Saipem S.a.

Lionel Macauley

Stéphane Anres

Stéphanie Abrand

Installation for producing fluid such as crude oil having a floating support having at least two tanks, an undersea bottom-to-surface connection pipe having a first pipe portion on the sea bottom from a well head to the bottom end of a second pipe portion at the floating support, a first auxiliary pipe for transporting gas extending from the floating support to the bottom end of the second pipe, and a plurality of valves for isolating or putting into communication the first auxiliary pipe, for isolating or putting into communication the first production pipe portion and the second production pipe portion, end to end, and suitable for isolating or putting into communication the proximal end of the first production pipe portion and the bottom end either of a fourth auxiliary pipe rising directly to the surface, or a bottom portion of the first auxiliary pipe.

Method of making safe an undersea bottom-to-surface production pipe when production is stopped

Method of stopping production and making safe an undersea bottom-to-surface connection production pipe having a first pipe portion on the sea bottom from a well head to the bottom end of a second pipe portion extending to a ship or floating support. After stopping production, depressurization of the entire undersea bottom-to-surface connection production pipe is performed. Thereafter, the following steps are preformed: isolating the first production pipe portion from the second pipe portion, and leaving the production fluid in the first production pipe portion, but not in said second pipe portion, depressurizing the first production pipe portion filled with production fluid by reducing the pressure in the first pipe portion and by discharging more completely the gas contained in the production fluid that it contains.

Method of stopping and restarting production in an undersea bottom-to-surface connection production pipe having a first pipe portion on the sea bottom from a well head to the bottom end of a second pipe portion extending to a ship or floating. When production is stopped, at least the first pipe portion is filled with a depressurized production fluid. Thereafter the following steps are performed: e1) forming a gel from two reagents in a first gel-forming chamber on the sea bottom; e2) sending a quantity of separator gel into the first pipe portion that pushes the cold fluid contained in the first pipe portion to the second pipe portion, prior to closing the first chamber; and then; e3) starting production, the gel forming physical separation and thermal and chemical isolation between firstly the production fluid and secondly a production fluid within the first production pipe portion.

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Paris, France

Lionel Macauley