Claims
- 1. A well production assembly comprising in combination:
- a wellbore extending from the earth's surface downward to a fluid bearing formation located below the earth's surface;
- a tubular wellhead housing located at an upper end of a string of casing which extends into the wellbore;
- a production tree mounted to an upper end of the wellhead housing, having a bore and a production fluid outlet for delivering production fluids from the formation to the exterior of the tree, the tree having an inner mating surface and a fluid passage having a lateral portion extending through the tree with an inboard port at the inner mating surface;
- an insert member landed concentrically within the bore of the tree, the insert member having an outer mating surface which mates with the inner mating surface of the tree;
- a fluid passage extending through the insert member and having an outboard seal recess located on the outer mating surface of the insert member, registering with the inboard port of the fluid passage of the tree; and
- a seal carried within the seal recess, having a face on an outer end which seals against the inner mating surface of the tree and surrounds the inboard port.
- 2. The well production assembly according to claim 1 wherein the outer mating surface of the insert member comprises a convex, frusto-spherical surface, and the inner mating surface of the tree comprises a concave, frusto-spherical surface.
- 3. The well production assembly according to claim 1 wherein the outer mating surface of the insert member comprises a convex, frusto-conical surface, and the inner mating surface of the tree comprises a concave, frusto-conical surface.
- 4. The well production assembly according to claim 1 wherein the outer mating surface of the insert member comprises a cylindrical surface, and the inner mating surface of the tree comprises a cylindrical surface.
- 5. The well production assembly according to claim 1 wherein the insert member is a tubing hanger located at an upper end of a string of production tubing which extends into the casing for conveying production fluids from the formation to the outlet of the tree.
- 6. The well production assembly according to claim 1 wherein:
- the fluid outlet of the tree extends laterally from the bore of the tree; and
- the insert member is a tubing hanger located at an upper end of a string of production tubing which extends into the casing, the tubing hanger having a laterally extending production fluid passage for conveying production fluids from the formation to the fluid outlet of the tree.
- 7. The well production assembly according to claim 1 wherein the seal recess of the insert member comprises an inner tapered seal surface joining an outer counterbore section, and wherein the seal comprises:
- a metal tubular member having the face on an outer end, a tapered seal section on an inner end, and a sidewall;
- a retainer secured to the counterbore, encircling and engaging a portion of the tubular member and forcing the tapered seal section into sealing engagement with the tapered seal surface; and wherein
- the sidewall is axially deflectable along the seal axis and dimensioned so that the face initially protrudes a selected distance past the outer mating surface of the insert member prior to installing the insert member within the tree, and once in engagement with the inner mating surface of the tree, the face moves axially inward relative to the retainer and the tapered seal section.
- 8. A well production assembly comprising in combination:
- a wellbore extending from the earth's surface downward to a fluid bearing formation located below the earth's surface;
- at least one casing string suspended within the wellbore;
- a production tubing string extending within the casing string, the production tubing string conveying production fluids from the fluid bearing formation to the earth's surface;
- an annular wellhead member located at an upper end of the wellbore, having an inner mating surface and an auxiliary fluid passage which has a portion extending laterally through the wellhead member, terminating at an inboard port at the inner mating surface;
- a tubing hanger connected to the upper extremity of the production tubing string and landed concentrically within the wellhead member for suspending the production tubing string within the wellbore, the tubing hanger having an outer mating surface which mates with the inner mating surface of the wellhead member;
- a production fluid passage extending through the tubing hanger for placing the production tubing string in communication with a production line;
- a tubing hanger auxiliary fluid passage extending through the tubing hanger and having an outboard seal recess, the outboard seal recess being located on the outer mating surface of the tubing hanger and registering with the inboard port of the wellhead member auxiliary fluid passage, wherein auxiliary fluid is transmitted between the exterior of the wellhead member and the tubing hanger auxiliary fluid passage;
- rotational alignment means for aligning the seal recess of the tubing hanger auxiliary fluid passage and the inboard port of the wellhead member auxiliary fluid passage; and
- an annular seal carried within the seal recess and having a seal axis concentric with an axis of the seal recess, the seal having a face sealing against the inner mating surface of wellhead member around the inboard port, providing a sealing connection between the tubing hanger auxiliary fluid passage and the wellhead member auxiliary fluid passage.
- 9. The well production assembly according to claim 8 wherein the outer mating surface of the tubing hanger comprises a convex, frusto-spherical surface, and the inner mating surface of the wellhead member comprises a concave, frusto-spherical surface.
- 10. The well production assembly according to claim 8 wherein the outer mating surface of the tubing hanger comprises a convex, frusto-conical surface, and the inner mating surface of the wellhead member comprises a concave, frusto-conical surface.
- 11. The well production assembly according to claim 8 wherein the outer mating surface of the tubing hanger comprises a cylindrical surface, and the inner mating surface of the wellhead member comprises a cylindrical surface.
- 12. The well production assembly according to claim 8 wherein the rotational alignment means comprises a key fixedly connected to the tubing hanger and an orientation keyway in the wellhead member wherein, as the tubing hanger is landed into the wellhead member, the key and orientation keyway guide the tubing hanger into proper alignment with the wellhead member.
- 13. The well production assembly according to claim 8 wherein the outboard seal surface of the tubing hanger comprises an inner tapered seal surface joining an Outer counterbore section, and wherein the seal comprises:
- a metal tubular member having the face of the seal on an outer end, a tapered seal section on an inner end, and a sidewall;
- a retainer secured to the counterbore, encircling and engaging a portion of the tubular member and forcing the tapered seal section into sealing engagement with the tapered seal surface; and wherein
- the sidewall is axially deflectable along the seal axis and dimensioned so that the face initially protrudes a selected distance past the outer mating surface of the tubing hanger prior to installing the tubing hanger within the wellhead member, and once in engagement with the inner mating surface of the wellhead member, the face moves axially inward relative to the retainer and the tapered seal section.
- 14. A well production assembly, comprising in combination:
- an annular wellhead member located at an upper end of the wellbore and having an inner mating surface;
- an insert member landed concentrically within the wellhead member and having an outer mating surface which engages the inner mating surface;
- a fluid passage extending laterally through the wellhead member and having an inboard port at the inner mating surface of the wellhead member;
- a fluid passage extending through the insert member, having a lateral portion terminating in an outboard seal recess at the outer mating surface which has a seal axis and which registers with the inboard port;
- the seal recess having an inner tapered seal surface joining an outer counterbore section;
- a metal tubular seal member having a face on an outer end, a tapered seal section on an inner end, and a sidewall;
- a retainer secured to the counterbore, encircling and engaging a portion of the seal member and forcing the tapered seal section into sealing engagement with the tapered seal surface of the recess; and wherein
- the sidewall is axially deflectable along the seal axis and dimensioned so that the face initially protrudes a selected distance past the seal recess of the insert member prior to installing the insert member within the wellhead member for engaging the mating surface of the wellhead member during installation, causing the face to move axially inward relative to the retainer and the tapered seal section.
- 15. The well production assembly according to claim 14, wherein the sidewall of the seal member contains circumferentially extending grooves for allowing axial deflection of the sidewall.
- 16. The well production assembly according to claim 14, wherein the sidewall of the seal member has a corrugated configuration for allowing axial deflection of the sidewall.
- 17. The well production assembly according to claim 14, wherein:
- the tapered surface and the counterbore of the seal recess are separated by an outward facing shoulder;
- the seal member has a flange formed at an inner end of the sidewall which abuts the outward facing shoulder; and
- the retainer has an inner end which abuts the flange to retain the flange in contact with the shoulder.
- 18. The well production assembly according to claim 14, wherein:
- the tapered surface and the counterbore of the seal recess are separated by an outward facing shoulder;
- the seal member has a flange formed at an inner end of the sidewall which has an inward facing side which abuts the outward facing shoulder;
- the flange has seal means on the inward facing side of the flange for sealing against the outward facing shoulder; and
- the retainer is secured by threads to the counterbore and has an inner end which abuts the flange to retain the flange in contact with the shoulder.
- 19. The well production assembly according to claim 14, wherein an elastomeric seal is located on the face of the seal member.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/294,679 filed Aug. 23, 1994 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,794.
US Referenced Citations (15)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2030620 |
Apr 1980 |
GBX |
2161188 |
Jul 1984 |
GBX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
294679 |
Aug 1994 |
|