Tubing hanger connection

Abstract

Subsea oil and gas production methods and apparatus and, more particularly, a tubing hanger design for facilitating the control of downhole hydraulic and electrical controls while running the tubing hanger. The tubing hanger may include means for switching hydraulic and/or electrical controls to a side penetrator before the hanger is landed in a tree body. The hanger may include alignment means to ensure proper positioning of hanger prior to landing in a casing. The present disclosure of a method of soft landing a tubing hanger to provide better control prior to landing in the tree body.

1 . A system for controlling downhole well functions while running and landing a hanger, the system comprising: 
 a housing having an upper landing seat and lower landing seat;    a hanger disposed within the housing wherein the hanger includes a landing shoulder, an axial bore, a first annulus bore in communication with the surface, and a second annulus bore;    wherein the hanger landing shoulder lands on the upper landing seat;    a sleeve connected to the hanger, the sleeve having a landing shoulder positioned to land on the lower landing seat of the housing and to move from a first position to a second position; and    a valve connected hydraulically to both the first annulus bore and second annulus bore wherein the movement of the sleeve from the first position to the second position actuates the valve from a first position to a second position to effect downhole well control.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the housing is a tree body.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the housing is a wellhead casing.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the valve is a gate valve.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the valve is a ball valve.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a side penetrator in communication with the surface that connects to the second annulus in the hanger.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein downhole functions are connected to the first annulus bore.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the first position of the valve connects the first annulus bore with the downhole controls and the second annulus bore is closed and the second position of the valve closes off the first annulus bore and connects the second annulus bore with the downhole controls.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve may be moved to at least a third position.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is a circular sleeve external to the hanger.  
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the sleeve is disposed at or near the bottom of the hanger.  
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the size of the sleeve is adjustable.  
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the sleeve contains a push rod that contacts the lower landing seat and moves the sleeve from the first position to the second position.  
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve lands on the lower landing seat before the hanger landing shoulder lands on the upper landing seat.  
   
   
       15 . An apparatus for use in a subsea well including a wellhead housing having a wellhead bore, at least one casing hanger supported within the wellhead for supporting a hanger, and a hydraulic control line wherein said apparatus comprises: 
 the hanger having a landing shoulder, a production bore, a first annulus bore and a second annulus bore;    a side penetrator connectable to the second annulus in the hanger;    a valve connectable to the hydraulic control line and both the first annulus bore and second annulus bore;    means for actuating the valve from a first position to a second position;    wherein the first position of the valve provides a flowpath between the first annulus bore and the hydraulic control line; and    wherein the second position of the valve provides a flowpath between the second annulus bore and the hydraulic control line.    
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the hanger is a tubing hanger.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the valve is a gate valve.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the valve is a ball valve.  
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the first annulus bore extends generally longitudinally through the hanger.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the means for actuating the valve further comprises means for actuating the valve before the hanger lands onto the casing hanger.  
   
   
       21 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the valve is a one-way valve that in the first position also provides a flowpath between the second annulus bore and the hydraulic control line.  
   
   
       22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the valve in the second position closes the flowpath between the first annulus bore and the hydraulic control line.  
   
   
       23 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the means for actuating the valve comprises a movable sleeve connected to the outside of the hanger.  
   
   
       24 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the means for actuating the valve comprises a push rod.  
   
   
       25 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , where the means for actuating the valve comprises a hydraulic piston.  
   
   
       26 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the bottom of the tubing hanger comprises an alignment structure.  
   
   
       27 . The method of monitoring downhole functions in a well which comprises: 
 running a tubing hanger into the well, the tubing hanger having a production bore, a first annulus bore fluidly connected to the downhole functions, and a second annulus bore;    monitoring downhole functions via the first annulus bore;    establishing a fluid connection to the second annulus bore;    actuating a valve to close the first annulus bore; and    monitoring downhole functions through the second annulus bore.    
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising landing the tubing hanger into the wellhead casing.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising soft landing the tubing hanger before actuating the valve.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising removing the tubing hanger if a problem is detected downhole.  
   
   
       31 . The method of moving fluid through a wellhead which comprises: 
 running a tubing hanger into the wellhead casing, wherein the tubing hanger contains a production bore, a first annulus bore hydraulically connected to one or more downhole devices, and a second annulus bore;    moving fluid downhole through the first annulus bore;    connecting a side penetrator to the second annulus bore;    actuating a valve to close the first annulus bore and hydraulically connect the second annulus bore to one or more downhole devices; and    moving fluid downhole through the side penetrator and through the second annulus bore.    
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising landing the tubing hanger onto the wellhead casing.  
   
   
       33 . A tubing hanger for use in a subsea well, wherein said tubing hanger comprises: 
 a production bore;    a first annulus conduit that extends generally longitudinally through the tubing hanger, wherein the first annulus conduit is connectable at one end to a running tool connection and is connectable at the other end to a downhole well connection;    a second annulus conduit that intersects the first annulus conduit and extends generally laterally through the tubing hanger to a port for a side penetrator;    fiber optics located in the first annulus conduit, wherein at the intersection of the first and second conduits a portion of the fiber optics extends into the remainder of the first annulus conduit and the rest of the fiber optics extends into the second annulus conduit.    
   
   
       34 . An apparatus for use in a subsea well including a wellhead housing having a wellhead bore, at least one casing hanger supported within the wellhead for supporting a tubing hanger, and an downhole electrical line wherein said apparatus comprises: 
 the tubing hanger having a landing shoulder, a production bore, a first annulus conduit that extends generally longitudinally through the tubing hanger, and a second annulus conduit;    a side penetrator connected to the second annulus conduit in the tubing hanger;    a switch connected to the downhole electrical line and both the first annulus conduit and the second annulus conduit;    means for actuating the switch from a first position to a second position before the tubing hanger landing shoulder has landed onto the casing hanger;    wherein the first position of the switch provides an open electrical path between the first annulus conduit and the downhole electrical line; and    wherein the second position of the switch provides an open electrical path between the second annulus conduit and the downhole electrical line.    
   
   
       35 . The method of connecting a hanger annulus to downhole functions in a well which comprises: 
 substantially preventing fluid leakage from the first annulus bore while running the hanger by having a valve close off the fluid path of the first annulus bore;    running a tubing hanger, the tubing hanger having a production bore, a first annulus bore containing hydraulic fluid and a second annulus bore with a closed fluid path containing hydraulic fluid;    compressing the fluid in the second annulus bore upon landing the hanger; and    using the compressed fluid in the second annulus bore to actuate a valve contained in the first annulus bore opening the fluid path between the first annulus bore and downhole hydraulic controls.    
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the fluid in the second annulus is compressed by a spring loaded push rod landing on a casing shoulder.  
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the compressed fluid moves a cylinder, which actuates the valve.  
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the hanger contains multiple annuluses spread around its perimeter.