Armco Inc.

National Oilwell, Inc.

William S Cowan

Edward M Galle

Douglas D Hall

Edwin R Knerr

Robert Hart

A connector assembly for connecting hydraulic lines in a control stab module assembly has an inner annular ring (27) having a plurality of radially outwardly facing ports (28) for the passage of hydraulic fluid therethrough, and an outer annular ring (1) having a plurality of radially inwardly facing ports (2) for the passage of hydraulic fluid therethrough. The inwardly facing ports (2) are arranged to be aligned with the outwardly facing ports (28) when the outer ring (1) is positioned about the inner ring (27). Each port comprises a first valve member (16, 33) which is resiliently biassed to a closed position to close the port, and urging means (53) are provided to urge the first valve member (16, 33) into an open position against the biassing means (17, 33) when said rings (1, 27) are positioned one about the other. Sealing means (25) are provided to seal an inwardly facing port (2) with an aligned outwardly facing port (28). Latching means for connecting the inner and outer rings (27, 1) are also provided.

Wellhead connection of hydraulic control lines

Connecting a tubular string to a subsea installation. The tubular string includes a short first section and a longer second section. The length of the first section is approximately one-half the depth between the lowermost guide ring of a fixed platform and the top of the subsea installation. One end of the first section is provided with a connector and the other end with a connector and a funnel. The first section is lowered through the guide rings and connected to the subsea installation. One end of the second section is provided with a connector and the second section is lowered through the guide rings and into the funnel. Since the two adjacent ends are about midway between the subsea installation and the lowermost guide ring, the adjacent ends are easily bent into alignment by the camming action resulting when the end of the second section slides along the inside tapered surface of the funnel when the axes of the platform and subsea installation are offset.

Remotely installing a tubular string

An apparatus for remotely cutting a broken guideline extending from an underwater guide post comprising a frame, a clamping mechanism for clamping the frame to the guide post in a predetermined location, a pair of opposed cutting jaws pivotally coupled to the frame, and a remotely actuated power device for pivoting the jaws across the longitudinal axis of the broken guideline to sever the guideline from the guide post. The cutting jaws are pivoted about the same axis and are actuated by a U-shaped driver slidably movable along the frame. The clamping mechanism comprises a pair of opposed jaws receivable in an annular groove in the guide post. Above the cutting jaws are a pair of pivotal loom jaws which guide the assembly on the post and also deflect any interfering portion of the broken guideline extending along the side of the post.

Remotely actuated cutting assembly for broken underwater guidelines

An apparatus and method for remotely cutting a broken guideline extending from an underwater guide post. The apparatus includes a frame, a clamping mechanism for clamping the frame to an annular groove in the guide post, a pair of opposed, pivotable cutting jaws coupled to the frame, and a remotely actuated power device for pivoting the cutting jaws across the longitudinal axis of the broken guideline to sever the guideline from the guide post. Above the cutting jaws are a pair of pivotal loom jaws which guide the assembly on the post and also deflect any interferring portion of the broken guideline extending along the side of the post. The method includes lowering the frame, jaws and clamping mechanism through the water to a position in which the clamping mechanism is below the annular groove in the guide post, slidably coupling the clamping mechanism to the guide post, raising the clamping mechanism upwardly until it is received in the groove and then actuating the pivotable cutting jaws.

Method and apparatus for remotely cutting broken underwater guidelines

A connector for male and female members, the connection being established by a stab-in action and being released by a rotational action. The connector includes a male member having an external helical groove, a female member having an internal helical groove, and a resilient helical coil received in the groove of one of the members and extending outwardly therefrom in the relaxed condition. The helical coil can have a circular or polygonal cross-section and has an end secured to the member carrying it to prevent gross displacement therebetween. The helical grooves in the male and female members having opposed, upwardly and inwardly tapering load-bearing surfaces receiving the helical coil therebetween in the connected condition. These tapering load-bearing surfaces can have the same or different angles of taper.

Helical coil stab-in connector

In apparatus for connecting a tension member, such as an element of a leg of a tension leg platform, to an underwater anchoring base, actual connection to the anchoring base is accomplished by a connector which is joined to the tension element by a flex joint which is spaced above the connector but surrounded by a tubular element rigid with the anchoring base, the flex joint carrying an annular stop surface which is closely embraced by the tubular element. Lateral loads applied to the flex joint by the tension element are transferred directly to the tubular element and the anchoring base rather than to the connector.

Apparatus for connecting a tension member to an under-water anchoring

A diverless system for levelling a template adjacent the floor of a body of water comprising a plurality of fluid-pressure activated gripping assemblies pivotally coupled to the template and receiving the supporting piles therein, with portions of the piles extending above the template; and a jacking assembly capable of being lowered down each of the piles, releasably connected to the template adjacent the associated gripping assembly and raising or lowering the template in the area each of each pile to level the template. The jacking assembly comprises an outer housing, and a double acting hydraulic piston slidably received in the housing, with a pile gripping assembly being coupled to the piston. The gripping assembly in the jacking assembly and those in the template are each formed from a plurality of ring segments that are serrated on the inside and have tapered ribs on the outside, these segments being received in a bowl having corresponding tapered ribs. The segments are spring biased upwardly and inwardly into the pile gripping position and released downwardly and outwardly by hydraulically actuated pistons. Without diver intervention, fluid under pressure is delivered to the gripping assemblies coupled to the template. The method of installing the template comprises landing the template on the floor of the body of water, passing a set of casing piles through passageways in the template and implanting the casing piles in the floor of the body of water with portions of the piles extending above the template, levelling the template, and rigidly connecting the levelled template to the piles. The step of levelling the template includes actuating the gripping assemblies coupled to the template. This step is preceded by the step of remotely delivering fluid under pressure from a fluid reservoir at the surface of the sea to each gripping assembly without underwater manual, i.e., diver, intervention.

Diverless subsea template levelling system and method

In connectors, particularly for underwater well installations, for securing two members together under large clamping forces, an annular locking means is actuated by means including cam surfaces which coact through rolling antifriction members, the actuating means being so constructed and arranged as to reduce the lengths of the cam surfaces and better retain the antifriction elements.

Connectors for securing members together under large clamping force

A remotely releasable connector for a pair of pipes including first and second sets of engageable threads on the first and second pipes, first and second aligned recesses on the exterior of the pipes, a latch received in both recesses to prevent relative rotation of the pipes, and a release ring supported around the exterior of the pipes and longitudinally movable therealong to engage the latch to remove it from the locking position.

Remotely releasable connector

A system for levelling a template adjacent the floor of a body of water comprising a plurality of gripping assemblies pivotally coupled to the template and receiving the supporting piles therein, with portions of the piles extending above the template; and a jacking assembly capable of being lowered down each of the piles, releasably connected to the template adjacent the associated gripping assembly and raising or lowering the template in the area of each pile to level the template. The jacking assembly comprises an outer housing, and a double acting hydraulic piston slidably received in the housing, with a pile gripping assembly being coupled to the piston. The gripping assembly in the jacking assembly and those in the template are each formed from a plurality of ring segments that are serrated on the inside and have tapered ribs on the outside, these segments being received in a bowl having corresponding tapered ribs. The segments are spring biased upwardly and inwardly into the pile gripping position and released downwardly and outwardly by hydraulically actuated pistons. The method of installing the template comprises landing the template on the floor of the body of water, passing a set of casing piles through passageways in the template and implanting the casing piles in the floor of the body of water with portions of the piles extending above the template, levelling the template, and rigidly connecting the levelled template to the piles.

Subsea template levelling system and method

A hanger apparatus for suspending an upright inner pipe from an outer pipe including a hanger body carried by the outer pipe, a hanger mandrel carried by the inner pipe, and a split locking ring carried in a recess in the hanger mandrel, the hanger body having a groove for receiving a rib on the locking ring and the hanger mandrel having a load-bearing shoulder received on a corresponding shoulder on the locking ring. The locking ring has a thick main body portion and a thin, flexible skirt depending therefrom. A rib on the hanger mandrel has an upwardly facing lifting surface for contacting a downwardly facing lifting surface formed as an upper wall in a transverse groove in the locking ring main body portion to provide a positive engagement during retrieval of the inner pipe. A guard rib below the lifting rib is releasably coupled to the hanger mandrel so the locking ring can be slipped into the mandrel with a minimum of distortion.

Hanger apparatus for suspending pipes with positive retrieval capability

In hanger apparatus of the type comprising a hanger mandrel carried by an inner pipe, an outer body which can be carried by an outer pipe, and a resiliently contractable annular locking device carried by the mandrel for locking the mandrel to the hanger body to suspend the inner pipe, the locking device comprises two independent annular resilient means, the upper one of which constitutes a locking means to cooperate with a locking groove in the hanger body and the lower one of which constitutes a catching means to cooperate with a catching groove in the hanger body below the locking groove. The two annular means are disposed in an outwardly opening annular recess presented by the mandrel. The invention has the advantage that the locking means, which may be a split ring, can be wholly within the mandrel recess as the mandrel is run down to the hanger body, the active outer surfaces of the locking ring thus being protected from being damaged during the trip down to the hanger body. A further advantage is that the catching device, being independent from the locking device, can be more resilient.

Hanger apparatus for suspending pipes

In hanger apparatus of the type comprising a hanger mandrel carried by an inner pipe, an outer body which can be carried by an outer pipe, and a resilient locking ring carried by the mandrel for connecting the mandrel to the hanger body to suspend the inner pipe the locking ring is in the form of an integral piece comprising a body portion, which cooperates with the hanger body to support the mandrel, and a dependent skirt which carries an inturned bottom flange cooperating with a retaining groove on the mandrel.

An improved hanger apparatus for suspending an inner pipe from an outer pipe or other annular member. The invention applies to hanger apparatus of the type comprising a hanger mandrel carried by an inner pipe, an outer hanger body, which can be carried by an outer pipe, and a resilient locking ring carried by the mandrel for connecting the mandrel to the hanger body to suspend the inner pipe. Hanger apparatus according to the invention have both special catch surfaces, coacting between the mandrel and outer hanger body to assure that full engagement occurs as a result of lowering the mandrel into the hanger body, and special load bearing surfaces for transferring the load to the outer hanger body when engagement has been achieved.

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West University Place, TX, United States of America

William S Cowan