Integrated subsea power pack for drilling and production
AssigneeVetco Aibel AS
InventorNils-Arne Soelvik
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A power supply assembly, which is placed subsea and is connected to an umbilical from a platform, supplies electrical power to subsea equipment. The power supply assembly supplies power during drilling operations to a pump for pumping drilling fluid from the sea floor to the sea surface. During production operations, the power supply assembly provides power to a booster pump to pump the well fluid away from the subsea well for collection. The subsea power supply assembly optionally also provides power to electrically charged portions of subsea separators that remove water from the oil in the well fluid. The booster pump the pumps the oil from the separator away from the subsea wellhead for collection.
Claims16
A method for drilling and producing a well, comprising the steps:
- (a) providing a subsea wellhead assembly at a sea floor;
- (b) locating an electrical power supply assembly subsea adjacent the sea floor and connecting the power supply to an umbilical from a platform at the surface;
- (c) extending a string of drill pipe and a drill bit through the subsea wellhead assembly, and drilling a well with the drill bit while pumping drilling fluid from the platform through the drill pipe, which returns back up to the wellhead assembly;
- (d) connecting a pump to the wellhead assembly in communication with the drilling fluid returning back up the well, and to a conduit leading to the platform;
- (e) supplying electricity from the power supply to the pump, and pumping the drilling fluid up the conduit to the platform;
- (f) completing the well and installing production equipment subsea;
- and then,
- (g) after completion of the well, supplying electricity from the power supply assembly during production operations to subsea production equipment.
A method for drilling and producing a well, comprising the steps:
- (a) providing a subsea wellhead assembly at a sea floor;
- (b) locating an electrical power supply assembly subsea adjacent the sea floor and connecting the power supply to an umbilical from a platform at the surface;
- (c) extending a string of drill pipe and a drill bit through the subsea wellhead assembly, and drilling a well with the drill bit while pumping drilling fluid from the platform through the drill pipe, which returns back up to the wellhead assembly;
- (d) connecting a pump to the wellhead assembly in communication with the drilling fluid returning back up the well, and to a conduit leading to the platform;
- (e) supplying electricity from the power supply to the pump, and pumping the drilling fluid up the conduit to the platform;
- (f) completing the well and installing production equipment subsea;
- and then,
- (g) after completion of the well, supplying electricity from the power supply assembly during production operations to subsea production equipment;
- (h) including a well fluid pump in the subsea production equipment;
- and
- (i) supplying electricity from the power supply to operate the well fluid pump.
The method for supplying power according to claim 10, wherein the production equipment installed subsea in step (f) includes a subsea separator having electrically charged portions for separating water from oil in the well fluid;
- and further comprising the steps:
- supplying electricity from the power supply to the separator to separate the water from the oil in the well fluid.
Well drilling and production equipment for a subsea well, comprising:
- a subsea power supply located subsea adjacent a sea floor that is adapted to be connected to a surface platform by an umbilical for receiving power;
- and
- a drilling fluid pump located subsea that is electrically powered by the power supply for pumping drilling fluid to the platform while the well is being drilled;
- and
- an electrically powered well production unit located subsea that is powered by the power supply after the well has been completed for producing the well.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.