Subsea connector system and method for coupling subsea conduits

摘要

A subsea connector system and method utilizing a skid (18) on the sea floor (F) four coupling a subsea conduit (16) carried by the skid (18) to a subsea conduit (12) on a relatively fixed subsea structure (10). A lift line device or structure (24) has an upper lift line (36) connected by a spreader bar (40) to a pair of lower guide lines (38) which are directed from a vertical position to a generally horizontal relation by J-tubes (30). The ends of the guide lines (38) have anchor members (42) thereon which are anchored to guides (46) on the subsea facility (10). Upon raising of the upper lift line (36), the skid (18) moves in a combined pulling and lifting motion to engage a side (52) of the subsea facility (10) for being guided into a docked position with aligned guides (46) on the subsea facility (10). In this position, an ROV (26) secures the skid (18) into a releasably locked position by insertion of retainer pins (not shown) into aligned openings (35, 51) of the skid (18) and subsea facility (10). Then, coupling (20) on the end of flowline conduit (16) is coupled onto aligned conduit (12) on the subsea facility (10). A preferred embodiment is shown in FIGS. 8-11 for connecting horizontal conduits (12A, 16A). Another embodiment is shown in FIGS. 12- 16 for connecting vertical conduits (16B, 17B) on skid (18B) and wellhead structure (14B ).