Subsea Connections

Certified System ComponentsTMC O N N E C T I O N

Making the connections that move pro-duced fluids from subsea wellheads tosurface production facilities is a chal-lenge that Cameron has been meetingsuccessfully for decades. We have con-sistently led the way in the developmentof subsea connection systems for flow-lines, export lines, umbilicals and multi-bore production lines.

Now we’ve advanced the state of theart once again. With standardized, pre-engineered subsea connections that arepart of the MOSAIC™ system. Two typesof connections — collet and clamp — areavailable in a virtually unlimited arrayof configurations to satisfy any subseaproduction system requirement. These

systems are extremely versatile, rock-solid reliable and offered in a full rangeof sizes and pressure ratings.

Common interfaces simplify fielddevelopment

MOSAIC modular subsea componentshave common interfaces that allow useof a variety of connection systems —vertical, horizontal, diver-assist andROV-assisted. These common interfacesmake it possible to use the same connec-tion technology for all components in afield development, including welljumpers, pipeline jumpers, umbilical terminations and pigging loops. This

simplifies installation tool requirements,reduces the number of running procedures to be accommodated andminimizes the spare parts inventory.

Reusable installation tools reduce costs

Installation tools for both vertical andhorizontal Cameron subsea connectionsystems are retrievable and reusable, somultiple connections can be made with-out additional tool investment. The costsavings add up quickly, especially onlarger projects.

All the hydraulic systems for connec-tion installation are incorporated in thetools — there are no hydraulics on thesubsea connections themselves. Thissimplicity is one of the reasons for theproven reliability of our connections.

And for developments requiringfewer connections where reuseable tooling is less important, we can provide “integral” connectors with self-contained hydraulic actuators.

Subsea Connections from Cameron: reliable, versatile links to tie production systems together.

Right from the start, the leader

Cameron’s subsea production experi-

ence goes back to the industry’s first

subsea wellhead completion in 1962.

That was in the Gulf of Mexico, using a

Cameron Christmas tree. A long string

of other Cameron subsea product

innovations followed. The legendary

U BOP, first hydraulic production

controls system, first guidelineless

drilling system, first freestanding riser

system — these are just a few familiar

milestones along Cameron’s path of

leadership.

This leadership continues today with

such innovations as the SpoolTree™

Christmas tree and the MOSAIC™

(Modular Subsea and Integrated

Completion) production system.

More advances are on the horizon. As

the industry pushes into new frontiers,

we’ll be there, with the technology to

do it right.

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Cameron’s experience with diverless flowline connectionsbegan with the Fairley field (offshore Brunei) in the late ’60s.

CVC ™ Collet connector

McPAC™ Clamp connector

McPAC seal plates can be configured to satisfy any subseasystem requirement

Accessories enhance flexibility

A full line of accessories adds to the flex-ibility of our subsea connection systems.These accessories include pressure caps,metrology devices and stab and hinge-over alignment structures.

Installing pressure caps on connectionhubs permits full use of thepressure system withoutconnecting the hubs toother MOSAIC com-ponents. Thesepressure caps areequipped withcontrol panels fordeployment andretrieval by an ROV.

Metrology devicesenable an ROV to preciselymeasure angles, offsets and dis-tances between MOSAIC compo-nents. These measurements areused to fabricate the jumpers thatwill connect the components.

Stab and hinge-over alignmentstructures rotate hubs into properposition for connection. They areparticularly useful for installingumbilicals.

Cameron provides cost-effectiveengineering solutions

Cameron engineers have a long historyof standardizing interfaces, optimizingcomponents and fine-tuning proventechnology to meet customer needs quickly andcost-effectively. It pays toinvolve our engineeringprofessionals right fromthe start, because theycan make the most sig-nificant contributions to project success at the critical stages of concept selection, front-end engineering design (FEED) and detail design.

Modular Subsea And IntegratedCompletion systems: The MOSAIC™ concept

MOSAIC systems are the result of a design

philosophy that eliminates the usual tradeoffs

you expect with a pre-engineered, modu-

lar system. With MOSAIC systems, you

gain simplified installation procedures,

reduced personnel training and faster deliv-

ery. And you don’t have to give up flexibility,

expandability and desirable product features

and benefits as you do with ordinary systems.

The ordinary approach to modularity is

fixed assemblies run progressively to large

structures, which are not appropriate for

many applications. MOSAIC systems are

modular at the component level, standard-

ized to work together in many combinations.

The result is a cost-effective system that can

be adapted to virtually any subsea job. The

MOSAIC system is more easily expanded as

field development needs evolve, and its

components contain the technology that

provides the performance you need.

Cameron’s subsea connections are an inte-

gral part of the MOSAIC system. They’re the

perfect fit for today’s subsea economics.

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Cameron subsea connectionscan be configured to satisfy any

production system requirement.

Collet connections cut subsea installation time.

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Cameron CVC™ and CHC™collet con-nections are engineered for fast make-upusing a push-pull motion. A hydrauli-cally operated actuator ring locks pivot-ing collet segments under the taperedprofile of a hub to form a strongmechanical connection that can handlehigh separation forces. Pressure is con-tained by an AX gasket that forms ametal-to-metal seal between the connec-

tor and the hub. Resilient rings in thegasket serve as secondary seals.

Our collet connectors can be orientedeither vertically (CVC) or horizontally(CHC) and are offered in both non-integral and integral designs. Non-inte-gral connectors, available in pipe sizesup to 20”, are positioned and closed by a separate actuator, which is recoverableafter use. Integral connectors, availablein pipe sizes from 6” to 54”, are posi-tioned and closed by internal hydrauliccylinders.

The receiver structure and hub sup-port for collet connectors are very com-pact. This reduces weight and allowsother components to be placed closertogether to save space.

In vertical installations, collet connec-tors are lowered directly onto the hubs,No draw-together motion is needed to

make up the connection, and no flexibil-ity loops are required. Another advan-tage is that pressure caps and enclosurescan be vertically installed and removed.

Spreader beams permit guidelinelessinstallation

Rigid jumpers with vertically orientedhubs can be installed without usingguidelines by running the jumpers onspreader beams from a construction ves-sel or drilling rig. Installation tools areattached to downward-facing colletconnectors at both ends of the jumper,and the rigid spreader beam is attachedto the installation tools and the center ofthe jumper. The jumper is then loweredby crane to its subsea location.

This procedure requires a vessel orrig with dynamic positioning (DP)and two cranes. If that combination isnot available, the jumper can be runon guidelines using a single crane.

On guidelineless installations, anROV monitors the operation, transmit-ting images to the surface to guide low-ering of the jumper onto the hubs. Afterthe jumper is in position, the ROV oper-ates valves on the installation tools tolock the collet connectors to their hubsand pressure test the gaskets.

Once the integrity of the connectionshas been verified, the ROV releases theinstallation tools from the connectionsand the spreader beam from thejumper. The crane then retrieves thespreader beam with the installationtools attached.

Installation tools hydraulically drawhubs together

To compensate for measurement errorsand sled movement, collet connectioninstallation tools have a built-in gimbalof 3 degrees. This, in addition to thecapability of the connection system itself to accommodate 17 degrees of

Spreader beam installation of CVC jumper

ROVPanel

Hub

ConnectorMake-UpCylinders

TopPlateRing

Jumper Pipe

Soft Land

Cylinders

ActuatorRing Collet

Connector

AlignmentFunnel

AlignmentStructure

RunningTool

CVC System

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misalignment from the sled seafloor angle,permits connections to be made at high-angles to minimize or eliminatemisalignments. Cameron performs a stan-dard test to ensure that rigid jumpers canbe successfully connected with up to 6” ofoffset in the x, y and z axes and as much as 2 degrees of misalignment in pitch, rolland yaw.

Because the installation tools are ROVoperated, there’s no umbilical to worryabout. The tool’s ROV panel contains thehydraulic control system required to testthe connected jumper seal and operate theconnector and soft landing system.

An alignment funnel guides the initiallanding of the tool and connector assembly.Latch dogs in the funnel lock onto thereceiver structure as the soft landing sys-tem is engaged to hydraulically force thehub and collet connector faces together.This double-acting feature permitshydraulically controlled separation of thehubs for easy and safe gasket replacement.Since the tool latches to the same size con-nector top plate and actuator ring regard-less of bore size, a single tool can be usedwith 4” to 12” flowline bores. Regardless ofsize, the connections provide an effectivebarrier, with hubs and collet dogs environ-mentally isolated.

Collet connection installation tools havemechanical overrides for backup ifhydraulic power is lost. A redundant sec-ondary lock system ensures connectionintegrity by restricting the movement of the actuator ring while the connector islocked on the hub.

King Field, Gulf of Mexico Water Depth: 5485 ft (1671 meters)

Challenge: Provide an efficient, first-end

connection system for Steel Catenary

Risers (SCR) to be laid away from deepwa-

ter SCR anchor bases to a Dry Completion

Unit or FPSO.

Solution: Cameron engineers designed

the flowline connection system for first-

end, stab-and-hinge-over installation

using a lay vessel with seabed support

from a mono-pile support structure. The

hinge-over positions the SCR flowline

hubs facing upward for fast, easy attach-

ment of the vertical collet connectors on

the rigid, tree-to-flowline jumpers, as well

as the flowline pigging loops.

Using the same type of collet connector

on all components results in several eco-

nomic benefits for the operator, over and

above the installation time saved. Fewer

installation tools are needed, the number

of running procedures to be accommo-

dated is minimized, and the necessary

spare parts inventory is reduced.

Gullfaks Field, North Sea Water Depth: 140 meters (460 ft) specified for 600 meters (1969 ft)

Challenge: Tie production/test lines from

eight subsea wells to production platform

via two customer-designed 7 km flowline

bundles. The jumper pre-stressing and

connection required pull-in loads and

strokes greater than currently available in

the industry. The bundles include water

heating lines to prevent hydrate forma-

tion, requiring the use of dual and triple

bore connections.

Solution: Cameron designed, built and

tested a new tool with the capacity neces-

sary to make up the large, horizontal

collet connections the operator required.

This ROV-operated Running and

Connection Tool (RCT) can handle 8” to

18” nominal pipe, including multi-bores —

a capability critical to the success of the

project because of the number and vari-

ety of flowline bundle connections.

Twenty-two of the 34 collet connections

manufactured by Cameron are multi-bore

configurations including 12” x 3” x 3”

and 8” x 3” x 3” connectors.

Gemini Field, Gulf of Mexico Water Depth: 3400 ft (1036 meters)

Challenge: Work within tight time con-

straints to design, build and deploy a

four-well, deepwater gas production

system. The project required reliable,

vertical connections suitable for fast,

guidelineless, ROV installation of four

4” flexible-pipe well jumpers and two

12” rigid-pipe flowline jumpers.

Solution: Cameron’s proven collet

connection technology was adapted to

meet the project’s requirements within

the operator’s ambitious time frame.

Non-integral collet connectors rated for

5000-psi WP were used on all the jumpers

and the 12” pigging loop on the mani-

fold. Installation costs were minimized

because the operating tools for both the

4” and 12” connectors could be retrieved

and reused.Running and Connection Tool for Gullfaks being tested

Clamp connections are the most economical solution for many subsea applications.

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Cameron McPAC™ clamp-type connec-tion systems are used for everythingfrom large pipelines to small in-fieldflowlines and umbilicals, in deep waterand in shallow. They can be run with orwithout guidelines and installed withROV assistance, eliminating the need for divers.

Improved McPAC connection tool isROV operated

An improved, high-capacity McPACConnection tool is an important compo-nent of the total package. Connection isa totally separate operation from thedeployment method, so it can be per-formed immediately after deploymentor delayed as long as necessary.

Hydraulic power to operate the connection tool is supplied by anROV — no guidelines or umbilicals arerequired. A hydraulic motor in the compact tool drives two jackscrews tomake the connection.

Since the motor and the actuating saddle are integrated modules, an ROVcan be used both to deploy the tool andto retrieve the seal plate. The tool canalso be deployed using guidelines whenthat method is preferable.

After connection of the lines to thehub is completed, the tool is used topressure test the metal-to-metal seals. It is then retrieved for reuse on the nextconnection, leaving only the connectedlines subsea.

Clamp

Hydraulic Motor

Jackscrew

Actuating Saddle

Seal Plate

Metal-to-Metal Seal

McPAC hubs ready for shipment

McPAC System

McPAC end connections now come in two sizes

Two sizes of standard hubs and clamps arenow available for making first and secondend connections of flowline/hydraulic control bundles, electrical cables and pipe-lines. The larger size is used for large-boreflowlines, multi-bore lines and umbilicals,the smaller size for small- and single-borelines.

HSAS provides final alignment

Final alignment and make-up of the clampare provided by the Hub Support andAlignment Structure, which has a sliding

support saddle. The connection tool strokesthe hub into position.

McPAC connections have been success-fully used in subsea systems for twodecades. McPAC connectors are economicaland reliable, two highly desired traits intoday’s subsea business.

A pivoting Hub Support and AlignmentStructure (HSAS) with an orienting stabalignment pin permits totally guidelinelessconnection of horizontal flowlines. Whenused to make a first end connection, theHSAS is deployed in vertical position andstabbed into the flowline porch structure atthe wellhead, where the inboard hub ismounted. Then the HSAS pivots to hori-zontal and the stab pin latches to the porchbase, providing a hinge point for flowlinelayaway and hub horizontal alignment.

Troika Field, Gulf of Mexico Water Depth: 2760 ft (842 meters)

Challenge: Design, manufacture, test and

install the industry’s first fully insulated,

deepwater, oil production system to

enhance flow assurance. The connections

had to be insulated without compromis-

ing reliability or installability.

Solution: Versatile Cameron McPAC hori-

zontal connections were used throughout

the system to reduce installation cost and

complexity.

One of the reasons for the proven reliabil-

ity of Cameron McPAC clamp-type connec-

tions is that no hydraulics are left subsea.

This feature provides for a simple means

of insulation, which was installed by ROV

after test.

Only one tool was needed to install all

the connections for the 10” rigid pipeline

jumpers, the 15-line umbilical and the

multi-bore flowline jumpers, each of

which had a 4” product line and eight

hydraulic lines. If it is ever necessary to

retrieve the manifold, the connections can

be retracted and the jumpers left in place

undisturbed.

Malampaya Field, Philippines Water Depth: 850 meters (2789 ft)

Challenge: Develop a gas production sys-

tem with a 30-year life and the flexibility

to add more wells if an adjoining field is

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produced. All materials that would be

exposed to gas were to be corrosion

resistant, and the operator specified the

use of horizontal connectors to permit

the manifold to be retrieved, if necessary,

without disturbing the jumpers and

umbilicals.

Solution: Field-proven Cameron clamp-

type connectors will provide the required

long-term reliability. The tool used to

install them can be retrieved and reused

repeatedly and fits a wide range of con-

nections. That means just one tool can

make all the connections for the tree-to-

manifold jumpers, pipeline jumpers and

umbilicals, substantially reducing the

operator’s cost.

The tree-to-manifold jumpers will

have two 1” lines piggybacked on the 6”

flowline — one for methanol injection and

the other to vent the annulus. Cameron’s

multi-bore connections will save installa-

tion time by attaching all three lines

simultaneously when the ROV makes up

the jumper connection.

McPAC jumper with HSAS being run

Troika insulated clamp connection

McPAC hubs for Malampaya manifold

© Cooper Cameron Corporation, Cameron Division, Printed in USA, 8/00, HG/7.5M, WR10002/TC1380

Western HemisphereCameronPO Box 1212Houston Texas 77251-1212Tel 713 939 2211Fax 713 939 2620e-mail subsea@camerondiv.comwww.camerondiv.com

Eastern HemisphereCooper Cameron (U.K.) Ltd.5 Mondial WayHarlingtonHayes UB3 5ARTel 44 181 9901800Fax 44 181 9901888e-mail subsea@camerondiv.comwww.camerondiv.com

Asia Pacific/Middle EastCooper Cameron (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.No. 2 Gul Circle, Jurong Industrial EstLocked Bag Service No. 3Jurong Town Post OfficeSingapore 629560Republic Of SingaporeTel 65 8613355Fax 65 8616197e-mail subsea@camerondiv.comwww.camerondiv.com

MOSAIC, SpoolTree, Cameron, CAMLAST, STM, STC, CAMTROL, McPAC, CVC, CHC and Cameron Willis are trademarks of the Cooper Cameron Corporation, Cameron Division.