Subsea wellhead connectors

Abstract

There is disclosed a remotely operable, subsea wellhead connector for connecting the lower end of one wellhead member to the upper end of another wellhead member which is mounted in an upright position beneath the water surface, such connector including a tubular member adapted to be connected to the lower end of the one wellhead member so that it may be lowered therewith into end-to-end relation with the lower wellhead member, and a split lock ring having upper and lower locking teeth carried by the tubular member for radial movement together between an expanded position in which the upper teeth are generally opposite and spaced from grooves about the tubular member and the lower teeth are movable past the upper end of the lower wellhead member for disposal opposite and spaced from grooves thereabout, and a contracted position in which the upper and lower teeth thereof are in locking engagement with the grooves in the tubular member and lower wellhead member, respectively, when the tubular member has been lowered in end-to-end relation with the lower wellhead member. The lock ring assumes either its expanded or its contracted positions when unstressed, and a ring surrounds the lock ring for movement between a first position in which the lock ring is expanded and a second position in which the cam ring is slidable over follower means on the lock ring to wedge it into contracted position. The cam ring is moved between its first and second positions by a plurality of remotely operable, extendible and retractible actuators arranged about the cam ring and connected at their opposite ends to the tubular member and the cam ring.