National Oilwell Varco, L.p.

Varco I/p, Inc.

Gilmore Valve Co., Ltd.

National Oilwell Vareo, L.p.

Cilmore Valve Co., Ltd.

National Oilwell Varoo, L.p.

Lucas, Brian

Frank Benjamin Springett

Eric Trevor Ensley

Dean Allen Bennett

Travis James Miller

James Dennis Brugman

James William Weir

Christopher Dale Johnson

Shern Eugene Peters

Richard W Cowan

Jonathan Lewis Buelow

James Ray Landrith, Ii

F Harold Hollister

Jason P Curtiss, Iii

Geoffrey Pickett

David Reid

James Landrith

Stephen Bryron Gauntt

Walter Warren Weaver

Guy LaMont McClung, Iii

Douglas A Jahnke

Russell C Gilleylen

Raul Araujo

Matthew Taylor

Michael Edwin Pollard

George Tisdale

Farzad Azizi

Matthew Franchek

Lance Staudacher

Clayton J Simmons

Svein Ove Aanesland

Ben Mintz

John Cannell

Kent Allen Grebing

James D Brugman

Darren Mourre

Alex Michael Belote

Matthew R Taylor

Russell Gilleylen

Guy L Mcclung

John P Cannell

Stephen Byron Gauntt

James Ray Landrith Ii

Richard Watson Cowan

David Gilbert Reid

Dean A Bennett

Power generation assemblies and methods relating thereto are disclosed. In an embodiment, the power generation assembly includes a thermoelectric generator, and a conductor configured to conduct electricity generated by the thermoelectric generator to the surface of a subterranean wellbore. The power generation assembly is to circulate a working fluid through a closed loop in the power generation assembly in response to the receipt of geothermal energy within a subterranean formation, to cause the thermoelectric generator to generate electricity.

Systems and methods for electrical power generation

A subplate mounted (SPM) valve includes a valve body having pilot port, a piston configured to be actuated by fluid from the pilot port, a first control chamber and second control chamber each formed in the valve body and fluidicly isolated from the pilot port, a first flow restrictor fluidicly disposed between the first control chamber and the second control chamber and configured to restrict flow in at least one direction between the first control chamber and the second control chamber, a cage coupled to the valve body and having a supply port, a return port, and a work port, and a spool slidably engaged with the cage and configured to selectively restrict flow between the supply port and the return port by actuation of the piston.

Slow-shift SPM valve

A valve for use in a hydraulic circuit to drive a piston is fluidly connected to a first actuating chamber of the hydraulic piston. The valve is piloted to close when the first chamber is pressurized. The valve vents the fluid in the first actuating chamber when the first chamber is not pressurized. The valve permits several fluid supplies connected to the chamber via check valves to be used to drive the piston. The hydraulic piston and hydraulic circuit may be implemented in a blowout preventer operating in a subsea environment to ensure safe drilling of deepwater wells.

Pilot close vent valve

Several pre-assemblies holding panels of photovoltaic cells are constructed and pre-wired in a factory. The pre-assemblies are shipped to a solar farm, where they are lifted above posts secured to the ground using, for example, using an excavator connected to an end effector. The pre-assemblies are then connected to the posts and electrically coupled to one another. Such installation of solar panels in a solar farm may be faster and less labor-intensive than other types of installation.

Methods and apparatus for installing solar panels

A system for handling tubulars on a rig may include a top handling device configured for arrangement on the rig and for handling a top portion of a tubular to and from a setback area. The system may also include a lower handling device configured for arrangement on the rig and for handling a bottom portion of the tubular between well center and a release position. The system may also include a bottom handling device configured for arrangement on the rig and for handling the bottom portion of the tubular between the release position and the setback area.

System for handling tubulars on a rig

A detection system and method for a well site is provided. The well site has a surface rig and a surface unit. The surface rig is positioned about a formation and a surface unit. The detection system includes a well site component deployable from the surface rig via a conveyance, well site equipment positioned about the well site and having a bore to receive the well site component therethrough; and base units. The base units include scanners positioned radially about the bore of the well site equipment. The scanners detect an outer surface of the well site component and generate combinable images of the well site component whereby the well site equipment is imaged.

Detection system for a wellsite and method of using same

A system for handling pipes on a drilling rig includes an elevator suspended from a stand transfer vehicle, a top drive or other lifting device of a drilling rig. The system also includes a rig-floor pipe lifting machine including a fork sized to engage a tool-joint of a pipe. A navigation system includes a controller that can be programmed to autonomously drive the rig-floor pipe lifting machine.

Rig-floor pipe lifting machine

A device for retrieving a control pod from a subsea BOP stack or deploying a control pod to a subsea BOP stack includes a base having a longitudinal axis, a first end, and a second end axially opposite the first end. The base includes a plurality of axially adjacent bays positioned side-by-side between the first end and the second end. Each bay is sized to hold one control pod. In addition, the device includes a trolley moveably coupled to the base. The trolley includes a first stall and a second stall axially adjacent the first stall. Each stall is configured to hold one control pod. Further, the device includes a housing fixably coupled to the base. Still further, the device includes a control pod actuation assembly coupled to the housing. The control pod actuation assembly is configured to move the trolley axially relative to the base and the housing to align each stall of the trolley with at least one bay of the base. The control pod actuation assembly includes a linear actuator configured to extend and retract through one bay of the base.

Subsea control pod deployment and retrieval systems and methods

A method for replacing a first control pod of a BOP stack includes (a) lowering a control pod exchange device subsea. In addition, the method includes (b) coupling the control pod exchange device to the BOP stack. Further, the method includes (c) transferring the first control pod from the BOP stack to the control pod exchange device after (b). Still further, the method includes (d) lifting the control pod exchange device to the surface after (c).

Hydraulic circuits for controlling a movable component use one or more of a plurality of fluid supplies. Pressurized fluid flowing from one supply is routed toward the component and is not inadvertently vented into another fluid supply, or into an exit port. A backflow path is provided for fluid returning from the hydraulic component when the component is actuated in a reversed direction. The hydraulic circuits can be used, for example, on blowout preventers in a subsea environment.

Hydraulic circuit for controlling a movable component

The disclosure provides devices and methods for controlling the actuation rates of SPM valves by bi-directionally controlling the fluid which actuates the valve or by maintaining enclosed volumes which communicate with each other through predetermined restrictions as the valve actuates. These enclosed volumes can be completely isolated, depth compensated, share fluid with the pilot actuating fluid, or utilize the main system fluid. The restrictions can be modified to increase or decrease the actuation rates of the SPM valve. The disclosure also provides control over the main system fluid passage opening and closing positions as well as how rapidly the flow passage areas increase or decrease while opening or closing the valve.

A method of sealing a wellbore with a blowout preventer (BOP) is disclosed. The method involves providing the BOP with a BOP seal. The BOP has BOP parameters and a fluid flowing through the BOP has fluid parameters. The method also involves simulating erosion of a BOP seal using a BOP model based on the BOP parameters and the fluid parameters, measuring erosion of the blowout preventer seal by performing a lab test of the blowout preventer seal in a tester according to the blowout preventer model, validating the simulating by comparing the simulated erosion with the measured erosion, determining an erosion rate of the blowout preventer seal based on the validated simulating, defining closing parameters based on the determined erosion rate, and operating the blowout preventer rams according to the defined closing parameters.

Method of closing a blowout preventer seal based on seal erosion

A blowout prevent unit and methods for monitoring a blowout preventer at a wellsite are provided. The blowout preventer is activatable to form a seal to prevent leakage of the fluid produced from subsurface formations. The blowout preventer unit includes wellsite databases, at least one control unit, and blowout preventer outputs. The wellsite databases are operatively connectable to the wellsite to receive wellsite data therefrom and have communication links therebetween. The control unit is operatively connectable to the wellsite databases to selectively divert the wellsite data therebetween via the communication links. The at least one control unit includes a processor to determine blowout preventer parameters from the diverted wellsite data. The blowout preventer outputs are operatively coupled to the wellsite databases, and are accessible by users. The blowout preventer outputs include blowout preventer dashboards to selectively display the blowout preventer parameters whereby blowout preventer conditions are viewable by the users.

Blowout preventer monitoring system and method of using same

A wellsite connector for connecting components of a wellsite is provided. The wellsite has a wellbore extending into a subsurface formation. The wellsite connector includes a connector body and a floatable seal. The connector body has an end adapted for coupling to a first of the components, a pocket along an inner surface thereof, and a cavity adapted to receive a second of the components. The floatable seal member includes a seal ring having a hole therethrough to sealingly receive the second of the components. The seal member is slidably movable in the pocket of the connector body transversely to an axis of the connector body whereby the second of the components is alignable to the first of the components for connection therebetween.

Wellsite connector with floating seal member and method of using same

A connection assembly, system and method for connecting components of a wellsite are provided. The wellsite has a wellbore extending into a subsurface formation, the connection assembly includes a female connector having a cavity extending therein, a floating cartridge having, and a male connector. The female connector or floating cartridge is operatively connectable to a first of the components. The floating cartridge is operatively connectable to the female connector and laterally movable therein. The male connector is receivable in the cavity and is operatively connectable to the second of the components and the floating cartridge such that the male connector and the female connector are movably positionable relative to each other by the floating cartridge whereby a misalignment between the wellsite components is tolerated. The male connector may have a joint pivotally connectable to the floating cartridge.

Misalignment-tolerant wellsite connection assembly, system, and method

Growing community of inventors

Spring, TX, United States of America

Frank Benjamin Springett