Lecture 3-1

Offshore Systems and Subsea Structures

Subsea Trees

EG50R1/2T
Lecture Outline

This Lecture covers:

• Tree types and tree features
• Information on where to use each type of tree
• Information on the function of the items included with the tree
• Some additional components and equipment

The course notes cover:

• Definitions of equipment
• Information from tree standards
• Tree types comparison and selection information

EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems

Introduction: Subsea Production Systems

• Functions of subsea production system

• Safely control production of wellhead fluids
• Safely control injection of water, gas and chemicals
• Efficiently commingle production from wells into flowlines
• Features
• Complex equipment
• Retrievable components
• Over 3000 subsea trees installed subsea to date

EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems

A tree is….
‘assembly of equipment,
including tubing head adapters,
valves, tees, crosses, top
connectors and chokes attached
to the uppermost connection of
the tubing head, used to control
well production’
API 6A

Provides a pressure containing

method to safely cap the Well via Image FMC Technologies
its interface with the subsea
Wellhead

EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems

Tree features
• Control, monitor and condition
produced or injected fluids
• Provides normal and failsafe
methods of shutting the Well at
the mudline
• Provides interface to re-enter the
Well
• Monitor down hole pressure,
temperature or ‘smart well’
systems & applications
• Interface for chemicals injection
- down hole or at the Xmas Tree

Image OneSubsea
EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems
Wellhead
– Tree is connected to the Wellhead
– Provides structural foundation for subsea
and subsurface equipment
– Acts as a barrier between the reservoir
and the local environment
– Acts as a conduit for hydrocarbons
– Provides load support during drilling,
equipment installation and during
workover operations
– Provides support against environmental
loads

Image DrillQuip
EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems
Wellhead connection
• Top of wellhead designed to mate
with connector system on the base
of the drilling BOP or Tree
• Sealing with metal to metal and elastomeric seals
• Dogs or collets in the Christmas Tree connector engage with
the profile on the wellhead to lock the two systems together

EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems

Tubing Hanger
• A tubing hanger is a component used
in the completion of oil and gas
production wells.
• It is set in the tree (HXT) or the
wellhead (VXT) and suspends the
production tubing and/or casing.
• Sometimes it provides porting
(access to annulus) to allow various
downhole functions, including gas
well as chemical injection.

EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems

“Completion” (definition)

• Term used in two different subsea contexts:

• Well completion: while drilling involves all aspects of creating the

borehole, well completion deals with finishing the well into a system
that produces hydrocarbons in a controlled, operational manner

• Subsea completion: refers to a system of pipes, connections and valves

that reside on the ocean bottom and serve to gather hydrocarbons
produced from individually completed wells and direct those
hydrocarbons to a storage and offloading facility that might be either
offshore or onshore

EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems

Subsea Tree Types
Vertical Horizontal

Images FMC
EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems 10
Vertical Christmas Trees
Vertical, VXT, Conventional
Tree, Dual Bore Trees
• Contains valves in line with
the well-bore
• Available as dual-bore and
mono-bore
• Tubing hanger is installed in
the wellhead
• Need to remove the Christmas
Tree to recover tubing hanger,
production tubing and down-
hole equipment
Image FMC Technologies

EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems 11

Horizontal Christmas Trees
Horizontal, HXT, Spool Tree, Drill-Through Trees

• Does not contain any valves in line with the well bore.
• Mono-bore access from tubing hanger
• Larger production bore than vertical trees

• Tubing hanger is installed inside the

Christmas Tree.
• Not necessary to remove the Christmas
Tree to recover tubing hanger,
production tubing and down-hole
equipment
• Full-bore down-hole access available
• Easy access to annulus via gate valves

Image FMC Technologies

EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems 12
Horizontal vs Vertical Christmas Trees
Horizontal Vertical
Plugs

Tubing
hanger

Plugs
Tubing
hanger

EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems 13

Vertical vs Horizontal Christmas Trees

• The primary advantages of a vertical (dual bore) tree:

• Large annulus access
• Increases range of workover operations
• Direct vertical access to annulus.
• No need to pull tubing if tree needs replacement
• Smaller footprint than equivalent horizontal tree
• More suitable for simple reservoirs of low retrieval workover
frequency
• Cheaper
• Disadvantages
• Tubing limited to 127 mm (5 in) diameter
• Need to remove tree to pull tubing
• Taller than equivalent horizontal tree (vertical footprint)
• Requires open water riser package for installation
EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems 14
Vertical vs Horizontal Christmas Trees
• Advantages of a horizontal tree:
• Don’t need to remove tree to pull out tubing
• Tubing up to 178 mm (7 in) diameter
• Can reduce required number of wells
• Lower structure (vertical footprint)
• Easier to protect from fishing gear
• Reduced intervention time for most workovers (apart from retrieval scenario)
• Suitable for fields with frequent workover that require tubing retrieval
• Disadvantages
• If tree has to be pulled, tubing must also be pulled
• Reduced annulus access limits scope of workover operations
• Larger footprint:
• can affect choice of installation vessel
• Increased wellhead fatigue issues
• Crown plugs can be difficult to remove
• Unsuitable for fields with low intervention frequency, i.e. gas wells
EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems 15
Tree components

EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems

DUAL-BORE VERTICAL TREE - SCHEMATIC

TREE CAP EXTENT OF TREE

ASV PSV

SERVICE AWV PWV

LINE

AMV PMV

WELLHEAD TUBING
HANGER

SCSSV
ANNULUS
PRODUCTION
EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems TUBING
DUAL-BORE VERTICAL TREE - SCHEMATIC

TREE CAP EXTENT OF TREE

ASV PSV

SERVICE AWV PWV

LINE
XOV

AMV PMV

WELLHEAD TUBING
HANGER

SCSSV
ANNULUS
PRODUCTION
EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems TUBING
DUAL-BORE VERTICAL TREE - SCHEMATIC

TREE CAP EXTENT OF TREE

ASV PSV

SERVICE AWV PWV

LINE
LP HYD.
XOV LINES
CONTROL
AMV PMV MODULE

MOUNTING BASE

HP HYD.
WELLHEAD TUBING LINE
HANGER

SCSSV UMBILICAL
ANNULUS
PRODUCTION
EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems TUBING
DUAL-BORE VERTICAL TREE - SCHEMATIC

TREE CAP EXTENT OF TREE

ASV PSV

CHOKE
SERVICE AWV PWV
LINE
LP HYD.
XOV LINES
CONTROL
AMV PMV MODULE

MOUNTING BASE

HP HYD.
WELLHEAD TUBING LINE
HANGER

SCSSV UMBILICAL
ANNULUS TO MANIFOLD
PRODUCTION
EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea SystemsTUBING
DUAL-BORE VERTICAL TREE - SCHEMATIC

EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems

DUAL-BORE VERTICAL TREE - REALITY

Dual-bore vertical tree – installation view photo Cameron dual-bore vertical tree – rear view

EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems

HORIZONTAL TREE - SCHEMATIC

INTERNAL EXTENT OF TREE

TREE CAP
CROWN
PLUG
SERVICE
LINE AWV

PMV PWV
TUBING
HANGER

XOV

WELLHEAD

SCSSV

ANNULUS

PRODUCTION
TUBING
EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems
HORIZONTAL TREE - SCHEMATIC

EXTENT OF TREE

SERVICE LP HYD.
LINE AWV LINES

PMV PWV
CONTROL
MODULE

MOUNTING BASE
HP HYD.
XOV LINE

WELLHEAD

SCSSV

ANNULUS UMBILICAL

PRODUCTION
TUBING
EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems
HORIZONTAL TREE - SCHEMATIC

EXTENT OF TREE

SERVICE LP HYD. CHOKE

LINE AWV LINES

PMV PWV
CONTROL
MODULE

MOUNTING BASE
HP HYD.
XOV LINE

WELLHEAD

SCSSV

ANNULUS UMBILICAL
TO MANIFOLD
PRODUCTION
TUBING
EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems
HORIZONTAL TREE – SCHEMATIC

Tubing hanger

EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems

HORIZONTAL TREE – REALITY

FMC horizontal tree – controls view photo Cameron horizontal tree – controls view
photo

EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems

MONOBORE VERTICAL TREE - SCHEMATIC

TREE CAP
EXTENT OF TREE

PSV

PWV

PMV

TUBINGHEAD TUBING
HANGER

WELLHEAD

SCSSV

PRODUCTION TUBING
EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems www.abdn.ac.uk
28
MONOBORE VERTICAL TREE - SCHEMATIC

TREE CAP
EXTENT OF TREE

ASV PSV

AWV PWV
SERVICE
LINE

PMV
AMV

TUBINGHEAD TUBING
HANGER

WELLHEAD

ANNULUS ACCESS
SCSSV
VALVES (ROV)

EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea SystemsPRODUCTION TUBING www.abdn.ac.uk

29
MONOBORE VERTICAL TREE - SCHEMATIC

TREE CAP
EXTENT OF TREE

ASV PSV

CHOKE
AWV PWV
SERVICE
LINE
XOV
LP HYD.
PMV LINES CONTROL
AMV MODULE

MOUNTING BASE

HP HYD.
TUBINGHEAD TUBING LINE
HANGER
UMBILICAL
WELLHEAD
TO MANIFOLD
ANNULUS ACCESS
SCSSV
VALVES (ROV)

EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea SystemsPRODUCTION TUBING www.abdn.ac.uk

30
CONVENTIONAL MONOBORE VERTICAL TREE

• Advantages over dual-bore vertical

▪ Larger production bore
▪ Concentric tubing hanger much easier to install
▪ Side access penetrations for chemical, hydraulic & downhole PT
• Advantages over horizontal
▪ Lack of side production penetration provides more room for
downhole penetrations
• Disadvantages
▪ Limited annulus access (pressure / flow only)
▪ Taller tree because of tubing head spool

EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems www.abdn.ac.uk

CONVENTIONAL MONOBORE VERTICAL TREE - SCHEMATIC

Guideposts (optional)

Tree cap

Tree body

DHPTT monitoring line

SCSSV control line

Annulus access shift valve
Flowline connector
control line
Tubing hanger Tree connector

Annulus access sliding sleeve Guidebase

Flowline/tie-in spool
Conductor housing
connector
Casing hangers and seal Wellhead
assemblies
Drilling guidebase or
template slot

EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems www.abdn.ac.uk

First All Electric Subsea Tree

No batteries
No hydraulics
5
6 No accumulators
4

2
1
3

1. Electrically actuated production gate valve

2. Electrically actuated annulus gate valve
3. Electrically actuated choke
4. Electrically actuated chemical injection valve

5. Electric Subsea control module

6. Power regulation and communication module
TM
Cameron DC
EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems
Electric Tree Benefits

• OPEX/CAPEX savings

• Deepwater and long distance stepouts

• Actuation speed and accuracy

• High Speed communication and

real time condition monitoring

• Environmentally friendly

• Improved System availability

and reliability

EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems

Trees sizes and weights

Anzon (21 tons)

Australia
Apache (12 tons)
Australia Akpo (48 tons)
Nigeria

Neptune (60 tons)

Tahiti ( (75 tons) Petrobras (90 tons)
Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico Brazil

Courtesy of Cameron (OneSubsea)

EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems www.abdn.ac.uk
Permanent Guide Base (PGB)

• Installed along with 30” or 36” conductor.

• Designed to help with orientation of BOP during drilling
operations, and to orientate the Christmas Tree during
installation.
• PGB offers a parking spot for well jumpers.
• PGB can incorporate seabed to surface guide-wires to aid
equipment installation (in shallow water)

EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems 36

Flowbase
• Flowbases often used where daisy chaining of wells is required
• Flowbase comingles flow from two wells and connects to the
flowline
• Flowbase may incorporate the guidebase requirements

EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems

Daisy chain

EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems

 Tree installation

Courtesy of SEN
EG50R1/2T Offshore Structures and Subsea Systems