Abstract: A subsea completion assembly for a subsea well including installed casing and a wellhead. The assembly includes a production casing forming a B annulus between the outside of the production casing and the installed casing. The assembly also includes an annulus access adapter installed in the wellhead, the adapter including a manipulatable valve controlling fluid communication with the fluid in the B annulus across the annulus access adapter. A property of the fluid in the B annulus can be monitored by fluid communicated across the annulus access adapter.

Abstract: A flexible coupling for well logging instruments includes a housing coupled at one longitudinal end to one end of a second housing. Each of the housings defines a sealed interior chamber. The housings are coupled to enable angular deflection between respective longitudinal axes thereof. A conduit extends between the housings. The conduit is sealingly engaged to each housing such that longitudinal ends of the conduit are substantially positionally fixed with respect to each housing. The conduit is formed from material and has dimensions selected to withstand at least a same hydrostatic pressure as each of the housings. The conduit includes a bending strain distribution feature configured such that at a maximum angular deflection between housings a bending strain in the conduit is at most equal to an elastic limit of the conduit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for separating a multiphase fluid stream that includes a heavier fluid component and a lighter fluid component. The fluid flows along a first helical flowpath with a first pitch. The first helical flowpath is sufficiently long to establish a stabilized rotating fluid flow pattern for the stream. The uniform rotating fluid also flows along a second helical flowpath, the second helical flowpath having a second pitch greater than the first pitch. The lighter fluid is removed from a radially inner region of the second helical flowpath. The method and apparatus are particularly suitable for the separation of oil droplets from water, especially from water for reinjection into a subterranean formation as part of an oil and gas production operation. The method and apparatus are conveniently applied on a modular basis.

Abstract: An actuating device for displacing a control device, such as a gate valve or other control mechanism, in particular for use in oil or gas production systems, includes a motor-gear unit and a threaded spindle drive, which is operable by said motor-gear unit. The threaded spindle drive includes at least a threaded spindle and a screw nut. The threaded spindle is displaceable in an essentially axial-direction so as to displace the control device between an advance position and a retracted position. The threaded spindle drive further includes a position holding means holding the attained position of the threaded spindle. The position holding means is directly connected to a motor shaft of the motor-gear unit so as to apply a holding torque to said motor shaft.

Abstract: A power and signal distribution system comprises a converter unit connected to a plurality of control units. The converter unit and the control units are arranged in areas difficult to access, for instance on the sea bed. The converter unit is connected to a remote monitoring and supplying device via at least one cable connection. Each control unit has assigned thereto at least one production apparatus for crude oil or natural gas corresponding gate valves, chokes, biops, actuators. In some embodiments, the power and signal distribution system the converter unit comprises a data separation device and a voltage converter. The converted voltage from the voltage converter is transmitted together with data/signals from the converter unit to at least one of the control units.

Abstract: An optical inspection instrument includes a housing configured to move along the interior of a pipe string in a wellbore. The pipe has a cutting structure at its bottom end. The instrument includes a probe extending from a bottom end of the housing. The probe has an output from a light source and a light input to a video camera. The probe has a diameter selected to enable extension through an opening in the cutting structure. A method for inspecting a wellbore includes moving an instrument through an interior of a pipe string in the wellbore. The pipe has a cutting tool at its lower end. At least part of the instrument is moved outside the bottom end of the pipe through a port in the cutting tool. Optically transparent fluid is moved into the wellbore proximate an end of the instrument outside the pipe string. Objects proximate the fluid are inspected.

Abstract: A method of visually detecting a leak of a chemical emanating from a component. The method includes: aiming a passive infrared camera system towards the component; filtering an infrared image with an optical bandpass filter, the infrared image being that of the leak; after the infrared image passes through the lens and optical bandpass filter, receiving the filtered infrared image with an infrared sensor device; electronically processing the filtered infrared image received by the infrared sensor device to provide a visible image representing the filtered infrared image; and visually identifying the leak based on the visible image. The passive infrared camera system includes: a lens; a refrigerated portion including therein the infrared sensor device and the optical bandpass filter (located along an optical path between the lens and the infrared sensor device). At least part of a pass band for the optical bandpass filter is within an absorption band for the chemical.

Abstract: A separation device for the separation of constituents of different density, in particular of a fluid fed from a well hole, exhibits a container in which the fluid at least partially after entry via a feed line is separated into its constituents using centrifugal force in the radial direction and/or using gravitational force in the vertical direction. To improve this type of separation device such that it can be constructed more compact and in a constructively more simple manner and also that it simultaneously can reliably enable separation of all constituents and their removal from the separation device, a classifier device is arranged in a lower section of the container interior, which at least exhibits one discharge line, extending radially outwards, for the discharge of the fluid into the container interior and delivery lines, joined to the container interior at different levels in the vertical direction, for the separated fluid constituents.

Abstract: A subsea connection apparatus to allow connecting a surface blowout preventer stack and riser to a subsea wellhead is disclosed. The subsea connection apparatus uses a single cavity blowout preventer with a set of shearing blind rams. Hydraulically actuated wellhead connectors are secured to the top and bottom of the blowout preventer to allow connection to a subsea wellhead below the subsea connection apparatus and a well head hub profile on the lower end of a riser above the apparatus. A control system can operate both of the hydraulically actuated connectors and the blowout preventer independently. A frangible bore protector is disposed in the bore of the blowout preventer to protect the shearing blind rams from pipe, tools, and fluids being passed through the blowout preventer and can be sheared by the shearing blind rams along with any drill pipe in the bore.

Abstract: The method and apparatus include an insert for increasing the aesthetic value of a floral box. The insert has a bottom wall being substantially rectangular in shape, a first end wall and a second end wall. The first end wall is parallel and equal in length to the second end wall. The first end wall and the second end wall extend from the bottom wall. There is a first side wall and a second side wall. The first side wall is parallel and equal in length to the second side wall. The first side wall and the second side wall extend from the bottom wall. The first end wall, the second end wall, the first side wall and the second side wall diverge away from the bottom wall. The insert is made from a colored plastic material. The insert is formed by placing a piece of plastic on a heated mold that has the desired shape.

Abstract: A delivery system for applying a formula containing capsaicin together with another ingredient to neutralize the discomfort resulting from the application of capsaicin to the skin which involves the topical application of capsaicin by use of patches, use of second skin, use of sprays and includes a unique method for applying the formulation using laser on the epidermis.

Abstract: A process for sweetening high mercaptan content gasoline or other liquid hydrocarbons is disclosed which utilizes aqueous caustic solution. A recycle stream is used to increase the conversion potential by reducing the relative mercaptan concentration of the untreated gasoline. Part of the treated gasoline effluent is recycled to the untreated feed. The treated gasoline has a low mercaptan concentration while the untreated gasoline is high in mercaptans. As the two streams combine, the feed to the unit becomes less concentrated in mercaptan compounds. In effect, the mercaptan concentration of the untreated gasoline has been diluted by the treated gasoline. Nitrogen inhibits the solubility of oxygen into gasoline. Nitrogen present in the recycle stream would create a system high in nitrogen and low in oxygen. By increasing the level of nitrogen, oxygen is limited in its ability to complete the sweetening reaction.

Abstract: A scamp and a scamp housing with a scamp having a base with casters, a telescoping column attached to the base, a locking mechanism to secure the telescoping column at a predetermined height, a podium hingedly attached to column, and a locking mechanism to secure the podium at a predetermined attitude, and the scamp house being composed of two "U" shaped frames with a desktop attached to the top ends of the "U" frames, a shelf attached near the base of the "U" frames, a slot provided in the shelf to accommodate the column of the scamp such that the base of the scamp fits underneath the shelf and the podium of the scamp fits underneath the desktop.

Abstract: A composition containing capsaicin together with another ingredient to neutralize the discomfort resulting from the application of capsaicin to the skin can be used to treat many types of discomforts, including musculo-skeletal pain, neuralgia and neurpathies, without the discomfort normally associated with the topical application of capsaicin.

Abstract: A process for saturating aromatics in a lube range hydrocarbon is disclosed. The process can be used to raise the viscosity index of the lube range products. The process is carried out over a noble metal catalyst under mild process conditions. The catalyst is resistant to sulfur and nitrogen compounds.

Abstract: A computer workstation that has an adjustable keyboard support is described. The workstation has a base having an upper end, a lower end, and a leg assembly. There is top having a bottom surface attached to the upper end of the base. A keyboard support having a longitudinal axis is pivotally attached to the top. The workstation is designed so that the keyboard support can be adjusted in height as well as angularly.

Abstract: Non-abrasive pads are attached to the at least one side of concrete elements with nylon rivets that are embedded into the concrete when the latter is soft. A flexible rope is laced through the center of each element in two directions to form a mat in a row-column array. Adequate spacing is provided between each element to allow the mat to conform to an uneven seabed and cover the underwater installation. The non-abrasive pads separate the concrete elements from the underwater installation to prevent the concrete elements from scratching and ablating the delicate underwater installations. Grooves are provided in selected elements, and loops are provided at the outer edges of the mat to enable several mats to be linked together.

Abstract: A breakaway coupling device is provided having a male and female valve body. The female valve body, a plurality of boltholes extending therethrough, and a plurality of boreholes extending therethrough. The female valve body further defines a first cavity traversing the female valve body. The male valve body has a plurality of flange pairs and a plurality of boreholes aligned with the boreholes in the female valve body. There are a plurality of tie bolts attached to the female valve body through the plurality of boltholes. The tie bolts are received by the plurality of flange pairs on the male valve body. There are a plurality of shear pins. Each one of the plurality of shear pins intersects each flange pair and each one of the plurality of tie bolts at an angle perpendicular to the tie bolts thereby connecting the male valve body to the female valve body. There are plurality of guide pins closely received by the boreholes in the male valve body and the female valve body.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a necktie comprising a wide end with a front side and a back side, a narrow end with a front side and a back side. The necktie has a means for connecting the wide end to the narrow end, and a means for forming a pocket on the back side of the wide end. A method for securing valuables in a pocket attached to the back of a necktie is also provided.