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WO2018152106A1 - Barge autonome submersible - Google Patents

Barge autonome submersible Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2018152106A1
WO2018152106A1 PCT/US2018/017996 US2018017996W WO2018152106A1 WO 2018152106 A1 WO2018152106 A1 WO 2018152106A1 US 2018017996 W US2018017996 W US 2018017996W WO 2018152106 A1 WO2018152106 A1 WO 2018152106A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
subsea
submersible barge
submersible
barge
certain embodiments
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2018/017996
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Matthew Blieske
Jeremy MAUNUS
Garret FITZPATRICK
Original Assignee
Shell Oil Company
Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij B.V.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Shell Oil Company, Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij B.V. filed Critical Shell Oil Company
Publication of WO2018152106A1 publication Critical patent/WO2018152106A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B41/00—Equipment or details not covered by groups E21B15/00 - E21B40/00
    • E21B41/0007—Equipment or details not covered by groups E21B15/00 - E21B40/00 for underwater installations
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63C—LAUNCHING, HAULING-OUT, OR DRY-DOCKING OF VESSELS; LIFE-SAVING IN WATER; EQUIPMENT FOR DWELLING OR WORKING UNDER WATER; MEANS FOR SALVAGING OR SEARCHING FOR UNDERWATER OBJECTS
    • B63C11/00—Equipment for dwelling or working underwater; Means for searching for underwater objects
    • B63C11/52—Tools specially adapted for working underwater, not otherwise provided for
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
    • B63B35/00—Vessels or similar floating structures specially adapted for specific purposes and not otherwise provided for
    • B63B2035/006—Unmanned surface vessels, e.g. remotely controlled
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63G—OFFENSIVE OR DEFENSIVE ARRANGEMENTS ON VESSELS; MINE-LAYING; MINE-SWEEPING; SUBMARINES; AIRCRAFT CARRIERS
    • B63G8/00—Underwater vessels, e.g. submarines; Equipment specially adapted therefor
    • B63G8/001—Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations
    • B63G2008/002—Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations unmanned

Definitions

  • the present disclosure relates generally to submersible barges. More specifically, in certain embodiments, the present disclosure relates to submersible barges useful in low cost subsea installations or recoveries and associated methods and systems.
  • subsea equipment may be deployed and/or retrieved using a semi- submersible drilling rig.
  • drilling rigs are configured to lower the subsea equipment to the ocean floor or to hoist the subsea equipment from the ocean floor to the surface through the use of cables and lines.
  • the subsea equipment may pass through an opening in the center of the rig as it is lowered or lifted from the seafloor.
  • the piece of subsea equipment being retrieved or deployed may be susceptible to being damaged during the installation process or while transporting the subsea equipment.
  • drilling rigs are extremely expensive to operate, costing around $600,000-$800,000/day to lease.
  • drilling rigs are transported at a slow rate when compared to other floating vessels (e.g., ships, tug boats), which may increase the amount of time it takes to retrieve and/or deploy sub-sea equipment.
  • U.S. Patent No. 8,992,127 describes a method of subsea installation which uses a fully submersible deployment vehicle transported to the installation site by submerged tow.
  • the deployment vehicle uses solid buoyancy modules in the form of syntactic foam to remain neutrally buoyant during the towing phase and achieves its final positioning and set down by means of chains lowered into the deployment vehicle that behave as soft springs to control buoyancy and minimize dynamic loading. While this deployment vehicle may not necessarily require the use of large vessels, this concept still requires the chartering of a vessel with a small crane to control positioning and set down.
  • the present disclosure relates generally to submersible barges. More specifically, in certain embodiments, the present disclosure relates to submersible barges useful in low cost subsea installations or recoveries and associated methods and systems.
  • the present disclosure provides a submersible barge comprising: one or more buoyancy modules; one or more thrusters, and a subsea navigation system.
  • the present disclosure provides a subsea installation system comprising: a submersible barge; subsea equipment; and a vessel.
  • the present disclosure provides a method of installing subsea equipment comprising: providing a submersible barge, transporting the submersible barge to a location above a subsea well site, and maneuvering the barge to the seafloor.
  • Figure 1 is an illustration of a submersible barge in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • Figure 2 is an illustration of a submersible barge in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • the present disclosure relates generally to submersible barges. More specifically, in certain embodiments, the present disclosure relates to submersible barges useful in low cost subsea installations or recoveries and associated methods and systems. [0017] In certain embodiments, the present disclosure describes methods and systems that enable a piece of subsea equipment to be installed on the seafloor without the use of a crane or a heavy lifting vessel. In certain embodiments, the present disclosure provides an alternative to methods that require expensive, multi-purpose, installation vessels to install subsea equipment by instead using a semi-autonomous, submersible barge that can be towed to an installation site by a small vessel.
  • submersible barge 100 may comprise a variable buoyancy system 110, thruster assembly 120, and subsea navigation system (not illustrated in Figure 1).
  • variable buoyancy system 110 may comprise one or more pressure vessels 111. In certain embodiments, variable buoyancy system 110 may comprise from 10 to 200 pressure vessels 111. In certain embodiments, variable buoyancy system 110 may comprise from 50 to 100 pressure vessels 111.
  • the one or more pressure vessels 111 may be pressure vessels converted from Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) cylinders.
  • CNG Compressed Natural Gas
  • the one or more pressure vessels 111 may comprise rigid pressure vessels, flexible pressure bladders, and/or other buoyancy devices known in the art.
  • the one or more pressure vessels 111 may be pressurized with air. In certain embodiments, the one or more pressure vessels 111 may be pressure controlled from the surface to alter the buoyancy as the barge descends through the water column. In certain embodiments, a surface vessel may be used to control the pressure level in each of the one or more pressure vessels. In certain embodiments, the surface vessel may control the pressure level in each of the one or more pressure vessels 111. In certain embodiments, not illustrated in Figure 1, the surface vessel may be attached to submersible barge 100 through tether. In certain embodiments, the tether may be used to provide power and communications to submersible barge 100.
  • thruster assembly 120 may comprise one or more thrusters 121.
  • thrusters 121 may comprise electric or hydraulic thrusters.
  • thruster assembly 120 may comprise from 4 to 20 thrusters 121.
  • thruster assembly 120 may comprise 4 to 10 thrusters 121.
  • thrusters 121 may be arranged on submersible barge 100 such that each of the thrusters are oriented along a horizontal plane. In other embodiments, one or more of the thrusters 121 may be orientated not along the horizontal plane. In certain embodiments, one or two thrusters 121 may be oriented at each corner of submersible barge 100. In certain embodiments, thruster assembly 120 may be capable of providing horizontal positioning while submersible barge 100 ascends or descends through a water column. In certain embodiments, the integrated control system may communicate with a surface vessel via the winch.
  • subsea navigation system may comprise an integrated control system (not illustrated in Figure 1) and an acoustic communication system (not illustrated in Figure 1).
  • each thruster 121 may be connected through the integrated control system.
  • the integrated control system may be capable of distributing power and commands to thrusters 121.
  • the subsea navigation system may be powered from the surface through a tether. In other embodiments, the subsea navigation system may be powered from a battery located on the submersible barge 100.
  • the acoustic communication system may be capable of communicating with one or more transponders located on a seafloor.
  • the subsea navigation system may be capable of orienting submersible barge 100 relative to one or more transponders on the seafloor to achieve accurate positioning and set down of a subsea equipment module (not illustrated in Figure 1).
  • FIG. 2 illustrates submersible barge 100 connected to a subsea equipment module 150.
  • subsea equipment module 150 may comprise a subsea manifold, towhead, or other conventional subsea structure, component, or module.
  • subsea equipment module 150 may be connected to an equipment attachment assembly (not illustrated in Figure 2) on submersible barge 100.
  • the present disclosure provides a method comprising: providing a submersible barge, transporting the submersible barge to a subsea well site, and maneuvering the barge to the seafloor.
  • the submersible barge may comprise any combination of features discussed above with respect to submersible barge 100 or 200.
  • the submersible barge may be connected to a subsea equipment module.
  • the subsea equipment module may comprise any combination of features discussed above with respect to subsea equipment modules 150 or 250.
  • the subsea module may be connected to the submersible barge in a dry dock before it is transported to a subsea well site.
  • the subsea module may be connected to the submersible barge after it is transported to a location above a subsea well site or while it is transported to a location above a subsea well site.
  • the submersible barge may be transported to the subsea well site by towing it with a vessel. In certain embodiments, the submersible barge may be towed by a tug boat. In certain embodiments, the submersible barge may be floating on a sea surface as it is towed. In other embodiments, the submersible barge may be submerged or partially submerged as it is towed. In certain embodiments, the submersible barge may be neutrally buoyant or near neutrally buoyant state and towed at a specified depth.
  • the submersible barge may be transported to a location above the subsea well site.
  • three or more transponders may be located on the seafloor at or near the subsea well site.
  • the three or more transponders may comprise acoustic transponding systems and arrangements similar to those typically used for subsea structure installations.
  • the three or more transponders may be placed on the seafloor before the submersible barge is transported to a location above the subsea well site.
  • the one or more transponders may be placed on the seafloor after the submersible barge is transported to a location above the subsea well site or while the submersible barge is transported to a location above the subsea well site.
  • the submersible barge may be disconnected from the vessel after it is transported to the location above the subsea well site.
  • a tug line may be disconnected from submersible barge and a tether may remain connected.
  • a variable buoyancy system located on the submersible barge may be depressurized allowing for the submersible barge to sink below and/or further below the sea surface.
  • thrusters may be capable of guiding the submersible barge towards a location on the seafloor.
  • a subsea navigation system may be capable of controlling the thrusters such that the submersible barge is transported to the seafloor location where one or more transponders are located.
  • the submersible barge may be maneuvered to the seafloor after it has been transported to a location above the subsea well site.
  • a subsea navigation system on the submersible barge will orient the barge through acoustic signaling with transponders located on the seafloor.
  • the submersible barge may remain on the seafloor while the subsea equipment is put into operation. In certain embodiments, the submersible barge may be disconnected form the subsea equipment and return to the surface by re- pressurizing the variable buoyancy system from the surface after the subsea equipment is placed on the seafloor.
  • the submersible barge may return to the seafloor and retrieve the subsea equipment. In such embodiments, the submersible barge may then be capable of transporting the subsea equipment back to the sea surface.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Ship Loading And Unloading (AREA)

Abstract

Une barge submersible (100) comprend un système de flottabilité variable (110), un ou plusieurs propulseurs (121), et un système de navigation sous-marine ainsi que des procédés et des systèmes associés.
PCT/US2018/017996 2017-02-16 2018-02-13 Barge autonome submersible WO2018152106A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US201762459819P 2017-02-16 2017-02-16
US62/459,819 2017-02-16

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2018152106A1 true WO2018152106A1 (fr) 2018-08-23

Family

ID=61283374

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2018/017996 WO2018152106A1 (fr) 2017-02-16 2018-02-13 Barge autonome submersible

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO2018152106A1 (fr)

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2272240A (en) * 1992-11-10 1994-05-11 Subsea Offshore Ltd A method of and apparatus for transporting an object to an underwater location
EP1031506A2 (fr) * 1999-02-24 2000-08-30 J.Ray McDermott, S.A. Appareil commandé à distance pour le lancement et la récupération de véhicules commandés à distance
US7814856B1 (en) * 2009-11-25 2010-10-19 Down Deep & Up, LLC Deep water operations system with submersible vessel
US20110067618A1 (en) * 2009-09-24 2011-03-24 Harry Edward Dempster Water-Based Material Transportation System
WO2014108631A1 (fr) * 2013-01-08 2014-07-17 Technip France Barge flottante submersible
US8992127B2 (en) 2008-10-24 2015-03-31 Subsea Deployment Systems Limited Method and apparatus for subsea installations
US9156609B2 (en) 2013-04-06 2015-10-13 Safe Marine Transfer, LLC Large subsea package deployment methods and devices

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2272240A (en) * 1992-11-10 1994-05-11 Subsea Offshore Ltd A method of and apparatus for transporting an object to an underwater location
EP1031506A2 (fr) * 1999-02-24 2000-08-30 J.Ray McDermott, S.A. Appareil commandé à distance pour le lancement et la récupération de véhicules commandés à distance
US8992127B2 (en) 2008-10-24 2015-03-31 Subsea Deployment Systems Limited Method and apparatus for subsea installations
US20110067618A1 (en) * 2009-09-24 2011-03-24 Harry Edward Dempster Water-Based Material Transportation System
US7814856B1 (en) * 2009-11-25 2010-10-19 Down Deep & Up, LLC Deep water operations system with submersible vessel
WO2014108631A1 (fr) * 2013-01-08 2014-07-17 Technip France Barge flottante submersible
US9156609B2 (en) 2013-04-06 2015-10-13 Safe Marine Transfer, LLC Large subsea package deployment methods and devices

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