# US 10,865,616 B2 · Ported U-cup annular wellhead hanger seal > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,865,616 B2 - Document ID: US10865616B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/281,367 - Filed: 2019-02-21 - Published: 2019-08-22 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-21 - Assignees: Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC - Applicants: Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC - Inventors: Andrew Ingram; Gregory Dunn; Alejandro C. Martinez - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10865616B2 ## CPC - E21B 33/043: specially adapted for underwater well heads ({E21B33/0407,} E21B33/047 take precedence) - E21B 33/04: Casing heads; Suspending casings or tubings in well heads - E21B 33/1208: {characterised by the construction of the sealing or packing means (E21B33/1277 takes precedence)} - E21B 33/1212: {including a metal-to-metal seal element} - E21B 33/0355: {Control systems, e.g. hydraulic, pneumatic, electric, acoustic, for submerged well heads} - E21B 2200/01: Sealings characterised by their shape - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS ## Abstract A system is disclosed as including an enclosed space within a seal for sealing an area between a hanger and a housing of a wellhead. The enclosed space traverses a first section of the seal, a middle section of the seal, and an opening at a second section of the seal. A port is provided as accessible from the housing. A tool positions the seal within the hanger and the housing so that the port is able to access the enclosed space from the housing to the hanger. A pressure applicator applies fluid into the port at a pressure, which is monitored to determine integrity of the seal. In a monitoring mode, a pressure is monitored at the port. A change in the pressure from an ambient pressure at the port may indicate an on-going issue with the seal. Methods applied to the system are also disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a seal for an area between a housing and a hanger of a wellhead, the seal having an enclosed space that vertically or diagonally traverses through a first section and a through second section of the seal, and that circumvents a U-cup space provided for energizing the seal; and a port accessible from the housing to the enclosed space. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: a pressure applicator for applying fluid into the port at a pressure; and a pressure gauge for monitoring the pressure of the fluid to determine integrity of the seal against one of the housing and the hanger, by the pressure falling within predetermined ranges. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: an energizing ring for filling the U-cup space to energize the seal for normal operation by causing the first section of the seal to press against the housing and for causing the second section of the seal to press against the hanger. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein an energizing ring for the energizing of the seal is one of: helical springs or elliptical coil springs, helical wound springs, v-springs or cantilever springs, and continuous contact springs. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the seal is formed of a metal alloy material comprising one or more of: an alloy of steal, stainless steel, and a nickel alloy. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the enclosed space within the seal is formed of connected drill holes in each of the first section and the second section, and allows the circumvention of the U-cup space. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the first section of the seal and the second section of the seal comprise separations forming a first portion and a second portion for each of the first section and the second section of the seal so that there are four locations of the seal pressing against the housing when the seal is energized. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the enclosed space within the seal is formed by one or more of: Electrical Discharge Machining (EDMing), 3-Dimensional (3D) printing, powder sintering, and casting. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: a middle section of the seal that is machined and left open to form at least a channel between a bottom of the seal and a lock ring energizer element, the channel forming part of the enclosed space in the seal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: an alarm connected to a gauge for monitoring a pressure of fluid applied to the enclosed space so that a change in an expected pressure range triggers the alarm. ### Claim 11 A method for enabling integrity testing of a seal against a housing and a hanger of a wellhead comprising: providing an enclosed space within the seal for an area between the housing and the hanger of the wellhead, the enclosed space vertically or diagonally traversing through a first section and through a second section of the seal, having an opening for a port at the second section of the seal, and circumventing a space provided for energizing the seal; and providing a port that is accessible from the housing to receive fluid to the enclosed space and to monitor the fluid for integrity of the seal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: monitoring a pressure of the fluid when it is applied to the port, the pressure applied increasingly from a lower value to a higher value of a range of pressure values; and determining integrity of the seal against one of the housing and the hanger as the pressure is applied increasingly. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: providing a tool to position the seal between the hanger and the housing; applying the fluid to the enclosed space via the port; and determining that an issue exists for the seal against one of the housing and the hanger when a pressure of the fluid falls outside one or more predetermined ranges. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: monitoring gases received as the fluid within the enclosed space; and determining integrity of the seal against one of the housing and the hanger based at least in part on the gasses being well-formation gasses. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the fluid is applied under pressure to the port for a predetermined time period at predetermined time intervals. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: drilling a plurality of holes of predetermined lengths into material of the seal from a plurality of different positions external to the seal so that each of the plurality of holes intersect another one of the plurality of holes to create the enclosed space for fluid communication through the plurality of holes; welding external accesses to close at least one of the plurality of holes; and leaving open at least two of the plurality of holes for access to the port and for access to the hanger, the fluid communication occurring between the port and the access to the hanger in normal operation. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: drilling a hole in the housing for the port; and ensuring the hole accesses an access hole of the enclosed space in the first section of the seal during normal operation with the seal energized. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: machining a middle section of the seal to form at least a channel between a bottom of the seal and a lock ring energizer element, the channel forming part of the enclosed space in the seal. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: energizing the seal using an energizing ring filling the space for normal operations, the energizing causing the first section of the seal to press against the housing and for causing the second section of the seal to press against the hanger. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the enclosed space within the seal is formed by one or more of: Electrical Discharge Machining (EDMing), 3-Dimensional (3D) printing, powder sintering, and casting.