Abstract: A packer assembly for a blowout preventer for sealing a wellbore is provided. The blowout preventer has ram blocks with a front face engageable with another ram block. The packer assembly is carried by each ram block and includes a support, a face packer having a sealing surface engageable with the face packer of an adjacent ram block, and a pair of plates positionable about the face packer. The plates include an extended plate and a support plate with the face packer therebetween. The extended plate protrudes from the ram block a distance beyond the support plate such that, when the ram blocks are moved together, the extended plate makes contact with the extended plate of an adjacent ram block before the support plates make contact with the adjacent ram block whereby a sealing pressure between the face packers of the adjacent ram blocks is maintained.

Abstract: A packer assembly for a blowout preventer for sealing a wellbore is provided. The blowout preventer has ram blocks with a front face engageable with another ram block. The packer assembly is carried by each ram block and includes a support, a face packer having a sealing surface engageable with the face packer of an adjacent ram block, and a pair of plates positionable about the face packer. The plates include an extended plate and a support plate with the face packer therebetween. The extended plate protrudes from the ram block a distance beyond the support plate such that, when the ram blocks are moved together, the extended plate makes contact with the extended plate of an adjacent ram block before the support plates make contact with the adjacent ram block whereby a sealing pressure between the face packers of the adjacent ram blocks is maintained.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a blowout preventer (BOP) system with an actuator for opening and closing a ram. The actuator includes a locking system having a clutch piston to operate a clutch having ratcheting teeth. The locking system disengages the clutch prior to the ram opening and closing. The clutch piston has a first portion with a larger area than a second portion. A clutch fluid pressure acts on the first portion, and a closing fluid pressure acts on the second portion. This area difference in the clutch piston portions allows the clutch to be disengaged during closing operations, even when the closing fluid pressure is the same as the clutch fluid pressure and the clutch is biased engaged by a bias assembly. Further, closing fluid pressure is applied to lessen the load on the clutch ratcheting teeth, while the clutch fluid pressure is applied to unlock the clutch.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a blowout preventer (BOP) system with an actuator for opening and closing a ram. The actuator includes a locking system having a clutch piston to operate a clutch having ratcheting teeth. The locking system disengages the clutch prior to the ram opening and closing. The clutch piston has a first portion with a larger area than a second portion. A clutch fluid pressure acts on the first portion, and a closing fluid pressure acts on the second portion. This area difference in the clutch piston portions allows the clutch to be disengaged during closing operations, even when the closing fluid pressure is the same as the clutch fluid pressure and the clutch is biased engaged by a bias assembly. Further, closing fluid pressure is applied to lessen the load on the clutch ratcheting teeth, while the clutch fluid pressure is applied to unlock the clutch.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method, apparatus, and system to shear a tubular member disposed in a well and seal the wellbore using a unique blade seal. In at least one embodiment, the blade seal is adapted to interface with opposing rams in a blowout preventer. The blade seal uses a combination of arcuate surfaces with a common centerpoint to interface with corresponding surfaces in a ram block of a ram. The blade seal retains sealing capabilities used for wells and at the same time reduces the forces on the ram body to reduce failures from overpressurization. Further, the blade seal can be used in existing blowout preventers bodies that heretofore have been overstressed by prior art designs.

Abstract: A sealing structure for sealing between substantially aligned cylindrical surfaces including a seal carrier having a tubular body with external sealing ring grooves spaced apart so that sealing rings positioned in said grooves engage the cylindrical surface in sealing relationship and a relief groove in the central exterior of the seal carrier body to provide increased flexibility of the seal carrier body so that it can accommodate misalignment of the cylindrical surfaces and can respond to pressure differentials between the interior and exterior of the seal carrier body to reduce the extrusion gap between the seal carrier body and the cylindrical surfaces. The improved sealing structure of the present invention has a particular application for sealing between the bonnet and the body of a blowout preventer.

Abstract: A packer for use with a ram-type blowout preventer which has the capacity to accommodate a plurality of sizes of tubular members extending through the bore of the blowout preventer, the packer having a resilient body to fit the face recess of the ram and a central recess to receive a tubular member, an upper plate positioned in the upper portion of the resilient body, a lower plate positioned in the lower portion of the resilient body, a plurality of metal insert segments positioned between the upper surface of the resilient body and the under surface of the upper plate and around the central recess of the resilient body, the metal insert segments having sufficient length to engage the exterior of a tubular member which is to be engaged and sealed against by the resilient body with the insert segments being selected to seal against a preselected small tubular member diameter which is less than the diameter which could be sealed by the packer without the insert segments.

Abstract: An annular blowout preventer for use on an oil or gas well rig having a lower housing, an upper housing, a resilient sealing means, a vertical bore coaxially positioned through the housing and a vertically acting piston for actuating the sealing means in which the inner surface of the upper housing and the inner surface of the lower housing are concentric spherical surfaces extending to the bore. The resilient sealing means includes steel segments extending between the top and bottom of the sealing means and the top and bottom of the sealing means and the steel segments have spherical surfaces coacting with the spherical surfaces on the upper and lower housings. The upper and lower housings each include a vertical wall extending downwardly from the spherical surfaces on the upper and lower housing and the vertical moving piston sealingly engages the vertical walls.

Abstract: An improved blowout preventer stack including a plurality of ram type blowout preventers, an annular blowout preventer, a plurality of tie rods connecting said blowout preventers into a stack, the upper ends of the rods being secured to the side of the upper member of the stack and the lower end of the rods being secured to the lower end of the stack with securing means to maintain the preset tension in the tie rods. An improved test stump is provided to support the stack and connect to and exert tension on the tie rods responsive to pressure supplied to the test stump to preset the tension therein.

Abstract: An annular blowout preventer having a body with a central bore therethrough and a packer recess surrounding and opening on said recess, an annular packer which is a complete ring or a split ring in said recess, means for actuating said packer to closed position, an opening through the side of said body into said packer recess of sufficient size to remove said packer therethrough, a plug sealed in said opening and a sleeve around said body to engage the exterior of said plug and retain it in sealing position in said opening.

Abstract: An improved annular blowout preventer having a housing, an annular packer mounted in the housing, and a piston mounted in the housing for the application of an axial force to the annular packer; the annular packer includes a resilient annulus with a circular series of rigid interengaging inserts embedded in its upper face with the inner ends of the inserts being thicker than the outer ends so that the inner ends of the inserts move inward as the resilient annulus is moved and interengaging side projections and recesses with shoulders to ensure substantially uniform inward movement of the inner ends of the inserts to a preselected inner support position for the resilient annulus.

Abstract: An annular blowout preventer for use on an oil or gas well rig having a lower housing, an upper housing, a resilient sealing means, a vertical bore coaxially positioned through the housing and a vertically acting piston for actuating the sealing means in which the inner surface of the upper housing and the inner surface of the lower housing are concentric spherical surfaces extending to the bore. The resilient sealing means includes steel segments extending between the top and bottom of the sealing means and the top and bottom of the sealing means and the steel segments have spherical surfaces coacting with the spherical surfaces on the upper and lower housings. The upper and lower housings each include a vertical wall extending downwardly from the spherical surfaces on the upper and lower housing and the vertical moving piston sealingly engages the vertical walls.

Abstract: An annular blowout preventer having a body with a central bore, a piston chamber, and a packer chamber surrounding the central bore, a piston in the piston chamber, an annular packer in the packer chamber, the annular packer including a resilient annulus and a plurality of metal irising inserts embedded in the annulus and having upper triangular plates, lower triangular plates, a stem connecting the plates and means interconnecting adjoining plates to avoid inadvertent separation of one or more of said inserts, the annular packer moving between open and closed positions responsive to movement of the piston.

Abstract: A locking mechanism for securing the upper housing of an annular blowout preventer to the lower housing. A split latch ring having a plurality of angled teeth cut in its outer diameter is expandable into the lower housing which is provided with a plurality of locking grooves contoured to mate with the teeth. A locking ring with a tapered outer surface mates with a tapered inner surface on the latch ring for expanding the latch ring. Bolting the inner locking ring to the upper housing causes downward movement of the locking ring forcing the latch ring outwardly and down the taper of the engaging teeth. The upper housing is locked to the lower housing as the upper housing has a shoulder engaging the lower edge of the downwardly moving latch ring causing seating of the upper housing on to the lower housing and compensating for variations in machining tolerances.

Abstract: An annular blowout preventer for use on an oil or gas well rig having a lower housing, an upper housing, a resilient sealing means, a vertical bore coaxially positioned through the housing and a vertically acting piston for actuating the sealing means in which the inner surface of the upper housing and the inner surface of the lower housing are concentric spherical surfaces extending to the bore. The resilient sealing means includes steel segments extending between the top and bottom of the sealing means and the top and bottom of the sealing means and the steel segments have spherical surfaces coacting with the spherical surfaces on the upper and lower housings. The upper and lower housings each include a vertical wall extending downwardly from the spherical surfaces on the upper and lower housing and the vertical moving piston sealingly engages the vertical walls.