The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 23, 1984
Filed:
Jan. 27, 1983
Joseph H Hynes, Houston, TX (US);
Hubert L Elkins, Kingwood, TX (US);
Hydril Company, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus is disclosed for controlling a well drilled from a floating drilling vessel during the time that the marine riser is removed and conductor casing is being lowered and cemented into the well. An annular blowout preventer having a bore substantially equal to that of the structural casing is provided in a stack above the structural casing wellhead. A kill line is provided to the drilling vessel and is connected to the wellbore conduit below the blowout preventer. A spool is attached to the top of the blowout preventer. A casing stripper is attached to the top of the spool and has a mandrel extending from its top about which a wellhead connector attached to the marine riser system is connected. The marine riser system includes a flow diverter at its top disposed on the drilling vessel. The hole to be lined with conductor casing is drilled through the marine riser to a depth of about one thousand (1000) feet below the sea bed. The annular blowout preventer is then closed, the riser system removed, and conductor casing is guided to the mouth of the mandrel atop the casing stripper. The conductor casing is then lowered into the spool and the blowout preventer is opened. The conductor casing, with a second wellhead attached to the top thereof, is stripped into the well, the second wellhead landing within the structural casing wellhead. The conductor casing is then cemented in the hole. Well pressure is monitored by means of a surface disposed pressure gauge attached to the top of the kill line. Excess well pressure is relieved by means of the kill line or by means of a vent valve provided in the structural casing wellhead housing.