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US 6,053,252 AGranted
Lightweight intervention system
AssigneeExpro North Sea Limited
InventorJeffrey Charles Edwards
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AssigneeExpro North Sea Limited
InventorJeffrey Charles Edwards
Estimating the term…
A lightweight intervention system is described for use with single bore and dual bore intervention operations and which can be used with both horizontal trees and conventional trees and with wellheads without trees mounted thereon. The system is based on a two-part intervention apparatus; the lower part provides the pressure control and consists of an xmas tree or wellhead connector and structural housing in which a sub-sea test tree is located and is coupled to the xmas tree and an upper part, a disconnectable section, attaches to the lower part and consists of a sub-sea test tree latch housed within an xmas tree connector and additional pressure control equipment as required. This general structure can be configured in various ways to create different embodiments for use with horizontal trees and conventional trees which have a single through-bore requirement and a dual bore requirement respectively. With horizontal trees access to the annulus space depends on the type of proprietary valve system used in the tree. The intervention apparatus may also be used directly on wellheads where the tree has been removed.
Lightweight intervention apparatus for use with a horizontal tree having a main bore and a separate annulus bore, said intervention apparatus comprising:
Lightweight intervention apparatus for use with a horizontal tree having a main bore and an annulus bore, said lightweight intervention apparatus comprising:
An annulus bridge apparatus for use with a lightweight intervention system to provide communication from an annulus in a horizontal tree having a tree cap and a tubing hanger disposed beneath the tree cap to an annulus line in the lightweight intervention system, said bridge apparatus comprising a cylindrical bridge element adapted to be disposed within said horizontal tree cap and having first and second spaced cylindrical elements adapted to seal against the tree cap and the tubing hanger respectively, said first and second spaced cylindrical elements defining an annulus cavity, a moveable valve element disposed in said tree cap, said valve element being actuatable between a first and a second position such that, in said second position, said annular cavity provides communication from the annulus of said horizontal tree through said bridge element to an annulus line in said housing disposed at the exterior of said housing, said bridge element preventing fluid communication between said annulus line and a main bore.
A lightweight intervention system for use with a conventional xmas tree, said lightweight intervention system comprising first lower coupling means for connecting to the top of said conventional xmas tree, a first housing coupled to the top of said first connector means and defining an interior bore for receiving a sub-sea completion tree, said housing being coupled to a second upper coupling means, said second upper coupling means being connected to said housing by a quick-connect/disconnect mechanism, said second upper coupling means being adapted to be coupled to a riser stress joint, said riser stress joint, said first and said second upper coupling means defining a main bore and an annulus bore.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.