Method and apparatus for controlling subsea well template production systems

A system for control of subsea template production systems for use with a surface control unit, a riser positioned in the open sea terminating at a riser base, at least one template remote from said riser base and having attached subsea trees, and a plurality of satellite wells having attached operators, said system comprising:

• an electrical power unit connected to said surface control unit, to said riser base and to each of said templates;
• a hydraulic power unit connected to said surface control unit;
• an electrical distribution center mounted on said riser base;
• means for connecting said electrical power unit to said distribution center and to said control unit;
• means for connecting said hydraulic power unit to said riser base and to said control unit;
• an electrohydraulic control module mounted on said riser base for controlling the operation of said riser base under the direction of said control unit and through said distribution center;
• means for connecting said electrohydraulic control module to said distribution center;
• means for coupling hydraulic power from said riser base to each of said satellite wells;
• a plurality of hydraulic control lines;
• and
• means for coupling each of said hydraulic control lines between said control unit and a corresponding one of said satellite wells to control said operators in said satellite wells.

A system for control of subsea template production systems for use with a surface control unit, a riser positioned in the open sea terminating at a riser base on the seafloor, a template remote from said riser base and having attached subsea trees, and a plurality of satellite wells having attached operators, said system comprising:

• an electrical power unit connected to said surface control unit;
• a hydraulic power unit connected to said surface control unit;
• a hydraulic supply line connected between said hydraulic power unit and said riser base;
• an electrical distribution center mounted on said riser base;
• means for connecting said electrical power unit to said electrical distribution center;
• an electrohydraulic riser base control module mounted on said riser base and connected for controlling the operation of said riser base;
• means for connecting said electrohydraulic riser base control module to said electrical distribution center;
• an electrohydraulic template module mounted on said template for controlling the operation of said subsea trees;
• means for connecting said template module to said electrical distribution center;
• means for connecting said subsea trees, said satellite wells, said template module and said riser module to a lower end of said hydraulic supply line;
• a plurality of hydraulic control lines;
• and
• means for coupling each of said hydraulic control lines between said control unit and a corresponding one of said satellite wells.

A method for remote individual control of subsea trees mounted on templates and subsea satellite wells using a smaller number of hydraulic lines between a surface control center and a subsea riser base, said riser base being remote from said templates and from said satellite wells, said method comprising the steps of:

• (1) installing a source of pressurized hydraulic fluid and a source of electrical power at said surface control center,
• (2) installing an electrical distribution center and a hydraulic control module on said riser base,
• (3) connecting said electrical distribution center to said electrical source,
• (4) connecting said hydraulic control module to said hydraulic source,
• (5) connecting a surface control unit to said electrical and to said hydraulic sources;
• (6) coupling said hydraulic source to said subsea trees and to said satellite wells,
• (7) coupling hydraulic control signals from said surface control unit to said satellite wells, and
• (8) coupling said electrical distribution center and said hydraulic source to said templates for controlling said subsea trees.

A method for remote individual control of subsea trees mounted on templates and subsea satellite wells using a smaller number of hydraulic lines between a surface control center and a subsea riser base, said riser base being remote from said templates and from said satellite wells, said method comprising the steps of:

• (1) installing a source of pressurized hydraulic fluid and a source of electrical power at said surface control center,
• (2) installing an electrical distribution center and an electrohydraulic riser base control module on said riser base,
• (3) connecting said electrical distribution center to said electrical source,
• (4) connecting said electrohydraulic riser base control module to said hydraulic source,
• (5) connecting a surface control unit to said electrical and to said hydraulic sources,
• (6) mounting a plurality of electrohydraulic template control modules on said template,
• (7) connecting an electrical portion of said electrohydraulic riser base control module and said electrohydraulic template control modules to said distribution center,
• (8) connecting a hydraulic portion of each of said electrohydraulic template control modules to said subsea wells to control the operation of said subsea wells,
• (9) coupling hydraulic control signals from said surface control unit to each of said satellite wells, and
• (10) coupling said pressurized hydraulic source to each of said satellite wells.

A method for remote individual control of subsea trees mounted on templates and subsea satellite wells using a smaller number of hydraulic lines between a surface control center and a subsea riser base, said riser base being remote from said templates and from said satellite wells, said method comprising the steps of:

• (1) installing a source of pressurized hydraulic fluid and a source of electrical power at said surface control center,
• (2) installing an electrical distribution center and an electrohydraulic riser base control module on said riser base,
• (3) connecting a surface control unit to said electrical and said hydraulic sources,
• (4) connecting said electrical distribution center to said electrical source,
• (5) connecting a hydraulic supply line between said hydraulic source and said riser base,
• (6) connecting said electrohydraulic riser base control module to a lower end of said hydraulic supply line,
• (7) mounting an electrohydraulic template control module on said template,
• (8) connecting an electrical portion of said electrohydraulic riser base control module and said template control modules to said electrical distribution center,
• (9) connecting said template control module to said lower end of said hydraulic supply line,
• (10) coupling a hydraulic portion of said template control module to each of said subsea trees,
• (11) coupling a hydraulic control line between said control center and each of said satellite wells, and
• (12) connecting each of said statellite wells and each of said subsea trees to said lower end of said hydraulic supply line.

A system for control of subsea template production systems for use with a surface control unit, a riser positioned in the open sea terminating at a riser base, a template remote from said riser base and having attached subsea trees, and a plurality of satellite wells having attached operators, said system comprising:

• a power source coupled to said surface control unit,
• a base control module mounted on said riser base,
• means for coupling said base control module to said power source and to said surface control unit,
• a plurality of template control modules mounted on said template,
• means for coupling said surface control unit and said power source to said satellite wells through said riser base to control said operators in said satellite wells,
• means for coupling said surface control unit and said power source through said remote riser base to said template control modules, and
• means for coupling said template control modules to said subsea trees for supplying control signals to said subsea trees from said template control modules.