Abstract: An overpressure safety system for use with a distribution of pressurized fluid associated with hydrocarbon production operations includes a safety valve in fluid communication with a main bore of a fluid control manifold assembly. The safety valve has a blocking condition where the safety valve blocks a flow of pressurized fluid through the safety valve, and a venting condition where the safety valve provides a fluid flow path for the pressurized fluid at a set overpressure to pass through the safety valve. A valve member is moveable within the safety valve between a first position where a pressure side of the valve member blocks the flow of the pressurized fluid at a pressure below the set overpressure from passing through the safety valve, and a second position where the valve member provides a fluid flow path for the pressurized fluid at any pressure to pass through the safety valve.

Abstract: A fluid fitting for use with a hydrocarbon. production device includes an annular fitting assembly inserted into a port formed in the hydrocarbon production device. A first outer diameter seal is located between the fitting assembly and the port. A packing assembly is located in an annulus between the fitting assembly and an inner surface of the port, defining a second outer diameter seal between the fitting assembly and the port.

Abstract: Described herein is a modular, adjustable system for distributing fluids to one or more wellbores. The system is readily configured and assembled at a well site, and allows for one portion of the system to be isolated for service or repair while the remainder of the system continues to operate. The system includes a plurality of pump skids having both a distribution junction in fluid communication with inlets to of plurality of pump trucks and an exit junction in fluid communication with outlets of the plurality of pump trucks.

Abstract: A gate valve includes a valve body with a flow passage intersected by a gate cavity. The gate valve also includes a gate with a gate body. The gate body has a downstream gate body face, and an upstream gate body face on an opposite side of the gate body. A seat ring is located between each gate body face and the valve body, at the intersection of the flow passage and the gate cavity. Each seat ring has a seat ring face proximate to the gate. At least one removable insert is located between one of the seat ring faces and one of the gate body faces. The insert is removably coupled to one of the faces and formed of a material harder and more wear resistant as compared to the gate body and the seat ring.

Abstract: An apparatus for actuating a valve includes an actuator with a cap. A plate that engages the inner diameter of the actuator housing is positioned within the actuator housing. A pressure chamber is located within the actuator housing between the plate and cap. A cap seal fluidly seals the pressure chamber between the cap and the actuator housing. The pressure chamber is fluidly sealed at the plate by one of a first plate seal assembly and a second plate seal assembly. The first plate seal assembly is formed by the diaphragm being secured between a seal nut and the plate. The second plate seal assembly is formed by an outer diameter sidewall seal located between the inner diameter of the actuator housing and the outer diameter of the plate and a retainer seal located between an outer diameter of the seal nut and an inner diameter of the plate.

Abstract: An apparatus for actuating a valve includes an actuator body with a proximal end having a connector for coupling to a valve assembly, and a distal end. A piston assembly having a piston disposed in a piston cylinder is located within the proximal end of the actuator body. A telescoping port assembly extends from the distal end to the piston assembly, the telescoping port assembly having an inner telescoping member and an outer telescoping member. The outer telescoping member has an inner cavity that reciprocatingly receives an end of the inner telescoping member. A bore extends axially through the telescoping port assembly and communicates pressure from a pressure source to the piston cylinder, so that when a pressure media is supplied from the pressure source to the bore, the piston actuates the valve assembly, and the outer telescoping member telescopes outward from the inner telescoping member.

Abstract: A gate valve includes a valve body with a How passage intersected by a gate cavity. The gate valve also includes, a gate with an axis, a downstream gate face, and an upstream gate face on an opposite side. The gate is axially movable in the gate cavity between a gate closed position and a gate open position. A seat ring is located between each gate face and the valve body, at the intersection of the flow passage and the gate cavity. An annular seal is located between each of the seat rings and the valve body. At least one annular filter is located between at least one of the seat rings and the valve body, each of the at least one filters being located radially inward from one of the seals relative to an axis of the flow passage.

Abstract: A grease tool lubricates a valve having an actuator assembly for moving a valve element of the valve. The tool has a housing with a piston carried in a bore. The housing is open for inserting and sealing a portion of the actuator assembly into the bore. A fill port in the housing allows grease to be introduced into the bore. A piston rod joins the piston and has external threads engaging internal threads of the housing, so that rotating the piston rod causes the piston to move axially. A lever is mounted to the housing for imparting rotation to the housing. A lock pin extends through a side wall of the housing to engage the actuator assembly to cause the actuator assembly to rotate in unison with the housing.

Abstract: A valve with a packing assembly includes a valve body assembly with a bore, a valve member moveable between an open position and a closed position, and a valve stem coupled to the valve member. A first stem packing circumscribes a portion of the valve stem, and is located in an upper bore portion of the bore. A first packing retainer has a collar that limits axial movement of the first stem packing, and also has a first retainer body defining an inner cavity. A second stem packing circumscribes a portion of the valve stem and is located in the inner cavity of the first packing retainer. A second packing retainer has a neck compressingly engaging the second stem packing, and a retainer shoulder that engages the first packing retainer. A retaining assembly is coupled with the valve body assembly for applying axial force to the second packing retainer.

Abstract: A tool for polishing a seal surface of a wellhead assembly includes a cylindrical tool body with an axis. The tool body includes a base member with a first end, and a second end. A tubular skirt member extends from the second end of the base member. The skirt member has a sidewall, a base end connected to the base member, and an open end opposite the base end. A plurality of axial slots extend through the sidewall of the skirt member, the axial slots being spaced circumferentially around the skirt member. A polishing belt is woven through the axial slots of the skirt member.

Abstract: A method tor completing a well includes drilling a well through a wellhead having an annular bowl protector inserted therein. The bowl protector lias an internal recess. A lower end of a casing string is lowered through the bowl protector. A centrahzer having a plurality of lugs on an outer surface is installed on a retrieval joint of casing of the casing string. The retrieval joint of casing and the eentralizer is lowered so the logs engage the internal recess of the bowl protector. The retrieval joint of casing is raised to lift the centralker and bowl protector out of the wellhead.

Abstract: An actuator for operating a linear valve, such as a gate valve, includes a sealing plate that extends across the diameter of a housing. A diaphragm is located on, and fully supported by, the plate. When pressure media urges the diaphragm and sealing plate downward, the sealing plate urges a step downward to actuate a valve. A hub and an annular support plate can be assembled to form the plate, and the plate can be different sizes by selecting different sized annular support plates.

Abstract: An apparatus for actuating a valve includes a housing having an axis, a valve end, a cap end, and a cylindrical sidewall defining an inner diameter surface of the housing. A cap is connected to the cap end of the housing. An inlet is located in one of the cap and the housing. A plate is positioned within the housing, the plate having an outer diameter that slidingly engages the inner diameter surface of the housing. The plate moves between an extended position and a retracted position in response to pressure media from the inlet. A down stop is in contact with the plate. A seal nut has a first end in engagement with the down stop. The seal nut has a second end with an end surface, the end surface being spaced apart from the cap when the plate is in the extended position.

Abstract: A gate valve includes a body with a flow passage intersected by a gate cavity and a gate with an axis, the gate being axially movable in the gate cavity between a gate closed position and a gate open position. A lifting device is in engagement with a stein of the gate to move the gate to the gate open position. A port extends from a first external surface of the gate to a second external surface of the gate. A seal member is mechanically connected to the filling device, the seal member being moveable in response to axial movement of the lifting device between a seal open position where fluids can flow through the port and a seal closed position where the seal member blocks fluids from flowing through the port.

Abstract: An apparatus for assisting an actuator to close a valve has a cylindrical booster housing with a central axis. The booster housing includes an upward facing piston cavity and a downward facing lower cavity with internal threads for selectively coupling with external threads of a piston head of a valve actuator. A bulkhead is formed between the piston cavity and the lower cavity. The bulkhead has an opening for selectively accepting an actuator stem of the valve actuator therethrough. A booster piston is located within the piston cavity. The booster piston has a piston mounting means located on its bottom side for selectively securing a top end of the actuator stem of the valve actuator to the booster piston. The booster piston is moveable upwards in an axial direction to move the valve from a lower open position to an upper closed position.

Abstract: An apparatus for overriding a valve actuator to move a valve stem to a second position includes an override body with a central axis. A piston is located within the override body. A bushing is non-rotatably carried within the override body. An override shaft is in threaded engagement with the bushing and extends through a sealed orifice in the override body. Fluid pressure applied to the piston causes the bushing to engage the valve actuator and push the valve stem, and alternatively, rotation applied to the override shaft causes the bushing to move linearly to engage the valve actuator and push the valve stem.

Abstract: A method of drilling and fracturing a well includes installing a drilling/frac adapter on a lower wellhead housing. The drilling/frac adapter has a higher internal pressure rating than the lower wellhead housing. The operator drills through the drilling/frac adapter to a desired depth, then runs and cements a casing string in the well. A lower packoff is installed in an annulus between the casing hanger and the lower wellhead housing and an upper packoff is set in an annulus between the drilling/frac adapter and the casing hanger. Frac fluid is pumped through the frac tree into the casing string at a higher pressure than the pressure rating of the lower housing but less than the pressure rating of the drilling/frac adapter. Then, the upper packoff and the drilling/frac adapter are removed from the lower housing and installing an upper wellhead housing on the lower wellhead housing.

Abstract: A tool for retaining an activator ring of a hanger within a wellhead assembly during a fluid pumping process includes an annular fluid pumping sub body having an end selectively coupled with a supply of fluids and a distal end selectively coupled with the hanger. An outer ring assembly circumscribes and rotates relative to the fluid pumping sub body. A retainer ring circumscribes the fluid pumping sub body and selectively abuts the activator ring. A plurality of biasing assemblies that are selectively compressible are located between the outer ring assembly and the retainer ring, so that when the fluid pumping sub body is coupled with the hanger, an axial lockdown force is maintained on the activator ring by the biasing assemblies during the fluid pumping process.

Abstract: A wellhead assembly includes a casing head, tubing head, and a production tree mounted on the tubing head. An isolation sleeve is set in a main bore of the wellhead assembly that extends across an interface between the casing and tubing heads so that a portion resides in each. The isolation sleeve is configured so that a fracturing string, and its associated hanger, can be retrieved through the isolation sleeve; which significantly reduces the time and steps required to conduct a fracturing operation in a well. Moreover, the present isolation sleeve can be used without changes to existing casing or tubing heads.

Abstract: An actuator for operating a linear valve, such as a gate valve, includes a quick connect coupling between the housing and at least one of a bonnet and a power head assembly. In embodiments, the quick connect coupling includes a plurality of lugs spaced apart around an annular actuator housing surface, and a plurality of lugs spaced apart around an annular surface of another member such as a bonnet or power head, each of the lugs defining a plurality of slots therebetween. The lugs pass through corresponding slots, and then the housing is rotated relative to the other member until at least a portion of the lugs of each component are axially aligned in a locked position. The rotation is less than one full revolution of the rotated component. A latch prevents the component from rotating out of the locked position.