Patents by Inventor Gavin Humphreys

Gavin Humphreys has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9347281
    Abstract: A triple activity drilling ship may be provided with two separate drilling centers, each including drilling apparatus. In addition, a trolley that is capable of supporting tubulars may be positioned between a first position within one of said drilling centers and a second position outside that drilling center. As a result, the trolley may be used to hold assembled tubulars while other activities are ongoing in one or more of the drilling centers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Stena Drilling Ltd.
    Inventor: Gavin Humphreys
  • Publication number: 20150376974
    Abstract: An independently operable disconnect device remotely disconnectable from an LMRP to reveal a riser profile compatible with a capping device connecter. A capping device including a capping device connector to be coupled to said riser profile. The capping device includes at least one blow-out preventer operable to stop the overflow of petroleum products from a well. Thus, a drilling marine riser may be fully disconnected from an LMRP in an emergency. Then the well may be subsequently capped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Publication date: December 31, 2015
    Inventor: Gavin Humphreys
  • Patent number: 9222327
    Abstract: An independently operable disconnect device remotely disconnectable from an LMRP to reveal a riser profile compatible with a capping device connecter. A capping device including a capping device connector to be coupled to said riser profile. The capping device includes at least one blow-out preventer operable to stop the overflow of petroleum products from a well. Thus, a drilling marine riser may be fully disconnected from an LMRP in an emergency. Then the well may be subsequently capped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: STENA DRILLING LTD.
    Inventor: Gavin Humphreys
  • Patent number: 9217302
    Abstract: A triple activity drilling ship may be provided with two separate drilling centers, each including drilling apparatus. In addition, a trolley that is capable of supporting tubulars may be positioned between a first position within one of said drilling centers and a second position outside that drilling center. As a result, the trolley may be used to hold assembled tubulars while other activities are ongoing in one or more of the drilling centers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Inventor: Gavin Humphreys
  • Publication number: 20150267482
    Abstract: A triple activity drilling ship may be provided with two separate drilling centers, each including drilling apparatus. In addition, a trolley that is capable of supporting tubulars may be positioned between a first position within one of said drilling centers and a second position outside that drilling center. As a result, the trolley may be used to hold assembled tubulars while other activities are ongoing in one or more of the drilling centers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Publication date: September 24, 2015
    Inventor: Gavin Humphreys
  • Patent number: 9067649
    Abstract: A drilling vessel may function both as an ice breaker and, if needed, as a drilling platform for drilling a relief well. The vessel may be provided with a mast that may be stowed when drilling operations are not being conducted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Stena Drilling Ltd.
    Inventor: Gavin Humphreys
  • Publication number: 20150083432
    Abstract: A triple activity drilling ship may be provided with two separate drilling centers, each including drilling apparatus. In addition, a trolley that is capable of supporting tubulars may be positioned between a first position within one of said drilling centers and a second position outside that drilling center. As a result, the trolley may be used to hold assembled tubulars while other activities are ongoing in one or more of the drilling centers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventor: Gavin Humphreys
  • Patent number: 8925647
    Abstract: A triple activity drilling ship may be provided with two separate drilling centers, each including drilling apparatus. In addition, a trolley that is capable of supporting tubulars may be positioned between a first position within one of said drilling centers and a second position outside that drilling center. As a result, the trolley may be used to hold assembled tubulars while other activities are ongoing in one or more of the drilling centers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Stena Drilling Ltd.
    Inventor: Gavin Humphreys
  • Publication number: 20140209004
    Abstract: A drilling vessel may function both as an ice breaker and, if needed, as a drilling platform for drilling a relief well. The vessel may be provided with a mast that may be stowed when drilling operations are not being conducted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: Stena Drilling Ltd.
    Inventor: Gavin Humphreys
  • Publication number: 20140190701
    Abstract: A subsea assembly suitable for subsea drilling and intervention operations includes a dual blowout preventer system having an upper blowout preventer located between a drill floor and a high pressure riser string, and a lower blowout preventer located below the riser string and above a wellhead. The dual blowout preventer system is adapted to enable advanced drilling and intervention operations such as managed pressure drilling, underbalanced drilling, dual gradient drilling, or through tubing rotary drilling, and slim hole drilling in an offshore deepwater environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: Stena Drilling Ltd.
    Inventor: Gavin Humphreys
  • Publication number: 20140144646
    Abstract: An independently operable disconnect device remotely disconnectable from an LMRP to reveal a riser profile compatible with a capping device connecter. A capping device including a capping device connector to be coupled to said riser profile. The capping device includes at least one blow-out preventer operable to stop the overflow of petroleum products from a well. Thus, a drilling marine riser may be fully disconnected from an LMRP in an emergency. Then the well may be subsequently capped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: STENA DRILLING LTD.
    Inventor: Gavin Humphreys
  • Publication number: 20120291684
    Abstract: A drilling vessel may function both as an ice breaker and, if needed, as a drilling platform for drilling a relief well. The vessel may be provided with a mast that may be stowed when drilling operations are not being conducted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Inventor: Gavin Humphreys
  • Patent number: 8176985
    Abstract: Production and drilling may be achieved by a system which uses a rotating head coupled to surface blowout preventer stack for fluid flow control. A casing connects these surface components to a subsea shutoff assembly with a pair of ram shear devices to cut off the string to the wellhead. Both the casing and an alternate line may be latched so that they may be released if necessary. The rotating head may include a rubber packer to prevent upward flow of drilling fluid and production hydrocarbons and, at the same time, provide rotation to the drill string. Managed pressure drilling or under balanced drilling may be used in some embodiments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Stena Drilling Ltd.
    Inventor: Gavin Humphreys
  • Patent number: 8162063
    Abstract: Dual gradient drilling may be performed by anchoring drilling tubulars from a drilling ship on the seabed. The drilling tubulars may include an inline pump for pumping mud through another set of tubulars that actually drill the well. Then dual gradient drilling may be instituted by controlling the pressure by controlling the operation of the pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Stena Drilling Ltd.
    Inventor: Gavin Humphreys
  • Publication number: 20120055678
    Abstract: Dual gradient drilling may be performed by anchoring drilling tubulars from a drilling ship on the seabed. The drilling tubulars may include an inline pump for pumping mud through another set of tubulars that actually drill the well. Then dual gradient drilling may be instituted by controlling the pressure by controlling the operation of the pump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Publication date: March 8, 2012
    Inventor: Gavin Humphreys
  • Publication number: 20110247827
    Abstract: A single drilling ship may be equipped with two drilling centers, each capable of running risers. Each drilling center has a set of tubulars stored for use in association with that drilling center, those tubulars including risers. However, the risers for one drilling center are of a smaller diameter than the risers for the other drilling center. In the event that a main drilling center drilled well fails, a relief well can then be drilled from the same ship using a secondary drilling center.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2010
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Inventor: Gavin Humphreys
  • Publication number: 20110127040
    Abstract: An assembly suitable for subsea drilling and intervention operations includes a dual blow out preventer system having an upper blow out preventer located between a drill floor and a riser string, and a lower blow out preventer located below the riser string and above a wellhead. The dual BOP system is adapted to enable advanced drilling and intervention operations such as Managed Pressure Drilling (“MPD”), Underbalanced Drilling (“UBD”), or Through Tubing Rotary Drilling (“TTRD”) in an offshore deepwater environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Publication date: June 2, 2011
    Inventor: GAVIN HUMPHREYS
  • Publication number: 20100098498
    Abstract: An anchor system may reduce stress on anchor cables when an offshore drilling platform weathervanes. The anchor system may hold the platform in a set position above the sea floor during drilling operations. The anchor system includes anchor cables that pass through a split bearing. Clamps may be connected to the bearing to hold the anchor cables in tension.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2008
    Publication date: April 22, 2010
    Inventor: Gavin Humphreys
  • Publication number: 20090314544
    Abstract: Production and drilling may be achieved by a system which uses a rotating head coupled to surface blowout preventer stack for fluid flow control. A casing connects these surface components to a subsea shutoff assembly with a pair of ram shear devices to cut off the string to the wellhead. Both the casing and an alternate line may be latched so that they may be released if necessary. The rotating head may include a rubber packer to prevent upward flow of drilling fluid and production hydrocarbons and, at the same time, provide rotation to the drill string. Managed pressure drilling or under balanced drilling may be used in some embodiments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Inventor: Gavin Humphreys
  • Publication number: 20080000685
    Abstract: A triple activity drilling ship may be provided with two separate drilling centers, each including drilling apparatus. In addition, a trolley that is capable of supporting tubulars may be positioned between a first position within one of said drilling centers and a second position outside that drilling center. As a result, the trolley may be used to hold assembled tubulars while other activities are ongoing in one or more of the drilling centers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Inventor: Gavin Humphreys