US3215454A - Wellhead connector - Google Patents

Wellhead connector Download PDF

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Publication number
US3215454A
US3215454A US401483A US40148364A US3215454A US 3215454 A US3215454 A US 3215454A US 401483 A US401483 A US 401483A US 40148364 A US40148364 A US 40148364A US 3215454 A US3215454 A US 3215454A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
body member
latch
well
fluid
shoulder
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US401483A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
William J Hayes
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Shell USA Inc
Original Assignee
Shell Oil Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority to US401483A priority Critical patent/US3215454A/en
Application filed by Shell Oil Co filed Critical Shell Oil Co
Priority to DK508865AA priority patent/DK108491C/da
Priority to GB42025/65A priority patent/GB1060020A/en
Priority to NL6512827A priority patent/NL6512827A/xx
Priority to DES99926A priority patent/DE1226057B/de
Priority to BE670491D priority patent/BE670491A/xx
Priority to ES0318108A priority patent/ES318108A1/es
Priority to NO159941A priority patent/NO116627B/no
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3215454A publication Critical patent/US3215454A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B17/00—Drilling rods or pipes; Flexible drill strings; Kellies; Drill collars; Sucker rods; Cables; Casings; Tubings
    • E21B17/01—Risers
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B33/00—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells
    • E21B33/02—Surface sealing or packing
    • E21B33/03—Well heads; Setting-up thereof
    • E21B33/035—Well heads; Setting-up thereof specially adapted for underwater installations
    • E21B33/038—Connectors used on well heads, e.g. for connecting blow-out preventer and riser
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B33/00—Sealing or packing boreholes or wells
    • E21B33/02—Surface sealing or packing
    • E21B33/03—Well heads; Setting-up thereof
    • E21B33/04—Casing heads; Suspending casings or tubings in well heads
    • E21B33/043—Casing heads; Suspending casings or tubings in well heads specially adapted for underwater well heads

Definitions

  • This invention relates to apparatus for use in drilling, completing and working over operations in oil and gas wells at offshore locations, and pertains more particularly to apparatus to be used with a marine conductor pipe which is a large-diameter pipe used to provide full-flow fluid communication between a vessel at the surface of a body of water and a wellhead assembly positioned on the ocean floor or at a substantial depth below the surface of the water.
  • the wellhead connector of the present invention may be employed to secure the lower end of a marine conductor pipe to the upper end of a wellhead drilling assembly positioned on the ocean floor.
  • Deep water wells are generally drilled from vessels of varying design commonly known as drilling barges, vessels or platforms. Deep water wells are generally drilled by one of two methods. In one method a string of drill pipe extends downwardly from the drilling vessel to the drilling wellhead assembly, on the ocean floor, which is closed at the top by a circulation head with a flexible hose running from the circulation head back to the surface and to the drilling vessel so that drilling fluid may be circulated down the drill pipe, through the drill bit, and thence upwardly along the outside of the drill pipe, out the circulation head and up the flexible hose to the vessel again.
  • a string of drill pipe extends downwardly from the drilling vessel to the drilling wellhead assembly, on the ocean floor, which is closed at the top by a circulation head with a flexible hose running from the circulation head back to the surface and to the drilling vessel so that drilling fluid may be circulated down the drill pipe, through the drill bit, and thence upwardly along the outside of the drill pipe, out the circulation head and up the flexible hose to the vessel again.
  • a large-diameter pipe known as a marine conductor pipe is put together and arranged to extend from the drilling wellhead assembly near the ocean floor to the vessel on the surface of the water.
  • the drill pipe rotates within the conductor pipe with drilling fluid being circulated down through the drill pipe, through the bit at the bottom thereof, up the outside of the drill pipe within the well and thence upwardly through the annular space between the conductor pipe and the drill pipe, returning to the barge in the conventional way.
  • the present invention is concerned with apparatus to be used in the second method described hereinabove.
  • Connectors of this type employ a hydraulically-actuated piston which operates latches carried by the connector unit to drive them into recesses arranged on a mating member adapted to telescopically engage the connector.
  • the pressure lines which actuate the piston of this type extend to the vessel at the surface.
  • the arrangement of the operating piston is such that the latches of the connector are positively locked in position until actuating pressure fluid can be supplied to the other side of the piston. It has been found that drilling in certain locations, for example in Alaskan waters, the pressure fluid lines running from the vessel to the certain wellhead components may become clogged or damaged in some manner during the several weeks or months of operation necessary to drill the well.
  • a further object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for releasably securing the lower end of a marine conductor pipe to the upper end of a wellhead assembly on the ocean floor in a fiuidtight manner without positively locking the marine conductor pipe to the wellhead assembly so that it could not be pulled olf in the event of an emergency.
  • Still another object of the present invention is to provide a wellhead connector device and sealing apparatus at the bottom of a marine conductor pipe for sealing the marine conductor pipe to an underwater wellhead in a manner such that a predetermined upwardly pull on the marine conductor pipe and the wellhead connector will separate it from the underwater wellhead assembly.
  • a further object of the present invention is to provide a wellhead connector for use at the lower end of a marine conductor pipe, said wellhead connector being adapted to be simultaneously sealed to and unlatched from an underwater wellhead assembly.
  • FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view taken in longitudinal projection illustrating a floating drilling vessel positioned at the surface of the ocean with an underwater wellhead assembly positioned on the ocean floor;
  • FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal view taken in enlarged detail and partially in cross section of the wellhead connector of the present invention.
  • FIGURE 3 is an enlarged detailed view taken in cross section of one form of positive locking device carried by the latch operator for maintaining the latches in a retracted position during drilling operations.
  • a drilling vessel, barge or platform is generally represented by numeral 11.
  • the drilling vessel is of any suitable type preferably, as illustrated, floating on the surface of a body of water 12 and being substantially fixedly positioned over a preselected drilling location by suitable vessel-positioning means or by being anchored to the ocean floor 13 by suitable anchors (not shown) connected to the anchor lines 14 and 15.
  • Equipment of this type may be used when carrying on well drilling operations in water depths
  • the drilling vessel is equipped with a suitable derrick 16 as well as other auxiliary equipment needed during the drilling of a well, such as a hoist system 17, rotary table 18, etc.
  • the derrick 16 may be positioned over a drilling slot or well which extends vertically through the vessel in a conventional manner.
  • the slot of the vessel may be centrally located or extend in from one edge.
  • drilling operations may be carried out over the side of the vessel without the use of a slot, as from a portion of the deck of the vessel which is cantilevered out over one end.
  • the equipment of the present invention may also be used when drilling a well from any suitable operational base positioned above the surface of the water, such for example, as from a drilling barge having legs extending from the ocean floor, or from a platform permanently positioned on the ocean floor.
  • FIGURE 1 A typical underwater wellhead structure is illustrated in FIGURE 1 as comprising a base member 21 which is positioned on the ocean floor 13 and is fixedly secured to a conductor pipe or large-diameter well casing 22 by means of a ball-and-socket joint 23.
  • a drilling wellhead assembly is removably secured to the top of a foundation pile 24 which in turn is secured to the top of the ball-and-socket joint 23.
  • the drilling wellhead assembly is secured to the top of a casinghead 25 which in turn is mounted at the top of the foundation pile 24.
  • the combined casing 22, foundation pile 24 and casinghead 25 form a continuous tubular member or pipe extending up from the ocean floor through which drilling operations are conducted.
  • the drilling wellhead assembly illustrated includes a detachable wellhead connector or drilling bonnet 27 of any suitable type well known to the art.
  • Fixedly secured above the wellhead connector 27 is a ram-type blowout preventer unit 28, a bag-type blowout preventer unit 29, a flexible joint 30, a remotely-operable quick-disconnect coupling and sealing apparatus 31, and a sectionalized marine conductor pipe assembly 32 extending to the vessel 11 at the surface 12.
  • the remotely-operable quickdisconnect coupling and sealing apparatus 31 will be designated hereinbelow as a wellhead connector.
  • Passing down alongside the wellhead connector 31 (FIGURE 1) are a pair of smaller-diameter auxiliary pipes 39 and 40 which may be readily disconnected by any suitable type of pull out connector at points 41 and 42.
  • the lowermost section of the marine conductor pipe 31 is shown as being provided with a female section 42 of a coupling adapted to stab over a cooperating male section 43 of the coupling which is bolted to the top of the Wellhead connector 31.
  • the male section 43 of the stab-type coupling is provided with conical recesses 44 for receiving locking bolts 45 carried by the female section of the coupling. It is apparent that the bolts 44 are of a form that may be turned by a diver with a wrench or by an underwater robot.
  • the wellhead connector 31 is illustrated as comprising a body member 31a having a vertical axial throughbore of a size sutficient to receive therein an upwardly-extending tubular mandrel or projecting well member 91 which is fixedly secured to the upper end of the flexible joint 30 in the marine conductor pipe assembly.
  • the mandrel 91 may be bolted at its lower end to the upper end of the flexible joint 39 or alternatively to any other component of the drilling wellhead assembly.
  • the connecting bolts have been omitted.
  • the outer surface of the mandrel 51 is provided with a latching groove or a series of latching grooves 52 adapted to receive the latching members 53 of the several latches 49 carried by the coupling housing 31.
  • a suitable latch is shown in FIGURE 2 as being spring actuated by a compression spring 54 which urges the latch 53 laterally at all times and inwardlytoward the center of the wellhead connector 31.
  • a pressure fluid conduit or hydraulic line 55 is provided whereby a hydraulic fluid may be pumped into the latch device 49 to act against a piston 56 carried therein to move the latch member 53 out of the groove 52 to an inoperative position.
  • Suitable retractable locking dogs 57 are carried on the shaft 58 (FIGURE 3) and arranged to move radially outwardly by the compression spring 54 and prevent the latch member 53 from being reengaged in the groove 52. Thus, once the latch member 53 has been disengaged from the groove 52 it cannot re-engage the groove 52 until the apparatus has been returned to the vessel and re-set in the latching position. To re-set the locking dogs 57 so that the latch 53 may move to its operative position, a removable cap 60 is removed and the locking dogs 57 are com:
  • the inner wall of the body member 31a is also preferably provided with a seating shoulder 64 adapted to be received on a cooperating sea-ting surface 65 carried on the outer surface of the mandrel 51.
  • the upper end 66 of the mandrel 51 may receive a recessed landing surface 67.
  • the outer surface of the mandrel 51 is preferably provided with a series of grooves 68 into which an expandible hydraulically-actuatable annular sealing member 71 may be expanded.
  • annular sealing member 71 may be carried on the inner wall of the bore of the body member 31a, it is preferably carried within a recess in the body member which forms a chamber 72 in which hydraulic fluid can be injected, as through conduit 73, to force the sealing member radially inwardly compressing it in a fluidtight manner around the mandrel 51.
  • the hydraulic conduits or pressure lines 55 and 73 are preferably inter-connected to a common manifold pressure line 74.
  • the annular sealing member 71 is expanded inwardly and contracts around the grooved section of the mandrel 51 to form a fluidtight seal therearound and to provide a predetermined pull out resistance of say 5,000 pounds, that is, the force that is necessaryy to lift the wellhead connector housing 31 off the mandrel 51 while the seal 71 is still being actuated thereagainst.
  • the latches 49 are energized so that their latch members 53 are retracted from the latching groove 52.
  • individual actuating hydraulic pressure lines may be used to the chamber 72 and the latches 49, respectively.
  • Drilling operations may be carried out in an under water well with the wellhead connector apparatus 31 arranged in the described manner, that is, with the sealing member 71 activated and the latches 49 retracted so that in an emergency the marine conductor pipe assembly 32 (FIGURE 1) can be readily pulled ofi the mandrel 51 at the top of the drilling wellhead assembly even though the hydraulic pressure lines 55, 73 or 74 are plugged so that the seal cannot be de-activated.
  • a wellhead connector assembly comprising a body member having a passage extending axially therethrough, said body member being positionable in telescopic relation with vertical wall means of a longitudinally projecting well member having an axial passage therethrough forming an unimpeded throughbore passing through said body member and said well member, cooperating connector means carried by the adjacent walls of said body member and said well member,
  • one portion of said connector means comprising shoulder means formed by a recessed area in the outer wall of said well member,
  • said connector means comprising shoulder-engaging latch means carried by said body member in the adjacent wall thereof in a position for registering with said shoulder means, said latch means being substantially laterally movable into and out of engaging relation with said shoulder means,
  • compression spring means carried by said body member in operative engagement with said latch means for normally urging said latch means inwardly at all times into engagement with said shoulder means, fluid operator means for said latch means carried by said body member and operatively connected to said latch means for urging said latch means to a retracted position out of engagement with said shoulder means.
  • latch locking means carried by said body member adapted to lock said latch means in a retracted position
  • chamber means formed in said body member around the outside of said annular seal member, said chamber means adapted to be connected to a source of fluid pressure
  • weight-supporting shoulder means formed on the inner wall forming the passage through said body member for seating on said Well member when in engagement therewith, and

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Earth Drilling (AREA)
  • Joining Of Glass To Other Materials (AREA)
US401483A 1964-10-05 1964-10-05 Wellhead connector Expired - Lifetime US3215454A (en)

Priority Applications (8)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US401483A US3215454A (en) 1964-10-05 1964-10-05 Wellhead connector
GB42025/65A GB1060020A (en) 1964-10-05 1965-10-04 Wellhead connector
NL6512827A NL6512827A (es) 1964-10-05 1965-10-04
DES99926A DE1226057B (de) 1964-10-05 1965-10-04 Anschlussaggregat fuer Tiefbohrungen
DK508865AA DK108491C (da) 1964-10-05 1965-10-04 Koblingsaggregat for undervandsborerør.
BE670491D BE670491A (es) 1964-10-05 1965-10-04
ES0318108A ES318108A1 (es) 1964-10-05 1965-10-04 Una disposicion de conectador de cabeza de pozo.
NO159941A NO116627B (es) 1964-10-05 1965-10-04

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US401483A US3215454A (en) 1964-10-05 1964-10-05 Wellhead connector

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3215454A true US3215454A (en) 1965-11-02

Family

ID=23587949

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US401483A Expired - Lifetime US3215454A (en) 1964-10-05 1964-10-05 Wellhead connector

Country Status (8)

Country Link
US (1) US3215454A (es)
BE (1) BE670491A (es)
DE (1) DE1226057B (es)
DK (1) DK108491C (es)
ES (1) ES318108A1 (es)
GB (1) GB1060020A (es)
NL (1) NL6512827A (es)
NO (1) NO116627B (es)

Cited By (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3426843A (en) * 1966-10-10 1969-02-11 Shell Oil Co Marine conductor pipe assembly
US3452815A (en) * 1967-07-31 1969-07-01 Regan Forge & Eng Co Latching mechanism
US3498374A (en) * 1967-11-14 1970-03-03 Rockwell Mfg Co Underwater safety connector
US3929355A (en) * 1974-04-04 1975-12-30 Anatoly Emelyanovich Sljusar Pivotal pipe joint
US4312289A (en) * 1979-11-13 1982-01-26 Joseph Conrad Permanent mooring apparatus
US4402532A (en) * 1979-12-20 1983-09-06 Henn Guenter Detachable pipe joint
US4576521A (en) * 1983-12-30 1986-03-18 Joseph Conrad Permanent mooring method and arrangement
WO1987006645A1 (en) * 1986-04-28 1987-11-05 Cmf International A/S Rapid coupling system for wellheads, riser stacks, blowout preventers and diverter systems in wellhead drilling
US20150376907A1 (en) * 2014-06-30 2015-12-31 Cameron International Corporation Platform to Service a Blowout Preventer
US20170292335A1 (en) * 2016-04-07 2017-10-12 Tracto-Technik Gmbh & Co. Kg Device for clamping an element, carriage for a ground drilling device, ground drilling device, method for clamping an element and method for the manufacture of a device for clamping an element
US11066885B2 (en) * 2018-10-19 2021-07-20 Michael D. Scott Fluid lock pin apparatus

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3918747A (en) * 1973-09-27 1975-11-11 Nelson Norman A Well suspension system
GB2362401B (en) * 2000-05-19 2003-11-19 Fmc Corp Tubing hanger landing string with blowout preventer operated release mechanism

Citations (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
USRE18948E (en) * 1933-09-12 Blow out preventing device and oil
US2212036A (en) * 1937-04-03 1940-08-20 Herbert C Otis Union for well heads
US2264600A (en) * 1939-06-22 1941-12-02 Glenn E Breeding Paraffin scraping and oil saving device
US2401119A (en) * 1942-10-28 1946-05-28 Guiberson Corp Well tool
FR955180A (es) * 1950-01-10
US2598133A (en) * 1950-01-23 1952-05-27 Peters Stamping Company Brake operating mechanism
US2656025A (en) * 1952-09-15 1953-10-20 Joseph F Martin Automatic brake release mechanism
US2873822A (en) * 1954-02-03 1959-02-17 Cushman Chuck Co Bolt-type locking mechanisms for indexing devices
US2903907A (en) * 1955-11-25 1959-09-15 Bingham Herbrand Corp Parking brake for vehicles
US3117466A (en) * 1956-06-11 1964-01-14 Universal American Corp Mechanism control
US3147922A (en) * 1961-05-01 1964-09-08 Allis Chalmers Mfg Co Sprayer system

Patent Citations (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
USRE18948E (en) * 1933-09-12 Blow out preventing device and oil
FR955180A (es) * 1950-01-10
US2212036A (en) * 1937-04-03 1940-08-20 Herbert C Otis Union for well heads
US2264600A (en) * 1939-06-22 1941-12-02 Glenn E Breeding Paraffin scraping and oil saving device
US2401119A (en) * 1942-10-28 1946-05-28 Guiberson Corp Well tool
US2598133A (en) * 1950-01-23 1952-05-27 Peters Stamping Company Brake operating mechanism
US2656025A (en) * 1952-09-15 1953-10-20 Joseph F Martin Automatic brake release mechanism
US2873822A (en) * 1954-02-03 1959-02-17 Cushman Chuck Co Bolt-type locking mechanisms for indexing devices
US2903907A (en) * 1955-11-25 1959-09-15 Bingham Herbrand Corp Parking brake for vehicles
US3117466A (en) * 1956-06-11 1964-01-14 Universal American Corp Mechanism control
US3147922A (en) * 1961-05-01 1964-09-08 Allis Chalmers Mfg Co Sprayer system

Cited By (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3426843A (en) * 1966-10-10 1969-02-11 Shell Oil Co Marine conductor pipe assembly
US3452815A (en) * 1967-07-31 1969-07-01 Regan Forge & Eng Co Latching mechanism
US3498374A (en) * 1967-11-14 1970-03-03 Rockwell Mfg Co Underwater safety connector
US3929355A (en) * 1974-04-04 1975-12-30 Anatoly Emelyanovich Sljusar Pivotal pipe joint
US4312289A (en) * 1979-11-13 1982-01-26 Joseph Conrad Permanent mooring apparatus
US4402532A (en) * 1979-12-20 1983-09-06 Henn Guenter Detachable pipe joint
US4576521A (en) * 1983-12-30 1986-03-18 Joseph Conrad Permanent mooring method and arrangement
WO1987006645A1 (en) * 1986-04-28 1987-11-05 Cmf International A/S Rapid coupling system for wellheads, riser stacks, blowout preventers and diverter systems in wellhead drilling
US20150376907A1 (en) * 2014-06-30 2015-12-31 Cameron International Corporation Platform to Service a Blowout Preventer
US9689233B2 (en) * 2014-06-30 2017-06-27 Cameron International Corporation Platform to service a blowout preventer
US20170292335A1 (en) * 2016-04-07 2017-10-12 Tracto-Technik Gmbh & Co. Kg Device for clamping an element, carriage for a ground drilling device, ground drilling device, method for clamping an element and method for the manufacture of a device for clamping an element
US11174687B2 (en) * 2016-04-07 2021-11-16 Tracto-Technik Gmbh & Co. Kg Device for clamping an element, carriage for a ground drilling device, ground drilling device, method for clamping an element and method for the manufacture of a device for clamping an element
US11066885B2 (en) * 2018-10-19 2021-07-20 Michael D. Scott Fluid lock pin apparatus

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
BE670491A (es) 1966-04-04
DE1226057B (de) 1966-10-06
NO116627B (es) 1969-04-28
ES318108A1 (es) 1965-12-16
NL6512827A (es) 1966-04-06
GB1060020A (en) 1967-02-22
DK108491C (da) 1967-12-27

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