Blowout preventer with packer assembly and method of using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9238950-B2
Application number	US-201414152583-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 10, 2014
Priority date	Jan 10, 2014
Publication date	Jan 19, 2016
Grant date	Jan 19, 2016

Abstract

A packer assembly for a blowout preventer for sealing a wellbore is provided. The blowout preventer has ram blocks with a front face engageable with another ram block. The packer assembly is carried by each ram block and includes a support, a face packer having a sealing surface engageable with the face packer of an adjacent ram block, and a pair of plates positionable about the face packer. The plates include an extended plate and a support plate with the face packer therebetween. The extended plate protrudes from the ram block a distance beyond the support plate such that, when the ram blocks are moved together, the extended plate makes contact with the extended plate of an adjacent ram block before the support plates make contact with the adjacent ram block whereby a sealing pressure between the face packers of the adjacent ram blocks is maintained.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A packer assembly for a blowout preventer for sealing a wellbore, the blowout preventer having a housing for receiving a tubular and for slidingly receiving ram blocks, each of the ram blocks having a front face engageable with the front face of another of the ram blocks to form a seal therebetween, the packer assembly comprising:
a face packer carried by the ram block, the face packer having a sealing surface engageable with the face packer of the another ram block; and
a pair of plates positionable about the face packer, the pair of plates comprising an extended plate and a support plate with the face packer therebetween, the extended plate protruding from the ram block a distance beyond the support plate such that, when the ram blocks are moved together, the extended plate makes contact with the extended plate of an adjacent ram block before the support plates make contact whereby a sealing pressure between the face packers of the adjacent ram blocks is maintained.

2. The packer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sealing surface of the face packer has one of a vertical shape, a slanted shape, a rounded shape, a trapezoidal shape, and combination thereof.

3. The packer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the extended plate protrudes from the ram block a distance beyond the sealing surface.

4. The packer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sealing surface protrudes from the ram block a distance beyond the support plate.

5. The packer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sealing surface is recessed a distance behind the extended plate.

6. The packer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sealing surface is perpendicular to a path of travel of the ram blocks.

7. The packer assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a support carried by the ram block and receiving the packer assembly.

8. The packer assembly of claim 7 , wherein the support comprises inserts disposable in the ram block.

9. The packer assembly of claim 8 , wherein the face packer receivingly engages the inserts.

10. The packer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the face packer comprises an elastomer and the pair of plates comprise metal.

11. A blowout preventer for sealing a wellbore having a tubular therein, the blowout preventer comprising:
a housing to receive the tubular;
ram blocks movably positionable in the housing between a non-engagement position a distance from the tubular and an engagement position about the tubular, each of the ram blocks having a front face engageable with the front face of another of the ram blocks; and
a packer assembly carried by each of the ram blocks, the packer assembly comprising:
a face packer carried by the each of the ram blocks, the face packer having a sealing surface engageable with the face packer of the another ram block; and
a pair of plates positionable about the face packer, the pair of plates comprising an extended plate and a support plate with the face packer therebetween, the extended plate protruding from the ram block a distance beyond the support plate such that, when the ram blocks are moved together, the extended plate makes contact with the extended plate of an adjacent ram block before the support plates make contact whereby a sealing pressure between the face packers of the adjacent ram blocks is maintained.

12. The blowout preventer of claim 11 , further comprising a piston and cylinder.

13. The blowout preventer of claim 11 , further comprising an actuator.

14. The blowout preventer of claim 11 , further comprising a choke manifold.

15. The blowout preventer of claim 11 , further comprising a control system.

16. The blowout preventer of claim 11 , wherein the ram block has a groove to receive the face packer.

17. The blowout preventer of claim 11 , wherein the ram block has a receptacle to receive the tubular.

18. The blowout preventer of claim 1 , wherein the ram block further comprises a top packer.

19. A method of sealing a wellbore having a tubular therein, the method comprising:
providing a blowout preventer comprising a housing, ram blocks, and packer assemblies, each of the ram blocks having one of the packer assemblies, the packer assemblies comprising a face packer having a sealing surface engageable with the face packer of another of the ram blocks and a pair of plates positionable about the face packer, the pair of plates comprising an extended plate and a support plate with the face packer therebetween, the extended plate protruding a distance from the ram blocks beyond the support plate;
moving the ram blocks to an engagement position about the tubular; and
forming a seal between the seal assemblies of the ram blocks by contacting the extended plates before contacting the support plates of the ram blocks and sealiningly engaging the face packers.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming comprises contacting the face packers of the ram blocks before contacting the extended plates.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming comprises shifting the plates by flowing the face packers thereabout in response to forces and pressures on the ram blocks.

22. The method of claim 1 , further comprising re-engaging the support plates when the support plates separate.

23. The method of claim 1 , further comprising locking the ram blocks.

Assignees

• Nat Oilwell Varco Lp

Inventors

• Schaeper Gary R

Classifications

• E21B33/062 Primary

  with sliding rams · CPC title