US3559754A - Removable guide base - Google Patents

Removable guide base Download PDF

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Publication number
US3559754A
US3559754A US743699A US3559754DA US3559754A US 3559754 A US3559754 A US 3559754A US 743699 A US743699 A US 743699A US 3559754D A US3559754D A US 3559754DA US 3559754 A US3559754 A US 3559754A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
wellhead
guide base
assembly
hub
ribs
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
US743699A
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English (en)
Inventor
Charles D Morrill
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.)
Cooper Industries LLC
Rockwell Manufacturing Co
Original Assignee
Rockwell Manufacturing 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
Application filed by Rockwell Manufacturing Co filed Critical Rockwell Manufacturing Co
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3559754A publication Critical patent/US3559754A/en
Assigned to SMITH INTERNATIONAL, INC., A CORP. OF CA reassignment SMITH INTERNATIONAL, INC., A CORP. OF CA ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: MCEVOY OILFIELD EQUIPMENT COMPANY
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Assigned to CAMERON IRON WORKS USA INC. reassignment CAMERON IRON WORKS USA INC. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: SMITH INTERNATIONAL, INC.
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
    • E21B41/00—Equipment or details not covered by groups E21B15/00 - E21B40/00
    • E21B41/10—Guide posts, e.g. releasable; Attaching guide lines to underwater guide bases

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT A removable guide base for an underwater wellhead comprising a hub member having a vertical passage therethrough telescopically positionable around a wellhead. Structural support members project radially outward and slightly inward of the hub member. An upper set of the inner projections provides a downwardly facing support surface engageable with support ribs on the wellhead. A lower set of the inner projections provides an upwardly facing surface engageable with the wellhead support ribs to prevent longitudinal movement of the guide base relative to the wellhead. The lower set of inner projections is slidable between the wellhead support ribs and rotatable thereunder to the position of engagement as the hub member is lowered around the wellhead and rotated. A latch sleeve is nonrotatingly mounted within the hub member for longitudinal movement between adjacent wellhead ribs to prevent disengagement of the lower set of inner projections. Methods for using the guide base are also disclosed.
  • the present invention concerns a guide base and methods of use which allows removal of the guide base from an underwater well and even permits subsequent reinstallation.
  • One method comprises the steps of: installing a conductor casing and wellhead assembly on the floor of a body of water with a removable guide base attached thereto; completing drilling operations; and remotely disconnecting and removing the guide base from the conductor casing and wellhead assembly.
  • the guide base comprises a hub member having a vertical passage therethrough telescopically positionable around an underwater wellhead; structural members projecting a radially outward of the hub member; guide members attached to the structural members for extending upwardly therefrom to the surface of the water body; support means around the interior of the hub member cooperating with the well head to support the guide base thereon; and holddown means around the interior of the hub means positionable on consecutive longitudinal movement and rotation of the hub means relative to the wellhead to engage a portion of the wellhead for preventing longitudinal movement of the guide base.
  • Exterior support ribs are provided on the wellhead.
  • the inner ends of the structural members project through the hub member.
  • Some of the structural member projections rest on the support ribs and some are disposed directly under the support ribs so that in addition to being supported on the ribs the guide base is also held down by the ribs.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an underwater well with a removable guide base according to a preferred embodiment of the invention
  • FIG. 2 is an elevational view, partially in section, of the well head and central portion of the guide base of FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 3 is a plan view of the wellhead and guide base of FIG. 2 taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;
  • FIG. 4 is an elevational view similar to FIG. 2 except the latch sleeve is in its upper release position and the guide base is shown rotated 45 out of its support position.
  • FIG. 1 a conductor casing 2 and attached wellhead 3 are shown anchored at the subsurface 4 of a body of water. Attached to the wellhead 3, in a manner to be more fully described subsequently is a guide base assembly designated generally at 10.
  • the guide base 10 comprises a tubular guide hub 11, radial horizontal structural members 12, inclined structural members 13, bedrails 14, guide columns 15, and latch sleeve 16. Cables 17 are attached to the upper end of columns 15 extending upwardly to the surface of the water (not shown).
  • the guide base 10 may be attached to the conductor 2 and wellhead 3 for initial installation therewith. Alternatively, it may be attached to the wellhead 3 after the conductor 2 and wellhead 3 have been set and after further drilling operations. It can be removed at any time.
  • Wellhead 3 is provided with a plurality of Iongitudinal radially disposed support ribs 20, the upper surface 21 of which may be generally horizontal, the lower surface 22 being downwardly and inwardly inclined. These ribs 20 are used both to support and hold down the removable guide base 10in a manner which will be more fully understood hereafter.
  • the tubular guide hub 11 surrounds ribs 20 in a telescopically sliding fit.
  • Horizontal structural members 12 and inclined structural members 13 project inwardly through the walls of hub 11, to which they may be welded to butt up against wellhead 3.
  • a bearing plate 25 such as shown welded to inclined member 13 may also be provided.
  • upwardly projecting lower surfaces 26 of horizontal members 12 rest on the upwardly facing surface 21 of ribs 20 and inwardly projecting upper surface 27 of inclined members 13 rest beneath rib lower surfaces 22.
  • the entire assembly is lowered around the wellhead in an orientation which will permit the inner projections of inclined members 13 to pass between ribs 20.
  • the assembly 10 may be rotated in either direction until the structure members 12, 13 are angularly aligned with corresponding ribs 20.
  • Latch sleeve 16 is mounted within tubular hub 11 and retained therein for limited longitudinal movement by the inner projections of horizontal structure members 12.
  • Latch sleeve 16 may be easily made from a section of pipe. Rectangular windows 31,32 connected by slot 33 are cut at intervals corresponding with the placement of structure members 12.
  • Window 32 opens at the bottom of ring 16 so that depending skirt portions 34 are formed between adjacent lower windows 32.
  • Latch sleeve 16 is free to move upwardly until the lower side of window 31 contacts the lower face of upper flange 40. Its downward movement is stopped when the upper side of window 32 contacts the upper face of lower flange 41.
  • the cooperation of slots 33 and structure member webs 42 prevent rotation of ring 16 with respect to the rest of the guide base.
  • 1 slots 45 may be provided around the upper rim of latch sleeve 16 for tool engagement. This type of tool engagement is common in the petroleum industry and need not be explained in detail.
  • latch sleeve 16 is usually in the upper or release position shown in FIG. 4. If not, ring 16 will contact upper rib surfaces 21 forcing it to that position anyway. Once the entire assembly is rotated to the support and hold down position of FIGS. 2 and J and latch sleeve 16 is released, if it is being held up, it will drop into the lock position shown in FIG. 2. In this position, depending skirt portions 34 lie between adjacent ribs 20 preventing rotation of the guide base assembly relative to wellhead 3. With the guide base in this position, drilling and completion proceeds normally.
  • the guide base assembly may be removed. To do this a tool may be lowered to engage J slots 45 for pulling latch sleeve 16 upwardly to the release position of FIG. 4. Then latch sleeve 16 and consequently all of guide base assembly 10 is rotated until the inner projections of members 12 and 13 disengage the upper and lower faces 21 and 22 of ribs 20. This frees the base 10 for upward movement and removal from the wellhead.
  • a method of drilling and completing an underwater well comprising the steps of:
  • a method of drilling and completing an underwater well comprising of the steps of:
  • a guide base remotely removable from a wellhead located on the floor of a body of water comprising:
  • hub means having a vertical passage therethrough telescopically positionable around said wellhead
  • holddown means around the interior of said hub means positionable on consecutive longitudinal movement and rotation of said hub means less than one revolution about the axis of said wellhead to engage a portion of said wellhead for preventing longitudinal movement of said guide base.
  • said latch means comprises a tubular sleeve concentrically mounted within said hub member for limited longitudinal movement from said engagement with a portion of said wellhead to release position permitting rotation and longitudinal movement of said hub relative to said wellhead for removal of said guide base.
  • An underwater well guide base for remotely disconnecting from a conductor and wellhead assembly located on the floor of a body of water comprising:
  • tubular hub means surrounding a portion of said assembly
  • the underwater well guide base as set forth in claim 10 characterized by latch means attached to said guide base and adapted to engage a portion of said assembly to prevent said partial rotation of said guide base, said latch being remotely movable to a position whereby said partial rotation is permitted to allow said guide base removal.
  • An underwater wellhead and guide base assembly comprising:
  • tubular wellhead means attached to a casing near the floor of a body of water, said tubular wellhead means having longitudinal ribs radially disposed around its exterior, said ribs having an upwardly facing support surface and a downwardly facing holddown surface thereon;
  • tubular hub means telescopically positionable around said wellhead means
  • second inner projections radially disposed around said hub means interior longitudinally displaced from said first inner projections, upwardly facing surfaces on said second inner projections engageable with said rib holddown surface; and 1 said first and second inner projections cooperating with said ribs to prevent longitudinal of said hub when said hub and wellhead are in a predetermined angular relationship.
  • An underwater wellhead and guide base assembly acv cording to claim 13 characterized by latch means angularly fixed relative to said hub means, a portion of said latch means being insertable between said wellhead ribs, only when said sleeve and wellhead are in said predetermined angular relationship, to prevent disengagement of said sleeve and wellhead.
  • An underwater wellhead and guide. base assembly according to claim 14 characterized in that said latch means comprises a tubular member mounted between said hub means and said wellhead means for limited longitudinal movement, said insertable portion comprising downwardly depending skirt means, said skin means being retractable from between said ribs to permit rotation and removal of said sleeve means relative to said wellhead means.
  • An underwater wellhead and guide base assembly as set forth in claim 16 characterized in that said structural support members comprise at least two sets of said members, a said first inner projections being the said extensions of one of said sets and said second inner projections being the said extensions of another of said sets.
  • An underwater wellhead and guide base assembly as set forth in claim 17 characterized by a latch means comprising a tubular sleeve concentrically mounted between said' hub means and said wellhead for limited longitudinal movement in a fixed angular relationship with said hub means, a portion of said tubular sleeve being positionable between adjacent said ribs only when said inner projections are in said engaging positions to prevent rotation and removal of said sleeve relative to said wellheads.
  • a detachable underwater wellhead and guide base assembly comprising:
  • tubular wellhead having a plurality of longitudinal ribs radially disposed around the exterior thereof, said ribs having an upwardly facing holddown surface;
  • hub means having a vertical passage therethrough telescopically positionable around said wellhead and said ribs;
  • tubular latch sleeve mounted within said hub means for limited longitudinal movement having a portion thereof slidingly positionable between adjacent said wellhead ribs to prevent said disengagement of said structural member upwardly facing surface.

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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)
  • Earth Drilling (AREA)
  • Excavating Of Shafts Or Tunnels (AREA)
US743699A 1968-07-10 1968-07-10 Removable guide base Expired - Lifetime US3559754A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US74369968A 1968-07-10 1968-07-10

Publications (1)

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US3559754A true US3559754A (en) 1971-02-02

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ID=24989822

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US743699A Expired - Lifetime US3559754A (en) 1968-07-10 1968-07-10 Removable guide base

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US3559754A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR2012621A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1256782A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4706757A (en) * 1985-05-21 1987-11-17 Amoco Corporation Wellhead supported subsea templates and methods
EP0357180A1 (en) * 1988-09-01 1990-03-07 Cooper Industries, Inc. Subsea guidebase
US4917195A (en) * 1988-11-03 1990-04-17 Texaco Inc. Quick latch mud mat apparatus

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB8904123D0 (en) * 1989-02-23 1989-04-05 British Petroleum Co Plc Multi-purpose well head equipment

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4706757A (en) * 1985-05-21 1987-11-17 Amoco Corporation Wellhead supported subsea templates and methods
EP0357180A1 (en) * 1988-09-01 1990-03-07 Cooper Industries, Inc. Subsea guidebase
US4917195A (en) * 1988-11-03 1990-04-17 Texaco Inc. Quick latch mud mat apparatus

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB1256782A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1971-12-15
FR2012621A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1970-03-20

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: CAMERON IRON WORKS USA INC.

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:SMITH INTERNATIONAL, INC.;REEL/FRAME:004833/0129

Effective date: 19880212

Owner name: CAMERON IRON WORKS USA INC., A DE CORP.

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:SMITH INTERNATIONAL, INC.;REEL/FRAME:004833/0129

Effective date: 19880212