This disclosure includes methods for testing hydraulically-actuated devices and related systems. Some hydraulically-actuated devices have a housing defining an interior volume and a piston disposed within the interior volume and dividing the interior volume into a first chamber and a second chamber, where the piston is movable relative to the housing between a maximum first position and a maximum second position in response to pressure differentials between the first and second chambers. Some methods include: (1) moving the piston to the first position by varying pressure within at least one of the first and second chambers such that pressure within the second chamber is higher than pressure within the first chamber; and (2) while the piston remains in the first position: (a) reducing pressure within the second chamber and/or increasing pressure within the first chamber; and (b) increasing pressure within the second chamber and/or decreasing pressure within the first chamber.

A ram block assembly enables a very high shearing, breaking, or parting force by utilizing guide rails and passageways within the ram block assembly to accept the rails and gird the rails against deviation from intended trajectory. The ram block rails and cavities enable application of extreme forces, opposing and concentrated within a small area, when actuating the ram block assemblies into the “open” or “close” positions. The ram block assemblies move in opposition, approaching each other and applying opposing forces against any material positioned between the ram block assemblies, and deforming, severing, breaking, shearing, parting, tearing and/or cutting, as the case may be, any said material positioned between the ram block assemblies. The severing of materials in the wellbore is known as “shearing,” and the apparatus performing this shearing operation as shear rams, shear ram blocks, shear blocks or shears.

A hang-off system for suspending a rod string within a well is provided. In one embodiment, such a system includes a hang-off ram of a blowout preventer and a hang-off sub sized to fit within a bore of the blowout preventer. The hang-off ram and the hang-off sub have complementary surfaces that enable the hang-off ram to engage the hang-off sub within the blowout preventer to facilitate suspension of a sucker-rod string in a well from the hang-off sub. Additional systems, devices, and methods are also disclosed.

A wellbore intervention tool conveyance system includes an upper pipe injector disposed in a pressure tight housing. The upper injector has a seal element engageable with a wellbore intervention tool and disposed below the injector. The upper housing has a coupling at a lower longitudinal end. A lower pipe injector is disposed in a pressure tight housing, the lower housing has well closure elements disposed above the lower pipe injector. The lower housing is configured to be coupled at a lower longitudinal end to a subsea wellhead. The lower housing is configured to be coupled at an upper longitudinal end to at least one of (i) a spacer spool disposed between the upper pipe injector housing and the lower pipe injector housing, and (ii) the lower longitudinal end of the upper pipe injector housing.

In summary, the present invention provides a variable bore ram assembly comprising a first ram and a second ram defining a central circular recess along the same axis as a wellbore. A plurality of packing members and support inserts form first and second packer assemblies define an interlocking connection to surround a tubular good, thereby sealing the wellbore. The rams have been designed to remove common contacts points with the inner wall of the ram cavity to withstand deformation. The first and second ram assemblies have inner sealing faces with cutout portions of elastomeric material to provide additional space for material during a close operation.

Blowout preventers having bodies without flanged necks are provided. In one embodiment, a blowout preventer stack includes first and second blowout preventers having independent and separable main bodies, each including a bore and a ram cavity transverse to the bore. The lower end of the main body of the first blowout preventer is fastened directly to an upper end of the main body of the second blowout preventer without a flanged neck extending the bore between the ram cavities of the first and second blowout preventers. In some instances, the main bodies of the first and second blowout preventers include external connection flanges that extend laterally from ram cavity body portions of the main bodies so as to enable connection of the two main bodies along the sides of the main bodies away from their bores. Additional systems, devices, and methods are also disclosed.

An asymmetrical ram button is provided. In one embodiment, a system includes a blowout preventer including such a button. Particularly, the blowout preventer may include an actuation assembly having the asymmetric ram button attached to a connecting rod coupled to a piston. The asymmetric body of the button can engage an internal shoulder of the ram such that a retraction force on the actuation assembly causes the asymmetrical ram button to load against the internal shoulder. Additional systems, devices, and methods are also disclosed.

A blowout preventer comprising: a body comprising a bore therethrough; a cavity disposed through the body and intersecting the bore; first and second closure members moveably disposed within the cavity on opposite sides of the bore; a first rod having a length and comprising a first end coupled to the first closure member; a second rod having a length and comprising a first end coupled to the second closure member; a first glider assembly wherein a second end of the first rod is at least partially disposed within the first glider assembly; and a second glider assembly wherein a second end of the second rod is at least partially disposed within the second glider assembly.

The present invention relates to a boltless bonnet assembly for use in a blowout preventer (BOP). In some embodiments, the boltless bonnet assembly includes a bonnet having a forward end facing a ram body of the BOP stack, and a bonnet latch disposed within the bonnet, the bonnet latch attached to the forward end of the bonnet. The boltless bonnet assembly further includes a bonnet positioning mechanism in communication with the bonnet latch to move the bonnet latch into and out of engagement with the ram body.

A blow out preventor (BOP) stump test apparatus includes: a main body including an outer surface, a bore, and a mounting structure for releasably and rigidly connecting the main body to a BOP to be tested; and a test bar including a position indicator slidably retained in the bore and capable of moving up and down in the bore between an upper position and a lower position, where the positional indicator indicates when the test bar moves up in the bore during a BOP stump test.