Patents Assigned to Mentor Subsea Technology Services, Inc.
  • Patent number: 6886637
    Abstract: A cylinder-stem assembly to floating platform, gap controlling interface guide. A longitudinal wear strip and mating guide are positioned at an angle relative to a tangent to the nominally round exterior cylinder of the cylinder. Cylinder guides may be provided at more than a single elevation. The corners of the contacting surfaces of the wear strips may be rounded to reduce the risk of galling and to avoid any obvious point or line loading. During assembly, the cylinder-stem assembly is rotated after insertion into its slot in the floating platform. The rotation centers the cylinder and also may be used to control the magnitude of the gap or an interference fit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2005
    Assignee: Mentor Subsea Technology Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald G Hervey, Robert H Carter, Daniel Major Houser
  • Patent number: 6817808
    Abstract: A rotatable pipeline end termination. A conduit is attached to an end of the pipeline. One or more collars are attached to the conduit. A ring is rotatably received on the collar. A pipeline support structure such as a flat bottom closed skid having the function of a mud mat is attached to the ring. The ring may be free floating for rotation or may be manually activated to rotate the termination to the correct orientation so as to be flat on the sea floor for full bearing contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: Mentor Subsea Technology Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Jean-Francois Patinet
  • Patent number: 6419458
    Abstract: A pump 12 is (or pumps are) located in a blind foundation pile 14 that has been driven into the sea floor. The top of the pile 14 is provided with a fitting that includes an inlet 18, a hanger 24 for the pump 12, and an outlet 20. water is delivered from a filtering and treatment apparatus into the pile 14 through the inlet 18. The pump 12 delivers the water under pressure through the outlet 20 into piping that directs the water to the water injection well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: Mentor Subsea Technology Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy Miles Lower, Simon Gerald Bailey Dawson
  • Patent number: 6349665
    Abstract: A drone vessel for an ROV. The drone vessel utilizes dynamic positioning. The drone vessel is remotely controlled by radio telemetry, preferably modular in construction, and may be semi-submersible. The vessel contains a radio telemetry package, one or more generators, an umbilical winch for lowering and raising an ROV, space for receiving and storing an ROV, and ballast control. The central compartment in the drone vessel is free flooding and houses the drum for storing umbilical line and the winch for paying out umbilical line to the ROV. The central compartment also includes space for the ROV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2002
    Assignee: Mentor Subsea Technology Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Leland Harris Taylor, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6349976
    Abstract: A pipe in pipe assembly. A coupling is used to join the ends of the inner pipe. The inner pipe is centralized within the inner pipe to provide axial resistance but minimum restraint transverse to the axis of the assembly. This provides sufficient flexibility of the inner pipe to accommodate the necessary tolerances to permit the use of the coupling. The inner pipe may be centralized within the outer pipe by the use of foam injected between the inner and outer pipe and a corrugated web sleeve around the ends of the inner pipe. The inner pipe may also be centralized within the outer pipe by the use of a corrugated web bulkhead that fits around the inner pipe and within the outer pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2002
    Assignee: Mentor Subsea Technology Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Leland Harris Taylor, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6279501
    Abstract: An umbilical constraint mechanism. The mechanism keeps the umbilical line near the center of the payload bay opening when the umbilical line is deployed. The mechanism will transfer lateral umbilical loads into the drone vessel frame near the bottom of the payload bay. A modified cone shaped structure is provided in the payload bay above the normal storage position of the ROV. The cone is mounted on a frame that is capable of sliding up or down in the drone vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: Mentor Subsea Technology Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Leland Harris Taylor, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6253855
    Abstract: A production riser that provides the benefits of a slug catcher, riser based gas lift, and multiphase meter in a single device and is suited to both shallow and deep-water oil/gas field developments. The riser is formed from a pipe within a pipe. The inner pipe provides the path for the production fluids. Perforations are provided near the base and top of the inner pipe. The top of the annulus between the pipes is closed and is in fluid communication with a gas supply/compression system via an isolation control valve/choke. The bottom of the annulus is closed. Three sets of pressure and temperature transducer transmitters are installed at the top, center, and base of the riser through the outer pipe wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Assignee: Mentor Subsea Technology Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Kashmir Singh Johal, Anthony Robert Cousins
  • Patent number: 6188327
    Abstract: A system for tagging and monitoring subsea installations such as valves used in hydrocarbon production includes a torque tool provided with a read/write head for inductive interaction with a data storage capsule on a valve installation, the capsule storing valve identification and status data. When the torque tool is operatively engaged with the shaft (or an adaptor) of the valve, the read/write head inductively energizes the capsule and inductively receives identification data from the capsule, as well as operating data of previous operation, and this data is sent to a console in an ROV so as to ensure correct identification of the valve and proper subsequent operation by the tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Assignee: Mentor Subsea Technology Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony R. Cousins, Timothy M. Lower