Compagnie Francaise Des Petroles

Compagnie Francaise Des Petroles, Societe Anonyme

Bruno J De Sivry

Claude R Carsac

Bernard G Sudreau

Guy J Herve

Claude J Colas

Jean-Pierre Hamon

Jean-Louis Migliarese-Caputi

Daniel Josien

Christian Bonnet

Michel J Jegousse

Jean-Louis M Caputi

Yves R Le Hir

Michel Fuzeau

Michel Pierre Baylot

Meichel J Jegousse

Olivier R Anselme

Pierre Baudet

An internal mandrel (22) cooperating in the operation of joining two successive lengths of tubing by welding, and it is characterized in that this mandrel comprises zones (25, 26, 27) separated longitudinally and serving respectively for matching, welding, and welding checking, and means of displacement of the mandrel (22) by a step, enabling the latter to present the said zones in succession in front of one and the same working station.

Internal mandrel used in an operation of butt joining two lengths of

The invention relates to the measurement of the ovalization of a ferromagnetic pipe. An electromagnetic pickup is moved in a circular path around the pipe, the pickup transmitting signals influenced by the radial distance between the pickup and the pipe. These signals are compared with signals from previous measurements made on a similar pipe to obtain indications of the radial distance between the pickup and the pipe so as to be able to deduce the transverse configuration of the pipe. The pickup is supplied with ac at a frequency of about 700 Hz and the signals from the pickup are compared with previously obtained signals both as to amplitude and phase. The pickup is mounted on a circular slide movable along a circular track supported on a U-shaped collar which is fixed to the pipe.

Apparatus for electromagnetically measuring the ovalization of a

The present invention relates to a heavy-duty metal brush particularly, but not exclusively, for removing anti-corrosion materials from an immersed metal surface. The brush comprises a compact assembly of radial strands of, for example, steel wire, which are applied against each other and are clamped between two metal plates, the diameter of which is less than that of the assembly of strands by at most 20 mm. In use of such a brush for removing an anticorrosion covering, the brush may be rotated at a circumferential speed of the order of 17 meters per second and may be mounted on a carriage adapted to roll over the surface on rollers and which is displaced either automatically or manually.

Rotary metal brush for removing submerged anti-corrosive covering and

The invention relates to an internal obturator for a pipe for use in separating two spaces inside a pipe. The obturator comprises a rigid hollow body comprising two end plates connected by a cylinder having a lesser diameter than the end plates between which an annular inflatable bladder of a jack is provided extending around the cylinder. The jack is inflated to apply a cylindrical wall against the inner surface of the wall of the pipe. The wall which is independent of the bladder of the jack may be connected by its ends to the end plates or may simply be inserted therebetween.

Internal obturators for pipes

A process for tapping a region of a pipe placed on a sea bed utilizes a working platform which is installed vertically above the region of the pipe to be tapped, the platform being adapted to receive a support girder which can be lowered from the surface of the sea onto the working platform and be engaged therewith and then lifted off the platform. The platform is adapted to receive successively a plurality of modular tool-carriers provided with tools for carrying out a variety of operations on the pipe, the operations including concrete stripping, removal of anti-corrosion covering, transverse cutting, internal brushing, and making the longitudinal weld flush. During the process, various of the operations are successively carried out on the pipe by the tool-carriers which are mounted successively on the support girder, each operation being separated from the next by raising the support girder to the surface, replacing the tool-carrier at the surface by a new tool-carrier to be used in the next operation, and by lowering the girder with the new tool-carrier onto the working platform.

Method and apparatus for tapping a submerged pipe

The characteristics of a weld made by electron beam welding are improved by introducing into the region of the pieces to be welded, which is subjected to remelting during welding, a material which is obtained by applying an arc welding process, or a process for remelting under slag, to a mild or slightly alloyed steel. The introduction of the material into the region of the weld increases the production of acicular ferrite which increases the tensile strength of the weld. The material may be introduced by providing a deposit of it over part or the whole of the surface of one or both of the pieces to be welded, by introducing a mass of it between the surfaces to be welded or as a filler wire.

Electron beam welding

The invention concerns the removal of a concrete covering applied to an underlying surface provided with an anti-corrosion coating, for example that of a hydrocarbon-conveying pipe. The coating is removed by making trenches in the concrete to divide it into removable elements, the trenches being made using a cylindrical milling cutter having a longitudinal diamond-faced toothing and provided with a central stud of tungsten carbide projecting axially from the end of the cutter. In use the stud contacts the surface to prevent the surface being damaged by the toothing on the cutter as the cutter is moved transversely across the surface. To initiate a concrete covering removal operation, a hole is first drilled through the covering perpendicular to the surface for receiving the stud. The cutter is then moved perpendicularly to the surface through the concrete with the stud projecting into the drilled hole and until the stud contacts the surface. The cutter is then moved transversely over the surface to form the trenches.

Process for removing a concrete covering

A soft retaining gripper for gripping a surface while stresses are exerted in a longitudinal direction parallel to the surface between the gripper and the surface, comprises a jaw and an inflatable flexible bladder carried by the jaw, the bladder being in use inflated to grip the surface. To prevent creep of the gripper in use, a wall is associated with the bladder and extends between the bladder and the surface, the wall being made of a composite anisotropic material comprising elongate elements which are oriented to extend in the longitudinal direction and are practically inextensible and a flexible synthetic resin in which the elongate elements are embedded, the elongate elements being anchored to the jaw at at least that end in the direction of which creep might otherwise occur.

Retaining grippers

An electron beam welding chamber for butt joining elongate members 1,2 extending longitudinally at the center of the chamber. The chamber comprises an envelope 7 defining the welding enclosure 6 and which rests on a fixed structure 8. The electron gun equipment 13 is provided within the envelope and is mechanically connected, by a withdrawable connection means 18 or by elastic connection means 24, 25, to the enclosure, clamping means 15 being provided for clamping the electron gun equipment relative to one of the elongate members. This invention is particularly applicable to the welding of the sections of a pipe to be laid on the sea bed.

Electron beam chamber for butt welding pipes

A welding chamber in which a vacuum is created for welding, using an electron beam, elongate pieces extending centrally of the chamber. The welding chamber is divided into a central sub-enclosure 41 for receiving the pieces 1, 2 to be welded and which is evacuated during welding, and a peripheral sub-enclosure 42 in which the welding means are located and which is permanently evacuated, the two sub-enclosures being separated by retractable sealing gaskets 12, 26, 27 which are retracted during welding to place the two sub-enclosures in communication.

Vacuum chamber for electron beam butt welding of pipes

In a process for electron beam welding, the electron beam welding gun is controlled to maintain the power absorbed by the pieces being welded substantially constant. In a preferred embodiment the intensity of the electron beam transmitted by the pieces being welded, which corresponds to the power absorbed, is measured, compared with a preset intensity and the difference used to control the focussing current supplied to the gun to maintain the intensity of the transmitted beam constant.

Electron beam welding with beam focus controlled responsive to absorbed

In the positioning of an additional tubular element, e.g. a pipe section, on a tubular structure, e.g. a pipe-line in the course of immersion, where the end surfaces to be brought into contact are not in radial planes, the additional element is brought in alignment with the structure and at a short distance from the latter. The end surfaces of the element and structure are then brought into contact, the contacting ends are centered, and a compressive force is applied to them in such a way that the element can pivot about the point of contact between the element and the structure until its end surface is brought into complete contact with the end surface of the structure.

Positioning of an additional tubular element on a tubular structure

In the positioning of an assembly of work tools which are required to operate in the plane of the end face of a tubular structure, which is not necessarily orthogonal to the axis of the structure, a theoretical end face is determined by three sensing arms spaced apart by 120.degree., which, by an axial translatory movement followed by two pivotal movements about axes parallel to lines joining pairs of the arms, is brought into coincidence with the actual end face of the structure, then the plane of operation of the tools is brought into coincidence with the plane of coincidence of the theoretical and actual end faces. The work tools may for example be electron beam welding guns for welding an additional tubular element to an existing tubular structure.

Positioning of one or more tools relative to a tubular structure

An inflatable seal comprises a flexible active part and a rigid part which together define a chamber to be pressurized to place the active part in its operative position and to be evacuated to place the active part in its inoperative position, the active part being made from a composite material comprising an elastic material in which a wide deformable mesh of fibers of low extensibility is incorporated such that the active part has anisotropic elasticity and mechanical strength sufficient to withstand the differential pressures extend thereon in its operative and inoperative positions without the need for external reinforcements.

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Paris, France

Bruno J De Sivry