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US 5,971,077 AGranted
Insert tree
AssigneeABB Vetco Gray Inc.
InventorRobert O. Lilley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A subsea well has a an outer wellhead housing with a tree on an upper end and a tubing hanger landed in the bore of the tree. A tree cap lands on and is secured to the tree. The tree cap has a plurality of production and annulus valves and a dual-bore control pod assembly. The tree has annulus bypass passages which communicate with a tubing annulus on a lower end and upper ports in the tubing hanger on an upper end. Production fluids flow up the tubing hanger bore to the tree cap and circulates through a flowline in the control pod. Access to the tubing annulus is through the annulus passages and tree cap annulus passage to a separate flowline.
Claims29
A well production tree, comprising:
- a tree body having a vertical bore, an external connector profile and an open upper end;
- a tubing hanger landed in the bore and having a vertical production passage in communication with a string of tubing;
- a valve in the tubing hanger for opening and closing the production passage in the tubing hanger;
- a tree cap having a receptacle which slides over the open upper end of the tree body;
- a securing connector carried by the tree cap for engaging the connector profile of the tree body;
- a production passage in the tree cap which is in fluid communication with the production passage of the tubing hanger;
- and
- a production valve carried by the tree cap for opening and closing the production passage in the tree cap.
5 more elements
A well production tree, comprising:
- a tree body having a vertical bore, an external connector profile and an open upper end;
- a tubing hanger landed in the bore and having a vertical production passage in communication with a string of tubing;
- a valve in the tubing hanger for opening and closing the production passage in the tubing hanger;
- a tree cap having a receptacle which slides over the open upper end of the tree body;
- a securing connector carried by the tree cap for engaging the connector profile of the tree body;
- a production passage in the tree cap which is in fluid communication with the production passage of the tubing hanger, the production passage of the tree cap extending upward and laterally away from the tree cap;
- a production valve carried by the tree cap for opening and closing the production passage in the tree cap;
- a first annulus passage leading from a tubing annulus surrounding the tubing to the open upper end of the tree body above the tubing hanger;
- a second annulus passage extending through the tree cap in communication with the first annulus passage;
- and
- at least one annulus valve carried by the tree cap for opening and closing the second annulus passage.
8 more elements
A well production tree, comprising:
- a tree body having a vertical bore, an external connector profile and an open upper end;
- a tubing hanger landed in the bore and having a vertical production passage in communication with a string of tubing;
- a valve in the tubing hanger for opening and closing the production passage in the tubing hanger;
- a tree cap having a receptacle which slides over the open upper end of the tree body;
- a securing connector carried by the tree cap for engaging the connector profile of the tree body;
- a production passage in the tree cap which is in fluid communication with the production passage of the tubing hanger, the production passage of the tree cap extending upward and laterally away from the tree cap;
- a production valve carried by the tree cap for opening and closing the production passage in the tree cap;
- an annulus bypass passage extending through the tree body and leading from a tubing annulus surrounding the tubing to the bore of the tree body above the tubing hanger;
- an upper annulus passage extending through the tree cap in communication with the annulus bypass passage;
- at least one annulus valve carried by the tree cap for opening and closing the upper annulus passage;
- a crossover passage leading from the annulus bypass passage to the production passage in the tree cap;
- a crossover valve carried by the tree cap for opening and closing the crossover passage;
- a stinger for connecting the production passage of the tree cap to the production passage of the tubing hanger;
- a flowline connector mounted to the tree cap;
- and
- a flowline mandrel located adjacent to the tree body for engaging the flowline connector when the tree cap is installed on the tree body.
13 more elements
A method for completing a subsea well, comprising:
- (a) providing a tree body having a vertical bore, an external connector profile and an open upper end and positioning the tree body on a wellhead housing on a sea floor at an upper end of a well;
- (b) providing a tubing hanger having a production passage and a valve in the production passage, and landing the tubing hanger in the bore of the tree and closing the valve in the tubing hanger;
- (c) providing a tree cap with a production passage having a production valve;
- (d) lowering and securing the tree cap onto the tree body;
- (e) opening the valve in the tubing hanger and the production valve in the tree cap;
- and then
- (f) circulating production fluid through the production passage of the tubing hanger and the tree cap to a flowline assembly.
4 more elements
A well production tree comprising:
- a tree body having a vertical bore and an open upper end;
- a tubing hanger landed in the bore and having a vertical production passage in communication with a string of tubing;
- a valve in the tubing hanger for opening and closing the production passage in the tubing hanger;
- a tree cap disposed upon the open upper end of the tree body;
- a production passage in the tree cap which is in fluid communication with the production passage of the tubing hanger;
- and
- a production valve carried by the tree cap for opening and closing the production passage in the tree cap.
4 more elements
A well production tree comprising:
- a tree body having a vertical bore therethrough;
- a tubing hanger landed in the bore and having a vertical production passage in communication with a string of tubing;
- a tree cap to be affixed to the tree body, the tree cap having a production passage that is in fluid communication with the production passage of the tubing hanger;
- and
- a flowline connector mounted to the tree body for engaging a flowline mandrel located adjacent the flowline connector when the tree cap is secured to the tree cap.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.