Bi-directional annulus seal
AssigneeVetco Gray Inc.
InventorsSteven C. Ellis, Javier Garcia, Jr., Rick C. Hunter, John E. Nelson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wellhead seal assembly forms a metal-to-metal seal between inner and outer wellhead members. A metal seal ring has inner and outer walls separated by a slot. A lock ring has grooves for locking the inner wellhead member to the outer wellhead member during installation. An energizing ring has a C-ring captured on its inner surface. When the energizing ring is moved further into the slot, the C-ring is forced from its pocket and engages the surface of the inner wellhead member, locking the seal assembly to the inner wellhead member.
Claims16
A wellhead seal assembly for sealing between inner and outer wellhead members, comprising:
- a metal seal ring having upper inner and outer walls separated by a generally cylindrical upper slot and lower inner and outer walls separated by a generally cylindrical lower slot;
- an upper metal energizing ring generally cylindrical in shape with surfaces that slidingly engage the inner and outer walls in the upper slot of the seal ring during installation to push the upper inner and outer walls into sealing engagement with the inner and out wellhead members;
- a lower metal energizing ring generally cylindrical in shape with surfaces that slidingly engage the inner and outer walls in the lower slot of the seal ring during installation to push the lower inner and outer walls into sealing engagement with the inner and out wellhead members;
- a resilient latch member carried by the upper metal energizing ring that is moved radially into latching engagement with the inner wellhead member in response to movement of the upper metal energizing ring;
- and
- a spacing member that enables the resilient latch member to engage the inner wellhead member prior to the upper metal energizing ring fully engaging the inner and outer walls in the upper slot of the seal ring.
A wellhead assembly comprising:
- an inner wellhead member;
- an outer wellhead member;
- a metal seal ring having inner and outer walls separated by a slot;
- a metal energizing ring generally cylindrical in shape with surfaces that slidingly engage the inner and outer walls in the slot of the seal ring during installation to push the inner and outer walls into sealing engagement between the inner and outer wellhead members;
- a resilient latch member carried by the metal energizing ring that is moved radially into latching engagement with the inner wellhead member in response to movement of the metal energizing ring;
- and
- a spacing member that enables the resilient latch member to engage the inner wellhead member prior to the metal energizing ring fully engaging the inner and outer walls in the slot of the seal ring.
A method for sealing an inner wellhead member to an outer wellhead member, comprising:
- introducing a seal assembly with a seal ring with a cylindrical upper stets slot and a cylindrical lower slot and upper and lower energizing rings into a bore;
- locking the seal assembly to the outer wellhead member by engaging the inner surface of the outer wellhead member with the seal assembly;
- slidingly engaging the inner and outer walls of the lower slot with the lower energizing ring by forcing the lower energizing ring into the lower slot, thereby expanding the seal ring into contact with the inner wellhead member and outer member;
- slidingly engaging the inner and outer walls of the upper slot with the upper energizing ring by forcing the upper energizing ring into the upper slot;
- locking the seal assembly to the inner wellhead member by engaging the outer surface of the inner wellhead member with the seal assembly;
- and then
- further slidingly engaging the inner and outer walls of the upper slot with the upper energizing ring by forcing the upper energizing ring further into the upper slot, thereby fully expanding the seal ring into contact with the inner wellhead member and the outer wellhead member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.