Patent ID: 7380607

Claim:
A subsea wellhead assembly, comprising: a housing having a bore comprising at least one generally upward facing load shoulder that inclines at a first angle relative to an axis of the bore; a hanger that is adapted to be lowered into the housing, the hanger having at least one load shoulder that faces downward when disposed within the housing at a second angle relative to the axis of the bore, the second angle being less than the first angle; and a split load ring having an inner profile that is adapted to slidingly engage the at least one load shoulder of the hanger and an outer profile that is adapted to slidingly engage the at least one generally upward facing load shoulder of the housing, the split load ring being carried by the hanger for movement between a retracted position, wherein the outer profile of the split load ring is spaced radially inward from the at least one generally upward facing load shoulder of the housing, and an expanded position, wherein the outer profile of the split load ring is in engagement with the at least one generally upward facing load shoulder of the housing; an upward facing tag shoulder formed in the bore of the housing; and an activation ring mounted to the hanger below the load ring, the activation ring having a downward facing tag shoulder that engages the upward facing tag shoulder while the hanger is being lowered into the well, stopping downward movement of the activation ring and the load ring, the continued downward movement of the hanger causing the load ring to move from the retracted position to the expanded position.