Patent ID: 9145745
Filing Date: 2015-09-29
Classification: E21B

Abstract:
1. A subsea riser assembly comprising: an upper tubular member having an end and an axis; a lower tubular member having an end, the lower tubular member coaxial with the upper tubular member; wherein the end of the upper tubular member is proximate to the end of the lower tubular member; a radially contractible member partially engaged with the end of at least one tubular member while in an initial position; wherein the radially contractible member has threads on an outer diameter of the radially contractible member; an outer sleeve having threads on an inner diameter that fully engage the threads on the outer diameter of the radially contractible member in the initial position, the outer sleeve threaded onto the radially contractible member; wherein rotation of the outer sleeve relative to the radially contractible member in a first direction causes radial displacement between the threads on the inner diameter of the outer sleeve and the threads on the outer diameter of the radially contractible member, thereby partially disengaging the threads on the outer diameter of the radially contractible member from the threads on the inner diameter of the outer sleeve, and moving the radially contractible member inward to a made up position that secures the lower tubular member to the upper tubular member, and wherein the radially contractible member comprises: a radially contractible collet circumscribing the ends of the upper and lower tubular members; an upper portion of the collet coaxial with the upper tubular member while in an initial position; a lower portion of the collet partially engaged with the lower tubular member in the initial position; the rotation of the outer sleeve and the collet relative to each other causes the collet to fully engage the upper and lower tubular members; and the rotation causes the outer sleeve thread to move from a fully engaged position to a partially engaged position, thereby retaining the collet in the made up position that secures the lower tubular member to the upper tubular member, and wherein, the lower tubular member has grooves formed on an outer diameter portion of the lower tubular member end; the collet is landed in the initial position on an upward facing collet shoulder formed on the outer diameter portion of the lower tubular member end, the shoulder axially below the lower tubular member end outer diameter grooves; wherein the collet has lower inner diameter collet grooves formed on an inner diameter lower portion of the collet, and upper inner diameter collet grooves formed on an inner diameter upper portion of the collet; wherein the lower inner diameter collet grooves partially engage the lower tubular member end outer diameter grooves in the initial position; the upper tubular member end having outer diameter grooves formed on an outer diameter portion of the upper tubular member end, the upper tubular member end inserted into the collet so that the outer diameter grooves on the lower tubular member end and the outer diameter grooves on the upper tubular member end are adjacent to the inner diameter grooves of the collet in the initial position; and wherein the upper and lower inner diameter grooves of the collet engage the outer diameter grooves of the upper and lower tubular member ends after the rotation moves the collet to the made up position, thereby securing the lower tubular member to the upper tubular member in the made-up position.