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:
Jan. 08, 2002
Filed:
Apr. 14, 2000
Roy Mitchell Guinn, Houston, TX (US);
Shell Oil Company, Houston, TX (US);
Abstract
The invention is a device for eliminating the “tripping” of the BOP stack to the surface when switching between drilling and completion modes of operation on a drilling rig. This device is a new apparatus for attaching a BOP guide funnel, which will allow the funnel to be released and/or reattached while the BOP remains subsea on or near the seafloor. The new BOP guide funnel assembly consists of three basic components: a guide funnel, a connector shroud and a parking pile adapter. The guide funnel has a downwardly opening funnel on bottom (used to capture a wellhead) and an upwardly opening smaller funnel on top (used to guide the shroud back into the guide funnel during re-installation of the guide funnel). The connector shroud is permanently attached to the bottom of the BOP stack, surrounding the BOP wellhead connector and holds the guide funnel in place. The connector shroud also acts as a guide for entering other subsea equipment designed in a funnel-up configuration when the guide funnel is not present. The connector shroud includes a latching mechanism for releasing and/or reattaching the guide funnel. The latching mechanism may be controlled either by the BOP control system or by intervention from a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The parking pile adapter is designed to “store” the funnel at the seafloor when it has been released from the BOP stack.