# US 10,480,273 B2 · Hybrid two piece packoff assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,480,273 B2 - Document ID: US10480273B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/992,296 - Filed: 2016-01-11 - Published: 2017-07-13 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2016-01-11 - Assignees: FMC Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: FMC Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Roman Chirko; Kien Tan Vu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10480273B2 ## CPC - E21B 33/04: Casing heads; Suspending casings or tubings in well heads - E21B 33/03: Well heads; Setting-up thereof - E21B 33/0422: {a suspended tubing or casing being gripped by a slip or an internally serrated member} - E21B 33/043: specially adapted for underwater well heads ({E21B33/0407,} E21B33/047 take precedence) - E21B 33/12: Packers; Plugs (used for cementing E21B33/134, E21B33/16) - F16J 15/08: with exclusively metal packing - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS - F16J: PISTONS {(specially adapted for dampers F16F9/32)}; CYLINDERS; SEALINGS ## Abstract A packoff assembly for sealing between an inner tubular member and an outer tubular member has a lower packoff which is configured to seal between the inner and outer tubular members, an upper packoff which is configured to seal between the inner and outer tubular members above the lower packoff, the upper packoff being releasably connected to the lower packoff and, when connected to the lower packoff, being axially movable relative to the lower packoff between a first position and a second position, a latch ring which is supported on the lower packoff, the latch ring being radially expandable into a corresponding locking groove in the outer tubular member, and a locking mandrel which is operably engaged by the upper packoff such that upon axial movement of the upper packoff from the first position to the second position, the locking mandrel expands the latch ring into the locking groove to thereby lock the upper and lower packoffs in position between the inner and outer tubular members. With the lower packoff locked in position between the inner and outer tubular members, the upper packoff can be selectively removed from the packoff assembly by disconnecting the locking mandrel from the upper packoff and disconnecting the upper packoff from the lower packoff. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A packoff assembly for sealing between an inner tubular member and an outer tubular member, the packoff assembly comprising: a lower packoff which is configured to seal between the inner and outer tubular members; an upper packoff which is configured to seal between the inner and outer tubular members above the lower packoff, the upper packoff being releasably connected to the lower packoff and, when connected to the lower packoff, being axially movable relative to the lower packoff between a first position and a second position; a latch ring which is supported on the lower packoff, the latch ring being radially expandable into a corresponding locking groove in the outer tubular member; and a locking mandrel which is operably engaged by the upper packoff such that upon axial movement of the upper packoff from the first position to the second position, the locking mandrel expands the latch ring into the locking groove to thereby lock the upper and lower packoffs in position between the inner and outer tubular members; wherein with the lower packoff locked in position between the inner and outer tubular members, the upper packoff can be selectively removed from the packoff assembly by disconnecting the upper packoff from the lower packoff. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The packoff assembly of claim 1, wherein the upper packoff is releasably connected to the lower packoff via a threaded connection which converts rotation of the upper packoff relative to the lower packoff into axial movement of the upper packoff relative to the lower packoff. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The packoff assembly of claim 2, wherein the locking mandrel is releasably and rotatably connected to the upper packoff. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The packoff assembly of claim 3, wherein the locking mandrel is releasably connected to a connecting ring which in turn is rotatably connected to the upper packoff. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The packoff assembly of claim 4, wherein the locking mandrel is releasably connected to the connecting ring by a number of screws, each of which extends axially through the connecting ring and into a corresponding bore in the locking mandrel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The packoff assembly of claim 5, wherein the connecting ring is rotatably connected to the upper packoff by a number of screws, each of which extends radially through the connecting ring and into an annular groove which is formed concentrically on an outer surface portion of the upper packoff. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The packoff assembly of claim 1, wherein the lower packoff comprises a lower seal support ring and an upper guide sleeve which is connected to or formed integrally with the seal support ring, wherein the upper packoff comprises an upper seal support sleeve and a lower actuating sleeve which is connected to or formed integrally with the seal support sleeve, and wherein the actuating sleeve is releasably connected to the guide sleeve to thereby releasably connect the upper packoff to the lower packoff. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The packoff assembly of claim 7, wherein the actuating sleeve is releasably connected to the guide sleeve via a threaded connection which converts rotation of the upper packoff relative to the lower packoff into axial movement of the upper packoff relative to the lower packoff. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The packoff assembly of claim 8, wherein the locking mandrel is rotatably connected to the upper packoff. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The packoff assembly of claim 9, wherein the locking mandrel is releasably connected to a connecting ring which in turn is rotatably connected to the upper packoff. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The packoff assembly of claim 10, wherein the locking mandrel is releasably connected to the connecting ring by a number of screws, each of which extends axially through the connecting ring and into a corresponding bore in the locking mandrel. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The packoff assembly of claim 11, wherein the connecting ring is rotatably connected to the upper packoff by a number of screws, each of which extends radially through the connecting ring and into an annular groove which is formed concentrically on an outer surface portion of the upper packoff. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The packoff assembly of claim 12, further comprising means for preventing rotation of the lower packoff upon rotation of the upper packoff. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The packoff assembly of claim 13, further comprising means for preventing rotation of the locking mandrel upon rotation of the upper packoff. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The packoff assembly of claim 1, further comprising a middle packoff which is positioned axially between the upper packoff and the lower packoff, wherein the upper packoff is non-rotatably connected to the middle packoff and the middle packoff is releasably connected to the lower packoff. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The packoff assembly of claim 15, wherein the middle packoff is releasably connected to the lower packoff via a threaded connection which converts rotation of the middle packoff relative to the lower packoff into axial movement of the middle packoff relative to the lower packoff. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The packoff assembly of claim 16, wherein the middle packoff is releasably connected to the upper packoff. ### Claim 18 A packoff assembly for use in a wellhead assembly, the wellhead assembly comprising a first outer tubular member, a second outer tubular member which is mounted on the first outer tubular member, and an inner tubular member which is landed in the first outer tubular member, the packoff assembly including: a lower packoff which is configured to seal between the inner tubular member and the first outer tubular member; an upper packoff which is configured to seal between the inner tubular member and the second outer tubular member, the upper packoff being releasably connected to the lower packoff and, when connected to the lower packoff, being axially movable relative to the lower packoff between a first position and a second position; a latch ring which is supported on the lower packoff, the latch ring being radially expandable into a corresponding locking groove in the first outer tubular member; and a locking mandrel which is operably engaged by the upper packoff such that upon axial movement of the upper packoff from the first position to the second position, the locking mandrel expands the latch ring into the locking groove to thereby lock the upper and lower packoffs to the first outer tubular member; wherein with the lower packoff locked in position between the inner tubular member and the first outer tubular member and with the second outer tubular member removed from the first outer tubular member, the upper packoff can be removed from the packoff assembly by disconnecting the locking mandrel from the upper packoff and disconnecting the upper packoff from the lower packoff. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The packoff assembly of claim 18, wherein the upper packoff is releasably connected to the lower packoff via a threaded connection which converts rotation of the upper packoff relative to the lower packoff into axial movement of the upper packoff relative to the lower packoff. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The packoff assembly of claim 19, wherein the locking mandrel is releasably and rotatably connected to the upper packoff. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The packoff assembly of claim 20, wherein the locking mandrel is releasably connected to a connecting ring which in turn is rotatably connected to the upper packoff. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The packoff assembly of claim 21, wherein the locking mandrel is releasably connected to the connecting ring by a number of screws, each of which extends axially through the connecting ring and into a corresponding bore in the locking mandrel. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The packoff assembly of claim 22, wherein the connecting ring is rotatably connected to the upper packoff by a number of screws, each of which extends radially through the connecting ring and into an annular groove which is formed concentrically on an outer surface portion of the upper packoff. ### Claim 24 (depends on 18) The packoff assembly of claim 18, wherein the lower packoff comprises a lower seal support ring and an upper guide sleeve which is connected to or formed integrally with the seal support ring, wherein the upper packoff comprises an upper seal support sleeve and a lower actuating sleeve which is connected to or formed integrally with the seal support sleeve, and wherein the actuating sleeve is releasably connected to the guide sleeve to thereby releasably connect the upper packoff to the lower packoff. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The packoff assembly of claim 24, wherein the actuating sleeve is releasably connected to the guide sleeve via a threaded connection which converts rotation of the upper packoff relative to the lower packoff into axial movement of the upper packoff relative to the lower packoff. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The packoff assembly of claim 25, wherein the locking mandrel is rotatably connected to the upper packoff. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The packoff assembly of claim 26, wherein the locking mandrel is releasably connected to a connecting ring which in turn is rotatably connected to the upper packoff. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The packoff assembly of claim 27, wherein the locking mandrel is releasably connected to the connecting ring by a number of screws, each of which extends axially through the connecting ring and into a corresponding bore in the locking mandrel and each of which is accessible upon removal of the second outer tubular member from the first outer tubular member. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The packoff assembly of claim 28, wherein the connecting ring is rotatably connected to the upper packoff by a number of screws, each of which extends radially through the connecting ring and into an annular groove which is formed concentrically on an outer surface portion of the upper packoff. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The packoff assembly of claim 29, further comprising means for preventing rotation of the lower packoff upon rotation of the upper packoff. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The packoff assembly of claim 30, further comprising means for preventing rotation of the locking mandrel upon rotation of the upper packoff. ### Claim 32 (depends on 18) The packoff assembly of claim 18, further comprising a middle packoff which is positioned axially between the upper packoff and the lower packoff, wherein the upper packoff is non-rotatably connected to the middle packoff and the middle packoff is releasably connected to the lower packoff. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The packoff assembly of claim 32, wherein the middle packoff is releasably connected to the lower packoff via a threaded connection which converts rotation of the middle packoff relative to the lower packoff into axial movement of the middle packoff relative to the lower packoff. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The packoff assembly of claim 33, wherein the middle packoff is releasably connected to the upper packoff.