Patent Application
20090194012
This application claims the benefit of the filing date of Brazilian Patent Application Serial No. PI 0800140-5 filed Feb. 1, 2008.
The present invention refers to a procedure to permit descent to the sea bottom of equipment used in oil exploration in submarine oil fields, especially descent of equipment of large size and mass in deep water fields, with utilization of conventional tug boats, rendering unnecessary contracting of special vessels for this purpose.
Usually, descending equipment of large size and mass, such as manifolds, to the sea bottom in submarine oil extraction fields, especially in deep water fields, requires utilization of special vessels, provided with heavy duty cranes, vertical movement compensators (the so-called heave compensator) and/or other facilities. Such vessels, in addition of having a very high lease cost, are not always promptly available for contracting at the occasion they are needed, which may result in difficulties for the continuity of oil extracting operations.
Consequently, one of the concerns of companies engaged in oil exploration in submarine fields consists in looking for solutions, eliminating, as much as possible, the requirement for using such special vessels.
In the submarine oilfield exploration, one of the activities where the use of special vessels is mostly required, involves transportation and descent to the sea bottom of equipment of large size and mass. This activity involves four phases:
Phase one offers no problems, since the equipment is in harbor or yard, where it was manufactured. These sites normally have cranes and other facilities to place the equipment aboard the vessel which will take them to the oil exploration site.
Phase two also offers no larger difficulties and only a vessel is required with adequate capability and space aboard to haul the equipment.
Phase three offers more problems, Hauling equipment of large size and mass in the sea and position it to be lowered to the bottom usually requires a special vessel, equipped with heavy duty cranes and other facilities, and vessels with such resources not only imply in high lease costs, but also are scarce on the market.
When deep water oil fields are involved, phase four also is a problem area. In submarine oil fields, cables are being used, activated from barges equipped with heavy duty cranes, adapted to the floating hull, or semi-submersible complementary platforms to lower equipment to bottom of the sea, such as, for example, manifolds. In shallow water fields, such a procedure does not imply in larger problems. However, in deep water fields, the equipment needs to cross a region, named resonance zone, where the set of vessels, cables, equipments enter into resonance as a consequence of the movement of vessels, caused by waves, and this may result in originating forces capable of causing cable ruptures or equipment damages. This problem has been overcome more frequently by using special vessels which are equipped with resources to compensate the movement caused by the waves. This has shown to be a difficult alternative not only due to the high lease cost of such vessels, but also to the reduced availability of such vessels on the market.
Another alternative presented by Brazilian patent PI 0306058-6 (Pendulous Method for Installation of Equipment at the Bottom of the Sea in Offshore Operations) which proposes utilization of two vessels to accomplish the operation of descent. The first vessel maintains equipment to be lowered positioned slightly below the sea surface, while the second vessel moves away, extending a cable previously attached to equipment. When the cable attains a required length, the first vessel releases the equipment which, due to the action of the cable and its specific weight, carries out a pendulous softened movement until a position close to the sea bottom, crossing the resonance area in a situation, in which this cannot occur.
While this second alternative resolves the problem presented by the first alternative, it evidences other limitations, one being the lack of control of the speed of descent of the equipment.
The present invention proposes a procedure, dispensing use of special vessels to descend equipment of large sizes and mass to the sea bottom in submarine oil exploration fields, permitting, at the same time, to maintain adequate speed control for descent of equipment, simultaneously avoiding problems of the resonance area.
This procedure is based on the use of two common vessels for this type of operation, tug boats with dynamic positioning, A.H.T.S. (Anchor, Handling, Tug, Supply), which descend equipment thru cables connected to an auxiliary component which, on its turn, is attached to the equipment being lowered. The utilization of this auxiliary component, combined with the procedure of descent, permits to neutralize movement of vessels, caused by waves, eliminating the risk of resonance occurrences.
In order to facilitate comprehension of the invention, its detailed description will be made based on the figures accompanying this report, of which they are a whole part.
As shown in
It is preferred that equipment be prepared, using the process described also in the co-pending Brazilian patent application, named “AUXILIARY FLOATING STRUCTURE AND PROCESS FOR DESCENT OF EQUIPMENT TO THE SEA,” still not published and of the same author of the present invention, because it will thus already be prepared for utilization in accordance with the process of the present invention. Nevertheless, any other preparatory process may be used, as long as it permits installation of auxiliary component (3) and connection of cables (6 and 8) used in the present invention.
Being previously prepared in the present case means that equipment (5) to be lowered to sea bottom (18) is submerged for some meters, suspended by a tug boat (1). As shown in
The auxiliary component (3) is preferably a triplate, but may also be a large ring (19) or any other device, permitting freedom of movement to cables attached to it. Freedom of movement in the present sense means the possibility of dampening movements of tug boats, caused by ocean waves, minimizing transmission of vertical movements to equipment (5).
With equipment (5) already prepared, tug boat (1) positions itself in spot of descent and awaits approach of the second tug boat (2) until a point, where it is possible to transfer the cable (8) of the second tug boat (2) to tug boat (1). Cable (8) is then attached to auxiliary component (3).
As shown in detail in
In the event the auxiliary component should be a large ring (19), two alternatives may be used. The first one consists in attaching cables (6 and 8) from tug boats (1 and 2) to large ring (19) by means of two connectors, using an assembly similar to the triplate. The second alternative, as shown in
Thus, a situation is being created where equipment (5) may be lowered without oscillating upwards and downwards, eliminating the risk of the entire set becoming resonant while crossing the resonance area.
After conclusion of the above operation, tug boat (1) releases sling (7) and both tug boats (1 and 2) position themselves adequately and start to release cables (6 and 8) as shown in
Both tug boats (1 and 2) maneuver until an adequate distance, at the same time in which they extend cables (6 and 8), permitting a small descent of equipment (5). As of this point, they again approach reciprocally, thus permitting descent of equipment (5). During descent of equipment (5), tug boats (1 and 2) are maneuvering and controlling cables (6 and 8), based on the control of three variables, such as relative position of boats, crane and boat speed and length of cables, so that movement caused by waves is being absorbed by pivotal action of connectors (10 and 11) around the holes of auxiliary component (3), not being transferred to equipment (5). It is convenient to remember that with devices permitting to identify their perfect location, such as DGPS (Differential GPS or Differential Global Positioning System) and other devices insuring they carry out precise maneuvers in sea. Preferably, both the auxiliary component (3) as well as equipment (5) also should receive position signaling devices, which facilitate descent control of the latter.
After equipment (5) surpasses the resonance area, its descent may continue to be made by only one of the tug boats (1 or 2), as shown in
While the “PROCESS FOR DESCENT OF EQUIPMENT TO THE SEA BOTTOM,” which has now been described with regard to the attached drawings, is being shown as a form of preferred accomplishment of the invention, it will be understood that several changes may be introduced without abandoning the concept presented herein and some elements may be replaced by others with the same technical function, especially the materials and equipment utilized, their sizes, forms and proportions.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PI 0800140-5 | Feb 2008 | BR | national |
