Oceaneering International, Inc.

Brandon Harman

Neil C Crawford

Travis Lee Bolt

Robert L Ewen

John R Cook

Ian R Still

Kenneth R Newman

The guide apparatus for tubular members prevents buckling, when a snubbing unit inserts the tubular member into a well. The guide apparatus includes a lower slotted cylinder having a plurality of rib extensions projecting upward so as to form lower slots, and an upper slotted cylinder a plurality of complementary rib extensions projecting downward so as to form upper slots. The lower slotted cylinder engages the upper slotted cylinder by sliding the rib extensions into the upper slots and the complementary rib extensions into the lower slots. The guide apparatus coordinates the slotted cylinders with traveling slip bowls and stationary slip bowls of a snubbing unit so that relative movement of the slotted cylinders corresponds to movement of the slip bowls. The rib extensions, the complementary rib extensions, or both support the entire length of tubular member between the slip bowls, when being snubbed.

Guide apparatus for tubular members in a snubbing unit

The snubbing unit inserts a tubular member into a well without a riser. The snubbing unit includes a set of stationary slips in a first base plate, a first set of traveling slips in a second base plate, a second set of traveling slips in a third base plate, and a plurality of hydraulic cylinders connecting the base plates. Each set of slips has an engaged position and a released position relative to the hydraulic cylinders. The base plates are cooperative with a pipe guide so that movement of the tubular member between the base plates corresponds to consistent support of the tubular member to preventing buckling. The snubbing unit increases safety and support for inserting into the well without a riser.

Snubbing unit for inserting tubular members without a riser

The system for inserting a tubular member from a surface into a subsea well includes a riserless vessel, a surface injector being mounted on the vessel at the surface and delivering tubular member, such as coiled tubing, to the subsea well from the surface, a subsea snubbing jack releasably engaged to the tubular member, a subsea hydraulic power unit connected to the snubbing jack, and a device to maintain tension of the tubular member between the surface injector and the snubbing jack. The dynamic control of the subsea snubbing jack provides either active additional force for pipe light and pipe heavy conditions or passive support of the tubular member for equilibrium conditions without a riser. The method is responsive to transitions between well conditions. A riserless system without a subsea injector can more efficiently and reliably insert coiled tubing under various well conditions and during changes in the well conditions.

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Spring, TX, United States of America

Brandon Harman