Abstract: A tubular wellhead member has an inner seal surface. A hydraulic passage extends through the wellhead member and terminates at a port at the seal surface. A tubing hanger having an outer mating surface lands in the wellhead member. A hydraulic line extends from a hydraulically operated downhole safety valve to a passage in the tubing hanger and terminates at a tubing hanger port. A seal is located at the tubing hanger port for sealing the junction with the tubular member port. A check valve is located within the seal to maintain the tubing hanger fluid passage closed until the tubing hanger lands in the wellhead. An adapter is employed to apply a running-in hydraulic fluid pressure to the tubing hanger hydraulic fluid passage with the check valve open. Then, the adapter closes the check valve to trap hydraulic fluid pressure in the line leading to the downhole safety valve. This pressure is sufficient to maintain the downhole safety valve in an open position during running in.

Abstract: The internal tree cap of this invention has an isolation sleeve that stabs into a receptacle in the upper end of the tubing hanger. A seal on the exterior of the isolation sleeve seals an inner void within the isolation sleeve from an outer void. The inner void is the area between the tubing hanger wireline plug and the tree cap. The outer void is an area surrounding the tubing hanger above the tubing hanger upper seal and below the tree cap seal. The internal tree cap may have a bore and an upper crown plug that is wireline retrievable. Fluid will be trapped in the inner void when the isolation sleeve is stabbed into the receptacle above the tubing hanger. To allow displacement of the fluid when landing the upper crown plug, or when landing the upper crown plug and internal tree cap together, a vent passage leads through the tubing hanger to the outer void. This vent passage is preferably controlled by a metal sealing needle valve which is shut by an ROV or diver.

Abstract: An annular wellhead member has an inner mating surface. The wellhead member has a auxiliary fluid passage with an inboard opening at the inner mating surface. A tubing hanger is landed concentrically within the wellhead member. The tubing hanger has an outer mating surface which mates with the inner mating surface of the wellhead member. A production fluid passage through the tubing hanger places the production tubing string in communication with a production line. A hydraulic line extends from a hydraulically operated downhole safety valve to the tubing hanger. A tubing hanger auxiliary fluid passage has a first opening and an outboard opening. The first opening is connected to the hydraulic line. The outboard opening is located on the outer mating surface of the tubing hanger and registers with the inboard opening of the wellhead member auxiliary fluid passage. The wellhead member auxiliary fluid passage is connected to a hydraulic supply line.

Abstract: A subsea well assembly has guides for orienting electrical connectors located on a concentric tubing hanger and on the tree. The guides use a guide slot and key to rotate the electrical connectors on the lower end of the tree when the tree is installed on the wellhead. The tree electrical connectors are located on the upper guide member and rotate relative to the tree as the guide slot engages the guide key. An annulus valve in the tubing hanger uses a sleeve with inner and outer metal seal lips.

Abstract: An inductive pressure transducer senses fluid pressure within a tubular member by passing an alternating current within an inductor coil to generate a magnetic field. The magnetic field passes through a gap between the tubular member and the inductor coil, and into an exterior portion of the tubular member. A detector means senses the net energy transferred from the inductive coil by the magnetic field, which indicates the fluid pressure within the tubular member.

Abstract: An annular wellhead member has an inner mating surface. The wellhead member has a hydraulic fluid passage with an inboard opening at the inner mating surface. A tubing hanger is landed concentrically within the wellhead member. The tubing hanger has an outer mating surface which mates with the inner mating surface of the wellhead member. A production fluid passage through the tubing hanger places the production tubing string in communication with a production line. A hydraulic line extends from a hydraulically operated downhole safety valve to the tubing hanger. A tubing hanger hydraulic fluid passage has a first opening and an outboard opening. The first opening is connected to the hydraulic line. The outboard opening is located on the outer mating surface of the tubing hanger and registers with the inboard opening of the wellhead member hydraulic fluid passage. The wellhead member hydraulic fluid passage is connected to a hydraulic supply line.

Abstract: A method of installing a wellhead component such as a tubing hanger or tree cap utilizes hydraulic pressure to move the component downward. A blowout preventer is connected to the production tree. The component has a primary metal seal and an elastomeric installation seal. The component is lowered on drill pipe through the blowout preventer into the tree bore with the installation seal sealingly engaging the bore. The primary seal is in a run-in position prior to setting. The operator closes the blowout preventer and pumps liquid through a kill line into the annular chamber below the blowout preventer. This causes the component to move downward, deforming the primary seal into the sealing engagement with the bore and the component.

Abstract: A surface wellhead system for a subsea well utilizes a two-piece casing hanger. The casing hanger has an inner member that secures to a string of casing that extends from the sea floor to a surface casing head. The outer member of the casing hanger is axially adjustable relative to the inner member and will hold tension in the casing. The outer member lands on a load shoulder in the casing head. An annulus outer seal seals between the exterior of the outer member and the bore of the casing head. An inner seal seals between the inner member and the bore of the outer member.

Abstract: A well completion system utilizes a seal which carries its own load ring. The seal is lowered into the bore of a wellhead housing around a tubular member. The seal carries a split load ring, which once positioned will move outward into engagement with a groove formed in the wellhead housing. A locking assembly will lock the seal to the wellhead housing. The locking assembly has a casing lock ring which will secure to the upper end of a section of casing, if the casing has been cut due to an emergency stuck condition. A tubing hanger lands over the locking assembly. The tubing hanger is retained by an actuating ring and lock ring that are independent of the tubing hanger seal.

Abstract: A well assembly utilizes a casing tensioning system that allows a preselected amount of stretch to be applied in the casing. The assembly includes a tubular mandrel that secures to the upper end of the string of casing. A load ring has internal grooves that mate with exterior grooves on the mandrel, the load ring being of a ratcheting type. A retainer will latch the load ring in the wellhead housing. A positioning ring mounts to an upper portion of the mandrel to position the load ring at a desired distance above a stop shoulder on the lower portion of the mandrel and the load ring. During tensioning, the load ring remains stationary in the wellhead housing as the mandrel is pulled upward until the stop shoulder contacts the load ring.

Abstract: A subsea well employs a tieback receptacle which has a downward facing funnel and an upward facing funnel. The downward facing funnel guides the receptacle over the wellhead housing. The tieback conduit is then lowered from a vessel into engagement with the tieback receptacle. The tieback conduit has a securing device that secures the tieback conduit to a profile in the tieback receptacle without rotation.

Abstract: A wellhead housing a supports a string of casing in tension by using a load ring. The load ring mounts to the exterior of a casing hanger which secures to the upper end of the string of casing. The load ring is split, resilient and outwardly biased. The load ring is retained during the running of the casing. The running tool then releases the load ring to spring outward to support the load. The load ring has wickers on its exterior that mate with wickers in the interior of the bore.

Abstract: A subsea well assembly has ability to receive an internal tieback connector when providing full bore access. The subsea well assembly has an inner wellhead housing which has a counterbore at its upper end. A tieback profile is formed in the counterbore. A protective sleeve releasably secures the counterbore, covering the tieback profile. After drilling is completed and tieback installation begins, the protective sleeve is removed. An internal tieback sleeve carried by a tieback funnel engages the tieback profile in the counterbore to secure the tieback funnel to the inner wellhead housing.

Abstract: A split wear bushing for a subsea well assembly provides a standoff for the drill pipe to avoid damage to the casing near where it secures to the casing hanger. The split wear bushing has an outer wear bushing that locks into the casing hanger. An inner wear bushing lands in the bore of the outer wear bushing. The inner wear bushing has an inner diameter that is smaller than the inner diameter of the casing to provide a standoff. The inner wear bushing is carried on a wear bushing sub. An engaging shoulder on the wear bushing sub contacts the inner wear bushing during each trip of the drill string to pull the inner wear bushing from the outer wear bushing. The inner wear bushing relocks to the outer wear bushing on the return trip. A retrieval lock enables the outer wear bushing to be retrieved along with the inner wear bushing for the final trip.

Abstract: A subsea well assembly utilizes outer, intermediate, and inner wellhead housings. The inner wellhead housing has a port extending through it that communicates the annulus with the bore of the inner wellhead housing. A sleeve mounts to the inner wellhead housing for opening and closing the port. The port allows the operator to cement a string of inner casing, with returns flowing through the port and back up the bore of the inner wellhead housing.

Abstract: A telescoping joint for connecting casing between a subsea housing and a surface wellhead can be reenergized. The telescoping joint includes an upper conduit section and a lower conduit section that telescopingly insert within one another. A seal locates in an annular space between the two conduit sections. A torque nut secures between the upper and lower conduit sections. The torque nut bears against the seal. The torque nut has a slot in its bore that is engaged by a running tool lowered from a drilling vessel at the surface. The running tool rotates the torque nut to energize the seal. A ratcheting lock ring locks the telescoping joint against withdrawing movement.

Abstract: A subsea well has tieback facilities for further sidetrack drilling. The well has an inner string casing hanger with an outer hanger portion and an inner hanger portion. The inner and outer hanger portions are latched together at the surface and lowered simultaneously. The inner casing string secures to the inner hanger portion. The tieback assembly includes an intermediate tieback conduit that extends into the bore of the outer hanger portion. An inner tieback conduit extend into the bore of the inner hanger portion. For later sidetrack drilling, the inner tieback conduit is pulled upward to unlatch the inner hanger portion from the outer hanger portion, retrieving the inner casing through the intermediate tieback conduit.

Abstract: A casing hanger seal member has a locking section that will lock the seal member to the casing hanger and to the wellhead housing. The locking section includes a lower split ring that has serrations that will engage serrations on the exterior of the casing hanger. An energizing ring will force the split ring outward after the seal has set. The energizing ring also forces an upper split ring radially. The upper split ring has serrations that engage serrations formed in the bore of the wellhead housing. Tapered load shoudlers on the energizing ring and lower split ring transmit a downward force to assure that the seal member sets before the locking section actuates. A detent shoulder formed in the locking section and on the energizing ring will releasably lock the energizing ring in a lower, set position.

Abstract: A tube has a deflection section to allow it to align between two bores which are substantially coaxial. The tube has an inner wall, an outer wall, a first end and second end. The first end of the tube rigidly connects to the first member. The second end of the tube slidingly extends into the bore of the second member. The deflecting section has circumferential inner and outer grooves. These grooves extend in from the inner and outer walls of the tube. Each of the grooves has an axial thickness that is much less than the distance between the grooves. The axial thickness is also less than the radial dimension between the base of each groove and the adjacent wall of the tube. This provides substantial rigidity to the deflecitng section, yet allows slight deflection.

Abstract: A casing hanger seal member has a locking section that will lock the seal member to the casing hanger, to the wellhead, or to both. A set of serrations are formed on the wellhead and also on the casing hanger, across from each other. The seal member has a seal on its lower end that seals below the serrations. A locking section extends upward from the seal section. A locking section has inner and outer walls which are separated by an annular channel. Serrations are formed on the inner and outer walls for engaging the serrations on the wellhead and the casing hanger. An energizing ring locates within the channel, urging the inner and outer walls radially apart form each other to cause engagement of the serrations. The serrations on the inner and outer members have a pitch that is the same as the pitch on the wellhead and casing hanger, divided by a whole number greater than one.