Pipeline spool piece seal assembly and method of use

A method of repairing a pipeline using a spool assembly comprising a substantially tubular conduit that comprises a first conduit end and a second conduit end;

• a predetermined set of flanges, a first flange of the predetermined set of flanges disposed at the first conduit end of the substantially tubular conduit and a second flange of the predetermined set of flanges disposed at the second conduit end of the substantially tubular conduit;
• two seal assemblies, each seal assembly configured to mate with corresponding flange of the two flanges, each seal assembly comprising a housing that comprises an interior defining an inner annulus adapted to fit over an outer surface of the pipeline, a first housing end, a fluid inlet disposed proximate the first housing end, a second housing end, a fluid outlet disposed proximate the second housing end;
• a stopper comprising an interior end exposed to the interior;
• and an end flange disposed at a first end of the housing and fixed to the housing, the end flange configured to mate with a corresponding flange of the two flanges and comprising a flange tapered edge angled towards an interior of the housing and a fluid outlet, the end flange comprising an interior end and an exterior end disposed distally from the interior end;
• a housing seal disposed intermediate the housing and the end flange;
• a housing seal disposed within the housing and in physical contact with the interior end of the stopper, the seal adapted to be in communication with an uncontrolled surface, the seal comprising a seal tapered edge in contact with and configured to cooperatively complement the flange tapered edge, the seal configured to selectively allow fluid flow between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet and selectively block fluid flow at a predefined set of fluid leakage paths between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, a machined slip anchor comprising a griping surface, the slip anchor connected to the stopper and configured to grip onto the outer surface of the pipeline;
• a machined slip cone, the machined slip anchor and the machined slip cone comprising a complementary geometry adapted to allow the machined slip anchor and the machined slip cone to slip over each other;
• and a pin disposed intermediate the machined slip anchor and machined slip cone, the pin forming a deformable but substantially rigid connection between the machined slip anchor and machined slip cone, the pin aligned to guide the machined slip cone as it slides with movement of the machined slip anchor and to be sheared away due to a force acting on the pin when the force exceeds a predetermined shear strength of the pin, the pin configured to disallow sliding of the machined slip anchor until the pin is shorn and allow the machined slip anchor to slide relative to the machined slip cone and a piston slidingly disposed within the housing to continue to move into the housing once the pin is shorn, the method comprising:
• a. attaching one flange of the predetermined set of flanges at each end of the substantially tubular conduit;
• b. positioning the substantially tubular conduit with its attached predetermined set of flanges proximate a damaged portion of the pipeline, the pipeline comprising a first pipeline section and a second pipeline section separated from the first pipeline section at a distance defining an open pipeline area encompassing the damaged portion of the pipeline;
• c. deploying the two seal assemblies to a location proximate the open pipeline area;
• d. securing a first seal assembly of the two seal assemblies onto an open end of the first pipeline section proximate the pipeline open area and a second seal assembly of the two seal assemblies onto an open end of the second pipeline section proximate the pipeline open area;
• e. aligning the substantially tubular conduit and the predetermined set of flanges with a longitudinal axis of the pipeline that extends from the first pipeline section through the open pipeline area on through the second pipeline section;
• and
• f. securing the substantially tubular conduit intermediate the two separate portions of the pipeline by coupling the substantially tubular conduit and the predetermined set of flanges to the two seal assemblies by securing the first flange to the first seal assembly and securing the second flange to the second seal assembly.