Abstract:
The present invention is directed to a support member for subsea jumper installation, and methods of using same. In one illustrative embodiment, the device includes a subsea jumper and at least one adjustable support member coupled between portions of the subsea jumper, the adjustable support member comprising at least one hydraulic cylinder, wherein a length of the adjustable support member may be adjusted by actuation of at least one hydraulic cylinder. A method of installing a subsea jumper is also disclosed which includes coupling at least one hydraulically adjustable support member between portions of the subsea jumper, lowering the at least one adjustable support member and the subsea jumper into a body of water and operatively coupling the subsea jumper to a plurality of subsea connections.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention is generally directed to the field of subsea oil and gas production, and, more particularly, to a support member for subsea jumper installation, and methods of using same.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Flowline jumpers are used in the field of subsea oil and gas production to provide fluid communication between two items of subsea equipment. For example, a flowline jumper may be used to connect the production outlet of a Christmas tree to the end of a subsea pipeline that terminates near the Christmas tree. Thus, a flowline jumper usually comprises a length of conduit and two fluid couplings or connections, one located at each end of the conduit, which are adapted to mate with corresponding hubs connected to the subsea equipment. To facilitate installing the flowline jumper from a surface vessel, the hubs connected to the subsea equipment are typically oriented vertically upward and the flowline jumper is constructed so that the conduit and the fluid couplings lie in a single plane with the fluid couplings oriented in the same direction. In this manner, the flowline jumper may be lowered vertically from the surface vessel and the fluid couplings on the subsea jumper are landed on the hubs.  
         [0005]     One illustrative example of an installation technique for a subsea jumper  10  will now be described with reference to  FIG. 1 . As shown therein, the subsea jumper  10  comprises a plurality of jumper connections  12  that are adapted to mate or connect with a hub  13  of a subsea device  15 , e.g., a manifold, a subsea pipeline, etc. As shown in  FIG. 1 , a spreader bar  14  and a plurality of slings  16  are coupled to the jumper  10 . A bridle  18  comprised of a plurality of slings  20  is coupled to a line  22  from a crane (not shown). The size of the illustrative spreader bar  14  may vary depending upon the size of the subsea jumper  10  to be installed. Typically, a spreader bar  14  is a massive structure that may have a weight of approximately 20,000-40,000 pounds. As indicated in  FIG. 1 , depending upon the size of the jumper  10 , the distance  24  between the bottom of the jumper  10  and the spreader bar  14  may be approximately 15-20 feet. The distance  26  between the spreader bar  14  and the crane line  22  may be on the order of approximately 60 feet.  
         [0006]     As indicated previously, installation of a subsea jumper  10  using a large, heavy spreader bar  14  and rigging requires the use of large offshore installation vessels and cranes to achieve the required hook height and lifting capacity. Handling of one or more of these large spreader bars and the associated rigging, particularly in rough weather when vessel motions are significant, can be problematic. As indicated in  FIG. 1 , the jumper  10  is suspended below the spreader bar  14  by a number of slings  20 . The rigging arrangement depicted in  FIG. 1  typically requires a crane with a hook height on the order of approximately 100 feet or more which rules out the use of many types of offshore vessels. Additionally, the spreader bar  14  and the rigging must be stowed on the transportation vessel for delivery of the jumper  10  to the offshore installation vessel that has a lifting crane of sufficient size. The spreader bar  14  takes up significant space on the transport vessel, limiting the number of jumpers  10  that can be transported at a single time.  
         [0007]     Using such a traditional method, when the jumper  10  is lifted off the transport vessel, particularly in rough weather, motion of the spreader bar  14  and its related rigging can be difficult to control. Moreover, even after the spreader bar  14  is positioned subsea, the ends of the spreader bar  14  may be positioned near other subsea equipment, such as subsea trees and manifolds, thereby creating a potential situation where the spreader bar  14  hits or damages such subsea equipment. Even after the jumper  10  is installed using the traditional method depicted in  FIG. 1 , landing the spreader bar  14  back onto the transport vessel can also be problematic due to its size and weight. The time and effort employed to recover the large spreader bar  14  and its associated rigging, and transporting such equipment back to shore further adds to the costs of subsea jumper installation.  
         [0008]     The present invention is directed to various devices and methods for solving, or at least reducing the effects of, some or all of the aforementioned problems.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     The following presents a simplified summary of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. This summary is not an exhaustive overview of the invention. It is not intended to identify key or critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is discussed later.  
         [0010]     The present invention is directed to a support member for subsea jumper installation, and methods of using same. In one illustrative embodiment, the present invention is directed to an adjustable support member employed in connection with the installation of subsea jumpers, and methods of using same. In one illustrative embodiment, the device comprises a subsea jumper and at least one adjustable support member coupled between portions of the subsea jumper, the adjustable support member comprising at least one hydraulic cylinder, wherein a length of the adjustable support member may be adjusted by actuation of the at least one hydraulic cylinder.  
         [0011]     In another illustrative embodiment, the device comprises a subsea jumper and a plurality of adjustable support members coupled to portions of the subsea jumper, each of the adjustable support members comprising at least one hydraulic cylinder, wherein a length of each of the adjustable support members may be adjusted by actuation of the at least one hydraulic cylinder.  
         [0012]     In yet another illustrative embodiment, the device comprises a subsea jumper and at least one adjustable support member coupled between portions of the subsea jumper, the adjustable support member comprising at least one hydraulic cylinder and a modular support structure comprised of a plurality of modular sections that may be coupled/decoupled from one another, wherein a length of the adjustable support member may be adjusted by actuation of the at least one hydraulic cylinder.  
         [0013]     A method of installing a subsea jumper is also disclosed. In one illustrative embodiment, the method comprises coupling at least one hydraulically adjustable support member between portions of the subsea jumper, lowering at least one adjustable support member and the subsea jumper into a body of water and operatively coupling the subsea jumper to a plurality of subsea connections.  
         [0014]     In another illustrative embodiment, the method comprises coupling a plurality of hydraulically adjustable support members between portions of the subsea jumper, lowering the plurality of adjustable support members and the subsea jumper into a body of water and operatively coupling the subsea jumper to a plurality of subsea connections.  
         [0015]     In yet another illustrative embodiment, the method comprises assembling a hydraulically adjustable support member by coupling a plurality of modular sections to one another to form at least a portion of a modular support structure and operatively coupling at least one hydraulic cylinder to the modular support structure. The method further comprises coupling the hydraulically adjustable support member between portions of the subsea jumper, lowering the adjustable support member and the subsea jumper into a body of water and operatively coupling the subsea jumper to a plurality of subsea connections.  
         [0016]     In yet another illustrative embodiment, the present invention is directed to a subsea jumper having a plurality of upstanding legs extending vertically from a horizontal section of the subsea jumper, and a lifting support member operatively coupled to said upstanding legs of the subsea jumper; 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]     The invention may be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which:  
         [0018]      FIG. 1  depicts an illustrative prior art subsea jumper installation apparatus and technique;  
         [0019]      FIG. 2  depicts one illustrative embodiment of an adjustable support member for subsea jumper installation in accordance with one aspect of the present invention;  
         [0020]      FIG. 3  depicts another illustrative embodiment of an adjustable support member for a subsea jumper in accordance with one aspect of the present invention;  
         [0021]      FIG. 4  depicts yet another illustrative embodiment of an adjustable support member for a subsea jumper in accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention;  
         [0022]      FIG. 5  depicts one illustrative embodiment of how an adjustable support member of the present invention may be coupled to a subsea jumper;  
         [0023]      FIG. 6  depicts another illustrative embodiment of how an adjustable support member of the present invention may be coupled to a subsea jumper;  
         [0024]      FIG. 7  depicts another illustrative embodiment of a support member employed in subsea jumper installation; and  
         [0025]      FIG. 8  depicts yet another illustrative embodiment of a support member employed in subsea jumper installation. 
     
    
       [0026]     While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0027]     Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers&#39; specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.  
         [0028]     The present invention will now be described with reference to the attached figures. The words and phrases used herein should be understood and interpreted to have a meaning consistent with the understanding of those words and phrases by those skilled in the relevant art. No special definition of a term or phrase, i.e., a definition that is different from the ordinary and customary meaning as understood by those skilled in the art, is intended to be implied by consistent usage of the term or phrase herein. To the extent that a term or phrase is intended to have a special meaning, i.e., a meaning other than that understood by skilled artisans, such a special definition will be expressly set forth in the specification in a definitional manner that directly and unequivocally provides the special definition for the term or phrase.  
         [0029]      FIGS. 2, 3  and  4  depict illustrative embodiments of an adjustable support member  30  that may be employed in connection with the installation of a subsea jumper  10  in accordance with the present invention. As indicated in  FIG. 2 , the adjustable support member  30  may be releasably coupled to the subsea jumper  10  at a plurality of attachment areas  32 , e.g., pad eyes. In the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 2 , the adjustable support member  30  is comprised of a hydraulic cylinder  31  that is operatively coupled to a generally cylindrical structural member  33 . Of course, the structural member  33  may be of any desired shape or configuration. Moreover, the adjustable support member  30  may be coupled to the subsea jumper in accordance with any of a variety of known techniques. In one illustrative embodiment, the adjustable support member  30  is releasably coupled to the subsea jumper  10 . In other embodiments, the adjustable support member  30  may be fixedly coupled to the subsea jumper  10  and may remain attached to the subsea jumper  10  after the installation of the subsea jumper  10  is complete. Pressurized fluid may be supplied to the cylinder  31  via the schematically depicted fluid connection  31 .  
         [0030]     A bridle  34  comprised of a plurality of bridle slings  36  is releasably coupled to the subsea jumper  10  through a plurality of attachment mechanisms  32 , e.g., pad eyes, in accordance with known techniques. These connections may be released by an ROV (remote operated vehicle) or by a diver. The bridle  34  is coupled to a crane line  38  that is operatively controlled by a crane (not shown) located on a surface vessel. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, through use of the adjustable support member  30 , the total height  40  of the bridle rigging  34  and subsea jumper  10  may be on the order of approximately 40 feet. This is in contrast to traditional methods involving the use of a spreader bar  14  (as depicted in  FIG. 1 ), where the total height from the bridle rigging  18  to the bottom of the subsea jumper  10  may be on the order of approximately 75-80 feet.  
         [0031]     In the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 3 , the adjustable support member  30  comprises a hydraulic cylinder  31  and a lattice-type structural member  42 . In one illustrative embodiment, the structural member  42  may be of modular construction in that various sections of the structural member  42  may be made of bolted modules coupled to one another by a plurality of fasteners, e.g., bolts  35 , similar to lattice beam sections employed on large lifting cranes. If the structure member  42  comprises such modules, the modules may be added or removed to adjust the length of the adjustable support member  30 . In this manner, one set of modules may be used to install subsea jumpers  10  that have a wide range of varying lengths. Currently, spreader bars  14  like that depicted in  FIG. 1  are typically fabricated to match the length of a particular jumper  10  to be installed.  
         [0032]      FIG. 4  depicts yet another illustrative embodiment of the adjustable support member  30  of the present invention wherein a plurality of hydraulic cylinders  31 ,  37  are operatively coupled to a structural member of the adjustable support member  30 . In the depicted embodiment, the first hydraulic cylinder  31  is adapted to increase or decrease the length of the adjustable support member  30  in the direction indicated by the arrows  39 , whereas the second hydraulic cylinder  37  is adapted to reduce bowing or bending of the subsea jumper  10  by increasing or decreasing the distance  41  between the jumper  10  and the adjustable support member  30 .  
         [0033]      FIGS. 5 and 6  depict illustrative embodiments of how the adjustable support member  30  may be releasably coupled to the subsea jumper  10 . As depicted in  FIG. 5 , the adjustable support member  30  is releasably coupled to the subsea jumper  10  by a plurality of pin/socket arrangements. More specifically, the subsea jumper  10  may be provided with a plurality of socket-type attachment mechanisms  45  having an opening  47  extending therethrough. The adjustable support member  30  may have projections  51  formed thereon with openings  53  formed therein. In some cases, one of the projections  51  may constitute a portion of a hydraulic cylinder rod  55 . Through operation of the hydraulic cylinder  31 , the adjustable support member  30  may be positioned such that the projections  51  are resident within the socket mechanisms  45  on the jumper  10 . Thereafter, ROV (remote operated vehicle) releasable pins  49  with a detent type of retainer, which are known in the art, may be employed to operatively couple the adjustable support member  30  to the subsea jumper  10  by positioning the pins  49  through the openings  45  and  53 .  
         [0034]     In the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 6 , the adjustable support member  30  is operatively coupled to the subsea jumper  10  by a plurality of tab-in-saddle type connections. More specifically, the adjustable support member  30  is comprised of plate-type attachment clips  61  having openings  63  formed therein on each end of the adjustable support member  30 . In some cases, one of the attachment clips  61  may be coupled to a hydraulic cylinder rod  55 . The plate-type clips  61  are adapted to be received in saddle joints  65  that are welded to the subsea jumper  10 . The saddle joints  65  have an opening  67  defined therethrough. In operation, the adjustable support member  30  is releasably secured to the subsea jumper  10  through use of the illustrative ROV pins  49  once the plate clips  61  are positioned in the saddle joints  65  and the pins  49  are positioned through the openings  67 ,  63 .  
         [0035]     In operation, the adjustable support member  30  of the present invention may be coupled to the subsea jumper  10  prior to positioning the subsea jumper/adjustable support member combination on a transport vessel for transport to the local installation site. Alternatively, the subsea jumper  10  and the adjustable support member  30  may be transported separately on the transport vessel and assembled at the worksite. In the case where the adjustable support member  30  is comprised of a module type structural members, such as the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 3 , the necessary modular components may be assembled such that the adjustable support member  30  is of the desired length for the particular subsea jumper  10  to be installed. Once the adjustable support member  30  is coupled to the subsea jumper  10 , the hydraulic cylinder (or multiple cylinders depending upon the particular application) may be energized (via schematically depicted connection  31 A) to effectively establish a rigid support beam between the attachment points on the subsea jumper  10 . Thereafter, the bridle  34  and its associated slings  36  may be coupled to the subsea jumper  10  in accordance with known techniques.  
         [0036]     Once the adjustable support member  30  is coupled to the subsea jumper  10 , and that assembly is rigged for lifting by crane, the combined assembly may be lowered to the subsea installation site using a crane (not shown). During the lifting and transporting of this combined assembly to the subsea floor, the adjustable support member  30  provides the necessary structural support to maintain the subsea jumper  10  in the desired orientation and to reduce or limit undesired bending of the subsea jumper  10 .  
         [0037]     In addition to providing this structural support during the handling and installation of the subsea jumper  10 , the adjustable support member  30  may also be employed to facilitate the coupling of the subsea jumper  10  to the various subsea devices  15 . That is, if necessary, the length of the adjustable support member  30  may be increased or decreased to facilitate alignment of the jumper connections  12  with the hubs  13  of the subsea devices  15 . In the illustrative embodiment depicted in  FIG. 4 , the first hydraulic cylinder  31  may be actuated to adjust the length of the adjustable support member  30  in the direction indicated by the arrows  39  to thereby increase or decrease the spacing between the centerlines  12 A of the jumper connection  12 . Additionally, the second hydraulic cylinder  37  may be actuated so as to increase or decrease the dimension  41  in an effort to reduce the bending or bowing of the jumper assembly  10 . In practice, the various hydraulic cylinders depicted herein may be energized through use of an ROV containing a hydraulic fluid supply. Alternatively, the hydraulic cylinders employed herein may be operatively coupled to hydraulic lines that extend to a surface supply of pressurized hydraulic fluid. The hydraulic cylinders described herein may be dual acting hydraulic cylinders that are well known in the industry.  
         [0038]     After the subsea jumper  10  is properly positioned and secured to the hub  13  of the subsea device  15 , the adjustable support member  30  may be removed or disengaged from the subsea jumper  10  and returned to the surface for use in installing additional subsea jumpers  10 . As indicated in the illustrative embodiment depicted herein, this releasable attachment may be accomplished through use of the ROV releasable pins  49 . Additionally, in the depicted embodiments, the adjustable support member  30  is depicted as being positioned between the upstanding legs  10 A of the subsea jumper  10  (see  FIG. 2 ). In practice, the adjustable support member  30  described herein may be operatively coupled to the subsea jumper  10  at any desired location.  
         [0039]     Moreover, a plurality of such adjustable support members  30  may be operatively coupled to a subsea jumper  10  if desired. For example,  FIG. 2  depicts the illustrative situation where a plurality of additional adjustable support members  30 A are operatively coupled to the subsea jumper  10  between the outer legs  10 B of the subsea jumper  10  (connected to the jumper connection  12 ) and the upstanding legs  10 A of the subsea jumper  10 . So as not to obscure the present invention, the adjustable support members  30 A are depicted in phantom in  FIG. 2 . In this particular embodiment, the use of the adjustable support members  30 A in lieu of or in addition to the adjustable support member  30  depicted therein may be desired so as to provide greater flexibility in adjusting the location of the subsea jumper connections  12  relative to the subsea hubs  13  on the subsea devices  15 . If employed, the adjustable support members  30 A would be of similar construction as that described above with respect to the adjustable support member  30 .  
         [0040]     Although the present invention has been disclosed in the context where a prior art spreader bar  14  (see  FIG. 1 ) is not employed in installing the subsea jumper  10 , the present invention may be employed even in those situations where a spreader bar  14  is employed. That is, due to the unique characteristics of the present invention enabling the adjustment of various lengths and positions of the subsea jumper  10 , the use of such an adjustable support member  30  may be desirable even in the case where the prior art spreader bar  14  is employed as depicted and described in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0041]      FIGS. 7 and 8  depict another illustrative embodiment of the present invention. As depicted therein, the subsea jumper  10  has a generally U-shaped configuration as defined by the upstanding legs  10 A and the horizontal section  10 C. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a lifting support member  70  is coupled to the upstanding legs  10 A of the subsea jumper  10  via illustrative pad eyes  32 . One purpose of the lifting support member  70  is to facilitate installation of the jumper  10  on various subsea connections. For example, through use of the lifting support member  70 , various installations forces or reactions, such as bending or bowing of the horizontal section  10 C may be reduced or eliminated during the installation process. The illustrative lifting support member  70  depicted in  FIGS. 7 and 8  does not employ a hydraulic cylinder that would allow length-wise extension of the support member in the direction indicated by the arrow  39 . In the depicted embodiment, at least a protion of the lifting support member  70  is positioned between the upstanding legs  10 C of the jumper  10 , and a longitudinal axis of the lifting support member  70  is substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the horizontal section  10 C. These comments apply equally as well to the adjustable support member  30  disclosed previously in the application. Also note that, in one illustrative embodiment, the upper surface  75  of the lifting support member  70  is positioned below the upper surface  77  of the upper horizontal legs  10 D of the subsea jumper  10 . Stated another way, the upper surface  75  of the lifting support member  70  is positioned below the uppermost extension of the upstanding legs  10 A.  
         [0042]     The lifting support member  70  may be of any desired size, shape or configuration. Any type of structural members may be employed to manufacture the lifting support member, e.g., pipe, structural tubing, I-beams, angle iron, etc. In the illustrative embodiment depicted in  FIG. 7 , the lifting support member  70  is a section of pipe. In the illustrative embodiment depicted in  FIG. 8 , the lifting support member  70  is a modular lattice-type structure member comprised of a plurality of modular sections that may be assembled to any desired length, as discussed previously with respect to the illustrative embodiment depicted in  FIGS. 3 and 4 .  
         [0043]      FIGS. 7 and 8  further schematically depict a plurality of schematically depicted vertical support members  71  that may be coupled to the lifting support member  70  and the horizontal section  10 C of the jumper  10  to reduce or prevent sagging. The vertical support member  71  may be any type of device or structure capable of providing the desired support of the horizontal sections  10 C. For example, the support  71  may be a chain or sling, a rigid support member, e.g., angle iron or pipe, or may be an adjustable hydraulic cylinder like the illustrative hydraulic cylinder  37  depicted in  FIG. 4 . Of course, the manner in which the vertical support member  71  is operatively coupled to the lifting support member  70  may vary depending upon the particular application. For example, if the vertical support members  71  are lifting slings, the slings may simply be positioned around portions of one or both of the lifting support member  70  and/or the horizontal section  10 C of the jumper  10 . Of course, the illustrative support members  71  may also be employed with the various embodiments of the adjustable support member  30  depicted in the earlier drawings.  
         [0044]     The lifting support member  70  will typically be coupled to the subsea jumper  10  on a surface vessel. The subsea jumper  10  has a generally U-shaped configuration defined by the upstanding legs  10 A. The support members  30 ,  70  disclosed herein may be positioned at least partially within the U-shaped section. In the illustrative embodiment depicted in  FIGS. 2 and 7 , the entirety of the support members  30 ,  70  are positioned within this U-shaped section. In the embodiments depicted in  FIGS. 3, 4  and  8 , at least a portion of the support members  30 ,  70  is positioned within this U-shaped region. Since the lifting support member  70  is positioned at least partially within the U-shaped section of the subsea jumper  10 , the total hook height required for the combination of the lifting support member  70  and the subsea jumper  10  is less as compared to prior art lifting systems like the one depicted in  FIG. 1 . This reduction in hook height allows the use of smaller, less expensive cranes for performing the subsea jumper installation. The comments regarding reduction in hook height apply equally as well to the various embodiments of the adjustable support member  30  disclosed herein. Additionally, the lifting support member  70  as well as the vertical support member  71  may be releasably coupled to the various components depicted herein as described previously with respect to the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 .  
         [0045]     The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as the invention may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. For example, the process steps set forth above may be performed in a different order. Furthermore, no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown, other than as described in the claims below. It is therefore evident that the particular embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the protection sought herein is as set forth in the claims below.