Patent ID: 7222677

Claim:
An apparatus for guiding and protecting control lines installed in a wellbore, the control lines passing through at least one tubular gripping apparatus, having at least one tubular engaging surface, for enabling tubulars to be held in place, as desired, and to be moved into and out of the wellbore comprising: at least one control line which can be secured to a string of oilfield tubulars, and lowered into a wellbore with said oilfield tubulars; a tubular gripping apparatus comprising: a first main channel housing one or more sets of slips, providing tubular engaging surfaces, which can open to disengage an oilfield tubular and can close to engage an oilfield tubular, and through which said oilfield tubulars can be moved; and a second guide channel intersecting said first main channel, and through which at least one control line can be moved, wherein said second guide channel retains at least one control line within said second guide channel while said sets of slips are opening or closing to eliminate contact between said slips and said at least one control line.