National Oilwell Varco, L.p.

Nov Intervention and Stimulation Equipment US, LLC

Varco I/p, Inc.

Hydra Rig, Inc.

Timothy Scott Steffenhagen

William Benjamin White

David W McCulloch

Marcus Joseph Doran

William G Stewart

Kenneth Gene Barnes

Matthew Stephen Lane

John E Goode

Troy Cain

Mike Xiaolei Lu

Kevin Edwin AuBuchon

Antonio Ruiz

Randall Scott Graves

Kraig W Huse

David W Mcculloch

Kevin Edwin Aubuchon

A chain wear system for monitoring an amount of wear of a chain operating on a plurality of sprockets may include a chain monitoring device configured for determining a length of the chain passing by a point in an amount of time, a sprocket monitoring device configured for determining the amount of sprocket rotation of at least one of the plurality of sprockets in the amount of time, and a processing system in signal communication with the chain monitoring device and the sprocket monitoring device. The processing system may be configured for calculating the amount of wear based on the length of the chain and the amount of sprocket rotation.

Chain wear sensor

A coiled tubing injector including two or more drive chains each carrying a plurality of grippers for engaging coiled tubing within a grip zone defined between the two or more drive chains, a drive system including at least one hydraulic motor connected to a drive line and a return line forming a drive circuit for fluidly powering the at least one hydraulic motor, and a tension system including at least one hydraulic cylinder for tensioning the two or more drive chains. The tension system can include a reactive chain tension circuit for automatically tensioning the two or more drive chains by maintaining a pressure differential between a fluid pressure within the drive line and a fluid pressure within the at least one hydraulic cylinder.

Coiled tubing injector with reactive chain tension

A coiled tubing injector system may include a coiled tubing injector guide configured for guiding coiled tubing into a coiled tubing injector and a remotely adjustable guide mechanism. The remotely adjustable guide mechanism may include a guide mount configured for adjustably securing the coiled tubing injector guide to a frame of the coiled tubing injector and a drive mechanism configured for remotely adjusting a position of the guide mount relative to the frame.

Injector remote tubing guide alignment device

A coiled tubing injector system includes a traction system for advancing coiled tubing through the injector and into or out of a well. The traction system includes a plurality of carriers () and gripper shoes () configured to repeatedly propagate through the injector along guides (). The traction system also includes a position monitor () for monitoring the lateral position of the carrier, gripper shoe, or portion thereof as the carrier and gripper shoe propagates along the coiled tubing path.

Coiled tubing injector with gripper shoe carrier position monitor

A snubbing jack including a jack assembly including a base plate, a traveling plate, an axis extending through the base plate and the traveling plate, and a plurality of piston-cylinder assemblies, a rotary drive including a rotary base and a hub, wherein the rotary drive is configured to rotate the hub relative to the rotary base, a clamp coupled to the rotary base and configured to grip a first tubular member, a power tongs coupled to the rotary base and configured to grip a second tubular member and to rotate the second tubular relative to the rotary base, and a torque transfer device coupled between the rotary drive and the jack assembly and configured to allow the rotary drive to move axially relative to the base plate and configured to restrict rotation of the rotary drive relative to the jack assembly.

Snubbing jack capable of reacting torque loads

The present disclosure relates to novel and advantageous devices, systems, and methods for stabilizing a coiled tubing guide extending from a coiled tubing unit. Stabilization of the guide may mitigate movement of the guide from lateral operational forces. The guide may be stabilized by clamping or anchoring a connection point between the guide and the unit, such as between the guide and a coiled tubing injector frame or a tubing guide mount coupled to the coiled tubing injector frame. In general, a clamp or other mechanism may operate to preload the pinned connection with a prescribed force. The direction of the force may be perpendicular, or near perpendicular, to an axis of rotation about which lateral loading on the guide causes moment forces.

Tubing guide stabilization

A flow responsiveness enhancer apparatus may include a stack of manifolds with at least one manifold dedicated to each of the rams of the blowout preventer. The flow responsiveness enhancer includes a shared pressure line coupled to each of the manifolds, and a shared tank line coupled to each of the manifolds. Each manifold can include a 4-way directional valve that is piloted by the pressure levels in a pair of input ports. Each 4-way directional valve can couple the shared pressure line and the shared tank line to a pair of output ports.

Flow responsiveness enhancer for a blowout preventer

A hinged structure includes a hinge that is actuatable using a hydraulic cylinder. A method of monitoring a load applied to the hinged structure involves leaking the hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic cylinder in a way that compensates for expansion of the hydraulic fluid caused by variations in temperature of the hydraulic fluid. The method further involves measuring the pressure of the hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic cylinder. The hydraulic cylinder may be part of a coiled tubing injector. The load applied to the hydraulic cylinder may be used to indicate an overload of the tubing guide.

Load-measuring hydraulic cylinder

When one of at least two independently driven gripper chains () of a coiled tubing injector () begins to turn faster than another one of the injector's other independently drive gripper chains by an amount that indicates slipping of one of the independently driven gripper chains relative to tubing () being held between the driven gripper chains, a hydraulic timing circuit (), which is coupled with the driven chains through hydraulic timing motors (), generates a pressure signal that causes the injector's hydraulic traction system to increase the hydraulic pressure applied by hydraulic cylinders () to generate a normal force applied by grippers on the chains to the tubing.

Coiled tubing injector with hydraulic traction slip mitigation circuit and method of use

The invention pertains to methods and apparatus for monitoring loads on an arched tubing guide of a coiled tubing injector caused by tension on coiled tubing. The load is sensed by a load sensor, for example, a load cell placed in a strut that supports the arched tubing guide, or in a load pin or load cell placed within the structure arched tubing guide or the connection of the arched tubing guide to a frame for the coiled tubing injector, at a location where the load is representative of the load placed on an arched tubing guide by tension in the coiled tubing. The load sensor generates a feedback signal. The load is monitored, either by an operator or a controller, and torque applied to a reel around which the tubing is wound is adjusted to avoid, or in response to, excessive loads on the arched tubing guide.

Coiled tubing injector with load sensing tubing guide

A coiled tubing injector comprises a drive system for independently driving a plurality of chains independently but otherwise retarding relative motion between the driven chains when a chain begins to slip uncontrollably.

Coiled tubing injector with limited slip chains

A spool for carrying continuous pipe or coiled tubing for a coiled tubing injector is dropped into a stand at a site and coupled to a rotary power source. The stand includes two axles, on either side of the spool, and a drive coupling. A pipe slideably extends through one of the axles. It is retracted when the spool is lowered onto the stand and then extended for communicating fluid between the coiled tubing and a fluid source. A swivel joint is connected to one end of the pipe. The pipe is permitted to turn with the spool or is held stationary with respect to the stand depending on whether the swivel joint is mounted outside the stand or inside the spool.

Reel spool and stand assembly for coiled tubing injector system

A coiled tubing injector includes two chains mounted for continuous, opposing rotation and aligned to grip between the continuous tubing. Behind a portion of each chain is a straight skate that presses gripper elements on the chain against the tubing as it passes between the chains. The skate includes a beam. Rollers are mounted on carriers, and the carriers slide into slots formed on the beam. A resilient pad is placed between the carriers and the beam. The gripper elements roll over the rollers as they are being pressed against the continuous tubing. Dimensional variations in gripper elements, rollers, and the roller carriers that may otherwise cause grippers to be out of alignment are accommodated by compression of the pad. Furthermore, the last roller at each end of each skate is mounted for pivoting against a spring in order to deflect as gripper elements turn into, or out of, alignment with the skate.

Growing community of inventors

Fort Worth, TX, United States of America

Timothy Scott Steffenhagen