Jumpers may be used in subsea applications to connect a production outlet of a Christmas tree to another subsea component, such as a manifold, some distance away, such as from about 50 yards to about several miles. Conventional jumpers typically employ horizontal connections, i.e., the connectors and mating sockets are designed to mate horizontally. Some newer designs use vertical connections, as set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 7,318,479.
Conventionally, jumpers merely bridge the gap across a distance between subsea end devices, without performing any additional function. Frequently, jumpers are used in conjunction with a subsea control module capable of performing the desired functions. The subsea control module may include electronics, hydraulic valves, subsea electronics modules, and/or monitoring devices. The subsea control module is generally dispatched to perform the desired functions, even if some functions available in the subsea control module are not needed. The use of a subsea control module and a jumper results in unnecessary complexity in some instances. Additionally, the retrieval of the heavy subsea control module may be difficult in many instances.
By combining the subsea control module and the jumper a new capability exist that provides for the functionality and the connection of the two end devices.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds