Abb Vetco Gray Incorporated

Vecto Gray Inc.

Lawrence A Eckert

Dale B Marietta

Norman Brammer

Charles D Bridges

James A Gariepy

Carl F Boehm

Garry R Stephen

Allan C Sharp

Casimir J Fritshe

Graeme Johnston

Peter M Kent

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 well completion system utilizes a seal which carries its own load ring. The seal is lowered into the bore of a wellhead housing around a tubular member. The seal carries a split load ring, which once positioned will move outward into engagement with a groove formed in the wellhead housing. A locking assembly will lock the seal to the wellhead housing. The locking assembly has a casing lock ring which will secure to the upper end of a section of casing, if the casing has been cut due to an emergency stuck condition. A tubing hanger lands over the locking assembly. The tubing hanger is retained by an actuating ring and lock ring that are independent of the tubing hanger seal.

Wellhead completion system

A connector for connecting a tubular starter head to a casing of a well allows connection without special tools. The tubular head has an annular recess extending upward from its lower end. The connector includes a seal actuating ring and a slips actuating ring, one of the rings having a recess. A seal ring locates in one of the recesses and slips locate in the other recess. Upward movement of one of the actuating rings sets either the slips or the seal ring first while the other remains unset. Then upward movement of the other actuating ring sets the other.

Well starter head

A casing hanger seal has facilities to enable periodic testing from the exterior of the wellhead housing. The casing hanger seal has inner and outer walls separated by a cavity. An energizing member moves downward to force the inner and outer walls into engagement with the casing hanger and bore of the wellhead housing. Test passages extend through the inner and outer walls, energizing member, and wellhead housing. The test passages divide the seal member into primary and secondary seal areas. Applications of test fluid, from the exterior, to the test passages determines whether a leak is present.

Casing hanger seal with test port

An emergency casing hanger and packoff allows casing to be set when it has been stuck. The hanger has a slip body that slides over the casing after the casing is cut. The slip body lands in a wellhead housing. The slip body has a bowl which carries slips for gripping the casing. A split ring carried by the body engages a recess in the wellhead housing to lock the hanger in place. A wedge moves the split ring outward when rotated by a running tool. An energizing ring carried by the slip body moves the slips downward to energize them. The packoff has a metal seal ring with an annular cavity, defining inner and outer faces. The inner face contains a plurality of deformable bands. A wedge member urges the faces apart, causing the bands to deform and seal against the casing.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Lawrence A Eckert