Fmc Corporation

Hydrotech International, Inc.

Chevron Research Company

Vetco Offshore, Inc.

Glen E Lochte

Lionel J Milberger

Thomas J Ames

Burlie R Bowen

James F Arnold

Anthony Bruce Duncan

Claud C Barrington

Charles E Horn

Anthony J Masciopinto

Jackie R Allen

James A Kelly

Cryssis N Pashalis

A subsea well choke system is disclosed. The well choke system has annulus and tubing access as well as wing lines for connections to flow lines. A pressure control valve is installed in the tree cap for easy replacement and also to facilitate pigging and well test operations.

Subsea well choke system

A mudline casing hanger assembly with an elliptical support ring 20 which is run at an angle 46, rotated to horizontal 48, and landed 50. A support and flowby sleeve 16 to support the landing ring 20 is cut and inserted into a recess.

Mudline support hanger assembly

An improved pipe connector especially adapted for connecting subsea pipes includes a dart-shaped assembly that can be installed and sealed in a cylindrical housing to establish a fluid-tight connection between the assembly and the housing using a minimum of diver assistance. The connector housing includes an axial passage to receive the assembly, and an annular groove in the inner wall of the axial passage. The assembly includes a bore extending axially from one end thereof through a portion of the assembly, and a port extending radially from the axial bore through the wall of the assembly to the groove of the housing when the assembly is positioned in the housing. Another passage extends radially from the groove to the outside of the housing. A pair of annular resilient packing rings mounted between the assembly and the housing provide fluid-tight seals for fluid flow from the axial bore of the assembly through the radial port and the annular groove out through the radial passage in the housing. Means are provided for selectively locking and unlocking the assembly in the housing and for setting and releasing the resilient packing rings.

Subsea pipe connector

A hydraulic valve operating circuit for providing positive opening and closing of a downhole safety valve includes shut-off valves which prevent leakage of fuel to the outside environment if a leak should occur in the hydraulic lines which are connected to the hydraulic actuator of the downhole safety valve. A hydraulic control line is connected to the actuator of the safety valve through a normally-closed shut-off valve and the hydraulic control line is also connected to the actuator of the shut-off valve to hold both the shut-off valve and the downhole safety valve open when the hydraulic line is pressurized. Another valve moves to a position to direct the flow of fluid from the safety valve to an accumulator when the pressure in the control line falls below a predetermined value to insure that the downhole safety valve will close properly. The accumulator and the actuator control valves can be replaced by a single gate valve having a novel porting arrangement as shown in one embodiment of the present invention. The gate valve can be adapted for use with either a balanced or a nonbalanced downhole safety valve.

Safety valve operating apparatus

A swivel joint for incorporation in a pipe network maintains flow path integrity at the joint for both swivel and rigid connection modes. A butt flange and a connector body having aligned flow paths therethrough are coupled together by a bearing which provides rotational movement between the butt flange and the connector body. A dynamic seal is disposed between the butt flange and the bearing. A retainer between the bearing and the connector body allows axial movement therebetween when the connector body is urged toward the butt flange, but restrains such axial movement when the connector body is urged away from the butt flange. A static seal carried by the butt flange and axially spaced from the connector body in the swivel mode is engaged by the connector body when the latter is moved axially toward the butt flange, thereby establishing the rigid connection mode. The apparatus includes diverse structure for moving the connector body axially and thereby obtaining engagement between the static seal and the connector body.

Pipe swivel joint with optional static seal

A hydraulic valve operating circuit for providing positive opening and closing of a downhole safety valve includes shut-off valves which prevent leakage of fuel to the outside environment if a leak should occur in the hydraulic lines which are connected to the hydraulic actuator of the downhole safety valve. A hydraulic control line is connected to the actuator of the safety valve through a normally-closed shut-off valve and the hydraulic control line is also connected to the actuator of the shut-off valve to hold both the shut-off valve and the downhole safety valve open when the hydraulic line is pressurized. Another valve moves to a position to direct the flow of fluid from the safety valve to an accumulator when the pressure in the control line falls below a predetermined value to insure that the downhole safety valve will close properly.

Valve operating circuit

A remotely controllable connector for releasably interconnecting the ends of two oil well flowlines. The connector comprises two coupling members, one of which is extended into engagement with the other by actuation of fluid cylinders, and ball joints in one or both coupling members to accommodate misalignment of the flowlines. A pair of mating cones mounted on the opposed ends of the two coupling members align the members into proper position during the connecting operation, and clamp means that are activated by remote control secure the two coupling members together in a fluid-tight connection. Seals are then set by remote control to seal all joints and to lock the coupling members in working alignment.

Remote-controlled flowline connector

An articulated fluid loading arm especially suited for transferring petroleum from a floating storage and loading terminal to a marine tanker. The arm comprises a support boom pivotally mounted on the deck of the terminal, a pair of fluid conduits extending along the boom from risers at the deck, and a dual-flow passage drop-pipe assembly suspended from a carriage that rides in a track on the boom. The drop-pipe assembly comprises four rigid pipe sections interconnected by swivel joints into a parallelogram-like structure, one corner thereof pivotally connected to the carriage and the opposite corner connected to a pull-in type pipe connector for releasably securing the arm to a tanker manifold. A tensioning cable extends from the pipe connector up to the carriage and then along the boom and around a motion-compensating tensioner to a dead-man winch for lowering, raising, and supporting the drop-pipe assembly, and means are provided to disconnect the drop-pipe assembly from the fluid conduits at the outer end of the boom so that the assembly can be brought in on the carriage to the station deck for servicing. A tag line connected between the pipe connector and a tanker winch allows the pipe connector to be gently pulled down to connect with the tanker manifold even when the tanker is moving up and down.

Articulated fluid loading arm

An inner conduit is received in an outer conduit in overlapping relationship. A locking member is received in the outer conduit for lateral shifting into locking engagement with the inner conduit. There are two spaced apart abutment surfaces on the outer conduit, and a toggle member is received in the outer conduit. When the toggle member is expanded, a clamping force is exerted from one of said abutment surfaces to the other through the locking member and the inner conduit, to hold the conduit members tightly together. The locking member and the toggle member can be operated by manual screws, or by a piston powered cam. Seals can be inserted between the inner and outer conduits to establish a fluid-tight seal.

High force connecting mechanism

Method and apparatus for breaking concrete from a concrete coated pipe comprising; a frame mounted on the pipe; means supported by the frame for engaging the concrete to break the concrete from the pipe and means for driving the engaging means against the pipe to impart massive forces thereto exceeding the strength of the concrete to thereby break the concrete from the pipe.

Concrete removal tool

Apparatus for connecting the ends of pipes or the like. The apparatus includes a pair of coupling members, each being mountable at one end thereof to the end of one of the pipes which are to be connected. One of the coupling members has attached at the other end thereof an annular outwardly extending flange having forward and rearward sides. The flange is preferably dovetailed in cross-section. The other member is provided with a housing for receiving the flange in mating and locking engagement therewith. A plurality of cam members are carried by the housing and are radially movable between a retracted position in which the flange is receivable by the housing and an extended position in which the cam members are engaged with the rearward side of the flange to drive it into locking engagement with the housing. Means are also provided for releasably tying or interlocking the housing to the other coupling so as to prevent undesired radial outward deformation of the housing upon actuation of the cam members when the two coupling members are coupled together. Means such as hydraulic cylinder assemblies are also provided for moving the cam members between the retracted position to the extended position to accomplish the aforesaid joining and interlocking of the coupling members.

Apparatus for coupling pipe or the like

Method for making a remote controlled sub sea pipe connection between two pipe ends which may be relatively misaligned on a sea bottom comprising, providing a pair of mating coupling halves having misalignment capability for connecting together the pipe ends; lowering a remote controlled vehicle towards the pipe ends; installing a pipe coupling half onto each pipe end, and connecting the pipe coupling halves together and to the respective pipe ends by remotely operating the vehicle from the sea surface to thereby effect the pipe connection.

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Glen E Lochte