IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,975,654
Granted Patent B1
US 10,975,654 · App. 16/677,179 · Granted Apr 13, 2021

Wellhead telescopic adaptor for wellhead assembly

Inventors: Marius Neacsu (Dhahran, SA); Ahmed A. Al-Ramadhan (Dammam, SA); Ahmed Al-Mousa (Dhahran, SA)
Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
E21B33/0415E21B34/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,975,654
App. No.
16/677,179
Granted
Apr 13, 2021
Kind
B1
Abstract

A wellhead assembly that includes a wellhead disposed at a surface of a wellbore, a production tree fluidically coupled to the wellhead, and a telescopic adaptor assembly residing between and fluidically coupled to the wellhead and the production tree. The telescopic adaptor assembly extends or retracts to change an elevation of the production tree with respect to the wellhead and rotates to change a radial position of the production tree with respect to the wellhead. The telescopic adaptor assembly includes a flange attached to the wellhead and a first pipe rotationally coupled to the flange. The first pipe is rotational about a longitudinal axis of the first pipe. The telescopic adaptor assembly includes a second pipe attached to the production tree and is disposed concentrically inside the first pipe. The second pipe is movable along the longitudinal axis with respect to the first pipe.

Claims (28)

1. A wellhead assembly comprising:

a wellhead disposed at a surface of a wellbore;

a production tree fluidically coupled to the wellhead; and

a telescopic adaptor assembly residing between and fluidically coupled to the wellhead and the production tree, the telescopic adaptor assembly configured to extend or retract to change an elevation of the production tree with respect to the wellhead and configured to rotate to change a radial position of the production tree with respect to the wellhead, the telescopic adaptor assembly comprising,

a flange attached to the wellhead,

a first pipe rotationally coupled to the flange, the first pipe fluidically coupled to the wellhead and rotational about a longitudinal axis of the first pipe, and

a second pipe comprising a first portion disposed concentrically inside the first pipe and a second portion disposed outside the first pipe, the second pipe movable along the longitudinal axis with respect to the first pipe, the second pipe rotationally fixed and fluidically coupled to the production tree such that moving the second pipe moves the production tree along the longitudinal axis, the second pipe rotationally fixed to the first pipe such that rotating the first pipe rotates the production tree about the longitudinal axis of the first pipe.

2. The wellhead assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a sealing flange disposed between a coupling end of the second pipe and a distal end of the first pipe opposite a second end rotationally coupled to the flange attached to the wellhead, the sealing flange rotationally fixed to the first pipe and the second pipe and comprising an O-ring configured to form a fluid seal with the first and second pipe to prevent fluid from leaking through the telescopic adaptor.

3. The wellhead assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an interior flange extending inwardly from an inner surface of the first pipe, the interior flange configured to support an end of the second pipe when the second pipe is retracted.

4. The wellhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first pipe comprises a coupling flange extending from a rim of the first pipe, the rim supported on the wellhead, the coupling flange engaged with the flange attached to the wellhead to allow rotation of the first pipe with respect to the flange attached to the wellhead.

5. The wellhead assembly of claim 4 , wherein the rim of the first pipe comprises an O-ring configured to form a fluid seal with the wellhead to prevent fluid from leaking through a joint between the first pipe and the wellhead.

6. The wellhead assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an O-ring disposed between an inner surface of the first pipe and an outer surface of the second pipe to form a fluid seal between the first and second pipe to prevent fluid from leaking through a gap defined between the inner surface of the first pipe and the outer surface of the second pipe.

7. The wellhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second pipe comprises a coupling flange extending from a rim of the second pipe and attached to a flange of the production tree.

8. The wellhead assembly of claim 7 , further comprising a plurality threaded studs extending through a plurality of respective holes of the coupling flange and the flange of the production tree to rotationally fix the second pipe to the production tree, the plurality of threaded studs extending through respective holes of a second coupling flange extending from a second rim of the first pipe to rotationally fix the second pipe to the first pipe, and wherein moving the second pipe along the longitudinal axis comprises turning a plurality of bolts of the respective threaded studs, the plurality of bolts disposed between the coupling flange of the second pipe and the second coupling flange of the first pipe.

9. The wellhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the telescopic adaptor assembly is configured to replace a tubing bonnet.

10. The wellhead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flange attached to the wellhead is attached to a top flange of a tubing spool of the wellhead and wherein the second pipe is attached to a bottom flange of a valve of the production tree.

11. A wellhead telescopic adaptor assembly comprising:

a flange attached to a wellhead disposed at a surface of a wellbore;

a first pipe rotationally coupled to the flange, the first pipe fluidically coupled to the wellhead and rotational about a longitudinal axis of the first pipe; and

a second pipe comprising a first portion disposed concentrically inside the first pipe and a second portion disposed outside the first pipe, the second pipe movable along the longitudinal axis with respect to the first pipe, the second pipe fixed and fluidically coupled to a production tree fluidically coupled, through the wellhead telescopic adaptor assembly, to the wellhead, the second pipe fixed to the production tree such that moving the second pipe moves the production tree along the longitudinal axis, the second pipe rotationally fixed to the first pipe such that rotating the first pipe rotates the production tree about the longitudinal axis of the first pipe to change a radial position of the production tree with respect to the wellhead.

12. The wellhead telescopic adaptor assembly of claim 11 , further comprising a sealing flange disposed between a coupling end of the second pipe and a distal end of the first pipe opposite a second end rotationally coupled to the flange attached to the wellhead, the sealing flange rotationally fixed to the first pipe and the second pipe and comprising an O-ring configured to form a fluid seal with the first and second pipe to prevent fluid from leaking through the telescopic adaptor.

13. The wellhead telescopic adaptor assembly of claim 11 , further comprising an interior flange extending inwardly from an inner surface of the first pipe, the interior flange configured to support an end of the second pipe when the second pipe is retracted.

14. The wellhead telescopic adaptor assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first pipe comprises a coupling flange extending from a rim of the first pipe, the rim supported on the wellhead, the coupling flange engaged with the flange attached to the wellhead to allow rotation of the first pipe with respect to the flange attached to the wellhead.

15. The wellhead telescopic adaptor assembly of claim 14 , wherein the rim of the first pipe comprises an O-ring configured to form a fluid seal with the wellhead to prevent fluid from leaking through a joint between the first pipe and the wellhead.

16. The wellhead telescopic adaptor assembly of claim 11 , further comprising an O-ring disposed between an inner surface of the first pipe and an outer surface of the second pipe to form a fluid seal between the first and second pipe to prevent fluid from leaking through a gap defined between the inner surface of the first pipe and the outer surface of the second pipe.

17. The wellhead telescopic adaptor assembly of claim 11 , wherein the second pipe comprises a coupling flange extending from a rim of the second pipe and attached to a flange of the production tree.

18. The wellhead telescopic adaptor assembly of claim 17 , further comprising a plurality threaded studs extending through a plurality of respective holes of the coupling flange and the flange of the production tree to rotationally fix the second pipe to the production tree, the plurality of threaded studs extending through respective holes of a second coupling flange extending from a second rim of the first pipe to rotationally fix the second pipe to the first pipe, and wherein moving the second pipe along the longitudinal axis comprises turning a plurality of bolts of the respective threaded studs, the plurality of bolts disposed between the coupling flange of the second pipe and the second coupling flange of the first pipe.

19. The wellhead telescopic adaptor assembly of claim 11 , wherein the flange attached to the wellhead is attached to a top flange of a tubing spool of the wellhead and wherein the second pipe is attached to a bottom flange of a valve of the production tree.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 7, 2019
From: NEACSU, MARIUS; AL-RAMADHAN, AHMED A.; AL-MOUSA, AHMED
To: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
Reel/Frame 050951/0852 →
Cited By (3)
US 12,276,190 US 12,297,720 US 12,352,115