Abstract: A tubing pressure insensitive failsafe wireline retrievable safety valve including a tool housing, a flow tube disposed within the tool housing, an actuation piston disposed in the tool housing and operably connected to the flow tube, the actuation piston having an actuation pressure side and a relatively lower pressure chamber side, a fluid pathway between a potential leak site for the valve and the relatively lower pressure chamber side of the piston. A borehole system having a tubing pressure insensitive failsafe wireline retrievable safety valve. A tubing pressure insensitive failsafe wireline retrievable safety valve.

Abstract: A landing system for subsea equipment includes a heavy component having a latch affixed thereto and having a mechanism attached to enable lowering the heavy component from a platform above the bottom of a body of water. A landing system frame has a connection point matable with the latch. A linear motor is functionally coupled to the landing system frame and at least one of the subsea well structure and a movable frame on the landing system. The linear motor is operable to control a distance between the landing system frame and the subsea well structure or the movable frame.

Abstract: A stop collar for mounting to a downhole tubular includes: a cylindrical housing having a threaded inner surface and a tapered inner surface; a compressible slip ring having teeth formed in an inner surface thereof and a pair of tapered outer surfaces; a compressible cam ring having a tapered inner surface; and a cylindrical bolt having a threaded outer surface. A natural outer diameter of each ring is greater than a minor diameter of the threaded surfaces. Screwing the threaded surfaces of the housing and the bolt is operable to drive the tapered surfaces together, thereby compressing the slip ring such that the teeth engage a periphery of the tubular.

Abstract: A proppant container facilitates the transportation of wet sand for use in a hydraulic fracturing operation. The proppant container is provided with a system for dislodging the wet sand for subsequent use. This may be done by use of a vibrator or an umbrella valve. In another aspect, the proppant container may be used in combination with a rack having a wash system that slurries the proppant for delivery to a blender tub without necessarily resorting to use of a conveyor belt.

Abstract: A riser for a subsea well comprises a first riser section that may be similar to conventional risers in design and material specifications. A second riser section comprises a passive fracture section that is specifically designed to shear or fracture under design conditions, such as extreme events (e.g., extreme weather or waves, loss of control of a rig or vessel, a rig or vessel moving from a desired position). The passive fracture section is designed to fracture first to prevent or minimize damage to other well equipment, such as at the seabed.

Abstract: A downhole valve has a valve body having at least one port and slidably receiving in a longitudinal bore thereof at least a first sliding sleeve for opening and closing the at least one port. The first sliding sleeve has a circumferential actuation groove. An actuation assembly is extendable into the first sliding sleeve and has an actuation housing axially movably receiving thereon a compressible sealing element and a slip assembly. The slip assembly has one or more slips radially outwardly extendable under a hydraulic pressure for engaging the circumferential actuation groove of the first sliding sleeve for opening the at least one port, and the actuation assembly is longitudinally extendable to position a portion thereof on an inner side of the one or more slips for supporting the one or more slips at a radially outwardly extended configuration.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to top caps for gear rod rotators and polished clamps. Disclosed top caps include an elongated top cap body extending along a central vertical axis, the top cap body including a top face, a bottom face, and an exterior perimeter surface defining an outer perimeter of the top cap body, and a polished rod opening extending along the central vertical axis of the top cap body, the polished rod opening defining an interior circumferential surface of the top cap body and configured to receive a polished rod. Additionally, disclosed top caps include a nesting region along the top face, the nesting region configured to receive at least a portion of the polished rod clamp, and a mounting rim on the bottom face and extending outwardly from the bottom face along a longitudinal axis of the top cap body, the mounting rim including a mounting rim outer diameter, a mounting rim inner diameter, and a mounting rim bottom face.

Abstract: A tubular string for a subterranean well comprises a first string that is located in the well and that can access or traverse horizons of interest, such as during drilling, completion, or workover. A second tubular string is assembled above this first tubular string and is selected so that only this second tubular string normally traverses a blow out preventer during periods when there is an elevated risk that the blow out preventer will be actuated. The second tubular string is made of a more easily shearable material than the first tubular string, such as a titanium alloy, an aluminum alloy, or a composite material. A third or further tubular strings may be assembled above the second tubular string, such as in subsea applications.

Abstract: An injection fluid is pressurized for injection into a subsea installation or equipment by using a flow of hydrocarbon production fluid to draw the injection fluid from a source and using pressure of the production fluid to pressurize the drawn injection fluid to an elevated pressure. In response to an ejector that is powered by the flow of the production fluid, a pressure booster draws in the injection fluid for pressurization. A portion of the production fluid is diverted to the pressure booster to pressurize and expel the injection fluid and is then exhausted to the ejector as more injection fluid is drawn in.

Abstract: A rotating control device includes a bowl housing with an inner aperture to receive a seal and bearing assembly. A plurality of hydraulically-actuated fail-last-position latching assemblies are disposed about an outer surface of the bowl housing to controllably extend a plurality of piston-driven dogs radially into a groove of the seal and bearing assembly. The seal and bearing assembly includes a housing, a mandrel disposed within an inner aperture of the housing, a first interference-fit sealing element attached to a bottom distal end of the mandrel, a plurality of tapered-thrust bearings indirectly mounted to the housing, a preload spacer disposed between top and bottom tapered-thrust bearings, a plurality of jam nuts to adjust a preload of the tapered-thrust bearings, and a lower seal carrier attached to the seal and bearing housing comprising a plurality of dynamic sealing elements that contact the mandrel.

Abstract: A protective cap assembly uses a heavy corrosion inhibitor fluid in the primary chamber (the central bore of the mandrel or hub) and a lightweight corrosion inhibitor fluid in the zones outside of the mandrel or hub. The protective cap assembly uses a two port hot stab receptacle and connects the first port to the primary chamber and the second port to the secondary inlet port with a secondary inlet check valve. The primary chamber is vented directly to the subsea environment. With the secondary inlet check valve added to the secondary inlet port, the second port of the protective cap assembly is connected directly to the secondary inlet check valve.

Abstract: A subsea installation. The subsea installation comprises a tank containing an insulation fluid or other fluid, a heat generating electric apparatus positioned at least partly within the tanks, and a pressure compensator being in fluid communication with the tank and being configured to compensate volume variations of the insulation fluid or the other fluid by performing an expansive and a contracting movement. The subsea installation comprises further means for heating the insulation fluid or the other fluid, said means for heating being configured to provide heating to the insulation fluid or the other fluid with the heat generating electric apparatus is in a non-operating state in order to reduce the volume variations of the insulation fluid or the other fluid.

Abstract: This disclosure provides a multi-ball valve assembly that lessens the pressure applied from either uphole or downhole directions by directing a portion of the pressure into a sealed fluid chamber area between two balls that are operatively coupled together by one or more control arms. The multi-ball valve assembly may be a floating design where the balls move axially with respect to each other or fixed designs that use either pressure relief valves or biased travel piston valves to divert a portion of the pressure into the fluid chamber area, thereby lessening the distortion of the face of the ball valve against which fluid pressure is being applied.

Abstract: A method of deploying a jointed tubular string into a subsea wellbore includes lowering the tubular string into the subsea wellbore from an offshore drilling unit. The tubular string has a slip joint. The method further includes, after lowering, anchoring a lower portion of the tubular string below the slip joint to a non-heaving structure. The method further includes, while the lower portion is anchored: supporting an upper portion of the tubular string above the slip joint from a rig floor of the offshore drilling unit; after supporting, adding one or more joints to the tubular string, thereby extending the tubular string; and releasing the upper portion of the extended tubular string from the rig floor. The method further includes: releasing the lower portion of the extended tubular string from the non-heaving structure; and lowering the extended tubular string into the subsea wellbore.

Abstract: A coupling system includes a lower marine riser package having a connector at a bottom end and a blowout preventer having a connector at an upper end. Explosively frangible fasteners with explosively frangible nuts sealed off from the external environment are used to couple the connector on the lower marine riser package to the connector on the blowout preventer. A method for separating a lower marine riser package from a blowout preventer includes electronically triggering the detonation of a plurality of explosively frangible fasteners coupling the blowout preventer to the lower marine riser package.

Abstract: A method is for constructing a subsea well and an associated unit. The method may include: providing a unit having at least one component of a flow control assembly, the flow control assembly to be operable for controlling a flow of injection or production fluid during operation of the well after the well has been constructed; lowering the unit through sea toward a seabed; receiving part of the unit in a subsurface of the seabed to anchor the unit in place, part of the unit projecting above the seabed, whereby the component of the flow control assembly is positioned in the projecting part; and performing at least one well construction operation through a bore in the unit.

Abstract: A tubing hanger assembly includes a body, a lockdown feature which is located on the body, a load nut which is threadedly connected to the body and which includes a downward facing load shoulder, and a torsion spring member which includes a first end that is connected to the tubing hanger and a second end that is connected to the load nut. In operation, the torsion spring member rotates the load nut to thereby move the load nut axially relative to the body. In this manner, the axial distance between the load shoulder and the lockdown feature is adjustable.

Abstract: The fluid containment system attaches to the wellhead below the rotating control device to catch fluids. The fluid containment system provides a pan below the outlet of the body in which the rotating head assembly is secured. A curtain attaches to the fluid containment system to at least partially enclose the wellhead. The curtain directs the escaped fluids to the pan. An opening in the curtain provides an outlet for the body allowing fluids within the pipe to flow from the body. Conduits attach to outlets of the pan to transfer the fluids from the pan to a tank.

Abstract: A method of treating each of multiple formation zones in a subterranean well can include isolating two of the zones from each other in the wellbore with a plug assembly positioned in the wellbore; treating one of the zones by flowing a treatment fluid through openings that provide fluid communication between the wellbore and one of the zones; then blocking flow through the openings; increasing pressure in the wellbore in response to the blocking; and opening the plug assembly in response to the pressure increasing. A well treatment system for treating each of multiple zones intersected by a wellbore can include multiple plug assemblies in the wellbore, each of the plug assemblies isolating a respective adjacent pair of the zones from each other in the wellbore. Each of the plug assemblies opens in response to a respective predetermined pressure differential applied across the plug assembly.

Abstract: A downhole valve has a valve body having at least one port and slidably receiving in a longitudinal bore thereof at least a first sliding sleeve for opening and closing the at least one port. The first sliding sleeve has a circumferential actuation groove. An actuation assembly is extendable into the first sliding sleeve and has an actuation housing axially movably receiving thereon a compressible sealing element and a slip assembly. The slip assembly has one or more slips radially outwardly extendable under a hydraulic pressure for engaging the circumferential actuation groove of the first sliding sleeve for opening the at least one port, and the actuation assembly is longitudinally extendable to position a portion thereof on an inner side of the one or more slips for supporting the one or more slips at a radially outwardly extended configuration.