Ptil Seminar 06.12.

12:

Subsea Wellhead fatigue Learning and experience sharing, preventing major accidents

WH Fatigue reducing Well construction: We CAN do much better with available means!

www.neodrill.no

WH Fatigue problems sources are:

1. Equipment design 2. Equipment application
1.

Inherent equipment design challenges: Ultimate well pressure barrier also the main load carrier for external mechanical loads:

BOP loads Riser induced lateral loads (rig movements) VIV (Vortex induced vibrations) Accidental loads
Much higher BOP loads (250 => 400 ton) New tensioning systems & higher riser tensions

Increasing WH loads:

Equipment standards render design improvements

difficult to undertake Enormous consequences of design changes

2.

Equipment installation & utilisation risks:

Slurry quality (consistency & contamination) ? Slurry placement, loss to softer formations => TOC? Cement curing temperature Hole geometry / conditions / cleanliness Conductor movement during cement setting

Cementation dependent installation process; not a predictable & reliable load transfer; depends on:

Imperfect installation will significantly reduce:

Bending & Fatigue life capacity of well Axial/lateral load capacity Contingency preparedness

Accidental loads much higher than operational loads (drift off & drive-off)

However: By application of new installation methods, the inherent installation risks CAN now be mitigated.

Alternative top hole well construction:

1. Install CAN (ConductorAnchor Node)
Method (by vessel):
Self weight penetration Suction

2. Install Conductor by:

Driving (Vessel + hammer) Jetting (Rig) Drill & cement (Rig)

High and testable load capacity:

Example: @ P=2 bar; (CAN D= 6m) ~600 ton axial

Main functions of CAN :

1. Provide mechanical load support to WH / Conductor (Capacity booster) 2. Remove cement dependency (Warrants meeting design requirements)

FE Model: CAN system analyses results:

Hotspot # 1: WHH/ Cond. weld Hotspot # 4: WH/20 weld

Hotspot #2: Cond/1st Conn. weld

Hotspot #3: 30Conn.

Hotspot #5: 20Conn.

Cases studied: 1. Stand alone conductor:

Full soil support and 12m free standing

2. CAN supported conductor

2012-01-30

Slide 5

Hotspot analyses; Main Conclusions:

Conductor Soil support to seabed

Hot spot # 1: Housing/Conductor weld

Reduced soil support

Slide 6

Hot spot # 2: Cond./1st Connector weld

1E+11 * lifetime

Reduced soil support

Hot spot # 3: 1st Connector

1E+13 * lifetime

Reduced soil support

2012-01-30

PPT1169-05_revA.ppt

Slide 7

~1000 * lifetime

Hot spot # 4 : WHH / 20 weld

~50 * lifetime

Hot spot # 5 : 1st 20 connector

~10 000 * lifetime

Reduced soil support

~500 * lifetime

2012-01-30

PPT1169-05_revA.ppt

Slide 8

FEM Fatigue life results:

Notes:
The CAN support case gives a predictable & safe operating condition for the WH equipment! The case Without CAN soil to mudline is an ideal case, as it will not be possible to provide perfect soil support to mudline for conventionally cemented conductors over time. Experience show: Initially most wells will be between having Soil to mudline and 12 m soil shortfall during drilling operations The conductor free-point will be gradually worked downwards due to BOP movements.

Trends: Use high capacity Well Head with heavy duty, large dimension conductor:

-- the larger diameter does not necessarily translate into better fatigue performance
(2H Offshore Engineering)

Lessons learnt (1):

1. Conductor Hanger design importance:

Slots for peeling at extreme bending loads

36 Friction type Conductor Hanger

(Design / analyses: Dr. Techn. Olav Olsen)

Lessons learnt (2): Effects of elevator rings!

30 Conductor Hanger mounted between elevator rings:

Conclusion:
Never use elevator rings on upper conductor joint!

CAN Conductor & developments: BOP Support System: Technology Sea bed BOP Supporter will remove BOP / Riser induced WH-bending moments (JIP next year):
BOP 1. BOP set down on Well Head and connected to same by WH Connector: (250-350 ton set down weight) Axial BOP load transferred to CAN through WH Connector and Conductor hang-off gimble.

For safer support of:

2. BOP Supporter Pistons actuated: - Transfers pre-set part of BOP weight directly to CAN - Adapts to BOP frame - ROV operated

BOP, plus X-mas tree, and Capping unit

Sea Bed

CAN Reinforcement for BOP Stabiliser

Conductor

Bending moment => Fatigue life problem area

CAN technology experience: CAN installations:

Gemini CAN: 1 100 m WD Cygnus CAN: 860 m WD

Jette CAN: 125 m WD

CAN size: D= 6 m; H= 12 m

Flat top design

Conductor installation options:

Peon: 370 m WD Dovregubben: 270 m WD CAN size: D= 6 m; H= 12 m Cooper: 250 m WD Cooper size: D= 6m; H= 8m

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Gemini: Cygnus: Peon: Dovregubben: Jette: Jette: Cooper:

Jetted Jetted Toe Drive Drill & cement Drill & cement Drill & cement Drill & cement

Equipment availability (as for WH):

Available off the shelf for:
Exploration wells: Reuse rental item Production wells: Sales item

Clean and reuse at next location

Well architecture; CAN facilitates optimised well design:

Example CAN enabled new well architecture:

Conventional 200m 30 300m 30 20 CAN Sea bed

Drilling time: 1. Drill 36 hole + conductor set: 3 days 2. Drill 9 5/8Pilot Hole: 2 days 3. Drill 17 hole + 13 3/8 set: 5 days Total: 10 days Cuttings disposal volumes: 36; 0.7m3/m => 70m3 17 ; 0,16m3/m => 80m3 = 150m3 Cement volumes (w/sea bed return): Conductor (200% excess) = 70m3 Surface casing: (20x13 3/8) = 50m3 = 120m3

20x13 3/8 String

Drilling time: Drill 26 hole + 20 set: 2 days Drill 9 5/8Pilot Hole: 0 days Drill 17 hole + 13 3/8 set: 5 days Total: 7 days Cuttings disposal volume: 26; 0.35m3/m => 35m3 17 : return to rig => 0m3 = 35m3 Cement volumes (w/sea bed return): Conductor: 0m3 Surface casing (20): 15m3 = 15m3

800m

13 3/8

Pre-installed, tested conductor Rig time & cost savings Environmental footprint reduction

Closing remarks:
Cement is an unreliable means of Conductor / WH installation! Bigger is not always better!
(Larger conductor OD higher fatigue life capacity!)

Better well foundation added well costs! (Saves rig time & troubles!)

Method of installation of WH-Systems is the key to satisfying

ALARP requirements (also for production wells)!

The industry has the means to attain much higher fatigue life

time and load capacity from all present Well Head systems! (Especially if removing bending moments from the WH!)

Yes, we CAN!