Interchangeable subsea wellhead devices and methods
AssigneeHydril USA Manufacturing LLC
InventorsRobert Arnold Judge, Perrin Rodriguez
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for connecting a lower marine riser package to a lower blowout preventer stack. The method includes lowering a frame of the lower marine riser package toward a frame of the lower blowout preventer stack such that a first half of a feed-thru component contacts a second half of the feed-thru component; floating at least one of the first half of the feed-thru component or the second half of the feed-thru component while the frame of the lower marine package is further lowered toward the frame of the lower blowout preventer stack; and engaging the first half of the feed-thru component to the second half of the feed-thru component after further lowering the lower marine riser package toward the lower blowout preventer stack.
Claims20
A method for connecting a lower marine riser package to a lower blowout preventer stack, the method comprising:
- lowering a frame of the lower marine riser package toward a frame of the lower blowout preventer stack such that a first half of a feed-thru component attached to the frame of the lower marine riser package contacts a second half of the feed-thru component attached to the frame of the lower blowout preventer stack;
- floating at least one of the first half of the feed-thru component or the second half of the feed-thru component while the frame of the lower marine package is further lowered toward the frame of the lower blowout preventer stack, wherein floating comprises allowing a part of the first half of the feed-thru component to move with respect to the frame of the lower marine riser package or allowing a part of the second half of the feed-thru component to move with respect to the frame of the lower blowout preventer stack;
- and
- after further lowering the lower marine riser package toward the lower blowout preventer stack, engaging the first half of the feed-thru component to the second half of the feed-thru component to create a communication link between the lower marine riser package and the lower blowout preventer stack, wherein engaging the first half with the second half is achieved without using an external pressure provided by an accumulator.
A lower marine riser package, comprising:
- a frame having a mating surface;
- and
- a first half of a feed-thru component configured to mate with a second half of the feed-thru component, the first half being displaced in a hole of the frame, wherein
- the mating surface of the frame is configured to be lowered toward a proximal end of a lower blowout preventer stack such that the first half of the feed-thru component contacts the second half of the feed-thru component, the second half being attached to a frame of the lower blowout preventer stack,
- the first half is configured to float as the frame of the lower marine riser package is lowered further toward the proximal end of the lower blowout preventer stack, wherein floating comprises allowing a part of the first half of the feed-thru component to move with respect to the frame of the lower marine riser package, and
- the first half is configured to engage, after further lowering the frame of the lower marine riser package toward the lower blowout preventer stack, with the second half of the feed-thru component to create a communication link between the lower marine riser package and the lower blowout preventer stack, wherein engaging the first half with the second half is achieved without using an external pressure provided by an accumulator.
A lower blowout preventer stack, comprising:
- a frame having a mating surface;
- and
- a first half of a feed-thru component configured to mate with a second half of the feed-thru component, the first half being displaced in a hole of the frame, wherein
- the mating surface of the frame is fixed and the second half is lowered toward the first half such that the first half of the feed-thru component contacts the second half of the feed-thru component, the second half being attached to a frame of a lower marine riser package,
- the first half is configured to float as the frame of the lower marine riser package is lowered further toward the frame of the lower blowout preventer stack, wherein floating comprises allowing a part of the first half of the feed-thru component to move with respect to the frame of the lower blowout preventer stack, and
- the first half is configured to engage, after further lowering the frame of the lower marine riser package, with the second half of the feed-thru component to create a communication link between the lower marine riser package and the lower blowout preventer stack, wherein engaging the first half with the second half is achieved without using an external pressure provided by an accumulator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.