Baroid Technology, Inc.

Other

Tri C Le

Paul L Tasson

Scott K Beall

A blowout preventer comprises apparatus for allowing the pressure above and below its rams to equalize before the rams are opened. At least one of the rams has a bypass passageway therethrough disposed so as to allow communication between well zones above and below the rams, respectively. The bypass passageway also has a straight-sided tubular sealing section intermediate its ends. A sealing piston carrying a circumferential seal sized to engage the sealing section of the bypass passageway is reciprocable in that passageway to move the circumferential seal into and out of engagement with the sealing section and thereby respectively prevent or permit fluid flow through the bypass passageway. Where the actuator shaft for the ram is connected to the ram by a lost motion type connection, the sealing piston may be carried on the shaft. The sealing piston or other valve member may be carried on a carrier loosely mounted on an inner end of the shaft for lateral play, thereby allowing for 'self-centering' of the valve element with respect to the surface against which it must seal.

Blowout preventer opening mechanism

Apparatus and methods for sealing a parallel expanding gate valve are provided using upper and lower wedges separate from and located between the gate segments. The gate segments are symmetrical with respect to each other and have inner upper and lower tapered surfaces. Inclined surfaces on the upper wedge press the inner upper tapered surfaces of the gate segments. The inner lower tapered surfaces of the gate segments also press against inclined wedging surfaces on the lower wedge. This wedging action forces the gate segments outward with respect to each other and with substantial force against sealing assemblies to close and seal the gate valve.

Parallel expanding gate valve

An improved packing assembly is provided for forming a metal-to-metal sealing engagement between an outer cylindrical surface and an inner cylindrical surface within downhole or surface hydrocarbon recovery equipment having an axially extending flow path therein. The packing assembly includes an outer seal ring and a inner seal ring with upper and lower tapered surfaces, an upper energizing ring and a lower energizing ring each having tapered surfaces for sliding engagement with a tapered surface of the seal rings, and an interconnection member for limiting axial movement of the energizing rings. Projections on each of the seals rings are preferably provided for obtaining substantially line contact sealing engagement with the respective cylindrical surface, and each of these projections is spaced radially opposite and at substantially the same axial depth as a tapered surface on a respective upper or lower energizing ring, such that each of the projections is forced radially into sealing engagement with the corresponding cylindrical surface by a substantially equal force. According to the method of the present invention, the entire assembly is formed and may be lowered downhole to minimize installation costs, and the energizing rings thereafter moved axially together by the application of mechanical or hydraulic force to set the sealing assembly.

Packing assembly for oilfield equipment and method

A blowout preventer is provided with an improved sealing assembly for sealing engagement with a pipe extending through the blowout preventer into a well bore. The sealing assembly includes an elastomeric seal and a plurality of circumferentially spaced metal inserts within the seal for substantially minimizing or preventing extrusion of the seal under high fluid pressure. The BOP be reliably used for sealing engagement with pipes of varying diameters. Each insert has a substantially I-shaped configuration with an upper flange, a lower flange, and a rib fixedly interconnecting the flanges. A slot is provided within at least one of the flanges and forms a cavity for receiving a male interconnecting member extending circumferentially from an adjacent one of the inserts, such that the circumferentially spaced inserts are interconnected to minimize extrusion gaps between the inserts and to better enable the sealing assembly to form a positive seal with the pipe.

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Sugar Land, TX, United States of America

Tri C Le