Granted Patent B2

US 12,203,565 · App. 18/116,498 · Granted Jan 21, 2025

Inventors: Detrick Garner (Tomball, TX); Paul Cody (Houston, TX); Nathan Burcham (Houston, TX); Melvin Medina (Spring, TX); Kuber Sullad (Bangalore, IN)

Assignee: Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC

F16K43/001F16L55/1133E21B34/02

Abstract

Claims (46)

1. A valve removal (VR) system for oilfield equipment, comprising:

a VR plug comprising a first surface and a second surface;

at least one bushing to be removably associated with the first surface, the at least one bushing to extend, at least partly, beyond the second surface of the VR plug, and the at least one bushing to contact an inner surface of a valve of the oilfield equipment and to prevent the second surface from contacting the inner surface of the valve; and

a guiding rod to be associated with the VR plug to support guidance of the VR plug through the valve of the oilfield equipment and to be disassociated from the VR plug to support removal of the guiding rod from the valve, with the VR plug remaining in the oilfield equipment.

2. The VR system of claim 1 , further comprising:

at least one neck comprising a groove to receive at least one ball of the guiding rod as part of the association between the VR plug and the guiding rod, wherein the association is a press-fit association.

3. The VR system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a spring-loaded feature of the guiding rod, the spring-loaded feature to be associated with a groove of the VR plug, the spring-loaded feature to enable the association between the VR plug and the guiding rod by a press-fit, and the spring-loaded feature to enable the disassociation between the VR plug and the guiding rod by an axial tension on the guiding rod, wherein the axial tension causes the spring-loaded feature to be removed from the groove of the VR plug.

4. The VR system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a tensioning feature associated with a spring-loaded feature of the guiding rod, the tensioning feature to cause a threshold level of press-fit between the spring-loaded feature and a groove of the VR plug, the threshold level associated with an axial tension to enable the disassociation of the guiding rod from the VR plug.

5. The VR system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one bushing is comprised of one or more of a fluoropolymer, Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK), nylon, or a plastic comprising low coefficient of friction.

6. The VR system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one bushing is circumferential and comprises association features to enable the removable association with the VR plug.

7. The VR system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one bushing comprises raised features to provide the contact with the inner surface of the valve and comprises indent features to receive at least one fixture for the removable association between the at least one bushing and the VR plug.

8. The VR system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one bushing comprises an internal adapter that is to associate the at least one bushing with the VR plug.

9. A method for valve removal (VR) system to be used with an oilfield equipment, comprising:

providing, as part of the VR system, a VR plug comprising a first surface and a second surface;

removably associating at least one bushing with the first surface of the VR plug, the at least one bushing to extend, at least partly, beyond the second surface of the VR plug, and the at least one bushing to contact an inner surface of a valve of the oilfield equipment and to prevent the second surface from contacting the inner surface of the valve; and

enabling a guiding rod of the VR system to be associated with the VR plug to support guidance of the VR plug through the valve of the oilfield equipment and to be disassociated from the VR plug to support removal of the guiding rod from the valve, with the VR plug remaining in the oilfield equipment.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

providing at least one neck comprising a groove to receive at least one ball of the guiding rod as part of the association between the VR plug and the guiding rod, wherein the association is a press-fit association.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

providing a spring-loaded feature of the guiding rod, the spring-loaded feature to be associated with a groove of the VR plug, the spring-loaded feature to enable the association between the VR plug and the guiding rod by a press-fit, and the spring-loaded feature to enable the disassociation between the VR plug and the guiding rod by an axial tension on the guiding rod, wherein the axial tension causes the spring-loaded feature to be removed from the groove of the VR plug.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

providing a tensioning feature associated with a spring-loaded feature of the guiding rod; and

enabling adjusting for the tensioning feature to cause a threshold level of press-fit between the spring-loaded feature and a groove of the VR plug, the threshold level associated with an axial tension to enable the disassociation of the guiding rod from the VR plug.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

providing the at least one bushing to be comprised of one or more of a fluoropolymer, Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK), nylon, or a plastic comprising low coefficient of friction.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

providing the at least one bushing in a circumferential form, wherein the at least one bushing comprises association features to enable the removable association with the VR plug.

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

providing the at least one bushing within raised features for the contact with the inner surface of the valve; and

providing the at least one bushing with indent features to receive at least one fixture for the removable association between the at least one bushing and the VR plug.

16. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

providing the at least one bushing with an internal adapter that is to associate the at least one bushing with the VR rod.

17. A method for an operation on a valve in an oilfield equipment, the method comprising:

attaching at least one bushing to a VR plug that comprises a first surface and a second surface, the at least one bushing attached to the first surface of the VR plug and the at least one bushing extending, at least partly, beyond the second surface of the VR plug;

attaching a guiding rod to the VR plug by a press-fitting;

enabling adjustments to the press-fitting;

guiding the VR plug through the valve of the oilfield equipment, wherein the at least one bushing contacts an inner surface of a valve of the oilfield equipment and wherein the second surface is prevented from contacting the inner surface of the valve; and

enabling the press-fitting to be deactivated to disassociate the guiding rod from the VR plug, with the VR plug remaining in the oilfield equipment.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

enabling the press-fitting by a first axial tension between the VR plug and the guiding rod; and

enabling the deactivation of the press-fitting by a second axial tension between the VR plug and the guiding rod.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

adjusting a tensioning feature associated with a spring-loaded feature of the guiding rod to cause the adjustments to the press-fitting.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the adjusting comprises replacing a spring associated with the spring-loaded feature.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (14)