Conduits to transfer materials from the
seafloor to production and drilling facilities atop the water's surface, as
well as from the facility to the seafloor, subsea risers are a type of pipeline
developed for this type of vertical transportation. Whether serving as
production or import/export vehicles, risers are the connection between the
subsea field developments and production and drilling facilities.
Multiple
Riser ConfigurationsSource: www.atlantia.com
Similar to pipelines or flowlines, risers transport produced
hydrocarbons, as well as production materials, such as injection fluids,
control fluids and gas lift. Usually insulated to withstand seafloor
temperatures, risers can be either rigid or flexible.
Types Of Risers
There are a number of types of risers, including attached risers,
pull tube risers, steel catenary risers, top-tensioned risers, riser towers and
flexible riser configurations, as well as drilling risers.
The first type of riser to be developed, attached risers are deployed on fixed platforms, compliant towers and concrete
gravity structures. Attached risers are clamped to the side of the fixed
facilities, connecting the seabed to the production facility above. Usually
fabricated in sections, the riser section closest to the seafloor is joined
with a flowline or export pipeline, and clamped to the side of the facility.
The next sections rise up the side of the facility, until the top riser section
is joined with the processing equipment atop the facility.
Also used on fixed structures, pull tube risers are pipelines or flowlines that are threaded up the center of the
facility. For pull tube risers, a pull tube with a diameter wider than the
riser is preinstalled on the facility. Then, a wire rope is attached to a
pipeline or flowline on the seafloor. The line is then pulled through the pull
tube to the topsides, bringing the pipe along with it.
Building on the catenary equation that has helped to create bridges
across the world, steel catenary risers use this curve theory, as well. Used to connect the seafloor to
production facilities above, as well as connect two floating production
platforms, steel catenary risers are common on TLPs, FPSOs and spars, as well
as fixed structures, compliant towers and gravity structures. While this curved
riser can withstand some motion, excessive movement can cause problems.
Top-Tensioned
RisersSource: www.atlantia.com
Used on TLPs and spars, top-tensioned risers are a completely vertical riser system that terminates directly
below the facility. Although moored, these floating facilities are able to move
laterally with the wind and waves. Because the rigid risers are also fixed to
the seafloor, vertical displacement occurs between the top of the riser and its
connection point on the facility. There are two solutions for this issue. A
motion compensator can be included in the top-tensioning riser system that
keeps constant tension on the riser by expanding and contracting with the
movements of the facility. Also, buoyancy cans, can be deployed around the
outside of the riser to keep it afloat. Then the top of the rigid vertical
top-tensioned riser is connected to the facility by flexible pipe, which is
better able to accommodate the movements of the facility.
First used offshore Angola at Total's Girassol project, riser towers were built to lift the
risers the considerable height to reach the FPSO on the water's surface. Ideal
for ultra-deepwater environments, this riser design incorporates a steel column
tower that reaches almost to the surface of the water, and this tower is topped
with a massive buoyancy tank. The risers are located inside the tower, spanning
the distance from the seafloor to the top of the tower and the buoyancy tanks.
The buoyancy of the tanks keeps the risers tensioned in place. Flexible risers
are then connected to the vertical risers and ultimately to the facility above.
Hybrid
Riser SystemSource: www.2hoffshore.com
A hybrid that can accommodate a number of different situations, flexible risers can withstand both vertical and horizontal movement, making them
ideal for use with floating facilities. This flexible pipe was originally used
to connect production equipment aboard a floating facility to production and
export risers, but now it is found as a primary riser solution as well. There
are a number of configurations for flexible risers, including the steep S and
lazy S that utilize anchored buoyancy modules, as well as the steep wave and
lazy wave that incorporates buoyancy modules.
While production and import/export risers transfer hydrocarbons and
production materials during the production phase of development; drilling risers transfer mud to the surface during drilling activities. Connected to
the subsea BOP stack at the bottom and the rig at the top, drilling risers
temporarily connect the wellbore to the surface to ensure drilling fluids to
not leak into the water.
No comments:
Post a Comment