Granted Patent B2

US 10,301,886 · App. 14/776,674 · Granted May 28, 2019

Abstract

Claims (79)

1. A riser assembly comprising:

a main tube;

two flanges coupled to the main tube, each flange comprising:

a raised inner face;

an offset outer face adjacent to the raised inner face and forming an edge between the raised inner face and the offset outer face;

a central lumen configured to be in fluid communication with the main tube;

at least one choke/kill hole configured to receive a choke/kill line;

at least one booster hole configured to receive a booster line; and

a plurality of bolt holes, each bolt hole comprising a tapered portion and a dowel slot, where each bolt hole is configured to receive a nut, a bolt, and a dowel;

where the edge between the raised inner face and the offset outer face lies on a circle that passes through a radial center of each of the bolt holes.

2. The riser assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:

a plurality of bolts;

a plurality of slick nuts equal in number to the plurality of bolts, where each nut comprises:

a cylindrical section comprising an outer surface;

a tapered section; and

a shoulder between the cylindrical section and the tapered section;

where each nut further comprises a slot in the outer surface; and a plurality of dowels equal in number to the plurality of nuts.

3. The riser assembly of claim 2 , comprising six bolts.

4. The riser assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:

a plurality of threaded nuts equal in number to the plurality of bolts, where each nut comprises:

a cylindrical section comprising an outer surface;

a tapered section; and

a shoulder between the cylindrical section and the tapered section;

where each nut further comprises a slot in the outer surface; and a plurality of dowels equal in number to the plurality of nuts.

5. The riser assembly of claim 4 , comprising six nuts.

6. The riser assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a choke/kill line coupled to each flange such that the choke/kill line is received in a choke/kill hole of each flange.

7. The riser assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a booster line coupled to each flange such that the booster line is received in a booster hole of each flange.

8. The riser assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:

a bracket configured to support at least one choke/kill line and at least one booster line;

at least one choke/kill line supported by the bracket and coupled to each flange such that the choke/kill line is received in a choke/kill hole of each flange; and

at least one booster line supported by the bracket and coupled to each flange such that the booster line is received in a booster hole of each flange.

9. The riser assembly of claim 1 , where the edge extends circumferentially around the central lumen.

10. The riser assembly of claim 1 , where the raised inner face is configured to be in direct contact with a surface of a flange of an adjacent riser segment and the offset outer face is configured to be axially spaced apart from any surface of a flange of an adjacent riser segment.

11. A riser string comprising:

a first riser assembly comprising:

a first main tube;

a first flange coupled to the first main tube, the first flange comprising:

a first raised inner face;

a first offset outer face adjacent to the first raised inner face and forming a first edge between the first raised inner face and the first offset outer face;

a first central lumen configured to be in fluid communication with the first main tube;

at least one first choke/kill hole configured to receive a first choke/kill line;

at least one first booster hole configured to receive a first booster line; and

a plurality of first bolt holes, each first bolt hole comprising a tapered portion and a dowel slot, where each first bolt hole is configured to receive a nut, a bolt, and a dowel;

a plurality of bolts, each bolt disposed in a first bolt hole;

a plurality of slick nuts equal in number to the plurality of bolts, each slick nut disposed in a first bolt hole;

a plurality of dowels equal in number to the plurality of slick nuts, each dowel disposed in a first bolt hole with a slick nut;

where the first edge between the first raised inner face and the first offset outer face lies on a circle that passes through a radial center of each of the first bolt holes;

a second riser assembly comprising:

a second main tube;

a second flange coupled to the second main tube, the second flange comprising:

a second raised inner face;

a second offset outer face adjacent to the second raised inner face and forming a second edge between the second raised inner face and the second offset outer face;

a second central lumen configured to be in fluid communication with the second main tube;

at least one second choke/kill hole configured to receive a choke/kill line;

at least one second booster hole configured to receive a booster line;

a plurality of second bolt holes, each second bolt hole comprising a tapered portion and a dowel slot, where each second bolt hole is configured to receive a nut, a bolt, and a dowel;

a plurality of threaded nuts equal in number to the plurality of bolts, each threaded nut disposed in a second bolt hole; and

a plurality of dowels equal in number to the plurality of threaded nuts, each dowel disposed in a second bolt hole with a threaded nut;

where the second edge between the second raised inner face and the second offset outer face lies on a circle that passes through a radial center of each of the second bolt holes;

where the first riser assembly is coupled to the second riser assembly via the plurality of bolts such that each bolt is received in a slick nut and is coupled to a threaded nut, and the first inner face contacts the second inner face.

12. The riser string of claim 11 , further comprising six bolts.

13. The riser string of claim 11 , further comprising a choke/kill line coupled to a first choke/kill hole and a second choke/kill hole.

14. The riser string of claim 11 , further comprising a booster line coupled to a first booster hole and a second booster hole.

15. The riser assembly of claim 11 , further comprising:

a first bracket coupled to the first riser assembly and a second bracket coupled to the second riser assembly, where each bracket is configured to support at least one choke/kill line and at least one booster line;

at least one choke/kill line supported by each bracket and coupled to each flange such that the choke/kill line is received in a choke/kill hole of each flange; and

at least one booster line supported by each bracket and coupled to each flange such that the booster line is received in a booster hole of each flange.

16. The riser string of claim 11 , where the first edge extends circumferentially around the first central lumen and the second edge extends circumferentially around the second central lumen.

17. The riser assembly of claim 11 , where the first offset outer face is axially spaced apart from the second offset outer face.

18. A riser assembly comprising:

a main tube;

two flanges coupled to the main tube, each flange comprising:

a raised inner face;

an offset outer face adjacent to the raised inner face and forming an edge between the raised inner face and the offset outer face;

a central lumen configured to be in fluid communication with the main tube;

at least one choke/kill hole configured to receive a choke/kill line;

at least one booster hole configured to receive a booster line; and

a plurality of bolt holes, each bolt hole comprising a tapered portion and a dowel slot, where each bolt hole is configured to receive a nut, a bolt, and a dowel;

where the edge intersects each of the bolt holes.

Assignments (9)

Cited By (1)

US 12,560,047