Abstract: An improved wellhead slip and seal assembly including a slip assembly with slips supported in a slip bowl and with the seal assembly positioned above and interconnected to the slip assembly. The seal assembly includes a segmented retainer ring which is at least partially radially compressible and having inner and outer recesses in which resilient sealing rings are positioned and the retainer ring has an outer diameter at such recesses which is larger than the inner diameter of the housing in which it is to be positioned and includes an external tapered surface from said outer diameter to a smaller outer diameter therebelow which is smaller than the inner diameter of the housing so that the retainer ring is moved radially inwardly as it is moved into position within said wellhead housing. Means interconnects the slip bowl and the segmented retainer ring to assist in retaining the seal ring in its desired position until the assembly has been landed within the wellhead housing.

Abstract: A forming tool including a mandrel having nuts threaded on its exterior at both ends with an outer cylindrical surface between the nuts, a forming assembly positioned around said mandrel between said nuts, the forming assembly including a pair of end rings having inner lips extending axially along said outer cylindrical surface and an overhang with a re-entrant recess between the joining of the lip with the remainder of the end ring, a resilient sleeve having its ends bonded within said re-entrant recesses of said end rings and extending in surrounding relationship to said cylindrical mandrel surface, means surrounding each end of said sleeve adjacent said end rings to prevent extrusion of the material of said sleeve, seals for sealing between the exterior of said mandrel and the interior of said end ring lips, and means for supplying pressure to the interior of said sleeve to move it radially outward with sufficient force to form a member surrounding the tool outward.

Abstract: An improved well structure such as a well housing on which a casing hanger is to be landed which housing includes a high strength landing shoulder insert which allows the housing to support the casing hanger, its casing and the heavy loads associated therewith and with substantial pressure loads experienced in new wells. In one form of the invention an insert is provided in an internal recess in the housing and held therein by a housing ring threaded on the interior of the housing body. In another form an insert is introduced into an internal housing recess in the form of seat segments and bypass segments which are secured in place by the radial forming of a high strength seat ring. In still another form of the invention the high strength seat insert is segmented, positioned as segments in the internal housing recess and secured therein by the radial forming of a metal ring outwardly into internal recesses in each of the high strength seat insert segments.

Abstract: An improved wellhead valve includes a tubular body with a central passage therethrough and with a downwardly facing valve seat surrounding a portion of said passage, a cylindrical sealing surface above said valve seat, internal threads above said sealing surface and external threads, a valve member positioned within said passage below said valve seat and biased toward engagement with said valve seat, a plug having external threads for engagement with the internal threads of said body and having a sealing means for sealing against said cylindrical sealing surface and a projection extending downwardly from said sealing means, said plug when positioned within said central passage with its sealing means engaging said sealing surface closing flow through said body and said plug being movable downwardly so that its sealing means is below said sealing surface and its projection engages said valve member to move it out of engagement with the valve seat so that flow through said central passage is open and further rot

Abstract: The improved structure of the present invention includes a hanger having a landing shoulder for engaging the landing seat within a wellhead housing, a hanger holddown ring, an external sealing surface spaced from the internal sealing surface of the housing to form the annulus to be sealed, a seal assembly including a seal body having external metal seal legs diverging outward but having a free diameter less than the diameter of the housing internal sealing surface and internal metal seal legs converging inwardly and having a free diameter smaller than the diameter of the hanger external sealing surface, a lower body movably connected to the seal body and having an upstanding rim engaging the lower outer seal leg, an upper body movably connected to the seal body, a loading ring surrounding the upper portion of the seal body and engaging the upper outer seal leg, a lock down ring for securing said seal assembly to said hanger after the seal assembly has been set in loaded sealed position and a pin for retaining

Abstract: An improved repair connector for a subsea tubular member and the method of making such repair. The improved repair connector includes a annular housing and an annular guide, said annular housing having internal grooves filled with pressure compensating material, a concave recess having serrations therein, a rib having a downwardly facing shoulder on the interior of said housing, threads on the upper interior of said housing for receiving a string, and means carried by said guide for sealing against the exterior of a string on which the connector is to be installed. Also, a band of brittle material is positioned within a groove in the exterior of the housing which generates a noise upon the deformation of the housing responsive to completion of the forming of the tubular member therein.

Abstract: A packoff assembly for sealing an annulus between an inner tubular member and an outer tubular member including a sealing means rotatably connected to a packing nut. The sealing means includes an upper actuation ring rotatably retained on the packing nut. A sealing member having a ring-like metal body is rotatably mounted on the upper actuation ring with a roller ball connection which permits limited relative axial movement between the upper actuation ring and the sealing member. A lower actuation ring is rotatably mounted on the body of the sealing member by another roller ball connection which permits limited relative axial movement between the lower actuation ring and the body of the sealing member. The metal body of the sealing member includes a pair of frustoconical-shaped outer seal lips and a pair of frustoconical-shaped inner seal lips. An elastomeric seal ring is disposed on the body of the sealing member between each pair of metal seal lips.

Abstract: A running tool for lowering, landing and setting a well structure, such as a hanger and an annular seal for sealing between the exterior of the hanger and the interior of the well in which the well structure is landed including a mandrel having means for connecting to a running string, a tool body surrounding and carried by said mandrel and having a purality of windows in its lower portion in which latch element are carried, an actuator sleeve surrounding said mandrel and positioned within said tool body and being free to move axially thereof to engage said latching elements to move them into latching engagement with the interior of the well in the landing position, means for releasably limiting the downward movement of said mandrel with respect to said actuating ring, means limiting the downward movement of said actuating ring with respect to said tool body, and means supported on said mandrel and tool body for carrying an annular seal, setting said annular seal in the annulus between the well structure and

Abstract: A subsea wellhead housing for an underwater well has a small, integral landing shoulder in the bore for supporting an intermediate casing string. The small landing shoulder permits passage of a standard 171/2 inch drill bit. Breech block teeth are provided in the wellhead housing bore above the small landing shoulder for attaching a separately installable landing shoulder insert. The breech block teeth also permit passage of a standard 171/2 inch drill bit. An intermediate casing hanger is landed on the small, integral shoulder, and the landing shoulder insert installed in the wellhead housing. The landing shoulder insert has a skirt at its lower end which is received in and sealed against the upper end of the hanger. The upper end of the landing shoulder insert is sealed against the wellhead housing bore. In one embodiment, the hanger for 17 inch casing is fluted on its outer surface to pass through breech block slots in the wellhead housing bore in order to reach its landing shoulder.

Abstract: An improved tubing hanger having an annulus passageway therethrough and with an improved annulus control valve therein including an annular hanger body having an annulus passageway extending therethrough with a chamber interrupting said passageway and a valve ball positioned within said chamber for rotation responsive to rotation of gear means associated with said valve ball, a sleeve slidably positioned within said hanger body and having a rack secured thereto and engaging said gear means so that movement of said sleeve controls the position of said valve ball to open and close flow through said annulus passageway.

Abstract: An improved cold forging tool to exert radial forces outwardly within a tubular member to forge it into an annular member having a central body with a shoulder on its exterior at both ends and support connecting into one end, a resilient sleeve surrounding the central body, a passage through the central body to communicate between a pressure supply connected to the end of the body and the interior of the resilient sleeve, a support ring surrounding each end of the resilient sleeve and a segmented ring positioned between the central expansion portion of the resilient sleeve and each of the support rings with resilient ring retaining the segmented ring in surrounding relationship to the ends of the resilient sleeve to prevent extrusion of the resilient sleeve during forming of the tubular member. In one form of the tool the resilient packer sleeve is molded on the central body.

Abstract: An improved wellhead seal for sealing across the annular space between the exterior of a hanger and the interior of a wellhead housing having a seal ring with upper and lower rims, resilient metal lips on the interior of said lower rim for engaging the exterior of the hanger and gripping and sealing elements on the exterior of the upper rim and multiple camming surfaces on the interior of the upper rim and an actuating ring having multiple camming surfaces mating with the multiple camming surfaces on the upper rim so that downward movement of said actuating ring cams the gripping and sealing elements on said upper rim into tight metal-to-metal sealing engagement with the housing interior sealing surface. The sealing may be accomplished directly between the exterior of a hanger rim or by a seal ring positioned between the hanger rim and the interior housing surface.

Abstract: An improved cold forging tool to exert radial forces outwardly to form a tubular member outwardly into an annular member which includes a central body having external recesses and external shoulders at each end, a resilient sleeve surrounding said central body and having its ends positioned within said external recesses, a passage through the central body to communicate between a pressure supply line connected to the end of the body and the interior of said resilient sleeve, and first and second dual segmented, expandable anti-extrusion ring positioned between the central expansion portion of said resilient sleeve and each of said shoulders, a resilient ring retaining each of said segmented rings in surrounding relationship to the ends of said resilient sleeve to prevent extrusion of the resilient sleeve during the forming of the tubular member and a shoulder on said body limiting the radial outward movement of the rings abutting the external body shoulders.

Abstract: The hanger apparatus includes a segmented bowl structure which includes inner tapered surfaces which are adapted to coact with the outer surfaces of the slips supported on the bowl segments and a lower outer tapered seat which is adapted to engage a shoulder within the well structure. A packing structure is connected to the upper end of the bowl segments and includes an upper plate ring, a lower seat ring having a lower outer seating surface, and a resilient packing ring positioned between the upper plate ring and the lower seat ring. Cap screws engage upper plate ring and extend through the packing ring and the seat ring and are threaded into the bowl segments. The upper plate ring moves downward with the initial downward movement of the bowl segments during setting to compress the packing ring into sealing engagement between the exterior of the string and the interior of the wellhead housing.

Abstract: An improved wellhead sealing assembly having an annular body with an outer diameter sufficient to pass through the interior of the wellhead housing and an inner diameter smaller than the exterior of the wellhead hanger so that it lands on the upper end of the hanger, a metal sealing ring secure to said body and adapted to be positioned between the housing and the hanger, said sealing ring having an inner sealing lip for engaging the exterior of the hanger and an upstanding sealing rim, a plurality of locking segments with arms extending radially through said body and projecting beyond the interior of said body, a plurality of load segment carried by said body and engaging the interior of said sealing rim, load pins extending through said body and engaging the interior of each of said load segments and extending inward through and beyond the interior of said body, and a loading wedge ring supported within said body and movable axially therein to engage said load pins and said locking segment arms to move said

Abstract: A seal assembly for sealing across the annulus in a subsea wellhead having pressure enhancement provided behind at least one of the sealing surfaces to ensure a positive metal-to-metal sealing. In the preferred form of the invention the seal assembly includes upper sealing lips which diverge upwardly away from each other into sealing engagement with the sealing surfaces against which they are to seal, lower sealing lips which diverge downwardly away from each other into sealing engagement with the sealing surfaces against which they are to seal, and a rim secured to one of the wellhead members and space therefrom to provide a recess behind the rim and open to pressure which is directed toward the sealing lip which is to seal against such sealing surface to provide a pressure energized enhancement of the sealing engagement of the lips against said sealing surface. In other forms of the invention at least one of the rims may be used.

Abstract: An improved riser for a multiple bore subsea well providing wireline access to each of the bores through a single opening at the upper end of the riser and including an upper tubular member having a single bore, a tubular housing surrounding the lower portion of said upper tubular member, bearing means within said tubular housing for supporting rotation of said upper tubular member with respect to said tubular housing, a lower housing member having multiple bores which mate with the multiple bores of the tubing hanger running tool or the christmas tree running tool, said upper tubular member having an offset portion within said tubular housing which, when rotated can align with the opening of the upper end of the bores through said lower housing member, means securing the lower end of said tubular housing to said lower housing member, a skirt connected to said upper tubular member within said tubular housing and extending into sealing engagement with said lower housing member and being in surrounding relation

Abstract: An improved annular seal and hanger which are to be installed in a wellhead housing. The annular seal assembly includes seal ring having a central body with upper outer rim, upper inner rim, lower outer rim and lower inner rim extending from said central body, an upper wedge ring, a lower wedge ring and means connecting said rings to allow setting movement thereof, means releasably securing said assembled rings to the hanger for running into the wellhead housing, each of said rims including an outer sealing lip, the outer sealing lips having a free diameter less than the diameter of the lower wedge ring so that the sealing lips are protected during running of the hanger into the wellhead housing and means for moving said wedge rings into the space between the rims of said seal ring for urging the sealing lips into sealing engagement with the interior sealing surface of said housing.

Abstract: An improved subsea wellhead seal assembly include an annular body having a pair of lower annular skirts, one extending downwardly and outwardly and the other extending downwardly and inwardly, a lower landing ring and means movably securing the lower landing ring to the annular body so that, when the lower landing ring is landed, the annular body continues its downward movement to deform the annular skirts outwardly and inwardly into sealing engagement with the walls of the annulus. A reaction ring is provided above landing ring for engagement by the ends of skirts and spacer rings may be used to preselect the level of the sealing surface engagement by the skirts.

Abstract: The improved wellhead seal assembly includes an annular metal seal ring having upper spaced apart inner and outer rims with an upper energizing ring positioned between such rims and movable axially between them, a resilient seal embedded in and extending through ports in the central portion of the seal ring, lower inner and outer seal rings connected to said central portion of said seal ring by inner and outer bellows and a wedging ring depending from the central portion of the seal ring between such bellows and adapted to move downward between the inner and outer seal rings to wedge them apart into sealing engagement with the inner and outer sealing surfaces, such movement being responsive to downward movement of the upper energizing ring and the flexing of the lower bellows legs and continued movement of said upper energizing ring wedging said upper rims apart into sealing engagement with the inner and outer sealing surfaces, the upper energizing ring being releasably connected to the upper seal rims so tha