Subsea Trees
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Subsea trees are structures attached to the top of subsea wells to control the flow of oil / gas to or from a well. When attached to a subsea well the combined structures can extend to 7 metres above the seabed in height. They are made up of pipework and valves within a supporting steel framework and present a substantial hazard to towed fishing gear. When several subsea trees and associated wells are used as a group they are placed on a structure called a template. |
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| Subsea tree |
The image below shows a structure currently positioned on
some subsea wells. A subsea tree and manifold are
enclosed within this protective structure. This is typical of many
subsea structures on the UK Continental Shelf. The size of this
structure, approximately 9 metres tall, can be
seen from this photograph. The associated pipeline connections
and other seabed infrastructure connected to such structures
emphasise the need for protective safety zones around all
seabed structures.
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Subsea equipment contained |
Subsea Wellheads