A Method of Assessing the Condition of a Tubular Member
AssigneeFlexlife Limited
InventorCraig Nelson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a method of assessing the condition of a tubular member, for example a flexible riser, an inert fluid is flowed from a fluid source through a conduit connected to a laminar flow device, which can determine volumetric and/or mass flow rate of the fluid. The fluid is flowed through the laminar flow device into the riser annulus, and flow continues until the fluid pressure within the annulus stabilises. The volume of fluid flowed into the annulus offers an indication of the integrity of the riser, for example, whether any fluid is present therein.
Claims29
A method of assessing the condition of a tubular member, the method comprising flowing a fluid through a laminar flow device into the tubular member, wherein the laminar flow device is disposed in line with a fluid conduit delivering the fluid to the tubular member, into an annulus in the tubular member, wherein the tubular member comprises an outer and inner layer adapted to seal the annulus;
- and determining the remnant free volume of the annulus of the tubular member by measuring the volumetric flow rate of fluid through the laminar flow device and thus determining the volume of fluid injected into the tubular member.
2-10. (canceled)
14-24. (canceled)
(canceled)
An apparatus for assessing the condition of a tubular member, the apparatus comprising a fluid conduit adapted to supply fluid from a fluid source to a tubular member, and a laminar flow device adapted to determine the volumetric flow rate of the fluid as it flows into the tubular member, wherein the laminar flow device is disposed in line with a fluid conduit delivering the fluid to the tubular member, into an annulus in the tubular member, wherein the tubular member comprises an outer and inner layer adapted to seal the annulus;
- and wherein the laminar flow device is adapted to determine the remnant free volume of the annulus of the tubular member by measuring the volumetric flow rate of fluid through the laminar flow device and thus determine the volume of fluid injected into the tubular member.
29-30. (canceled)
33-35. (canceled)
(canceled)
40-43. (canceled)
48-50. (canceled)
A method of assessing the condition of a riser of an oil or gas well, wherein the riser provides a conduit through a water column between a subsea facility and a surface facility, the method comprising flowing a fluid through a laminar flow device into the riser, wherein the laminar flow device is disposed in line with a fluid conduit delivering the fluid to the riser, into an annulus in the riser, wherein the riser comprises an outer and inner layer adapted to seal the annulus;
- and determining the remnant free volume of the annulus of the riser by measuring the volumetric flow rate of fluid through the laminar flow device and thus determining the volume of fluid injected into the riser, wherein the method includes flowing fluid from a pressurised fluid supply into the annulus until a substantially constant pressure in the annulus is achieved and the pressure in the annulus and the pressure in the pressurised fluid supply are substantially at equilibrium, and wherein the fluid is flowed into the annulus at a flow rate that approached zero as pressure is equalized between the annulus and the fluid flowing through the fluid conduit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.