Armco Inc.

Cooper Industries, Inc.

Armco Steel Corporation

Cameron Iron Works Usa, Inc.

James H Owens, Iii

Joseph H Hynes

William M Taylor

Kerry G Kirkland

Anthony J Masciopinto

A break-away flowline fitting for protecting a subsea Christmas tree to which the flowlines are connected when the flowlines are subjected to an externally applied axial load and/or bending moment. The fitting comprises a tubular member having a reduced wall thickness section integrally formed in the member and designed to part or separate axially at an externally applied load less than what would be necessary to harm the tree. A clamp closely surrounds the reduced wall thickness section and limits the pressure induced hoop membrane stress in the reduced wall thickness section to about the same value as in the adjacent normally configured fitting portions, thereby maintaining the pressure integrity of the fitting. A frame having supports disposed on the normally configured fitting portions and axially beyond each end of the reduced wall thickness section has removable reinforcing members which span the reduced wall thickness section prior to placing the fitting in service. The reinforcing members provide temporary support for the reduced wall thickness section and prevent its being damaged in transit or during installation, and are removed after the fitting is installed and ready for service. The fitting will then be 'armed' and ready to part axially at the reduced level of externally applied load.

Break-away flowline fitting

An improved well structure such as a well housing on which a casing hanger is to be landed which housing includes a high strength landing shoulder insert which allows the housing to support the casing hanger, its casing and the heavy loads associated therewith and with substantial pressure loads experienced in new wells. In one form of the invention an insert is provided in an internal recess in the housing and held therein by a housing ring threaded on the interior of the housing body. In another form an insert is introduced into an internal housing recess in the form of seat segments and bypass segments which are secured in place by the radial forming of a high strength seat ring. In still another form of the invention the high strength seat insert is segmented, positioned as segments in the internal housing recess and secured therein by the radial forming of a metal ring outwardly into internal recesses in each of the high strength seat insert segments. A casing hanger having a high strength landing ring carried thereon is landed on the high strength seat insert.

Well housing and landing shoulder

Connectors, particularly remotely operated connectors used to connect underwater well members under large clamping forces, are provided with rigid rolling antifriction elements engaged between a camming surface and a cam follower surface for converting axially directed operating motion into radial movement of a contractible and expansible annular locking means.

Connectors for securing members together under large clamping

A well riser support for supporting and guiding an assembly of well riser pipe through a rotary table to facilitate coupling or uncoupling joints of riser pipe to the riser assembly. The support includes a spider assembly containing a plurality of hydraulically actuated dogs for supporting the riser and a plurality of resilient bearings supporting the spider assembly. Each bearing is configured to absorb and distribute loads applied parallel to and transversely of the riser axis, and comprises alternating layers of elastomeric and non-elastomeric materials with the compression axis of the bearing being inclined with respect to the riser axis.

Well riser support having elastomeric bearings

A flowline is connected remotely to an underwater installation, typically an underwater wellhead, by remote operations carried out from an operational base at the water surface by connecting an end of the flowline to a swivel which has a flow passage coaxial with the axis of rotation of the swivel, guiding the swivel downwardly to a predetermined position at the underwater installation, then remotely connecting the swivel passage to a flow passage of the underwater installation, and then laying out the flowline while allowing the swivel to turn freely, whereby the end of the flowline connected to the swivel is allowed to assume a normal installed position which is not dependent upon a predetermined rotational disposition of the swivel.

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

James H Owens, Iii