Fmc Corporation

Fmc Technologies, Inc.

Cameron International Corporation

Weatherford/lamb, Inc.

John C Vicic

Dwight D Janoff

Gregory L Glidden

Neil C Crawford

Kendall Keene

Patrick Glen Maguire

David E Cain

Clayton Plucheck

Christopher J Cuffe

Ken Whanger

Rudolf R Schoen

Christopher E Cunningham

Michael R Williams

William M Taylor

Tep Ungchusri

Don B Wafer

Danny K Wolff

Mark L Carter

Steven M French

Ronald D Quates

Manuel N Maligas

Ronald W Henley

Charles R Ortloff

Thomas James Dorsch

Appavoo Thangarasu

Christi Hambrick

Sue F Haeberle

Brian Swagerty

Jack Havens

Lee A Gillette

Stephen L Neeld

Kevin P Long

Ray Myers

Phillip F Huang

Roy W Benefield

David A Zollo

Tod Aldridge

Brenda K Montemayor

John A Fitzgerald

Allan K McGregor

Jerald L Smith

Andrew C Posluszny

Robert K Stoddard

Jim Tait

A seal assembly capable of low temperature service is disclosed. It features upper and lower metallic backup rings that are specially shaped to act as a spring to keep the sidewalls of such rings in contact with the inside and outside surfaces to be sealed to prevent extrusion of the seal material even in low temperature situations. Inner and outer grooves are provided. O-ring seals, used for the ID of the seal, are manufactured to have a slightly greater diameter than the groove into which they will be installed. The greater length provides stored energy to promote sealing functionality in cold temperature situations. The O-rings used for the OD of the seal are manufactured to have a slightly smaller diameter than the groove into which they will be installed. The shorter length provides stored energy to promote sealing functionality in cold temperature situations.

Annular seal

A wellhead assembly for use on a well with a blowout preventer stack having a bore therethrough that utilizes an intervention spool sealingly secured between a horizontal tree and the blowout preventer stack to allow the use of a removable valve package positioned in the intervention spool with valve actuators mounted on the exterior of the intervention spool is disclosed.

Intervention spool for subsea use

The present invention generally relates to an apparatus for sealing a wellbore. The sealing apparatus includes an expandable tubular body having one or more sealing elements disposed thereon. In one aspect, the sealing elements include swelling and non-swelling sealing elements. Preferably, the swelling sealing elements are made of a swelling elastomer capable of swelling upon activation by an activating agent. The swelling elements may be covered with a protective layer during the run-in. When the tubular body is expanded, the protective layer breaks, thereby exposing the swelling elements to the activating agent. In turn, the swelling elements swell and contact the wellbore to form a fluid tight seal.

Expandable sealing apparatus

An annular metal-to-metal sealing system comprises at least one metal member defining an annular sealing surface and an annular seal body which is comprised of a high strength metal material and which is positioned substantially concentrically relative to the annular sealing surface. The seal body has at least one flexible portion which is flexed during assembly to develop a seal activating force, and the metal-to-metal sealing system further comprises at least one annular soft metal sealing insert which is supported by the flexible portion and which is maintained in sealing engagement with the annular sealing surface by the seal activating force.

Metal-to-metal sealing system

A metal-to-metal sealing element for a wellhead assembly which includes at least first and second adjacent components and first and second generally annular sealing surfaces that are each formed on a corresponding one of the components. The sealing element comprises an annular base, an annular sealing lip which projects radially toward at least one of the first and second sealing surfaces and which comprises a seal retaining groove, a soft metal sealing insert which is disposed within the seal retaining groove and which in use engages the at least one sealing surface, and an annular intermediate portion which extends between the base and the sealing lip. The intermediate portion presses the sealing insert against the at least one sealing surface in an interference fit relationship.

An annular metal-to-metal sealing system, for use in wellhead systems and having many other uses, has a metal member defining an annular internal or external sealing surface for which sealing is intended. An annular seal body composed of high strength metal material is positioned in concentric relation with the annular sealing surface and is sufficient flexible to become spring loaded, typically during assembly, for continuous application of a spring force. The annular seal body defines one or more annular seal retainer grooves each having an annular soft metal sealing insert therein, with a portion thereof exposed for sealing engagement with the annular sealing surface. The spring loaded characteristic of the annular seal body applies constant force to maintain the soft metal seal insert in constantly energized sealing relation with the annular sealing surface and maintains effective sealing even when dimensional changes to the sealing surface occur due to temperature or pressure changes.

Metal-to-metal seal with soft metal insert

A heating device for a subsea oil and gas production equipment component comprises at least one heating cable which includes first and second generally parallel electrical conductors that are positioned in heat exchange relation with respect to a flow path through the component, a source of electrical power which is connected to the first and second electrical conductors and which when activated conducts a current between the conductors to generate heat, and an insulation layer which is disposed over the heating cable and the component. When the temperature of a well fluid in the component drops to a point below its flow temperature, the heating cable will generate heat that is transferred to the well fluid to maintain the temperature of the well fluid above its hydrate formation temperature.

Self-regulating heat source for subsea equipment

The invention is an insulation material comprising a novolac cured polysulfide polymer resin. The material is used as a thermal insulator for subsea gas and oil production equipment, such as pipes and wellhead equipment. In order to decrease the maximum exothermic temperature generated by the resin during curing, hollow glass beads are added to the resin. The amine content of the hardener in a standard resin was adjusted to further decrease the maximum exothermic temperature. A fumed silica thixotropic material was also added to increase the viscosity of the mixture. These modifications allow the material to be cast in thick sections without cracking, leaking, or excessive expansion during curing.

Thermal insulation material for subsea equipment

The present invention embodies a temperature control device for preventing the formation of alkane hydrates in a subsea oil and gas production equipment component having at least one flow path through which a well fluid is permitted to flow, the well fluid having a flow temperature and a lower hydrate formation temperature at which hydrates will form in the well fluid, the temperature control device comprising a housing positioned in heat exchange relation with respect to the flow path and a phase change material disposed in the housing, the phase change material having a melting point which is below the flow temperature but above the hydrate formation temperature, whereby when the temperature of the phase change material drops to its melting point, the phase change material will solidify and its latent heat will be transferred to the well fluid to maintain the temperature of the well fluid in the flow path above its hydrate formation temperature.

Method and apparatus for preventing the formation of alkane hydrates in subsea equipment

A wellhead seal assembly for sealing between first and second pipe members comprises an annular elastomeric body having, in cross-section, a generally rectangular shape comprising a first flat radial surface, a second flat radial surface, an inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface; said inner circumferential surface comprises a generally convex portion that extends from an imaginary plane connecting the inner circumferential edge of each of said first radial surface and said second radial surface; said seal assembly further comprises at least one annular, non-metallic spring member in said elastomeric body positioned generally tangentially to the intersection of either of said radial surfaces with said inner circumferential surface.

Seals containing composite non-extrusion springs

A gate valve for use in a high pressure line has a movable gate and a static seat within a valve body. The seat has a seat face which is in sliding contact with a gate face. The seat and gate faces are coated with an amorphic coating which hardens when the seat face and gate face are subjected to manufacturing processes or rubbed together during valve opening and closing. A leak resistant seal between the seat and gate faces results when the valve is closed and subjected to high line pressure.

Hardface coating for seal surfaces in a gate valve

A consumable probe is installed in an elbow zone of a well. The consumable probe is subject to ablation caused by abrasive particles suspended in the fluid being transported by the conduit. As the probe is ablated pressure sensitive chambers will be exposed and the pressure in the conduit will pressurize the pressure sensitive chambers and signal a readout station in a position remote from the location of the probe in the conduit.

Subsea wellhead mechanical erosion detector

Growing community of inventors

Spring, TX, United States of America

John C Vicic