Shell Oil Comapny

Other

Joe O Esparza

Moye Wicks, Iii

Carl G Langner

Gregory S Lester

Vitold R Kruka

Thomas L Stewart

Frans F Kopp

Thomas E Long

Gene Hugh Sherwin

Alan Dale Leitko

A conduit cleaning jetting pig is provided, the pig having a central axis that can be aligned with a central axis of a conduit to be cleaned, the pig including: a seal means having an upstream side and a downstream side, the seal means effective to prevent a significant flow of fluids from the upstream side of the pig to the downstream side of the pig between the pig and the inside of the conduit when a differential pressure exists between the upstream side and the downstream side of the pig; a rotating element rotatably connected to the downstream side of the seal means; a plurality of nozzles connected to the rotating element each nozzle defining a flowpath through the nozzle for fluids to pass through each of the nozzles, and the flowpath in communication with a channel from the upstream side of the seal means to the flowpath with the flowpath through the nozzle aligned in part tangential to a cylinder around the central axis of the pig and aligned in part toward the inside wall of the conduit; and a friction creating element capable of being urged against an inside surface of a conduit, the friction creating element allowing a limited and controlled rate of movement down the pipe when fluid is provided on the upstream side of the pig wherein the friction created decreases with increasing fluid flow through the flowpaths defined by the nozzles. This pig is useful for removing solids such as wax from the inside of pipes.

Jetting pig

Vibrations are created in a flow conduit by constraining a bluff object having a plurality of positions between which flow of fluid forces the bluff object. In a preferred embodiment, the vibration technique is utilized in a gravel packing tool. Gravel pack sand is placed while the gravel pack tool is vibrated by balls constrained within a wash pipe. A considerably improved gravel pack density is achieved.

Fluid flow conduit vibrator and method

A wash down placement of a screen into sand within a well borehole is improved by vibration of a wash pipe as the wash pipe is removed from the screen. A compacted sand gravel pack around the screen is achieved. The vibrations are created by constraining a bluff object having a plurality of positions between which flow of fluid forces the bluff object.

Gravel pack apparatus and method

A clamp is disclosed which is capable of latching on to a buckle arrestor on a subsea pipeline which has been severed in the vicinity of the buckle arrestor. By severing the pipe in this location and utilizing the buckle arrestor to latch the clamp on to the pipe, a simple and reliable clamp is used. A method to recover such a subsea pipeline by severing the pipeline in the vicinity of the buckle arrestor and utilizing such a clamp is also disclosed.

Subsea pipeline recovery clamp

A flowline bundle is twisted or braided into a permanent rope-like helical configuration, prior to laying the flowline bundle offshore by the reel method. Apparatus for forming the helical flowline bundle includes a pipe twist head and a series of pipe tumblers alternating with intermediate pipe supports, which apparatus rotates and translates part of a flowline bundle while simply translating the other part.

Method for fabricating helical flowline bundles

Apparatus for making helical flowline bundles

A method is provided for reducing the force required to pull a pipe through a J-tube riser by coating the pipe and/or the inside of the riser with a fluorocarbon polymer or copolymer.

Reduced J-tube pull force

A method and apparatus are provided for reducing the force required to move a pipe through a J-tube attached to an offshore platform. The J-tube is provided with at least two spaced-apart sections and at least the pipe and/or one section is oscillated as the pipe is moved through the J-tube, thereby reducing the force required to move the pipe.

A method and apparatus are provided for reducing the force required to move a pipe through a J-tube riser attached to an offshore platform. The J-tube riser is provided with at least one movable section and the movable section is oscillated as the pipe is moved through the J-tube riser, thereby reducing the force required to move the pipe.

Reduced J tube pull force

A reusable template is disclosed herein for use in cutting pipe and other related applications in conjunction as a guide for an oxygen cutting torch. The template, as described in a preferred embodiment as a pipe template, has one or more contour ends so configured that after the branch pipe is cut it will fit flush against the external surface of a header pipe at the desired angle determined by the configuration of the contour end. The template is made of oxidation resistant material, with an alloy content sufficient to produce refractory oxides when heated by a flame, thus preventing the template from being cut by the oxygen cutting torch. The template is held in place over or on the workpiece or pipe by means well known in the art. The contour end or shape of the template is used as a guide for the nozzle of a standard oxygen cutting torch. Since the template is made of oxidation resistant material, the torch will cut the workpiece or pipe in the configuration of the contour of the template without destroying the template.

Flame cutting template

A gel plug of vegetable oil, fatty acid, a particulate filler such as calcium carbonate, and an optional base and/or polymer is employed during construction of an offshore pipeline to separate a gas-filled portion of the pipeline from a water-flooded portion, and to facilitate control and movement of a gas/gel plug/water interface as desired to assist in construction operations.

Pipeline gel plug

Interfaces are detected in pipeline batching by means of a capacitance cell for determining dielectric constants. The batch fluid may be purified by a centrifugal filter to allow identification of the batch fluid by dielectric constant.

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Katy, TX, United States of America

Joe O Esparza