Cooper Cameron Corporation

Timothy J Allen

David H Theiss

A rod brake, and a method, including an elastic device, such as a coil spring, array of split rings, or an elastic sleeve, that engages one or more grooves in a cylindrical surface to restrain the rod from longitudinal movement relative to another body, and wherein longitudinal force is applied to distort the elastic device and push it out of the one or more grooves to release the rod for longitudinal movement is disclosed. A locking sleeve is added to lock the elastic device against distortion and movement to the release configuration.

Apparatus and method for retarding translation between two bodies

An injection spool for use in the injection of a fluid, for example a slurry of drilling cuttings, into a subsea wellhead assembly has an outer housing having a central bore therethrough. The housing has a first end for connection to a wellhead assembly such that the central bore of the housing is aligned with the central bore of the wellhead assembly. An inner housing, for example an isolation sleeve, having a central bore therethrough is disposed within the central bore in the outer housing, whereby a cavity is formed between the inner housing and the outer housing. A port in the outer housing has an opening into the cavity between the inner housing and the outer housing, through which a fluid may be injected. The inner housing has a portion extending from within the outer housing beyond the first end of the outer housing for forming a cavity within a wellhead assembly to which the injection spool is connected. The cavity thus formed connects the cavity in the injection spool with an annular cavity defined by adjacent casings present in the wellhead assembly. In this way, a fluid injected into the injection spool through the port in the housing flows into an annulus between two casings in the well, from which it can be injected into an underground formation.

Method and apparatus for injecting a fluid into a well

A wellhead assembly comprises a central bore through the wellhead assembly having a pressure boundary region. A port is provided in the wellhead assembly having an opening in the central bore in the pressure boundary region of the wellhead assembly. The port preferably extends through the high pressure housing into the bore of the wellhead assembly. A first casing string is secured at a first end within the wellhead assembly below the opening of the port in the central bore of the wellhead assembly. A second casing string is secured at a first end within the wellhead assembly above the opening of the port in the central bore of the wellhead assembly. A fluid flowpath is thereby formed comprising the port in the wellhead assembly and an annulus between the first and second casing strings. In this way, access is provided to an annulus within the well. A method for passing a fluid through an annulus in a well is also provided, the well having a wellhead assembly comprising a central bore therethrough, the annulus being formed between a first casing string and a second casing secured within the wellhead assembly and extending into the well.

Wellhead assembly for accessing an annulus in a well and a method for its use

A wellhead assembly comprises an outer housing having a central bore therethrough and an inner housing having a central bore therethrough secured in the central bore of the outer housing. The inner housing has a first end within the outer housing. A first inner casing having a central bore therethrough is secured at a first end in the outer housing and spaced from the first end of the inner housing. A port is provided through the outer housing in communication with the central bore therethrough, the port opening into the central bore of the outer housing between the first end of the inner housing and the first end of the first inner casing. A second inner casing is secured in the wellhead assembly at a first end, whereby the port opens into the central bore of the outer housing between the first end of the first inner housing and the first end of the second inner housing. An annulus is formed between the first and second inner casings. A flowpath for fluid injection into a well in which the wellhead assembly is installed comprises the port in the outer housing and the annulus between the first and second inner casings. A method for injecting fluid into the wellhead assembly and the well along the aforementioned flowpath is also provided. The wellhead assembly and method are particularly suitable for the injection of a slurry of drilling cuttings into the well and underground formations into which the well extends.

Wellhead assembly for injecting a fluid into a well and method of using the same

A method and apparatus for sensing the profile and position of a well component in a well bore and transmitting this information to a surface mounted display unit to aid an operator in performing subsea well operations. The apparatus includes an instrumented flange with appropriate end connections to allow connecting the flange between the annular preventer and the drilling riser. The instrumented flange is sufficiently long to allow a first plurality of sensor units to be arranged circumferentially around the axial bore of the flange in a single plane and a second plurality of sensor units to be arranged in a helical pattern along the axis of the flange. The output signals of the sensor units are processed at a signal processing unit which then transmits the information to a display unit at the surface.

Apparatus and method for sensing the profile and position of a well component in a well bore

A tubular connection, an example of which is a subsea wellhead having a primary and secondary seal areas allows the use of a backup or contingency gasket for engagement with the secondary seal area in the wellhead should a failure occur in the primary seal area. In the preferred embodiment, the primary and secondary seal areas are sufficiently separated such that the erosion damage which occurs from leakage with the original gasket adjacent the primary seal area, which can spread below the primary seal area, leaves the secondary seal area unaffected. A backup or contingency gasket can be inserted for sealable contact with the secondary sealing area for further well operations.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Timothy J Allen