US3291210A - Drilling and production method - Google Patents

Drilling and production method Download PDF

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US3291210A
US3291210A US498964A US49896465A US3291210A US 3291210 A US3291210 A US 3291210A US 498964 A US498964 A US 498964A US 49896465 A US49896465 A US 49896465A US 3291210 A US3291210 A US 3291210A
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drilling
mandrel
production
well
tubing
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US498964A
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Robert D Johnstone
Jr Charles E Wakefield
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Richfield Oil Corp
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Richfield Oil Corp
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    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B7/00—Special methods or apparatus for drilling
    • E21B7/12—Underwater drilling
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B33/00—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells
    • E21B33/02—Surface sealing or packing
    • E21B33/03—Well heads; Setting-up thereof
    • E21B33/035—Well heads; Setting-up thereof specially adapted for underwater installations

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  • the present invention is a divisional, application of Serial No. 122,918, filed July 10, 1961, and relates to the drilling and production of petroleum from a formation underlying a body of water and more particularly, relates to a method for drilling and subsequently producing petroleum from a formation underlying a relatively deep body of water with a minimum use of divers.
  • blowout prevention equipment When drilling into and producing from a formation containing oil and gas under high pressure, blowout prevention equipment is conventionally used in the drilling operation; and a flanged wellhead assembly with at Christmas tree thereon is normally utilized to control the production of oil and gas from the well during its period of natural flow.
  • the drilling and production apparatus including the drilling head and the blowout prevention equipment has normally been installed on a marine platform located on the surface of the water Marine production equipment using a platform constitutes an obstacle to navigation and appearance and is limited to relatively shallow water usage.
  • the prior art production apparatus assembly includes,
  • a-casing which is normally cemented into the well, a casing spool, a tubing head, a casing head, and the various Christmas tree components including a master valve, one or more wing valves, and such flow constricting devices as may be required in a particular well.
  • Fluid controlled wellhead equipment such as the conventional blowout prevention equipment, necessarily involves the use of fluid hose connections to the wellhead equipment, e.g., the blowout preventer, which hoses frequently are in need of repair or must replaced which must normally be done When the wellhead is located on the ocean floor, through the use of divers. Where the wellhead equipment is located in deeper water the replacement or repair of these hoses presents a significant problem due to the reduction in diver work time at greater depths.
  • FIG. 1 is an elevational view, partially in section, showing the manner in which the drilling of the well bore is started and the drilling base is lowered to the formation;
  • FIG. 2 is an elevational view, partially in section, showing an assembled surface casing, production head, blowout preventer, and a casing riser as the assemblage is lowered to the ocean floor;
  • FIG. 3 shows in elevational partial section, the drilling apparatus of FIG. 2 landed on the ocean fioor and a water string landed in the drilling apparatus;
  • FIG. 4 is an elevational view in partial section showing schematically the manner in which the tubing string may be hung within the wellhead;
  • FIG. 5 is an elevational view in partial section showing schematically the manner in which the wellhead is sealed off preparatory to removal of the riser pipe and blowout prevention equipment;
  • FIG. 6 is an elevational view in partial section showing a production barge and the wellhead during production after the casing riser and blowout prevention equipment has been removed from the wellhead;
  • FIG. 7 is an elevational view, partially in section, showing a modified production arrangement.
  • FIGS. 2-5 With reference to the drawings generally, the wellhead of the parent application is shown in FIGS. 2-5, with a sequential showing of how our wellhead may be installed at the ocean floor.
  • an apparatus is shown which can be remotely installed on the ocean floor and portion thereof raised to the drilling vessel for repairs, replacements or other purposes -by the provision of a modified blowout preventer housing 38 having a shoulder 44 formed thereon which houses a removable control block 48 through which the blowout prevention control hoses 50 are attached to the blowout preventer, thus enabling the control block 48 with the control hoses 50 to be raised to the drilling vessel (not shown), with the help of a guide arm 58 and sleeve 56 slidably attached to the casing riser 36.
  • the completion of the well and installation of the production equipment may be accomplished remotely through underwater production apparatus, for example, the specially designed drilling and production mandrel 32, the production aspect of which is more fully defined and described in a copending application, Serial No. 100,411, filed April 3, 1961, for Submarine Drilling and Production Head and Method of Installing Same, in the name of Charles E. Wakefield, Jr.
  • the present method involves utilizing the drilling mandrel 32 as a production mandrel and producing the well through flow lines 64 and 66.
  • FIG. 1 shows a concrete drilling base 10 lowered from a floating vessel (not shown) on lowering cables 12 to the formation 14 beneath the body of water 16.
  • the drilling base 10 has a conductor pipe 18 extending therethrough.
  • Drill pipe 20 has drill bit 22 and a drilling collar 24- attached to the lower end thereof.
  • the base 10 with conductor pipe 18 may be installed at the formation by first extending the lower end of the drill pipe through the landing base and conductor pipe 18 while the landing base is suspended over the formation, so that the drill string may be operated therethrough from the floating vessel to cut the well bore 26 in the formation.
  • the drill base may then be lowered to the formation with the conductor pipe extending into the well bore 26.
  • a hole opener 28 is used to enlarge the well bore 26 for conductor pipe 18.
  • the surface casing 30 is connected to drilling mandrel 32 by any suitable means, e.g., a threaded coupling joint 34, and the casing riser 36 and blowout prevention equipment 38 connected to the drilling mandrel 32 and the assemblage lowered from the floating vessel, as shown in FIG. 2, into the drilling base 10 at the formation 14, on the riser pipe 36 over the drill pipe which may be left in the well bore temporarily to provide guidance between the floating vessel and the drilling base for, the wellhead assemblage.
  • Television apparatus of the type described in the copending application of Robert O. Pollard et al., Serial No. 144,- 204 may also be used to guide the lower end of the assemblage into the hole.
  • the mandrel 32 is similar to the production mandrel described in the aforementioned copending application Serial No. 100,411.
  • a conventional remotely disconnectible latch or safety joint 40 is used to connect the blowout preventer 38 to the drilling mandrel 32.
  • Thi safety joint is preferably a straight pull safety joint for releasing the drilling mandrel 32 from the safety joint 40 and may employ a latch operated by a cable (not shown), for example, the right hand torque releasing safety joint found on page 4557 of the 1958-59 Composite Catalog of Oil Field and Pipeline Equipment, published by World Oil.
  • a similar safety joint 42 may be provided at the connection between the blowout preventer 38 and the casing riser 36 so that the casing riser can be remotely released above the blowout preventer.
  • the blowout preventer housing 38 has a shoulder portion 44 formed thereon.
  • Thi housing has a manifold section 46 with passageways 45 extending internally therethrough and through the shoulder portion 44 as shown in FIG. 2.
  • the passageways preferably extend at one end 47 to the conventional blowout preventer actuating mechanisms which are within the blowout preventer housing 38 to there effect control fluid communication between the hoses 50 and the blowout preventer.
  • the other end 49 of the passageways 45 form receptacles 51 to receive control hose terminals 53 which may have sealing rings thereon (not shown).
  • the control block 48 houses the control hose terminals 53 which protrude from the lower side thereof to connect with the passageways or receptacles 51 in the manifold section 46.
  • the control block 48 has passageways through which the control hose terminals pass and receive the fluid control hoses 50 from the floating vessel.
  • the control block 48 is removable from the manifold section 46 and has a hoisting member 52 attached thereto and extending to the floating vessel for raising and lowering the control block 48 onto the manifold section 46 of the blowout preventer shoulder portion 44.
  • the hoisting member 52 preferably is a rigid steel member such as a rod or a tubular member.
  • Spacer disc 54 is provided to evenly distribute the control hoses about the hoisting member 52 and prevent entanglements and damage to the hoses.
  • An orientation sleeve 56 having an orientation lug 56a therein is slidably disposed in orientation cam 36a on the casing riser 36 and rigidly attached to the hoisting member 52 by a rod or tubular member 58 to aid in guiding the control block 48 as it is lowered and raised to and from the blowout preventer manifold section 46.
  • a casing outlet 60 and a tubing outlet 62 are connected respectively to the casing flow line 64 and the tubing flow line 66 either by a diver, remote connecting means, or at the vessel as taught in copending application of C. E. Wakefield, Jr., Serial No. 454,020, filed May 7, 1965, for Method for Connecting a Flow Line to an Underwater Well.
  • Fluid operated valves 68 and 70 control flow between the tubing and easing outlets and the tubing and casing flow lines respectively, and are controlled through fluid control hose 72 which extends to the floating vessel.
  • the tubing and easing valves 68 and 70 are normally closed.
  • a plate or landing flange 74 fastened to the drilling mandrel 32 serves as a drilling mandrel landing base and supports the wellhead within the drilling base until the surface casing and production head are cemented together into the formation.
  • drilling tools are operated through the assemblage to deepen the well sufliciently to receive a water string.
  • the water string is next lowered into the well bore through the riser pipe and the drilling mandrel on the drill string with an appropriate release tool (not shown) onto a suitable casing hanger, e.g. a shoulder provided in the lower end of the drilling head 32, or a modified Burns fluted holddown liner hanger attached to the long end of the drilling mandrel 32 which hanger would have the surface casing 30 coupled thereto.
  • a suitable casing hanger e.g. a shoulder provided in the lower end of the drilling head 32, or a modified Burns fluted holddown liner hanger attached to the long end of the drilling mandrel 32 which hanger would have the surface casing 30 coupled thereto.
  • the water string 76 is supported on the hanger, e.g. shoulder 80, by a water string landing mandrel 78 coupled to the upper end of the water string 76, which mandrel has a shoulder 79 which seats on shoulder 80 of the hanger.
  • tubing 82 with a tubing plug 84 is then lowered into the well through the water string and hung within the drilling mandrel 32 on a tubing hanger 86 as more fully described in our above-mentioned copending application.
  • Packer cups 88 and 90 seal around the tubing above and below the tubing outlet 62 to restrict the tubing flow through the tubing outlet and tubing flow line 66, as shown in FIG. 4.
  • Plug 92 is fastened into the upper end of the drilling mandrel 32, as shown in FIG. 5, to serve as a secondary seal behind the packer cup 88 and as a safety device against the possibility of blowing the tubing out of the hole.
  • the casing riser and blowout prevention equipment may be raised to the floating vessel by releasing the safety joint 40, as previously described, leaving the drilling mandrel in flow operating position as shown in FIG. 6.
  • the flow lines and flow control lines 64, 66, and 72 may be run from the wellhead to a production barge 94.
  • a production tank 96 may be submerged and production therefrom pumped to a tanker loading buoy 98 or directly to a tanker (not shown) through tanker loading lines 100.
  • flow lines 64 and 66 may be run along the ocean floor 14 to a production control facility on shore. In such case one of the lowering lines 12 may be used to locate the well with a buoy.
  • the drilling and production apparatus may be lowered together as a unit and the drilling mandrel serves as a production head since the drilling tools may be operated therethrough.
  • the blowout preventer referred to herein may be latched to a wellhead which may be either a drilling head, a production head, or a combination drilling and production head.
  • the blowout preventers which are normally open and only closed when there is an unbalanced pressure condition in the well, may be remotely controlled from the drilling vessel through fluid control lines 50 which may be repaired or replaced by raising the control block 48 to the drilling vessel by retracting the hoisting cable 52 and the blowout preventer control hoses either repaired or replaced as required.
  • blowout prevention equipment which is conventional equipment, contemplated for use in the present invention employs 3 gates, which are: (1) a complete shutoff gate; (2) a gate for shutting off only around the drill pipe; and (3) a hydril or bag type blowout preventer on top of the above-mentioned blowout preventer.
  • the well may be completed and brought into production by lowering the production string through the casing riser and blowout preventer into the drilling mandrel and mounting the production string within the drilling mandrel as is set forth in the aforementioned copending application drawn to a production head per se and the method for installing such production head.

Description

19-66 R. D. JOHNSTONE ETAL DRILLING AND PRODUCTION METHOD 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed July 10, 1961 ROBERT D. JOHNSTONE & CHARLES E. WAKEFIELfiEgJRw INVENTO AT TORNEY.
Dec. 13, 1966 R. D. JOHNSTONE ETAL DRILLING AND PRODUCTION METHOD Original Filed July 10, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ROBERT D. JOHNSTONE & G'MRLES EWAKEFIELDJRH INVENTORS ATTORNEY.
196 R. D. JOHNSTONE ETAL L DRILLING AND PRODUCTION METHOD Original Filed July 10, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 AT TORNEY.
Dec. 13, 1966 R. D. JOHNSTONE ETAL DRILLING AND PRODUCTION METHOD Original Filed July 10, 1961 l 4 Sheets-Shet 4 ROBERT D. JOHNSTONE & CHARLES EWMKEFI ELDJRJ INVENTORS.
M TRNEY.
over the well bore.
United States Patent Claims. '(Cl. 166-.6)
The present invention is a divisional, application of Serial No. 122,918, filed July 10, 1961, and relates to the drilling and production of petroleum from a formation underlying a body of water and more particularly, relates to a method for drilling and subsequently producing petroleum from a formation underlying a relatively deep body of water with a minimum use of divers.
When drilling into and producing from a formation containing oil and gas under high pressure, blowout prevention equipment is conventionally used in the drilling operation; and a flanged wellhead assembly with at Christmas tree thereon is normally utilized to control the production of oil and gas from the well during its period of natural flow. In offshore operations, the drilling and production apparatus including the drilling head and the blowout prevention equipment has normally been installed on a marine platform located on the surface of the water Marine production equipment using a platform constitutes an obstacle to navigation and appearance and is limited to relatively shallow water usage. The prior art production apparatus assembly includes,
generally, a-casing which is normally cemented into the well, a casing spool, a tubing head, a casing head, and the various Christmas tree components including a master valve, one or more wing valves, and such flow constricting devices as may be required in a particular well.
Recently the drilling and production apparatus has been mounted on the ocean floor in relatively shallow water accessible to divers. Equipment used in such shallow water operations is, however, unsuitable for the production of oil wells in deeper water due to the need for exten sive diving operations needed to assemble and locate the various wellhead components. Such shallow water equipment requiring the use of divers would be extremely difiicult to install in deeper water since diver work time is greatly reduced at greater depths. Fluid controlled wellhead equipment, such as the conventional blowout prevention equipment, necessarily involves the use of fluid hose connections to the wellhead equipment, e.g., the blowout preventer, which hoses frequently are in need of repair or must replaced which must normally be done When the wellhead is located on the ocean floor, through the use of divers. Where the wellhead equipment is located in deeper water the replacement or repair of these hoses presents a significant problem due to the reduction in diver work time at greater depths.
The prior art techniques also require removal of the drilling mandrel or head prior to completion of the well and subsequent installation of a production head which involves additional use of divers or remote operating means.
It is therefore an object of our present invention to produce petroleum from wells underlying relatively deep bodies of water and to provide a method for installing drilling and production equipment from the surface with a minimum use of divers.
It is also an object of our present invention to provide a method for using a combination drilling and production mandrel by remote installation at an underwater formation from the surface of the body of water.
It is a further object of our present invention to proice vide a method for producing a well drilled into a formation underlying a body of relatively deep water without first removing the drilling mandrel.
It is a further object of our present invention to provide a method for producing a well drilled into a formation underlying a body of relatively deep water by utilizing the drilling mandrel as a production mandrel.
Other objects and a more complete understanding of our present invention may be realized by reference to the following specification and claims when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is an elevational view, partially in section, showing the manner in which the drilling of the well bore is started and the drilling base is lowered to the formation;
FIG. 2 is an elevational view, partially in section, showing an assembled surface casing, production head, blowout preventer, and a casing riser as the assemblage is lowered to the ocean floor;
FIG. 3 shows in elevational partial section, the drilling apparatus of FIG. 2 landed on the ocean fioor and a water string landed in the drilling apparatus;
FIG. 4 is an elevational view in partial section showing schematically the manner in which the tubing string may be hung within the wellhead;
FIG. 5 is an elevational view in partial section showing schematically the manner in which the wellhead is sealed off preparatory to removal of the riser pipe and blowout prevention equipment;
FIG. 6 is an elevational view in partial section showing a production barge and the wellhead during production after the casing riser and blowout prevention equipment has been removed from the wellhead;
FIG. 7 is an elevational view, partially in section, showing a modified production arrangement.
With reference to the drawings generally, the wellhead of the parent application is shown in FIGS. 2-5, with a sequential showing of how our wellhead may be installed at the ocean floor. Briefly described, an apparatus is shown which can be remotely installed on the ocean floor and portion thereof raised to the drilling vessel for repairs, replacements or other purposes -by the provision of a modified blowout preventer housing 38 having a shoulder 44 formed thereon which houses a removable control block 48 through which the blowout prevention control hoses 50 are attached to the blowout preventer, thus enabling the control block 48 with the control hoses 50 to be raised to the drilling vessel (not shown), with the help of a guide arm 58 and sleeve 56 slidably attached to the casing riser 36. The completion of the well and installation of the production equipment may be accomplished remotely through underwater production apparatus, for example, the specially designed drilling and production mandrel 32, the production aspect of which is more fully defined and described in a copending application, Serial No. 100,411, filed April 3, 1961, for Submarine Drilling and Production Head and Method of Installing Same, in the name of Charles E. Wakefield, Jr. The present method involves utilizing the drilling mandrel 32 as a production mandrel and producing the well through flow lines 64 and 66.
Referring now more particularly to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a concrete drilling base 10 lowered from a floating vessel (not shown) on lowering cables 12 to the formation 14 beneath the body of water 16. The drilling base 10 has a conductor pipe 18 extending therethrough. Drill pipe 20 has drill bit 22 and a drilling collar 24- attached to the lower end thereof. The base 10 with conductor pipe 18 may be installed at the formation by first extending the lower end of the drill pipe through the landing base and conductor pipe 18 while the landing base is suspended over the formation, so that the drill string may be operated therethrough from the floating vessel to cut the well bore 26 in the formation. The drill base may then be lowered to the formation with the conductor pipe extending into the well bore 26. A hole opener 28 is used to enlarge the well bore 26 for conductor pipe 18.
After the well bore has been deepened sufficiently to receive the surface casing 30, the surface casing 30 is connected to drilling mandrel 32 by any suitable means, e.g., a threaded coupling joint 34, and the casing riser 36 and blowout prevention equipment 38 connected to the drilling mandrel 32 and the assemblage lowered from the floating vessel, as shown in FIG. 2, into the drilling base 10 at the formation 14, on the riser pipe 36 over the drill pipe which may be left in the well bore temporarily to provide guidance between the floating vessel and the drilling base for, the wellhead assemblage. Television apparatus of the type described in the copending application of Robert O. Pollard et al., Serial No. 144,- 204, may also be used to guide the lower end of the assemblage into the hole. The mandrel 32 is similar to the production mandrel described in the aforementioned copending application Serial No. 100,411. A conventional remotely disconnectible latch or safety joint 40 is used to connect the blowout preventer 38 to the drilling mandrel 32. Thi safety joint is preferably a straight pull safety joint for releasing the drilling mandrel 32 from the safety joint 40 and may employ a latch operated by a cable (not shown), for example, the right hand torque releasing safety joint found on page 4557 of the 1958-59 Composite Catalog of Oil Field and Pipeline Equipment, published by World Oil. A similar safety joint 42 may be provided at the connection between the blowout preventer 38 and the casing riser 36 so that the casing riser can be remotely released above the blowout preventer.
The blowout preventer housing 38 has a shoulder portion 44 formed thereon. Thi housing has a manifold section 46 with passageways 45 extending internally therethrough and through the shoulder portion 44 as shown in FIG. 2. The passageways preferably extend at one end 47 to the conventional blowout preventer actuating mechanisms which are within the blowout preventer housing 38 to there effect control fluid communication between the hoses 50 and the blowout preventer. The other end 49 of the passageways 45 form receptacles 51 to receive control hose terminals 53 which may have sealing rings thereon (not shown). The control block 48 houses the control hose terminals 53 which protrude from the lower side thereof to connect with the passageways or receptacles 51 in the manifold section 46. The control block 48 has passageways through which the control hose terminals pass and receive the fluid control hoses 50 from the floating vessel.
The control block 48 is removable from the manifold section 46 and has a hoisting member 52 attached thereto and extending to the floating vessel for raising and lowering the control block 48 onto the manifold section 46 of the blowout preventer shoulder portion 44. The hoisting member 52 preferably is a rigid steel member such as a rod or a tubular member. Spacer disc 54 is provided to evenly distribute the control hoses about the hoisting member 52 and prevent entanglements and damage to the hoses. An orientation sleeve 56 having an orientation lug 56a therein is slidably disposed in orientation cam 36a on the casing riser 36 and rigidly attached to the hoisting member 52 by a rod or tubular member 58 to aid in guiding the control block 48 as it is lowered and raised to and from the blowout preventer manifold section 46.
A casing outlet 60 and a tubing outlet 62, more fully shown in the above-mentioned copending application, are connected respectively to the casing flow line 64 and the tubing flow line 66 either by a diver, remote connecting means, or at the vessel as taught in copending application of C. E. Wakefield, Jr., Serial No. 454,020, filed May 7, 1965, for Method for Connecting a Flow Line to an Underwater Well. Fluid operated valves 68 and 70 control flow between the tubing and easing outlets and the tubing and casing flow lines respectively, and are controlled through fluid control hose 72 which extends to the floating vessel. The tubing and easing valves 68 and 70 are normally closed. A plate or landing flange 74 fastened to the drilling mandrel 32 serves as a drilling mandrel landing base and supports the wellhead within the drilling base until the surface casing and production head are cemented together into the formation.
After the surface pipe, production pipe, blowout preventer, and easing riser are concentrically assembled and lowered to the ocean bottom, drilling tools are operated through the assemblage to deepen the well sufliciently to receive a water string.
As shown in FIG. 3, the water string is next lowered into the well bore through the riser pipe and the drilling mandrel on the drill string with an appropriate release tool (not shown) onto a suitable casing hanger, e.g. a shoulder provided in the lower end of the drilling head 32, or a modified Burns fluted holddown liner hanger attached to the long end of the drilling mandrel 32 which hanger would have the surface casing 30 coupled thereto. The water string 76 is supported on the hanger, e.g. shoulder 80, by a water string landing mandrel 78 coupled to the upper end of the water string 76, which mandrel has a shoulder 79 which seats on shoulder 80 of the hanger.
The tubing 82 with a tubing plug 84 is then lowered into the well through the water string and hung within the drilling mandrel 32 on a tubing hanger 86 as more fully described in our above-mentioned copending application. Packer cups 88 and 90 seal around the tubing above and below the tubing outlet 62 to restrict the tubing flow through the tubing outlet and tubing flow line 66, as shown in FIG. 4. Plug 92 is fastened into the upper end of the drilling mandrel 32, as shown in FIG. 5, to serve as a secondary seal behind the packer cup 88 and as a safety device against the possibility of blowing the tubing out of the hole.
After the drilling operation is completed and the well brought into production, the casing riser and blowout prevention equipment may be raised to the floating vessel by releasing the safety joint 40, as previously described, leaving the drilling mandrel in flow operating position as shown in FIG. 6. The flow lines and flow control lines 64, 66, and 72, may be run from the wellhead to a production barge 94. As shown in FIG. 7, a production tank 96 may be submerged and production therefrom pumped to a tanker loading buoy 98 or directly to a tanker (not shown) through tanker loading lines 100. In operations near the shore, flow lines 64 and 66 may be run along the ocean floor 14 to a production control facility on shore. In such case one of the lowering lines 12 may be used to locate the well with a buoy.
Thus, with the present invention the drilling and production apparatus may be lowered together as a unit and the drilling mandrel serves as a production head since the drilling tools may be operated therethrough. Thus, the blowout preventer referred to herein may be latched to a wellhead which may be either a drilling head, a production head, or a combination drilling and production head. During the drilling operation the blowout preventers which are normally open and only closed when there is an unbalanced pressure condition in the well, may be remotely controlled from the drilling vessel through fluid control lines 50 which may be repaired or replaced by raising the control block 48 to the drilling vessel by retracting the hoisting cable 52 and the blowout preventer control hoses either repaired or replaced as required. Thus, it is not necessary to send a diver down to the wellhead to repair the fluid control hoses at the blowout preventer connections where they most often fail' The type of blowout prevention equipment, which is conventional equipment, contemplated for use in the present invention employs 3 gates, which are: (1) a complete shutoff gate; (2) a gate for shutting off only around the drill pipe; and (3) a hydril or bag type blowout preventer on top of the above-mentioned blowout preventer. After the drilling is accomplished to the desired depth, the well may be completed and brought into production by lowering the production string through the casing riser and blowout preventer into the drilling mandrel and mounting the production string within the drilling mandrel as is set forth in the aforementioned copending application drawn to a production head per se and the method for installing such production head.
Although the present invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it should be understood that this disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of the method and in the combination and arrangements of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as herein claimed.
We claim:
1. In a method for drilling and completing a well in a formation underlying a body of water from a vessel floating on said body of water wherein an apertured landing base is positioned on said formation, the steps comprising:
(a) operating a drill string in said well from said vessel to drill said well sufficiently to receive a surface pipe,
(b) assembling at said vessel, said surface pipe, a drilling and production mandrel having a tubing flow line connector, and a blowout preventer,
(c) lowering said assemblage into said well through said apertured drilling base with said mandrel landing adjacent said base,
(d) operating drilling tools through said mandrel to deepen said well,
(e) lowering a water string into said well through said mandrel,
(f) landing said water string,
(g) landing a production tubing string in said mandrel,
(h) operatively connecting said production tubing string to a tubing flow line through said tubing flow line connector of said mandrel,
(i) removing said blowout preventer,
(j) and producing said well through said production string and said production mandrel tubing flow line connector.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said assemblage is lowered into said well through said apertured drilling base over said drill string while said drill string is in said well.
3. The method of claim 1 including the step of plugging said mandrel above said tubing flow line connector after said tubing string has been landed in said mandrel.
4. In a method for drilling and completing a well in a formation underlying a body of water from a vessel floating on said body of water wherein an apertured landing base is positioned on said formation, the steps comprising:
(a) operating a drill string in said well from said vessel to drill said well sufliciently to receive a surface pipe,
(b) assembling at said vessel said surface pipe, a drilling and production mandrel having a tubing flow 5 line connector, a blowout preventer, and a casing riser,
(c) lowering said assemblage into said well through said apertured drilling base with said mandrel landing adjacent said base,
deepen said well,
(e) lowering a water string into said well through said mandrel,
(f) landing a production tubing string in said mandrel,
(g) operatively connecting said production tubing string to a tubing flow line through said tubing flow line connector of said mandrel, (h) removing said blowout preventer and said riser,
5. In a method for drilling and completing a well in a formation underlying a body of Water from a vessel floating on said body of water wherein an apertured landing base is positioned on said formation, the steps comprising:
(a) operating a drill string in said well from said vessel to drill said well sufliciently to receive a surface pipe,
(b) concentrically assembling at said vessel, said surface pipe, a drilling and production mandrel having a tubing flow line connector, a blowout preventer,
and a casing riser,
drel landing adjacent said base,
(d) operating drilling tools through said mandrel,
duction head,
(f) landing a production tubing string in said mandrel,
line connector of said mandrel,
(h) plugging s aid mandrel above said tubing flow line connector,
(i) removing said blowout preventer and said riser,
(j) and producing said well through said production string and said production mandrel tubing fiow line connector.
References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.
R. E. FAVREAU, Assistant Examiner.
(d) operating drilling tools through said mandrel to (i) and producing said Well through said production string and said production mandrel tubing flow line (c) lowering said assemblage into said well through said apertured drilling base over said drill string while said drill string is in said well with said man- (e) lowering a Water string into said well through said mandrel and landing said water string in said pro- (g) operatively connecting said production tubing string to a tubing flow line through said tubing flow

Claims (1)

1. IN A METHOD FOR DRILLING AND COMPLETING A WELL IN A FORMATION UNDERLYING A BODY OF WATER FROM A VESSEL FLOATING ON SAID BODY OF WATER WHEREIN AN APERTURED LANDING BASE IS POSITIONED ON SAID FORMATION, THE STEPS COMPRISING: (A) OPERATING A DRILL STRING IN SAID WELL FROM SAID VESSEL TO DRILL SAID WELL SUFFICIENTLY TO RECEIVE A SURFACE PIPE, (B) ASSEMBLING AT SAID VESSEL, SAID SURFACE PIPE, A DRILL ING AND PRODUCTION MANDREL HAVING A TUBING FLOW LINE CONNECTOR, AND BLOWOUT PREVENTER, (C) LOWERING SAID ASSEMBLAGE INTO SAID WELL THROUGH SAID APERTURED DRILLING BASE WITH SAID MANDREL LANDING ADJACENT SAID BASE,
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Cited By (7)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3352356A (en) * 1965-05-07 1967-11-14 Atlantic Richfield Co Method for connecting a flow line to an underwater well
US3368618A (en) * 1963-10-03 1968-02-13 Hydril Co Conduit coupling with multiple fluid lines
US3384169A (en) * 1966-05-17 1968-05-21 Mobil Oil Corp Underwater low temperature separation unit
US3398790A (en) * 1965-05-07 1968-08-27 Atlantic Richfield Co Underwater drilling method
US3426842A (en) * 1966-02-01 1969-02-11 Exxon Production Research Co Installation of control lines on underwater well
US3503443A (en) * 1967-09-11 1970-03-31 Gen Dynamics Corp Product handling system for underwater wells
US3602303A (en) * 1967-12-01 1971-08-31 Amoco Prod Co Subsea wellhead completion systems

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US2808229A (en) * 1954-11-12 1957-10-01 Shell Oil Co Off-shore drilling
US2854215A (en) * 1956-03-05 1958-09-30 Shell Dev Offshore oil well installation
US2970646A (en) * 1958-01-30 1961-02-07 Jersey Prod Res Co Method for installing controls to and operating an underwater well
US3062288A (en) * 1959-07-30 1962-11-06 Shell Oil Co Underwater dual tubing well completion
US3087547A (en) * 1958-10-29 1963-04-30 Otis Eng Co Well tools for securing flow conductors in a tubular member
US3099317A (en) * 1959-09-24 1963-07-30 Fmc Corp Underwater well completion assembly
US3145775A (en) * 1958-01-30 1964-08-25 Jersey Prod Res Co Method and apparatus for conducting offshore drilling operations

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2808229A (en) * 1954-11-12 1957-10-01 Shell Oil Co Off-shore drilling
US2854215A (en) * 1956-03-05 1958-09-30 Shell Dev Offshore oil well installation
US2970646A (en) * 1958-01-30 1961-02-07 Jersey Prod Res Co Method for installing controls to and operating an underwater well
US3145775A (en) * 1958-01-30 1964-08-25 Jersey Prod Res Co Method and apparatus for conducting offshore drilling operations
US3087547A (en) * 1958-10-29 1963-04-30 Otis Eng Co Well tools for securing flow conductors in a tubular member
US3062288A (en) * 1959-07-30 1962-11-06 Shell Oil Co Underwater dual tubing well completion
US3099317A (en) * 1959-09-24 1963-07-30 Fmc Corp Underwater well completion assembly

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3368618A (en) * 1963-10-03 1968-02-13 Hydril Co Conduit coupling with multiple fluid lines
US3352356A (en) * 1965-05-07 1967-11-14 Atlantic Richfield Co Method for connecting a flow line to an underwater well
US3398790A (en) * 1965-05-07 1968-08-27 Atlantic Richfield Co Underwater drilling method
US3426842A (en) * 1966-02-01 1969-02-11 Exxon Production Research Co Installation of control lines on underwater well
US3384169A (en) * 1966-05-17 1968-05-21 Mobil Oil Corp Underwater low temperature separation unit
US3503443A (en) * 1967-09-11 1970-03-31 Gen Dynamics Corp Product handling system for underwater wells
US3602303A (en) * 1967-12-01 1971-08-31 Amoco Prod Co Subsea wellhead completion systems

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