Wellhead Blowout Preventer With Extended Ram for Sealing Central Bore

Abstract

A blowout preventer (BOP) is provided in which one of the BOP rams is formed with an extended central bore sealing section to seal across the central bore in a central bore closing position when the polish rod is not present. The ram bores of the BOP are sized to accommodate this extended central bore sealing section in any of the open, sealing or central bore closing positions. The front ends of the BOP rams may be adapted to carry elastomeric or thermoplastic seals to seal against the polish rod or against each other. The central bore seals for the extended central bore sealing section may be formed with elastomeric or thermoplastic seals. In the case of thermoplastic seals, the rams and ram bores are adapted to ensure that the thermoplastic seals are compressed outwardly, to seal the ram bores, or are lifted upwardly, to seal the central bore.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a production blowout preventer (BOP) of this invention with both of the first and second rams in a sealing position against the polish rod, but showing the first ram (on the right) including an extended central bore sealing section.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the BOP of FIG. 1, but showing the first ram (on the right) in the central bore closing position to seal the central bore.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of a BOP of FIG. 1, shown with both BOP rams retracted (open), and in which the rams are hydraulically actuated.

FIG. 4 is a side perspective view of the first ram of FIG. 1, showing the front end adapted for sealing with a thermoplastic seal against the polish rod in the manner disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,137,610, and having an extended central bore sealing section between its front and rear ends for sealing across the central bore when in the central bore closing position. The central bore seals include a pair of circumferential ring seals and side rib seals.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the first ram of FIG. 4, but showing in dotted outline connectors for the front thermoplastic seal component, and a T-slot for connecting to the ram screws.

FIGS. 6A and 6B provide two views, front (6A) and rear (6B) perspectives, of an alternate first ram of the present invention, in which the extended central bore sealing section includes a central bore seal which is a saddle shaped circumferential seal sized to seal the central bore when in the central bore closing position. FIG. 7 is a side sectional view of an alternate BOP of this invention, shown with both BOP rams retracted (open), and in which the first and second rams are hydraulically actuated. The front ends of the rams carry elastomeric seals adapted to seal against the polish rod in a manner similar to that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,813. The seals to the central bore are as shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is a side perspective view of the first ram of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a side perspective view of a first ram which differs from that in FIG. 8 in that only two circumferential ring seals are provided.

FIG. 10 is a side sectional view of an alternate BOP of this invention, shown with both BOP rams retracted (open), wherein the first and second rams are adapted at their front ends to seal against the polish rod with a molded elastomeric material or a block of thermoplastic material such as urethane or Teflon®.

FIG. 11 is a side perspective view of the first ram of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a side view, partially in section, of a wellhead assembly of this invention having as components of an integral composite pumping tree, from the bottom to the top, a master gate valve, a central bore closing BOP of this invention as shown in FIG. 1, a BOP as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,137,610, and the profile for a flow tee (sequence of components may vary).

FIG. 13 is a side sectional view of an alternate BOP of this invention, shown in the central bore closing position without the polish rod, and in which the rams differ from those shown in FIG. 1 in that the saddle shaped central bore seal in the extended central bore sealing section is a thermoplastic seal.

FIG. 14 is an end view of the first ram of FIG. 13, taken along line 14-14, partially in section to show one of the feet and one of the stepped channels used to lift the thermoplastic saddle seal into a sealing position in the central bore.

FIG. 15 is a side sectional view of the BOP of FIG. 13, with the rams removed to show extra lines along the ram bores to illustrate the progressive steps in the channels along the ram bores.

FIG. 16 is a side view of the first ram of FIG. 13, showing the spaced feet.

FIG. 17 is a side sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the invention wherein the first ram includes spring biased parts as lifting means at the extended central bore sealing section to upwardly seal against the central bore.

FIG. 18 is a side sectional view of a further alternate embodiment of the invention wherein the first ram is adapted to provide thermoplastic seals at both its front end and in the central bore sealing section by extending the front body component and the seal component to the rear end of the first ram, such that, when in central bore sealing position, the front end of the seal component contacts the second ram causing the seal component to be pressed against the seal support surface of the body component such that the thermoplastic sealing surface is compressed outwardly to seal against the central bore and to seal the central bore.

Claims

1. A production blowout preventer, comprising: a housing forming a central bore, which extends vertically through the housing, and a first and a second horizontal ram bore extending radially outwardly in opposite directions through the housing and intersecting the central bore, with sealing surfaces being formed across the wall surfaces at the intersection of the ram and central bores;a first ram positioned in the first ram bore for sliding movement therealong;a second ram positioned in the second ram bore for sliding movement therealong;the first and second rams each including a ram body having front and rear ends, each of the ram bodies being slidable along the ram bores so as to project into the central bore where their front ends are adapted to seal against a polish rod of a rod string extending therethrough, and each of the ram bodies optionally carrying one or more seals for sealing against the ram bore in which it is positioned;the first ram body including an extended central bore sealing section between its front and rear ends, said central bore sealing section carrying one or more central bore seals for sealing across the central bore when the extended central bore sealing section is positioned across the central bore in a central bore closing position;the first ram bore being of sufficient length to accommodate the first ram body in its fully extended or fully retracted position;the second ram bore being of sufficient length to accommodate the second ram body in its fully extended or fully retracted position, and to also accommodate the front end of the first ram when in the central bore closing position; andmeans connected to the rear of each ram body for advancing and withdrawing the first and second rams between open, sealing and central bore closing positions.

2. The blowout preventer of claim 1, wherein: the first and second ram bodies are generally cylindrical; andthe one or more central bore seals on the first ram includes a pair of circumferential ring seals positioned on the extended central bore sealing section, said circumferential ring seals being spaced sufficiently to span the central bore when in the central bore closing position, so as to also seal the first and second ram bores against pressure from the central bore; andthe first ram includes a pair of rib seals on its outer surface extending radially outwardly therefrom and extending longitudinally between the circumferential ring seals, said rib seals being positioned to seal the central bore when in the central bore closing position.

3. The blowout preventer of claim 1, wherein: the first and second ram bodies are generally cylindrical; andthe one or more central bore seals includes a saddle shaped seal formed on the upper surface of the extended central bore sealing section and being shaped to span and seal across the central bore when in the central bore closing position.

4. The blowout preventer of claim 2, wherein the front ends of the first and second rams are adapted to provide thermoplastic seals to the polish rod.

5. The blowout preventer of claim 3, wherein the front ends of the first and second rams are adapted to provide thermoplastic seals to the polish rod.

6. The blowout preventer of claim 2, wherein the front ends of the first and second rams are adapted to provide elastomeric seals to the polish rod.

7. The blowout preventer of claim 3, wherein the front ends of the first and second rams are adapted to provide elastomeric seals to the polish rod.

8. The blowout preventer of claim 2, wherein the front end of the first and second rams is adapted to seal against each other across the central bore when the polish rod is not present.

9. The blowout preventer of claim 3, wherein the front end of the first and second rams is adapted to seal against each other across the central bore when the polish rod is not present.

10. The blowout preventer of claim 5, wherein the saddle shaped seal is formed of a thermoplastic material, and wherein the first ram carries lifting means for upwardly lifting the extended central bore sealing section to cause the saddle shaped thermoplastic seal to seal across the central bore in the central bore closing position.

11. The blowout preventer of claim 10, wherein the lifting means includes front and rear spaced, downwardly projecting feet formed at a lower surface of the extended central bore sealing section, and a channel formed in each of the first and second ram bores to accommodate the feet, each of the channels being progressively stepped at the central bore to force the saddle shaped seal upwardly to seal the central bore as the feet simultaneously engage the steps in the central bore closing position.

12. The blowout preventer of claim 10, wherein the lifting means includes the extended central bore sealing section being formed in separate top and bottom parts, with the top part carrying the saddle shaped thermoplastic seal; and one or more upwardly biasing springs positioned between the top and bottom parts such that the thermoplastic saddle shaped seal is lifted upwardly to seal across the central bore in the central bore closing position.

13. The blowout preventer of claim 5, wherein the first and second ram bodies each has a front end adapted to provide thermoplastic seals to the polish rod, and wherein each of the first and second ram bodies comprises: a body component with front and rear portions and ends;a seal component with front and rear portions and ends;said body component having an arcuate longitudinal outer surface for conforming with the horizontal ram bore surfaces, and having a cut out in its front portion which provides a seal support surface to support the seal component in both a vertical and horizontal direction;said seal component having an arcuate longitudinal outer surface for conforming with the horizontal ram bore surfaces, and an inner surface which generally conforms to the seal support surface of the body component;said body component and seal component combining, in an assembled form, to form a full bore ram body, which when out of sealing engagement has the front end of the seal component protruding a horizontal distance beyond the front end of the body component;connectors for connecting the seal and body components while allowing the seal component, during sealing engagement, to be pressed against the seal support surface of the body component; andsaid seal component providing a sealing surface formed of thermoplastic material around the arcuate outer surface for sealing against the horizontal ram bore; so that, as the body component is advanced forwardly into a sealing engagement causing the front end of the seal component to contact either the adjacent ram or the polish rod to seal off the central bore, the seal component is pressed against the seal support surface of the body component such that the thermoplastic sealing surface is compressed outwardly to seal against the horizontal ram bore.

14. The blowout preventer of claim 13, wherein the body and seal components of the first ram extend across the extended central bore sealing section to the rear end of the first ram, such that when in central bore closing position, the front end of the first ram seal component contacts the second ram causing the first ram seal component to be pressed against the seal support surface of the first ram body component such that its thermoplastic sealing surface is compressed outwardly to seal across the central bore.

15. The blowout preventer of claim 1, wherein the housing provides top and bottom connectors for connecting and sealing to wellhead components located above and below the housing.

16. A composite wellhead assembly including, between its top connector and bottom connector, the blowout preventer of claim 1, together with one or more of the following wellhead components, in any sequence: an adapter, a valve, a gate valve, a flow tee, a blowout preventer, and a polish rod clamp.