Metal-to-metal sealing pipe swivel joint
AssigneeFMC Corporation
InventorsHarold B. Skeels, Christopher E. Cunningham, Edmund M. Mouret, Donald M. Underwood, Michael J. Krenek
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A metal-to-metal sealing pipe swivel joint especially useful with a subsea well completion system to pivotally interconnect the subsea wellhead to a lay-away flowline, the swivel joint having an annular seal element with metallic sealing surfaces and inner and outer tubular elements, also with metallic sealing surfaces, that can be moved into or withdrawn from sealing engagement with the seal element sealing surfaces.
Claims29
A metal-to-metal sealing pipe swivel joint comprising:
- a) an outer joint element with an inner annular metallic sealing surface;
- b) an inner tubular joint element with an outer annular metallic sealing surface, said inner element extending at least partially within said outer element;
- c) means securing together said inner and outer elements in a relatively rotatable but non-axially separable manner;
- d) an annular seal element disposed between said inner and outer joint elements, said seal element having inner and outer annular metallic sealing surfaces moveable axially between a first position wherein said seal element sealing surfaces are not in contact with said inner and outer joint elements, and a second position wherein said seal element sealing surfaces bear against said inner and outer joint element sealing surfaces to establish a metal-to-metal fluid pressure seal therebetween;
- and
- e) means to axially move said inner and outer seal element sealing surfaces between said first and second positions.
In a well completion system comprising a subsea Christmas tree and a lay-away flowline, a metal-to-metal sealing pipe swivel joint interconnecting the tree and the flowline, said swivel joint comprising:
- a) an outer tubular joint element with an inner annular metallic sealing surface;
- b) an inner tubular joint element with an outer annular metallic sealing surface, said inner element extending at least partially within said outer element;
- c) means securing together said inner and outer elements in a relatively rotatable but non-axially separable manner;
- d) an annular seal element disposed between said inner and outer joint elements, said seal element having inner and outer annular metallic sealing surfaces moveable axially between a first position wherein said seal element sealing surfaces are not in contact with said inner and outer joint elements, and a second position wherein said seal element sealing surfaces bear against said inner and outer joint element sealing surfaces to establish a metal-to-metal fluid pressure seal therebetween;
- and
- e) means to axially move said inner and outer seal element sealing surfaces between said first and second positions.
In a well completion system comprising a subsea Christmas tree and a pair of lay-away flowlines individually interconnected to the subsea tree by pipe swivel joints, an apparatus for releasably locking the flowlines against pivotal movement about the axes of their swivel joints, said apparatus comprising:
- a) a pair of lock pins, one pin at least partially telescoped within the other pin;
- b) means for biasing said pins axially away from each other;
- c) pin operating means for moving said pins axially towards each other;
- d) support means for said swivel joints, lock pins and pin operating means, said support means adapted for releasable connection to said Christmas tree to prevent movement of said support means relative to said tree;
- and
- e) receptacle means on said flowlines for receiving and holding said pins when said flowlines are in a predetermined angular attitude with respect to said Christmas tree.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.