LINKING SEABED TO SURFACE

The use of

HIGH PRESSURE JACKUP DRILLING RISERS

for

SUBSEA DEVELOPMENTS

2 High Pressure Jackup Drilling Riser

Systems – December 2006
 Contents

• Typical Jackup Well Configuration

• Typical Subsea Well Configuration

• High Pressure Jackup Riser System Configuration

• Typical High Pressure Jackup Drilling Riser Specification

• Preparation and Planning for the use of High Pressure Jackup Drilling Risers

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Systems – December 2006
 Typical Jackup Wells

• Are accessed using the Drilling Rig’s Surface BOP system

• Require multiple casing strings - along with a mudline suspension system, to be

run into the well (from a surface wellhead) to provide the necessary pressure
containment

• Typically require some form of “mudline conversion system”, to allow the use of
subsea xmas trees

• Are more typically drilled with a view to completion via a fixed platform

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Systems – December 2006
 Typical Jackup
Drilling System
Configuration

5 High Pressure Jackup Drilling Riser

Systems – December 2006
 Typical Subsea Wells

• Are accessed from a Semi-Submersible Drilling Unit

• Using a subsea BOP, and a Low Pressure Drilling Riser (with 18 ¾” full bore
access)

• Utilise traditional 18 3/4” subsea wellhead systems, and xmas trees (typically
provided by the likes of Vetco, Cameron, FMC, Dril-Quip, etc)

• Require 18 ¾” full bore access to allow casing hangers (etc) to be run/recovered

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Systems – December 2006
 Rig Floor
Typical
Semi-Submersible
Drilling System
Configuration

Riser

Sea Level

BOP

Hydraulic Wellhead
Connector

Subsea Wellhead
Seabed

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 High Pressure Jackup Drilling Riser (HPJDR) Systems

• Provide a means of drilling, working over, and abandoning traditional subsea wells
from a Jackup Drilling Unit (JDU)

• Typical main system components are:

• A hydraulic subsea wellhead connector at the lower end
• A length of riser pipe, that joins the subsea wellhead connector to the Surface
BOP on the Jackup

• Allows full bore 18 ¾” drift access to subsea wellheads and xmas trees, for running
casing hangers etc.

• Is straightforward to run and recover

• Can be provided on a rental basis

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Systems – December 2006
 Rig Floor
Typical
Configuration

BOP

Tension Ring

Riser
Sea Level

Hydraulic Wellhead
Connector
&
XmasTree

Subsea Wellhead
Seabed

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 Typical HPJDR Riser Specification

• Comprises an assembly of 24” OD x 21” ID tubulars, each of 40 foot length (to

allow easy drift of 18 ¾” diameter components)

• Tubulars are joined by the use of premium quality connectors – rig crews are
familiar with their handling and make-up

• Majority of joints are typically of grade X65/X70

• Higher strength upper and lower riser transition (or stress) joints are normally
required, typically of grade X80

• A relatively high capacity hydraulic subsea hydraulic wellhead connector is

typically necessary

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Systems – December 2006
 Typical HPJDR Riser Specification (cont’d)

• A special joint is normally required towards the upper end, to allow an upward
force to be applied by the Jackup’s tensioner system – to keep the riser system
stable

• An umbilical and associated control systems are necessary to function the

hydraulic subsea wellhead connector

• Guide arms can be provided to interface with the guide posts on the subsea
equipment

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Systems – December 2006
 Planning and Preparation for use of HPJDR

• The HPJDR is laterally unsupported other than at the seabed and the jackup

• Hence, in deeper water (circa 90 metres), there may be up to around 120

metres of riser “free-span”

• Tension normally has to be applied to the riser, from the rig’s systems, in order
to ensure that:
• the system is stable
• the system can support the weight of the rig’s surface BOP
• deflections of the riser are reduced to manageable values, during drilling
operations
• stresses in the riser system are maintained within acceptable limits
• the subsea hydraulic wellhead connector, and the subsea conductor is not
overloaded
• deflections of the surface BOP are reduced to manageable proportions

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Systems – December 2006
 Planning and Preparation for use of HPJDR (cont’d)

• In order to ensure the system is acceptable, and define appropriate tensions,

riser analysis is usually carried out

• The riser analysis typically comprises:

• Structural stability assessments
• Strength assessments (of the pipe, connectors and flanges, etc)
• Fatigue assessments (if the duration of proposed operations dictate)

• In cases where very high currents are anticipated or possible, it may be

necessary to consider the likelyhood of Vortex-Induced-Vibration, and possibly
effect appropriate mitigating measures

• It is possible to define environmental operating envelopes, to reduce normal

tension requirements

• Full running, retrieval and operating procedures are produced specific to each
operation
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Systems – December 2006
 Planning and Preparation for use of HPJDR (cont’d)

• The effects of internal pressure must be accounted for

14 High Pressure Jackup Drilling Riser

Systems – December 2006
 Rig Floor
Internal
Riser
Pressure
BOP

Tension Ring

Riser
Sea Level

Hydraulic Wellhead
Connector

Subsea Wellhead
Seabed

15 High Pressure Jackup Drilling Riser

Systems – December 2006
 In Conclusion
• High Pressure Drilling Risers are a viable means of drilling subsea wells from
Jackups

• They can be employed (and have actually been used in the field) for drilling,
workover and abandonment operations

• They allow 18 ¾” diameter, full bore access to subsea wellhead systems from a
jackup

• They allow traditional subsea wellheads, xmas trees and completions to be

accessed from Jackups, as well as Semi-Submersibles

• Can also be used for pre-drilling in the case of Platform Tieback applications, or
where either a platform tieback, riser tieback or subsea completion may be
employed

• Typically can be used up to 5,00psi internal working pressure

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