Abstract: In a subsea blowout preventer stack system having a structural system and one or more accumulators providing a pressurized hydraulic supply wherein the accumulators comprise a compressed gas supply and a hydraulic fluid chamber in one or more vertical bottles, a method of using the one or more vertical bottles of the accumulators as structural members of the structural system.

Abstract: The method of preventing pressures higher than a predetermined pressure in the front ram seals of blowout preventer rams comprising providing blowout preventer rams suitable for sealing across the bore of a blowout preventer stack, providing seals on the blowout preventer rams which sealingly isolate the bore area below or upstream of the blowout preventer rams from the area above or downstream of the blowout preventer rams, providing a passageway from the front to the rear of the blowout preventer rams to vent the upstream or higher pressures to the rear of the blowout preventer rams, and communicating the resilient seal material in the front ram seals with a pressure release piston which will relieve the pressure at the predetermined pressure.

Abstract: The method of providing a clamping connection comprising providing one or more clamping hubs, providing two or more clamping segments to engage the clamping hubs, constraining the clamping segments to move approximately radially with respect to the clamp hubs, providing a tension band around the clamping segments which slides circumferentially relative to the clamping segments, and adjusting the ratio of the contact area of the tension band to the clamping hubs and the area of the clamping hubs to compensate for the difference in loading on the clamping hub due to sliding friction between the tension band and the clamping hubs.

Abstract: In a blowout preventer central bore and a central bore axis with an oval ram cavity having a ram cavity axis having one or more horizontal interface portions between the ram cavity and an actuator body, a method of connecting the actuator body to the ram cavity comprising providing one or more locking bar receptacles passing through one or more of the planes of the one or more horizontal interface portions of the ram cavity, providing one or more locking bar receptacles passing through one or more of the planes of the one or more horizontal interface portions of the actuator body, and providing one or more locking bars in one or more of the one or more locking bar receptacles in both the ram cavity and the actuator body.

Abstract: A remotely activated connecting device for connecting a wellhead and or Christmas tree positioned on a wellhead to a fracing tree that may comprise a collet system for selectively engaging and disengaging from a threaded, spiral, and or flange shoulder that may utilize hydraulics for same.

Abstract: The invention provides a remotely activated connecting device for connecting a wellhead and or Christmas tree positioned on a wellhead to a fracing tree that may comprise a collet system for selectively engaging and disengaging from a threaded, spiral, and or flange shoulder that may utilize hydraulics for same.

Abstract: The method of providing a clamping connection comprising providing one or more clamping hubs, providing two or more clamping segments to engage the clamping hubs, constraining the clamping segments to move approximately radially with respect to the clamp hubs, providing a tension band around the clamping segments which slides circumferentially relative to the clamping segments, and adjusting the ratio of the contact area of the tension band to the clamping hubs and the area of the clamping hubs to compensate for the difference in loading on the clamping hub due to sliding friction between the tension band and the clamping hubs.

Abstract: In a blowout preventer central bore and a central bore axis with an oval ram cavity having a ram cavity axis having one or more horizontal interface portions between the ram cavity and an actuator body, a method of connecting the actuator body to the ram cavity comprising providing one or more locking bar receptacles passing through one or more of the planes of the one or more horizontal interface portions of the ram cavity, providing one or more locking bar receptacles passing through one or more of the planes of the one or more horizontal interface portions of the actuator body, and providing one or more locking bars in one or more of the one or more locking bar receptacles in both the ram cavity and the actuator body.

Abstract: In a blowout preventer stack with two sealing elements which will not individually withstand the desired pressure differential the method of withstanding the desired pressure differential comprising providing a lower sealing element and an upper sealing element, providing a vent port in the bore below the lower sealing element to a relief valve, venting the outlet of the relief valve to the bore between the lower sealing element and the upper sealing element, adjusting the relief valve to limit the pressure allowed below the lower sealing element to a predetermined amount equal to or less than the working pressure of the lower sealing element.

Abstract: The method of providing blowout preventer ram actuator which will move a blowout preventer shear ram into the bore of the blowout preventer and retract the blowout preventer shear ram from the bore of the blowout preventer, comprising providing a first and second piston, pressuring the second cylinder extension area to move the blowout preventer shear ram into contact with the pipe to be sheared while venting the second cylinder, sensing that the blowout preventer shear ram has contacted the pipe to be sheared, pressuring the first and the second cylinder to shear the pipe and pressuring the first cylinder to retract the shear ram.

Abstract: In a subsea blowout preventer stack system with valves in the choke and kill lines with the need for failsafe operation or automatic movement of a safe position when the operating control signal is lost, a method of providing failsafe operation to the safe position comprising providing a hydraulic cylinder having a piston with a piston rod connected to the valve closure member, providing a first hydraulic supply at a first pressure to a first side of the piston to move the valve closure member to an actuated position, providing a second hydraulic supply at a second pressure lower than the first pressure to a second side of the piston to move the valve closure member to the safe position when the first hydraulic supply is removed.

Abstract: The method of preventing pressures higher than a predetermined pressure in the front ram seals of blowout preventer rams comprising providing blowout preventer rams suitable for sealing across the bore of a blowout preventer stack, providing seals on the blowout preventer rams which sealingly isolate the bore area below or upstream of the blowout preventer rams from the area above or downstream of the blowout preventer rams, providing a passageway from the front to the rear of the blowout preventer rams to vent the upstream or higher pressures to the rear of the blowout preventer rams, and communicating the resilient seal material in the front ram seals with a pressure release piston which will relieve the pressure at the predetermined pressure.

Abstract: In a blowout preventer body having a central bore a method of reducing the size and weight of the blowout preventer body while maintaining an acceptable stress level at working pressure comprising machining a portion of the blowout preventer body to proximate the final dimensions, pressuring the blowout preventer body to a higher pressure than the working pressure of the blowout preventer body to yield high stress areas of the blowout preventer body, and relieving the higher pressure from the blowout preventer body such that when the blowout preventer body returns to the non-pressured state the high stress areas will retain compressive stresses and when the blowout preventer body is then pressurized to the working pressure of the blowout preventer body the stresses will be at an acceptable stress level.

Abstract: The method of providing blowout preventer shear rams which will shear pipe then provide a face-to-face compression seal comprising providing an upper shear ram having an upper shear ram blade and a pipe lifter, providing a lower shear ram having a lower shear ram blade, and a pipe lifter, providing a face-to-face seal, moving the upper and lower shear rams into the bore towards one another, shearing the pipe in the bore of the blowout preventer, engaging the upper sheared portion of the pipe with the pipe lifters, lifting the upper sheared portion of the pipe with the pipe lifters to a position above the face-to-face seal, engaging the face-to-face compression seal to effect a seal across the bore.

Abstract: In a subsea blowout preventer stack system having a structural system and one or more accumulators providing a pressurized hydraulic supply wherein the accumulators comprise a compressed gas supply and a hydraulic fluid chamber in one or more vertical bottles, a method of using the one or more vertical bottles of the accumulators as structural members of the structural system.

Abstract: In a hydraulic connector for connecting a portion of the hydraulic connector to a mandrel and having a seal ring with an external groove to seal between the hydraulic connector and the mandrel the method of providing a locking segments having an inner position and a radially outward second position, providing when the latches are in a first latch position a portion is engaged with the locking segments in the radially inward position and a second latch portion is disengaged from the external groove of the seal ring to release the seal ring, and providing when the one or more latches are in a second latch position the first latch portion is engaged with one or more of the locking segments in the radially outward position the second latch portion is engaged with the external groove of the seal ring to retain the seal ring.

Abstract: The method of using the flow within a pipeline to clean the inner wall of the pipeline including placing the cleaning pig into the pipeline to be cleaned at a first location, using a restraining rope or cable to cause the cleaning pig to move along the pipeline at a speed slower than the speed of the flow within the pipeline and thereby causing a pressure differential between the upstream side and the downstream side of the cleaning pig, providing one or more jetting nozzles and using the pressure differential to jet a portion of the flow within the pipeline through the one or more jetting nozzles onto the inner wall of the pipeline while providing a flow area through the cleaning pig to bypass the portion of the flow which does not pass through the one or more jetting nozzles.

Abstract: In a subsea blowout preventer stack system with a lower marine riser package with a lower marine riser connector and choke and/or kill lines, and a lower blowout preventer stack with a mandrel on the upper end and choke and/or kill lines connection to choke and kill valves, a method of porting the choke, kill lines, hydraulic lines and electrical lines vertically through the wall of the lower blowout preventer stack mandrel.

Abstract: In a subsea blowout preventer stack system connected to the surface with a drilling riser and with one or more control pods for control of the subsea blowout preventer stack, a method of providing a control umbilical of near neutral weight in the ocean water to provide control signals to the one or more control pods comprising providing a core of conductors such as wires and optical fibers, providing a flexible outer core comprising a mixture of resilient material and buoyant materials, providing a connector on the lower end of the umbilical.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved hydraulically activated clamping device for connecting a wellhead and or Christmas tree positioned on a wellhead to a fracing tree that may comprise a connector body; a mandrel body; two or more clamp segments; two or more actuating bolts; a seal ring to provide sealing engagement between said connector body and said mandrel body; one or more motors driving each of said two or more actuating bolts; and control means to reduce or retard the power to the first of said two or more actuating bolts to release and prevent its further movement until the other of said actuating bolts release also.