Modular, distributed, ROV retrievable subsea control system, associated deepwater subsea blowout preventer stack configuration, and methods of use

1. A riser connector for use with a blowout preventer (BOP) stack subsea, comprising:

a. a riser adapter;

b. a multi-base riser connector in communication with the riser adapter and adapted to interface with a BOP stack;

c. a frusto-conical guidelineless re-entry funnel disposed about an outer surface of the multi-base riser connector;

d. an orientation dog disposed within the guidelineless re-entry funnel and adapted to mate with a corresponding dog receiver disposed about a surface of the multi-bore connector; and

e. a connector mandrel disposed within a predetermined portion of the guidelineless re-entry funnel and adapted to receive a multi-bore connector.

2. The riser connector of claim 1 , wherein the multi-base riser connector further comprises a mandrel flange.

3. The riser connector of claim 2 wherein the mandrel flange farther comprises an integral flange adapted for mounting at least one of (i) a choke/kill connector, (ii) a choke/kill stab, (iii) a hydraulic connector, (iv) a hydraulic stab, (v) a multiplex electronics cable connector, (vi) a multiplex electronics cable stab, (vii) a mud boost connector, or (viii) a mud boost stab.

4. A blowout preventer (BOP) stack comprising:

a. a wellhead connector adapted to mate with a wellhead subsea;

b. a riser connector in fluid communication with the wellhead connector, the riser connector further comprising:

i. a riser adapter;

ii. a multi-base riser connector adapted to interface with a BOP stack;

iii. a frusto-conical guidelineless re-entry funnel disposed about an outer surface of the multi-base riser connector and adapted to receive a riser; and

iv. a connector mandrel disposed within a predetermined portion of the guidelineless re-entry funnel and adapted to receive a multi-bore connector; and

c. a preventer housing disposed intermediate the wellhead connector and the riser receiver, the preventer housing adapted to house a preventer and an ROV retrievable preventer control module operatively in communication with the preventer.

5. The BOP stack of claim 4 wherein the ROV retrievable preventer control module comprises a distributed function control module adapted for use in a vertical array of distributed function control modules.

6. The BOP stack of claim 4 wherein the preventer housing further comprises:

a. a plurality of preventers; and

b. a plurality of ROV retrievable preventer control modules operatively in communication with predetermined corresponding preventers selected from the plurality of preventers.

7. The BOP stack of claim 6 wherein each of the plurality of preventers is associated with a single ROV retrievable preventer control module.

8. A method of providing a blowout preventer (BOP) stack for use subsea, comprising:

a. mating a wellhead connector with a wellhead subsea;

b. providing a riser connector, the riser connector further comprising:

i. a riser adapter;

ii. a multi-base riser connector adapted to interface with a BOP stack;

iii. a frusto-conical guidelineless re-entry funnel disposed about an outer surface of the multi-base riser connector and adapted to receive a riser; and

iv. a connector mandrel disposed within a predetermined portion of the guidelineless re-entry funnel and adapted to receive a multi-bore connector;

c. positioning a preventer housing intermediate the wellhead connector and the riser receiver, the preventer housing adapted to house a preventer and an ROV retrievable preventer control module operatively in communication with the preventer;

d. mating the preventer housing to the wellhead connector;

e. mating the riser connector to preventer housing to provide for fluid communication between the riser connector and the wellhead connector.