Other

National Oilwell Varco, L.p.

Tuboscope I/p, Inc.

Varco I/p, Inc.

Drexel Oilfield Services, Inc.

Denzal Wayne Van Winkle

Jeffrey Thomas Melancon

James Allen Douty

Andrew Campbell

David McWhorter

A system and method for replacing equipment at a wellsite is provided. The wellsite has a subsea stripper installed proximate a subsea borehole. The system has a conveyance for delivering a BHA into the subsea borehole. The system has a subsea stripper having a central bore for passing the conveyance and the BHA therethrough, and at least one actuator connected to the subsea stripper for actuating a packer whereby the wellbore is sealed. The system has at least one replaceable seal assembly for installation within the stripper. The replaceable seal assembly has at least one packer extendable within the subsea stripper to form a seal thereabout and at least one locator sleeve for positioning the seal assembly in an install position within the subsea stripper. The replaceable seal assembly has a frangible member for connecting the seal assembly to the conveyance prior to deployment in the subsea stripper.

Wellsite equipment replacement system and method for using same

Systems and methods for replacing equipment at a wellsite, the wellsite having a subsea stripper installed proximate a subsea borehole. The system has at least one seal assembly portion, at least one seal replacement arm and an actuator. The seal assembly portion(s) is (are) positionable in the subsea stripper and replaceable therefrom. The seal assembly portion(s) has (have) a packer extendable within the subsea stripper to form a seal about the subsea stripper. The seal replacement arm(s) is (are) for replacing the seal assembly portion(s) through a door of the subsea stripper. The actuator is for remotely actuating the seal replacement arm(s) to engage the seal assembly portion(s) whereby the seal assembly portion(s) is (are) remotely replaceable.

Wellsite replacement system and method for using same

A shear/seal ram provides a knife edge at the shearing edge and the knife edge is inclined to minimize the cutting force required and to leave a clean cut edge. The knife edge is presented in an opening of the ram, thus the opening is positioned at the axis of the BOP, and consequently the coiled tubing, before the coiled tubing is run through the BOP. A biasing means, such as for example a Bellville spring, forces a sealing sleeve against the underside of the ram to prevent leakage of pressure from below the BOP. Similarly, a plurality of biasing means, referred to herein as 'skates', forces the ram down against the sealing sleeve to seal pressure from above the BOP.

Shear seal blowout preventer

A system for verifying the integrity of a seal comprises an elastomeric seal on either side of a metal sealing gasket. A pressure test penetration is provided into an axial channel at a position between the metal sealing gasket and the lower of the elastomeric seals.

Method and apparatus for verifying the integrity of a joint seal

A fastener is adapted to retain one or more holes of a belt or strap beneath a belt frame without passing through the frame. The fastener comprises primarily a frame and a back plate, coupled together for relative rotational movement about an axis parallel to the axial orientation of the strap. The frame also serves as a biasing member to engage a latch mechanism. The back plate anchors the member-to-be-secured, if it is a belt. Otherwise, if the member-to-be-secured is a strap to, for example, close a pocket, then the back plate is mounted to the body on which the pocket is mounted, such as a purse or a piece of luggage. A faux tongue gives the appearance of a known buckle, but the faux tongue does not pass through the belt or strap.

Buckle or clasp

A spring-loaded check valve, mounted between a coiled tubing stripper and a BOP stack seals well bore pressure from the atmosphere when the coiled tubing is removed from the well bore. When no coiled tubing is in use, the check valve is shut against well bore pressure. When coiled tubing is inserted through the stripper and before the coiled tubing enters the BOP stack, the coiled tubing butts against the check valve and opens it, permitting insertion of the coiled tubing.

Safety check valve for coiled tubing

A shuttle valve assembly in a ram-type BOP selectively connects the volume behind the rams to the more highly pressurized wellbore volume adjacent to the rams (either above or below the rams). The connection made is free flowing in both directions (no check valves) allowing for evacuation and fluctuations with changes in wellbore pressure.

Bi-directional sealing ram

A method and a device for replacing a seal element in an undersea blowout preventer is provided. A complete system includes a control center on the surface, an umbilical from the control center to a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), and a seal element carrier manipulated by the ROV. The carrier includes either retrieving tool or a running tool, which retains a cartridge which is to be inserted into or has been retrieved from a BOP. The cartridge is split along a vertical plane, with each half of the cartridge becoming a temporarily integral part of a pipe ram on either side of the BOP. Alignment ramps on the cartridge mate with complementary surfaces on the respective faces of the pipe rams.

Method and apparatus for replacing a packer element

A method and a device for replacing a seal element in an undersea blowout preventer is provided. A complete system includes a control center on the surface, an umbilical from the control center to a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), and a seal element carrier manipulated by the ROV. The carrier includes either a retrieving tool or a running tool, which retains a cartridge which is to be inserted into or has been retrieved from a BOP. The cartridge is split along a vertical plane, with each half of the cartridge becoming a temporarily integral part of a pipe ram on either side of the BOP. Alignment ramps on the cartridge mate with complementary surfaces on the respective faces of the pipe rams. The retrieving tool preferably includes means for hydraulically actuating the retrieving tool with pressure through the umbilical, such as coiled tubing.

A method and apparatus for operating a fluid actuated actuator between one and another alternate positions provides different forces for locking and unlocking the actuator. The actuator may use the same fluid pressure to operate a primary piston within a cylinder and to operate the locking mechanism. Actuator fluid is communicated to unlock the lock member and to move the piston back to its open or unactuated position. A sequencing valve determines the proper sequence of actuating the primary piston before the locking mechanism is driven in place, and clearing the locking mechanism prior to reciprocating the piston back to its unactuated position. Different forces for locking and unlocking the locking mechanism is provided by a free-floating piston mounted on a guide rod. The invention may also be applied to a BOP or the like where different opening and closing forces are desired.

Actuator with free-floating piston for a blowout preventer and the like

A blowout preventer having a housing with a bore therethrough and chambers which intersect with rams reciprocable within the chambers between a first position for opening the bore and a second position for closing the bore to divide the bore into zones above and below the rams includes a rod connected to each of the rams and extending longitudinally within each of the chambers and offset relative to the longitudinal axis of the chambers to guide as well as move each of the rams inwardly toward the bore to close the bore and to withdraw each ram from the bore by moving the rams outwardly from the bore in the chamber. A valve is mounted in the end of the rod that is connected with at least one ram to control communication through a passage in the ram wherein the passage has a first passage end that communicates with the zone above the ram and a second passage end that communicates with the chamber adjacent the end of the rod connected to the ram. The valve is movable relative to the rod in which it is positioned to assure that the second passage end will remain engaged thereby should the ram move laterally relative to the chamber.

Blowout preventer

An expansible and contractable replaceable seal arrangement includes an elastomer body bonded to at least a pair of spaced, rigid plate members with a mechanical arrangement interconnecting the plate members and elastomer body to accommodate relative movement therebetween in response to expansion and contraction of the elastomer body bonded therewith and to inhibit separation of the plates and elastomer body.

Bonded mechanically inner connected seal arrangement for a blowout

A method and arrangement for reciprocating a piston in a cylinder of a fluid actuated actuator between one and another alternate positions, and using the piston fluid actuator fluid to move a lock member from a first position to a second position to lock the cylinder when it is moved from one position to its other alternate position. Actuator fluid is communicated to unlock the lock member and to move the piston back to its one position. In another form, the lock member is moved to its first position by the actuator pressure fluid which actuates a valve to communicate actuator fluid pressure from the lock member to the cylinder to move the piston back to its said other position.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Maria, CA, United States of America

Denzal Wayne Van Winkle