This invention relates in general to wellhead assemblies and in particular to a seal for sealing between inner and outer wellhead members.
Seals are used between inner and outer wellhead tubular members to contain internal well pressure. The inner wellhead member may be a tubing hanger that supports a string of tubing extending into the well for the flow of production fluid. The tubing hanger lands in an outer wellhead member, which may be a wellhead housing, a Christmas tree, or a tubing head. A packoff or seal seals between the tubing hanger and the outer wellhead member. Alternately, the inner wellhead member might be a casing hanger located in a wellhead housing and secured to a string of casing extending into the well. A seal or packoff seals between the casing hanger and the wellhead housing.
A variety of seals of this nature have been employed in the prior art. Prior art seals include elastomeric and partially metal and elastomeric rings. Prior art seal rings made entirely of metal for forming metal-to-metal seals are also employed. The seals may be set by a running tool, or they may be set in response to the weight of the string of casing or tubing. One type of prior art metal-to-metal seal has inner and outer walls separated by a conical slot. An energizing ring is pushed into the slot to deform the inner and outer walls apart into sealing engagement with the inner and outer wellhead members. The energizing ring is a solid wedge-shaped member. The deformation of the inner and outer walls exceeds the yield strength of the material of the seal ring, making the deformation permanent.
Thermal growth between the casing or tubing and the wellhead may occur, particularly with wellheads located at the surface, rather than subsea. The well fluid flowing upward through the tubing heats the string of tubing, and to a lesser degree the surrounding casing. The temperature increase may cause the tubing hanger and/or casing hanger to move axially a slight amount relative to the outer wellhead member or each other. During the heat up transient, the tubing hanger and/or casing hanger can also move radially due to temperature differences between components and the different rates of thermal expansion from which the component materials are constructed. If the seal has been set as a result of a wedging action where an axial displacement of energizing rings induces a radial movement of the seal against its mating surfaces, then sealing forces may be reduced if there is movement in the axial direction due to pressure or thermal effects. A reduction in axial force on the energizing ring results in a reduction in the radial inward and outward forces on the inner and outer walls of the seal ring, which may cause the seal to leak. A loss of radial loading between the seal and its mating surfaces due to thermal transients may also cause the seal to leak.
A need exists for a technique that addresses the seal leakage problems described above. In particular, a need exists for a technique to maintain a seal between inner and outer wellhead members experiencing changes in relative positions due to thermal affects, especially those caused by high pressure and high temperature wellbore fluids. The following techniques may solve one or more of these problems.
Disclosed herein is a seal assembly for sealing within an annulus between two coaxially disposed wellhead members where one of the wellhead members may be subjected to axial expansion, such as from applied heat. The seal assembly includes a seal element axially supported within the annulus and a lockdown ring mounted to the seal assembly that can be engaged with the axially expandable wellhead member. The ring can have a contoured surface on a side opposite the axially expandable wellhead member. Axially engaging the lockdown ring contoured surface with an energizing ring the lockdown ring is radially moved against the axially expandable wellhead member and couples the seal assembly to the axially expandable wellhead member. In one embodiment the seal assembly is formed from a first leg, a second leg, and an annular channel between the legs. The first leg seals against the outer wellhead member and supports the lockdown ring while the second leg seals against the inner wellhead member. The annular channel receives the energizing member. The lockdown ring may include a grooved locking surface on its side facing the axially expandable wellhead member. The grooved surface may align with a profiled surface on the axially expandable wellhead member. In one embodiment the lockdown ring may comprise a base and a cantilevered member connected to the base on one end. The contoured locking surface is on the end of the cantilevered member.
Also disclosed herein is a wellhead assembly having an outer wellhead member for anchoring in a borehole and an inner wellhead member landed within the outer wellhead member. An annulus forms between the inner and outer wellhead members. The inner wellhead member may include a grooved surface on its exterior surface. A seal assembly is included in the annulus. In one embodiment, the seal assembly is made up of a first portion in sealing contact with the outer wellhead member and a second portion in sealing contact with the inner wellhead member outer surface. An annular channel is optionally located between the first and second portions. Inserting an energizing ring into the channel between the first and second portions of the seal assembly can force the first and second portions apart from each other. A cam surface can be disposed on the energizing ring inner diameter. This embodiment may also include a lockdown ring that when pushed radially inward can compress. The ring may be supported on the seal assembly inner portion and may be engaged by the cam surface. Inserting the energizing ring into the channel pushes the lockdown ring into engagement with the grooved profile on the inner wellhead member.
The present disclosure further includes a method of sealing between an annulus between outer and inner wellhead members. The method may include providing a seal assembly with a lock ring and positioning the seal assembly in the annulus. The seal assembly can be deformed into sealing engagement with the inner and outer wellhead members with an energizing ring. Also, the lock ring can be deformed with the energizing ring to cause it to lock the seal assembly to one of the wellhead members.
With reference now to
In the specific embodiment of
A hanger lockdown assembly 18 is shown situated in the annulus 13 resting atop the lockdown shoulder 16. The hanger lockdown 18 as shown comprises an outer coupling 19 and an inner coupling 20 in mating contact. The outer coupling 19 lower surface is similarly sloped to the lockdown shoulder 16 upper surface. Thus a force parallel to the wellhead assembly 10 axis AX produces resultant forces to outwardly radially urge the outer coupling 19 against the wellhead housing 12 inner circumference. The outer coupling 19 contacts the inner coupling 20 along a slanted surface downwardly oriented and directed towards the axis AX. Thus the contact surface between the outer and inner coupling 19, 20 radially outwardly urges the outer coupling 19 against the wellhead housing 12 while inwardly urging the inner coupling 20 against the outer radius of the casing hanger 14. The “slip-like” configuration of the hanger lockdown 18 increases coupling forces between the casing hanger 14 and wellhead housing 12 in response to forces along the wellhead assembly 10 axis AX that may attempt to dislodge these two members.
A seal assembly 21 is shown in the annulus 13 threadingly affixed to the inner coupling 20 upper end and extending upward therefrom. In the embodiment illustrated in
The seal element 22 further comprises an annular inner member 28 shown laterally projecting from the outer member 24 above the inner coupling 20. The inner member 28 extends from the outer member 24 substantially perpendicular to the axis AX through the annulus 13. At the casing hanger 14 outer circumference the inner member 28 angles upward to run generally parallel to the axis AX. A shoulder 38 is shown formed on an inner side of the energizer ring 36 lower end that faces the casing hanger 14.
A seal stop sleeve 40 is provided on top of the inner member 28 upper end is the annular seal stop sleeve 40, the sleeve 40 is disposed in the annulus 13 adjacent the casing hanger 14 outer diameter coaxial about the axis AX. The sleeve 40 should be comprised of a resilient load-bearing material, examples of which include steel, metal alloys, and composites.
The lockdown ring 42 is shown in contact with the seal stop sleeve 40 upper end also in the annulus 13 and coaxial about the axis AX. As shown in
An annular energizer ring 36 is also provided in the annulus 13 on the nut 32 inner circumference. An energizer 34 protrudes into the space 30 from the energizer ring 36 lower end. As will be discussed in further detail below, the energizer 34 is configured for insertion into the space 30 to form a sealing surface for sealing between the casing hanger 14 and wellhead housing 12. The nut 32 may optionally include a collar-like extension on its inner circumference shrouding an upper portion of the seal element 22 outer member 24. The extension prevents snagging the energizer ring 36 on the outer member 24 upper end during assembly. The energizer ring 36 includes a transition 37 above the shoulder 38 on its inner circumference that reduces the energizer ring 36 inner radius.
With reference now to
With respect to the axis AX, the lockdown ring 42 outer diameter above its transition 37 is greater than the energizer ring 36 inner diameter below transition 46. Thus downwardly moving the energizer ring 36 to push the transition 37 below the transition 46 urges the lockdown ring 42 against the casing hanger 14. This engages the lockdown ring 42 profiled surface 44 with the casing hanger 14 profile surface 15. Thus, retaining the energizer ring 36 in the configuration illustrated in
In one example of use of the present device, the running tool 39 is engaged with the energizer ring 36 upper end, as shown in
A perspective view of the lockdown ring 42a of
While the invention has been shown in only one of its forms, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but is susceptible to various changes without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the seal could be configured for withstanding pressure in only a single direction, if desired, having only a single energizing ring. Each energizing ring could flexible, rather than solid.