Cooper Cameron Corporation

Cooper Industries, Inc.

Hydril Company

Other

Tam International, Inc.

Kvaetner Dilfield Products

Edwin C Turner

Danny K Wolff

Charles O Stokley

Lawrence Sanford

Charles E Gibbs

William F Krause

A bidirectional metal-to-metal seal of material composition with low modulus of elasticity and yield strength which is gall resistant and designed to seal against fluid pressure in the annulus between concentric cylindrical members. The seal comprises an annular body of U-shape and radial cross section with an annular base and a pair of coaxial sealing lips integral therewith. An annular bridge of similar composition is inserted in the gap between the sealing lips and fluid pressure in the annulus is cemented to the gap by recesses in the inner wall of one of the sealing lips. The exterior surface of the one lip is provided with a pair of axially spaced circumferential flanges, the radial extremities of which provide annular sealing surfaces. The exterior of the other lip is provided with a central circumferential cylindrical sealing surface between adjoining tapered surfaces, diverging from the respective ends of said other lip to the central cylindrical sealing surface and the upper one of which is adapted to engage a similarly tapered shoulder on the member with which it is to seal.

Bidirectional metal to metal seal

Methods and apparatus are described for improved sealing across an annular space between facing sealing surfaces. Methods for mechanically setting and pressure energizing sealing ring assemblies are also described. In one aspect, several sealing ring assemblies are described, each of which include an outer seal body formed of elastically deformable metal and having an annular base with a pair of legs extending from the base to form a channel. A plurality of predominately non-deformable segments are positioned between the legs. The use of segments substantially reduces detrimental hoop stress which would hinder effective setting of a seal between the inner and outer members. In preferred embodiments, the legs and the segments each present raised portions which are offset from each other. The offset arrangement of the raised portions permit the ring assembly to be mechanically set by radial spring loading through elastic deformation of portions of the seal body. The ring assembly is then further energized through increased fluid pressure within the annular space which enters the channel of the seal ring to urge the legs into tighter engagement with the inner and outer members.

Annular sealing assembly and methods of sealing

A hanger suspension system includes an inner casing hanger having an outer circumferential surface with at least three sets of at least three longitudinally spaced outwardly projecting load bearing members azimuthally spaced about the outer circumferential surface and separated by linear flow passages. A hanger assembly is positioned on each set of bearing members and is axially slidable on the outer circumferential surface of the hanger. Each hanger assembly includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced arcuate members having inwardly extending load bearing shoulders for engaging the load bearing members of the inner hanger. The hanger suspension system also includes an outer head having a non-restrictive bore with annular recesses which include load bearing surfaces and camming surfaces. The arcuate members of the hanger assembly include outwardly extending load bearing shoulders for engaging the load bearing surfaces of the outer head and outwardly extending camming shoulders for engaging the camming surfaces in the annular recesses of the outer head. The hanger assembly also includes a trigger member for releasing the bearing member upon alignment with the outer head and includes a deformable alignment tang for locating the recesses in the outer head. The load bearing members on the inner hanger bear against the arcuate members so as to maintain the arcuate members in engagement with the load bearing surfaces of the outer head. The suspension of the inner hanger within the outer hanger is repeatable so as to allow the reciprocation of the inner casing string within the outer casing string during the cementing operation.

Hanger suspension system

The method and apparatus includes lowering a blanking plug assembly into the bore of an oilfield tubular member and inserting a sealing assembly on the blanking plug assembly into the seal bore of the tubular member without sealingly engaging the seal bore. A support shoulder on the blanking plug assembly lands on the landing shoulder of the oilfield tubular member. Wireline jars jar down on the lock sleeve of the blanking plug assembly to shift dog members radially outward into latching grooves in the oilfield tubular member. The lock sleeve then locks the dog members into the latching grooves. The wireline jars then jar up on a plug of the blanking plug assembly to move the plug upwardly to an upper position within the blanking plug assembly. The sealing assembly is prevented from moving upward and a tapered surface on the plug is driven through the sealing assembly thereby radially energizing the sealing assembly into sealing engagement with the outer tubular member. As the plug moves upwardly, latch members disposed on the blanking plug assembly are received by grooves in the plug to maintain the plug in its upper position. The method provides definitive indications as to whether the dog members are locked into place, whether the sealing assembly is in metal-to-metal engagement with the outer tubular member, and whether the plug is latched in its upper position.

Blanking plug assembly

A fluid coupling, e.g., a subsea coupling, includes male and female parts which can be coupled together. The female part includes four passages normally closed by a slidable gate. The male part includes four passages normally closed by a closure slide. When the male and female parts are coupled together, the gate is pushed aside by the gate part and becomes temporarily joined thereto, and the closure slide is pushed aside by the female part and is temporarily joined thereto. When the male and female parts are uncoupled, the gate and closure slide are moved back to their passage-closing positions. A metal sealing member for the passages includes annular thick and thin lips. The thin lip provides flexibility, and the thick lip engages a relatively movable part.

Multi-passage fluid coupling and metal seal therefor

The bore selector includes a housing with an upper end having at least a first bore and a lower end with at least second and third bores. The housing includes a central bore extending between the upper and lower ends. A tube has its upper end connected to the first bore and its lower end adjacent the second and third bores. A yoke having an aperture therethrough for passing the tube, is reciprocably mounted within the bore of the housing. The yoke includes cam slots receiving guide lugs projecting from the sides of the tube. A hydraulic actuating means is also mounted in the lower end of the housing for reciprocating the yoke whereby as the yoke is reciprocated within the housing, the guide lugs move within the cam slots to shift the lower end of the tube between the second and third bores. A cage is mounted within the lower end of the housing to ensure alignment and sealing engagement between the lower end of the tube and the face of the housing around the second and third bores.

Bore selector

A tubular connection between an inner and an outer tubular member with the outer member having internal recesses and the inner member being mechanically forged into said recesses, the recesses and the forging being such that the outer member is not subject to a strain greater than its elastic limit and such outer member may be a relatively thin member as compared to the prior art structures. The members may be joined while in tension and the tension is preserved in the completed connection. The tool for making the connection includes a plurality of forging segments coacting with a multiple lobe cone, a pressure responsive means for creating relative movement between the forging segments and the cone and means for running the structure into a subsea casing and for supporting the other elements of the tool including the two tubular members during the forging step and being recoverable from within the forged connection.

Tubular connection, method for making same, and tool therefor

A downhole packer assembly includes a first packer tool with a flexible tubular packer body which is radially extendable by virtue of fluid pressure in a packer set chamber. A generally annular packer foundation, including an upper packer head, is connected to the upper end of the packer body. The tool defines a bypass flow system for permitting flow of fluid from the packer set chamber to a central longitudinal flowway of the assembly and from this central flowway to the exterior of the assembly. A control sub adjacent the packer foundation is movable with respect to the packer foundation between a first position, for opening the bypass system, and a second position, closing the bypass system. The control sub is preferably further operative, in its first position, to permit communication between the central flowway and the packer set chamber, and in its second position, to close the packer set chamber. A second packer tool is connected in tandem with the first tool. A ported cylinder is communicatively connected to the packer foundations generally below the locus of the control sub and has a piston reciprocably disposed therein and sealed with respect thereto, the piston being yieldably urged toward the control sub. A plug ejector may be adjoined to the upper packer head of the first tool and disposed therein but adapted to permit flow therethrough. The plug ejector has a free end extending upwardly and positioned for telescopic movement with respect to the lower end of the control sub as it moves between its inflation and set positions.

Packer assembly

A surface controlled subsurface safety valve having rotatable ball-type closure elements and disclosed the tubular operator assembly is sealed to be substantially pressure balanced with respect to well fluid pressures when the ball-type closure is in either the open or closed position. Such arrangement enables the valve to be opened at a moderate control fluid pressure level with a substantial well pressure differential across the closed ball. In the disclosed tubing retrieval embodiment, an enclosed hydraulic system is used to balance the tubular operation and offset the hydrostatic head of the control fluid to enable greater setting depth.

Well fluid pressure balanced operator for subsurface safety valve

A subsurface safety valve having a flapper-like pivoting closure element that is moved to and from the open and closed positions by a reciprocating operator assembly. When moved to the open position, the closure element is pivoted out of the flow path to protect it from possible damage.

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Edwin C Turner