A GUIDELINELESS TREE AND A FLOWLINE CONNECTION SYSTEM FOR DEEPWATER PRODUCTION

Abstract

The advent of dynamically-positioned drillships and guidelineless drilling in the early 1970's has extended the search for hydrocarbons into waters which are too deep for conventional mooring. To meet the economic requirements to produce discovery wells in this type of exploratory drilling, a single vessel is used to drill and complete a subsea well and to lay the flowlines without the use of guidelines or intervention by divers.

Flexible flowlines are reeled on the deck of the drillship and laid away from an extension of the wellhead prior to the installation of the tubing hanger and xmas tree. Each piece of equipment is aligned and oriented when it is landed. The xmas tree is equipped for the use of TFL pumpdown tools in maintaining the well while producing. In case of damage to a flowline, replacement is made by recovering the flowling guide funnel and wellhead extension.