Other

Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Chevron U.s.a. Inc.

The Andy Boyd Company

Andrew Bennett Boyd

Stephen John Walker

William Matthew Caldwell

Scott Andrew Wagner

Bisuddha N Datta

Russell L Baldwin

William F Andersen

Thomas B Heyward

Evan P Graybill

Andreas Stamatiou

John Rodney Hensely

Kalyan Vajapeyajula

A riser disconnect/reconnect system having a disconnection package (RDP) and a modified lower marine riser package (LMRP) are provided for quick disconnection of the marine drilling riser (MDR) from the LMRP to facilitate access to the LMRP or BOP stack. The RDP includes a flex joint and a hydraulically-actuated release connector (RC) with a connecting mandrel that engages a modified LMRP. In an emergency, the RDP is disconnected from the LMRP allowing access to the BOP stack for intervention. The RDP may be disconnected from the LMRP for recovery of the LMRP or BOP stack to the surface for repair or maintenance without recovering the MDR. The RC joins the flex joint to the uppermost annular blowout preventer in the LMRP. The release connector can be used in a standard or inverted position. Also provided are structural cages with complementary stab plates allowing access to various bypass ports and controls.

Riser disconnect package for lower marine riser package, and annular-release flex-joint assemblies

A riser disconnect/reconnect system including a disconnection package (RDP) and a modified lower marine riser package (LMRP) are provided for quick disconnection of the marine drilling riser (MDR) from the LMRP. The RDP includes a flex joint and a release connector (RC) with a mandrel that engages a modified LMRP. In an emergency event, the RDP is disconnected from the LMRP allowing access to the BOP stack for emergency intervention. In routine drilling operations, the RDP is disconnected from the LMRP facilitating the recovery of the LMRP or BOP stack to the surface for repair or maintenance without recovering the MDR. The RC joins the flex joint to the uppermost annular blowout preventer in the LMRP. The RC is configured for use in a standard or inverted position. Also provided is a mechanical locking connector, a resident ROV and sonar technology and methods of using same with the RDP.

An apparatus and method for connecting an umbilical to a marine riser is provided. The method and apparatus can be employed in instances when a riser is already in place in the water, extending from a drilling vessel to subsea equipment on the ocean floor.

Riser-mounted guide assembly for umbilical deployment

A method is described for using a particular spring element to facilitate the transfer of deck modules to a hull or jacket during the construction of an off-shore well platform. The spring element not only absorbs energy from the compressive loading expected during the transfer, but also resists any shear loading caused by relative motion between the module and the jacket or hull caused by the operation being performed in a body of water. The spring element includes two significantly different resistances to crushing when subjected to compressive loading including an initial resistance during which significant energy is absorbed. The spring element is also provided on the carrier barge between the barge and the deck module so that if the carrier barge should reengage the module once the transfer has been started, damage will be inhibited.

Off-shore platform construction, and method for transferring loads

A shuttle valve assembly formed with a body having a plurality of nesting housings, an outlet end housing with a fluid signal outlet and a closed end housing. These housings have an aligned axial passageway containing a plurality of tubular spool valve members which are adapted to move axially between opened and closed positions therein individually and in a nested arrangement. Each of the housings has an inlet signal port in communication with the passageway. The nested valve members are moved toward the closed end housing by a primary fluid signal applied to the inlet port on the closed end housing with the primary signal passing to the outlet. A superior fluid signal applied to the inlet port of one of the nested housings, causes the valve member closer to the closed end housing to separate from the remaining nested valve members. As a result this superior signal appears at the outlet. Conversely, the nested valve members are moved toward the outlet end housing by superior fluid signal being applied to the inlet signal port in the closed end housing so that the superior fluid signal appears at the outlet. In a preferred embodiment, the nested housing and spool valve members are identical and may be stacked in any number between the end housings so as to provide multiple input control requirements for the shuttle valve in operation of blowout preventer stacks or the like.

Shuttle valve assembly

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Andrew Bennett Boyd