Arboles de navidad

Arbol de Navidad Vertical vs Horizontal Offshore

This section will compare the pros and cons of both vertical subsea trees and horizontal
subsea trees and list the criteria to select a subsea tree.

Vertical Subsea Christmas Trees

Advantages

Vertical trees require only one time BOP nipple down.

No wireline plug to be removed from a tree for a well intervention program.

Better for fields that dont expect to do workover or have small chance of doing the
workover

Simpler and cheaper to change a vertical tree when compared to a horizontal tree
Disadvantages

If the workover operations such as recompletion, changing tubing, installing extra

downhole tools, etc. are required, a vertical tree must be removed in order to install BOP on
top of the well.

Horizontal Subsea Christmas Trees

Advantages

Better for fields that expect to do workover quite often because a tree does not need
to be removed.

Can have a larger bore tubing for a horizontal tree than a vertical tree

Lower total height of a tree

Disadvantages

Less flexibility for operation if the delivery of a tree is delayed.

Two runs for subsea BOP and riser are required

Completion string must be removed if replacement of a tree is needed.

Two wireline plugs (crown plugs) must be removed before starting any well
intervention program. There have been several cases when people have faced a lot of
difficulty for removing the plugs. This can lead to extra time and cost for the operation.

Subsea Tree Considerations (Vertical vs Horizontal)

The cost of a vertical tree is similar to a horizontal tree based on similar

specification.

Changing out horizontal trees is more cost and time consuming than replacing a
vertical tree because whole completion string must be removed. Vertical subsea trees can be
replaced by using rig or specially equipped light well intervention vessels. However,
horizontal subsea trees are required only rig to replace the trees. This results in big
expenditure. Therefore, horizontal trees should be used when there is very low possibility
that a tree must be changed out. It is very imperative to do extensive probabilistic study
prior to selecting the horizontal trees.

Two BOP and riser runs are required for a horizontal tree, whereas only one time of
BOP and riser run is needed for a vertical tree.

For wells requiring several completion changes during the life cycle of a well, a
horizontal subsea tree will save time and cost since there is no need to remove a tree or
flow lines. Modern vertical trees are connected to a flow base which allows the flowlines to
remain connected when removing the tree.
Arbol de Navidad Submarino Tipo Horizontal
A subsea horizontal tree is designed so that all flow control valves are outside the central
wellbore. A tubing hanger is located inside of a subsea horizontal tree body. A horizontal
tree is well known as a workover friendly tree because it offers easy access for tubing
retrieval because the valves are not located at the centre of the wellbore. Figure 1 shows an
image of a horizontal subsea tree from GE oil and gas.

Figure 1 Horizontal Subsea Tree Model VetcoGray M-Series MVXT and MHXT
(Courtesy of GE Oil & Gas)

Figure 2 illustrates a simple diagram of a horizontal subsea tree.

Figure 2 Horizontal Subsea Tree Diagram

A typical horizontal subsea tree consists of the following valves:
Production master valve Its function is to open or close the main bore containing
hydrocarbons.
Production wing valve Its function is to control the flow of hydrocarbons into a subsea
flow line.
Production isolation valve Its function is to isolate production from a well and a flow line.
Crossover valve Its function is to control flow between the production tubing and
annulus.

Annulus master valve Its function is to open or close the annulus bore.
Annulus isolation valve Its function is to isolate the annulus side.
Annulus workover valve Its function is to provide monitoring and bleed off pressure
between a tubing hanger and a tree cap
Important Features of Subsea Horizontal Trees

A tubing hanger is landed in the tree body.

All valves located externally provide a clear path for well bore access.

An internal tree cap is run on top of the tubing hanger in which crown plugs can be
set by wireline.

The large through-bore design of a horizontal tree allows installation and retrieval
of a completion string, downhole equipment, artificial lift completions, etc through a tree
body without having to nipple down the tree or disconnect flow lines.

Height of a horizontal tree is less than a vertical tree; therefore, risk of damage due
to trawl boards is smaller than a vertical tree.

Brief Operational Sequences for Installing a Horizontal Subsea Tree

Spud the well riserless

Run conductor with low pressure wellhead housing

Cement conductor casing

Drill and run surface casing with high pressure wellhead housing (wellhead)

Cement surface casing

Nipple up a subsea BOP on the high pressure wellhead housing

Complete drilling and cementing program

Once a production casing/liner is cemented, a well must be temporarily suspended

by installing temporary barriers

Nipple down BOP

Recover marine riser and BOP

Run a horizontal tree from the rig and test the tree

Recover a running tool to surface

Run BOP and marine riser on top of the tree

Remove temporary barriers from the well

Run completion and tubing hanger.

Set tubing hanger inside the tree and test

Retrieve the running tool to surface

Install plugs inside the tree to allow the safe removal of the BOP.

Nipple down BOP

Recover marine riser and BOP

Install a tree cap

Arbol de Navidad Submarino Tipo Vertical

Subsea tree (wet trees) is a system of valves, flow paths, piping, and connectors installed on
a subsea wellhead to contain and control the flow of fluid from a reservoir or from the
surface by injection. A control pod mounted on a subsea tree assembly provides a
receptacle for an umbilical and contains the electronic and hydraulic components that
control tree functions.

Two type of subsea Christmas tree are vertical Christmas trees and horizontal Christmas
trees. They are different because of valves arrangement. The vertical trees have all valves
arranged vertically; whereas, the valves in the horizontal tree are positioned horizontally.
In this part, it emphasizes on vertical subsea Christmas trees (conventional subsea trees).
Vertical trees are manufactured in single bore and dual-bore configurations and pressure

ratings are between 5,000 and 15,000 psi. The body of a Christmas tree can be made of
carbon steel, low-alloy steel, or stainless steel depending on the operating
environment. Figure 1 show the conventional single-bore subsea tree from DrillQuip.

Figure 1 Conventional single-bore subsea tree. Courtesy of DrilQuip

Vertical trees can have dual bore configurations because this allows operators to monitor
annulus pressure (Figure 2).

Figure 2 Dual Bore Subsea Tree

Figure 3 illustrates a simple diagram of a vertical dual bore subsea tree.

Figure 3 Diagram of Vertical Tree

A typical vertical subsea tree consists of the following valves:
Production lower and upper master valve Its function is to open or close the main bore
containing hydrocarbons. Typically, a subsea tree has two master valves for a safety reason.
The lower production master valve is designed for ROV operation.
Production wing valve Its function is to control the flow of hydrocarbons into a subsea
flow line.
Production swab valve Its function is to provide access to the production bore during well
intervention.
Crossover valve Its function is to control flow between the production tubing and
annulus.

Annulus master valve Its function is to open or close the annulus bore.
Annulus wing valve Its function is to control flow from the production flow line or
control umbilical to the annulus.
Annulus swab valve Its function is to provide access to the annulus bore during workover
reentry.
Important Features of Dual Vertical Subsea Trees

The completion tubing is landed in the high pressure wellhead housing.

Two vertical bores allow access to the tubing and tubing/production casing annulus.

Workover can be performed with a dual bore lower riser package, emergency
disconnect package and riser.

Each bore has a swab valve and a master valve; therefore, these provide two
independent barriers to flow.\

Most trees can be run and recovered with ROV intervention.

It requires the BOP to be nippled down only one time after landing a completion
string.
Brief Operational Sequences for Installing a Vertical Subsea Tree

Spud the well riserless

Run conductor with low pressure wellhead housing

Cement conductor casing

Drill and run surface casing with high pressure wellhead housing (wellhead)

Cement surface casing

Nipple up a subsea BOP on the high pressure wellhead housing

Complete drilling and cementing program

Run completion

Set tubing hanger into the wellhead

Set wireline plugs through tubing hanger running tool and test.

Retrieve tubing hanger running tool.

Nipple down BOP

Pull BOP and marine riser to surface.

Install vertical tree either from the rig or an alternative vessel and perform test on
the tree

Rig up intervention package

Remove wireline plugs

Recover intervention package

Install a tree cap

This video from Expro group demonstrates how a subsea vertical sea system is installed in
deep water operation. This can give you some ideas on how the tool works. The video may
be slightly different from the sequences stated above because each operator can perform the
operation differently. However, the overall concept is similar to the sequences.
Conocimientos Bsicos del Arbol de Navidad Superficial

En la industria petrolera se conoce como rbol de navidad a la

serie de vlvulas y carretos ensamblados y fijados en el tope del pozo. Un rbol de Navidad
es instalado en el tope del carreto o spool del ltimo revestidoren el housing del cabezal de
alta presin en un pozo submarino. En la figura 1 se muestra el diagrama de un arbol de
navidad y el cabezal de pozo para instalaciones en superficie. La parte del arbolito se
localiza en forma superior (caja azul), y la parte correspondiente al cabezal del pozo esta en

la seccin inferior (caja roja). Mucha gente se confunde entre cabezal de pozo y arbol de
navidad, pensando algunas veces que se trata de la misma cosa.

Sus funciones son las siguientes:

Permitir a los fluidos del yacimiento fluir desde el pozo hacia superficie de manera
segura y en forma controlada.

Permitir el acceso seguro hacia el hoyo del pozo con el fin de desarrollar
procedimientos de intervencin del mismo.

Permitir procesos de inyeccin como agua o gas.

Proveer acceso a lneas hidralicas para la vlvula de seguridad en fondo para

control superficial (SCSSSV).

Proveer interfase elctrica para equipos de instrumentacin y elctricos para el

sistema de completacin con Bomba Electrosumergible (BES ESP)

En esta seccin se describir como el arbol de navidad (Dry Tree) el cual se refierea todo
rbol usado por encima del nivel del agua. Estos consisten de una serie de vlvulas y los
componentes se describen abajo:

Vlvula Maestra
Se localiza sobre el colgador de tubera (tubing hanger) y su funcin es permitir que el
pozo fluya o sea cerrado. Comnmente existen dos vlvulas maestras. Una es
llamada lower master valve y la otra upper master valve. Se usan a menudo las dos
vlvulas maestras para proveer redudancia: si una no funciona adecuadamente, la otra
puede compensar sus funciones. En la figura 2 y 3 se muestran diagrmas de pozos con y
dos vlvulas maestras.

Figura 1 Diagrama de Christmas Tree (rbol de navidad) y Well Head (cabezal de

pozo)

Figura 2 Single Master Valve

Figura 3 Valvulas Maestras Superior e Inferior

Conexin Tipo T (T-Block)

Este permite diversificar la corriente de flujo desde la vertical hacia la lnea de flujo
horizontal.

Figura 4 T type fitting

Vlvulas de Ala o Laterales (Flowing Wing Ala de Flujo)
Se localiza a los lados del rbol de navidad y se usa para controlar o aislar la produccin
desde el pozo hasta las instalaciones de superficie. Dependiendo de cada diseo de rbol de
navidad, puede venir equipado con una o dos vlvulas laterales. Algunas operadoras
requieren de dosvlvulas laterlaes de produccin, una como principal flujo de produccin y
la otra como respaldo o backup (figura 5). En muchos casos, una vlvula alada se usa para
produccin y la otra se usa como vlvula de matar o de control del pozo (Figura 6).

Figura 5 Valvulas laterales Wing Valve

Figura 6 Vlvulas de produccin y de matar/ control

Estrangulador Choke
Es la restriccin ms pequea en el rbol de navidad, siendo su funcin la de controlar la
rata de produccin del pozo. Tambin se usa en algunos casos de control de arena. El choke
restringe el rea de flujo de la produccin a travs de un orificio insertado en un cuerpo de
estrangulamiento. El dimetro ms pequeo resultar en la ms baja tasa de produccin.
Existen dos tipos de estranguladores: 1) choke positivo con engranaje intercambiable y 2)
choke ajustable el cual permite ajustar el diametro de estrangulacin ms facil.

Figura 7 Valvula de Estrangulador Choke Valve

Vlvula de Suabeo / Swab Valve

En el rbol de navidad, una vlvula de suabeo es la que se ubica en la parte ms al tope
proveyendo acceso en forma vertical hacia el pozo para futuras intervenciones y
operaciones de servicios conducidos por guaya fina, guaya electrica, coiled tubing o una
unidad de snubbing.

Figura 8 Vlvula de suabeo / Swab Valve

T-Cap y Manmetro
T-Cap es una brida o flange localizada en el tope de la vlvula de suabeo, que permite la
instalacin de un lubricador o una BOP de coiled tubing / unidad snubbing, que se conecta
al pozo con el fin de llevar a cabo programas de intervencin del pozo. El manmetro se
usa para monitorear la presion del pozo. Hoy en dia, muchas operadoras usan a menudo
manmetros electrnicos que permiten transmitir la data de presin / temperatura para un
mejor monitoreo el pozo.

Figura 9 T-Cap y Manmetro de presin.

Arbol de Navidad Unificado / Unitized Christmas Tree

Es un rbol de navidfad integrado, el cual consiste de una valvula maestra inferior y una
superior, y una vlvula de suabeo en un solo cuerpo. Esto permite a un operador ahorrar
tiempo en instalacin.

Figura 10- Unitized Christmas Tree