Varco I/p, Inc.

Varco International, Inc.

National Oilwell Varco, L.p.

Padmasiri Daya Seneviratne

Lawrence Edward Wells

David Brian Mason

Roderick K Abbott

Preston R Fox

Daniel P Juhasz

Joseph A Picard

Arthur W Braman

Lawrence E Wells

Lawrence Wells

David B Mason

An internal blowout preventer used in drilling rigs for the discovery and production of hydrocarbons from the earth is disclosed. The internal blowout preventer has two independently and remotely operable blowout preventer valves in the same body, providing for greater service life and higher reliability during drilling operations. The two valves are loaded into the internal blowout preventer housing from a single end, and are operable by an actuator assembly.

Dual ball upper internal blow out preventer valve

A triple-valve internal blow out preventer having unitary construction is provided, each valve including a tubular assembly having a central passageway with upper and lower seats mounted therein. A ball is rotatably received between the upper and lower seats and includes an external surface and a central opening, wherein the central opening may include an undercut. A protective coating may also be applied to both the external surface and the undercut of the ball to increase the durability of each of the valves.

Triple valve blow out preventer

An internal blow out preventer is provided that includes a ball valve including a tubular assembly having a central passageway with upper and lower seats mounted therein. A ball is rotatably received between the upper and lower seats and includes an external surface and a central opening, wherein the central opening includes an undercut. A protective coating is applied to both the external surface and the undercut of the ball.

Internal blow out preventer ball and seat

A drilling system is provided that includes first and second tubular connectors and a washpipe assembly including at least one dynamic seal and defining a fluid conduit having a first mating connector and a second mating connector. The drilling system also includes a controllable torque driver arranged to mechanically engage the washpipe assembly such that fluid connections are made between the first mating connector and the first tubular connector, and the second mating connector and the second tubular connector.

Washpipe assembly

A drilling system and a method of using a drilling system that has a first rotatable tubular connector, a second non-rotatable tubular connector and a washpipe assembly having at least one dynamic seal and defining a fluid conduit having at one end a first mating connector and at another end a second mating connector designed to interconnect with the first and second tubular connectors. A controllable torque driver is arranged to mechanically engage the washpipe assembly such that fluid connections are made between the first mating connector and the first tubular connector, and the second mating connector and the second tubular connector.

Apparatus and method for rapid replacement of upper inside blowout preventers (IBOP) on a top drive system (TDS) utilizes a hydraulic pressure booster to increase the operating pressure of a pipe handler/torque wrench, an air amplifier to increase the air pressure to a main shaft brake of the TDS in order to provide torque back-up, a rotary table back-up structure (RTBS) for providing a torque back-up for removing the upper IBOP, and a drive ring for preventing relative rotation between the RTBS and upper IBOP. The saver sub and lower IBOP are first broken out, or loosened, with the pipe handler/torque wrench. The upper IBOP is then broken out by placing the RTBS over the rotary table with the rotary table and the TDS main shaft locked. The modified TDS and pipe handler/torque wrench are then used together with the RTBS and drive ring in order to rapidly and safely replace the upper IBOP.

Apparatus and method for rapid replacement of upper blowout preventers

A spinner for turning a well drilling kelly or the like and including a member connectible to the kelly to drive it rotatively, a reversible motor, and a drive between the rotor of the motor and said member including two gears for driving the member in opposite directions respectively, with the two gears being mounted by threaded connections for axial movement between active driving positions and retracted non-driving positions. Rotation of the motor acts by virtue of a threaded connection or connections to shift one of the gears to its active driving position to turn the driven member in a first direction, while retaining the second of the gears in its retracted position. Rotation of the motor in the opposite direction acts to shift the second of the gears to active position driving the member in its second direction while retracting the first of the gears to its inactive position.

Pipe spinner

A jacking mechanism for leveling a marine platform and a jacket supporting the platform by elevating a tubular leg or member of the platform relative to a pile extending through that member, with the jacking mechanism including a first gripping unit adapted to extend about and releasably grip the tubular member, a second gripping unit adapted to extend about and releasably grip the pile at a location beyond the tubular member and at a diameter smaller than the diameter at which the first gripping unit engages the tubular member, and power actuated means for moving the two gripping units axially relative to one another to cause the desired relative displacement of the leg and pile.

Marine platform jacket jack

An internal elevator to be received within and internally grip and support a tubular member such as a well platform supporting pile, and including slips preferably mounted within openings in an outer body and actuable radially outwardly into gripping engagement with the tubular member by powered axial movement of an inner camming body. The elevator is desirably suspended in horizontal position by a hanger in a manner enabling the elevator to be stabbed into an end of a horizontal tubular pile or member, with the elevator having additional connector means attachable to a suspending line in a relation then swinging the elevator and pile to vertical positions. In one form of the invention, the elevator may be formed as part of an elongated structure adapted to be lowered through vertically spaced pile guides, with the elongated structure acting to bridge the space between the guides and thereby assure proper alignment of the elevator with the guides and with a pile centered with respect thereto.

Growing community of inventors

Fullerton, CA, United States of America

Padmasiri Daya Seneviratne