Abb Vetco Gray Incorporated

Other

Vetco Gray Inc.

Abb Vectogray Inc.

James A Gariepy

Norman Brammer

Brett R McConaughy

John Edward Nelson

Lawrence A Eckert

B Lee Danner

Brett Robert McConaughy

Rodolfo Z Lugo

An inner tubular member of a subsea wellhead assembly carries a locking member that moves between a locked and unlocked positions lands within an outer tubular member having a grooved profile in its bore. The inner tubular member joins to a portion of the conductor casing extending from a low pressure wellhead housing above the mudline of the seafloor. In the locked position, the locking member engages the grooved profile on the outer tubular member to connect the outer tubular member and inner tubular member. The inner tubular member also carries a hydraulically actuated, axially moveable locking sleeve that slidingly engages the locking member to move the locking member between the locked and unlocked positions. An ROV supplies hydraulic fluid through an ROV port to actuate the locking sleeve.

Sub mudline abandonment connector

A tubular wellhead member has an inner seal surface. A hydraulic passage extends through the wellhead member and terminates at a port at the seal surface. A tubing hanger having an outer mating surface lands in the wellhead member. A hydraulic line extends from a hydraulically operated downhole safety valve to a passage in the tubing hanger and terminates at a tubing hanger port. A seal is located at the tubing hanger port for sealing the junction with the tubular member port. A check valve is located within the seal to maintain the tubing hanger fluid passage closed until the tubing hanger lands in the wellhead. An adapter is employed to apply a running-in hydraulic fluid pressure to the tubing hanger hydraulic fluid passage with the check valve open. Then, the adapter closes the check valve to trap hydraulic fluid pressure in the line leading to the downhole safety valve. This pressure is sufficient to maintain the downhole safety valve in an open position during running in.

Well production system with a hydraulically operated safety valve

Fluid connector with check valve and method of running a string of tubing

An annular wellhead member has an inner mating surface. The wellhead member has a hydraulic fluid passage with an inboard opening at the inner mating surface. A tubing hanger is landed concentrically within the wellhead member. The tubing hanger has an outer mating surface which mates with the inner mating surface of the wellhead member. A production fluid passage through the tubing hanger places the production tubing string in communication with a production line. A hydraulic line extends from a hydraulically operated downhole safety valve to the tubing hanger. A tubing hanger hydraulic fluid passage has a first opening and an outboard opening. The first opening is connected to the hydraulic line. The outboard opening is located on the outer mating surface of the tubing hanger and registers with the inboard opening of the wellhead member hydraulic fluid passage. The wellhead member hydraulic fluid passage is connected to a hydraulic supply line. An alignment device aligns the outboard opening of the tubing hanger hydraulic fluid passage and the inboard opening of the wellhead member hydraulic fluid passage. A seal ring is concentrically located around the openings. Hydraulic fluid is supplied from the exterior of the wellhead member to the downhole safety valve.

Hydraulic seal between tubing hanger and wellhead

A method of installing a wellhead component such as a tubing hanger or tree cap utilizes hydraulic pressure to move the component downward. A blowout preventer is connected to the production tree. The component has a primary metal seal and an elastomeric installation seal. The component is lowered on drill pipe through the blowout preventer into the tree bore with the installation seal sealingly engaging the bore. The primary seal is in a run-in position prior to setting. The operator closes the blowout preventer and pumps liquid through a kill line into the annular chamber below the blowout preventer. This causes the component to move downward, deforming the primary seal into the sealing engagement with the bore and the component.

Pressure assist installation of production components in wellhead

A casing hanger seal assembly utilizes a deformable metal body and elastomeric seal rings which are O-rings. The seal rings are located in grooves in unbonded condition in the metal body. The inner wall of the metal body is tapered, matching the taper on the exterior of the casing hanger. The inner wall is sized so that it will be deformed outward as the body of the seal assembly is moved further downward. This causes the seal rings on the outer diameter of the body to engage the wellhead housing inner cylindrical wall. In a second version, the seal ring on the outer wall of the body is initially fully recessed. A deformable rib is located inward from the base of the groove. The rib presses the base of the groove outward.

Metal and elastomer casing hanger seal

A subsea well assembly has an antirotation device to prevent rotation of an inner wellhead housing within an outer wellhead housing. A number of slots are formed in the upper rim of the outer wellhead housing. The slots have open upper ends. A number of pins are mounted to the exterior of the inner wellhead housing. Guide surfaces extend upward from the slots to guide the pins as the inner wellhead housing is lowered into the outer wellhead housing. The pins locate in the slots to prevent rotation.

Antirotation device for subsea wellheads

A tubular connector joint has a pin member on one of the tubular members and a box member on the other of the tubular members. External pin threads are formed on the exterior of the pin member. Internal box threads have the same pitch as the pin threads. A latch ring locates between the pin threads and box threads. The latch ring contracts and has threads on its inner and outer diameter that mate with the threads of the two tubular members. A drive key causes the latch ring to rotate with the pin member. The latch ring contracts when the upper tubular member stabs into the lower tubular member. A short amount of rotation then causes the drive ring to engage the threads of the lower tubular member.

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

James A Gariepy