US 11,867,018 B2
Annular seal assembly with axial load decoupling feature
Samuel H. Cheng, Houston, TX (US); Greg Dunn, Houston, TX (US); Daryl Attaway, Houston, TX (US); Joseph Pallini, Tomball, TX (US); and Amini Shakib, Houston, TX (US)
Assigned to Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC, Houston, TX (US)
Filed by Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC, Houston, TX (US)
Filed on Aug. 19, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/891,779.
Application 17/891,779 is a division of application No. 16/554,164, filed on Aug. 28, 2019, granted, now 11,492,865.
Prior Publication US 2022/0389782 A1, Dec. 8, 2022
Int. Cl. E21B 33/04 (2006.01); F16J 15/02 (2006.01)
CPC E21B 33/04 (2013.01) [F16J 15/028 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
11. A method for an annular seal system for sealing between a casing hanger and a wellhead
housing, the method comprising the steps of:
providing an actuator ring comprising a rigid portion and a flexible portion;
positioning a lockdown ring adjacent to the actuator ring; and
enabling a seal assembly to move between a de-energized position and an energized position, wherein the seal assembly in the de-energized position has a space between the seal assembly and the rigid portion of the actuator ring, wherein the seal assembly in the energized position has the space closed, wherein the rigid portion of the actuator ring is to contact a surface of the casing hanger, wherein the flexible portion of the actuator ring is to push the lockdown ring into engagement with the wellhead housing, and wherein the flexible portion of the actuator ring is adapted to disrupt and to allow positional variation of the actuator ring between the lockdown ring and the wellhead housing with the seal assembly being in the energized position.