Oran Dee Tarlton Jr.
Engineering in League City, TX

6336238, Jan 8, 2002

Feb 10, 2000

09/500591

Oran D. Tarlton - League City TX

Oil States Industries, Inc. - Arlington TX

B08B 900

15 35, 15 351, 15104062, 405170

The pig launcher is installed subsea by coupling it to a launcher manifold. The launcher manifold is installed substantially permanently subsea as a part of a pipeline. The pig launcher includes a dual bore collet connector for coupling to the launcher manifold, and a rotary storage magazine for storing the pigs. The launcher manifold can be manufactured, for example, as part of an inline lateral tie-in sled or as part of a pipeline end manifold (PLEM). A branch connection from the pipeline to the pig launcher is provided in the launcher manifold via a piggable Y connection to a dual bore collet connector male hub. The pig launcher is landed and latched to the launcher manifold to complete the pig launching system. A closure valve between the Y connection and the hub prevents a pressure loss when the pig launcher is not installed, and the closure valve is opened to permit passage of the pigs during launching. A throttle valve upstream of the Y connection allows the pipeline pressure to be dropped downstream so that a pig can be launched using upstream pressure.

6142708, Nov 7, 2000

May 19, 1999

9/314736

Oran D. Tarlton - League City TX
Brian L. Bauers - Houston TX
Bart H. Heijermans - Houston TX
Henry Hang-Sun Chang - Spring TX

Oil States Industries Inc. - Arlington TX
Pegasus International, Inc. - Houston TX

F16L 112

405170

A pipeline connection assembly includes a landing platform and rotary or swivel connection hub which may be attached to a pipeline branch, termination, or manifold. The landing platform is mounted so that it may be rotated about the connection hub. This permits the installation of a subsea connection on a near level platform and allows the pipeline to be laid subsea with greater roll angles than would be acceptable otherwise. Orientation of the landing porch horizontally removes the requirement to manufacture the connection jumper to compensate for the roll differences in the hubs. In the preferred construction, the elevation of the platform can be adjusted by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and locked into place once the adjustment is completed.

7467799, Dec 23, 2008

Aug 5, 1999

09/369134

Oran D. Tarlton - League City TX, US

Oil States Industries, Inc. - Arlington TX

F16L 21/05

277603, 277608, 277614, 277627, 277650

A composite metal seal includes core of relatively hard metal, and at least one annular region of relatively soft metal. The annular region of relatively soft metal is integrally bonded with the core of relatively hard metal, and has an annular sealing surface for providing a fluid pressure seal. Such a composite metal seal can be manufactured by welding an overlay of the relatively soft metal onto a workpiece of the relatively hard metal; and machining the overlay of the relatively soft metal to form the annular sealing surface. In a preferred construction, the seal is a ring including two annular regions of the relatively soft metal, which provide tapered annular sealing surfaces for engaging respective sealing surfaces of two mating hubs. Such a seal ring can be used in a subsea collet-actuated pipeline connector to permit a metal-to-metal seal connection to be made and broken a number of times.

6290431, Sep 18, 2001

Feb 3, 2000

9/497577

Gern D. Exley - Houston TX
Donald W. Cross - Houston TX
Oran Tarlton - League City TX
Larry Decker - The Woodlands TX
David J. Hicks - Tulsa OK
Richard W. McCoy - Houston TX

Williams Field Services Gulf Coast Company, L.P. - Tulsa OK

F16L 100, F16L 5518

405158

A diverless process of tapping a pressurized subsea pipeline without removing the pipeline from service. The process includes the steps of lowering and landing a measurement tool onto the pipeline in order to check ovality and straightness of the pipeline. Pipe lift frames are lowered and landed onto the pipeline spaced from a chosen location. The pipeline is lifted by hydraulic actuators or mechanical screws on the lift frames. A hot tap machine and accompanying orientation frame are lowered from the surface and landed on the pipeline between the pipe lift frames. A fitting clamp is secured to the pipeline. A hot tap machine is lowered onto the hot tap fitting and orientation frame. The pipeline is then tapped with the hot tap machine.

6290432, Sep 18, 2001

Oct 13, 1999

9/417553

Gern D. Exley - Houston TX
Donald W. Cross - Houston TX
Oran Tarlton - League City TX
Larry Decker - The Woodlands TX
David J. Hicks - Tulsa OK
Richard W. McCoy - Houston TX

Williams Field Services Gulf Coast Company, L.P. - Tulsa OK

B08B 904, F16L 112

405173

A diverless process of tapping a pressurized subsea pipeline without removing the pipeline from service. The process includes the steps of lowering and landing a measurement tool onto the pipeline in order to check ovality and straightness of the pipeline with the measurement tool. Pipe lift frames are lowered and landed onto the pipeline spaced from a chosen location. The pipeline is lifted by hydraulic actuators or mechanical screws on the lift frames. A hot tap fitting and accompanying orientation frame are lowered and landed on the pipeline between the pipe lift frames. The pipe lift frames are incrementally raised until the pipeline is fully seated in the hot tap fitting and orientation frame. A fitting clamp is secured to the pipeline. A hot tap machine is lowered onto the hot tap fitting and orientation frame.