Parallel drilling and completion for a dry tree floating production facility

Abstract

Field development drilling and completion/production work are performed from a floating facility having a deck with a moon pool and a well bay, a first drilling rig fixed to the deck over the moon pool, and a second drilling rig movably mounted on the deck over the well bay. In use, the facility is positioned in a first position for field development drilling by the first drilling rig through the moon pool at a first well location. The facility is moved to a second position for field development drilling by the first drilling rig through the moon pool at a second well location. During the field development drilling at the second well location, the facility is moved so that the first well location is accessible through the well bay. Well completion/production work is performed at the first well location through the well bay with the second drilling rig.

1 . A floating facility for performing field development drilling simultaneously with well completion or hydrocarbon production work, the facility comprising:
 a hull structure including a deck and first and second openings, each opening providing access through the deck to a seabed;   a drilling rig fixed to the deck above the first opening, the drilling rig being operable for field development drilling through the first opening; and   a completion rig movably positioned on the deck above the second opening, the completion rig being horizontally movable with respect to the deck, and being operable to perform well completion and production work through the second opening;   wherein the drilling and completion rigs are operable simultaneously.   
   
   
       2 . The floating facility of  claim 1 , wherein the second opening is configured to accommodate a plurality of production riser slots. 
   
   
       3 . The floating facility of  claim 1 , wherein the drilling rig is operable to deploy and operate a drill string through the first opening. 
   
   
       4 . The floating facility of  claim 3 , wherein the drill string is deployed through a high-pressure drilling riser. 
   
   
       5 . The floating facility of  claim 1 , wherein the completion rig is operable to deploy a production riser and production tubing to the seabed. 
   
   
       6 . The floating facility of  claim 1 , wherein the completion rig is movable within a plane substantially parallel to the deck along a first axis and along a second axis that is substantially perpendicular to the first axis. 
   
   
       7 . The floating facility of  claim 1 , wherein the completion rig is mounted on a hydraulic jack skidding apparatus. 
   
   
       8 . The floating facility of  claim 7 , wherein the hydraulic jack skidding apparatus comprises a pair of parallel longitudinal beams supported on or above the deck. 
   
   
       9 . The floating facility of  claim 8 , wherein the hydraulic jack skidding apparatus further comprises a pair of parallel transverse beams slidably mounted on the longitudinal beams. 
   
   
       10 . The floating facility of  claim 9 , wherein the completion rig is mounted on a skid platform slidably mounted on the transverse beams. 
   
   
       11 . The floating facility of  claim 9 , wherein the hydraulic jack skidding apparatus further comprises a longitudinal hydraulic gripper jack system operable to translate the completion rig with respect to the longitudinal beams, and a transverse hydraulic gripper jack system operable to translate the completion rig with respect to the transverse beams. 
   
   
       12 . A system for performing field development drilling and completion/production work, comprising:
 a floating facility having a deck with a moon pool and a well bay;   a drilling rig fixed to the deck over the moon pool and operable to perform field development drilling into a seabed through the moon pool; and   a completion rig movably mounted on the deck over the well bay and operable to perform well completion and production work in the seabed through the well bay while the drilling rig is performing field development drilling.   
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the floating facility is selected from the group consisting of an extended-draft platform, a tension-leg platform, a SPAR, and a deep draft semi-submersible platform. 
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the drilling rig is operable to deploy and operate a drill string through the first opening. 
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the drill string is deployed through a high-pressure drilling riser. 
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the completion rig is operable to deploy a production riser and production tubing to the seabed. 
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the completion rig is movable within a plane substantially parallel to the deck along a first axis and along a second axis that is substantially perpendicular to the first axis. 
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the completion rig is mounted on a hydraulic jack skidding apparatus. 
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the hydraulic jack skidding apparatus comprises a pair of parallel longitudinal beams supported on or above the deck. 
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the hydraulic jack skidding apparatus further comprises a pair of parallel transverse beams slidably mounted on the longitudinal beams. 
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the completion rig is mounted on a skid platform slidably mounted on the transverse beams. 
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the hydraulic jack skidding apparatus further comprising a longitudinal hydraulic gripper jack system operable to translate the completion rig with respect to the longitudinal beams, and a transverse hydraulic gripper jack system operable to translate the completion rig with respect to the transverse beams. 
   
   
       23 . A method for performing field development drilling simultaneously with well completion or production work from a floating facility having a deck with a drilling moon pool and a well bay, the method comprising:
 (a) positioning the facility in a first field development position for performing field development drilling at a first well location;   (b) performing field development drilling through the drilling moon pool at the first well location with a drilling rig fixed to the deck above the drilling moon pool;   (c) moving the facility to a second field development position for performing field development drilling at a second well location;   (d) performing field development drilling through the drilling moon pool at the second well location with the drilling rig; and   (e) during the performance of the field development drilling at the second well location, performing well completion or production work through the well bay at the first well location with a completion rig movably positioned on the deck above the well bay.   
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein when the facility occupies the second field development position, the first well location is accessible through the well bay. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the field development drilling at the first well location is performed with a first drill string, and wherein the field development drilling at the second well location is performed with a second drill string. 
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising removing the first drill string with the drilling rig before moving the facility to the second field development location. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein, after the performance of well completion or production work at the second well location, field development drilling is performed at a subsequent well location while completion or development work is performed at a prior well location at which field development drilling has most recently been completed. 
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the well bay includes a plurality of riser slots, each corresponding to a well location, and wherein the performance of well completion or production work comprises moving the completion rig over the well-bay to access each successive riser slot.