Suction-type ocean-floor wellhead

A method of positioning a wellhead apparatus and sinking it into the ocean floor, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing open-bottomed container means having an open-end sleeve to receive a well conductor;
• providing port means near the top of the wall of said container means for evacuating water therefrom;
• providing venturi suction means operatively engageable with said container means and having suction port means, said suction means being adapted to be secured to and lowered by said conduit means;
• providing fluid conduit means in communication between the interior of said container means and said suction port means;
• connecting said suction means to the lower end of said conduit means;
• stabbing said suction means into fluid communication with said container means;
• seating and aligning said suction means so that one inlet port means of said suction means is in communication with one port means of said container means and the other inlet port means of said suction means is in communication with the throughbore of said conduit means;
• lowering said conduit means until the wellhead apparatus is on the ocean floor;
• determining whether said container means is at the desired angle relative to the vertical;
• adjusting the angle of said container means relative to the vertical,
• pumping fluid down the conduit means, through the venturi of said suction means, and out of the outlet port means of said suction means to create suction within said container means;
• terminating the suction within the container means when said container means has sunk into the ocean floor to a selected depth;
• disconnecting said suction means from said container means;
• and
• raising the suction means and associated conduit means to the ocean surface.

A subsea apparatus adapted to be positioned on the ocean floor in combination with means for sinking it into the ocean floor, said combination comprising;

• open-bottomed container means adapted to be sunk into the ocean floor having the top of said container means above the ocean floor to form a base for well equipment;
• venturi suction means operatively engageable and disengageable with said subsea apparatus, said suction means having a throughbore and suction port means at the throat of the venturi throughbore and being adapted to be secured to the lower end of, and be lowered by, conduit means extending from the ocean floor to a point above the water surface;
• cooperating connector means carried by said suction means and said subsea apparatus for connecting said subsea apparatus to said suction means in a weight-supporting and fluid-communication manner;
• and
• fluid conduit means in communication between the interior of said container means and the venturi suction port means.

A wellhead apparatus adapted to be positioned on the ocean floor in combination with means for sinking an anchoring portion thereof into the ocean floor, said combination comprising:

• open-bottomed container means forming the anchoring portion of said apparatus and being adapted to be sunk into the ocean floor with both sides of the container means being in contact with the ocean floor and having the top of said container means above the ocean floor to form a base for well equipment;
• support means connected to said container means at the upper end thereof above the ocean floor, said support means having a downwardly-directed opening therethrough for receiving a well conductor therein;
• landing surface means formed adjacent said opening above the ocean floor and carried by said support means, said landing surface means being adapted to engage a well conductor positioned in said opening;
• venturi suction means operatively engageable and disengageable with the top of the wellhead apparatus being located substantially level with the top of the container means for evacuating fluid from the top of said container means located above the ocean floor without disturbing that portion of the ocean floor within the container means which is in frictional contact with the inner wall of said container means, said suction means having a throughbore and suction port means at the throat of the venturi throughbore and being adapted to be secured to the lower end of, and be lowered by conduit means extending from the ocean floor to a point above the water surface;
• sleeve means centrally positioned in said wellhead apparatus and extending downwardly from said landing surface means of said support means wherein the sleeve means of said container means includes port means through the wall near the upper end of said container means and in communication therewith;
• cooperating connector means carried by said suction means and said wellhead apparatus for connecting said wellhead apparatus to said suction means in a weight-supporting and fluid-communication manner wherein said connector means forms two portions, one portion being carried by said suction means and the other portion being carried by the upper end of said sleeve of said wellhead apparatus;
• and
• fluid conduit means in communication between the interior of said container means and the venturi suction port means.

A wellhead apparatus adapted to be positioned on the ocean floor in combination with means for sinking an anchoring portion thereof into the ocean floor, said combination comprising:

• open-bottomed container means forming the anchoring portion of said apparatus and being adapted to be sunk into the ocean floor with both sides of the container means being in contact with the ocean floor and having the top of said container means above the ocean floor to form a base for well equipment, said container means having a plurality of containers adapted to be positioned in the ocean floor in close fixed proximity to each other, each of said containers having port means through the wall thereof near the upper end thereof;
• support means connected to said container means at the upper end thereof above the ocean floor, said support means having a downwardly-directed opening therethrough for receiving a well conductor therein;
• landing surface means formed adjacent said opening above the ocean floor and carried by said support means, said landing surface means being adapted to engage a well conductor positioned in said opening;
• venturi suction means operatively engageable and disengageable with the top of the wellhead apparatus being located substantially level with the top of the container means for evacuating fluid from the top of said container means located above the ocean floor without disturbing that portion of the ocean floor within the container means which is in frictional contact with the inner wall of said container means, said suction means having a throughbore and being adapted to be secured to the lower end of, and be lowered by conduit means extending from the ocean floor to a point above the water surface, said venturi suction means having suction port means in communication with each of said container port means for evacuating water from said container means and applying a vacuum thereto wherein said suction means includes valve means for selectively opening said suction port means in response to the angle of said containers means relative to the vertical during normal operations;
• a plurality of fluid conduit means in communication between the interior of each of said container means and said suction port means;
• cooperating connector means carried by said suction means and said wellhead apparatus for connecting said wellhead apparatus to said suction means in a weight-supporting and fluid-communication manner;
• and
• fluid conduit means in communication between the interior of said container means and the venturi suction port means.

A wellhead apparatus adapted to be positioned on the ocean floor in combination with means for sinking an anchoring portion thereof into the ocean floor, said combination comprising:

• open-bottomed container means forming the anchoring portion of said apparatus and being adapted to be sunk into the ocean floor with both sides of the container means being in contact with the ocean floor and having the top of said container means above the ocean floor to from a base for well equipment, said container means having a plurality of containers adapted to be positioned in the ocean floor in close fixed proximity to each other, each of said containers having port means through the wall thereof near the upper end thereof;
• support means connected to said container means at the upper end thereof above the ocean floor, said support means having a downwardly-directed opening therethrough for receiving a well conductor therein;
• landing surface means formed adjacent said opening above the ocean floor and carried by said support means, said landing surface means being adapted to engage a well conductor positioned in said opening;
• venturi suction means operatively engageable and disengageable with the top of the wellhead apparatus being located substantially level with the top of the container means for evacuating fluid from the top of said container means located above the ocean floor without disturbing that portion of the ocean floor within the container means which is in frictional contact with the inner wall of said container means, said suction means having a throughbore and suction port means at the throat of the venturi throughbore and being adapted to be secured to the lower end of, and be lowered by conduit means extending from the ocean floor to a point above the water surface, said venturi suction means having suction port means in communication with each of said container port means for evacuating water from said container means and applying a vacuum thereto wherein said suction means includes valve means for selectively opening said suction port means in response to the angle of said containers means relative to the vertical during normal operations;
• a plurality of fluid conduit means in communication between the interior of each of said container means and said suction port means;
• cooperating connector means carried by said suction means and said wellhead apparatus for connecting said wellhead apparatus to said suction means in a weight-supporting and fluid-communication manner;
• fluid conduit means in communication between the interior of said container means and the venturi suction port means;
• and
• level-indicating means in communication with said container means to determine the angle of said container means relative to the vertical.

A method of positioning a wellhead apparatus and sinking it into the ocean floor, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing open-bottomed container means having an open-end sleeve to receive a well conductor;
• providing port means near the top of the wall of said container means for evacuating water therefrom;
• providing venturi suction means operatively engageable with said container means and having suction port means, said suction means being adapted to be secured to and lowered by said conduit means;
• providing fluid conduit means in communication between the interior of said container means and said suction port means;
• providing a level-indicating means in communication with said container means to determine the position of said container means relative to the vertical;
• providing valve means in fluid communication with said port means of said container means for selectively evacuating water therefrom;
• providing controller means in communication with said level-indicating means and said valve means to open or close said valve means;
• connecting said suction means to the lower end of said conduit means;
• stabbing said suction means into fluid communication with said container means;
• seating and aligning said suction means so that one inlet port means of said suction means is in communication with one port means of said container means and the other inlet port means of said suction means is in communication with the throughbore of said conduit means;
• lowering said conduit means until the wellhead apparatus is on the ocean floor;
• determining whether said container means is at the desired angle relative to the vertical wherein said determining includes
• transmitting a signal from said level-indicating means to said controller means to indicate the angle of said containers relative to the vertical;
• comparing the position indicated by the controller means with a selected predetermined angle of said container means relative to the vertical;
• adjusting the angle of said container means relative to the vertical;
• pumping fluid down the conduit means, through the venturi of said suction means, and out of the outlet port means of said suction means to create suction within said container means;
• terminating the suction within the container means when said container means has sunk into the ocean floor to a selected depth;
• disconnecting said suction means from said container means;
• and
• raising the suction means and associated conduit means to the ocean surface.

A subsea apparatus adapted to be positioned on the ocean floor in combination with means for sinking an anchoring portion thereof into the ocean floor, said combination comprising:

• open-bottomed containing means forming the anchoring portion of said apparatus and being adapted to be sunk into the ocean floor with both sides of the containing means being in contact with the ocean floor and having the top of said containing means above the ocean floor to form a base for well equipment;
• supporting means connected to said containing means at the upper end thereof above the ocean floor, said supporting means having a downwardly-directed opening therethrough for receiving a well conductor therein;
• landing means formed adjacent said opening above the ocean floor and carried by said support means, said landing means being adapted to engage a well conductor positioned in said opening;
• and
• venturi suctioning means operatively engageable and disengageable with the top of the subsea apparatus being located substantially level with the top of the containing means for evacuating fluid from the top of said containing means located above the ocean floor without disturbing that portion of the ocean floor within the containing means which is in frictional contact with the inner wall of said containing means.

A method of positioning a subsea wellhead apparatus and sinking it into the ocean floor, the method comprising the steps of:

• supporting a well conductor receiving sleeve within a subsea wellhead apparatus having a plurality of open-bottomed containing means;
• lowering the subsea wellhead apparatus until the apparatus is on the ocean floor;
• determining whether said subsea wellhead apparatus is at the desired angle relative to the vertical;
• adjusting the angle of said subsea wellhead apparatus relative to the vertical;
• pumping fluid through a venturi-suctioning means in communication with the containing means to create suction within said containing means;
• and
• terminating suction within said containing means when said containing means have sunken into the ocean floor.