Subsea coupler system
AssigneeOneSubsea IP UK Limited
InventorJames Stephens
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A technique provides for combining a subsea housing, e.g. a subsea low-pressure wellhead housing, and a casing. The casing may be in the form of a large diameter conductor positioned in a seabed to facilitate deployment of desired types of tubulars and other components in a subsea well. The casing is inserted into the subsea housing along an interior surface of the subsea housing. The casing is joined to the subsea housing by radial expansion of the casing until the casing is forced into a suitable engagement with the subsea housing.
Claims20
A system for use in a subsea well operation, comprising:
- a subsea wellhead housing positioned at a subsea location and having an inside surface with a plurality of internal recesses;
- and
- a large diameter conductor casing extending into a subsea geologic formation at the subsea location, the large diameter conductor casing having an upper end disposed directly along the inside surface within the subsea wellhead housing, the upper end being expanded into the plurality of internal recesses to form a metal-to-metal seal between an exterior surface of the large diameter conductor and the inside surface of the subsea wellhead housing to provide an unobstructed passage along an interior surface of the large diameter conductor.
A method, comprising:
- moving a tubular element of a casing into a wellhead housing such that an external surface of the tubular element is adjacent an inside surface of the wellhead housing;
- engaging an internal surface of the tubular element with an expansion tool;
- operating the expansion tool to expand the tubular element in a radially outward direction;
- applying sufficient force via the expansion tool to continue the radial expansion of the tubular element until a metal-to-metal seal is formed between the external surface of the tubular element and the inside surface of the wellhead housing;
- and
- removing the expansion tool from the tubular element to provide an unobstructed passage along the internal surface of the tubular element.
A system, comprising:
- a subsea low-pressure housing having an interior surface with a plurality of recesses;
- and
- a casing having an exterior surface, the casing being inserted into the subsea low-pressure housing such that the exterior surface of the casing is disposed directly along the interior surface of the subsea low-pressure housing, the casing being expanded into the plurality of recesses to thus form a metal-to-metal seal, an internal surface of the casing being exposed to provide an unobstructed passage through the casing upon forming the metal-to-metal seal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.