Patent ID: 8720587

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a control mechanism for use with a safety valve adapted to seal a well bore, the control mechanism comprising: at least one valve actuator for engaging with the safety valve, the at least one actuator being movable, in use, with respect to the well bore along an axis parallel to the well bore longitudinal axis, between a valve open position, in which the safety valve is open, and a valve closed position, in which the safety valve is closed; biasing apparatus adapted to bias the at least one valve actuator to the valve closed position; and wellhead equipment associated with a wellhead; wherein the at least one valve actuator is a shaft with a first end and a second end and extends from the safety valve to the wellhead, the first end being coupled to the safety valve, wherein the second end of at least one valve actuator is adapted to be engaged by an energising means to apply a downward force and move the at least one actuator from the valve closed position to the valve open position, the energising means comprising a load applied on the at least one valve actuator by the weight of the wellhead equipment on the wellhead.