Claims
- 1. In a test assembly with a blowout preventer stack above a subterranean well and carryable between upper and lower portions of a tubular conduit extendible to at least one production zone within said well, said test assembly having valve means in the lower conduit portion manipulatable between open and closed positions by a reciprocable actuator sleeve to control the flow of fluid within said conduit, the improvement comprising: means defining an annular pressure chamber disposed around said actuator sleeve; an annular piston mounted in said annular fluid pressure chamber for shifting the actuator sleeve between its valve open and valve closed positions; latching means connecting said annular piston to said valve actuator; a latch retaining sleeve axially shiftably mounted in the upper tubular conduit portion between a latch retaining position securing said annular piston to said actuator sleeve, and a latch releasing position relative to said latching means releasing said annular piston from said actuator sleeve; means for maintaining said latch retaining sleeve in said latch retaining position whenever said valve means is positioned in other than its closed position; a second annular piston in said annular pressure chamber operatively connected to said latch sleeve, and a spring interposed between said annular piston and said second annular piston.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said latch retaining sleeve is shifted to a latch releasing position by upward movement relative to said latching means, and means for supplying fluid pressure to a downward face of said second annular piston to move said latch retaining means to said latch releasing position.
- 3. In a test assembly within a blowout preventer stack above a subterranean well and carriable between upper and lower portions of a tubular conduit extendible to at least one production zone within said well, said test assembly having valve means in the lower conduit portion manipulatable between open and closed positions by a reciprocable actuator to control flow of fluid within said conduit, the improvement comprising: an annular stinger body secured in depending relation to said upper conduit portion: an annular stinger receptacle secured in upstanding relation to said lower conduit portion above the valve means; means for slidably sealingly connecting the bottom portion of said stinger body to the top portion of said stinger receptacle, thereby permitting the selective connection and disconnection of said upper and lower conduit portions: an outer latching means surrounding said stinger body and said stinger receptacle and movable into a latching position to secure said stinger body and said stinger receptacle in sealing relationship; means for maintaining said outer latching means in said latching position whenever said valve means is positioned in other than its closed position; an annular piston concentrically mounted within said stinger body and operably connected to said valve actuator for shifting the actuator between its valve open and valve closed positions; inner latching means connecting said annular piston to said valve actuator; an inner latch retaining sleeve axially shiftably mounted in the upper tubular conduit between a latch retaining position and a latch releasing position relative to said inner latching means; and means for maintaining said inner latch retaining sleeve in said latch retaining position whenever said valve means is positioned in other than its closed position.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said maintaining means comprises a spring interposed between said annular piston and said latch retaining sleeve for urging said latch retaining sleeve to move concurrently with movement of said valve acutator sleeve toward said valve open position.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said annular piston is mounted in an annular pressure chamber disposed around said actuator sleeve, a second annular piston in said annular pressure chamber operatively connected to said latch sleeve, and said spring is interposed between said annular piston and said second annular piston.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said latch retaining sleeve is shifted to a latch releasing position by upward movement relative to said latching means, and means for supplying fluid pressure to a downward face of said second annular piston to move said latch retaining means to said latch releasing position.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said outer latch means comprises annular locking shoulders respectively carried on said stinger body and said stinger receptacle, said locking shoulders being in axial proximity when said stinger body is sealingly engaged with said stinger receptacle; a collet assembly shiftable between a position securing said locking shoulders against axial separation to a position permitting axial separation; a spring pressed collet actuating sleeve urging said collet assembly to said securing position relative to said locking shoulders: and fluid pressure responsive means for shifting said collet assembly to said position permitting locking shoulder separation.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising means responsive to rotation of said stinger body relative to said stinger receptacle for shifting said collet actuating sleeve upwardly to said shoulder separation permitting position: and means responsive to upward movement of said stinger body relative to said stinger receptacle for shifting said inner latch retaining sleeve to its releasing position, thereby permitting separation of the upper and lower conduit portions.
- 9. In a test assembly within a blowout preventer stack above a subterranean well and carriable between upper and lower portions of a tubular conduit extendible to at least one production zone within said well, said test assembly having valve means in the lower conduit portion manipulatable between open and closed positions to control flow of fluid within said conduit, the improvement comprising: an annular stinger body secured in depending relation to said upper conduit portion; an annular stinger receptacle secured in upstanding relation to said lower conduit portion above the valve means; means for slidably sealingly connecting the bottom portion of said stinger body to the top portion of said stinger receptacle, thereby permitting the selective connection and disconnection of said upper and lower conduit portions: an outer latching means surrounding said stinger body and said stinger receptacle and movable into a latching position to secure said stinger body and said stinger receptacle in sealing relationship; means for maintaining said outer latching means in said latching position whenever said valve means is positioned in other than its closed position; an annular actuator for said valve means reciprocably mounted within said annular stinger receptacle to move said valve means from a closed to an open position by downward movement of said actuator; an annular piston concentrically mounted within said stinger body and operably connected to said valve actuator for shifting the actuator between its valve open and valve closed positions; resilient means opposing downward movement of said annular piston; inner latch means connecting said annular piston to said valve actuator; an inner latch retaining sleeve axially shiftably mounted in said annular stinger body for movement between a latch retaining position and a latch releasing position relative to said inner latching means; and means for maintaining said inner latch retaining sleeve in said latch retaining position whenever said valve means is positioned in other than its closed position.
- 10. The apparatus defined in claims 3, 4, 5, 6 or 9 further comprising means responsive to rotation of said stinger body relative to said stinger receptacle for releasing said outer latching means; and means responsive to upward movement of said stinger body relative to said stinger receptacle for shifting said inner latch retaining sleeve to its said latch releasing position, thereby permitting mechanical separation of said upper conduit portion from said lower conduit portion.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending patent application, Ser. No. 64,332, filed Aug. 6, 1979, and entitled "SUBSEA TEST TREE", now U.S. Pat. No. 4,320,804, assigned to the same assignee as this application.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
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64332 |
Aug 1979 |
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