Adjustment and restraint system for subsea flex joint

Abstract

An adjustment and restraint system for a subsea flex joint may include a pusher saddle to be installed on a flex joint top plate and a hydraulic cylinder to be disposed in the pusher saddle. The hydraulic cylinder may be used to adjust a tilt angle of the adapter spool. A holder saddle may also be installed on the flex joint top plate. The hydraulic cylinders, the holder saddles, holder members, or a combination thereof may be used to restrain the adapter spool in the upright position.

1 . An adjustment and restraint system for a subsea flex joint, comprising:
 a pusher saddle connected to a flex joint top plate, the pusher saddle including a pocket; and   a hydraulic cylinder configured to seat in the pocket of the pusher saddle, the pusher saddle configured to orient a contact surface of the cylinder toward a flex joint adapter spool.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the flex joint adapter spool is in a tilted position prior to contact by the hydraulic cylinder contact surface. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the pusher saddle comprises a lower cavity to receive a stud and a nut of the flex joint top plate. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the pocket is angled relative to a top surface of the flex joint top plate. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the pocket includes an angled lower support surface and an angled rear support surface that direct the hydraulic cylinder contact surface toward an angled shoulder of the flex joint adapter spool. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the hydraulic cylinder is extendable to engage the contact surface with the angled shoulder, and the hydraulic cylinder is captured between the angled rear support surface and the angled shoulder. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the hydraulic cylinder is operable to engage the contact surface with an angled shoulder of the adapter spool and capture the hydraulic cylinder between the opposed angled pocket and shoulder. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the hydraulic cylinder is further operable to move the adapter spool from a tilted position to an upright position. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of pusher saddle and hydraulic cylinder combinations between the flex joint top plate and the flex joint adapter spool. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the hydraulic cylinders are independently operable to react each contact surface against the flex joint adapter spool. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising a hydraulic distribution panel including separate hydraulic connections for each hydraulic cylinder. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a holder saddle disposed on the flex joint top plate and a holder member configured to engage with the adapter spool, and the pusher saddle and hydraulic cylinder combination removable to be replaced by the holder saddle and holder member combination. 
     
     
         13 . An adjustment and restraint system for a subsea flex joint, comprising:
 a plurality of pusher saddles with lower pockets configured to receive studs and nuts of a flex joint top plate; and   a hydraulic cylinder configured to seat in an angled pocket of each of the pusher saddles, each hydraulic cylinder including a contact surface configured to engage with an angled shoulder of a tilted flex joint adapter spool;   wherein the hydraulic cylinders are independently operable to react the contact surfaces against the angled shoulder of the tilted flex joint adapter spool and move the tilted flex joint adapter spool to an upright position.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the angled pockets oppose the angled shoulder to capture the hydraulic cylinders while engaged therebetween. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein a hydraulic distribution panel couples to each of the hydraulic cylinders to independently operate each hydraulic cylinder. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising a plurality of holder saddles disposed over the studs and nuts of the flex joint top plate between the pusher saddles, and a holder member supported in each of the holder saddles to engage the angled shoulder. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the holder saddles include lower extension members and nose portions, and the hydraulic cylinders and the pusher saddles are removable, and, upon removal of the hydraulic cylinders and the pusher saddles, a load path is transferred from the studs and nuts to the lower extension member, the nose portion, and the flex joint base. 
     
     
         18 . A method of adjusting and restraining a subsea flex joint, comprising:
 installing a plurality of pusher saddles on the studs and nuts of a flex joint top plate;   placing a hydraulic cylinder in an angled pocket of each of the pusher saddles; and   actuating the hydraulic cylinders to react a contact surface of each of the cylinders against an angled shoulder of a tilted flex joint adapter spool.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising capturing the hydraulic cylinders between the opposed angled pockets and angled shoulder. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising further pressuring the engaged hydraulic cylinders to move the tilted flex joint adapter spool to an upright position. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising reacting the pusher saddles against the studs and nuts. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising installing a plurality of holder saddles between the pusher saddles. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising installing a holder member in each of the holder saddles. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising venting hydraulic pressure from the hydraulic cylinders and removing the cylinders and pusher saddles. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising transferring the load path from the studs and nuts to the flex joint base. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 restraining the adapter spool with the holder members; and   landing the capping stack on the flex joint adapter extension.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising restraining the adapter spool with the holder saddles, a holder member in the holder saddle, a hydraulic cylinder in the holder saddle, or a combination thereof.