Floater-Based Interventions:

Subsea Well Intervention from DP

(Dynamic Positioning) Vessels and TLP’s
(Tension Leg Platform)

Greg J Bowen
Shell Offshore DESC™ Engineer
North Gulf Coast Geomarket
Schlumberger
© 2006 Schlumberger. All rights reserved.

An asterisk is used throughout this presentation to denote a mark of

Schlumberger. Other company, product, and service names are the
properties of their respective owners.

GJBowen/Sept 2006
 Agenda

„ Introduction to Deepwater Operations

„ Type’s of Floaters

„ Challenges for CT Operations

„ The Need for Specialized Equipment

„ Case Histories

GJBowen/Sept 2006
 Introduction to Floater Based Operations

„ How Deep is “Deepwater”

„ Worldwide Deepwater Developments

„ Deepwater Installations

GJBowen/Sept 2006
How Deep is “Deepwater” ?
„ Most common definition
– Water depth > 1000 ft

„ From CT Operations perspective

– Any rig-up on a FLOATING structure

„ Conventional Deepwater
– GOM Water depths of 3,000-8,000’ ft

„ Ultra Deepwater:
– Brazil & GOM now drilling > 9,000’ ft

GJBowen/Sept 2006
Increasing Water Depth

10011
10,000
Gulf Of Mexico

9743
9672
9627
9556
Maximum Water Depth (ft and m)

8845
9,000

8,000

7716
7620
7500
7500

7416
6950
7,000

6740
6660

6530
6420
6240
5834
6,000

5400

5149
5,000

4,000

3530
3534
3135
3,000

2211
1986
2,000 1895

1835
1793

1790
1747
1363
1,000
626

456
472
472
390

696
340

590
475
393

0
65 67 69 71 73 75 77 79 81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05

Year
Source: Minerals Management Service (MMS)

GJBowen/Sept 2006
Worldwide Deepwater Developments

Established
Frontier
Emerging Source: Transocean DW Pemex Forum

GJBowen/Sept 2006
Deepwater Installations

GJBowen/Sept 2006
Deepwater Completion & Production

GJBowen/Sept 2006
Type’s of Floaters

„ Vertically Moored Floating Installations

– Tension Leg Platforms
– Spar Platforms

„ Dynamic Positioned Floating Vessel's

– Light Well Intervention Vessel's
– Deepwater Intervention Vessel’s
– Drillships

GJBowen/Sept 2006
Vertically Moored Floating Installations

Spar Platform Tension Leg Platform

GJBowen/Sept 2006
Spar Platform

Chevron Genesis Truss Spar Classic Spar

GJBowen/Sept 2006
Spar Platform: How it Works
Well Head Deck

Rig Substructure

Rig Floor
Work over Deck

Well Head Deck

Cellar Deck
Top of SPAR Deck Marine Risers

GJBowen/Sept 2006
Tension Leg Platform

Shell Mars TLP

Shell Ram Powell

Mini TLP Conventional TLP

GJBowen/Sept 2006
TLP Platform: How it Works

Rig Substructure

Rig Floor
Work over Deck

Well Head Deck

Cellar Deck
Top of TLP Deck
Riser Tensioners

Riser Tensioners

GJBowen/Sept 2006
Dynamically Positioned Floating Vessels

Light Well Intervention Vessel

MSV Seawell

Drillship
Deepwater Pathfinder

Deepwater Intervention Vessel

MSV Q4000
GJBowen/Sept 2006
Light Well Intervention Vessel:

MSV Seawell
„ Operated in UK & Norway North Sea
„ Use of Custom Lifting Frame
– Rigid riser & swivel for CT
„ Use of “Subsea Intervention Lubricator”
„ Subsea well remediation & servicing
„ A frame derrick and open “Moon Pool”
„ Shallow water

GJBowen/Sept 2006
Deepwater Intervention Vessel:

MSV Q4000
„ Operated in GOM
„ Use of conventional lifting frame
„ Use of conventional subsea package
„ Subsea well remediation & servicing
„ Open mast/derrick
„ 350MT cranes
„ Deepwater upto 10,000ft

GJBowen/Sept 2006
Deepwater Drillships:

„ Operating in GOM
– Mainly contingency CT work
„ Operating in Brazil
– Active use of CT Services in Ultradeepwater
„ Use of conventional lifting frame
„ Use of conventional subsea package
„ Deepwater >8,000ft
„ Concurrent operations on “Twin Derrick” ships

GJBowen/Sept 2006
DP Floating Vessel: How it Works
Surface Tree / Flowhead

Rig Substructure

Rig Floor
Work over Deck

Swivel

EDP / LRP

Subsea Tree

GJBowen/Sept 2006
DP Floating Vessel: How it Works
2 Type of Compensation system are used

Inline / Drill String Compensator (DSC) Crown Mounted Compensator (CMC)

„ Part of traveling block / hook „ Positioned above top of derrick
„ Connects to deck mounted air pressure „ Allows for more height in derrick
vessels

GJBowen/Sept 2006
Challenges for CT Operations

„ Environment – Hot, Deep and High Pressure

„ Floater Movement – Need for Compensation
„ Weather Effects
„ Efficiency & Safety
„ Job Design Considerations

GJBowen/Sept 2006
Environment: Hot, Deep and HP

Gulf Of Mexico

34000
35000

33220
33000

31824
30880
30212
31000 25,000 PSI
Maximum TVD (ft and m)

29680
29229
29000

26978
27000

25765
25450
25000

24650
24274

24084
25000
22840

23264

23191

23066

22887

22885
22892
22807
22680
20,000 PSI

22263
21988
23000

21736
21068
20988
20000

20450
20400
19533

20000

21000
19539
19488
18385
18507

19000
17500

18002

19000
17388
17229

17000
15000
65 67 69 71 73 75 77 79 81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05

Source: Minerals Management Service (MMS) Year

GJBowen/Sept 2006
Floater Movement - Need for compensation

„ Tension Leg Platform (TLP)

– Vertical wellhead movement (1’ – 3’)
– Wellhead tilt (up to 2 – 3 deg)

„ SPAR
– Wellhead vertical movement (up to 7’)
– Span CT equipment over open moon pool

„ DP Vessel’s & Semi-Subs

– Intensive rig-up of tension lift frames
– Weather limited operating window

GJBowen/Sept 2006
 Weather Effects

All Contribute to reducing “Work Window” for high cost rigs

„ Severe Weather – Hurricanes, Tropical Storms

„ Sea state – Heave effects
„ Loop Currents – DP Vessel’s
„ Wind – Rigup Safety

GJBowen/Sept 2006
Efficiency & Safety

„ High & Heavy rig ups

„ Unique environments
„ High rig operating cost
„ Unplanned operations
„ Concurrent Operations
„ Available Deck Space
„ Crane Limitations
„ CT Op’s experienced rig crews

GJBowen/Sept 2006
Job Design Considerations
Dynamic Positioned Vessel’s
„ Planned Subsea Well Maintenance or Contingency during completion phase.
– Well bore cleanout; Post Frac or due to premature screen-out
– Free stuck work string/drill pipe
– Open/Close or Mill FIVs, break flapper valves etc
– Fishing; Plugs & prongs, Perforation guns etc
– Well kill
– Stimulation & well bore cleanout to remove damage caused by LCM pills
– P&A Work

TLP & SPAR

„ Planned well servicing work & completion process
– Well bore cleanout
– Hydrate plug removal
– Scale removal
– Flow lines maintenance (Up to 20 miles or longer)
– Installation of velocity strings (in depleted wells with large completions)
– Stimulation
– Remedial Sand control
– Fishing
– Drilling Sidetracks
– P&A

GJBowen/Sept 2006
Job Design Considerations Cont..

„ Large completion sizes

• Make cleanouts and extended reach in deviated wells extremely challenging
„ Extreme Depth
• Wells up to 29,000 ft are common
„ Pressure
• Extreme reservoir pressure; as high as 20,000 psi
„ High temperatures
• Effectiveness of seals, fluids
„ Hydrate formation potentials

GJBowen/Sept 2006
Job Design Considerations
Surface Equipment Requirements:
„ Heave compensation equipment for Injector/BOP
„ Large CT Reels and associated handling equipment to accommodate large OD & long
CT strings with restricted crane
„ HR580 & HR5100 Heads to pull long CT strings and snub in High pressure wells
„ CAT 2 & CAT 3 Well Control equipment. Heavy, Tall stacks

Downhole Requirements:
„ High strength pipe; to reach extreme depths and snub at high well head pressure
„ BHAs rated for 15,000 psi pressure rating
„ HT cleanout Fluids and ; to allow fill removal with small CT in large completions
„ Extended reach techniques
„ Lower Riser Package Cutting ability for Coiled tubing to allow cutting stuck pipe

GJBowen/Sept 2006
 The Need for Specialized Equipment

Dry/Surface Trees •Rig Assisted

•No Rig Compensator or Derrick Block Assisted
•Rigless
• SPAR
•Crane Assisted
• TLP •Standalone Vertically Compensated Systems
•Standalone Total Motion Compensated Systems

Wet/Sub-Sea Trees
•Rig Assisted
• Intervention Vessels •Rig Compensated CTLF System
•Self Compensated CTLF System
• Drill Ships

GJBowen/Sept 2006
Dry / Surface Trees:
Crane & Derrick Block Assisted Systems
„ Hydraulically Controlled Compensator
– Allows +/- 3ft movement
– Supplier: Weatherford

„ Slip Joint Tensioners

– Smaller versions of Drilling item
– Suppliers: Westech, FMC

„ Heave Arrestor
– Allows CT rigup & BHA changeout in heave
– Placed below CTLF & Surface Tree
– Supplier: BLAFRO

GJBowen/Sept 2006
Dry / Surface Trees:
Standalone Vertically Compensated Systems
„ Track Stack Jr. Motion Buster ™
– Small 14ft x 14ft footprint
– Vertical System controlled by Air/N2 bottle rack
– 3ft- 6ft movement
– Gimble table can be added for lateral movement
– Manufactured by Devin

GJBowen/Sept 2006
Dry / Surface Trees:
Standalone Total Motion Compensated System

T-Comp* System

GJBowen/Sept 2006
Dry / Surface Trees:
Standalone Total Motion Compensated System
„ CT TComp is a multifunctional heave
compensated
„ platform designed for use on Deepwater
installations
„ Three distinct modes of operations to allow
CT to be rigged up on TLPs, SPARs,
Floating vessels
„ Total heave compensated system allows
for:
– Vertical heave compensation for a
total length of 7 ft
– Horizontal compensation by using a
“titanium flex joint”

GJBowen/Sept 2006
Wet / Subsea Trees:
CT Lifting Frame System
Consists of 4 main components

„ Compensated Derrick
– Vertical Only

„ CT Lift Frame (IH & BOP Stack)

„ Surface Flowhead

„ Rotating swivel
– Allows vessel to “Weather Vane”
– Placed below Surface Flowhead

GJBowen/Sept 2006
Wet / Subsea Trees:
Rig Compensated CT Lifting Frame System

„ System consists of:

• CTLF Frame
• Powerpack
• Control Panel
„ Ratings from 350MT to 750MT
„ Top mounted winch
„ Skidding system allow vertical and horizontal movement
– Used for SIMOP’s with Eline & Slickline
„ Add ons:
– Side Mounted BHA Crane

GJBowen/Sept 2006
Wet / Subsea Trees:
Self Compensated CT Lifting Frame System
„ T-Comp* 350MT Capacity Tension Lift frame
„ Internally compensated Dual active and passive cylinders
„ Single or 2 piece lift into derrick saves rigup time
„ Minimizes man riding
„ Eliminates us of long bails for hanging BOP stack below
CTLF

GJBowen/Sept 2006
 Question Time

GJBowen/Sept 2006
 Acknowlegements
Rene Schuurman
Well Services Subsea Intervention Coordinator
Singapore

Chris Garcia
NGC Deepwater Theme Manager
Houston

Athar Ali
PDVSA DESC™ Engineer
Saudi Arabia

Juan Carlos Escobar

PDVSA DESC™ Engineer
Venezuela

GJBowen/Sept 2006