Method to install, adjust and recover buoyancy material from subsea facilities
AssigneeSafe Marine Transfer, LLC
InventorsJames E. Chitwood, Art J. Schroeder, Jr., Tom A. Gay
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and process for removing rigid unconsolidated buoyancy material from a subsea facility, disposing rigid unconsolidated buoyancy material to a subsea facility, and recovering said rigid unconsolidated buoyancy material for reuse.
Claims15
A system for removing rigid unconsolidated buoyancy material from a subsea facility, disposing rigid unconsolidated buoyancy material to the subsea facility, and recovering said rigid unconsolidated buoyancy material for reuse, the subsea facility comprising a buoyancy containment vessel, the system further comprising:
- an inlet riser assembly fluidly connected to the side of the buoyancy containment vessel for injecting a mixture comprising seawater and the rigid unconsolidated buoyancy material laterally into the buoyancy containment vessel;
- an outlet riser assembly fluidly connected to the top of the buoyancy containment vessel for recovery of the rigid unconsolidated buoyancy material vertically from the buoyancy containment vessel;
- one or more exit ports providing fluid communication between an external environment and the internal volume of the buoyancy containment vessel;
- a separation unit located on a workboat or a host facility for separating the rigid unconsolidated buoyancy material from seawater;
- wherein the outlet riser assembly fluidly connects the buoyancy containment vessel to the separation unit.
A method of performing subsea well operations, the method comprising:
- installing a subsea facility;
- fluidly connecting the subsea facility directly or indirectly to a subsea well system;
- transferring fluid to or from the subsea facility and the subsea well system;
- and
- recovering the subsea facility;
- wherein the installing comprises sinking the subsea facility and lowering the subsea facility to the seafloor, adjusting an amount of rigid unconsolidated buoyancy material in at least one buoyancy containment vessel to increase or decrease a buoyancy of the subsea facility or portion thereof, and landing the subsea facility on the seafloor, and
- wherein the recovering comprises adjusting the amount of rigid unconsolidated buoyancy material in the at least one buoyancy containment vessel to increase the buoyancy of the subsea facility or portion thereof, and raising the subsea facility from the seafloor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.