A gripper assembly for a pipeline plug includes an actuator plate, bowl, and gripper unit. The actuator plate includes a wedge surface. The bowl includes a bowl expansion face. The bowl expansion face has bowl stairsteps. The gripper unit includes a gripper body. The gripper body is positioned between the actuator plate and the bowl. The gripper body includes an expansion face having gripper stairsteps, the gripper stairsteps corresponding to the bowl stairsteps.

Pipeline isolation tool for sealing extrusion gaps of up to about 20% or greater includes a pair of fenced barriers (60, 160) having overlapping segments (68/70, 168/170) for restraining a seal (40). The segments expand to a pipe wall before the seal to prevent transition of seal medium over the segments and form a support wall for the seal. The support wall may include a protection ring (200). Springs (80, 180) surround each fenced barrier for returning the support system to a relaxed position. Inner rings (90. 190) are provided on sealing element facing surfaces (64, 164) of the fenced barrier for supporting the segments. The inner rings define a smooth inner guiding surface (92, 192) for the seal. The guiding surface is tilted inwardly towards the seal for resisting the sealing element during expansion and for preventing an inside diameter of the seal from expanding outwardly when compressed.

A pipeline plug includes a pressure head; a seal assembly; a seal expansion ring; a plurality of gripper bodies, a sliding gripper, and an actuator. Each gripper body is coupled to the seal expansion ring. Radial expansion of the gripper bodies supports radial expansion of the seal expansion ring. Additionally, radial expansion of the seal expansion ring supports radial expansion of the gripper bodies. The sliding gripper is slidingly coupled to a radially outer surface of the gripper body.

A mechanical plug includes first and second plug portions and an elongate member. The first plug portion includes a first endwall and a first sidewall. The first sidewall includes a female section extending in a direction along a longitudinal axis of the mechanical plug. The second plug portion is movable relative to the first plug portion. The second plug portion includes a second sidewall, a second endwall coupled to the second sidewall, and a seal. The second sidewall includes a male section extending in a direction along the longitudinal axis. The seal surrounds a portion of the male section in a region along the longitudinal axis between the second endwall and the female section. The elongate member is coupled to the first and second plug portions. Actuation of the elongate member moves the first plug portion and the second plug portion toward each other to compress the seal.

A seal assembly for a pipeline plug may include a pressure head including a forcing face. The seal assembly may include a primary tapered ring including an expansion face. The expansion face may abut the forcing face. The seal assembly may include primary seal ring. The seal assembly may include a squeezer assembly, the squeezer assembly including at least one seal face, the seal face abutting the primary seal ring. The seal assembly may include a secondary tapered ring, the secondary tapered ring including a wedge squeezer face, the wedge squeezer face abutting a wedge face of the squeezer assembly. The seal assembly may include a bowl, the bowl including a wedge face, the wedge face in abutment with an expansion face of the secondary tapered ring.

A seal assembly for a pipeline plug may include a pressure head including a forcing face. The seal assembly may include a primary tapered ring including an expansion face. The expansion face may abut the forcing face. The seal assembly may include primary seal ring. The seal assembly may include a squeezer assembly, the squeezer assembly including at least one seal face, the seal face abutting the primary seal ring. The seal assembly may include a secondary tapered ring, the secondary tapered ring including a wedge squeezer face, the wedge squeezer face abutting a wedge face of the squeezer assembly. The seal assembly may include a bowl, the bowl including a wedge face, the wedge face in abutment with an expansion face of the secondary tapered ring.

A gripper assembly for a pipeline plug includes an actuator plate that includes at least two actuator wedges, a bowl that includes at least two bowl wedges, circumferential wedge sets, and gripper units. Each circumferential wedge set and gripper unit is positioned between the actuator plate and the bowl. Each circumferential wedge set includes a first circumferential wedge and a second circumferential wedge. Each circumferential wedge set is positioned such that an actuator wedge and a bowl wedge engage between the first and second circumferential wedges. Each gripper unit includes a gripper body positioned between and abutting a first circumferential wedge of a first circumferential wedge set and a second circumferential wedge of a second circumferential wedge set. Linear compression between the actuator plate and bowl causes circumferential movement of the circumferential wedges, which in turn causes radial expansion of the gripper units.

Pigs (10) are propelled forwards by a propulsion fluid in a pipeline (21). The pigs (10) have an upstream end (13), a downstream end (11), and an intermediate section (12). The intermediate section has a variable geometry chamber (16) associated therewith and one or more outwardly extending external pawl teeth (15). The pawl teeth are automatically displaceable outwardly relative to a longitudinal axis (9) in response to a pressure differential between a downstream pressure and an upstream pressure. The pig is configured such that a change in a geometry of the chamber in response to the pressure differential between the downstream pressure and the upstream pressure causes the one or more pawl teeth to automatically displace outwardly when the upstream pressure is less than the downstream pressure. When the pawl teeth are deployed, upstream displacement of the pig is inhibited. Various related systems (5) and methods are also disclosed.

A pipeline plug includes a pressure head; a seal assembly; a seal expansion ring; a plurality of gripper bodies, a sliding gripper, and an actuator. Each gripper body is coupled to the seal expansion ring. Radial expansion of the gripper bodies supports radial expansion of the seal expansion ring. Additionally, radial expansion of the seal expansion ring supports radial expansion of the gripper bodies. The sliding gripper is slidingly coupled to a radially outer surface of the gripper body.

A device and method can be initiated to stop an extreme oil leak at the point of origin in a well pipe, after a common Blowout Preventer (“BOP”) fails. An electromagnetic chemical adhesive pipe plugging system comprises an elongated hollow injection quill, with a plurality of circumferentially spaced magnetic jaws, shoes and heads, which are capable of being pushed radially outward into gripping engagement with an inner diameter of a pipe assisted by chemical adhesive bonds and a magnetic field, to plug the leak.