Loading patent…
AssigneeFMC Technologies, Inc.
InventorsChristopher D. Bartlett, Christopher E. Cunningham, Richard D. Kent, Nicholas Gatherar, David Harrold
Estimating the term…
A flow completion system for controlling the flow of fluid from a well bore, the flow completion system includes a tubing spool which includes a central bore that extends axially therethrough and a production outlet which communicates with the central bore. A tubing hanger includes a production bore that extends axially therethrough and a production passageway that communicates between the production bore and the production outlet and a first closure member which is positioned in the production bore above the production passageway. A first annular seal which is positioned between the tubing hanger and the central bore above the production passageway including first pressure-containing barrier between the well bore and a surrounding environment. A second closure member which is positioned in the production bore above the first closure member; and a second annular seal which is positioned between the tubing hanger and the central bore above the first seal including a second pressure-containing barrier between the well bore and the environment; and wherein both the first and the second barriers are associated with the tubing hanger.
A flow completion system for controlling the flow of fluid from a well bore, the flow completion system comprising:
A flow completion system for controlling the flow of fluid from a well bore, the flow completion system comprising:
A flow completion system for controlling the flow of fluid from a well bore, the flow completion system comprising:
A flow completion system for controlling the flow of fluid from a well bore, the flow completion system comprising:
A flow completion system for controlling the flow of fluid from a well bore, the flow completion system comprising:
A flow completion system for controlling the flow of fluid from a well bore, the flow completion system comprising:
A flow completion system for controlling the flow of fluid from a well bore, the flow completion system comprising:
A flow completion system for controlling the flow of fluid from a well bore, the flow completion system comprising:
A flow completion system for controlling the flow of fluid from a well bore, the flow completion system comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
In wells: operated by control fluid supplied from outside the borehole
Lapping machines or devices; Accessories: designed for working plane surfaces
Devices for feeding, applying, grading or recovering grinding, polishing or lapping agents: for feeding of fluid, sprayed, pulverised, or…
Specially adapted for underwater installations: horizontal or spool trees, i.e. without production valves in the vertical main bore
Term ended 22 Mar 2021 (estimated)
The present invention relates to a flow completion system for producing oil or gas from a subsea well. More particularly, the invention relates to such a system which comprises a tubing hanger which is supported in a tubing spool that is positioned over a well bore and two distinct pressure-containing barriers which are associated with the tubing hanger and which isolate the well bore from the external environment.
A typical horizontal-type flow completion system, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,119, comprises a wellhead housing which is installed at the upper end of a well bore, a tubing spool which is connected to the top of the wellhead housing and which includes a central bore that extends axially therethrough, an annular tubing hanger which is suspended in the central bore, and a tree cap which is installed in the central bore above the tubing hanger. The tubing hanger supports at least one tubing string that extends into the well bore and defines a tubing annulus surrounding the tubing string. In addition, the tubing hanger comprises a concentric production bore which communicates with the tubing string and a lateral production passageway that extends between the production bore and a production outlet in the tubing spool. The tubing spool also includes an annulus passageway which extends from the tubing annulus to an annulus outlet, and a workover passageway which extends from the annulus passageway to a portion of the central bore that is located above the tubing hanger. The annulus and workover passageways provide for communication between the tubing annulus and the portion of the central bore located above the tubing hanger during installation and workover of the flow completion system.
The regulations of certain countries pertaining to the subsea production of oil and gas require that the flow completion system provide at least two pressure-containing barriers between the well bore and the environment at all times. In the production mode of operation of the typical horizontal flow completion system, the first barrier is provided by a wireline plug that is installed in the production bore above the production passageway, in conjunction with an annular, usually metal seal which is positioned between the tubing hanger and the tubing spool above the production outlet. The second barrier is provided by the tree cap, which is sealed to the tubing spool by an annular, typically metal seal and which often includes an axial through bore which in turn is sealed by a wireline plug or other suitable closure member.
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the flow completion system of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the top portion of the flow completion system shown in FIG. 1, but with the controls bridge component removed and with a running tool connected to the top of the tubing hanger component of the invention;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a tubing hanger anti-backoff mechanism which may be used in the present invention.
Referring to FIG. 1, the flow completion assembly of the present invention, which is indicated generally by reference number 10, is shown to comprise a tubing spool 12 which is connected to the top of a wellhead housing 14 that is installed at the upper end of a well bore (not shown), a tubing hanger 16 which is supported in the tubing spool 12 and from which is suspended at least one tubing string 18 that extends into the well bore, and an optional controls bridge 20 that is mounted to the top of the tubing spool 12.
The tubing spool 12 is secured to the wellhead housing 14 by a suitable connector assembly 22 and is sealed to the top of the wellhead housing 14 with an appropriate annular seal 24. The tubing spool comprises a generally cylindrical central bore 26 which extends axially therethrough, a lateral production outlet 28 which communicates with the central bore, and an annular support shoulder 30 which is located in the central bore. The support shoulder 30 may be either a separate support ring which is remotely installable in a corresponding receptacle in the central bore 26, or an integral part of the tubing spool 12 which is formed by a reduced diameter portion of the central bore, as shown in FIG. 1. As used herein, the term “tubing spool” should be understood to include a spool tree, a Christmas tree or any other spool member in which the tubing hanger may be supported.
The tubing hanger 16 is supported on the annular shoulder 30 and is attached to the upper end of the tubing string 18 by conventional means, such as threads. The tubing string 18 extends into the well bore and defines a production bore within the tubing string and a tubing annulus 32 surrounding the tubing string. While the invention is described herein with reference to a single tubing string 18, it should be understood that tubing hanger 16 could be adapted to support two or more tubing strings, which may be either production or injection tubing strings, in a manner well known in the art.