Back to results
US 4,784,224 AGranted
Casing guide for well template
AssigneeConoco Inc.
InventorsColin P. Leach, Charles N. White
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A casing guide apparatus includes a subsea well template having a well opening defined therein, and a cylindrical well casing received through the well opening. A casing guide bushing is operably asssociated with the template and the casing for permitting relative vertical movement between the template and the casing and for preventing relative lateral movement between the template and the casing at the well opening.
Claims14
A casing guide apparatus, comprising:
- a well template having a template housing with a housing bore therethrough defining a well opening;
- a cylindrical well casing received through said well opening;
- and
- bushing means, operably associated with said template and said casing, for permitting relative vertical movement between said template and said casing and for preventing relative lateral movement between said template and said casing at said well opening wherein said bushing means includes:
- a cylindrical bushing member having a cylindrical inner bushing bore within which said casing is closely received;
- and
- latch means, operably associated with said bushing member and said well opening of said template, for latching said bushing member into a fixed position within said well opening upon insertion of said casing and said bushing means downwardly into said well opening of said template said latch means including:
- an annular latching groove defined in said housing bore;
- and
- radially outwardly biased locking means, connected to said bushing member and extending radially outwardly from said bushing member, for receipt in said latching groove of said housing bore of said template.
7 more elements
A method of constructing an underwater well, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) placing a well template having a well opening defined therein on a floor of a body of water;
- (b) assembling a bushing means with a well casing;
- (c) lowering said well casing downward through said well opening of said template until a lower portion of said casing is received in a well bore;
- (d) connectably engaging said bushing means with said well template so that said bushing means is substantially fixed relative to said template for preventing lateral movement of said casing relative to said template at said well opening;
- (e) fixing said lower portion of said casing into said well bore;
- and
- (f) allowing said bushing means to slide downward relative to said casing as said well template settles into said floor, thus eliminating a danger of buckling of an upper portion of said casing upon settling of said well template.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.