Apparatus for Connecting Drilling Components Between Rig and Riser

An apparatus for connecting rig lines of a floating rig to a riser, the rig lines including a rig flow line for conducting flow and including a rig control line for conducting control, the riser having an internal passage, the apparatus comprising:

• a riser manifold disposed on the riser and comprising:
• a first mechanical connector disposed thereon, a first flow coupling for conducting the flow, and a first control coupling for conducting the control;
• a rig manifold configured to removably position adjacent the riser manifold, the rig manifold comprising:
• a second mechanical connector disposed thereon, a second flow coupling for conducting the flow, and a second control coupling for conducting the control, the first and second mechanical connectors configured to mechanically connect together, the second flow coupling configured to mate in a flow connection with the first flow coupling for conducting the flow, the second control coupling configured to mate in a control connection with the first control coupling for conducting control;
• and
• at least one of the riser and rig manifolds comprising a valve controllable with the control connection and configured to control flow communication for the flow connection.

An apparatus for connecting rig lines of a managed pressure drilling (MPD) system and a kill-choke system on a floating rig to a riser, the riser having an internal passage and having a kill-choke line for a kill-choke component, the apparatus comprising:

• a managed pressure drilling (MPD) device disposed on the riser and being configured to at least partially control fluid communication through the internal passage of the riser;
• a riser manifold disposed on the riser and comprising:
• a first mechanical connector disposed thereon, a first coupling disposed in communication with the MPD device, and a second coupling disposed in communication with the kill-choke line;
• and
• a rig manifold configured to removably position adjacent the riser manifold, the rig manifold comprising:
• a second mechanical connector disposed thereon, a third coupling disposed in communication with the MPD system, and a fourth coupling disposed in communication with the kill-choke system,
• the first and second mechanical connectors configured to mechanically connect together, the third coupling configured to mate with the first coupling and configured to communicate therewith, the fourth coupling configured to mate with the second coupling and configured to communicate therewith.

A method of running a riser from a floating rig to a subsea wellhead, the floating rig having rig lines including at least one rig flow line for conducting flow and including at least one rig control line for conducting control, the riser having an internal passage, the method comprising:

• positioning a riser manifold on the riser, connecting a first flow coupling on the riser manifold in flow communication via a flow connection to the internal passage of the riser, and connecting a first control coupling on the riser manifold in control communication via a control connection;
• connecting a second flow coupling on a rig manifold to the rig flow line, and connecting a second control coupling on the rig manifold to the rig control line;
• connecting a controllable valve of at least one of the rig and riser manifold to the control connection, and configuring the controllable valve to control the flow communication for the flow connection between the rig flow line and the internal passage of the riser;
• and
• mating the second flow coupling in flow communication with the first flow coupling and mating the second control coupling in control communication with the first control coupling by manipulating the rig manifold on an arm toward the riser manifold and remotely affixing a second mechanical connector of the rig manifold to the first mechanical connector of the riser manifold.