing a casing hanger to an upper end of the casing and landing the casing in the housing;
- (f) removing the blocking sleeve from the housing after the casing hanger has been installed;
- (f) securing a tubing hanger to a string of tubing and landing the tubing hanger in the housing above the casing hanger, the tubing hanger having a vertical passage which communicates with the tubing and a tubing lateral passage which extends from the vertical passage and registers with the housing lateral passage; and
- (g) after removal of the blocking sleeve, lowering the tree block over the housing with the housing extending through the opening and the housing lateral passage registering with the tree production passage.
- 20. The method according to claim 19 further comprising controlling production flow through the tubing, tubing lateral passage and tree production passage with the production valve.
Parent Case Info
This application claims benefit of Provisional Application 60/032,068 filed Dec. 2, 1996.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
8601852 |
Mar 1986 |
WOX |