Connector for underwater pipelines

Abstract

Abstract AN UNDERWATER WELLHEAD ASSEMBLY INCLUDE A CHRISTMAS TREE HAVING A BORE THERETHROUGH, A FIRST PIPELINE SECTION CONNECTED AT ONE END TO THE TREE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE BORE AND HAVING ITS OTHER END SUPPORTED IN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL POSITION, AND A SECOND PIPELINE SECTION SUPPORTED IN A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL POSITION WITH ITS END AXIALLY ALIGNED WITH AND SPACED FROM THE SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL END OF THE FIRST SECTION. A CONNECTOR BODY IS LOWERED ON A RUNNING TOOL FROM THE SURFACE OF THE WATER INTO A POSITION BETWEEN THE SPACED-APART FLOWLINE ENDS SO AS TO DISPOSE A PASSAGEWAY THROUGH THE BODY IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE FLOWLINE ENDS. THE FIRST SECTION IS CURVED INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS TO PERMIT ITS OTHER END TO BE MOVED AXIALLY TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE END OF THE FIRST SECTION AND A MEANS SUPPORTED BY THE RUNNING TOOL IS ENGAGEABLE WITH THE FLOWING SECTIONS AND REMOTELY OPERATED FOR MOVING THE END OF THE FIRST SECTION INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE BODY AND THE BODY INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SECTION SECTION SO AS TO FLUIDLY CONNECT THE SECTIONS. ADDITIONAL MEANS SUPPORTED BY THE RUNNING TOOL IS REMOTELY OPERABLE FOR HOLDING THE ENDS OF THE FLOWLINE SECTIONS AND THE BODY IN ENGAGEMENT INDEPENDENTLY OF THE MOVING MEANS, AND THE TOOL IS RELEASABLE FROM THE CONNECTOR BODY AND HOLDING MEANS TO PERMIT IT AND SAID MOVING MEANS TO BE RETURNED TO THE SURFACE OF THE WATER.

Inventors

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