Patent Grant
11167328
Not applicable
Not applicable
The present invention relates to the cleaning of oil and gas well riser sections or assemblies. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for cleaning an oil and gas well riser section or assembly that includes a larger diameter central pipe and a plurality of smaller diameter pipes that are spaced radially away from the central larger diameter pipe. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for cleaning oil and gas well riser sections wherein a specially configured cap or pair of caps are fitted to the ends of the riser which enable pressure washing cleaning tools (or a camera) to be inserted into and through a selected one of the pipes including either a smaller diameter of the pipes or the central larger diameter pipe and wherein the cap continuously collects spent cleaning fluid and debris.
Oil and gas well riser sections typically include a central larger diameter pipe or tubular member that is surrounded by a plurality of three or four or more smaller diameter pipes held in spaced relation to the central pipe with plates or flanges. Flanges are provided at each end of the riser assembly or riser section. These flanges include openings that communicate with the bore or bores of the smaller diameter pipes. The flange has a central opening that communicates with the bore of the central larger diameter pipe.
In order to clean these pipe sections, it is necessary to remove rust, scale, debris, chemical deposits and the like from both the inner larger diameter pipe section bore as well as the smaller outer or peripherally placed pipe section bores.
The present invention thus provides a method and apparatus for cleaning oil and gas well riser sections wherein the riser section includes a central larger diameter pipe or tubular member having a flow bore and a plurality of smaller diameter pipes or tubular members that are preferably connected to the central larger diameter tubular member with flanges or spacers. Each of the smaller diameter tubular members has a flow bore.
The method includes placing a first cap or fitting on one end portion of the riser section. The fitting preferably covers an end of the larger diameter tubular member as well as the ends of the smaller diameter tubular members. The fitting preferably has multiple openings including one or more centrally located openings and a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart outer openings that are each spaced radially away from the one or more centrally located openings.
The fitting can include a cylindrically shaped portion and a circular portion that is preferably joined to cylindrically shaped portion. A flexible sealing member preferably helps join the cap or fitting to an end of the riser assembly.
The method includes inserting a first cleaning tool through the centrally located opening and into the larger diameter tubular member. The cleaning tool includes a pressure washing tool that cleans the inside surface of the larger diameter tubular member. A cable preferably supplies fluid under pressure to the first cleaning tool.
The method includes the inserting of a cleaning tool through one or more of the outer or peripherally placed openings and into one of the smaller diameter tubular members. The smaller diameter tubular members are cleaned with a second pressure washing tool that preferably cleans the inside surface of the smaller diameter tubular member or members, one after the other.
The method includes the suction of fluid from the cleaning operations via a fitting or discharge that is preferably placed at a lower end portion of the fitting so that gravity flow can remove such cleaning fluid on a continuous basis.
The outer openings are positioned along a curved line that is radially spaced outwardly of the centrally located opening or openings, the curved line traversing each of the outer tubular members.
In one embodiment, each centrally located opening is generally aligned with the bore of the larger diameter tubular member.
In one embodiment, one or more outer openings are generally aligned with the bore of a smaller diameter tubular member.
In one embodiment, the riser section or assembly has one end portion with an annular flange, each tubular member connected to the flange and the fitting preferably attaches to the annular flange.
In one embodiment, the flange has an outer diameter and the fitting has a peripheral skirt with a seal having a diameter that is about equal to the flange outer diameter. Further, the method includes attaching the fitting at the peripheral skirt to the annular flange.
In one embodiment, there are a pair of caps or fittings, a fitting preferably being attached to each end portion of the riser section or assembly.
In one embodiment, a suction is preferably applied to each of the caps or fittings to subject all flow bores of the riser section to a vacuum during cleaning operations.
In one embodiment, the vacuum at least partially contributes to securing the caps or fittings to the riser section.
In one embodiment, there are at least three outer openings.
In one embodiment, there are between two and twenty outer openings.
In one embodiment, the outer openings are preferably arranged in a circle.
In one embodiment, some of the outer openings are aligned with a smaller diameter tubular member bore and some of the outer openings are not aligned with a smaller diameter tubular member bore.
For a further understanding of the nature, objects, and advantages of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, read in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements and wherein:
The larger diameter pipe 15 has a pipe bore 17 of larger diameter. The smaller diameter pipes 16 each have a pipe bore 18 of smaller diameter. Flange 19 is preferably an annular flange that can be a part of a riser assembly 11 or 11A. In the flange 19, there are openings 20 that do not align with a particular smaller diameter pipe 16. During cleaning of such a flange 19, plugs 21 or 22 are used to block the openings 20 so that fluid is not leaked through the openings 20. The riser assembly 11 or 11A can include an insulation layer 23 or protective covering or coating 23 (e.g., see
The apparatus 10 of the present invention and the method of the present invention preferably employ one or more caps, fittings or shrouds 25 as seen in
Each cap, fitting or shroud 25 preferably includes a cylindrical section 26, a circular wall 27, and a concave portion or cavity 24. Wall 27 can be welded to cylindrical section 26. The cylindrical section 26 has an inner surface 28 and an outer surface 29. The circular wall has an inner surface 30 and an outer surface 31.
A gasket or seal 32 can be attached to cylindrical section 26. The gasket or seal 32 can be attached to the cylindrical section 26 using band 33 and fasteners such as rivets 34. Straps 51 can be used to hold each cap, fitting or shroud 25 to a selected end portion 12, 13 of a riser assembly 11 or 11A. In
The circular wall 27 is preferably provided with a plurality of openings. These openings include central opening 36 and a plurality of peripheral openings 39. Each opening 36, 39 can be fitted with a flange 37 and a seal 38 (e.g., a rubber seal, polymeric seal, sheet of rubber). In one embodiment, the flange 37 is preferably bolted to the circular wall 27 with fasteners, thus sandwiching the seal 38 or rubber sheet in between the flange 37 and the circular wall 27.
Each peripheral opening 39 is preferably fitted with a flange 40 and can include a seal 38 or rubber sheet. Central opening 36 enables entry of a cleaning tool through the seal or rubber sheet 38 and into a selected pipe 15 or 16 to be cleaned.
A hose 43 supplies pressurized fluid to jetting tool 42. Each seal or rubber sheet 38 or rubber sheet can have a small opening at 41 which allows insertion of the jetting tool 42 and its pressurized hose 43 from the outer surface 31 of circular wall 27 to the inner surface 30 of circular wall 27, thus gaining access to the bore 17 or 18 of a selected larger diameter pipe 15 or smaller diameter pipe 16 to be cleaned.
A hose feed device 44 can be used to feed hose 43 into the selected bore 17 or 18 during cleaning, thus advancing the cleaning tool into and along a selected bore 17 or 18 until all of it is cleaned (i.e., inside surface of pipe 15 or 16). Such a hose feed device 44 is commercially available (e.g., Stone Age Autobox Model ABX-500).
Each cap or shroud 25 has an outlet fitting 45 to which is attached a suction line 46. The suction line 46 would be coupled to a pump or like device that pulls the suction on the outlet fitting 45 and thus the interior of the riser assembly 11 or 11A. In one embodiment, caps or fittings or shrouds 25 are placed at both ends of the riser assembly 11 or 11A, each of the caps or shrouds 25 having an outlet fitting 45 and a suction line 46. In this fashion, the suction lines 46 and their pumps assist in holding the caps or shrouds 25 to the riser assembly 11 or 11A by subjecting the entire interior of the riser assembly 11 or 11A to a vacuum. Hoses 47 can be attached to each flange 37, 40 (see
Once cleaning is finished, a camera or like device can be used for inspecting the bores 17 or 18. A camera line 49 can be provided as well as a camera feed device 50 for inserting the camera into a selected bore 17 or 18, as shown in
To accomplish this, multiple tools 42 are used to control the feeding of the high-pressure water hoses 43, the cleaning tools 42 attached to each of them.
In
In
These two tools were invented for the purpose of controlling multiple high-pressure water cleaning tools, simultaneously with minimal man-power and minimal human exposure to moving parts.
On a typical job there might be two of tool 60 and two of tool 62, with tool 62 at each end of a riser 11 or 11A. The two of tool 60 can be side by side or remote from one another. Typically there will be a separate human operator for each tool 60, though if they are side by side one human operator can operate both.
The following is a list of parts and materials suitable for use in the present invention:
All measurements disclosed herein are at standard temperature and pressure, at sea level on Earth, unless indicated otherwise. All materials used or intended to be used in a human being are biocompatible, unless indicated otherwise.
The foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only; the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/216,222, filed on 11 Dec. 2018, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,486,205 on 26 Nov. 2019. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/216,222, was a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/162,484, filed on 23 May 2016, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,195,650 on 5 Feb. 2019. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/162,484 claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/164,978, filed 21 May 2015; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/191,991, filed 13 Jul. 2015. U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 16/216,222 and 15/162,484, and U.S. Provisional Patent Nos. 62/164,978 and 62/191,991 are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1704364 | Markley | Mar 1929 | A |
| 2117648 | Bottorf | May 1938 | A |
| 5159956 | Kurihara | Nov 1992 | A |
| 5217166 | Schulze et al. | Jun 1993 | A |
| 5323797 | Rankin | Jun 1994 | A |
| 5964414 | Hardy et al. | Oct 1999 | A |
| 6158076 | Rutkowski et al. | Dec 2000 | A |
| 6454009 | Carmichael et al. | Sep 2002 | B2 |
| 7040331 | Garman et al. | May 2006 | B2 |
| 8118091 | Baker et al. | Feb 2012 | B2 |
| 9844803 | Carter | Dec 2017 | B1 |
| 10125577 | Carter | Nov 2018 | B1 |
| 10174564 | Carter | Jan 2019 | B1 |
| 10195650 | Carter | Feb 2019 | B1 |
| 10486205 | Carter | Nov 2019 | B1 |
| 10562080 | Carter | Feb 2020 | B1 |
| 10596605 | Carter | Mar 2020 | B1 |
| 20010018976 | Carmichael et al. | Sep 2001 | A1 |
| 20040050553 | Edvardsen et al. | Mar 2004 | A1 |
| 20110052328 | Frerich et al. | Mar 2011 | A1 |
| 20140060849 | Pathak et al. | Mar 2014 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62191991 | Jul 2015 | US | |
| 62164978 | May 2015 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16216222 | Dec 2018 | US |
| Child | 16596031 | US | |
| Parent | 15162484 | May 2016 | US |
| Child | 16216222 | US |
