DRIL-QUIP, INC.

OFFSHORE DRILLING AND PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT

DX SERIES
®

SUBSEA CONNECTORS
www.dril-quip.com
Features and Applications

D ril-Quip’sDX® Subsea
Connectors are designed for
deep water, high wellhead pressure,
deep wells and long drilling times.
They are available in a variety of
designs and configurations and
can be modified to meet specific
customer requirements. The DX-10
Connector is pressure rated to 10,000
psi, and the DX-15 is pressure rated
to 15,000 psi.

Dril-Quip’s DX Subsea Connectors

offer the following unique features:

••High bending and tension capacity

••High load capacity before
hub separation
••Top connection can be a clamp,
flange or studded connection
••Tight load path through the upper
body, latch segments and wellhead
••Annular piston/cam ring design
maximizes locking force within a
smaller dimensional envelope
••Quick unlatching time; meets all international
••Special seal design and stainless steel surfaces
regulatory requirements
extend seal life
••Primary unlocking force 25% greater than
••Self-locking taper on latch segments offer greater
locking force
locking reliability
••Emergency secondary unlocking force 88% greater
than primary locking force
••Latching segments are automatically retracted
on disconnect
••Design includes primary metal-to-metal seal
profile with backup metal-to-metal profile for
emergency use
••Seals on the independent secondary release system
are not used during normal connector operation
••Design is compatible with existing blowout
preventor hydraulic control systems
••Design offers trouble-free, easy operation
••Performance is field proven

Dril-Quip’s DX Connectors are an excellent choice to

safely meet the ever-changing requirements for
subsea connectors.

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Easily Retrofitted into Ideal for Subsea Completion
any Subsea BOP Stack For completion wells, the metal sealing profile on the DX
Connector ensures a metal-to-metal seal throughout the
DX Connectors are
long drilling, testing and production program. Even if the
designed to be eas-
primary metal-to-metal seal is damaged during drilling,
ily retrofitted into any
the DX Connector has an emergency backup metal-to-metal
subsea BOP stack. Each
sealing profile. This ensures a pressure-tight, trouble-free
connector is available
connection between the completion tree and the wellhead.
with a mandrel and can
be used in the lower
marine riser package
for quick disconnect
from the main BOP.

Models Available for Floating Production

Alternative Uses Tie-Back Connectors

Other uses for DX Connectors

Dril-Quip DX are ideal for tie-
Connectors are: back applications.
DX Connectors
••Export Riser can be modified to
Connector include mechani-
cal locking and
••Surface BOP
unlocking features.
Stack Connector
These features, combined
••Flowline with high strength capaci-
Connector ties, ensure a trouble-free,
rigid connection.

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Design and Operations

Design Features Assure Positive Disconnects

DX Connectors incorporate three hydraulic circuits:

••Primary Lock ••Secondary Unlock

The primary locking circuit is optimized to In emergency situations, the independent
deliver maximum locking force to the annular secondary unlock circuit functions a passive
piston/cam ring. secondary annular piston. The secondary
unlock piston unlocks the connector with
••Primary Unlock 88% more force than the primary lock piston.
The primary unlock circuit provides 25% more
unlocking force than locking force.

Secondary Secondary
Secondary
Unlock Piston Unlock Piston
Unlock Piston
Hydraulic Hydraulic
Hydraulic
Fluid Fluid
Fluid
Locking Locking
Locking
Segments Segments
Segments
Annular Annular
Annular
Piston/Cam Piston/Cam
Piston/Cam
Ring Ring
Ring
Arrow Arrow
Arrow
Represents Represents
Represents
Movement Movement
Movement

DX Connector DX Connector DX Connector

in Locked Position in Unlocked Position in Unlocked Position
Using the Secondary
Unlock System

Latching Segments are Automatically

Retracted When the Connector is Unlocked
DX Connectors incorporate a Latch Latch Segment
positive unlocking mechanism. Segment Unlocked and
This mechanism ensures that Locked Automatically
the latch segments are fully Retracted
retracted from the wellhead
when the connector is unlocked.
A spreader, attached to the
annular piston/cam ring, pulls
latching segments away from
the wellhead when unlock
pressure is applied and the cam
ring moves up.

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Orientation
Slot

Gasket
Retainer/
Release
Lever

Primary
Lock Port

Ring Gasket
Retaining
Mechanism

Latch
Segment

Primary
Unlock
Port

Ring
Gasket

Annular
Piston/Cam
Ring

Secondary
Unlock
Port

Secondary
Unlatch
Piston

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Testing and Technical Data
Computer Designed Hub Separation Loads for
Dril-Quip 18 3/4" 10,000 psi DX Connector
3.5
DX Connectors have been designed and analyzed using Ratings based on finite element

Bending Moment (Million ft-lb)

3.0 analysis with:
finite element analysis. The analysis includes preloading (1) Constant latching pressure of
the connector in steps and applying separating forces 2.5 0p
si I
3,000 psi.
nte (2) Hub preload due to latching
while observing the behavior of stresses throughout the 2.0 rna
l Pr pressure was 3.36 million lb.
ess
connector components. Particular attention has been 1.5 Int 10,00
ure
ern 0
paid to the peak surface al P psi
1.0 res
stresses on the profile of sur
e
the latch segments and 0.5

bearing stresses between 0.0

0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0
the latch segments and Axial Tension (Million lb)
wellhead profile. Results
have helped optimize lock- Hub Separation Loads for
ing profile geometry and Dril-Quip 18 3/4" 15,000 psi DX Connector
5.0
overall connector design. Ratings based on finite element

Bending Moment (Million ft-lb)

analysis with:
Analysis has also been con- 4.0 (1) Constant latching pressure of
3,000 psi.
ducted on the DX gasket 0p
si I (2) Hub preload due to latching
3.0 nte
to observe the behavior rna pressure was 4.75 million lb.
l Pr
of contact stresses and the ess
2.0 Int 15,00 ure
gasket’s reaction to inter- ern 0
al P psi
res
nal pressure. The result has 1.0 sur
e
been a design for a well-
head connector with high 0.0
0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 10.0
tensile and bending capaci- Axial Tension (Million lb)
ties, all within a smaller The DX-15 Subsea Connector can withstand a bending movement of
dimensional envelope. 2.1 x 106 ft-lb with 15,000 psi internal pressure and zero axial tension

Primary and Emergency

Metal-to-Metal Sealing
The Dril-Quip Wellhead and DX Connectors Primary Sealing
feature a pair of independent metal-to-metal Secondary Sealing
Surface (Metal- Surface (Metal-
sealing profiles. These two-step profiles to-Metal) to-Metal)
provide sealing surfaces for a primary DX
ring gasket and an independent secondary
(emergency) ring gasket. The first profile is Porting Porting
Bypasses Bypasses
the primary metal-to-metal sealing surface. It
Secondary Primary
is used by a standard DX ring gasket during Sealing Sealing
normal drilling operations. This gasket also Surface Surface
protects a second metal-to-metal sealing
surface from damage.
Primary Secondary
Special bypass porting preserves the second- Sealing Surface Sealing Surface
ary sealing surface from damage. However, (Metal-to-Metal) (Metal-to-Metal)
should the primary sealing surface become
damaged, an emergency DX ring gasket can
be installed. It utilizes the secondary sealing
surface for a reliable metal-to-metal seal. Primary Ring Gasket Emergency Ring Gasket

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Dril-Quip’s DX Connectors are available in several pressure ratings. The DX-10 is a 10,000 psi rated connector and
the DX-15 is a 15,000 psi rated connector. Dril-Quip’s DX Connectors have been designed to incorporate latching
segments to allow them to be locked to all industry standard subsea wellhead locking profiles. This offers
maximum compatibility and flexibility when choosing a wellhead connector for the application.

Dril-Quip’s DX Connectors are also available in a variety of alternative configurations that include body sizes
that accommodate the standard 27" nominal OD subsea wellhead and 30" nominal OD deepwater subsea
wellhead systems. Conversion kits are available when switching wellhead OD sizes. For more information and
specifications, please contact your nearest Dril-Quip representative.

DX-10 DX-15
D D
A A

C
C

B
B

E E

DX Drilling Connector Technical Specifications

Load to Bending to Tension to

Nominal Pressure Preload Hub Hub Separation Hub Separation
Size Rating A B C D E @ 3,000 psi Separation* (106 ft-lb) (106 lb)
(in) (psi) (in) (in) (in) (in) (in) (106 lb) (106 lb) @ 0 psi @ Work Press. @ Work Press.
18 3/4 10,000 18.75 46.15 28.23 46.12 46.88 3.36 6.60* 3.24 1.62 3.30
18 3/4 15,000 18.75 51.75 33.33 53.25 54.00 4.75 9.00* 4.42 2.15 4.38
*Based on FEA, however load testing results were approximately 10% higher.

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032211T ©2011 Dril-Quip, inc. Printed in the USA