Abstract: A drilling head used to seal around a drill pipe while drilling is employed in a subsea location. The drilling head has an inner body located within an outer body. At least one bearing is located between the outer body and the inner body for facilitating the rotation of the inner body relative to the outer body. A seal mounted to a lower portion of the inner body seals around the outer surface of the drill pipe. While lowering the drilling head to the wellhead, a support attached to the drill pipe is inserted into a skirt which surrounds a portion of the seal. The skirt and support are releasably connected using a J-slot mechanism. An inner annulus and an outer annulus are located between the inner and outer bodies, the annuluses containing a lubricating fluid. Helical vanes are located within the inner annulus and affixed to the inner body. The vanes rotate with the inner body for circulating the fluid through the inner and outer annuluses.

Abstract: A tubular connection comprising a pin end and a box end of adjacent joints having a conical metal-to-metal seal located with respect to the pin end forward thread set and its nose, the improvement of a circumferential groove in the pin end forward of the metal-to-metal seal which carries an elastomeric sealing ring radially extending beyond the limits of the groove. The metal-to-metal makeup of the connection causes by conical deformation a slight wedge shape opening to form forward of the metal-to-metal seal. The elastomeric material extrudes to fill this wedge shape opening to thereby form a compound seal forward of the metal-to-metal seal.

Abstract: A connection assembly secured a running tool into a tubular casing hanger. The connection assembly includes a frusto-conical threaded section on a running tool and a nose section of cylindrical shape located below the threaded section. The casing hanger has a bore with at least one circumferential recess. A collet ring having internal threads is initially carried on the nose section. The collet ring lands in the recess when the running tool is moved into the casing hanger. Continued movement causes the collet ring to deflect outward. The collet ring has threads on its inner diameter that slide on the threads of the running tool to latch the members together. Slots in the collet ring enable the outward deflection to occur. A pin engages the collet ring to enable rotation of the running tool relative to the collet ring to unscrew the members from each other.

Abstract: A pipe joint for use with oil country tubular goods, such as tubing, casing, and drill pipe, a threaded member adapted to be connected to another threaded member to form such a pipe joint, and a method of making the threaded member are disclosed wherein selected mating threads of the joint and selected threads on the member that are adapted to mate with the threads of another threaded member have less clearance between the load flanks of the selected threads and the mating threads than do the other mating threads of the joint and the other threads of the member, when connected to another threaded member, to cause the selected threads to be stressed initially and to more uniformly stress all of the threads of the joint, when the joint is made-up and when additional external loads are applied.

Abstract: A tubular joint or connector of box and pin members is disclosed having two-step tapered threads. Two metal-to-metal seals of complementary engaging sealing surfaces are provided, one adjacent the end of the pin member, the other axially disposed between the two steps. Reverse angle torque shoulders at the end of the pin member and the interior termination of the box member and hooked threads further characterize the joint and box and pin members.

Abstract: Joint and joint components designed to withstand axial compressive loads join a pair of pipe sections end-to-end, the adjacent ends of the sections being threaded. A coupling member for connecting the threaded adjacent ends of the pipe sections includes threads interengaged with the threads on the adjacent ends of the pipe sections. An abutment member located between the outer ends of the pipe sections is shaped so that the ends of the pipe sections abut against opposite sides of the abutment member. Each pipe section includes a shoulder which is formed integral with and extends circumferentially around the section, the shoulder including an angled surface which faces the angled surface on the other pipe section and is oriented at an angle substantially the same as the surfce on the other pipe section, each surface terminating at a circumferential edge which is closer to the edge on the other pipe section than is any other portion of its respective surface.

Abstract: A tubular joint or connector of box and pin members is disclosed having first threads provided on a taper with respect to the axis of the joint and second threads which are cylindrical and axially separated from the first threads. The first and second threads are radially separated by a step region. Two metal-to-metal seals of complementary engaging sealing surfaces are provided, one adjacent the end of the pin member, the other axially disposed between the two threads. Reverse angle torque shoulders at the end of the pin member and the interior termination of the box member and hooked threads further characterize the joint and box and pin members.