Patents Examined by Aaron Lembo
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Patent number: 9353579Abstract: A buoyancy compensating element for connection to a flexible pipe and method of producing a buoyancy compensating element are disclosed. The buoyancy compensating element includes a first body portion and a further body portion, wherein the first and further body portion are configured to be connectable to each other and in use to encompass a portion of flexible pipe.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2012Date of Patent: May 31, 2016Assignee: GE Oil & Gas UK LimitedInventors: Zhimin Tan, Yucheng Hou, Christopher Bush, John Rosche, Tricia Hill
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Patent number: 9353889Abstract: A modular subsea equipment assembly including a modular base frame and a plurality of modular superstructure devices for selective attachment to the modular base frame for supporting various components and for attachment to underwater cables. The modular base frame includes a frame member forming an outer periphery of the base frame, and a plurality of cross bars extending between opposite portions of the frame member in one or more directions, the frame member and cross bars having at least upper surfaces each having a plurality of connection points for attaching selected modular devices of the assembly to the base frame in a plurality of different possible configurations.Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2014Date of Patent: May 31, 2016Assignee: Teledyne Instruments, Inc.Inventors: John Bradley Hunter, James Widar, Alan David McCleary
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Patent number: 9353602Abstract: A riser weak link in a riser connects a floating installation or vessel to a hydrocarbon well on the seabed. The weak link includes a first riser part in the form of an upper housing for connecting to a riser upper section; a second riser part in the form of a lower housing for connecting to a riser lower section, wherein one riser part is arranged to extend into the other riser part; and connection devices for releasably connecting the upper and lower housings. The weak link includes a first connection device arranged to fail if a tensile force on the first and second riser parts exceeds a first threshold force, and that the weak link includes a second connection device arranged to fail if a compressive force on the first and second riser parts exceeds a second threshold force.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2011Date of Patent: May 31, 2016Assignee: STATOIL PETROLEUM ASInventor: Christian Andreas Kongshem
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Patent number: 9347304Abstract: There is provided a device and method for high speed hydraulic actuation. The method includes adjusting a position of an actuator using a hydraulic pressure regulator. Adjusting the position of the actuator includes increasing pressure on the hydraulic pressure regulator to open the actuator using a first solenoid, or decreasing pressure on the hydraulic pressure regulator to close the actuator using a second solenoid.Type: GrantFiled: July 5, 2012Date of Patent: May 24, 2016Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Mario R. Lugo, Ryan D. Fontenot, Syed M. Rashid Ali
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Patent number: 9347292Abstract: A subsea wireline system for soft landing equipment during installation. The subsea soft landing wireline system includes coarse alignment members that can be part of a tree and interact with a funnel located on the equipment to be installed by the soft landing system. Smaller alignment members can provide fine alignment and also interact with a funnel located on the equipment to be installed. The funnels are used to trap sea water that provides a cushion for the equipment being installed. Once in alignment, trapped water can be released from the funnel via a restricted orifice or a control valve located on an ROV. The system achieves soft landing without the use of a running tool, thus reducing expense.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 2015Date of Patent: May 24, 2016Assignee: Vetco Gray Inc.Inventors: Ronald Baker, Pradeep Dhuper
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Patent number: 9341033Abstract: A riser tensioner system for offsetting heave and yaw between the riser and the rig on offshore drilling and production platforms during drilling and production operations. A plurality of hydraulic cylinders are connected by a spider. The spider allows individual cylinders to be disconnected from the riser, suspended in place with equipment integral to the riser system, without cranes, and can be repaired without loosening bolts or screws and without wrenches or torque wrenches. Maintenance can take place on one cylinder without disturbing other cylinders supporting the riser. The cylinders can be oriented in a vertical arranged or slanted in an upper end in an inverted cone or “A” frame orientation.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2014Date of Patent: May 17, 2016Inventor: Phyllis Jennings
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Patent number: 9334726Abstract: A plug assembly and method for pressure testing a shaft having a generally cylindrical member with a deformable outer surface comprised of alternating soft and rigid ribs and a central void for reception of a sealing component having a sealable central bore, a tubular adapter capable of releasable attachment to a drill pipe and releasably engaged to the cylindrical member, a plurality of ports about the circumference of the member for upward flow of fluid through the member and a receptacle in the member for placement of the sealing component for fixed attachment inside the member for creating a seal for testing pressure. The sealing component may use a ball valve to regulate flow and the cylindrical member may have rigid sections implanted between soft sections during manufacture to facilitate sealing upon pressurization.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2012Date of Patent: May 10, 2016Assignee: The Subsea CompanyInventor: Barry J. McMiles
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Patent number: 9328856Abstract: A system and method for improving oil-and-water separation in a blended fluid stream are presented. The system includes a pressure reduction device that causes cyclonic flow in the stream. The pressure reduction device may be a wafer-based hydrocyclone or a modified hydrocyclone having an underflow outlet but no overflow outlet. The system may also include a valve that is located upstream or downstream of the pressure reduction device. Both the valve and the pressure reduction device reduce the pressure of the fluid stream while reducing the shearing of oil and water droplets within the stream. As a result, the droplets are more likely to coalesce and less likely to form emulsions, thus improving oil-and-water separation in downstream treatment processes.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2014Date of Patent: May 3, 2016Assignee: Cameron International CorporationInventors: Joseph Min-Hsiun Lee, Gary W. Sams
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Patent number: 9328589Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the injection pressure of an aqueous polymer solution in a subsea oil wellhead, includes a linear pressure reducer in the form of a tube connected in series to the main injection line that is capable of absorbing the majority of the pressure drop and a choke that is capable of being regulated in order to enable a pressure control between 0 and 10 bar. Also, a process of offshore enhanced oil recovery by injection of an aqueous polymer solution uses the apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2014Date of Patent: May 3, 2016Assignee: S.P.C.M. SAInventors: Pascal Remy, Emmanuel Pich
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Patent number: 9322221Abstract: A substantially cylindrical buoyancy module for a marine riser includes a plurality of buoyancy elements separated along at least one helical separation plane.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2012Date of Patent: April 26, 2016Assignee: Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc.Inventors: Donald Paul Howard, Alan Hugh Summers, Harris A. Reynolds, Jr., Kati Rachelle Andrus
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Patent number: 9322220Abstract: A drilling system including a drill head. The drill head defines a drill head bore and includes a drill head bore closure device. An inner core barrel and an inner core barrel retrieval device may be passed through the interior of the drill string and the drill head bore when the drill head is connected with the drill string and the drill head bore closure device is actuated to an open position. A method of wireline core drilling which includes passing an inner core barrel retrieval device through the drill head bore and into the interior of the drill string when the drill head is connected with the drill string, and removing an inner core barrel and the inner core barrel retrieval device from the interior of the drill string through the drill head bore when the drill head is connected with the drill string.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2010Date of Patent: April 26, 2016Assignee: Marl TechnologiesInventors: Ronald W. Innes, Daniel P. Teeuwsen, Dustyn J. L. Elford, John T. Hackett, Mark Gurnett, Tan N. Nguyen, Donald B. Grass
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Patent number: 9322264Abstract: A subsea processor may be located near the seabed of a drilling site and used to coordinate operations of underwater drilling components. The subsea processor may be enclosed in a single interchangeable unit that fits a receptor on an underwater drilling component, such as a blow-out preventer (BOP). The subsea processor may issue commands to control the BOP and receive measurements from sensors located throughout the BOP. A shared communications bus may interconnect the subsea processor and underwater components and the subsea processor and a surface or onshore network. The shared communications bus may be operated according to a time division multiple access (TDMA) scheme.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2013Date of Patent: April 26, 2016Assignee: TRANSOCEAN INNOVATION LABS LTDInventors: Jose Gutierrez, Luis Pereira
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Patent number: 9316064Abstract: A riser system for transporting slurry from the seabed to the sea surface. The riser system comprises a first and second riser, a slurry pump system (17) to transport slurry up one of the risers, and a waste water pump system (107) to return waste water down one of the risers. The slurry pump system and the waste water pump system are selectively connectable to each of the risers to allow each riser to be either a slurry riser (1) or a waste water riser (2). With this arrangement, if a slurry riser develops a leak partway along its length the waste water riser can be converted into a slurry riser such that operation can continue.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 2012Date of Patent: April 19, 2016Assignee: Marine Resources Exploration International BVInventor: Dan Costache Patriciu
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Patent number: 9314715Abstract: The current disclosure relates to multiphase fluid separation via a multiphase separation system. The multiphase separation system is configured to feed a multiphase fluid into feed lines within the multiphase separation system, wherein the feed lines consist of an upper line, a middle line, and a lower line. The upper line is configured to flow a first stream substantially including oil into an oil section of a control volume. The middle line is configured to flow a second stream substantially including an oil/water emulsion into an oil/water emulsion section of the control volume. The lower line is configured to flow a third stream substantially including water into a water section of the control volume. The control volume is configured to adjust fluid flow rate at an outlet, wherein the oil section, the water section, and the oil/water emulsion section each commingle at different heights of the control volume.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2015Date of Patent: April 19, 2016Assignee: ExxonMobil Upstream Research CompanyInventors: Edward J. Grave, Adam S. Bymaster, Michael D. Olson, Per-Reidar Larnholm, Scott M. Whitney
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Patent number: 9303479Abstract: An accumulator for hydraulically actuating subsea equipment includes a hydraulic fluid chamber and a gas chamber. The hydraulic fluid chamber is in fluid communication with the subsea equipment and comprises a hydraulic piston slidably received, at least partially, within the hydraulic chamber. The gas chamber comprises a charge piston slidably received within the gas chamber, the charge piston dividing the gas chamber into a first portion and a second portion. The first portion of the gas chamber is configured to receive ambient hydrostatic pressure therein, and the second portion of the gas chamber is configured to receive precharge gas therein.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2014Date of Patent: April 5, 2016Assignee: Cameron International CorporationInventors: Johnnie E. Kotrla, Mac Kennedy, Nathan Cooper
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Patent number: 9303498Abstract: Subsea apparatus (10) for processing a well stream (2) and a method of processing a well stream subsea is described. In an embodiment, liquid (5) and gas (3) contained in the well stream (2) is separated. The separated gas (3) is cooled and the cooled gas (32) is combined with the separated liquid (5) to form a wet gas (52) for a compressor (90). An active cooling arrangement (30) may be used in one example to enhance the cooling effect provided by the cooler (30). Advantageously, the apparatus (10) can be arranged compactly, and may be provided on a subsea retrievable module.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2012Date of Patent: April 5, 2016Assignee: STATOIL PETROLEUM ASInventors: Tom Grimseth, William Bakke, Tor Bjørge, Håvard Torpe, Håvard Eidsmoen, Birgitte Nordheim Tveter, Harald Underbakke, Lars Brenne
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Patent number: 9297206Abstract: A method for drilling with a buoyant structure having a hull, a planar keel defining a lower hull diameter, a lower cylindrical portion connected to the planar keel, a lower frustoconical portion disposed above the lower cylindrical portion with inwardly-sloping wall at a first angle, an upper frustoconical portion directly connected to the lower frustoconical portion. The method uses a ballasted chambered buoyant storage ring which is either dockside and connected to the buoyant structure for drilling at a subsea location, or the ballasted chambered buoyant storage ring is preinstalled at a subsea location and then the buoyant structure is mounted to the ballasted chambered buoyant storage ring at sea.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2014Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: JURONG SHIPYARD PTE LTD.Inventor: Nicolaas J. Vandenworm
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Patent number: 9297220Abstract: A coiled tubing lifting frame (10) for deploying coiled tubing in a riser (32). The coiled tubing lifting frame (10) comprises a coiled tubing injector (12) and the frame (10) is configured to position the coiled tubing injector (12) relative to a support (44). The coiled tubing lifting frame (10) is configured to support the riser (32). Methods of deploying a riser (32) and coiled tubing in a riser (32), including supporting the riser (32) with a coiled tubing lifting frame (10).Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2011Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: Helix Energy Solutions (U.K.) LimitedInventors: Leigh Beck, Colin Nicol
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Patent number: 9297235Abstract: A production control system for an underwater well, comprises: first electrically operated means for supplying first hydraulic fluid, for opening a first control valve of the well; second electrically operated means, for supplying second hydraulic fluid at a higher pressure than said first fluid, for opening a further control valve of the well; electronic circuitry (SEM1) for providing electrical power for operating said first and second means; and means for controlling the sequence of closing said control valves as a result of a loss of electrical power from said electronic circuitry. The controlling means comprises: electrical power storage means; detection means responsive to said loss of power from said electronic circuitry; and means coupled with said detection means for using electrical power from said storage means to keep said further control valve open for a period after closure of said first control valve and close it after said period.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2013Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: GE Oil & Gas Uk LimitedInventors: Ian John Kent, Peter John Davey
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Patent number: 9297219Abstract: Apparatus and methods related to umbilical buckling testing are described. For example, some embodiments may contain two damps, a plurality of test fittings, one or more pressure gages, a hydraulic cylinder, and a testing platform, and may be used for testing the umbilical buckling behavior and capacity of an umbilical testing sample.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2014Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: DMAR Engineering, Inc.Inventors: Zhiming Huang, Dagang Zhang