Patents Assigned to Vallourec Mannesmann Oil & Gas France
  • Patent number: 7997120
    Abstract: A method for pressure testing a threaded component is provided. A cap includes a female threading that is matched with a threading of a first male threaded element. The cap is made up onto the first male threaded element of a component to be tested so as to compress a sealing ring between metal surfaces of the first element and the cap, and a test pressure is established inside the component. The male element has an annular lip which is capable of deforming radially outwardly under the effect of the test pressure. Between a radially outward surface of the lip and a facing surface of the cap, at the end of makeup there exists a clearance having a value which has been selected sufficiently small so that, under the effect of the test pressure, the lip bears on said facing surface without undergoing plastic deformation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Vallourec Mannesmann Oil & Gas France
    Inventor: Pierre Dutilleul
  • Patent number: 7997627
    Abstract: A threaded joint for steel pipes comprises a pin (1) and a box (2). The pin has male thread (11), a sealing surface (13), and a shoulder surface (14) located on the end face of the pin. Correspondingly, the box has female thread (21), a sealing surface (23), and a shoulder surface (24) which can mate or contact with the corresponding portions of the pin. The shoulder surface (14) of the pin (1) is provided at an end face of the pin. The sealing surface (13) of the pin (1) is located on a pipe end side near the male thread (11). A a nose portion (15) is provided on the pin (1) between the sealing surface (13) and the shoulder surface (14), the nose portion (15) being not in contact with a corresponding portion of the box (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignees: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd., Vallourec Mannesmann Oil & Gas France
    Inventors: Masaaki Sugino, Miyuki Yamamoto, Michihiko Iwamoto, Shigeo Nagasaku, Pierre Dutilleul, Gabriel Roussie, Eric Verger
  • Publication number: 20110174482
    Abstract: A component used for drilling and operating hydrocarbon wells which is substantially tubular in form, and including a first end configured to be connected to a second end of another component also used for drilling and operating hydrocarbon wells. The first end includes a terminal portion including a first abutment surface configured to cooperate by interference with a corresponding abutment surface on the second end, and including a sealing surface configured to cooperate by interference with a corresponding sealing surface on the second end, the terminal portion being preceded by a threaded zone configured to be made up into a corresponding threaded zone of the second end. A compressible volume is provided in the thickness of the first terminal portion and partially beneath the sealing surface, to reduce radial stiffness of the terminal portion by at least 20%, while conserving at least 60% of axial stiffness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2009
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Applicant: VALLOUREC MANNESMANN OIL & GAS FRANCE
    Inventors: Eric Verger, Yann Gallois
  • Patent number: 7980597
    Abstract: A female element of a threaded tubular connection that is fitted to undergo diametrical expansion in a plastic deformation region. The female element is disposed at one end of a tubular component and includes on its external periphery a mechanism that absorbs scratch energy of a scratching body that may come into external contact with the female element and a mechanism that retains the scratch energy absorption mechanism. The retaining mechanism is configured to prevent release of debris from the scratch energy absorption mechanism during expansion of the threaded tubular connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Vallourec Mannesmann Oil & Gas France
    Inventors: Nicolas Breziat, Benoit Duquesne, Philippe Henaut
  • Publication number: 20110148103
    Abstract: A device configured to protect a female end of a component of a threaded tubular connection for drilling and working a hydrocarbon well, including an internal threading, annular end, and internal surfaces respectively upstream and downstream of the internal threading and respectively having first and second selected orientations. The device includes a body including an external threading to cooperate with the internal threading and first and second flexible annular type sealing elements respectively upstream and downstream of the external threading to provide first and second seals respectively at the internal and end annular surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Applicants: VALLOUREC MANNESMANN OIL & GAS FRANCE, VAM MEXICO SA DE CV
    Inventors: Sebastien Courtois, Pineda Roque Velazquez, Erwan Cadiou, Eric De Maigret
  • Patent number: 7931311
    Abstract: An expandable tubular joint including a male element with a male thread, a first annular lip having a first axially abutting surface, a first inner surface and a first outer surface, and a second abutting surface; and a female element with a female thread, a second annular lip having a third abutting surface, a second outer surface and a second inner surface, and a third inner surface and a fourth axially abutting surface which, together with the second outer surface, defines a first annular housing. The male tubular element includes a local added thickness at a fourth inner surface projecting out from the second abutting surface. After screwing, the first lip is housed in the annular housing and the abutting surfaces rest against one another, in order to enable the formation of an annular shoulder at the first outer surface during diametral expansion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Vallourec Mannesmann Oil & Gas France
    Inventors: Laurent Dubedout, Benoit Duquesne, Eric Verger
  • Publication number: 20110037255
    Abstract: A pipe string component that connects an offshore platform with a sea bed is provided. The pipe string component includes a threaded tubular connection. The threaded tubular connection includes a male tubular element including a tapered male threading, and a female tubular element including a tapered female threading that cooperates with the male threading by makeup to produce a rigid mutual connection of the tubular elements with radial interference between radial load transfer zones of the threadings. The male and female threadings each have a load flank extending substantially perpendicularly to an axis of the male and female threadings. The radial load transfer zones are at a radial distance from envelopes of thread roots of the male and female threadings. The radial load transfer zones of the threadings comprise at least one surface substantially parallel to an axis of the connection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Publication date: February 17, 2011
    Applicants: VALLOUREC MANNESMANN OIL & GAS FRANCE, SUMITOMO METAL INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Gabriel ROUSSIE
  • Patent number: 7883120
    Abstract: A male element for a sealed threaded tubular connection. Before tapered reduction swaging of an end region of a tube and machining in the region of a tapered male threading and a male lip to obtain a male tubular element for makeup into a female tubular element to form a sealed threaded tubular connection after diametrical expansion, the tube is shaped over a portion of its length to produce a cylindrical internal surface that connects via a chamfer to the cylindrical internal surface of the lip obtained subsequently by machining, the radius of the first surface being greater than the radius of the second surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Vallourec Mannesmann Oil & Gas France
    Inventors: Ludovic Fontaine, Benoit Duquesne, Gregory Molins
  • Patent number: 7883118
    Abstract: A threaded joint for steel pipes for use in an oil well which has enhanced galling resistance and which is protected from rusting comprises a pin and a box each having a contact surface including a threaded portion and an unthreaded metal contact portion. The contact surface of at least one of the pin and the box has a lower layer of a viscous liquid or semisolid lubricating coating comprising at least wax and a fatty acid alkaline earth metal salt and not containing a harmful heavy metal such as lead and an upper layer of a dry solid coating formed from an aqueous resin coating composition, an organic solvent type coating composition, or an ultraviolet curing coating composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignees: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd., Vallourec Mannesmann Oil & Gas France
    Inventors: Kunio Goto, Ryuichi Imai
  • Publication number: 20110025052
    Abstract: A threaded joint for steel pipes for use in an oil well which has improved galling resistance and which is protected from rusting comprises a pin and a box each having a contact surface including a threaded portion and an unthreaded metal contact portion. The contact surface of at least one of the pin and the box has a lower layer of a viscous liquid or semisolid lubricating coating comprising at least wax and a fatty acid alkaline earth metal salt and not containing a harmful heavy metal such as lead and an upper layer of a dry solid coating formed from an aqueous resin coating composition, an organic solvent type coating composition, or an ultraviolet curing coating composition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicants: SUMITOMO METAL INDUSTRIES, LTD., VALLOUREC MANNESMANN OIL & GAS FRANCE
    Inventors: Kunio Goto, Ryuichi Imai
  • Patent number: 7874054
    Abstract: A method for producing a tubular component, in which, after machining successively respective threaded elements at both ends of the tubular component, a second orientation gauge is screwed onto the second threaded element to check whether a mark on the gauge comes into alignment with an orientation mark that has been drawn on the component, after the first element has been machined and a first orientation gauge has been screwed onto the first element in axial alignment with a mark provided on this gauge. If not, the machining of the second element is repeated with parameters varied accordingly. Such a method may find particular application to the drilling and operation of hydrocarbon wells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Vallourec Mannesmann Oil & Gas France
    Inventors: Jean-Luc Coulon, Jean-Claude Micmande
  • Patent number: 7845687
    Abstract: A method to improve fatigue resistance of a threaded tubular connection. Radial interference between a male and female threading operates between stabbing flanks inclined at about 27° with respect to an axis of the threadings, wherein mutual contacting surfaces are radially spaced from a root of the male threading, which is defined by a concave rounded portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignees: Vallourec Mannesmann Oil & Gas France, Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd
    Inventor: Gabriel Roussie
  • Publication number: 20100301603
    Abstract: A threaded tubular connection includes a female threaded portion at a first tubular component end and a male threaded portion at a second tubular component end, the female threaded portion including a female thread, at least one female sealing surface on its inner peripheral surface, and at least one female axial abutment surface, the male threaded portion including a male thread, at least one male sealing surface on its outer peripheral surface, at least one axial abutment surface, and a lip disposed between the sealing surface and an axial abutment surface located at a free end of the threaded portion distant from the thread, the male thread being made up into the female thread such that at least one male axial abutment surface is in contact with at least one female axial abutment surface, at least one male sealing surface being in interference contact with at least one corresponding female sealing surface, the portion of the lip between the sealing surface and the axial abutment surface being radially dist
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2008
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Applicants: Vallourec Mannesmann Oil & Gas France, Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Sylvain Beigneux, Daly Daly, Bertrand Maillon, Claire Patureau, Eric Verger, Michihiko Iwamoto, Keiichi Nakamura, Masaaki Sugino, Suguru Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20100283239
    Abstract: A sealed threaded tubular connection resistant to successive pressure loads includes a male element including a male threading and a female element including a female threading corresponding to the male threading. At least one of the elements includes a lip extending beyond the threading to the free end of the element and the other element includes a recess for the lip. The lip includes a first zone with a peripheral surface turned towards the other element on which a first sealing surface is disposed that can be radially interference fitted against a corresponding second sealing surface disposed on the peripheral surface of the recess of the other element. The lip includes a second axially located zone between the first zone and the free end of the element that includes a first radial bearing surface turned towards the other element in contact with a corresponding second radial bearing surface disposed on the peripheral surface of the recess of the other element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Publication date: November 11, 2010
    Applicants: Vallourec Mannesmann Oil & Gas France, Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Laurent Gillot
  • Patent number: 7823931
    Abstract: A tubular threaded joint which has excellent resistance to compression and which permits easy tightening operation in the field in a vertical state comprises a pin having a male threaded zone and a box having a female threaded zone. The pin or the box has an end shoulder surface on its end, and the other member has a shoulder surface which abuts against the end shoulder surface. The screw threads of the male threaded zone and the female threaded zone are trapezoidal threads having a crest, a load flank, and a stabbing flank. The lip length, which is the distance in the axial direction of a member having an end shoulder surface between the end shoulder surface and the closest engaged thread to that surface, is at least 140 times the stabbing flank clearance, which is the distance in the axial direction between the stabbing flanks of the male thread and the female thread when the load flanks of the male and female threads contact each other. The stabbing flank of the male thread is preferably chamfered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignees: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd., Vallourec Mannesmann Oil & Gas France
    Inventors: Takahiro Hamamoto, Katsutoshi Sumitani, Masaaki Sugino, Michihiko Iwamoto, Miyuki Yamamoto, Jean-Francois Charvet-Quemin, Benoit Le Chevalier, Eric Verger
  • Publication number: 20100201119
    Abstract: A tubular threaded element including a dry protective coating. The coating includes a solid matrix adhering to the substrate in which there are dispersed particles of at least one solid lubricant belonging to one and the same class. The solid matrix is lubricating and has a rheological behaviour of plastic or viscoplastic type. The coating protects the threadings of the threaded elements, used for example in hydrocarbon wells, from corrosion and galling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2007
    Publication date: August 12, 2010
    Applicants: VALLOUREC MANNESMANN OIL & GAS FRANCE, SUMITOMO METAL INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Laurent Bordet, Laurent Gillot, Eliette Pinel, Eric Gard
  • Patent number: 7770935
    Abstract: A threaded joint for steel pipes comprises a pin (1) and a box (2) each having a threaded portion (3a or 3b) and an unthreaded metal-to-metal contact portion (4a or 4b) as contact surfaces which contact each other when the joint is fastened. The contact surfaces (3a and 4a and/or 3b and 4b) of at least one of the pin (1) and the box (2) are coated with a lower layer of a solid lubricating coating containing a solid lubricating powder (e.g., molybdenum disulfide, tungsten disulfide, or graphite) and a binder (e.g., an epoxy or other organic resin) and an upper layer of a solid corrosion protective coating formed by an organic resin which does not contain solid particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignees: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd., Vallourec Mannesmann Oil & Gas France
    Inventors: Ryuichi Imai, Kunio Goto, Kaoru Takanashi, Yasuhiro Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20100171310
    Abstract: A tubular joint in which radial expansion caused by the passage of an expander, inclined shoulder fittings formed respectively on a peripheral surface of the female element facing radially inwards and on a peripheral surface of the male element facing radially outwards, are subjected to a relative axial displacement towards each other to be urged into sealed mutual contact with radial interference. The tubular joint is, for example, useful in hydrocarbon wells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2010
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Applicant: VALLOUREC MANNESMANN OIL & GAS FRANCE
    Inventors: Eric Verger, Albert Bruneau, Antoine Durand
  • Publication number: 20100171305
    Abstract: A threaded tubular connection is provided. The connection includes a male tubular element provided with a male threaded portion and a female tubular element provided with a female threaded portion. The male threaded portion and the female threaded portion each include self-locking threads having a crest, a load flank, a stabbing flank and a root, a load flank lead of the self-locking threads being larger than a stabbing flank lead of the self-locking threads such that in a tightened position of the threaded tubular connection, the load flanks and the stabbing flanks of the male self-locking threads are engaged in tight contact with the load flanks and the stabbing flanks of the female self-locking threads. A transfer zone is axially disposed between the threaded portions and a free end of at least one of the tubular elements, while being axially spaced from the threaded portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2009
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Applicant: VALLOUREC MANNESMANN OIL & GAS FRANCE
    Inventors: Gabriel Roussie, Jacky Massaglia, Scott Granger, Olivier Caron, Eric Verger, Francois Conrad
  • Publication number: 20100171306
    Abstract: A threaded element of a component includes at least first and second threading portions each including threads each including a stabbing flank and a loading flank. The stabbing flanks and loading flanks of the threads of the first threading portion and the threads of the second threading portion are inclined in an opposed manner with respect to the radial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2008
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Applicants: VALLOUREC MANNESMANN OIL & GAS FRANCE, SUMITOMO METAL INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Laurent Gillot, Eric Verger, Olivier Tartar