Abstract: This disclosure includes manifolds, subsea valve modules, and related methods. Some manifolds and/or subsea valve modules include one or more inlets, each configured to receive hydraulic fluid from a fluid source, one or more outlets, each in selective fluid communication with at least one of the inlets, and one or more subsea valve assemblies, each configured to selectively control hydraulic fluid communication from at least one of the inlets to at least one of the outlets, where at least one of the outlets is configured to be in fluid communication with an actuation port of the hydraulically actuated device.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 25, 2017
Date of Patent:
April 23, 2019
Assignee:
Transocean Innovation Labs Ltd.
Inventors:
Guy Robert Babbitt, James Edward Kersey, Nicholas Paul Echter, Kristina Weyer-Geigel
Abstract: An advanced blowout preventer that includes an arrester section and a shear section. The arrester section includes a number or arrester rings that are shaped to extend downwardly. The shape of the arrester rings allows the force of gas flowing out of the well to assist in closing the rings. The arrester section may have a number of arrester rings that cooperate to significantly reduce fluid from flowing in the annulus between a section of drill pipe and the blowout preventer. The advanced blowout preventer may also include a shear section. The shear section is configured to engage and shear a section of pipe using induction.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 23, 2013
Date of Patent:
February 5, 2019
Assignee:
Transocean Innovation Labs Ltd.
Inventors:
Bryce Levett, Gerard M. Ludtka, Mariana Dionisio
Abstract: This disclosure includes hydraulic apparatuses and methods for redundant actuation of a hydraulic device. Some apparatuses include a hydraulic device having a first hydraulic actuator and a second hydraulic actuator, wherein each of the first and second hydraulic actuators comprises at least a first hydraulic cavity, a second hydraulic cavity, and a piston. Some apparatuses also include a controller coupled to the hydraulic device. In some embodiments, the controller is configured to receive hydraulic fluid from a fluid source via at least two parallel hydraulic lines coupled to the controller, select a first hydraulic line of the at least two parallel hydraulic lines, and transfer the hydraulic fluid from the selected first hydraulic line to a first cavity of the first hydraulic actuator to apply pressure to a first piston to actuate the hydraulic device.
Abstract: This disclosure includes manifolds, subsea valve modules, and related methods. Some manifolds and/or subsea valve modules include one or more inlets, each configured to receive hydraulic fluid from a fluid source, one or more outlets, each in selective fluid communication with at least one of the inlets, and one or more subsea valve assemblies, each configured to selectively control hydraulic fluid communication from at least one of the inlets to at least one of the outlets, where at least one of the outlets is configured to be in fluid communication with an actuation port of the hydraulically actuated device.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 27, 2014
Date of Patent:
May 30, 2017
Assignee:
TRANSOCEAN INNOVATION LABS LTD
Inventors:
Guy Robert Babbitt, James Edward Kersey, Nicholas Paul Echter, Kristina Geigel-Weyer
Abstract: A subsea processor may be located near the seabed of a drilling site and used to coordinate operations of underwater drilling components. The subsea processor may be enclosed in a single interchangeable unit that fits a receptor on an underwater drilling component, such as a blow-out preventer (BOP). The subsea processor may issue commands to control the BOP and receive measurements from sensors located throughout the BOP. A shared communications bus may interconnect the subsea processor and underwater components and the subsea processor and a surface or onshore network. The shared communications bus may be operated according to a time division multiple access (TDMA) scheme.
Abstract: Induction shearing may be used to cut a drillpipe at an undersea well. Electromagnetic rings may be built into a blow-out preventer (BOP) at the seafloor. The electromagnetic rings create a magnetic field through the drillpipe and may transfer sufficient energy to change the state of the metal drillpipe to shear the drillpipe. After shearing the drillpipe, the drillpipe may be sealed to prevent further leakage of well contents.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 15, 2013
Date of Patent:
April 19, 2016
Assignee:
TRANSOCEAN INNOVATION LABS LTD
Inventors:
Gerard M. Ludtka, John Wilgen, Roger Kisner, Timothy Mcintyre