Surface-Controlled Formation-Isolation Valves Used for Temporary Well Suspension

摘要

To increase deepwater-drilling-rig availability, operators have adopted the strategy of transferring subsea-tree-installation responsibility from offshore drilling rigs to subsea-equipment-support vessels (SESVs). The installation from a rig can take l to 3 weeks; transferring this responsibility to the support vessel enables the rig to move to the next well sooner and offers significant time savings. This paper introduces a fit-for-purpose surface-controlled formation-isolation valve (SFIV) designed for the temporary well suspension required for this strategy.