Mudline suspension metal-to-metal sealing system
View Patent ↗Generally, the present disclosure is directed to metal-to-metal sealing systems and methods for use with the various pressure-retaining components, and in particular to pressure-retaining components that may be used in mudline suspension systems. In one illustrative embodiment, a system is disclosed that includes a first pressure-retaining component having an outside face, the outside face including first and second metal sealing surfaces proximate an end of the first pressure-retaining component, wherein the second metal sealing surface is positioned along the outside face between the first metal sealing surface and the end of the first pressure-retaining component. The system further includes, among other things, a second pressure-retaining component having an inside face, the inside face of the second pressure-retaining component including a third metal sealing surface that is adapted to sealingly engage at least the first metal sealing surface.
1. A system, comprising:
a first pressure-retaining component having a first end, said first pressure-retaining component comprising:
a first contact stop surface proximate said first end and positioned on an inside face of said first pressure-retaining component; and
first and second metal sealing surfaces proximate said first end and positioned on an outside face of said first pressure-retaining component, wherein said second metal sealing surface is positioned along said outside face between said first metal sealing surface and said first end of said first pressure-retaining component; and
a second pressure-retaining component having a second end that is adapted to be removably attached to said first end of said first pressure-retaining component, said second pressure-retaining component comprising:
a second contact stop surface; and
a third metal sealing surface proximate said second end and positioned on an inside face of said second pressure-retaining component, wherein said third metal sealing surface is adapted to sealingly engage at least said first metal sealing surface and wherein said second contact stop surface is adapted to contact said first contact stop surface as said third metal sealing surface sealingly engages said first metal sealing surface.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said outside face comprises first and second outside face portions, said first outside face portion comprising said first metal sealing surface and said second outside face portion comprising said second metal sealing surface.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein said second metal sealing surface of said second outside face portion is recessed along said outside face relative to said first metal sealing surface of said first outside face portion.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein said second and third metal sealing surfaces define a first gap therebetween when said third metal sealing surface is sealingly engaged with said first metal sealing surface.
5. The system of claim 3 , wherein said first metal sealing surface of said first outside face portion comprises a first frustoconical sealing surface having a first taper angle, said second metal sealing surface of said second outside face portion comprises a second frustoconical sealing surface having a second taper angle, and said third metal sealing surface of said inside face of said second pressure-retaining component comprises a third frustoconical sealing surface having a third taper angle.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein said third taper angle is substantially the same as said first taper angle.
7. The system of claim 5 , wherein said second taper angle is substantially the same as said first taper angle.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first contact stop surface comprises a first frustoconical contact stop surface having a first contact stop taper angle and said second contact stop surface comprises a second frustoconical contact stop surface having a second contact stop taper angle.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein said second contact stop taper angle is substantially the same as said first contact stop taper angle.
10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a third pressure-retaining component having a third end that is adapted to be attached to said first end of said first pressure-retaining component after said second pressure-retaining component has been detached from said first end of said first pressure-retaining component, said third pressure-retaining component comprising an inside face proximate said third end thereof, wherein said inside face of said third pressure-retaining component comprises a fourth metal sealing surface that is adapted to sealingly engage at least said second metal sealing surface when said third end of said third pressure-retaining component is attached to said first end of said first pressure-retaining component.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein said inside face of said third pressure-retaining component comprises first and second inside face portions, said second inside face portion being positioned between said first inside face portion and said third end of said third pressure-retaining component, said first inside face portion comprising said fourth metal sealing surface, and said second inside face portion being recessed relative to said fourth metal sealing surface of said first inside face portion.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein said second inside surface portion and said first metal sealing surface define a second gap therebetween when said fourth metal sealing surface is sealingly engaged with said second metal sealing surface.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein said first metal sealing surface of said first outside face portion comprises a first frustoconical sealing surface having a first taper angle, said second metal sealing surface of said second outside face portion comprises a second frustoconical sealing surface having a second taper angle, and said fourth metal sealing surface of said inside face of said second pressure-retaining component comprises a fourth frustoconical sealing surface having a fourth taper angle.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein said fourth taper angle is substantially the same as said first taper angle.
15. The system of claim 10 , wherein said third pressure-retaining component further comprises a third contact stop surface that is adapted to contact said first contact stop surface as said fourth metal sealing surface sealingly engages said second metal sealing surface.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein said first contact stop surface comprises a first frustoconical contact stop surface having a first contact stop taper angle and said third contact stop surface comprises a third frustoconical contact stop surface having a third contact stop taper angle.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein said third contact stop taper angle is substantially the same as said first contact stop taper angle.
18. The system of claim 1 , wherein said inside face of said first pressure-retaining component is a tapered surface that angles away from said first end and toward a centerline of said first pressure-retaining component, and wherein said outside face of said first pressure-retaining component is a tapered surface that angles away from said first end and away from said centerline.
19. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first contact stop surface is spaced apart and separate from said first and second metal sealing surfaces.
20. A system, comprising:
a first pressure-retaining component comprising first and second frustoconical metal sealing surfaces proximate a first end of said first pressure-retaining component and on an outside face thereof, wherein said second frustoconical metal sealing surface is positioned along said outside face between said first frustoconical metal sealing surface and said first end of said first pressure-retaining component;
a second pressure-retaining component having a second end that is adapted to be removably attached to said first end of said first pressure-retaining component, said second pressure-retaining component comprising a third frustoconical metal sealing surface proximate said second end of said second pressure-retaining component and on an inside face thereof, wherein said second pressure-retaining component is adapted to cover but not contact said second frustoconical metal sealing surface and said third frustoconical metal sealing surface is adapted to sealingly engage at least said first frustoconical metal sealing surface when said second end of said second pressure-retaining component is removably attached to said first end of said first pressure-retaining component; and
a third pressure-retaining component having a third end that is adapted to be attached to said first end of said first pressure-retaining component after said second pressure-retaining component has been detached from said first end of said first pressure-retaining component, said third pressure-retaining component comprising a fourth frustoconical metal sealing surface proximate said third end of said third pressure-retaining component and on an inside face thereof, wherein said fourth frustoconical metal sealing surface is adapted to sealingly engage at least said second frustoconical metal sealing surface when said third end of said third pressure-retaining component is attached to said first end of said first pressure-retaining component.
21. The system of claim 20 , wherein said second frustoconical metal sealing surface is recessed along said outside face of said first pressure-retaining component relative to said first frustoconical metal sealing surface.
22. The system of claim 21 , wherein said second and third frustoconical metal sealing surfaces define a first gap therebetween when said third frustoconical metal sealing surface is sealingly engaged with said first frustoconical metal sealing surface.
23. The system of claim 20 , wherein a taper angle of said second frustoconical metal sealing surface is substantially the same as a taper angle of said first frustoconical metal sealing surface.
24. The system of claim 20 , wherein a taper angle of said third frustoconical metal sealing surface is substantially the same as a taper angle of said first frustoconical metal sealing surface.
25. The system of claim 20 , wherein a taper angle of said fourth frustoconical metal sealing surface is substantially the same as a taper angle of said second frustoconical metal sealing surface.
26. The system of claim 20 , wherein said third pressure-retaining component further comprises a recessed frustoconical surface portion on said inside face thereof, wherein said recessed frustoconical surface portion is recessed relative to said fourth frustoconical metal sealing surface.
27. The system of claim 26 , wherein said recessed frustoconical surface portion and said first frustoconical metal sealing surface define a second gap therebetween when said fourth frustoconical metal sealing surface is sealingly engaged with said second frustoconical metal sealing surface.
28. The system of claim 20 , wherein said first pressure-retaining component further comprises a first frustoconical contact stop surface and said second pressure-retaining component further comprises a second frustoconical contact stop surface that is adapted to contact said first frustoconical contact stop surface as said third frustoconical metal sealing surface sealingly engages said first frustoconical metal sealing surface.
29. The system of claim 28 , wherein said third pressure-retaining component further comprises a third frustoconical contact stop surface that is adapted to contact said first frustoconical contact stop surface as said fourth frustoconical metal sealing surface sealingly engages said second frustoconical metal sealing surface.
30. The system of claim 29 , wherein a taper angle of at least one of said second and third frustoconical contact stop surfaces is substantially the same as a taper angle of said first frustoconical contact stop surface.
31. The system of claim 20 , wherein said first pressure-retaining component comprises a casing hanger, said second pressure-retaining component comprises one of a landing subassembly and a temporary abandonment cap, and said third pressure-retaining component comprises a tieback subassembly.
32. The system of claim 20 , wherein said third pressure-retaining component is adapted not to contact said first frustoconical metal sealing surface of said first pressure-retaining component when said third pressure-retaining component is attached to said first end of said first pressure-retaining component and said fourth frustoconical metal sealing surface sealingly engages at least said second frustoconical metal sealing surface.
33. A casing hanger, comprising:
a first metal sealing surface proximate an upper end of said casing hanger, wherein said first metal sealing surface is positioned on an outside tapered surface of a nose of said casing hanger, said outside tapered surface angling downward from said upper end and outward from a centerline of said casing hanger, wherein said first metal sealing surface is adapted to sealingly engage at least one of a metal sealing surface of a landing subassembly and a metal sealing surface of a temporary abandonment cap;
a second metal sealing surface positioned on said outside surface of said nose of said casing hanger between said first metal sealing surface and said upper end of said casing hanger, wherein said second metal sealing surface is adapted to sealingly engage a metal sealing surface of a tieback subassembly; and
a first contact stop surface proximate said upper end of said casing hanger, wherein said first contact stop surface is positioned on an inside tapered surface of said nose of said casing hanger, said inside tapered surface angling downward from said upper end and inward toward said centerline of said casing hanger.
34. The casing hanger of claim 33 , wherein said first and second metal sealing surfaces are frustoconical surfaces.
35. The casing hanger of claim 33 , wherein said first contact stop surface is adapted to contact a second contact stop surface on at least one of said landing subassembly and said temporary abandonment cap when said first metal sealing surface sealingly engages said metal sealing surface of a respective one of said landing subassembly and said temporary abandonment cap.
36. The casing hanger of claim 35 , wherein said first contact surface is a frustoconical surface.
37. The system of claim 33 , wherein said first contact stop surface is spaced apart and separate from said first and second metal sealing surfaces.
38. A method, comprising:
attaching a first end of a first pressure-retaining component comprising a first metal sealing surface to a second end of a second pressure-retaining component comprising a second metal sealing surface, wherein said first metal sealing surface is proximate said first end of said first pressure-retaining component and on an inside face thereof, and said second metal sealing surface is proximate said second end of said second pressure-retaining component and on an outside face thereof; and
after attaching said first pressure-retaining component to said second pressure-retaining component, creating a first metal-to-metal seal between said first metal sealing surface and said second metal sealing surface, wherein creating said first metal-to-metal seal comprises:
covering at least a portion of a recessed metal sealing surface of said second pressure-retaining component with at least a portion of said first pressure-retaining component so as to define a gap therebetween, said recessed metal sealing surface being on said outside face of said second pressure-retaining component between said second metal sealing surface and said second end; and
engaging said first metal sealing surface with said second metal sealing surface until a first contact stop surface of said first pressure-retaining component contacts a second contact stop surface proximate said second end of said second pressure-retaining component and on an inside face thereof.
39. The method of claim 38 , further comprising:
disengaging said first metal-to-metal seal;
after disengaging said first metal-to-metal seal, detaching said first pressure-retaining component from said second pressure-retaining component;
after detaching said first pressure-retaining component from said second pressure-retaining component, attaching a third end of a third pressure-retaining component comprising a third metal sealing surface to said second end of said second pressure-retaining component, wherein said third metal sealing surface is proximate said third end of said third pressure-retaining component and on an inside face thereof; and
after attaching said third pressure-retaining component to said second pressure-retaining component, creating a second metal-to-metal seal between said third metal sealing surface and said recessed metal sealing surface, wherein creating said second metal-to-metal seal comprises engaging said third metal sealing surface with said recessed metal sealing surface.
40. The method of claim 38 , wherein creating said first metal-to-metal seal comprises engaging a first frustoconical sealing surface of said first metal sealing surface with a second frustoconical sealing surface of said second metal sealing surface.
41. The method of claim 39 , wherein creating said second metal-to-metal seal comprises engaging a third frustoconical sealing surface of said third metal sealing surface with a recessed frustoconical sealing surface of said recessed metal sealing surface.
42. The method of claim 39 , wherein creating said second metal-to-metal seal comprises engaging said third metal sealing surface with said recessed metal sealing surface until a third contact stop surface of said third pressure-retaining component contacts said second contact stop surface of said second pressure-retaining component.
43. The method of claim 38 , wherein attaching said first pressure-retaining component to said second pressure retaining component comprises threadably engaging said first pressure-retaining component with said second pressure retaining component.
44. The method of claim 39 , wherein attaching said third pressure-retaining component to said second pressure retaining component comprises threadably engaging said third pressure-retaining component with said second pressure retaining component.
45. The method of claim 39 , wherein, after creating said second metal-to-metal seal and while being attached to said second pressure-retaining component, said third pressure-retaining component does not contact said second metal sealing surface of said second pressure-retaining component.
46. The method of claim 38 , wherein said inside face of said second pressure-retaining component is a tapered surface that angles away from said second end and toward a centerline of said second pressure-retaining component, and wherein said outside face of said second pressure-retaining component is a tapered surface that angles away from said second end and away from said centerline.
47. The system of claim 38 , wherein said second contact stop surface is spaced apart and separate from said second and recessed metal sealing surfaces.