Abstract:
A marine riser includes one or more buoyancy modules running along a length of the marine riser, wherein the one or more buoyancy modules are molded such that an umbilical may be secured along a length of the one or more buoyancy modules.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the priority of a provisional application under 35 U.S.C. §119(e), namely U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/470,043 filed on Mar. 31, 2011, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Disclosure 
     Embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to marine riser buoyancy modules. In particular, embodiments disclosed herein relate to a riser buoyancy module system providing buoyancy to a riser and platform while providing a conduit for a number of intelligent downhole services. 
     2. Background Art 
     Offshore oil and natural gas drilling and production, particularly in deep water, relies on substantially vertical conduits called “marine risers” to convey fluids and slurries between the seabed and the surface, including but not limited to, drilling risers, production risers, export risers, steel catenary risers (“SCRs”), and flexible composite flowlines. 
     Some marine risers, such as SCRs, may include a single conduit, while other risers, such as drilling risers, may include a larger diameter main conduit with a plurality of attached, smaller diameter auxiliary lines, including but not limited to, choke and kill lines, “boost” lines, and hydraulic supply and control lines. In some cases, electrical or fiber optic control umbilicals may also be attached to the main conduit of the marine riser. 
     Typically a marine riser may be at least partially supported by floatation of one form or another, including for example evacuated buoyancy “cans” or buoyancy modules made from, for example, syntactic foam material. Buoyancy modules may be arranged circumferentially around the main conduit of a marine riser. Marine drilling risers, for example, typically have syntactic foam buoyancy modules, each including two “clamshell” longitudinal half-cylinder buoyancy elements that are clamped around the main conduit, and which have molded-in grooves, recesses and holes to accommodate attachment hardware and auxiliary lines. 
     To compensate for stress and fatigue along a length of the riser, a wall thickness of the riser in certain areas is often increased to strengthen the riser, causing it to be heavier and more expensive. In addition, a riser monitoring system (“RMS”) may be installed onto the riser to monitor stress points along a length thereof. These installations are typically separate umbilicals laid on the seafloor from an existing subsea umbilical termination assembly (“SUTA”) and require additional SUTAs and flying leads to run over and attach to the riser monitoring sensors. The flying leads are often equipped with floatation devices and secured to the riser to prevent the flying leads from being crushed on the sea floor. However, this system may be prone to snagging a line on a subsea object, thus rendering the system inoperable. In addition, these additional systems that connect to the riser monitoring systems increase the clutter on the sea floor. Further, the riser monitor sensors are permanently installed items, and thus, often are unable to be serviced. Still further, acoustic Doppler current profile (“ADCP”) systems may be required to record current along a length of the riser. ADCP systems may require free standing buoys connected by expensive electrical umbilicals along with additional umbilicals, terminations, sleds and flying leads, which lie along the sea floor taking up valuable real estate and costing top dollar for the installation of the systems. 
     Accordingly, there exists a need for a riser system capable of combining and securing a number of monitoring systems while providing a base line of buoyancy to the entire riser and platform. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     In one aspect, embodiments disclosed herein relate to a marine riser including one or more buoyancy modules running along a length of the marine riser, wherein the one or more buoyancy modules are molded such that an umbilical may be secured along a length of the one or more buoyancy modules. 
     In other aspects, embodiments disclosed herein relate to a buoyancy module installed on a riser, the module including an outer buoyant shell, one or more inner chambers within the outer buoyant shell, and a supply valve configured to allow air and water to enter the one or more inner chambers. 
     In other aspects, embodiments disclosed herein relate to a method including installing one or more buoyancy modules along a length of a subsea riser and providing communication to one or more downhole components installed on the one or more buoyancy modules through an umbilical running along a length of the one or more buoyancy modules. 
     Other aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a riser system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  shows a buoyancy module in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  show cross-sectional views of the buoyancy module of  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In one aspect, embodiments disclosed herein relate to a riser buoyancy module system providing buoyancy to a riser and platform while providing a conduit for a number of “intelligent” downhole services. Referring to  FIG. 1 , a riser buoyancy module system  50  in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. A riser system  50  extends from an offshore platform  20  and has a string of multiple buoyancy modules attached thereto. The buoyancy modules are assembled around or coupled to the main riser and run along a length thereof from the surface down to the seafloor. 
     A buoyancy module  100  is shown in  FIG. 2 . The buoyancy modules  100  may include an outer buoyant shell  101 . In certain embodiments the outer buoyant shell  101  may be rotationally molded high density polypropylene (“HDPE”). Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other buoyant materials or configurations may be used for the buoyancy modules. For example, any type of buoyant syntactic foam material may be used in accordance with embodiments disclosed herein. Other configurations of buoyancy modules used may include “cans” which may be generally toroidal (i.e., doughnut-shaped) and slipped over the main riser, or may have evacuated buoyancy “cans” of other forms (e.g., closed-end cylinders) arranged in a circumferential array around the main riser conduit. Similarly, in certain embodiments, buoyancy cans may be connected to the surface by conduits so that water may be evacuated from the cans by high-pressure gas (such as compressed air or nitrogen) or by a buoyant slurry comprising, for example, glass microspheres. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a perspective view of a buoyancy module  100  in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In one embodiment, the buoyancy module  100  may be about 14 feet long and may be capable of providing about 2,200 pounds of buoyancy (i.e., upward force) per module. In other embodiments, the buoyancy module  100  may be between about 5 feet and 20 feet long. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the size of the buoyancy module may be varied to achieve different buoyancy. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3A and 3B , cross-sectional views of the buoyancy module  100  in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. A center section  102  disposed within the outer shell  101  of the module  100  may be hollow and is centered within the shell  101  with two or more fins  104  running along a length of the center section  102 . The hollow central channel of the center section  102  may be installed onto a riser. In other embodiments, the buoyancy module may include one or more inner chambers arranged internally in a number of various configurations. For example, the modules may have chambers (not shown) for both permanent syntactic foam and void space for air or water. The multiple chambers may be connected and monitored with metering valves or other equipment. 
     The buoyancy module  100  may also include a molded groove  107  formed in an outer surface of the buoyant shell  101 , which runs along an entire length of the module  100 . An umbilical  106  or other conduit may be run along a length of the buoyancy modules  100  in the molded groove  106 . While only one molded groove  107  is shown, those skilled in the art will appreciate that any number of molded grooves may be included in the outer surface of the buoyant shell  101  for running multiple umbilicals  106  or conduits. In alternate embodiments, grooves for umbilicals may be formed in an inner surface of the buoyant shell  101  of the module  100 . Likewise, in alternate embodiments, channels or other passageways may be formed within a wall of the buoyant shell  101  of the module  100 . Various diameters and sizes of grooves or channels may be formed to accommodate various umbilical diameters. For example, a larger umbilical diameter may be required for additional individual communication lines running to multiple downhole components installed on the module  100 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 ,  3 A, and  3 B together, in certain embodiments, the buoyancy module  100  may include an electrical actuated vent and air supply valve  108  configured to allow air to vent from or purge one or more chambers in the buoyancy module  100 . Likewise, the valve  108  may allow water to fill the one or more chambers of the buoyancy module  100 . For example, the buoyancy module  100  may have one or more orifices (not shown) in an outer surface to provide a fluid pathway from the one or more inner chambers to outside the module  100 . Check valves or other one-way flow devices may be installed in the one or more orifices to prevent water outside the buoyancy modules  100  from entering the one or more chambers. Air or other fluids may be pumped into the buoyancy modules  100  through a solenoid valve (not shown) or other valve, thereby forcing a fluid within the buoyancy modules  100  out through the one or more orifices. In this manner, a buoyancy of the modules  100  may be controlled. The umbilical  106  may include individual lines (not shown) for air supply, power cable, and fiber optics that run along the molded groove with break out cables that run to the modules and their individual components. In addition, the buoyancy module  100  may include riser monitoring sensors  110  disposed in an outer surface thereof configured to monitor and indicate stress points along a length of the riser. The sensors  110  may be removable and/or serviceable by a remotely operated vehicle (“ROV”). 
     A control system located at the surface is configured to communicate with the riser monitor sensors  110  to monitor a location of the stress concentration points and “touchdown” (i.e., where the riser first touches down on the seafloor) of the riser and may move water within the buoyancy modules by flooding and purging different buoyancy modules along a length of the riser, thereby moving the stress points and touchdown points. In response to indications of high stress points in specific points along the riser length, the buoyancy modules may include one or more pumps configured to displace water from within or into one or more inner chambers of the modules. For example, if a stress point is found at a particular location along a length of the main riser, the buoyancy of one or more modules disposed along the length thereof may be adjusted by filling or purging inner chambers of the modules as required, relieving the stress in the riser. In other embodiments, positioning of the riser may be adjusted by manipulating the buoyancy of one or more of the modules along the length of the riser. Still further, in alternate embodiments, the weight of the riser on the platform may be decreased by increasing the buoyancy of the modules to allow additional payload to be stored on the platform. In certain embodiments, automation software may be used to read and record the touchdown points, currents, and stresses on the risers. The information collected may be used to purge and flood various modules as required to move the touch down point and stress points. 
     In certain embodiments, the buoyancy modules may include acoustic Doppler current profiler units mounted thereon. An acoustic Doppler current profiler (“ADCP”) is sonar equipment that produces a record of water current velocities for a range of depths. ADCP&#39;s may be made of ceramic materials, and may include transducers, an amplifier, a receiver, a mixer, an oscillator, a clock, a temperature sensor, a compass, a pitch and roll sensor, and computer components to save the information collected. 
     Still further, in certain embodiments, impressed current cathodic protection (“ICCP”) systems may be integrated with the buoyancy modules to control corrosion of any metal surfaces. One or more anodes, connected to a DC or AC power source through the umbilical, may be disposed on the buoyancy modules. In alternate embodiments, alternative power sources for the ICCP system may be employed, including, but not limited to, surface solar panels, wind power, or gas powered thermoelectric generators. Those skilled in the art will appreciate any number of cathodic protection systems that may be used with the buoyancy modules in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     Advantageously, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a single system including multiple downhole components and configured to provide a base line of buoyancy to an entire riser, thus lowering the vertical load on the floating platform. As such, lowering the vertical load on the floating platform may reduce costs and provide more available payload on the floating platform for other equipment. In addition, a fatigue life of the riser is increased and potential wall thickness of the riser pipe is reduced by being able to control the stresses and touchdown points on multiple risers simultaneously. The ability to move the touchdown point of the riser with buoyancy modules also simplifies the drilling and production operations by eliminating having to move the floating platform itself to multiple locations in order to move the touchdown points and reduce stresses. Further, the buoyancy system disclosed in embodiments herein provides the ability for an ROV to remove and install riser monitor sensors subsea, the riser monitor sensors used to detect stress points along a length of the riser. Finally, the buoyancy system provides a safe way to carry an umbilical needed to power and control all downhole devices at a fraction of the cost and space required normally. 
     While the present disclosure has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments may be devised which do not depart from the scope of the disclosure as described herein. Accordingly, the scope of the disclosure should be limited only by the attached claims.