Method of manufacturing a pipe segment

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a pipe segment for a link tube between the sea floor and a petroleum drilling rig disposed on the sea surface, wherein it consists in: providing a transport pipe segment that is resistant to open-sea conditions; disposing a female bayonet-piece around one reinforced end of the transport pipe segment; welding or otherwise bonding a narrower portion of the bayonet-piece to said reinforced end; disposing an insulator around the transport pipe segment and around the bayonet-piece; inserting the transport pipe segment into an outer wall segment; welding or otherwise bonding a narrower portion of the outer wall segment to the other reinforced end of the transport pipe segment; disposing a cover-piece around the bayonet-piece; welding or otherwise bonding the cover-piece to the outer wall segment and to the bayonet-piece; it being possible to apply tightening torque to the outer wall segment and to transmit it to the transport pipe segment.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a double-walled pipe segment comprising: providing a connection and transport pipe segment that is provided with first and second threaded reinforced ends; disposing a female piece around said first reinforced end, the female piece including a wider portion, a cylindrical portion and a narrower portion, wherein the cylindrical portion is between the wider portion and the narrower portion, the wider portion is wider than the cylindrical portion, the cylindrical portion is wider than the narrower portion and the narrower portion comes against a tightening portion of the first reinforced end; welding or bonding the narrower portion of the female piece to said tightening portion of said first reinforced end; disposing a thermal insulator around the connection and transport pipe segment and around the female piece; inserting said connection and transport pipe segment equipped with said thermal insulator into an outer wall segment; welding or bonding a narrower portion of the outer wall segment to said second reinforced end; disposing a cover-piece around the female piece, the cover-piece having a cylindrical portion in contact at one end with the wider portion of the female piece and being extended at the other end via a narrower portion coming against the outer wall segment, wherein the cylindrical portion of the cover-piece is wider than the narrower portion of the cover-piece; and welding or bonding the narrower portion of the cover-piece to the outer wall segment and the cylindrical portion of the cover-piece to the female piece.

2. The method of manufacturing according to claim 1, wherein said welds or bonds are formed in such a manner as to enable a determined tightening torque to be transmitted to said first and second reinforced ends so as to form a junction by screw-fastening between two connection and transport pipe segments of two adjacent double-walled pipe segments.

3. The method of manufacturing according to claim 1, wherein said first and second reinforced ends of said connection and transport pipe segment are made of a first steel having a yield strength of at least 100 kilopounds per square inch (ksi) and said cover-piece and said female piece is made of a same second steel having a high yield strength of at least 65 ksi.

4. The method of manufacturing according to claim 3, wherein said cover-piece and said female piece are welded together by a lap weld, while, for the weld or bond between said female piece and the tightening portion of said first reinforced end, the method comprising: preheating said first reinforced end and the narrower portion of said female piece in contact with said first reinforced end, to a first temperature lying in the range 200 C. to 300 C.; performing a first welding pass between said narrower portion of said female piece and said first reinforced end; performing filling by welding between the edge face of said narrower portion of said female piece and the outside surface of said first reinforced end; heat-treating the junction between said narrower portion of said female piece and said first reinforced end, at a second temperature lying in the range 500 C. to 700 C.

5. The method of manufacturing according to claim 3, wherein said outer wall segment is made of said second steel.

6. The method of manufacturing according to claim 1, wherein said cover-piece and said outer wall segment are welded together by a lap weld, while, for the weld or bond between said outer wall segment and the tightening portion of said second reinforced end, the method comprising: preheating said second reinforced end and a narrower portion of said outer wall segment in contact with said second reinforced end, to a first temperature lying in the range 200 C. to 300 C.; performing a first welding pass between said narrower portion of said outer wall segment and said second reinforced end; performing filling by welding between the edge face of said narrower portion of said outer wall segment and the outside surface of said second reinforced end; heat-treating the junction between said narrower portion of said outer wall segment and said second reinforced end, at a second temperature lying in the range 500 C. to 700 C.

7. The method of manufacturing according to claim 1, wherein said thermal insulator is a solid material of the microporous type, the manufacturing method further comprising a step of putting the space disposed between said outer wall segment and said connection and transport pipe segment at a reduced pressure.

8. The method of manufacturing according to claim 7, wherein the open-pore of said thermal insulator is based on fumed silica.

9. The method of manufacturing according to claim 1, wherein said female piece has a maximum diameter lying in the range 130% of the tightening portion of said first reinforced end to 170% of said tightening portion.

10. The method of manufacturing according to claim 1, wherein the wider portion of said female piece is obtained by flaring the female piece out against said cover-piece from a straight end portion of said female piece.

11. The method of manufacturing according to claim 1, wherein an inside diameter of the cylindrical portion of said female piece is greater than an outside diameter of said outer wall segment, said female piece coming in front of said first reinforced end and in such a manner as to overlap the outer wall segment of an said adjacent double-walled pipe segment.

12. The method of manufacturing according to claim 11, wherein said first and second reinforced ends correspond respectively to said female and male reinforced ends of said connection and transport pipe segment.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Other characteristics, advantages, and details of the invention can be better understood on reading the following supplementary description of embodiments given by way of example and with reference to the drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a side view of a connection and transport pipe segment;

(3) FIG. 2 is a side view of an outer wall segment without a narrower portion;

(4) FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section view of a bayonet-piece;

(5) FIGS. 4 to 6 show details of the fastening of the bayonet-piece to the end of the connection and transport pipe segment;

(6) FIG. 7 is a longitudinal view of an end of the connection and transport pipe segment equipped with the bayonet-piece;

(7) FIG. 8 is a longitudinal section view of the connection and transport pipe segment equipped with the bayonet-piece and with the insulating material;

(8) FIG. 9 is a longitudinal section view of the connection and transport pipe segment equipped with the bayonet-piece, with the insulating material, and with the outer wall segment;

(9) FIG. 10 is a longitudinal section view of a cover-piece;

(10) FIG. 11 is a longitudinal section view of a double-walled pipe segment;

(11) FIG. 12 is a longitudinal section view of junction between two double-walled pipe segments;

(12) FIG. 13 diagrammatically shows a floor-to-surface link tube installed out in the open sea; and

(13) FIG. 14 shows an example of a method of manufacturing a double-walled pipe segment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(14) The invention is described in more detail below. An example of a method of manufacturing a double-walled pipe segment is shown in FIG. 14. The manufacturing steps and the elements used for the manufacturing are described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11.

(15) FIG. 1 is a side view of a connection and transport pipe segment 1. This pipe segment 1 comprises a central tube 15 in which the transport pipe 18 is formed that opens out at the two ends of the pipe segment 1. For example, the inside diameter D35 of the transport pipe 18 lies in the range 120 millimeters (mm) to 140 mm.

(16) The central tube 15 is secured to two portions 6 and 7 forming the two reinforced ends 6 and 7 of the pipe segment 1. This securing is obtained by two friction welds 16 and 17. The reinforced ends 6 and 7 are also referred to as tool joints.

(17) For example, the central tube 15 is made of steel having high yield strength greater than or equal to 95 ksi, and preferably greater than or equal to 105 ksi. For example, the central tube has a thickness lying in the range 8 mm to 16 mm.

(18) The central tube 15, which, for example, has an outside diameter of 168 mm, is joined, at each end, to a respective first wider portion of diameter D32, e.g. of 175 mm, itself extended by a respective wider portion of diameter D33, e.g. of 205 mm, which portion constitutes the tightening diameter D33. The thickness of the wall of the pipe segment 1 is thus reinforced at its ends. The reinforced ends 6 and 7 of the single-walled connection and transport pipe segment 1 are further made of a steel having very high yield strength that is greater than or equal to 100 ksi, and that is preferably greater than or equal to 120 ksi.

(19) The male reinforced end 7 includes an end portion that is beveled and threaded on its outside surface 21. The female reinforced end 6 includes an inside surface 20 that is beveled and threaded. Two connection and transport pipe segments 1 can thus be joined end-to-end by screw-fastening.

(20) For example, such a single-walled connection and transport pipe segment 1 may have a length L34 of about 12 m. In particular, this type of single-walled pipe segment 1 has mechanical characteristics making it resistant to the open sea.

(21) FIG. 2 shows a side view of an outer wall segment 2 used for manufacturing the double-walled pipe segment. In particular, the outer wall segment 2 is of inside diameter D36 greater than the outside diameter D33 of the reinforced ends 6 and 7 of the connection and transport pipe segment 1. The outer wall segment, shown straight in FIG. 2, is pinched at one of its ends so as to come against the above-described connection and transport pipe segment 1, and more precisely against a tightening portion having a tightening diameter D33. The length L37 of the outer wall segment 2 is designed so that at one end it comes against the tightening portion of one of the reinforced ends and at the other end it comes close to the weld junction 17 of the other reinforced end.

(22) For example, the outer wall segment 2 may have a thickness lying in the range 8 mm to 15 mm. For example, the material used for the outer wall segment 2 is steel having high yield strength greater than or equal to 65 ksi. The yield strength of the outer wall segment 2 is preferably at least 80 ksi. Its strength is such that it can withstand, in particular, lateral forces and pressures in marine environments, at depths lying in the range 500 m to 3,000 m.

(23) FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section view of a female bayonet-piece 3. The female bayonet-piece comprises a cylindrical elongate middle portion 3b extended at either end respectively by a narrower portion 3a and by a wider portion 3c. The wider portion 3c may be formed by flaring before the bayonet-piece is mounted or while it is being fastened.

(24) The narrower portion 3a may be formed by pinching before the bayonet-piece is mounted or while it is being fastened. The narrower portion 3a has an inside diameter D38 corresponding to the tightening diameter D33 of the reinforced ends of the connection and transport pipe segment 1 while taking into account working clearance for a weld.

(25) The inside diameter D39 of the cylindrical portion 3b of the female bayonet-piece is greater than the outside diameter of the outer wall segment 2. Working clearance thus enables the bayonet-piece to overlap the outer wall segment 2 of an adjacent double-walled pipe segment as described below in relation with FIG. 12. For example, the length L40 of the female bayonet-piece 3 may lie in the range 800 mm to 1,400 mm. This length L40 is designed so that the bayonet-piece comes in front of the reinforced end to which it is fastened in such a manner as to cover the reinforced end of the adjacent double-walled pipe segment and as to overlap the outer wall segment of the adjacent double-walled pipe segment as shown in FIG. 12.

(26) For example, the bayonet-piece 3 may have a thickness lying in the range 6 mm to 12 mm. The female bayonet-piece 3 is made of high yield strength steel having an elastic limit of at least 65 ksi, and preferably of at least 80 ksi.

(27) The female bayonet-piece 3 is disposed around the reinforced end 6 with its narrower portion 3a coming against the portion having a tightening diameter. For example, this tightening portion is chosen to be as far away as possible from the thread 20 and as close as possible to the intermediate-diameter portion of said reinforced end 6.

(28) For the welding between the female bayonet-portion 2 and the tightening portion of the reinforced end 6, the narrower portion 3a of the female bayonet-piece and the reinforced end 6 are preheated. The preheating temperature lies in the range 200 C. to 300 C.

(29) During a following step, a first welding pass is performed between the narrower portion 3a of the female bayonet-piece 3 and the reinforced end 6, as shown in FIG. 4. That welding is, for example, lap welding.

(30) During a following step, as shown in FIG. 5, filling by welding 3 is performed between the edge face of the narrower portion 3a of the female bayonet-piece 3 and the outside surface of reinforced end 6.

(31) A heat-treatment step is then performed for heat-treating the junction between the narrower portion 3a of the female bayonet-piece and the reinforced end 6. This heat-treatment is performed at a temperature lying in the range 500 C. to 700 C. The resulting weld 11 between the reinforced end 6 and the bayonet-piece 3a is shown in FIG. 6.

(32) FIG. 7 is a longitudinal section view of an end of the connection and transport pipe segment 1 equipped with the female bayonet-piece. The bayonet-piece then has its narrower portion 3a fastened to the reinforced end 6 of the connection and transport pipe segment 1, while its free end portion 3c is disposed ahead from the end 6 of the pipe segment 1.

(33) As shown in FIG. 7, the free end portion 3c is already wider when the bayonet-piece is fastened. This wider portion 3c corresponds to the maximum diameter of the bayonet-piece 3.

(34) In a variant, the free end portion of the female bayonet-piece may also be straight and then be subsequently made wider by flaring.

(35) As shown in FIG. 7, each female bayonet-piece is associated with the female reinforced end 6 of each single-walled pipe segment 1.

(36) In a variant, it is possible to make provision to fasten each female bayonet-piece to the male reinforced end of each single-walled pipe segment.

(37) After the bayonet-piece has been fastened, an insulator 5a, 5b, and 5c is disposed around the connection and transport segment 1 and around the female bayonet-piece 3, as shown in FIG. 8.

(38) For example, the thermally insulating material is a solid material, such as a microporous material. The open-pore material is, for example, based on fumed silica. Advantageously, such a material put under a reduced pressure makes it possible to provide thermal insulation that is particularly effective. The thermally insulating material is then disposed in a closed and sealed dry space situated around the connection and transport pipe segment 1.

(39) During a following step, the outer wall segment 2 is disposed around the insulator 5a and around the connection and transport pipe segment 1, as shown in FIG. 9. Assembly clearance is provided between the outside diameter of the thermally insulating material and the inside diameter of the outer wall segment 2.

(40) The outer wall segment 2 has a narrower portion 2a at one of its ends that is disposed against a tightening portion of a reinforced end 7 of the connection and transport pipe segment. This narrower portion 2a may be formed by pinching before the outer wall segment 2 is mounted or while it is being fastened. The inside diameter of the narrower portion 2a corresponds to the outside diameter of the outer wall segment 2, working clearance being provided for welding.

(41) The other end of the outer wall segment 2 is disposed at the opposite reinforced end 6 at which the female bayonet-piece 3 is fastened and behind the wider portion having the tightening diameter.

(42) The narrower portion 2a of the outer wall segment 2 is then welded to the tightening portion of the reinforced end 7 of the transport pipe segment. In this example, the outer wall segment is fastened to the male end 7 of the connection and transport pipe segment.

(43) As shown in FIG. 9, the weld 14 is formed over a portion having a tightening diameter and situated as far away as possible from the threaded portion 21 of said reinforced end 7. The weld 14 between the outer wall segment 2 and the reinforced end 7 of the connection and transport segment 1 may advantageously be formed in the same way as the weld 11 between the female bayonet piece and the opposite reinforced end.

(44) Thus, the second reinforced end 7 and the narrower portion 2a of the outer wall segment in contact with the second reinforced end 7 are preheated to a first temperature lying in the range 200 C. to 300 C.; and then a first welding pass is performed between the narrower portion 2a of the outer wall segment 2 and the second reinforced end 7, forming, for example, a lap weld; filling by welding is performed between the edge face of the narrower portion 2a of the outer wall segment 2 and the outside surface of the second reinforced end 7; and the junction between the narrower portion 2a of the outer wall segment 2 and the second reinforced end 7 is heat-treated, at a second temperature lying in the range 500 C. to 700 C.

(45) FIG. 10 is a longitudinal section view of a cover-piece 4 designed to cover the female bayonet-piece 3 and to overlap the outer wall segment 2. The cover-piece 4 includes a cylindrical portion 4a extended by a narrower portion 4b of inside diameter D41 corresponding to the outside diameter of the outer wall segment 2, while taking into account working clearance for welding. The narrower portion 4b may be formed by pinching before the cover-piece is mounted or while it is being fastened.

(46) The inside diameter D42 of the cylindrical portion 4a corresponds to the outside diameter of the wider portion 3c of the female bayonet-piece 3, while taking into account working clearance for welding.

(47) The cover-piece 4 is of length L43 enabling it to extend from the wider end 3c of the female bayonet-piece to the outer wall segment 2. The cover-piece 4 thus fully covers the female bayonet-piece 3 and partially covers, i.e. overlaps, the outer wall segment 2. For example, the cover-piece 4 may have a length lying in the range 1,100 mm to 1,700 mm. For example, the thickness of the cover-piece 4 may lie in the range 10 mm to 22 mm.

(48) The cover-piece is made of a steel that has yield strength greater than or equal to 65 ksi, and preferably at least 80 ksi. For example, the cover-piece 4 is made of the same high yield strength steel as the female bayonet-piece 3.

(49) After disposing the cover-piece 4 around the female bayonet-piece 3 and around the outer wall segment 2, the cylindrical portion 4a of the cover-piece is welded to the wider portion 3c of the female bayonet-piece 3. The weld 12 is, for example, a lap weld. The free end of the female bayonet-piece is optionally flared against the cover-piece 4 before the welding.

(50) In addition, the narrower portion 4b of the cover-piece 4 is welded to the outer wall segment 2, e.g. via a lap weld 13. The narrower portion 4b may be formed by pinching before the cover-piece is mounted or while it is being fastened.

(51) As shown in FIG. 11, the space 44 around the pipe segment 1 and around the female bayonet-piece 3 is thus closed in sealed manner. The thermally insulating material disposed in said annular space may, in particular, be put under a low pressure.

(52) It is possible to provide a step of putting the space extending in particular between the outer wall segment 2 and the transport segment 1 at a low pressure. Putting that space at a low pressure is, for example, performed by boring an orifice in the outer wall segment 2 and then by pumping out the inside of the annular space 44, and then finally by hermetically closing the annular space 44. Advantageously, such a double-walled pipe segment 10 that is put at a low pressure keeps its thermal insulation properties throughout its life. For example, the pressure is set to be lower than 1 bar or than a few millibars.

(53) The welds 11, 12, 13, and 14 are performed in such a manner as to make it possible to transmit determined tightening torque applied to the outer wall segment 2 for joining by screwing together two single-walled pipe segments 1a and 1b of two adjacent double-walled pipe segments 10a and 10b. Such a junction is shown in FIG. 12. For example, the tightening torque may lie in the range 50,000 newton meters (N.Math.m) to 65,000 N.Math.m.

(54) The tightening torque is applied by clamping a first jaw onto the outer wall segment of a first pipe segment 10a and by clamping a second jaw onto the outer wall segment of a second pipe segment 10b, the first and second jaws being mounted to move in rotation relative to each other.

(55) The tightening torque is transmitted via the cover-piece and via the female bayonet-piece. In particular the female bayonet-piece has an S-shaped profile. For example, the maximum diameter of the female bayonet-piece lies in the range 130% of the tightening diameter of a reinforced end of the single-walled connection and transport pipe segment to 170% of said tightening diameter.

(56) As indicated above, the inside diameter of the cylindrical portion 3b of the female bayonet-piece is greater than the outside diameter of the outer wall segment, the female bayonet-piece coming in front of the reinforced end to which it is fastened and in such a manner as to cover the reinforced end and as to overlap the outer wall segment of the adjacent double-walled pipe segment 10b.

(57) The end-to-end assembly of the double-walled pipe segments 10a and 10b makes it possible to put in place rapidly a floor-to-surface link tube 23 having good thermal insulation, as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 13. The coefficient of thermal transmittance U of a double-walled pipe segment of the invention may reach 3 watts per square meter Kelvin (W/m.sup.2.Math.K) and even 0.5 W/m.sup.2.Math.K. The floor-to-surface link tube 23 may thus have the same coefficient of thermal transmittance U.

(58) FIG. 13 shows a petroleum drilling rig 22 floating on the surface of the water 30. Such drilling rig is known as RIG. The floor-to-surface link tube 23 goes down from the drilling rig 22 to the sea floor 31.

(59) It is possible to make provision for attaching the floor-to-surface link tube 23 to equipment 24 such as a bell capping a subsea well, in particular in situations of accidental hydrocarbon leaks.

(60) The double-walled pipe segments of the invention can thus withstand internal pressure of up to 1,000 bars, e.g. by means of reinforced threaded connection ends, each having two shoulders.

(61) The double-walled pipe segments also have a long lifespan, in particular due to their resistance to mechanical fatigue and, by means of their capacity to withstand multiple assemblies and disassemblies. For example, a double-walled pipe segment can withstand at least 100 assemblies and disassembles without significant degradation or damage.

(62) It should be clear to the person skilled in the art that other variant embodiments of the present invention are possible. Therefore, these embodiments should be considered merely as illustrations of the invention.