Clamp Assembly

A clamp assembly adapted for breaking a severable connection in a pressurised flowline of an oil or gas well, the clamp assembly comprising:

• first and second clamp members, each of the first and second clamp members having at least first and second interconnected clamp segments, the first clamp segment being pivotally moveable with respect to the second clamp segment to close the clamp segments around a conduit;
• at least one first guide rod with a first axis connecting a first clamp segment of the first clamp member to a first clamp segment of the second clamp member, and at least one second guide rod with a second axis connecting a second clamp segment of the first clamp member to a second clamp segment of the second clamp member, wherein the first and second axes of the first and second guide rods are parallel;
• a drive mechanism connecting the first clamp member to the second clamp member, wherein the drive mechanism is adapted to drive axial movement of the first and second clamp members relative to each other in a direction parallel to the first and second axes;
• wherein the first clamp member is adapted to engage with a first conduit and the second clamp member is adapted to engage with a second conduit when the clamp segments are closed around the first and second conduits wherein the first and second conduits are on opposite sides of the severable connection;
• wherein the first and second guide rods are adapted to permit relative axial movement of the first and second clamp members in a direction parallel to the first and second axes while maintaining alignment of the first and second clamp members;
• wherein the first and second clamp segments on each of the first and second clamp members have an inner surface comprising a recess, and wherein each recess is adapted to receive at least a portion of a load shoulder, wherein each load shoulder comprises a protrusion extending radially outward from the first and second conduits, and wherein the recesses on the first clamp member receive protrusions on the first conduit, and the recesses on the second clamp member receive protrusions on the second conduit.