Well apparatus and method
AssigneeDril-Quip, Inc.
InventorsBruce J. Watkins, Blake T. DeBerry
Life of this patent
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Abstract
There is disclosed an offshore well installation wherein a shoulder of a casing hanger body supported within a casing head on a platform at the water surface has been lowered onto a seat in the head so as to support a casing string anchored at its lower end to a mudline hanger in tension, the lower end of the hanger body being connected to the upper end of the string by an adjustable sub which is manpulated by a tool lowered through the hanger body and into the sub so as to adjust it from an extended position in which its shoulder is above the seat in the head to a retracted position in which the shoulder is seated on the head and the casing string is placed in tension.
Claims26
A longitudinally adjustable sub for connecting tubular well conduits, comprising
- a first tubular member connectable to a first conduit,
- a second tubular member connectable to a second conduit and being spaced concentrically of the first tubular member, and
- a sleeve disposed within the space and having first and second threads engaged with threads on the first and second tubular members, respectively, and so related to one another that rotation of the sleeve causes the tubular members to move longitudinally with respect to one another,
- the sleeve having means thereon to which a tool removably disposable within the sub may be connected for imparting rotation thereto in order to adjust the sub, and
- the threads on the sleeve remaining engaged with longitudinally overlapping threads on the tubular members so as to transmit axial loading between said members essentially in shear.
Well apparatus for use in longitudinally extending or retracting well conduits, comprising
- a sub having a first tubular member connectable to a first conduit,
- a second tubular member connectable to a second conduit being spaced concentrically of the first member, and
- a sleeve disposed within the space and having first and second threads engaged with threads on the first and second members, respectively, and so related with respect to one another that rotation of the sleeve causes the tubular members to move longitudinally with respect to one another, and
- a tool removably disposable within the sub and having means thereon for engaging with means on the sleeve for imparting rotation to the sleeve,
- the threads on the sleeve remaining engaged with longitudinally overlapping threads on the tubular members so as to transmit axial loading between said members essentially in shear.
For use in drilling and/or completing an offshore well wherein a pipe string is to be suspended from a seat within a casing head on a platform at the water surface above a mudline hanger within a well bore at the ocean floor to which the lower end of the string is connected, apparatus comprising
- a hanger body having a shoulder adapted to be landed on the seat,
- a sub including
- a first tubular member adapted to be connected to the lower end of the hanger body,
- a second tubular member adapted to be connected to the upper end of the string and being spaced concentrically of the lower end of the first member, and
- a sleeve disposed within the space and having first and second threads connected to the first and second members, respectively, and so related with respect to one another that rotation of the sleeve causes the tubular members to move longitudinally with respect to one another from a first position in which the hanger body shoulder is above the seat to a second position in which the shoulder is landed on the seat and the string is placed in tension, and
- a tool lowerable through the hanger body and into the sub for so rotating the sleeve,
- the threads on the sleeve remaining engaged with longitudinally overlapping threads on the tubular members so as to transmit axial loading between said members essentially in shear.
In a method of drilling and/or completing a subsea well, wherein a pipe string anchored at its lower end to a mudline hanger within a well bore at the ocean floor is to be suspended in tension from a seat within a casing head on a platform at the water surface, the steps of
- connecting the upper end of the pipe string to a hanger body by means of longitudinally retractable sub to support a shoulder about the hanger body above the seat in the head, said sub comprising
- a first tubular member connected to the hanger body,
- a second tubular member connected to the upper end of the string and spaced concentrically of the lower end of the first member,
- a sleeve disposed within the space and having first and second threads connected to the first and second members, respectively, and so related with respect to one another that rotation of the sleeve causes the tubular members to move longitudinally with respect to one another, and
- lowering a tool through the head and hanger body to engage and rotate the sleeve in order to retract the sub and thereby lower the hanger body to land its shoulder on the seat and place the string in tension,
- the threads on the sleeve remaining engaged with longitudinally overlapping threads on the tubular members so as to transmit axial loading between said members which is essentially in shear.
A well tool, comprising
- first and second tubular members adapted to be connected in a pipe string for longitudinal movement with respect to one another, and
- a seal assembly for sealing between concentrically spaced, radially outer and inner parallel, cylindrical surfaces on the first and second members, respectively, so as to close the space, including
- an annular metal body having an inner wall and vertically spaced legs surrounding the outer side of the inner wall with a first leg extending upwardly and a second leg extending downwardly therefrom,
- said first member having a conical surface at one end of its outer cylindrical surface over which the inner side of the inner wall of the seal assembly may slide in order to circumferentially expand the assembly, and
- the outer ends of both legs tightly engaging the inner surface of the second member for sealing with respect thereto when the seal assembly is disposed within the space, and,
- means on the first member engagable with opposite ends of the seal assembly to limit its longitudinal movement with respect to the first member during relative longitudinal movement of the members.
A tool for longitudinally adjusting a sub which includes a first tubular member connected to a first conduit, a second tubular member connected to a second conduit and being spaced concentrically of the first tubular member, and a sleeve disposed within the space and having first and second threads engaged with threads on the first and second tubular members, respectively, and so related to one another that rotation of the sleeve causes the tubular members to move longitudinally with respect to one another, said tool comprising
- a body adapted to be lowered into the sub and having longitudinally spaced keys each having an engaging part thereon and carried by the tool body for rotation therewith and independent radial movement with respect to one another between first positions in which the engaging parts are free to slide longitudinally along the bore of the first member and second positions in the engaging parts thereon rotatably engage the engaging part on the sleeve,
- means yieldably urging the keys toward their second positions, and
- means for anchoring the body of the tool longitudinally with respect to one of the members while permitting the body to be rotated, so that, upon rotation of said body to rotate the sleeve, the engaging part on the sleeve is successively moved into engagement with engaging parts on successive keys.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.