Patent Abstract:
A seabed-to-surface riser system is disclosed. The seabed-to-surface riser system has a group of subsea riser supports that each support riser pipes extending from the seabed to mid-water. Jumper pipes extend from there to a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) offset horizontally from the riser support in a flow direction. The group of riser supports is disposed to one side of the surface installation. Laterally-extending lines are attached to at least the outermost riser supports of the group. Those lines apply mutually-opposed stabilizing forces to those outermost riser supports in directions transverse to the flow direction.

Full Description:
This Application is the U.S. National Phase of International Application Number PCT/GB2011/052551 filed on Dec. 21, 2011, which claims priority to Great Britain Application No. 1104101.9 filed on Mar. 10, 2011. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of Invention 
     This invention relates to subsea risers used to transport well fluids from the seabed to a surface installation such as an FPSO vessel or a platform. The invention relates particularly to systems for restraining movement of such risers under the action of currents or excursion of an FPSO. 
     Hybrid riser systems have been known for many years. Such systems use riser pipes, possibly of lined and coated steel, that extend upwardly from the seabed to near the surface. Flexible jumper pipes extend from there to the surface to add compliancy that decouples the more rigid riser pipes from surface movement induced by waves and tides. The riser pipes experience less stress and fatigue as a result, especially at the vulnerable sag bend near their touchdown point on the seabed. 
     More specifically, a hybrid riser system comprises a subsea riser support extending from a seabed anchorage to an upper end held buoyantly in mid water, at a depth below the influence of likely wave action. A depth of 250 m is typical for this purpose but this may vary according to the sea conditions expected at a particular location. 
     The riser support may comprise a hybrid riser tower or ‘HRT’ pivotably attached to the anchorage and held in tension by buoyancy at its upper end, or a riser support buoy tethered to the anchorage under tension. A riser support buoy is sometimes referred to by the acronym ‘BSR’, derived from the Portuguese term ‘bóia de suporte de riser’. That acronym will be used to identify riser support buoys in the description that follows. 
     Riser pipes extend from the seabed to the upper end region of the riser support. In the case of an HRT, the riser pipes will typically extend along the HRT as an upright bundle of generally parallel pipes. In the case of a BSR, the riser pipes will typically hang freely from, and splay away from, the BSR as steel catenary risers or ‘SCRs’. SCRs are a non-limiting example: other types of pipe are possible for the riser pipes. 
     Jumper pipes hanging as catenaries extend from the upper end region of the riser support to an FPSO or other surface installation. The FPSO is moored at a location above the riser support and spaced or offset horizontally from the riser support. 
     When viewed from above so that the arcuate shape of the jumper pipes and the depth of the riser support beneath the surface is not apparent, there is a general flow direction extending from the upper end region of the riser support toward the FPSO. The flow direction will be used to explain the present invention in more detail and is illustrated in  FIGS. 2   a ,  3   a  and  4   a  of the accompanying drawings. 
     In the case of a BSR, when similarly viewed from above, the SCRs extend from the BSR in a direction generally opposed to the flow direction; optionally, the SCRs also diverge from each other moving away from the BSR. 
     Umbilicals and other pipes generally follow the paths of the riser pipes and jumper pipes to carry power, control data and other fluids. 
     In deep water, a surface installation such as an FPSO will usually have spread moorings. Spread moorings typically comprise four sets of mooring lines (each set being of say four to six mooring lines) with the sets radiating with angular spacing from the FPSO to anchors such as suction piles or torpedo piles embedded in the seabed. Such moorings can maintain the FPSO on location for several years at a fixed orientation or heading without ‘weathervaning’ rotation about a vertical axis. This minimal yaw movement means that there is no need for a turret structure or for swivel connections for fluids, power and control data. The connections are therefore advantageously simplified. Also, flexible riser pipes and umbilicals may simply be connected amidships along sides of the FPSO, which maximises the space available for those connections. 
     In a spread-moored arrangement, a riser system is typically accommodated between neighbouring sets of mooring lines of the FPSO. Space may be limited such that in extreme weather conditions, there is a potential for interference between the mooring lines of the FPSO and the riser supports and/or the riser pipes. 
     The potential for interference is greater still where a plurality of riser supports are combined with a single surface installation such as an FPSO, as more space is required for plural riser supports. Also, arrangements having a plurality of riser supports introduce the further risk of interference between neighbouring riser supports or between the riser pipes carried by those neighbouring riser supports. 
     It is desirable to stabilise riser supports against excessive movement in extreme conditions. The buoyancy that creates tension in a riser support is a stabilising factor; so too is the horizontal component of the force applied to the riser support by the jumper pipes. Also, where SCRs or other riser pipes hang from a BSR, the SCRs apply to a lesser extent a force to the BSR whose horizontal component is opposed to the horizontal component of the force applied to the BSR by the jumper pipes. This, too, helps to stabilise a BSR. However it may be desirable to apply other stabilising restoring forces to a riser support. 
     (2) Description of Related Art 
     GB 2346188, U.S. Pat. No. 6,595,725 and US 2006/0056918 disclose riser arrangements in which a plurality of riser supports are shared by a single surface installation. GB 2346188 discloses a row of HRTs whereas U.S. Pat. No. 6,595,725 and US 2006/0056918 each disclose two BSRs. All of those documents propose additional means for stabilising the riser supports but they work in very different ways—none of which are helpful for the purposes of the present invention. 
     GB 2346188 discloses interconnecting tethers between the riser towers near their upper ends. This interconnection is intended to limit differential movement between the neighbouring riser towers but it also allows—and indeed encourages—the whole row of riser towers to move together. So, there is nothing to prevent the row of towers colliding with any adjacent spread moorings. Also, the interconnecting tethers in GB 2346188 hang as shallow catenaries and so have negative buoyancy, which means that the riser towers will be pulled together by the tension in the tethers due to their weight. In practice, this will cause the riser towers to lean toward each other, thus increasing the risk of collision between neighbouring towers in extreme conditions. This is a particular risk with the towers at the ends of the row. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,595,725 discloses two riser supports but they are not grouped together: instead, one riser support is disposed to each side of a production facility floating above. The jumper pipes and riser pipes apply opposed stabilising forces to each riser support in directions parallel to the flow direction. Additionally, guy lines extend to the seabed from each riser support to prevent lateral movement due to water current. There is no practical risk of collision between the riser supports and there is space to avoid collision between the riser supports and spread moorings of the production facility. However, the arrangement would not be suitable for accommodating a group of two or more aligned riser supports between neighbouring sets of mooring lines of a spread-moored FPSO. 
     US 2006/0056918 discloses a weighted line between two riser supports but the weighted line only applies restoring forces parallel to the flow direction. As in U.S. Pat. No. 6,595,725 above, the riser supports are not grouped to one side of a surface installation floating above: instead, one riser support is disposed to each side of the surface installation. Again, therefore, there is no risk of collision between the riser supports and there would be space to avoid collision between the riser supports and spread moorings, if used. 
     If the riser supports of U.S. Pat. No. 6,595,725 or US 2006/0056918 were grouped to one side of the surface installation (not that there is any motivation or suggestion in those documents to adapt those proposals in that way), there would be a risk of collision between the riser supports and between the riser supports and spread moorings, if used. 
     It is against this background that the present invention has been devised. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention resides in a seabed-to-surface riser system of the type comprising: a group of two or more subsea riser supports each extending upwardly from a seabed anchorage to a buoyant upper end region located beneath the surface and each supporting at least one riser pipe extending from the seabed to the upper end region; and at least one jumper pipe extending from the upper end region of each riser support to a surface installation at a location above the riser support and spaced horizontally from the riser support in a flow direction. 
     Expressed broadly, the invention contemplates that the group of riser supports is disposed to one side of the surface installation; that at least outermost riser supports of the group lie on an axis transverse to the flow direction; that a plurality of laterally-extending flexible lines are attached to each of those outermost riser supports, those lines applying mutually-opposed stabilising forces to each outermost riser support in directions transverse to the flow direction; and that at least one of the laterally-extending flexible lines is a mooring line that extends from an outermost riser support of the group to the seabed. 
     By virtue of the invention, movement of the group of riser supports is effectively restrained. This enables better use of space without risking interference with other subsea elements such as FPSO moorings. 
     Each riser support extends substantially vertically from its seabed anchorage with an angle from vertical from 0 to 15 deg and preferably from 0 to 10 degree. This deviation from vertical is due to horizontal current and forces applied on the riser support by FPSO. 
     In some embodiments, a riser support of the group is preferably connected to one or more neighbouring riser supports of the group by at least one line extending transversely with respect to the flow direction. This helps to control movement of riser supports with respect to each other, and enhances control of movement in the system as a whole. 
     To restrain the riser supports in orthogonal directions, at least two lines may splay laterally from at least one side of a riser support of the group. For example, at least two lines may splay laterally from one side of a riser support of the group and at least one line may extend laterally from an opposite side of that riser support to apply opposed stabilising forces to that riser support. 
     In an embodiment of the invention to be described, at least one riser support of the group is coupled by a line to the surface installation. Preferably that line extends laterally from the riser support to impart a stabilising force to the riser support transverse to the flow direction. The riser support may, for example, be braced between a mooring line and a line coupling the riser support to the surface installation, those lines applying stabilising forces to the riser support in opposite and substantially aligned directions. 
     More preferably, at least two riser supports of the group are coupled by respective lines to the surface installation, which lines initially converge as they extend from the riser supports to the surface installation. In a compact variant of this arrangement, the lines that couple the riser supports to the surface installation cross over between the riser supports and the surface installation and then diverge from a cross-over point to attachment points on the surface installation spaced in a direction transverse to the flow direction. In that case, one of those lines is suitably supported by a subsea buoy around the cross-over point to raise it above the other such line that it crosses. 
     The invention has particular advantages where the surface installation has spread moorings, as the invention enables a group of riser supports to be disposed between neighbouring sets of mooring lines of the spread moorings. At least one of the laterally-extending lines that is a mooring line is preferably supported by a subsea buoy to raise that mooring line above spread mooring elements of the surface installation. This avoids possible interference between the riser system and the spread moorings. 
     The riser supports may comprise HRTs or BSRs but the invention also has particular advantages when applied to BSRs. Here, a riser support comprises a subsea buoy tethered to a foundation, and the riser pipes preferably extend downwardly from the buoy and in a direction opposed to the flow direction. It is then possible for the buoy to be subject to stabilising forces in the flow direction from the jumper pipes, opposite to the flow direction from the riser pipes, and transverse to the flow direction from opposed laterally-extending lines. 
     Two or more laterally-extending lines may be attached to a subsea buoy at mutually-spaced locations on the buoy to resist yaw movement of the buoy. Those lines preferably extend from one side of the buoy. 
     Riser supports of the group are preferably substantially aligned on an axis transverse to or orthogonal to the flow direction. Where the surface installation is an FPSO, that axis is suitably substantially parallel to a central longitudinal axis of the FPSO. The laterally-extending lines may be disposed substantially in a plane containing that axis. 
     In the embodiments of the invention to be described, the group of riser supports comprises at least two outer riser supports moored to the seabed or to the surface installation by laterally-extending lines and at least one inner riser support between the outer riser supports. The inner riser support may be coupled to at least one of the outer riser supports. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In order that the invention may be more readily understood, reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a riser installation to which restraint systems of the invention may be applied, the installation comprising two BSRs used with a single spread-moored FPSO; 
         FIG. 2   a  is a schematic plan view of a riser installation comprising three HRTs and having a restraint system in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 2   b  is a schematic side view of the riser installation of  FIG. 2   a;    
         FIG. 3   a  is a schematic plan view of a riser installation comprising three BSRs and having an alternative restraint system in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 3   b  is a schematic side view of the riser installation of  FIG. 3   a;    
         FIG. 4   a  is a schematic plan view of a riser installation comprising three BSRs and having a further alternative restraint system in accordance with the invention; and 
         FIG. 4   b  is a schematic side view of the riser installation of  FIG. 4   a.    
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  of the drawings does not show the restraint systems of the invention but instead explains their context. In contrast, the remaining Figures are schematic and show embodiments of the invention. Like numerals are used for like parts where appropriate. 
     Referring firstly then to  FIG. 1  to appreciate the background of the invention, a riser installation  10  comprises two riser supports  12  each comprising a BSR  14 , a seabed foundation  16  and a tether arrangement  18  extending between the foundation  16  and the BSR  14 . Each tether arrangement  18  comprises four tethers in this example, maintained under tension by the buoyancy of the BSR  14 . 
     Each BSR  14  supports a group of riser pipes  20  in the form of SCRs that each extend from respective PLETs  22  across the seabed, through a sag bend  24  and from there up to the BSR  14 . The riser pipes  20  splay apart moving downwardly and away from the BSR and each group of riser pipes  20  fans out across the seabed to the PLETs  22 . 
     Each riser pipe  20  communicates with a respective jumper pipe  26  that hangs as a catenary between the BSR  14  and an FPSO  28 . The FPSO  28  is moored with its hull extending parallel to an axis containing both BSRs  14 , whereby the jumper pipes  26  connect amidships to one side of the FPSO  28 . 
     As noted previously, umbilicals and other pipes  30  generally follow the paths of the riser pipes  20  and jumper pipes  26 . These pipes  30  can be distinguished from the riser pipes  20  in  FIG. 1  as they do not terminate in PLETs  22 , and as they have a smaller bend radius at the sag bend  24 . Umbilicals and other pipes  30  are omitted from the remaining Figures for clarity. 
     The FPSO  28  shown in  FIG. 1  is spread-moored with four sets  32  of six mooring lines  34 . Two of those sets  32  of mooring lines  34 —one attached near each end of the FPSO  28 —are shown in  FIG. 1  and indeed in all of the Figures except  FIG. 2   a , which shows all four sets  32  around the FPSO  28 . 
     It will be clear from  FIG. 1  that the riser installation  10  is accommodated closely between these neighbouring sets  32  of mooring lines  34 . It is desirable to space the riser pipes  20  and other pipes  30  as far apart as possible and so to maximise usage of the space between the neighbouring sets  32  of mooring lines  34 . Thus, the outermost PLETs  22  are close to the seabed anchors of the innermost mooring lines  34 . 
     The restraint systems of the invention allow the riser pipes  20 , PLETs  22  and so on to be arranged to best effect, with maximum possible spacing within the confines of the spread moorings without risking interference between the mooring lines  34  and the riser supports  12  or the riser pipes  20 . 
     Moving on now to  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b , these show a first embodiment of the invention applied to a group of three HRTs  36  extending upwardly in a row from respective seabed anchorages or foundations  38  to a mid-water position. The HRTs  36  are spaced apart along a common axis that lies generally parallel to the longitudinal centreline of the FPSO  28 . 
     For ease of illustration, each HRT  36  is shown with just three riser pipes and jumper pipes  26  extending as a catenary to the FPSO  28 . The jumper pipes  26  of each HRT  36  may splay apart slightly, as shown, from the HRT  36  to the FPSO  28  but the jumper pipes  26  of the HRTs  36  in general may converge slightly from the HRTs  36  to the FPSO  28  as shown. 
     Arrow F in  FIG. 2   a  shows the aforementioned general flow direction extending from the HRTs  36  toward the FPSO  28 . This may be helpful for understanding and defining the invention. In this example, the general flow direction is orthogonal to the axis of the HRTs  36  and it will usually be at least transverse to, or intersect, the axis of the HRTs  36 . 
     In this embodiment of the invention, neighbouring HRTs  36  are optionally coupled together by laterally-extending lines  40  that hang as catenaries in a plane containing the axis of the HRTs  36 . The innermost, central HRT  36  is coupled to two such lines  40 , one to each side, extending from the central HRT  36  to respective ones of the outermost HRTs  36 . 
     In turn, further laterally-extending lines  42  extend outwardly and generally downwardly from the outermost HRTs  36 . The lines  42  are moored to the seabed in this embodiment. Again, the lines  42  hang in a plane containing the axis of the HRTs  36 . The lines  40 ,  42  thus apply mutually-opposed stabilising or restoring forces to the HRTs  36 , in directions transverse to (in this case orthogonal to) the flow direction shown by arrow F. 
     Optionally as shown, each line  42  is supported at an intermediate location by a subsea buoy  44 . The buoy  44  reduces stress in the line  42  and also, elegantly, ensures ample clearance where the line  42  crosses over an adjacent set  32  of mooring lines  34  attached to the FPSO  28 . Arrows C in  FIG. 2   b  show this clearance schematically. 
     The second embodiment of the invention in  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  shows how the restraint system of the invention may also be applied to a group of BSRs  14 , in this case three BSRs  14  in a row. The BSRs  14  are spaced apart along a common axis that lies generally parallel to the longitudinal centreline of the FPSO  28 . They are suspended in a mid-water position by tether arrangements  18  attached to respective seabed foundations  16  in the manner shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     For ease of illustration, each BSR  14  is shown with just one riser pipe  20  extending from the seabed to the BSR  14  and just one jumper pipe  26  extending from the BSR  14  to the FPSO  28 . In practical applications, there will generally be several such pipes as  FIG. 1  makes clear. 
     Other features of this second embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment shown in  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b . Arrow F in  FIG. 3   a  shows the aforementioned general flow direction that, in this case, extends from the BSRs  14  toward the FPSO  28 . Again, the general flow direction is orthogonal to the axis of the BSRs  14  in this example and it will usually be at least transverse to, or intersect, the axis of the BSRs  14 . 
     Again, optionally, neighbouring BSRs  14  are coupled together by laterally-extending lines  40  that hang as catenaries in a plane containing the axis of the BSRs  14 . The innermost, central BSR  14  is therefore coupled to two such lines  40 , one to each side, extending from the central BSR  14  to respective ones of the outermost BSRs  14 . 
     Again, further laterally-extending lines  42  extend outwardly and generally downwardly from the outermost BSRs  14  in a plane containing the axis of the BSRs  14 , to be moored to the seabed. And again, each line  42  is supported at an intermediate location by a subsea buoy  44  that ensures clearance where the line  42  crosses over an adjacent set  32  of mooring lines  34  attached to the FPSO  28 . 
     In a similar manner to the first embodiment, the lines  40 ,  42  thus apply mutually-opposed stabilising or restoring forces to the BSRs  14 , in directions transverse to (in this case orthogonal to) the flow direction shown by arrow F. 
       FIG. 3   a  shows, in dashed lines, a variant of this second embodiment in which the lines  42 ′ extending outwardly from the outermost BSRs  36  depart from the plane containing the axis of the BSRs  14 . Indeed, there may be two such lines  42 ′ on each of the outermost BSRs  14 , diverging from the plane containing the axis of the BSRs  14 . This provides opposed restoring forces acting parallel to the flow direction of arrow F, to restrain the BSRs  14  against inward or outward movement with respect to the FPSO  28 . Also, if the lines  42 ′ are attached to different points on the BSRs  14  such as different corners as shown, they will resist yaw of the BSRs  14 . Again, subsea buoys  44 ′ ensure clearance where the lines  42 ′ cross over adjacent sets  32  of mooring lines  34  attached to the FPSO  28 . 
     Referring finally to the third embodiment shown in  FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  of the drawings, here again there are three BSRs  14  in a row. Again, the BSRs  14  are spaced apart along a common axis that lies generally parallel to the longitudinal centreline of the FPSO  28 . The BSRs  14  are suspended in a mid-water position by tether arrangements  18  attached to respective seabed foundations in the manner shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     For ease of illustration, each BSR  14  is again shown with just one riser pipe  20  extending from the seabed to the BSR  14  and just one jumper pipe  26  extending from the BSR  14  to the FPSO  28 . 
     Again, arrow F in  FIG. 4   a  shows the aforementioned general flow direction extending from the BSRs  14  toward the FPSO  28 . That flow direction is orthogonal to the axis of the BSRs  14  in this illustration and it will usually be at least transverse to, or will intersect, the axis of the BSRs  14 . 
     In this third embodiment, the outermost BSRs  14  are braced respectively by laterally-extending lines  46 ,  46 ′ that are angled to connect to the FPSO  28  and by opposed laterally-extending lines  48  that extend outwardly and generally downwardly to be moored to the seabed. The lines  48  are substantially aligned with the associated lines  46 ,  46 ′ in plan view as shown in  FIG. 4   a.    
     To impart a restoring force component in a direction orthogonal to the flow direction of arrow F, the lines  46 ,  46 ′ extend at angles that lie between the flow direction and the common axis of the BSRs  14 , approximately in the range 30° to 60° and preferably in the range 40° to 50° with respect to the flow direction as shown. 
     The plan view of  FIG. 4   a  also shows that, for compactness, the lines  46 ,  46 ′ cross over to connect to attachment points  50  spaced along the FPSO  28  at ends opposed to the BSRs  14  from which the lines  46 ,  46 ′ originate. As  FIG. 4   b  makes clear, the line  46 ′ is in a shallow catenary form and the line  46  is in a lazy-W form suspended near its mid-point by a subsea buoy  52  to provide clearance for the line  46 ′ extending beneath. 
     Like the first and second embodiments, the lines  46 ,  46 ′,  48  thus apply mutually-opposed stabilising or restoring forces to the outermost BSRs  14 , with components in directions orthogonal to and also parallel with the flow direction shown by arrow F. 
     As on the lines  42 ,  42 ′ of the preceding embodiments, optional subsea buoys  44  ensure clearance where the lines  48  cross over adjacent sets  32  of mooring lines  34  attached to the FPSO  28 . 
     In the third embodiment, neighbouring BSRs  14  are not coupled together by the laterally-extending lines  40  of the preceding embodiments. The innermost, central BSR  14  is therefore restrained only by the restoring forces applied by the riser pipes  20  and jumper pipes  26  and by the buoyancy of that BSR  14 . However such lines  40  are optional and may be added to the third embodiment if it is desired to couple the central BSR  14  to each of the outermost BSRs  14 . 
     The lines  42 ,  42 ′ and  48  in the embodiments described above could, for example, be made of fibre rope to minimise their weight.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1