Abstract: A simplified subsea production wellhead which permits (1) pump-down tool operations for routine well maintenance and (2) vertical entry to the wellbore for major workover operations. The wellhead can be lowered by the production pipeline to a wellhead site on the sea floor. The production wellhead includes a diverter spool for releasably attaching to a subsea well. Pump-down tools can be used with the diverter spool. If vertical entry of the subsea well is required, the diverter spool can be released, raised and moved horizontally to one side of the subsea well, giving vertical entry. After workover operations, the diverter spool is again moved over the subsea well and reattached.

Abstract: This invention relates to water pollution control and concerns system for removing dispersed oil from water by contacting the oily water with sulfur to cause the oil to coalesce or agglomerate. In a preferred embodiment, the water containing the dispersed oil is passed through a bed of granular media presenting a surface area of solid phase sulfur to coalesce the dispersed oil. The coalesced oil is then separated from the water.

Abstract: Determinations are made of the conditions in a fluid-containing well penetrating a fluid-producing subterranean reservoir by isolating an interval in the well which penetrates the fluid-producing reservoir, withdrawing fluid from the interval and determining conditions such as fluid composition, pressure build-up, and temperature in the interval. The interval is isolated with a packing member surrounding an open conduit means extending in the well from the top of the well to a location adjacent the reservoir. Fluid moves from the reservoir into the conduit means and is withdrawn from the conduit means through an opening in the conduit means above and adjacent the lower end of the conduit means. Determinations are made by lowering measuring tools through the tubing string to a location in the well below the opening through which fluid is withdrawn from the conduit means.

Abstract: This relates to drilling in water from a platform or vessel using a riser pipe. An inverted funnel skirt or cone is placed over slots cut in the wall of a riser pipe a short distance above its lower end. The apex end of the cone is welded to the riser pipe above the slots and drill cuttings pass through the slots and fall to the seafloor. Another embodiment includes an "L" shaped diverter flowline welded to the periphery of each hole in the riser pipe with one leg of the "L" extending a short distance below the hole.

Abstract: A sea floor template with vertical well guides or slots is lowered to the sea floor. Guide rails, such as a railroad track, are supported on top of the frame of the template in a path which extends along each well slot. A drilling guidance carousel is lowered to the template. Rollers on the drilling guidance carousel engage guide rails so that the carousel can be moved to each template well slot. Guidelines extend from the drilling guidance carousel to a floating drilling vessel for guiding drilling equipment from the vessels down through the template well slot which is aligned with the carousel well slot. Preferably, the template well slots are arranged in a circle at each corner of a rectangular sea floor template. The guide rails are arranged concentrically with the central axis of the circle of template well slots. Locking means are provided to hold the carousel drilling frame well slot aligned with any selected one of the well slots in the sea floor template.

Abstract: A novel casing torque hanger means for supporting the upper end of a string of casing from the upper end of a riser pipe which is supported by a floating vessel such as a Vertically Moored Platform. It includes a cylindrical member having a torque resistant spool below a casing hanger bowl. The casing string to be supported is provided with a casinghead mandrel at its upper end for engaging said torque resistant spool.

Abstract: A scissored sea-floor well template for positioning spacing of subsea wells or piling in the sea floor. Two arms, each having a pontoon template at each end thereof, are pivotally connected. The two arms are rotated about the pivot to a closed position for transportation to the marine site at which they are to be used. Inasmuch as the template is provided with pontoons, it can be towed and does not have to be loaded on a barge although it could be. Upon reaching the well site the arms are opened so that the pontoon templates assume the desired shape. The arms are then locked in this extended position and the scissor well template is then lowered to the ocean floor.

Abstract: A latching and unlatching system for connecting a riser pipe to the casing in a subsea well. A split-circumferential ring fits into mating grooves in the male end of the casing and the female end of the riser. A releasing tool runs on a drill pipe suspended within the riser pipe and has a number of radially extendible pistons actuated by hydraulic pressure through the drill pipe to expand the split ring out of the casing groove to the grooved recess of the riser pipe. This releases the riser pipe from connection with the casing so it can then be raised.

Abstract: This invention relates to a Vertically Moored Platform which is a floating structure anchored only by essentially parallel and vertical elongated members such as riser pipes under tension. Up to 32 or more such riser pipes are connected between a floating structure and anchor means on the sea floor. Special riser pipes/jacket horizontal bearing assemblies are provided to transmit horizontal force between the riser pipes and the floating structure.

Abstract: A method of improving the sweep efficiency and increasing oil recovery of miscible flooding without reducing injectivity of the injection wells. Two sets of wells are used with one set being drilled between the other sets. The interwell area of a reservoir is pretreated by injecting a permeability-reducing agent (preferably a polymer) through said first set of wells. The polymer enters the more permeable zones and partially plugs them, both near and away from the wellbore. Thereafter, the injection or first set of wells are converted to producing wells. After the step of reducing the permeability contrast of the heterogeneous reservoirs, a miscible slug, that may or may not be preceded by a controlled salinity preflush, is injected into the second set of wells. There is no reduction in injectivity of the miscible injection wells, becuse no permeability-reducing agent has been injected therethrough.

Abstract: This invention relates to a vertically moored platform which is a floating structure anchored only by essentially parallel and vertical elongated members such as riser pipes under tension. Up to 32 or more such riser pipes are connected between the floating structure and anchor means on the sea floor. Special riser pipe/jacket vertical bearing assembly is provided to place the riser pipes under proper tension and to transmit force from the riser pipes to the floating structure.

Abstract: A folding sea-floor compactable template for proper positioning and spacing of subsea piles and wells in the sea floor. Anchor pile templates or well templates are provided at the end of long hinged arms which extend radially out from a central section (which may also be used as a well template). The arms are folded back over the central section for transportation. Flotation can be in the main central section. With additional flotation at the outer ends of the arms, installation can be carried out by controlled submergence in stages from a single barge.

Abstract: Zones of lost circulation and other undesired fluid communication channels into a wellbore are sealed by isolating a volume in the well including such a zone and applying greater than formation pressure to a novel slurry spotted in the zone until it hardens into a solid, drillable seal. Redrilling the bore can be accomplished even in soft, geologically young formations, without damaging the seal. The slurry contains per barrel from 5-50 pounds diatomaceous mix (see below), from about 35 to about 350 pounds of oil well cement, and at a minimum about 5 to 6 pounds of a flake type lost-circulation agent. Preferably, the weight per barrel of lost circulation agents is in the range of about 15 to 30 pounds of a mixture containing flakes, fibers, and hard granules.Diatomaceous mix is powdered diatomaceous earth containing about 2% of ground lime and 8% of ground asbestos fibers.

Abstract: The riser pipe, e.g., 21 inches in diameter, extends from the ship to an anchored wellhead assembly on the ocean floor. A drill bit and drill string are guided down through the inside of the riser pipe and the anchored wellhead assembly to perform drilling operations in the ocean floor. Various strings of casing for lining the borehole wall, which is thus drilled, are run down through the interior of the riser pipe. The first string of casing run is of relatively large diameter, e.g., 20 inches in diameter followed by 133/8 or 103/4 strings. Intermediate strings are typically 95/8 or 75/8, depending on the previous string diameters. As heavier drilling muds are used, the riser tension needed to prevent buckling is increased. To reduce the tension required, we place a sleeve of low density in the annulus between the drill string and the riser pipe interior wall, leaving a much smaller annulus between the drill pipe and the insert, thus displacing the heavier mud with a lighter weight insert.

Abstract: An undersea plow is towed by a surface vessel to inscribe a pattern of marks on a marine bottom of questionable soil stability. The plow digs a trench large enough to be seen by sidescan sonar but does not bury itself so far in the soft soil that it cannot be towed at a reasonable rate. The plow is symmetrical about a horizontal line parallel to the path of the trench so that regardless of how the plow comes to rest when lowered, it will still dig the trench. Periodic sidescan surveys detect bottom soil movements by mapping changes in the pattern of marks created by the plow.

Abstract: This invention relates to the installation of a Vertically Moored Platform over a selected well site. The platform or structure is supported on a buoyant gravity base and floated to a position over the subsea well site. The gravity base is then ballasted to effect tilting in a controlled manner. Ballasting is continued to bring the gravity base and platform back to a vertical position. Then the gravity base is lowered from engagement with the floating structure with cables to the sea floor while maintaining the floating structure in a positive buoyancy state. In the preferred embodiment a large-diameter drive pipe is inserted through each receiving passage in the gravity base and into the soil or rock beneath the gravity base where it is anchored. A conductor is then inserted through the drive pipe and anchored or cemented to the soil or rock beneath the drive pipe. A riser pipe is then inserted into the drive pipe and secured to the conductor.

Abstract: A downhole seismic source for use when drilling a borehole in the earth using a rotating drill string through which a drilling fluid is circulated. In one embodiment, a section of the drill string has a slot in it and a sleeve rotatably surrounding the slot with a plurality of spaced-apart slots arranged to align with the slot in section of drill pipe during rotation of the sleeve with respect to the section. In operation this generates a controlled seismic signal. In another embodiment the bit is modified to have a fluid passage with a valve therein that opens and closes in a selected pattern during rotation of the drill bit.

Abstract: This invention concerns the drilling of boreholes in the earth. It concerns a rotary drilling system having a particular bottom hole assembly (BHA) for use in increasing or decreasing the angle of deviation from the vertical of a borehole. It also teaches a method whereby the angle of deviation can be calculated for each assembly. There is one assembly disclosed for increasing the angle of deviation and another assembly disclosed for decreasing the angle of deviation. Also disclosed is a novel "universal stabilizer" for use in the bottom hole assembly.

Abstract: This invention covers a subsea manifold for selectively connecting a transport line to one of a plurality of subsea production lines leading to subsea wells which are drilled in the ocean floor for the production of oil and gas. It includes a pie-shaped enclosed container with a plurality of well line inlets arranged in an arc on the inside of the container, a flow passage in the apex of the container, and a hollow flexible arm connects at one end to the flow passage and the other end is extendible to be moved from one to a selected one of the well line inlets. Due to the enclosed nature of the hollow flexible arm and enclosed arrangements, the flexible arm is not required to make a tight seal with any of the well line inlets. Individual well testing and routing of pumpdown tool (PDT) is permitted.

Abstract: This invention relates to a structure floating on a body of water and particularly a structure for drilling or producing wells from below the water. Buoyant members support at least a part of the structure above the surface of the water. The structure is connected to anchors or weights in the floor of the body of the water by a series of parallel leg members, usually four in number, forming a rectangular spacing. Each leg member is composed of a plurality of elongated members, such as large-diameter pipe, usually called risers. These risers are parallel. Vertically spaced spacers are provided along the riser of each leg to maintain the risers a fixed distance apart and to change the natural or resonant frequency of the individual riser pipes to be greater than the flutter frequency caused by the motion of the water past the riser. Novel spacers are provided and described which can be set in place without use of divers.