Hydril Company

Cooper Industries, Inc.

Hydrotech International, Inc.

Onesubsea IP UK Limited

James A Burton

Gerald A Marsh

William M Taylor

Joseph H Hynes

David H Theiss

Raymond E Latham

Kenneth W Colvin

Christopher George Kocurek

Hubert L Elkins

Terry L Shinn

Julian D Keithahn

Milton E Goodhart

Rickey D Book

Eugene O Lee

Keith Garbett

Richard B Lee

An annular seal assembly for forming a seal between two annular surfaces. The seal assembly includes an annular base including a sealing surface. The seal assembly also includes a pair of spaced apart rims extending from the annular base opposite the base sealing surface and in opposite directions, the rims also including sealing surfaces. The base is elastically deformable and the rims are elastically deformable relative to the base to effect a self-energized seal between the two annular surfaces.

Self-energizing annular seal

The present invention relates to an improved seal assembly for sealing between the interior sealing surface of a well housing and the exterior sealing surface of a hanger landed within the well housing and includes a seal body having a pair of outer lips diverging outwardly for sealing against the housing interior sealing surface and an interior series of annular ridges which have a diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the hanger exterior sealing surface, an upper energizer and a lower energizer for coacting with said lips to move the lips into sealing position and to store the energy of setting to ensure sealing engagement of the lips. The shape of the sealing lips is such that they each provide a sealing surface and a ridge having a greater outer diameter than the sealing surface so that when the seal assembly is being run into the housing any scratches resulting from the engagement of the seal with the interior of the housing is on the ridges and not on the sealing surfaces. Additionally, the exterior of the outwardly diverging lips is provided with a coating of a scratch healing material, such as silver plate, so that scratches on the sealing surface can be healed when the sealing surface is wedged into sealing engagement with the interior wall of the housing.

Seal assembly for a well housing hanger structure

The present invention relates to an improved seal assembly for sealing between the interior sealing surface of a well housing and the exterior sealing surface of a hanger landed within the well housing and includes a seal body having a pair of outer lips diverging outwardly for sealing against the housing interior sealing surface and an interior series of annular ridges which have a diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the hanger exterior sealing surface, an upper energizer and a lower energizer for coacting with said lips to move the lips into sealing position and to store the energy of setting to ensure sealing engagement of the lips. In some forms of the invention the energy is stored by virture of the lips being of a relatively low yield stength material as compared to the energizers which have a higher yield strength. Also, structure is provided in some of the forms of the invention to store both radial and axial lip loading forces.

Casing hanger seal assembly

An improved length compensating joint suitable for use in repairing pipelines includes an inner tubular member, an outer tubular member which receives the inner member in close fitting engagement, seals disposed radially and axially between the inner and outer members define annular piston areas for providing selective relative motion between the inner and outer members, a pressure responsive locking piston with a camming surface for urging gripping elements into locking engagement with the inner member, a metal-to-metal seal between the inner and outer members which can be deenergized during extension or retraction operations and a test port for verifying the integrity of the metal-to-metal seal after installation. Additionally, a second embodiment provides an alternative metal-to-metal seal configuration which can also be deenergized during extension and retraction operations.

Length compensating joint

A hawser chain assembly and method for installation of its sealing element is disclosed. The assembly includes a housing adapted for connection in series with a hawser pipe of a marine vessel such as a semi-submersible drilling rig. The housing may be moved to an open position for installation or replacement of the sealing element, and a closed position to longitudinally surround and secure the sealing element. The sealing element has at least two semi-cylindrical elastomeric parts, each of which is adapted for placement partially about the hawser chain when the housing is in the open position. Each semi-cylindrical part has at least one inflatable bladder. A manifold is provided by which fluid pressure may be introduced to the bladders of the sealing element causing them to expand. The sealing element is restricted on its outer diameter by the closed housing causing the elastomeric material to move inwardly forming a sealing engagement with the chain.

Hawser chain seal assembly

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for remotely connecting or disconnecting upper flexible choke/kill lines (including auxiliary lines) to choke/kill lines of a floating drilling rig riser which has been lowered toward the sea floor. Remote stab assemblies are mounted to a stowable tension ring releasably secured to a housing secured to rig beams. In the stowed position, hydraulic stab connectors secured to travelling yoke assemblies are disconnected from each line. The travelling yoke assemblies are moved to an outer position so that the flexible drape hoses clear the space beneath the housing in order that a blowout preventer stack may be trolleyed in from the side of the rig moon pool during running or retrieval. The stack is lowered toward the sea floor by the riser. A telescopic joint is connected to the top of the riser and lowered through the housing and the tension ring. The tension ring is temporarily connected to the telescopic joint, disconnected from the housing and rides down with the telescopic joint while the stack, riser and telescopic joint are lowered until the stack is landed on the sea floor. The tension ring is then partially connected to the telescopic joint as the tension cables are pulled upwardly. Apparatus is provided for angularly and axially aligning the stab connectors with the choke/kill lines of the riser when the travelling yoke assemblies are moved inwardly where complete connection of the tension ring and telescopic joint is accomplished.

Floating drilling rig apparatus and method

A packer unit and packer insert adapted for use in an annular blowout preventer. The packer insert includes a generally longitudinal web with its leading edge facing the axial bore of the packing unit sloping from top to bottom in a generally radially outward direction.

Annular packing unit and insert

An annular blowout preventer packer unit is disclosed having an annulus of elastomeric material in which is embedded metallic drive inserts provided in an outward circle about the axis. Metallic lead inserts are provided in an inward circle about the axis. The top and bottom plates of the drive inserts have two angled longitudinal forward surfaces which interface with reverse angled adjacent longitudinal rearward surfaces of the top and bottom plates of the lead inserts, respectively. When the BOP piston is closed, the drive inserts cause the lead inserts to advance inwardly a greater radial distance than the advance of the drive inserts. The result is that less stroke may be required to close the blowout preventer, and a controlled, predictable, uniform movement of the lead inserts is achieved. The drive inserts top plates are broad across their rearward longitudinal surface operably covering the area behind the lead inserts on closure of the packer unit. The shape of the drive inserts allows the lead inserts to be driven to a smaller diameter without opening up the back side and causing outer diameter elastomer loss to the unit.

Annular blowout preventer packing unit

A connector apparatus for releasably securing two separate force transmitting assemblies in a force transfer relationship is disclosed. A first connector assembly having a tubular member forming a central opening having a locking recess formed therein is anchored at a desired location. A second connector assembly having a primary and a secondary housing operably connects with the first connector assembly for transferring the static forces therebetween. The primary housing mounts an expandable locking ring which fits in the recess of the first connector assembly for effecting the mechanical securing. The locking ring may be released by two separate modes of operation. When released, all operating parts of the connector except the first connector assembly may be retrieved to a convenient location for inspection or repair. Should the locking ring fail to release by either mode, the secondary housing may in the alternative be released from the primary housing.

Mechanical connector apparatus

A method and apparatus is disclosed for deviated hole drilling upwardly and outwardly from beneath a shallow hydrocarbon formation pay zone. A large diameter vertical hole is first formed as by drilling below the pay zone. A first casing having a directional window provided in its wall is cemented in the large diameter hole. One or more casings are then provided in the borehole below the first casing. A carriage assembly loaded with drilling tools for drilling upwardly and outwardly is then lowered by means of a working drill string and landed within the first casing. The carriage assembly has a first passage in fluid communication with the drill string. The drilling tools are loaded within a second passage of the carriage assembly. The top opening of the second passage is below the directional window when the carriage assembly is landed and angularly oriented in the first casing. A drill string extends from the drilling tools through the bottom of the carriage assembly and into the cased hole below the first casing. A stripper packer assembly at the lower end of the carriage assembly prevents the incoming high pressure mud from entering the second passage of the carriage assembly. The drilling tools comprise a mud pressure driven motor for turning a drilling bit. A weight-on-bit assembly provides force to the drilling bit against the face of the borehole being drilled. A bent sub causes the drilling to be deviated outwardly while drilling upwardly. Drilling power is provided via pressurized mud through the working drill string, the first passage, the annulus between the lower hole casing and the outside of the drilling string and then via the interior of the drill string.

Method and apparatus for forming boreholes

Drilling apparatus is disclosed adapted for drilling upwardly a deviated hole from a carriage assembly disposed in a cased vertical hole below a target zone of a hydrocarbon bearing formation. The drilling apparatus includes a drill motor assembly having a drill bit driven by a shaft of a drill bit mud pressure driven motor. A weight on bit assembly is provided below the drill bit motor for imparting 'weight-on-bit' drilling force to the drilling bit against the face of the borehole. The weight on bit assembly includes an anti-rotation assembly for preventing rotation of the drill bit motor with respect to the borehole and an axial drive assembly for applying axial force to the drill bit. Apparatus is provided to reverse the direction of the axial force generated by the weight on bit assembly. Apparatus is also provided to limit the axial force applied to the drill bit to a predetermined level.

Apparatus for forming boreholes

The present invention relates to a connector for mechanically joining members having large force loading while enabling limited relative angular movement therebetween. The connector employs a plurality of stacked metal roll plates to provide rolling metal-to-metal contact while avoiding sliding movement of contacting members transmitting the force load between connector members. Each of the roll plates is provided with a concave and convex load carrying surface with the radius of the concave surface greater than that of the convex surface to provide rolling rather than sliding contact. To obtain universal angular movement, one embodiment of the connector employs a single stack of spherical surface roll plates while a second embodiment employs a plurality of roll plate stacks having substantially cylindrical load carrying surfaces. The roll plates are maintained in operating alignment by resilient members extending through the stack and may be enclosed for protection by a resilient cover forming a chamber that may be filled by a lubricant.

Roll-flex connector

The present invention relates to a surge absorber that may be easily custom fabricated to a particular flow line application. The surge absorber prevents 'water hammer' by providing an enlarged compressible fluid chamber that is separated from the flow line by a diaphragm. When the pressure surge occurs, the greater incompressible fluid volume provided by the intermediate tubular section of the pressure vessel housing provides sufficient baffling while an internal diaphragm protector protects the diaphragm from damage by the incompressible fluid.

Surge absorber

A pulsation dampener providing high attenuation in a narrow quiet band or frequency. The pulsation dampener is tuned to provide a reflected wave 180.degree. out of phase in the narrow band to cancel the undesired pulsation. A silicone polymer contained by a diaphragm is used as the dampening fluid. The pulsation dampener operation is virtually unaffected by changes in working fluid pressure or density. The latter aspect makes the pulsation dampener particularly well suited for use in well drilling operations where pressure pulses in the drilling fluid are used to transmit information to the surface.

Pulsation dampener

A new and improved pulsation dampener or surge absorber having an improved diaphragm or bladder is disclosed. The diaphragm is disposed within a pressure vessel for forming two non-communicating zones. The first zone communicates with the fluid having the undesired pulsations or surges while the second zone is precharged to a desired pressure level with a compressible fluid. The pressure vessel is secured with the conduit having the pulsating fluid and the diaphragm is disposed within the pressure vessel for preventing contact of the fluid having the pulsation with the pressure vessel to prevent corrosion of the pressure vessel. The inlet nozzle for the fluid having the pulsation which is subject to flow erosion as well as corrosion can thereby be replaced without replacing the pressure vessel securing means. The diaphragm is of the reverse folding type and is provided with shock absorber means on an inlet bridging disk to protect the diaphragm when the pulsating fluid pressure is reduced.

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

James A Burton