Hydril Company

Charles D Morrill

Joseph H Hynes

Joseph R Roche

Julian D Keithahn

George D Hall

A ram assembly for positioning in opposed cavities in a body of a blowout preventer having a vertical bore includes a first ram and a second ram. The first and second rams are movable in the cavities along a central guideway axis and between an open position to permit passage of a tubular member through the bore and a closed position to shear the tubular member. A first and a second shear member are mounted on the first and second rams, respectively. Each shear member has a pair of shearing portions disposed on opposite sides of a blade axis. Each shearing portion has a first cutting edge inclined to the blade axis at a first angle and a second cutting edge inclined to the first cutting edge at a second angle. The cutting edges are arranged to shear the tubular member, and the first and second angles are related such that the tubular member is constrained between the shearing portions as the cutting edges shear the tubular member.

Shear ram for ram-type blowout preventer

A pressure balanced connector is provided for connecting a choke and kill line to a subsea wellhead. The connector bears the separation forces applied by the line pressure with a pressure balancing chamber that is in constant fluid communication with the choke and kill line. The forces applied on the pressure balancing chamber hold a latching mechanism for the connector in place on the wellhead. The latching mechanism does not require precise positioning with the wellhead to make the connection.

Pressure balanced choke and kill line connector

A lightweight blowout preventer having a low profile is disclosed. Each of the rams have a sealing ring to be positioned thereabout to seal leaks from occurring between its bonnet and the ram body, thereby permitting the use of only about four connecting bolts for each side of the bonnet to the body and torqued for ordinary holding. A hinge plate is provided to allow selection of the side of the body for two associated bonnets. The hinge plate also is a manifold for the passageways for the hydraulic fluid to the fluid hinges. The hinges each includes a telescopic balancing sub with only one side spring for applying balanced pressure with the applied closing or opening hydraulic fluid to the hinge regardless of whether opening or closing hydraulic pressure is applied. The hydraulic passageways in the bonnets are located between the guideway extensions and the outside surfaces of the bonnets. The hinge plate and the bonnets can be inverted so that they can be mounted on either of two sides of the body.

Low profile and lightweight high pressure blowout preventer

A packer assembly for a drop-in check valve includes a series of stacked rings in the annulus between the housing of the drop-in check valve assembly and the surface of the bore of the landing sub. The rings include at least two elastomer rings of different hardness. The top elastomer ring is capped off by a multi-part metal ring assembly comprising oppositely facing inner and outer L-shaped rings and a central T-shaped ring. The inner and outer rings have their vertical legs vertically located against the respective adjoining annulus walls and their horizontal legs in line. The trunk of the T-shaped ring is in the gap between the horizontal legs and in contact therewith so that when the elastomer ring radially expands, the metal of the metal rings is maintained in metal-to-metal contact across the annulus. This seals the annulus and prevents extrusion by eliminating all gaps. The lower elastomer ring can likewise be capped by a similar three-part metal ring assembly. An additional horizontal surface ring is located below the multi-part ring to even the upward pressure. A coil spring or an expansion band can also be used as an anti-extrusion ring with respect to the bottom surface of the lower elastomer ring.

High pressure packer for a drop-in check valve

There is disclosed a ram type blowout preventer wherein the outer ends of guideways radiating from the bore of the body to receive the rams are closed by bonnets bolted to the body and sealed with respect to the body by a seal assembly received in a recess in the inner face of the bonnet for sealing between the inner face of the bonnet and the outer face of the body about the outer end of the guideway to contain internal pressure in the preventer.

Ram type blowout preventer

A test tool adapted for use during pressure testing of a subsea blowout preventer stack is disclosed. The tool has an upper and a lower body connected in a first connection by left hand threads. A check valve landed in the bore of the tool prevents downward fluid flow from the interior of the tool, but allows upward flow through the tool and the attached drill pipe for the detection of leakage of the wellhead sealing tool about the wellhead during pressure testing of a blowout preventer in the stack. During testing of a shear ram blowout preventer, the upper body is disconnected from the lower body by turning the drill pipe to the right. Raising the drill pipe then causes the upper body to shift a second set of right hand threads into position and moves the upper body and the drill pipe from the bore of the shear ram allowing it to be closed for pressure testing. The lower body and a connected wellhead sealing tool may be retrieved without tripping the drill string by lowering the upper body for reconnection to the lower body by the right hand threads of the upper body engaging a second set of right hand threads on the lower body. After reconnection, drain ports are open in the tool allowing the drill pipe to be raised while draining drilling fluid from its interior.

Test tool for subsea blowout preventer stack

A safety valve is disclosed which may be installed on an offshore wellhead above the tubing head and below the Christmas tree. The valve has a housing with upper and lower vertical passages and a lateral housing passage. A cylindrical gate is disposed within the lateral passage and includes a 'T' shaped passage therein. The gate may be moved laterally and angularly within the lateral passage. During completion or workover of the well, the gate is moved laterally until the upper and lower vertical passages are in full open communication to run drills, hangers or other large diameter devices into the well via a BOP which may be attached to the top of the housing. During normal production, the gate may be laterally moved into the intersection of the vertical and lateral passages and the small through head part of the 'T' passage serves to provide a vertical flow path through the production bore which is sealed off from the larger upper and lower vertical passages. Flow through side outlets in the housing is possible through the base of the 'T' passage. The gate may be angularly moved to have production to the lateral outlets via the head part of the 'T' when the base part of the 'T' is aligned with production tubing. Should the need arise, the valve may be angularly rotated to a position where the fluid flow path of the production tubing is completely shut in.

Cylindrical gate valve apparatus and method

Apparatus adapted for connection to a drilling conduit beneath a drilling rig floor for diverting pressurized well bore fluid in the conduit from the rig and sealing the annulus between a pipe or other object and the conduit or closing the vertical flow path of the conduit in the absence of any object in the conduit is disclosed. The apparatus includes a housing, an annular packing element and two pistons. The housing is provided with at least one outlet passage in the wall of its body, and one of the two pistons acts as a sliding sleeve valve in cooperation with the housing wall for preventing fluid communication between the outlet passage and the interior of the housing when it is in a nonactuated or normal position and for allowing fluid communication when it is in an actuated or diverting position. The second piston is advantageously disposed axially upwardly within the housing and is adapted for engagement with the upper part of the first piston after the first piston has moved an upward axial distance sufficient to insure opening of the outlet passage before the upward movement of the first piston urges the second piston upwardly thereby causing the annular packing element to close about an object in the housing bore. Another embodiment of the invention provides two outlet passages in the housing wall and two holes in the first piston. When the first piston is in the normal position, one of its holes is in alignment with one of the housing outlet passages, while the other outlet passage is covered by a portion of the piston wall. When actuated, the piston closes the previously opened outlet passage and opens the previously closed outlet passage.

Flow diverter

A coupling for first and second pipe sections where end portions on the first and second pipe sections are shaped and dimensioned so that the end portion of the first pipe section can be inserted in the end portion of the second pipe section. Penetration of the first section is limited relative to the second section. The outer surface of the end of the second pipe section adjacent to the other section includes at least a first set of continuous helical spin-up threads. A female union box is connected to the first section, the inner surface of the box including at least a first set of continuous helical spin-up threads interengaged with the set of threads on the second pipe section, the union box further including an additional set of helical power threads. A power ring is located around the first section and includes a set of helical power threads interengaged with the helical power threads on the union box. The power ring operably engages the first section for applying a preload force to the coupling connection when the power threads are interengaged and prevents the pipe sections from moving axially relative to each other. A fluid tight seal is provided between the pipe sections.

Threaded coupling

A safety valve for controlling flow in a flow line is disclosed which is especially adapted for use in emergency control of a producing well. The apparatus includes means for securing a punch out tube in series with the flow line and ramming means for ramming the punch out tube and displacing at least a portion of it from the flow path of the flow line and sealing the flow line. The punch out tube comprises top, bottom and middle cylindrical members stacked end to end with an elastomeric seal provided in channels resulting from cooperating grooves formed in the end surfaces of the members. When the middle member is rammed, while the bottom and top members are fixed within the valve body, the middle member is displaced to a valve recess and the ram covers and seals the outlet flow path of the valve. The valve is adapted to be attached between production casing of a production wellhead and a production tree. The production tubing is supported within the valve body. Production flow path is achieved by coupling of the punch out tube to the production tubing and the flow path of an annular packoff. The production tree or a tubular extension to the tree is attached to the top of the valve body. A method and means for accomplishing the method are provided for replacing the punch out tube without removing the production tree from the valve body. A method for installing the valve between a production wellhead and a production tree is also provided.

Safety valve apparatus and method

Flow diverter apparatus is disclosed having a housing and a piston and annular packer disposed therein. The diverter has passages in the piston and housing walls providing fluid communication between the borehole and a vent line. A valve in the vent line is opened before the packer of the apparatus is closed about a tubular member in the bore of the apparatus or completely closes the vertical flow path of the bore of the apparatus when no object is therein, thereby diverting pressurized borehole fluid away from the rig equipment and personnel.

Growing community of inventors

Humble, TX, United States of America

Charles D Morrill