Tubular threaded connection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10215314-B2
Application number	US-86149710-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2010
Priority date	Aug 23, 2010
Publication date	Feb 26, 2019
Grant date	Feb 26, 2019

Abstract

A threaded tubular connection including a first tube and a second tube is provided. The first tube includes a pin member which extends from an end of a main body of the first tube to a terminal end of the first tube. The second tube includes a box member which extends from an end of a main body of the second tube to a terminal end of the second tube. A cross-sectional area of a pin critical cross-section is within approximately ±5% of cross-sectional area of a box critical cross-section of the box member. The cross-sectional areas of each of the pin and box critical cross-sections are within approximately ±5% of the sum of the cross-sectional areas of a box intermediate critical cross-section of the box member and a pin intermediate critical cross-section of the pin member.

First claim

We claim:

1. A threaded tubular connection, comprising:
a first tube, the first tube including a pin member extending from an end of a main body of the first tube to a terminal end of the first tube, the pin member including two radially offset sections of external threads, the two radially offset sections of external threads including a first thread section, a first non-threaded portion, a second non-threaded portion that is radially offset from the first non-threaded portion, and a second thread section, the first and second non-threaded portions being separate and distinct from the first and second thread sections, the first non-threaded portion being separated from the second non-threaded portion by a first abutment surface, the first thread section being located between the terminal end of the first tube and the first non-threaded portion and the second thread section being located between the second non-threaded portion and the end of the main body of the first tube; and
a second tube, the second tube including a box member extending from an end of a main body of the second tube to a terminal end of the second tube, the box member including two radially offset sections of internal threads, the two radially offset sections of internal threads including a third thread section, a third non-threaded portion, a fourth non-threaded portion that is radially offset from the third non-threaded portion, and a fourth thread section, the third and fourth non-threaded portions being separate and distinct from the third and fourth thread sections, the third non-threaded portion being separated from the fourth non-threaded portion by a second abutment surface, the third thread section being located between the terminal end of the second tube and the third non-threaded portion and the fourth thread section being located between the fourth non-threaded portion and the end of the main body of the second tube,
wherein the pin member includes a pin critical cross-section PCCS located at a thread engaged root of the second thread section that is closest to the end of the main body of the first tube, the box member includes a box critical cross-section BCCS located at a thread engaged root of the fourth thread section that is closest to the end of the main body of the second tube, the box member includes a box intermediate critical cross-section BICCS located at a thread engaged root of the third thread section that is closest to the second abutment of the second tube, and the pin member includes a pin intermediate critical cross-section PICCS located at a thread engaged root of the first thread section that is closest to the first abutment of the first tube,
wherein the pin includes a first central seal surface located entirely on the first non-threaded portion between the first thread section and the first abutment surface and the box includes a second central seal surface located entirely on the fourth non-threaded portion between the fourth thread section and the second abutment surface,
wherein, in a made-up state, the first central seal surface engages the second central seal surface in a radial direction so as to form a fluid tight seal that extends in an axial direction of the threaded tubular connection and is separate and distinct from the first and second abutment surfaces, and, in the made-up state, the threaded tubular connection includes first and second radial clearance portions that are axially located on opposite sides of the fluid tight seal to isolate the fluid tight seal from the first through fourth thread sections of the tubular connection, wherein the first and second radial clearance portions are radial clearances between facing surfaces of the first non-threaded portion and the fourth non-threaded portion and are separate and distinct from the first through fourth thread sections,
wherein the first and second tubes satisfy the following relationships:
PCCS is within approximately ±5% of BCCS, and
each of PCCS and BCCS is within approximately ±5% (BICCS+PICCS), and

wherein, in the made-up state, the fluid tight seal formed between the first and second central seal surfaces is the sole fluid tight seal of the threaded tubular connection.

2. The threaded tubular connection of claim 1 , wherein, in the made-up state, the fluid tight seal is separated from the first and second abutment surfaces in the axial direction of the threaded tubular connection by the first clearance portion, the pin and the box being spaced apart from each other in the radial direction at the first clearance portion such that a first clearance is formed between the pin and the box at the first clearance portion.

3. The threaded tubular connection of claim 2 , wherein the first clearance includes an axial clearance of from 3 mm to 15 mm, and a radial clearance from 0.125 mm to 0.4 mm.

4. The threaded tubular connection of claim 1 ,
wherein, in the made-up state, the threaded tubular connection includes a third clearance portion, the third clearance portion being located between the second abutment surface and the third thread section on the box and between the first abutment surface and the second thread section on the pin, the pin and the box being spaced apart from each other in the radial direction at the third clearance portion such that a third clearance is formed between the pin and the box at the third clearance portion.

5. The threaded tubular connection of claim 1 , wherein the first, second, third and fourth thread sections each include threads having load flanks with a negative slope.

6. The threaded tubular connection of claim 1 , wherein the first, second, third and fourth thread sections are each frustoconical and each include a run-in thread portion on a first end, a run-out thread portion on a second end, and a full height thread portion between the run-in thread portion and the run-out thread portion.

7. The threaded tubular connection of claim 6 , wherein a taper of each of the first, second, third and fourth thread sections is within a range of from 1/18 to ⅛.

8. The threaded tubular connection of claim 6 , wherein the run-out thread portion of at least one of the first, second, third and fourth thread sections is a partial run-out thread.

9. The threaded tubular connection of claim 6 , wherein a length of the first and fourth thread sections is equal to a length of the second and third thread sections.

10. The threaded tubular connection of claim 6 , wherein a length of the first and fourth thread sections is with a range of 50% to 100%/o of a length of the second and third thread sections.

11. The threaded tubular connection of claim 6 , wherein a taper of the first thread section is different of the taper of the second thread section.

12. The threaded tubular connection of claim 6 , wherein the run-in thread portion of at least one of the first, second, third and fourth thread sections is a partial run-in thread.

13. The threaded tubular connection of claim 1 , wherein each of PCCS and BCCS is within approximately ±3% (BICCS+PICCS).

14. The threaded tubular connection of claim 1 , wherein each of PCCS and BCCS is within approximately ±2% (BICCS+PICCS).

15. The threaded tubular connection of claim 1 , wherein a tensile efficiency of the threaded tubular connection is at least 90%.

16. A threaded semi-flush connection, comprising:
a first tubular member, the first tubular member including a tubular male end; and
a second tubular member, the second tubular member including a tubular female end, each of the tubular male end and the tubular female end including two steps of tapered threads and a straight ce

Assignees

• Elder Russell
• Maillon Bertrand
• Vallourec Oil & Gas France

Inventors

• Elder Russell
• Maillon Bertrand

Classifications

• F16L15/06

  characterised by the shape of the screw-thread · CPC title

• E21B17/08

  Casing joints · CPC title

• F16L15/002 Primary

  with more than one threaded section · CPC title

• F16L15/004

  with axial sealings having at least one plastically deformable sealing surface (with sealing rings F16L15/003) · CPC title