U.S. patent application number 14/009501 was filed with the patent office on 2014-03-06 for device for operations in proximity of an underwater installation.
This patent application is currently assigned to OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY GROUP AS. The applicant listed for this patent is Gunnar Sunde. Invention is credited to Gunnar Sunde.
Application Number | 20140060847 14/009501 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46969412 |
Filed Date | 2014-03-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140060847 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sunde; Gunnar |
March 6, 2014 |
Device for Operations in Proximity of an Underwater
Installation
Abstract
A seabed positioned subsea installation comprise processing
equipment. The subsea installation is provided with at least one
guide way and at least one manipulator device. The base of the
manipulator device is movably attached to the at least one guide
way, and the subsea installation further comprises a frame
extending over the processing equipment.
Inventors: |
Sunde; Gunnar; (Sandnes,
NO) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Sunde; Gunnar |
Sandnes |
|
NO |
|
|
Assignee: |
OILFIELD TECHNOLOGY GROUP
AS
Sandnes
NO
|
Family ID: |
46969412 |
Appl. No.: |
14/009501 |
Filed: |
March 29, 2012 |
PCT Filed: |
March 29, 2012 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/NO12/50055 |
371 Date: |
November 4, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
166/335 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E21B 33/037 20130101;
B63C 11/52 20130101; E21B 41/06 20130101; E21B 41/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
166/335 |
International
Class: |
E21B 41/04 20060101
E21B041/04; E21B 33/037 20060101 E21B033/037; B63C 11/52 20060101
B63C011/52; E21B 41/06 20060101 E21B041/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 7, 2011 |
NO |
2011-537 |
Claims
1. A seabed positioned subsea installation comprising processing
equipment; wherein the subsea installation is provided with at
least one guide way and at least one manipulator device; the base
of the manipulator device being movably attached to the at least
one guide way, wherein the subsea installation further comprises an
over-trawlable frame extending over the processing equipment and
wherein the guide way is positioned within the frame.
2. The subsea installation in accordance with claim 1, wherein the
base of the manipulator device is releasably attached to the guide
way.
3. The subsea installation in accordance with claim 1, wherein the
guide way comprises at least one elongated guiding element.
4. The subsea installation -in accordance with claim 1, wherein the
frame in its upper part provided with gates.
5. The subsea installation in accordance with claim I, wherein the
guide way is attached to the upper part of the frame in operation
position.
6. The subsea installation in accordance with claim 1, wherein the
manipulator device is provided with energy from the energy supply
of the subsea installation.
7. The subsea installation in accordance with claim 1, wherein the
manipulator device is provided with communication means arranged to
remotely control the manipulator device.
Description
[0001] This invention relates to a manipulator device for operation
of a subsea installation and its processing equipment. More
particularly the invention relates to a manipulator device which is
permanently installed on a subsea installation to be able to carry
out subsea inspection, maintenance, modification and surveillance
of the subsea installation and its processing equipment.
[0002] The petroleum industry applies an increasing number of
remotely controlled subsea installations for production of oil and
gas. These are partly placed at great ocean depths. In order to be
able to carry out inspection, maintenance and repair work on such
installations, and also assist in well intervention, that is work
to be carried out in the well, intervention vessels are used. For
help in this work, remotely controlled vessels, so-called ROVs,
operated by an operator on the support ship on the surface, are
also used. The intervention vessel can also be the support vessel
for the ROV. The support vessel with the ROV must be mobilised to
the right place, and it takes time to manouvre the ROV from the
surface down and back up, and as there might be poor weather
conditions, the support vessel/intervention vessel might remain
waiting. This might lead to various types of operational deviations
and increased risk. Work to be carried out on such installations
might therefore be unfortunately time consuming compared to the
weather windows available, with the extra costs this results in.
The problem is intensified by the typical lack of adapted
intervention vessels to operate subsea installations of this type.
Thus alternative technology that strongly contributes to reducing
vessel time on the individual installation, will be both cost
saving and risk reductive.
[0003] Work tasks carried out by an ROV in connection with well
interventions on a subsea installation, might for instance be to
prepare the subsea installation before the well intervention tool
is led from the intervention vessel to the wellhead. Such work
might comprise of opening of gates in the subsea installation over
the wellhead, closing of valves and opening of valves. Similar
work, but in the opposite order, can be carried out after
completion of the well intervention. The ROV is also used for
carrying out subsea inspection, maintenance, modification and
surveillance of the subsea installation and its processing
equipment.
[0004] In some jurisdictions it is an official requirement that
subsea installations are provided with a protective frame extending
over the subsea installation. The frame can protect against
trawling so that the subsea installation is so-called
over-trawlable. The frame can also protect the subsea installation
and its processing equipment against for instance anchors and
objects failing overboard from a vessel that is above the subsea
installation.
[0005] Patent document NO 160736 discloses a subsea installation
without a protective frame over the subsea installation. The subsea
installation is provided with elongated rails. A rather big,
loadbearing, attended autonomous subsea vessel can be led over the
installation and be positioned upon the rails with legs protruding
down from the subsea vessel. The subsea vessel can move sideways
along the rails on the down-protruding legs. The subsea vessel is
not arranged to be able to carry cut work on a subsea installation
provided with a protective frame over the subsea installation.
[0006] Patent document NO 160736 discloses a subsea installation
with a protection fender, but without any protective frame over the
subsea installation. The subsea installation is in its lower part
provided with a rail inside of the protection fender and which
surrounds the production collecting pipes. A buoy is released from
the rail and pulls with it a line up to the surface. A manipulator
can be lowered down to the subsea installation by pulling itself
down along the line to meet the rail, and it is movably attached
upon the rail. The manipulator can carry out various types of work
tasks on the subsea installation. Patent document NO 139323 also
discloses a subsea installation without any protective frame over
the subsea installation. The subsea installation is in its lower
part provided with rails encircling the subsea installation. A buoy
is released from the rails and pulls with it a line tip to the
surface. A manipulator can be lowered down to the subsea
installation by pulling itself down along the line to meet the
rails, and it is removeably attached upon the rails. The
manipulator can carry out various work tasks on the subsea
installation. A protective frame over the subsea installation will
for both solutions shown, prevent a buoy from rising freely up from
the rail, and that a manipulator could be lowered down upon the
rail.
[0007] The invention has for its object to remedy or reduce at
least one of the drawbacks of the prior art, or at least to provide
a useful alternative to prior art.
[0008] The object is achieved through the features which are
specified in the description below and in the claims that
follow.
[0009] The invention relates to a seabed positioned subsea
installation comprising process equipment; the subsea installation
is provided with at least one guide way and at least one
manipulator device; the base of the manipulator device is moveably
attached to the at least one guide way; and where the subsea
installation further comprise of a frame extending over the process
equipment.
[0010] The base of the manipulator device can be releasably
attached to the guide way. The guide way can comprise of at least
one elongated guide way element.
[0011] The frame might be provided with gates in its upper part.
The gates will be able to protect the processing equipment against
failing objects. The guide way might be attached to the frame's
upper part in operational position.
[0012] The manipulator device can be provided with energy from the
energy source of the subsea installation. The manipulator device
can be provided with communication means arranged to be able to
remotely control the manipulator device.
[0013] In the following, an example of a preferred embodiment is
described, which is visualized in the accompanying drawings, in
which:
[0014] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a schematic drawing of a
subsea installation positioned on a seabed where the subsea
installation is provided with a manipulator device in accordance
with the invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 shows simplified schematic top view of the upper part
of the frame of a subsea installation, and with two manipulator
devices positioned in an alternative embodiment compared to that
shown in FIG. 1;
[0016] FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment compared to FIG. 2;
and
[0017] FIG. 4 shows a further alternative embodiment compared to
FIG. 2.
[0018] In the drawings the reference numeral 1 indicates a
manipulator device in accordance with the invention. A subsea
installation 2 positioned on a seabed 9, comprises of a protective
frame 20. The frame 20 surrounds one or more processing equipment 3
and extends over the process equipment 3. The frame 20 is in its
upper part 21 provided with an elongated guide way 4. The
manipulator device 1 comprise of a base ID which is releasably
attached to the guide way 4 and arranged to be able to be moved
along the guide way 4 in its longitudinal direction as indicated
with an open double arrow in the FIGS. 2-4.
[0019] The base 10 of the manipulator device I is of per se known
type and can be constituted of a foundation or a trailer. The base
10 is provided with an arm 11. In the free end part 13 of the arm
11, the arm 11 is provided with a wrist 15 and a tool holder 17
which is attached to the wrist 15. The base 10 and/or the arm 11
is/are rotatably arranged in relation to the guideway 4 as
indicated by the bowed, double arrow in the FIGS. 2-4. The arm 11
can be hinged and rotatably attached to the base 10. The arm 11 can
be made up of various units like for instance a two-hinged arm 11
with a proximal arm and a distal arm. The arm 11 can also be a
three-hinged arm 11 with a proximal arm, a middle arm and a distal
arm. The arm 11 can be arranged to be able to be folded up, such
that the folded length of the arm 11 corresponds to the length of
the longer of the distal, middle or proximal arms. By rotation of
the units of the arm 11 relative to each other and to the base 10,
the tool holder 17 can be moved back and forth relative to the base
10 as indicated by a straight double arrow in the FIGS. 2-4. The
tool holder 17 can also be moved up and down relative to the base
10. With that, the arm 11 is able to relocate the tool holder along
the x-y-z axes. The wrist 15 can be arranged to rotate the tool
holder 17 relative to one, two or three axes in a per se known way.
In the figures, the base 10, the arm 11, the wrist 15 and the tool
holder 17 are shown schematically only.
[0020] A subsea installation 2 of this type is known from and used
in the petroleum industry. The processing equipment 3 can comprise
of wellheads with production valves, choke valves, closing valves
and blow out valves. The processing equipment 3 can also comprise
of separation devices, compressors and pumps. The processing
equipment 3 might be provided with its own mooring base (not shown)
which is surrounded by a frame 20, or the processing equipment 3
can be secured to the frame 20 as shown in FIG. 1. The frame 20
protects the processing equipment 3 against for example damage
caused by a trawl. The frame 20 can be provided with a trawl
protector 23, which makes the subsea installation 2 over-trawlable
when the installation is located at depths where trawling occurs.
The upper part 21 of the frame 20 can be provided with gates 25 as
shown in FIG. 1. These gates 25 are left out in the schematic FIGS.
2-4. The gates 25 may be hinged to the upper part 21, and the
manipulator device 1 with its arm 11 and tools placed in the tool
holder 17, can open and close the gates 25 from inside of the frame
20.
[0021] The guide way 4 in the upper part 21 of the frame 20 can
comprise of one guiding element 40 as shown in figures 2 and 4. In
an alternative embodiment the guide way 4 might comprise of two
guiding elements 40, 40' side by side, as shown in figure 2. The
base 10 of the manipulator device 1 is releasably and movably
attached to the guide way 4 with for instance a traverser carriage
(not shown) of per se known type arranged to be led along one
guiding element 40 or in a guiding element 40, as for example a
profiled rail. The base 10 can in an alternative embodiment be
provided with a carriage (not shown) running along two guiding
elements 40, 40'. The manipulator device 1 can be arranged to be
releasable from the guide way 4 by means of for instance a remotely
controlled subsea vessel, a so-called ROV. Subsequently the ROV
takes the manipulator device 1 to the surface in order for, for
example, inspection, maintenance, repair work and/or modification
of the manipulator device 1 to be carried out. The manipulator
device 1 can thereafter be fitted into the subsea installation 2 by
means of an ROV.
[0022] The manipulator device 1 can be arranged to be provided with
energy from the same energy supply as the subsea installation 2 is
served by. The energy supply can be provided through an electric
cable 5. The transfer of energy from the subsea installation 2 to
the manipulator device 1 can take place through a cable (not shown)
or by induction.
[0023] The manipulator device 1 can be arranged to foe remotely
controlled. This can foe done in a per se known way through radio
communication or through cabled communication. FIG. 1 shows a
communication cable 6 for this purpose. The manipulator device 1
can foe arranged to function autonomous in the sense that it on
signal or work order carries out a predefined set of actions and
operations according to a time pattern. The manipulator device 1
can also be arranged to be controlled in real time by an operator
on land or on board a vessel (not shown), The manipulator device 1
or the subsea installation 2 might, for this purpose, be provided
with at least one camera (not shown). A person skilled in the art
will understand that the manipulator device 1 is provided with the
necessary motors, actuators and other equipment in order to be able
to carry out its work tasks. This will not be further
discussed.
[0024] When there is a need for carrying out work on the subsea
installation 2, a work order is sent to the manipulator device 1.
This might for instance be to prepare the subsea installation 2 for
well intervention. The manipulator device 1 will then, by means of
its arm 11 and tools on the tool holder 17, carry out the same work
tasks as an ROV. This can be done independently of the weather on
the surface. The manipulator device 1 can move along the guide way
4 and will, by means of the movable arm 11, be able to carry out
all relevant work operations all over the subsea installation. With
that, an intervention vessel may begin straight on with the well
intervention work at arrival on the work site.
* * * * *