Vetco Gray Inc.

Abb Vetco Gray Incorporated

Vetco Offshore, Inc.

Joseph William Pallini, Jr

Rockford Dee Lyle

Lionel J Milberger

Kevin Edward O'Dell

Steven Wong

Dennis Robert Martinchich

William Alexander Loose-Mitchell

Bulent Aksel

Jerry Keith Rhodes

Daniel Paul McGowan

Andrew Andor Zac-Williams

Fife Baker Ellis

Brian Munk

Mayur Mansukh

Jesse B Riha

Philip John Potter

Kim Hoang Phan

Jeffery Kirk McCarty

B Lee Danner

David J Rohweller

Chii Ren Lin

Tsorng-Jong Maa

Rickie Gene Wester

Andrew Campbell Kelly

Chijie Lin

Ali Hasan

A tubular member connection system includes a box having an inner diameter surface and internal box threads. A pin has an outer diameter surface and external pin threads, the pin threads shaped to mate with the box threads to releasably secure the pin to the box so that the pin and the box are aligned along a common central axis. A slot is located in one of the inner diameter surface and the outer diameter surface, the slot having a pair of sidewalls. An anti-rotation profile is located in the other of the inner diameter surface and the outer diameter surface. A key is sized to fit within the slot and have a key profile shaped to engage the anti-rotation profile and prevent relative rotational movement between the box and the pin.

Drop in anti-rotation key

A tubular member connection system includes a pin having a central axis, external pin threads, and an annular pin lip at a shoulder surface. A box has internal box threads and an annular box lip at an end surface of the box. The box threads are shaped to mate with the pin threads to releasably secure the pin to the box. A recess is formed in an outer diameter surface of the pin and extends in an axial direction from the pin lip. An anti-rotation key is located within the recess and has a row of teeth along an outer edge. A fastener retains the anti-rotation key in the recess. A circumferentially extending series of grooves on the box lip are sized to engage the teeth and resist a rotation of the pin relative to the box in an unscrewing direction when the pin is releasably secured to the box.

Pre-installed anti-rotation key for threaded connectors

A tubular member connection system includes a pin having a central axis, external pin threads, and an annular pin lip at a shoulder surface of the pin. A box has internal box threads and an annular box lip at an end surface of the box. The box threads are shaped to mate with the pin threads to releasably secure the pin to the box. A pin recess is formed in an outer diameter surface of the pin, the pin recess extending in an axial direction from the pin lip. A pin key is selectively fastenable within the pin recess, the pin key having pin teeth on an outer edge of the pin key. The box teeth are located in the box. The box teeth selectively mate with the pin teeth and resist rotation of the pin relative to the box.

Anti-rotation key for threaded connectors

A tensioner for maintaining a tensile force in a riser extending from a subsea wellhead assembly to a deck of a floating platform includes a hydro-pneumatic assembly having a first section secured to the deck and a second section secured to a support frame. A pivot joint is coupled to the riser and to the support frame, so that the riser is retained axially static with respect to the support frame and is pivotable with respect to the support frame. A guide assembly has at least two guide elements, the guide elements being axially spaced from each other so that when the deck and the support frame move axially relative to each other, the guide assembly restricts relative rotational movement between the deck and the support frame.

Marine riser tensioner with load transferring centralization

A collet assembly connects two tubular members with a rotation of an outer sleeve. The collet assembly includes a first tubular member with a grooved outer diameter end. The end is inserted into a collet having grooved inner and outer diameter surfaces, and an outer annular sleeve is threaded onto the collet. A grooved outer diameter end of a second tubular member is inserted into the collet. The outer annular sleeve is rotated relative to the collet. The rotation causes the collet to partially disengage from the outer annular sleeve and fully engage the grooves of the ends of the first tubular member and the second tubular member, thereby securing the first tubular member to the second tubular member.

Rotationally actuated collet style tubular connection

A tubular connector connects two tubulars of a string of tubular members. The tubular connector has a pin end tubular member having an axis and a pin end. A pin end flange is positioned on an outer diameter of the pin end and has an undercut adjacent the union of the pin end flange with the pin end. The tubular connector also has a box end tubular member having a box end. A box end shoulder is adjacent the union of the box end with the box end tubular member. The box end shoulder has an undercut thereon. The pin end is secured to the box end so that the pin end tubular member and the box end tubular member are joined, stresses applied to the pin end tubular member and the box end tubular member are distributed through the undercuts.

Elliptical undercut shoulder for specialty pipe connections

A pipe connection includes a tubular box having an internal threaded section extending from a rim, and a nose receptacle area joining the threaded section. A box seal surface is formed on the nose receptacle area. A tubular pin has a nose area extending from a pin end, and an external threaded section joining the nose area, the external threaded section mating with the internal threaded section. An annular groove is formed on the nose area between the pin end and the external threaded section. A pin seal surface is located at least partially in the groove for engaging the box seal surface to form a metal to metal sealing engagement.

Protected integral metal to metal seal

A coupler having two degrees of axial freedom couples a hydro-pneumatic cylinder to a tensioner ring of a riser tensioner mounted to a platform. A post extends along an axis of the cylinder and an intermediate sleeve is disposed around the post to form a post annulus. An outer sleeve is secured to the tensioner ring and defines a cavity into which the post and intermediate sleeve are inserted so that an annulus is formed between the sleeve and the outer sleeve. The Outer sleeve is coupled to the intermediate sleeve so that the outer sleeve may pivot on the coupling between the outer sleeve and the intermediate sleeve relative to the intermediate sleeve. The intermediate sleeve is coupled to the post so that the intermediate sleeve may pivot on the coupling between the intermediate sleeve and the post relative to the post.

Tensioner cylinder connections with multiaxial degrees of freedom

A subsea riser assembly connects two tubular members with axial movement of an outer sleeve. The assembly includes a first tubular member having an end, and a second tubular member having an end with a plurality of box end fingers separated by slots, the second tubular member coaxial with the first tubular member. The end of the first tubular member is inserted into the end of the second tubular member. An outer sleeve having an inner diameter that engages an outer diameter of each box end finger. Axial movement of the outer sleeve relative to the box end fingers causes the inner diameter of the outer sleeve to interact with the outer diameter of the box end fingers, thereby causing the box end fingers to contract radially. The radial contraction of the box end fingers secures the first tubular member to the second tubular member in a made-up position.

Slide actuating tubular connector

A tubular connector secures two coaxial tubulars using a box and pin connection. A pin end tubular member having an axis and a pin end inserts into a box end tubular member having a box end. A pin end flange formed on an outer diameter of the pin end tubular member receives an end of the box end of the box end tubular member. An inwardly depending flange is disposed on the inner diameter of the box end portion. The inwardly depending flange is spaced apart from the box end planar surface and has a box end shoulder formed at an angle to the axis facing a same direction as the box end planar surface of the box end tubular member. An end of the pin end of the pin end tubular member engages with the inwardly depending flange for compressive load transfer.

Tubular connector having a secondary shoulder

A push-up tensioner for maintaining a tensile force in a riser having an axis couples to a floating platform and maintains the tensile force while the riser tilts variably from the vertical. The tensioner includes a plurality of cylinders having a lower end pivotally coupled to the deck. The cylinders are substantially perpendicular to the deck in the running position and at an angle to the deck in the tensioning position. After running of the riser, a placement assembly moves the cylinders from the running position to the tensioning position. A tensioner ring is run on the riser proximate to an upper end of the cylinders, and the cylinders are then automatically coupled to the tensioner ring.

Marine riser tensioner

A tensioner anti-rotation device and method that transfers rotational force from an offshore platform deck to a riser in response to waves and currents. The device includes a bracket mounted on the deck, and a rib that transfers force from the deck through the bracket, to the rib, and into the riser such that the tensioners on the riser are not subjected to torque.

Tensioner anti-rotation device

A riser connector uses a box and upset pin connector threadform design having S-shaped load flanks that provide a variable load angles depending on the radial position along the engaged teeth. This design promotes a load path that changes with position along the axial length of the engaged thread, as well as increasing or decreasing external loads on the connector. The connector also varies radial distention of the pin from the box in a manner that is different from one thread to the next. The threadform uses a combination of thread cuts that vary in shape, pitch, and/or thread cone angle to provide load and stab flanks, as well as a load path, that vary from one axial end of the engaged thread to the other.

Threaded pipe connector

A hydro-pneumatic tensioner includes a barrel having an inner bore and a pressurized fluid contained within to form at least part of a primary accumulator having a preset volume of gas at a nominal pressure. A piston having a piston rod extending from an aperture in the barrel is slidably carried in the bore of the barrel and is in communication with the pressurized fluid and positioned to increase the fluid pressure when the piston strokes in the direction of the pressurized fluid. A secondary accumulator also has a preset volume of gas at a preselected pressure. A fluid separator maintains functional separation of the fluid volumes of the primary and secondary accumulators when the primary accumulator pressure is less than the preselected secondary accumulator pressure. The fluid separator allows functional combining of the fluid volumes of the primary and secondary accumulators when the primary accumulator pressure equals or is greater than the preselected secondary accumulator pressure.

Hydro-pneumatic tensioner with stiffness altering secondary accumulator

An attachment extends between an outer sleeve and an inner riser pipe where the pipe penetrates the keel of a platform. In one version, the attachment is a conically-shaped with a small diameter ring that engages the riser pipe and a large diameter ring that engages the outer sleeve. This attachment has elements that are very flexible in bending but relatively stiff and strong in axial load. Other versions include flat rings where lateral load is taken directly into tension and compression in the beams, allowing for relatively high lateral load transfer. Both the conically-shaped attachment and the flat ring have a number of variations that provide low bending stiffness but high axial stiffness of the elements. Depending on whether resistance to axial loads, lateral loads, or resistance to combination of both loads is desired, the attachment and the flat ring may be used alone or in combination. Other variations of the device provide two opposing conical shaped attachments or a conical and flat ring attachment installed together to provide load capability in both axial and lateral directions while still providing angular flexibility.

Growing community of inventors

Tomball, TX, United States of America

Joseph William Pallini, Jr