CPC F16L 15/002 (2013.01) [E21B 17/0423 (2013.01); F16L 15/003 (2013.01); F16L 15/06 (2013.01)] | 18 Claims |
1. A threaded tubular connection comprising:
a tubular joint configured to be disposed within a wellbore and comprising:
a pin at a distal end of the tubular joint;
a first pin thread disposed on an external surface of the pin, the first pin thread having a first pitch, wherein the first pin thread is dimensioned so as to be compatible with a box thread of a standard American Petroleum Institute (API) coupling and has a length along a longitudinal axis of the tubular joint that is substantially equivalent to a length along a longitudinal axis of a tubular joint of the standard API coupling; and
a second pin thread disposed on the external surface of the pin between the first pin thread and an unthreaded portion of the tubular joint, the second pin thread having a second pitch different from the first pitch, wherein the second pin thread has a length along the longitudinal axis that is substantially equivalent to a length of a runout zone of the standard API coupling;
an elastomeric seal ring that comprises a material that swells in response to the presence of hydrocarbons and does not swell in response to the presence of an aqueous solution, the material comprising at least one of:
natural rubber;
ethylene-propylene-copolymer rubber;
butyl rubber;
butadiene rubber;
isoprene rubber; and
chloroprene rubber; and
a connector, the connector comprising:
a box:
a first box thread disposed on an interior surface of the box and having the first pitch; and
a second box thread disposed on the interior surface of the box and having the second pitch, wherein the connection is configured such that, upon make-up of the connection:
the first pin thread engages with the first box thread;
the second pin thread engages with the second box thread; and
the elastomeric seal ring is disposed around the tubular joint between the first pin thread and the second pin thread and forms a metal-to-elastomer seal between the tubular joint and the connector.
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