Underwater Christmas tree cap and lockdown apparatus

Patent · Tue Sep 20 04:00:00 EDT 1983

OSTI ID:5599802

Best, M J.A.

A cap is disclosed for an underwater Christmas tree having locking probes to lock down the operating rods of a connector connecting the Christmas tree to an underwater wellhead housing. The tops of the operating rods are housed within hollow canisters at the top of the Christmas tree. The cap includes a body having circumferentially disposed locking dogs housed therein for engagement with the top of the Christmas tree. The dogs are actuated by a cam ring which telescopically receive the body and has a tapered surface for sliding over a correlatively tapered surface on each of the dogs. The body includes a metal gasket seal for sealing engagement with the top of the Christmas tree, and seals are provided between the cam ring and body. The cap has downwardly extending locking probes which extend telescopically into the canisters above the operating rods. The locking probes each include a housing and a releasable tubular piston slidably disposed in the housing. The piston is biased in a downward direction, and is held in a cocked or loaded raised position prior to release by a trigger held in engagement with the piston and housing a pin on a running tool telescopically slidably disposed in the piston. The piston is released by removal of the pin, which cams the trigger out of engagement with the housing. Upon release the piston is biased into engagement with the rod. The piston is provided with locking dogs which engage the walls of the housing and prevent upward movement of the piston and rod after release of the piston.

• Assignee: Smith International, Inc. (United Kingdom)
• Patent Number(s): US 4405016
• OSTI ID: 5599802
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
03 NATURAL GAS
030300 -- Natural Gas-- Drilling
Production
& Processing
42 ENGINEERING
423000 -- Engineering-- Marine Engineering-- (1980-)
CONDUCTOR DEVICES
CONNECTORS
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
NATURAL GAS WELLS
OFFSHORE SITES
OIL WELLS
UNDERWATER OPERATIONS
WELL COMPLETION
WELLHEADS
WELLS