THEFT-DETERRENCE DEVICE

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/959,227, entitled "THEFT-DETERRENCE DEVICE", filed on July 12, 2007, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates generally to a theft-deterrence device. In accordance with one embodiment, the present invention provides a theft-deterrence device for use in the oil-and-gas industry.

BACKGROUND

[0003] This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present invention, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

[0004] As will be appreciated, oil and natural gas have a profound effect on modern economies and societies. Indeed, devices and systems that depend on oil and natural gas are ubiquitous. For instance, oil and natural gas are used for fuel in a wide variety of vehicles, such as cars, airplanes, boats, and the like. Further, oil and natural gas are frequently used to heat homes during winter, to generate electricity, and to manufacture an astonishing array of everyday products.

[0005] In order to meet the demand for such natural resources, companies often invest significant amounts of time and money in searching for and extracting oil, natural

gas, and other subterranean resources from the earth. Particularly, once a desired resource is discovered below the surface of the earth, drilling and production systems are often employed to access and extract the resource. These systems may be located onshore or offshore depending on the location of a desired resource. Further, such devices may be located in various parts of the world that are politically unstable and, in some cases, involved in armed conflict.

[0006] Consequently, equipment used to extract natural resources is a high-value target for theft, because the demand for such equipment is high and because the materials from which the equipment is made can be easily recycled, for instance. Once absconded with, replacing lost equipment can be an expensive endeavor, even if replacement equipment is readily available. Moreover, the theft of flow-control equipment, such as valves, can lead to environmental and safety concerns.

SUMMARY

[0007] Certain aspects commensurate in scope with the originally claimed invention are set forth below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a brief summary of certain forms the invention might take and that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Indeed, the invention may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be set forth below.

[0008] Certain embodiments of the present invention relate to a fastening mechanism that includes theft-deterrence features. For example, one such embodiment provides a nut-and-bolt assembly that includes an extended bolt and a standard the hexagonal nut. To deter theft, the exemplary assembly includes an outer sleeve that is disposed about the nut and extended bolt, and that is free to rotate. Resultantly, the sleeve prevents the application of torque to the nut and also protects against shearing of the extended stud. The exemplary assembly also includes a tamper-resistant screw extending through the stud and cooperative with a retaining ring, to prevent removal of the outer sleeve.

[0009] Various refinements of the features noted above may exist in relation to various aspects of the present invention. Further features may also be incorporated in these various aspects as well. These refinements and additional features may exist individually or in any combination. For instance, various features discussed below in relation to one or more of the illustrated embodiments may be incorporated into any of the above-described aspects of the present invention alone or in any combination. Again, the brief summary presented above is intended only to familiarize the reader with certain aspects and contexts of the present invention without limitation to the claimed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:

[0011] FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a wellhead assembly having a number of unprotected bolt assemblies as found in conventional usage; and

[0012] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a bolt assembly incorporating theft- deterrence features, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

[0013] One or more specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another.

Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

[0014] When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present invention, the articles "a," "an," "the," and "said" are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms "comprising," "including," and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Moreover, the use of "top," "bottom," "above," "below," and variations of these terms is made for convenience, but does not require any particular orientation of the components.

[0015] Turning now to the present figures, a conventional wellhead assembly 10 is provided in FIG. 1. This wellhead assembly 10 includes a casing head 12 coupled to a surface casing 14. The wellhead assembly 10 also includes a production casing 16, which may be suspended within the casing head 12 and the surface casing 14 via a casing hanger. It will be appreciated that a variety of additional components may be coupled to the casing head 12 to facilitate production from a subterranean well.

[0016] For instance, in one embodiment, a tubing head or spool 20 is coupled to the casing head 12. In the presently illustrated embodiment, the tubing spool 20 is coupled to the casing head 12 via a union nut 22, which is threaded onto the casing head 12 via complementary threaded surfaces. Of course, it will be appreciated that wellhead members, such as the tubing spool 20, may be coupled to the casing head 12 in any suitable manner, including through the use of various other connectors, collars, or the like. In one embodiment, the tubing spool 20 may be adapted to receive an extended portion of the casing hanger 18, for example.

[0017] A valve assembly 30 is coupled to the exemplary tubing spool 20 and may serve various purposes, including releasing pressure from an internal bore of the tubing spool 20, for instance. The exemplary tubing spool 20 also includes a flange 40 having

a plurality of mounting apertures 58 to facilitate coupling of various components or wellhead members, such as additional valves or a "Christmas tree," (i.e., element 60) to the tubing spool 20. The valve assembly 30, the Christmas tree 60, and the tubing head 20 are coupled to one another via a plurality of bolt assemblies 70, each having a nut 72 that is threaded onto a bolt 74 and that is unprotected against theft. Moreover, the Christmas tree 60 is an assembly of valves interconnected to one another using a variety of bolt assemblies 70, which, again, include nuts 72 unprotected against theft. Thus, a component of the wellhead assembly 10 could easily be removed simply by applying torque to the nut 72 while preventing rotation of the head of the corresponding bolt 74.

[0018] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a theft-deterrence device 80 in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, the exemplary device prevents the application of torque to the nut, thus preventing its removal. To effectuate this, the exemplary device 80 includes an outer sleeve 82 that surrounds the nut 72 but does not engage with the nut 72. Resultantly, if any torque is applied to the sleeve 82, the sleeve simply rotates and no torque is transferred to the nut 72. Advantageously, the sleeve 82 also protects against shearing of the bolt 74 to which the nut 72 is attached. The sleeve 82 may be formed of any suitable material, such as a robust composite or a metallic alloy, for example. Moreover, the sleeve 82 may have any number of suitable shapes, but a tubular shape works well to prevent the application of torque.

[0019] To prevent removal of the sleeve 82, the exemplary device 80 includes a locking mechanism 84. For example, the locking mechanism 84, as presently illustrated, includes a retaining ring, which is in the embodiment a threaded ring 86, mounted to a portion of the bolt 74 extending above the nut 72 (i.e., an extended portion 88). This threaded ring 86 has an outer diameter that is slightly larger than the nut 72 and cooperates with a shoulder 90 on the interior of the sleeve 82 to prevent the sleeve's removal. Advantageously, the illustrated sleeve 82 extends to surround the threaded ring 86, to protect the ring 86 and the extended portion 88 of the bolt 74 from

shearing, for instance. Moreover, the sleeve 82 also protects against the application of torque to the ring 86.

[0020] The exemplary locking mechanism 82 also includes a retaining pin 92 which engages with the extended portion 88. For example, the pin 92 can be inserted through a drilled hole 93 in the extended portion 88. This retaining pin 92 prevents the removal of the threaded ring 86 and, as such, also prevents removal of the nut 72. As illustrated, the retaining pin 92 is a tamper-resistant screw with a head profile 94 that requires a special tool for removal. The retaining pin 92, in accordance with other embodiments, may include other features that prevent its removal. For example, the retaining pin 92 may cooperate with a locked cotter pin that extends through the top of the threaded ring and cannot be removed without an appropriate key.

[0021] As further theft-deterrence features, the exemplary threaded ring 86 includes a recessed portion 96 in which the head of the pin 92 resides, thus shielding the head against tampering. This recessed portion 96 can cooperate with a window 98 in the sleeve 82 for access. Thus, the pin 92 can only be accessed if the window 98 is aligned with the recessed portion 96. For added security, a lockable access panel may cover the window 98.

[0022] Although the above embodiments are described in relation to a theft- deterrence device disposed about the nut of a bolt assembly, the present invention is equally applicable to protection of the head of bolt, or any other surface to which torque is applied for assembly or removal. In fact, the present invention affords benefits to any number of situations in which it is desirable to selectively prevent the application of torque to a given structure. The present invention may be applied to any of the bolt assemblies illustrated in FIG. 1 , to deter the theft of the illustrated components.

[0023] While the invention may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and have been described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather,

the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following appended claims.