Apparatus for installing and retrieving equipment from underwater wells

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR INSTALLING, FROM AN OPERATIONAL BASE POSITIONED ABOVE A BODY OF WATER, A WELL MEMBER IN A WELL DRILLED IN THE FORMATION BELOW THE BODY OF WATER AND HANGING SAID WELL MEMBER WITHIN A WELL CASINGHEAD FIXEDLY POSITIONED AT A SUBSTANTIAL DEPTH BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE WATER, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING AN OPERATIONAL BASE POSITIONED ABOVE A BODY OF WATER AND ABOVE A WELL CASINGHEAD COVERED WITH WATER, AN ELONGATED PIPE STRING NORMALLY SUPPORTED FROM SAID OPERATIONAL BASE AND ADAPTED TO EXTEND TO SAID CASINGHEAD, HYDRAULICALLY-ACTUATED CONNECTOR MEANS HAVING A BORE THERETHROUGH AND CARRIED AT THE LOWER END OF SAID PIPE STRING, SAID BORE BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE FIRST CLOSURE MEANS THEREIN OUTWARDLYEXTENDIBLE LATCHING ELEMENTS CARRIED BY SAID CONNECTOR MEANS FOR ENGAGING A MEMBER AT LEAST PARTIALLY SURROUNDING SAID CONNECTOR MEANS, PRESSURE RESPONSIVE ACTUATING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID CONNECTOR MEANS AND OPERATIVELY ENGAGING SAID LATCHING ELEMENTS DURING THE ACTUATION THEREOF, FIRST CONDUIT MEANS IN SAID CONNECTOR MEANS IN COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE BORE THEREOF AND THE ACTUATING MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A PRESSURE FLUID THERETO TO MOVE SAID ACTUATING MEANS IN ONE DIRECTION, SECOND CONDUIT MEANS THROUGH THE WALL OF SAID CONNECTOR MEANS IN COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE SPACE OUTSIDE THEREOF AND SAID ACTUATING MEANS FOR ADMITTING FLUID PRESSURE TO MOVE SAID ACTUATING MEANS AND SAID LATCHING ELEMENTS IN ANOTHER DIRECTION, AND CLOSURE MEANS IN SAID SECOND CONDUIT MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY CLOSING SAID SECOND CONDUIT MEANS.