Definition(s)
Mudline casing suspension systems
Mudline casing suspension systems were originally designed to be installed by bottom supported drilling rigs (jack-ups) in shallow water applications with surface wellheads, although they are now also often used in deepwater applications with tension leg platforms. These systems provide a suspension point near the mudline to support the mass of casing strings within the wellbore. Typically the conductor and casing strings with their respective annuli are tied back to the surface, where they are terminated using conventional surface wellhead equipment.
However, wells drilled with conventional mudline casing suspension systems can also be completed with a subsea tree, provided proper adaptation for the subsea completion is made. In general, subsea completions based on conventional mudline suspension equipment are best suited to shallow-water applications, where structural strength/robustness is not a major issue.
Source: API RP 17A, Design and Operation of Subsea Production Systems—General Requirements and Recommendations, Fourth Edition, Reaffirmed 2011. Global Standards