US3533468A - Well pressure compensated well blowout preventer - Google Patents

Well pressure compensated well blowout preventer Download PDF

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Publication number
US3533468A
US3533468A US785891A US3533468DA US3533468A US 3533468 A US3533468 A US 3533468A US 785891 A US785891 A US 785891A US 3533468D A US3533468D A US 3533468DA US 3533468 A US3533468 A US 3533468A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
packer
actuator
pressure
well
fluid
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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
US785891A
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English (en)
Inventor
George E Lewis
Fernado Murman
Allen I Dunn
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Hydril LLC
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Hydril LLC
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Publication date
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Publication of US3533468A publication Critical patent/US3533468A/en
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    • 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
    • E21B33/06—Blow-out preventers, i.e. apparatus closing around a drill pipe, e.g. annular blow-out preventers
    • E21B33/064—Blow-out preventers, i.e. apparatus closing around a drill pipe, e.g. annular blow-out preventers specially adapted for underwater well heads

Definitions

  • the disclosure concerns a well blowout prev-enter assembly incorporating a packer constricting actuator which forms with the housing at least three pressure receiving chambers, a first of which receives control fluid pressure acting to urge the actuator downwardly for relieving packer constriction; a'second to receive control fluid pressure acting to urge the actuator upwardly for constricting the packer; and a third to receive controllable balancing pressure acting to urge the actuator upwardly in at least partly counterbalancing relation to the opposite effect of well fluid such as drilling mud, the static pressure of which (especially in subsea oil well drilling operations) acts via the packer to urge the actuator downwardly.
  • well fluid such as drilling mud
  • This invention relates generally to subsea oil well drilling operations, and more particularly concerns apparatus and methods for controlling blowout prevention equipment in such environments.
  • the assembly incorporates a packer constricting actuator which forms with the housing at least three pressure receiving chambers, a first of which receives control fluid pressure acting to urge the actuator downwardly for relieving packer constriction; a second to receive control fluid pressure acting to urge the actuator upwardly for constricting the packer; and a third to receive controllable balancing pressure acting to urge the actuator upwardly in at least partly counterbalancing relation to the opposite effect of well fluid such as drilling mud, the static pressure of which, acts via the packer to urge the actuator downwardly.
  • a packer constricting actuator which forms with the housing at least three pressure receiving chambers, a first of which receives control fluid pressure acting to urge the actuator downwardly for relieving packer constriction; a second to receive control fluid pressure acting to urge the actuator upwardly for constricting the packer; and a third to receive controllable balancing pressure acting to urge the actuator upwardly in at least partly counterbalancing relation to the opposite effect of well fluid such as drilling mud, the static pressure of which, acts via
  • the third chamber may be so located as to permit enlarging of the first and second chamber diameter and further to maintain these two to be approximately equal (so as to produce a balanced pressure application on the actuator tending to close the packer) without exposing such greater area of the actuator underside to the pressure of well fluid (below the packer) as could cause damaging stresses in the packer element and render opening of the packer difficult.
  • Additional objects of the invention include the provision of a preventer assembly of improved construction to yield the advantages described; and the provision of inter-related controls for pressure delivery to the first, second and third chambers as described.
  • FIG. 1 is a vertical elevation, taken in section, showing a preventer assembly embodying the invention, in open condition;
  • FIG. 2 is a view like FIG. I, but showing the preventer in closed or actuated condition
  • FIG. 3 is an elevation showing the preventer of-the invention installed in a subsea well head assembly.
  • the control head or preventer assembly includes a body member 11, having concentric bores I2, 13 and 14, which are of progressively increased diameters.
  • Cap 16 is releasably held to the body member by screw thread connection 17 in such a position that the face 19 of cap flange 20 engages the upper end 21 of the body member 11, the cap and body member being packed off at 22.
  • Cap 16 has a bore 23 which is of the same diameter and is concentric with body bore 12.
  • Sunk in the upper face of cap 16 are bolt holes 24 for the attachment of equipment thereabove.
  • the annular groove 25, in that upper face, is adapted to receive a sealing ring for sealing engagement with said equipment.
  • the neck 26 of body member 11 has an attachment flange 27 whereby connection is made through bolts 28 to the flange 29 or any other suitable fitting.
  • Cap 16 has an internal annular flange 35 which defines the downward continuation of bore 23, and a peripheral flange 36 which defines bore 37, said bore 37 being concentric with all the bodymember bores identified above.
  • the body 11 has an annular, upstanding flange 38 which engages the packer actuating member 39 at 40 to limit the extent of downward movement of said member.
  • the actuator 39 has a piston portion 41, having piston-fit in bore 14, and piston portion 42 which has piston-fit in bore 13.
  • the actuator is extended upwardly at 43, extension 43 having piston fit in the cap-flange bore 37. Sealing rings 44, 45 and 46 are provided between piston portions 42, 41 and 43, respectively, and the respective cylinder defining walls which receive those portrons.
  • Piston 41 divides body bore 14 into upper (first) and lower(second) cylinders or pressure chambers 47 and 48, ports 49 and 50 opening, respectively, from those chambers. External pipes 51 and 52 open to ports 49 and 50, respectively. Note that the outer diameters (14) of chambers 47 and 48 are equal, and the inner diameters (l3) and 37 of these chambers are equal, for balancing purposes.
  • the actuator 39 has a downwardly and inwardly tapering conical bore 53, and the actuator portion 43 which defines this bore may be considered broadly as an internal, conical wedge, or as a packer-constricting element.
  • Packer P includes a massive annulus or sleeve 55 of plastic and, preferably, resilient material such as rubber or Neoprene. In most instances, it is intended that a single packer be adapted for repeated opening and closing operations, and therefore it is preferable that it have relatively high resilient characteristics, so it may be selfrestoring to open position when the constricting force is removed. From this point on in the description, it will be assumed that the packer has such resilient characteristics, but this assumption is not considered as limitative on my broader claims. It has been found that rubberhaving a durometer hardness of about is suitable for general use in my. packer but, again, this specification of relative hardness is not to be considered as limitative.
  • the packer is shown as an unsplit, continuous annulus, but it will be understood that the disclosure is not limited to a packer wherein there is no split, so long as there is no angularly extending gap interrupting the continuity of the packer'at times when it is radially contracted into sealing engagement with members positioned within its bore.
  • a series or rigid, rubber-flow-control elements 56 are included in the makeup of the packer. These elements may take different forms and still lie within the scope of my broader claims, but I will first describe the preferred form of elements which has individual features of advantage. These rigid control elements are individually movable bodily with the rubber in its movement of radial contraction and expansion and also, to a limited extent, movable individually with respect to the rubber as will later appear. Taken together, the rigid control elements may be considered as a radially expansible and contractible armature embedded and bonded within annulus S.
  • Molded annulus 55 has an outer conical face 57 which is complementary to actuator bore 53, and a bore 58 which has a central, substantially cylindrical portion 59 and oppositely inclining upper and lower portions 60 and 61, respectively; the outward flare, in each case being toward the associated end of the annulus.
  • each element 56 comprises top and bottom plates 63 and 64, respectively, rigidly connected by vertical rib 65, the outer faces 66 of the plates and the outer face 67 of the rib having substantially the same degree of taper as bore 53 and annulus face 57.
  • plates 63, 64 may be considered as transverse flanges on rib 65.
  • Elements 56 which may be of steel, bronze, or any other suitable rigid material, are preferably positioned in the rubber at the time of molding and, preferably, the rubber and the elements are bonded together by the use of suitable adhesive during the molding process.
  • the plates of the control elements are sectorial in shape, as viewed in plan,.and are arranged in a circular series, with spaces left between the opposing side edges of the plates, both top and bottom.
  • the plates are so sized that the two opposed side edges of adjacent elements are spaced apart, it following that as the elements move radially inward, the spaces between these, will diminish to form a line contact from end to end of the plates. This will prevent the rubber which will flow during the constriction of the annulus from being pinched off at the radially inward ends of the plates.
  • annulus 55 is molded so its outer annular portion 72 projects radially outward beyond the outer faces 66 of the plates, it following that these metallic faces do not engage the wall of actuator bore 53.
  • annular portion 72 is that portion which extends radially from face 57 to the outer faces 67 of ribs 65.
  • a stop is provided in the form of tube 74 which is retained in housing bore 15.
  • the upper end of the tube provides the packer stop.
  • the bore 75 of this tube is of the same diameter as bores 12 and 23, and the tube is annularly spaced from both piston portion 42 and the lower end of actuator wedge-portion 43.
  • Ports 76 open from bore 75 to chamber 77, which latter is annularly defined by the tube and the sleeve 80, while it is retained endwise by body wall 78 and the lower end of the packer.
  • cap 16 When cap 16 is subsequently secured in place, its horizontal under-surface 79 provides a stop for limiting upward movement of the packer, the upper plates 63 of control elements 56 sliding over this surface as the packer is radially constricted or expanded. Tube end and cap surface 79 thus form vertically spaced stops which prevent appreciable vertcial movement of the packer with relation to the body member 11.
  • well pressure, p is communicated via openings 76 in tube 74 to the chamber 77 and to the underside of actuator 39 within the diametral dimension defined by the inner diameter 89 of actuator piston portion 42.
  • a seal 88 packs off between sleeve 80 and piston portion 42 to prevent application of well pressure over a larger area of the underside of the actuator.
  • the third chamber 82 is so located that the first and second chambers 47 and 48 may have outer diameters which are approximately equal, affording enlarged piston surface area beneath piston portion 41 of the actuator wherebygreater upward thrust may be communicated from fluid in chamber 48 (closing pressure p to the actuator for closing the packer against resistance associated with the static mud pressure p)
  • This is achieved without enlarging the underside area of the actuator subjected to well fluid pressure and in fact the pressure p in chamber 82 may be independently controlled to levels greater than or less than the well fluid pressure p,, giving an additional degree of actuator control not previously known, but of great and surprising advantage.
  • the forces acting upwardly on the actuator are derived from and proportional to:
  • a gas pressure vessel 90 is shown as communicating with pipes 51 and 52 via a suitable pressure regulator 91 and four way valve 92. In one position of the latter, pressure fluid is delivered to pipe 52, and pressure fluid in pipe 51 is exhausted at 93 to the sea. In the alternate position of the valve 92, pressure fluid is delivered to pipe 51 and fluid in pipe 52 is exhausted to the sea.
  • a suitable electric prime mover 94 controls valve 92 and a suitable control 95 for the regulator may be surface operated to set the pressure applied to pipes 51 and 52.
  • pressure may be supplied to pipe 84 via regulator 96 and three way valve 97. Controls for the regulator and valve are indicated at 98 and $5: and may be electrically operated from the surface, to result it.
  • Control 98 for regulator 96 may be connected via pipe to annulus 85 to be responsive to mud pressure near the packer, so as to effect transmission of higher pressure to chamber 82 as the mud pressure increases.
  • FIG. 3 shows the prevcnter assembly connected in a subsea blowout preventer stack 100, including a unit 10 above a series of ram type preventers 101.
  • a riser system 102 extends above the stack [00 and is connected thereto by a well head connector 103.
  • Riser pipe extends to the sea surface, and typically to a drilling barge 104 or other installation.
  • Stack 100 and riser 102 are illustrative only. and may carry the pressure vessel 90 and associated piping and controls referred to above.
  • a housing connectible in an underwater stack of well servicing equipment
  • the actuator and housing forming a first chamber to receive control pressure fluid acting to urge the actuator downwardly for relieving said packer constriction, and a second chamber to receive control pressure fluid acting to urge the actuator upwardly for constricting the packer;
  • the actuator and housing forming a third chamber to receive balancing pressure fluid acting to urge the actuator upwardly in at least partly counterbalancing relation to the oppositeeffect of said'static pressure.

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  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (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)
  • Consolidation Of Soil By Introduction Of Solidifying Substances Into Soil (AREA)
US785891A 1968-12-23 1968-12-23 Well pressure compensated well blowout preventer Expired - Lifetime US3533468A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US78589168A 1968-12-23 1968-12-23

Publications (1)

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US3533468A true US3533468A (en) 1970-10-13

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US785891A Expired - Lifetime US3533468A (en) 1968-12-23 1968-12-23 Well pressure compensated well blowout preventer

Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (1) US3533468A (fr)
BE (1) BE743645A (fr)
DE (1) DE1964662A1 (fr)
FR (1) FR2026959A1 (fr)
GB (1) GB1248499A (fr)
NL (1) NL144028B (fr)

Cited By (15)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3662823A (en) * 1970-07-31 1972-05-16 Hydril Co Replacement of sub-sea blow-out preventer packing units
US3695349A (en) * 1970-03-19 1972-10-03 Hydril Co Well blowout preventer control pressure modulator
US3762725A (en) * 1971-05-20 1973-10-02 Otis Eng Corp Wireline stuffing box and sheave
US3866679A (en) * 1972-10-25 1975-02-18 Otis Eng Co Apparatus for inserting flexible pipe into wells
US3884261A (en) * 1973-11-26 1975-05-20 Frank Clynch Remotely activated valve
US4098341A (en) * 1977-02-28 1978-07-04 Hydril Company Rotating blowout preventer apparatus
US4447037A (en) * 1981-06-25 1984-05-08 Hydril Company Well blowout preventer, and packing element
US4452421A (en) * 1981-06-25 1984-06-05 Hydril Company Well blowout preventer, and packing element
US4461448A (en) * 1981-06-25 1984-07-24 Hydril Company Well blowout preventer, and packing element
US4605195A (en) * 1985-05-01 1986-08-12 Hydril Company Annular blowout preventer packing unit
US4657263A (en) * 1983-04-18 1987-04-14 Hydril Company Annular packing unit and insert
US5074518A (en) * 1990-11-02 1991-12-24 Hydratech Proportional annular B.O.P. controller
US20150144813A1 (en) * 2013-11-22 2015-05-28 Zp Interests, Llc Spherical-annular blowout preventer having a plurality of pistons
CN114645687A (zh) * 2020-12-17 2022-06-21 中国石油化工股份有限公司 一种复合坐封方式的防喷器
US12129728B2 (en) 2020-12-17 2024-10-29 China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation Downhole blowout preventer and blowout prevention operation method

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
SE412104B (sv) * 1977-06-17 1980-02-18 Lissmyr Per Olof Vid rorande anbringbar anordning for nodavstengning av genom roret med tryck utstrommande fluidum
GB2500188B (en) * 2012-03-12 2019-07-17 Managed Pressure Operations Blowout preventer assembly
US10309191B2 (en) 2012-03-12 2019-06-04 Managed Pressure Operations Pte. Ltd. Method of and apparatus for drilling a subterranean wellbore
GB2501094A (en) 2012-04-11 2013-10-16 Managed Pressure Operations Method of handling a gas influx in a riser

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2846178A (en) * 1955-01-24 1958-08-05 Regan Forge & Eng Co Conical-type blowout preventer
US3222075A (en) * 1961-08-30 1965-12-07 Shell Oil Co Underwater blowout preventer
FR1380079A (fr) * 1964-01-14 1964-11-27 Shaffer Tool Works Vanne d'éruption pour puits de pétrole

Cited By (16)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3695349A (en) * 1970-03-19 1972-10-03 Hydril Co Well blowout preventer control pressure modulator
US3662823A (en) * 1970-07-31 1972-05-16 Hydril Co Replacement of sub-sea blow-out preventer packing units
US3762725A (en) * 1971-05-20 1973-10-02 Otis Eng Corp Wireline stuffing box and sheave
US3866679A (en) * 1972-10-25 1975-02-18 Otis Eng Co Apparatus for inserting flexible pipe into wells
US3884261A (en) * 1973-11-26 1975-05-20 Frank Clynch Remotely activated valve
US4098341A (en) * 1977-02-28 1978-07-04 Hydril Company Rotating blowout preventer apparatus
US4461448A (en) * 1981-06-25 1984-07-24 Hydril Company Well blowout preventer, and packing element
US4452421A (en) * 1981-06-25 1984-06-05 Hydril Company Well blowout preventer, and packing element
US4447037A (en) * 1981-06-25 1984-05-08 Hydril Company Well blowout preventer, and packing element
US4657263A (en) * 1983-04-18 1987-04-14 Hydril Company Annular packing unit and insert
US4605195A (en) * 1985-05-01 1986-08-12 Hydril Company Annular blowout preventer packing unit
US5074518A (en) * 1990-11-02 1991-12-24 Hydratech Proportional annular B.O.P. controller
US20150144813A1 (en) * 2013-11-22 2015-05-28 Zp Interests, Llc Spherical-annular blowout preventer having a plurality of pistons
US9121245B2 (en) * 2013-11-22 2015-09-01 Zp Interests, Llc Spherical-annular blowout preventer having a plurality of pistons
CN114645687A (zh) * 2020-12-17 2022-06-21 中国石油化工股份有限公司 一种复合坐封方式的防喷器
US12129728B2 (en) 2020-12-17 2024-10-29 China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation Downhole blowout preventer and blowout prevention operation method

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR2026959A1 (fr) 1970-09-25
NL144028B (nl) 1974-11-15
GB1248499A (en) 1971-10-06
DE1964662A1 (de) 1970-07-09
BE743645A (fr) 1970-06-23
NL6919329A (fr) 1970-06-25

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