Abstract: A well production assembly includes a production tree which has a lateral production passage extending laterally from a vertical bore of the tree. A tubing hanger, also having a lateral production passage, lands in the tree, with the lateral passages registering with each other. The junction of the lateral passages has flat, tapered sealed areas which mate with one another. An annulus passage extends vertically through the tubing hanger offset from and parallel to the tubing hanger vertical production passage. The annulus passage also has a lateral passage which registers with the lateral passage formed in the tree. The annulus lateral passages have a flat seal area at their junction. The tubing hanger has a downward facing hydraulic connector which registers with an upward facing hydraulic connector located on a shoulder formed in the bore. Once mated, the connectors provide hydraulic or other auxiliary fluid communication to downhole equipment.

Abstract: An apparatus for insertion into a well to displace well fluid. A flexible hose is lowered into an annulus between strings of casing. A nozzle is affixed to the lower end of the hose. During insertion, the hose is pressurized and rigid to keep the hose from winding about the well. To keep the hose rigid, internal pressure is maintained in the hose. The nozzle is provided with a check valve that holds the internal pressure up to a selected amount. Once the hose is lowered to a desired depth, the operator increases the pressure sufficiently in the hose to open the check valve, thereby allowing heavy liquid to flow out. The heavy liquid displaces the lighter well production, which flows out of the outlet. After the heavy fluid has been dispensed, the internal pressure is reduced, causing the check valve to close. The check valve can also be opened during insertion, if desired.

Abstract: A device for mooring a boat has an elongate handle with proximal and distal ends. The distal end has an eyelet. A flexible mooring line with a first end is joined to the eyelet and a second end is adapted to join to the boat. The line extends through the eyelet and about an exterior of the handle member to the proximal end to form a loop at the distal end. The size of the loop can be adjusted by feeding more or less of the line through the eyelet. A flexible retaining line is joined to the proximal end and adapted to join to the boat.

Abstract: A centralizing device is provided for a riser of an offshore well platform having an opening through which the riser passes from the platform to a subsea wellhead. The riser has generally planar fins extending radially outward from its outer diameter. The centralizing device has a frame which is mounted to the platform about the riser. A plurality of centralizing rollers are mounted to the frame and are radially extensible relative to the riser. The centralizing rollers bear against the riser and retain it laterally. A plurality of torsional rollers are mounted to the frame and are extensible towards the fins. The torsional rollers bear against the fins and retain the riser torsionally.

Abstract: A power cable for an ESP is used also for heating well bores in cold climates. An electrical switch is located within a wellbore at a selected location in the power cable. The electrical switch is provided to selectively short out the conductors within the power cable, thereby allowing the power cable above the switch to be used as a resistive heating element to thaw the wellbore. While the switch is open, power supplied to power cable drives ESP in a normal manner.

Abstract: An internal tieback connector for connecting a riser from a platform to a subsea wellhead having internal grooves and a casing hanger therein. The connector has an inner body which carries a lower housing adapted to land on the wellhead. A plurality of dogs abut the lower housing and are adapted to engage and lift the inner body relative to the lower housing. An upper housing is carried on the inner body and adapted to force the dogs inward into engagement with the inner body. A plurality of latch members are carried on the inner body and are adapted to engage the internal grooves when the internal is moved upward relative to the lower housing.

Abstract: An earth-boring bit has rolling cutters, each attached to a bit leg depending from a bit body. Each of the cutters has hardfaced, milled teeth. A spear point is located on one of the cutters. The spear point has a neck that protrudes toward the axis of the bit from a conical portion of the cutter. Blades are located on the spear point with spaces located between the blades. A layer of hardfacing is applied to the entire spear point area including the blades, the spaces and the neck.

Abstract: A well casing junction connects an upper string of casing to a pair of lower or branch strings that diverge from each other. The junction tool has an upper section and a pair of branch sections that join the upper section and each other. The junction tool is collapsed for running into the well along with casing. To collapse, a force is applied to opposite sides to create identical, deep depressions in the opposite sides of the junction tool. Once in position, internal pressure forces the depressions outward to assume an expanded position. A support member locates at the junction and between the two branch sections. The support member reduces stress that occurs from moving from the collapsed to the expanded position.

Abstract: A method for installing a string of tubing in a subsea well has a provision for killing the well due to malfunction while the tubing is being installed. A running tool is attached to a tubing hanger located at the upper end of the string of tubing. A completion safety module secures to the running tool and to a monobore running string. The assembly is lowered through a riser into the well, with the tubing hanger landing in a production tree. After the tubing hanger has been secured to the tree, earth formation pressure is communicated to the interior of the string of tubing while the running tool still remains connected to the tubing hanger. If a problem occurs, and the valves of the completion safety module fail to open, rams of the riser blowout preventer are closed around the running tool. The running tool is then disconnected from the tubing hanger and allowed to move upward a short distance due to pressure in the well.

Abstract: A hardfacing composition for an earth-boring bit has a quantity macrocrystalline tungsten carbide particles and a quantity of spherical cast tungsten carbide pellets. The particles and pellets are contained within a metal matrix which forms the balance of the composition.

Abstract: A drilling head used to seal around a drill pipe while drilling is employed in a subsea location. The drilling head has an inner body located within an outer body. At least one bearing is located between the outer body and the inner body for facilitating the rotation of the inner body relative to the outer body. A seal mounted to a lower portion of the inner body seals around the outer surface of the drill pipe. While lowering the drilling head to the wellhead, a support attached to the drill pipe is inserted into a skirt which surrounds a portion of the seal. The skirt and support are releasably connected using a J-slot mechanism. An inner annulus and an outer annulus are located between the inner and outer bodies, the annuluses containing a lubricating fluid. Helical vanes are located within the inner annulus and affixed to the inner body. The vanes rotate with the inner body for circulating the fluid through the inner and outer annuluses.

Abstract: A tubular wellhead member has an inner seal surface. A hydraulic passage extends through the wellhead member and terminates at a port at the seal surface. A tubing hanger having an outer mating surface lands in the wellhead member. A hydraulic line extends from a hydraulically operated downhole safety valve to a passage in the tubing hanger and terminates at a tubing hanger port. A seal is located at the tubing hanger port for sealing the junction with the tubular member port. A check valve is located within the seal to maintain the tubing hanger fluid passage closed until the tubing hanger lands in the wellhead. An adapter is employed to apply a running-in hydraulic fluid pressure to the tubing hanger hydraulic fluid passage with the check valve open. Then, the adapter closes the check valve to trap hydraulic fluid pressure in the line leading to the downhole safety valve. This pressure is sufficient to maintain the downhole safety valve in an open position during running in.

Abstract: A wrench for use in driving a hexagonal nut having a wrench head. The wrench head has upper and lower jaws rigidly joined together. The jaws have several faces that allow the wrench to engage the nut from three different positions. The faces are configured to prevent corner contact with the nut so as to resist rounding the corners off. Further, one drive position is configured to lock the wrench to the nut as torque is being applied.

Abstract: A cushioning device for a railcar coupling that operates at a very high impedance when subjected to low level forces to thereby reduce the effect of slack between railcars while still providing an effective cushion for absorbing high levels of shock between the railcars. The cushioning device includes a cylinder containing a fluid of liquid and a gas under pressure for absorbing shock due to buff and draft movement and a piston carried in the cylinder. The gas pressure urges the piston toward the draft end of the cylinder while restoring from a buff shock. An internal positioning spring stops further restoring movement of the piston toward the draft end of the cylinder at a selected neutral position spaced from the draft end of the cylinder. The internal positioning spring allows the piston to move from the neutral position toward the draft end of the cylinder if a draft shock occurs of sufficient magnitude while the piston is in the neutral position.

Abstract: A high strength window screen frame that includes an extruded metal frame that surrounds a window opening in a building. The frame defines an opening. A screen plate portion of the extruded metal frame is provided on the frame proximate the opening. A flange portion of the extruded metal frame is provided on an outside of the frame away from the opening. A beveled surface on the flanged portion is provided to improve the appearance of the metal frame. A screen plate stiffener is removably affixed to a back side of the extruded metal frame to secure a screen to the frame. Heavy duty mesh screen is preferably used with a high strength window screen frame of the invention. The flanged portion of the window screen frame is bolted to an exterior wall surrounding a window opening of a structure.

Abstract: An apparatus such as a glue gun system that utilizes either a stick or solid beads of meltable material such as glue. A motor in the interior of a body of the glue gun drives a drive member. The drive member forces the meltable material towards a nose assembly on the forward end of the body. An inductor and susceptor are provided in the nose assembly to transfer heat to the meltable material. The susceptor has multiple folds to increase the surface area of the susceptor and the rate of heat transfer to the meltable material. Electronics control the drive member and control the power to the inductor.

Abstract: An earth-boring has a bit body with a geometric center about which the bit is designed to rotate. Three bearing shafts depend inwardly and downwardly from the bit body. A cutter is mounted for rotation on each bearing shaft and includes a plurality of cutting elements arranged in generally circumferential rows on the cutter. Each cutter and bearing shaft has substantially zero offset from geometric center of the bit body. A nozzle or drilling fluid orifice is carried generally in the geometric center of the bit body to discharge the gaseous drilling fluid from the bit body to the bit exterior.

Abstract: An earth-boring bit has a body with a threaded pin on the upper end for connecting to a drill string. Bit legs are formed symmetrically on the exterior of the body and extend downward. The lower portion of each bit leg is inclined and offset circumferentially from the upper portion. A cutter is mounted to the lower portion of each bit leg for rotation about a cutter axis. Nozzle bosses are located between each bit leg. A flow channel exists on both sides of each nozzle boss. The nozzle boss is inclined in a similar direction to the bit leg.

Abstract: A gas compressor system draws and compresses gas from a well, wherein the gas has entrained liquid and vapor. The apparatus has a scrubber vessel for receiving the gas and separating at least a portion of the liquid. A storage vessel integral with the scrubber stores seal liquid. The seal liquid is injected into the gas before a single stage liquid ring pump which uses the seal liquid to compress the gas. The compressed gas along with entrained seal liquid is routed to a separator vessel having a coalescing filter. The entrained seal liquid is separated from the gas and routed back to the storage vessel.