Wellhead valve removal and installation tool

A tool adapted to be positioned against the outlet end of a valve on an operating wellhead assembly under pressure for removing and replacing the valve with the tool being in longitudinal alignment with the flowline in which the valve is positioned;

• said tool having an outer elongated housing carrying a sealing and latching mechanism and an operating mechanism releasably connected to the sealing and latching mechanism;
• said sealing and latching mechanism adapted to be positioned in the flowline upstream of the inlet end of the valve and having an outwardly movable latch member for holding the sealing and latching mechanism in a fixed position within the flowline upstream of the valve, said sealing and latching mechanism having a radially expanding elastomeric sealing element adjacent the latch member for engaging the inner circumference of the flowline in a fluid-tight sealing relation upstream of the inlet end of the valve to be removed;
• said operating mechanism being manually operated through the housing adjacent the valve to be removed and operatively connected to the sealing and latching mechanism for selectively expanding the sealing element outwardly into sealing engagement with the flowline and for selectively moving the latch member outwardly for retaining the sealing and latching mechanism in fixed position within the flowline, said operating mechanism being released from said sealing and latching mechanism after actuation of said sealing and latching mechanism to permit removal of the valve;
• said operating mechanism having an outer actuating member operatively connected to the sealing element for selectively expanding the sealing element into fluid-tight sealing relation with the flowline and an inner actuating member operatively connected to the latch member for selectively actuating the latch member independently of the sealing element;
• said housing having a portion thereof enclosing an intermediate portion of the outer actuating member and forming a fluid cylinder around said intermediate portion, said outer actuating member having a piston secured thereto within said cylinder;
• and
• means to apply fluid pressure to opposite sides of said piston for moving said outer actuating member between extended and retracted positions.

A tool adapted to be positioned against the outlet end of a valve on an operating wellhead assembly under pressure for removing and replacing the valve with the tool being in longitudinal alignment with the flowline in which the valve is positioned and in transverse alignment to a connecting passageway;

• said tool having an outer elongated housing carrying a generally cylindrical head having an annular sealing means and an independent latching means, and an operating mechanism releasably connected to the sealing means and latching means for operation of the sealing means and latching means;
• said cylindrical head adapted to be positioned in the flowline upstream of the inlet end of the valve adjacent the connecting passageway and having an outwardly movable latch member adapted to extend into the connecting passageway for holding the head in a fixed position within the flowline upstream of the valve, said sealing means having a radially expanding elastomeric packing ring downstream of the latch member for engaging the inner circumference of the flowline in a fluid-tight sealing relation upstream of the inlet end of the valve to be removed;
• said operating mechanism being operated through the housing adjacent the valve to be removed and having a manual operator operatively connected to the sealing means and the latching means for selectively expanding the packing ring outwardly into sealing engagement with the flowline and for selectively moving the latch member outwardly into the connecting passageway for retaining the head in fixed position within the flowline, said operating mechanism being selectively removable from said sealing means and latching means after actuation thereof to permit removal of the valve;
• said operating mechanism having an outer actuating member operatively connected to the sealing element for selectively expanding the sealing element into fluid-tight sealing relation with the flowline and an inner actuating member operatively connected to the latch member for selectively actuating the latch member independently of the sealing element, said actuating members having said manual operators thereon;
• said housing having a portion thereof enclosing an intermediate portion of the outer actuating member and forming a fluid cylinder around said intermediate portion, said outer actuating member having a piston secured thereto within said cylinder;
• and
• means to apply fluid pressure to opposite sides of said piston for moving said outer actuating member between extended and retracted positions.

A tool for removing and replacing a valve on an operating wellhead assembly having a housing defining a pressurized chamber, a conduit mounted with the housing and in fluid communication with the pressurized chamber, a fluid coupling on the conduit, and a valve having inlet and outlet fluid couplings with one fluid coupling mounted on the conduit fluid coupling such that the valve is in fluid communication with the pressurized chamber, wherein the tool comprises:

• an elongated housing having a fluid coupling on one end for engaging a fluid coupling of said valve;
• packing means for mounting in said conduit to temporarily block fluid flow through said conduit;
• latch means associated with said packing means to temporarily secure said packing means with said wellhead assembly;
• manipulator means carried by said housing and removably connected to said packing means to displace said packing means through said valve and into said conduit to expand and release said packing means, and to selectively engage and release said latch means;
• said packing means having a hollow cylindrical body member with a resilient annular packing around a mid-portion thereof and a body end member movably mounted on an outer end of said body member, said body end member being engagable by said manipulator means and movable to compress said packing between an abutment on said body member and another abutment on said body end member to radially expand said packing;
• and
• said latch means having a hub rotatably mounted in said body member and operably connected to a pair of oppositely disposed latch members with said hub being engagable by said manipulator means and rotatable to displace said latch members between extended and retracted positions.

A tool for removing and replacing a valve of an operating wellhead assembly comprising:

• an elongated housing having a fluid coupling on one end adapted to be mounted with a fluid coupling of a valve of the wellhead assembly;
• sealing means adapted to be mounted in a conduit of the wellhead assembly which joins said valve to temporarily block fluid flow through said conduit;
• latching means associated with said sealing means to temporarily secure said sealing means within said wellhead assembly;
• an actuator mounted within said housing for rotative and longitudinal movement, said actuator removably connected to said sealing means and operable to selectively engage and release said latching means;
• a piston and cylinder combination associated with said actuator and said housing including a cylinder formed by a portion of said housing and a piston on said actuator, said piston and cylinder combination being operable to move said actuator between extended and retracted positions for moving said sealing means into the conduit and for removing the sealing means from said conduit;
• and
• fluid control means for said piston and cylinder combination to control the fluid pressure on opposite sides of said piston in order to control the position of said actuator.

A method of replacing a valve on an operating wellhead including the steps of:

• (a) closing a valve which is to be removed and removing any apparatus from the outlet thereof;
• (b) mounting a reaming tool with an extendable, retractable, and rotatable manipulator of a valve removal tool;
• (c) mounting a housing of the valve removal tool with the valve and opening the valve;
• (d) extending the manipulator to bring the reamer in contact with an obstruction in the wellhead;
• (e) rotating the reamer with the manipulator to cut and remove the obstruction;
• (f) retracting the reamer assembly from the wellhead by retracting the manipulator;
• (g) closing the valve;
• (h) removing the valve removal tool including the reamer from the valve;
• (i) mounting the housing of the valve removal tool with the valve;
• (j) opening the valve;
• (k) extending the manipulator of the valve removal tool to displace a packing assembly through the valve and into the wellhead;
• (l) securing the packing assembly in the wellhead by operating the manipulator to seal fluid flow through the conduit and to mount the packing assembly in a fixed position;
• (m) disconnecting the manipulator from the packing assembly;
• (n) disconnecting the valve and the valve removal tool from the wellhead;
• (o) removing the valve from the valve removal tool housing and mounting a replacement valve on the valve removal tool housing;
• (p) mounting the replacement valve with the wellhead;
• (q) extending the manipulator to engage the packing assembly;
• (r) releasing the packing assembly by operating the manipulator;
• (s) retracting the packing assembly from the wellhead to a location downstream of the valve member in the replacement valve;
• (t) closing the replacement valve;
• and
• (u) removing the valve removal tool housing and packing assembly from the replacement valve.

A tool for use in the removal of a valve mounted on a wellhead assembly exposed to operating pressure, said tool comprising:

• a housing adapted to be temporarily mounted to a downstream end of the valve remote from the wellhead assembly;
• a shaft mounted to said housing for longitudinal movement between an extended position wherein the shaft extends substantially through the valve and a retracted position wherein the shaft is retracted out of the valve;
• a sealing and latching mechanism carried on the shaft, said mechanism having means for forming a fluid-tight seal upstream of the valve in the extended position of the shaft to seal the valve from the operating pressure of the wellhead assembly;
• latching means on said mechanism having a latched condition to temporarily secure the mechanism in a fixed position upstream of the valve and an unlatched condition permitting movement of the sealing and latching mechanism;
• means for detachably mounting said sealing and latching mechanism on said shaft for movement therewith through the valve, said detachable mounting means being releasable to disconnect said mechanism from the shaft for removal of the valve;
• and
• means for preventing disconnection of said mechanism from the shaft except when said latching means is in the latched condition.

A tool for use in the removal of a valve mounted on a wellhead assembly exposed to operating pressure, said tool comprising:

• a housing adapted to be temporarily mounted to a downstream end of the valve remote from the wellhead assembly;
• a tubular outer manipulator member mounted to said housing for longitudinal movement so as to be capable of being extended through and retracted out of the valve, said outer member having an inner end portion presenting external splines thereon;
• a shaft extending through said outer member and having an inner end portion extending beyond the inner end portion of said outer member, said inner end portion of the shaft presenting external splines thereon;
• a sealing and latching head member detachably mounted to the outer member and shaft for extension through and retraction out of the valve;
• packing means on said head member including a packing actuator operable upon rotation to expand said packing means into a sealed condition to form a fluid-tight seal upstream of the valve to seal the valve from the operating pressure of the wellhead assembly, said actuator presenting internal splines for mating engagement with the splines of said outer manipulator member to rotate the actuator upon rotation of the outer member while permitting longitudinal movement of said outer member to disconnect same from said head member;
• and
• latching means on said head member operable upon rotation thereof to latch the head member in a fixed position upstream of the valve, said latch means presenting internal splines for mating engagement with the splines of said shaft to rotate the latching means upon rotation of the shaft while permitting longitudinal movement of the shaft to disconnect same from the head member.

A tool for use in the removal of a valve mounted on a wellhead assembly exposed to operating pressure, said tool comprising:

• a housing adapted to be temporarily mounted to a downstream end of the valve remote from the wellhead assembly;
• a shaft mounted to said housing for longitudinal extension through the valve and retraction out of the valve;
• a sealing head carried on the shaft and including a packing member which is expansible into a sealed condition to form a fluid-tight seal upstream to the valve to seal the valve from the operating pressure of the wellhead assembly;
• a pair of threaded members on the sealing head carrying the packing member therebetween and movable toward one another to expand the packing member into the sealed condition thereof, one of said threaded members presenting relatively coarse threads and the other threaded member presenting relatively fine threads;
• a connector having coarse threads engaging the coarse threads of said one threaded member and fine threads engaging the fine threads of said other threaded member, whereby rotation of said connector in one direction effects movement of said threaded members toward one another to expand said packing member into the sealed condition thereof;
• and
• means for coupling said shaft with said connector in a manner to effect rotation of the connector in response to rotation of the shaft.