Patent ID: 7866404

Claim:
A method of assembling a tubular string, comprising: mechanically coupling, with a first pressure seal, a first tubular member to a hollow cylinder, the first tubular member carrying a first set of tubular member conductors, the hollow cylinder having at least two sets of insulators having an equal number of insulating elements located on an outer surface of the hollow cylinder, and at least two sets of conductors having an equal number of conducting elements defining pairs of conducting elements located on the outer surface of the hollow cylinder, wherein each of the pairs of conducting elements is insulated from the other pairs of conducting elements by the at least two sets of insulators; and mechanically coupling, with a second pressure seal, a second tubular member to the hollow cylinder, the second tubular member carrying a second set of tubular member conductors, wherein mechanically coupling the first tubular member and the second tubular member to the hollow cylinder results in electrically coupling at least one of the first set of tubular member conductors to at least one of the second set of tubular member conductors via at least one of the at least two sets of conductors.