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13013 Northwest Freeway

(77040)
P.O. Box 1212
Houston TX 77251-1212
Tel
939
2211
Fax
939
2620

News Release

Cameron Deepwater, High Capacity SpoolTree Completion System

For Immediate Release -- Houston, TX May 1, 2000 Cameron has


designed and manufactured the first generation Deepwater, High Capacity
SpoolTree Completion System.

The system is designed for completing

deepwater wells using the latest generation, high-capacity drill ships.


The tree is a 10,000 psi working pressure; 4 nominal production bore
(4-1/2 tubing completion); 2 nominal annulus access incorporating 7
million ft-lbs. of bending capacity at the wellhead.
This system is intended for use in completing deepwater wells in
up to 2500 meters (8200 feet) of water. It has been designed to
accommodate two of the most severe problems associated with deepwater
production - high bending loads which can be exerted by the new
generation dynamically positioned mobile offshore drilling units
(MODUs) and inherent cold sea floor temperatures which can create flow
assurance problems.
Cameron SpoolTree System Overcomes High Bending Loads
New generation dynamically positioned MODUs are designed to
provide substantially higher riser tension loads with taller BOP stacks
in order to increase the acceptable weather window for rough water
operations. These riser loads directly impact the equipment at the base
of the drilling riser. In the case of a subsea horizontal completion,

these drilling loads will exceed the working capacities of traditional


subsea trees.

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The Deepwater, High Capacity SpoolTree System solves these


problems by first incorporating a new tree connector design to meet the
design needs of the industrys newly developed deepwater, dynamically
positioned MODUs. The increased riser tensioning capacity and larger
subsea BOP stacks of these new rigs have more than doubled the needed
bending capacity required of the wellhead connectors on the subsea BOP
stacks. Since the BOP stack is used directly on top of the SpoolTree
system, the tree connector must also withstand these increased loads.
The Cameron DWHC (deepwater, high capacity) connector was
developed to meet these needs. The DWHC connector permits maximum
vessel flexibility by maximizing the permitted watch circle of vessel
position above the well. Additionally, the connector and wellhead
combination are designed to be backwardly and forwardly compatible to
existing hub style wellheads and connectors. This allows the tree to be
installed on standard single hub-style wellheads as well as allowing
the standard collet connector to be installed on the new DWHC wellhead
profile. The client is therefore
able to install the deepwater high capacity SpoolTree on existing
single hub style wells with little or no modifications to the tree.
Further, a single hub style BOP stack or connector can be installed on
the new DWHC wellhead profile. This allows the client the most
flexibility while still achieving the high capacity wellhead connection
when needed.

Thermal Insulation Ensures Low Temperature Flow


Flow assurance is a critical concern for deepwater subsea
production. Environmental temperature in deepwater presents problems
with hydrate formation in produced fluids. Temperature maintenance in
the subsea tree and the flowlines is critical for shut down periods
where the produced fluids will cool to ambient temperatures.
The Cameron tree design includes thermal insulation designed to
assist flow assurance by reducing heat loss following well shut-in. The
insulation is intended to preserve produced fluid heat above the
hydrate formation temperature for up to eight hours following shut-in.
Syntactic foam was chosen as the preferred material since it would
maintain its thermal insulation properties to the maximum depth rating
of the tree.
The DeepWater, High Capacity SpoolTree System joins Camerons
highly successful family of

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SpoolTree designs for all types of production scenarios including


platform, guideline, guidelineless, shallow water, deepwater, high
pressure and low pressure.
The Cameron-patented SpoolTree Christmas tree has revolutionized
the subsea industry.

It is the number one tree of choice in the Gulf

of Mexico and other oil-producing regions and has been widely copied by
Cameron competitors.
The SpoolTree systems unique wellhead/tree/hanger arrangement
lands the tubing hanger on a dedicated load shoulder in the tree.
stack-up configuration saves significant rig time by allowing

This

completion and workover operations to be performed with the tree and


flowlines in place.
Cameron, a division of Cooper Cameron Corporation, manufactures
drilling and production equipment, valves, and related products.
Product lines include: Cameron, W-K-M, Cactus, Demco , McEvoy,
Willis, Foster, Orbit and Thornhill Craver.

Cameron has

manufacturing facilities worldwide.


Cooper Cameron is also a leading international manufacturer of
integral and separable reciprocating engines, compressors, and
turbochargers.

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Be sure to visit our website:

www.camerondiv.com for more information

on Cameron products.

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