Metal Seal Ring for Tubular Joint

This invention relates to joints for tubular members in end to end relation, and more particularly to a tubular joint having a separate annular gasket for sealing between the ends of the tubular members.

Heretofore, tubular joints have been provided to connect the adjacent ends of a pair of tubular members such as casing, tubing, and pipe. The ends of the tubular members normally have enlarged diameter hubs or flanges which are positioned in end to end relation and connected by a coupling or clamp which clamps the hubs together. For sealing between the hubs, an annular gasket or seal is positioned between the hubs. As an example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,381 dated Oct. 2, 1984 shows a tubular joint in which a metal gasket is positioned between internal tapered surfaces on the hubs for sealing therebetween. The metal gasket has mating external tapered surfaces engaging the internal tapered surfaces on the hubs for sealing therebetween. Such a sealing arrangement has been found to be very effective for sealing against internal pressure within the tubular members.

In subsea operations today for oil and gas wells, subsea completions at the sea floor are at increasing water depths with many completions between about four thousand feet (4,000) and eight thousand (8,000) feet of depth. Exploratory wells at water depths of ten thousand (10,000) feet or more are being considered. The hydrostatic pressure at such water depths is very high and external pressure limitations have been set when subsea drilling operations are performed. However, an external, or reverse, pressure situation may occur under certain conditions, such as:

1. Flowline blowdown to the surface on a subsea gas producing well following shut-in at the well which may result in all well containment equipment exposed to external pressure from ambient hydrostatic head.

2. Blowdown to one atmosphere of the gas supply line on a "gas lifted" subsea well may subject all equipment exposed to gas lift line pressure to the external pressure gradient from ambient hydrostatic head.

3. Thermal cooling of produced fluids after well shut in can result in external pressure gradients from hydrostatic to enclosed volumes such as between valves.

Any "containment shell" seal which is exposed to external hydrostatic pressure and internal bore pressure from the well has the possibility of experiencing reverse pressure. Standard API type connections and gaskets are very likely suitable for withstanding reverse pressure due to their nature of being supported at both the seal outside and inside diameters. It is envisioned that the seal is "pressure enhanced" by both internal and external pressure.

Marine subsea connections typically use a tapered sealing gasket which is specifically designed to be retained by the upper connection half for underwater engagement through the use of an underwater remotely actuated connection. Such gaskets are pressure energized from internal pressure and ususally have a limited ability to withstand external pressure.

When a so-called reverse pressure occurs in which the external fluid pressure is substantially higher than the internal fluid pressure within the tubular member, leakage may occur at relatively low differential fluid pressures such as 200-300 psi, for example. It is desirable, particularly for subsea applications, that sealing means between hubs of adjacent tubular members seal against external fluid pressure as high as about 3500-4500 psi in order to be utilized for practically all subsea applications.

The present invention is particularly directed to a joint for a pair of tubular members having a gasket between the hubs of the tubular members capable of sealing at external fluid pressure as high as about 3500-4500 psi. Such a joint would be adequate for use at sea water depths of 7,500-10,000 feet. When the sealing means between the hubs of the tubular members includes an annular metal gasket, it is desirable that any sealing means for external fluid pressure permit leakage of internal fluid past the metal gasket which forms the primary seal at relatively low fluid pressures, such as 40-50 psi. Thus, the auxiliary or secondary sealing means for the joint would not prevent detection of leakage past the metal gasket in the event of failure of the metal gasket forming the primary seal from internal fluid pressure.

The present invention comprises a joint for the end hubs of a pair of axially aligned adjacent tubular members including a metal seal ring between the hubs to form a primary seal. The hubs have frusto-conical internal surfaces and the metal gasket or seal ring has mating frusto-conical external surfaces which form a metal-to-metal sealing relation for the primary seal. To adapt such a metal seal ring for sealing against very high external fluid pressures, such as 3500-4500 psi, an annular external projection or lip is provided centrally of the length of the metal gasket and projects between opposed spaced parallel surfaces of the opposing hubs to provide a support for a secondary or auxiliary seal. A pair of O-rings are mounted on the external projection for sealing against the opposed parallel surfaces of the hubs when external fluid pressure is greater than internal fluid pressure, and permitting leakage of fluid past the O-rings when the internal fluid pressure within the tubular members is greater than the external fluid pressure. Thus, when the tubular joint is located subsea at water depths where the external hydrostatic pressure is substantially greater than the internal fluid pressure, such as 3500 psi or greater, the secondary seal is effective to seal against the intrusion of sea water.

It is an object of the invention to provide a secondary sealing means for a tubular joint that is effective to prevent fluid leakage between hubs of the axial aligned tubular members from very high external fluid pressures while permitting leakage of internal fluid pressure from the tubular members.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a secondary sealing means for a metal gasket between the hubs of the axial aligned tubular members, the secondary sealing means being particularly adapted for subsea applications at water depths over 4000 feet.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and drawings.

FIG. 1 is an enlarged sectional view of the joint forming the present invention illustrating a metal gasket between hubs of a pair of axial aligned tubular members clamped together by a clamp;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragment of FIG. 1 showing the metal gasket forming a primary metal-to-metal seal between the tubular members;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the secondary seal including a pair of O-rings on an external annular projection of the metal gasket and showing the O-rings in a position permitting fluid leakage when internal fluid pressure is greater than the external fluid pressure; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the O-rings in sealing relation between the hubs when the external fluid pressure is greater than the internal fluid pressure.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of this invention, a pair of axially aligned tubular members are shown generally at 10 and 12 having respective end hubs 14 and 16. End hub 14 has an annular lip 18 fitting within an inner recess 20 adjacent rim 19 of hub 16.

A clamp or coupling generally indicated at 22 including a pair of halves pivotally connected to each other at one end and secured by flanges at the other end (not shown) as well known in the art. Clamp 22 has internal frusto-conical surfaces 24 engaging external frusto-conical surfaces 26 on hubs 14 and 16 to draw hubs 14 and 16 together when clamp 22 is tightened about hubs 14 and 16. Hubs 14 and 16 have respective internal frusto-conical surfaces 28 and 30. Hub 14 has an annular shoulder 32 connecting inner frusto-conical surface 28 and an outer frusto-conical surface 34. Recess 20 in hub 16 defines an inner end surface 36 extending in a spaced parallel relation to shoulder 32 perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of tubular members 10 and 12. An annular space 38 is formed between parallel shoulder 32 and parallel inner end surface 36.

Mounted between hubs 14 and 16 is a metal gasket or ring generally indicated at 40 and having outer frusto-conical surfaces 42, 44 in mating metal-to-metal sealing relation with respective frusto-conical surfaces 28 and 30 to form a primary seal upon tightening of clamp 22 about hubs 14 and 16.

Metal seal ring 40 has an axial surface 46 in axial alignment with the bores of tubular members 10 and 12. Clamp 22 is preferably of two halves with mating outwardly extending flanges (not shown) that are bolted together to press clamp 22 inwardly into tight relation with mating external tapered surfaces 26 on hubs 14 and 16 thereby to urge hubs 14 and 16 into tight sealing relation with metal gasket 40 compressed between hubs 14 and 16.

Metal seal ring 40 has an outer annular projection or lip 50 projecting radially outwardly from the body of seal ring 40 at the juncture of external frusto-conical surfaces 42 and 44. Radial projection 50 has on opposed sides thereof an annular groove having an inner groove portion 54 and an outer connecting grove portion 56. A plurality of ports 58 extend to groove portion 54 from the radially projecting end face 60 of annular projection 50. O-rings 62 and 64 are received by groove portions 54 as shown in FIG. 3 when internal fluid pressure is greater than external fluid pressure and leakage past metal gasket 40 occurs. Thus, a faulty gasket would be visually detected during testing or during operation. O-rings 62 and 64 are received by groove portions 56 when exposed to a positive external fluid pressure differential as shown in FIG. 4. Sealing surfaces 32 and 36 form secondary sealing surfaces radially outwardly of primary sealing surfaces 42 and 44 of hubs 14 and 16.

External fluid pressure through ports 58 urge O-rings 62, 64 outwardly from groove portions 54 into groove portions 56 in which position O-rings 62, 64 seal against parallel surfaces 32 and 36 of hubs 14 and 16 thereby to prevent any external fluid, such as sea water, from flowing into the bore of tubular members 10 and 12 past gasket 40. O-rings 62, 64 preferably have a Shore A durometer hardness of about 90. A Shore A durometer hardness between about 70 and 95 would function in a satisfactory manner. O-rings 62, 64 are preferably formed of a neoprene material. Other suitable materials for O-rings 62, 64 include nitrile-butadiene, natural rubber, fluorocarbon, and butyl rubber for example.

Gasket 40 may be of various diameters for utilization with subsea wellhead connections for casing having various diameters. Gasket 40 is preferably formed of an annealed stainless steel and is uncoated. O-rings 62, 64 are adapted for sealing against external fluid pressure at sea water depths as great as 7,500-10,000 feet and at hydrostatic fluid pressures as high as about 4500 psi to 5000 psi. Internal fluid pressure is easily vented past O-rings 62, 64 in the position of FIG. 3 in the event gasket 40 fails to retain the internal fluid pressure.

While O-rings have been illustrated for venting internal fluid pressure while sealing against external fluid pressure, it is to be understood that various other secondary seal means could be provided for metal gasket 40 within the scope of this invention. For example, a ball type check valve could be utilized in combination with O-rings to permit fluid flow to bypass the O-rings upon opening of the check valve from internal fluid pressure. The O-rings in such a design would seal against opposed hub surfaces at all times. It is apparent that various other types of secondary seal designs may be provided for the metal seal ring or gasket for the joint between tubular members in accord with this invention as defined in the claims.