Wells – Submerged well – Wellhead
Reexamination Certificate
2002-10-26
2004-04-06
Pezzuto, Robert E. (Department: 3671)
Wells
Submerged well
Wellhead
C166S337000, C166S095100, C166S325000, C166S373000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06715555
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates generally to a subsea well production system which includes a wellhead body having a vertical bore in which a tubing hanger is landed to suspend a tubing string within the wellbore. More particularly, it relates to improvements in such a system wherein the tubing hanger is oriented into a desired rotational position within the bore of the wellhead body so as to align and seal the end of a fluid passageway therein with respect to the adjacent end of a fluid passageway in the body so that pressure fluid from a remote source may be supplied through the passageways to a fluid responsive function within the well, which may be a fluid responsive operator of a valve for use in opening and closing the tubing.
As shown and described in Patent No. 5,865,250, to ABB Vetco, for example, the wellhead body may be a spool of a so called “horizontal” tree, although this invention contemplates that it may be a part of more conventional wellhead equipment. In any event, the system includes an adapter for connecting the fluid pressure source with the outer end of the fluid passageway in the body, and thus through the fluid passageway in the hanger to the valve operator so as to maintain the tubing open as it is being run into the well. More particularly, the fluid passageway in the hanger has a normally closed poppet valve therein so that, following opening of the tubing, the pressure of the fluid may be reduced to permit the poppet valve to close and thereby contain fluid pressure supplied to the operator. At this time, the adapter may be removed from the hanger so as to permit the hanger to be lowered into a landed position within the body bore.
As known in the art, following installation of the hanger, fluid pressure on the valve operator may be vented in the event of an emergency or other predetermined condition so as to permit the valve to close the tubing. In order to permit the valve to be reopened, the source of pressure fluid is adapted to be connected to the outer end of the fluid passageway in the wellhead body whereby the poppet valve is opened so that such fluid may be supplied to the valve operator to reopen the tubing valve.
One problem with a system having an adapter of this type is the inability to test the sealing integrity of the poppet valve in the fluid passageway of the tubing hanger. Thus, there is no assurance that pressure fluid supplied to the tubing valve operator will not leak past the poppet valve, and thus permit the tubing valve to close, and of course, prevent the tubing valve from being reopened.
Hence, it is the primary object of this invention to provide equipment of this type wherein, following opening of the tubing, the sealing integrity of the poppet valve may be tested, and thus permit it to be repaired or replaced if necessary. More particularly, it is an object to provide such a system having an adapter of such construction as to make possible this and other advantages over the above described prior art. For this and other purposes, the tubing hanger passageway has a port intermediate the poppet valve and the pressure responsive downhole function and a recess in its outer side forming an outward continuation of the port, and an adapter having a valve member is removably mounted in the recess for movement between positions opening the adapter and closing the port. More particularly, the adapter also has a flow passage to which a second source of pressure fluid may be connected for supplying such fluid through the port to the fluid passageway of the hanger when the valve member is open, whereby the sealing integrity of the closed poppet valve may be tested.
More particularly, in one illustrated embodiment of the invention, a body in which the flow passage is formed is releasably connected to the recess to mount the valve member for movement between open and closed positions, and an actuator is mounted on the body in torque transmitting relation with the valve member to move it between opened and closed positions.
In another illustrated embodiment of the invention, the adapter includes an actuator releasably connected to the valve member for selectively moving the valve member between opened and closed positions, and the flow passage is formed in the valve member and actuator which are sealed with respect to one another and the recess.
In accordance with another novel aspect of this invention, a cap is provided for releasable connection to the recess to cover the closed valve member upon removal of the body and actuator. Preferably, and as illustrated, the body is threadedly connected to the recess, and the cap is releasably connectible to the recess by the threads to which the body is releasably connected.
Putting it another way, the port in the tubing hanger connects at one end with the fluid passageway in the hanger, and the adapter is reasonably mounted on the hanger for connecting the other end of the port with the second source of fluid pressure as the tubing is lowered in order to supply such fluid through the port when the valve is open, and test the sealing integrity of the poppet valve, so that, with the poppet valve closed, the adapter may be removed from the hanger.
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Milberger Lionel J.
Mills Darren W. T.
Beach Thomas A.
Browning & Bushman P.C.
Dril-Quip Inc.
Helmreich Loren
Pezzuto Robert E.
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