Dual operational rig

• US 10,337,258 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2016
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rowan Companies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Rowan Companies Incorporated
• Inventors: Dowdy, Michael James, Necaise, Frankie Derek
• Primary Examiner(s): Buck, Matthew R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wood, Douglas S
• Application Number:
  US15/356,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20170152713A1
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 17/00 Artificial islands mounted on piles or like supports, e.g. platforms on raisable legs or offshore constructions; Construction methods therefor construction methods for floating platforms B63B75/00; anchoring floating platforms B63B21/00; floating platforms, e.g. anchored, B63B35/44; underwater reservoirs B65D88/78
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 17/021 with relative movement between supporting construction and platform
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 2017/0052 Removal or dismantling of offshore structures from their offshore location
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 2017/0056 Platforms with supporting legs
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 15/003 adapted to be moved on their substructure, e.g. with skidding means; adapted to drill a plurality of wells
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 15/02 specially adapted for underwater drilling E21B15/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/00 Special methods or apparatus for drilling

Abstract

A dual tower rig includes a hull supported by one or more legs and includes a cantilever assembly coupled to the hull. Dual towers are supported by a skidding system that is coupled to the cantilever assembly. The towers are configured to conduct independent operations and are movable relative to each other and to the hull by the skidding system and the cantilever assembly.

Claims

1. An offshore rig for operating at separate wells, the rig comprising:

a hull positionable relative to the separate wells;

a cantilever assembly coupled to the hull and movably mounted in a plane relative to the hull; and

at least two operational assemblies coupled to the cantilever assembly, each movably mounted independent of each other in the plane relative to the cantilever assembly and to the hull,

the at least two operational assemblies being operable to conduct separate operations of the separate wells independent of one another in both time and space,

wherein the cantilever assembly comprises an equipment handling assembly handling operational equipment for the at least two operational assemblies and being shared between the at least two operational assemblies moved independent of each other in the plane relative to the cantilever assembly and to the hull.

2. The rig of claim 1, wherein the separate operation is selected from the group consisting of decommissioning the separate well, plug and abandoning the separate well, working over the separate well, drilling the separate well, completing the separate well, and logging the separate.

3. The rig of claim 1, wherein the cantilever assembly comprises a base mounted on one or more beams of the hull, the base being moveable along at least one direction on the one or more beams relative to the hull.

4. The rig of claim 1, wherein the at least two operational assemblies each comprises a platform supported on the cantilever assembly and being moveable along at least one direction relative to the hull.

5. The rig of claim 4, wherein each of the platforms is mounted on one or more rails of the cantilever assembly, the platform moveable along the at least one direction on the one or more rails relative to the cantilever assembly.

6. The rig of claim 5, wherein each of the platforms is mounted on one or more pads disposed on the one or more rails of the cantilever assembly, each platform being moveable along another of the at least one direction on the one or more pads relative to the cantilever assembly.

7. The rig of claim 1, wherein the cantilever assembly is moveable at least along a first direction relative to the hull;

and wherein the at least two operational assemblies are each independently moveable in the first direction and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

8. The rig of claim 1, wherein the at least two operational assemblies each comprises separate equipment dedicated to the operational assembly for conducting the separate operation.

9. The rig of claim 8, wherein the separate equipment is selected from the group consisting of fluid handling equipment, mud return equipment, well control equipment, solid handling equipment, pipe handling equipment, power generation equipment, and degasser equipment.

10. The rig of claim 1, wherein the at least two operational assemblies comprise equipment shared between the operational assemblies for conducting the separate operations.

11. The rig of claim 10, wherein the shared equipment is selected from the group consisting of BOP handling equipment, swarf skip equipment, a knuckle boom crane, and fluid handling equipment.

12. The rig of claim 1, wherein each of the at least two operational assemblies comprises a well center, the well centers of the at least two assemblies defining a work zone positionable relative to the separate wells.

13. The rig of claim 12, wherein the hull is positionable in a plurality of headings to position the defined work zone relative to the separate wells.

14. The rig of claim 1, wherein the cantilever assembly further comprises a fluid handling assembly handling fluid for the at least two operational assemblies and being shared between the at least two operational assemblies moved independent of each other in the plane relative to the cantilever assembly and to the hull.

15. An offshore rig for operating at separate wells, the rig comprising:

A hull positionable relative to the separate wells;

A cantilever assembly coupled to the hull and movably mounted relative to the hull, wherein the cantilever assembly comprises a handling area between at least two operational assemblies, the handling area comprising a plurality of rails movable in one direction on the cantilever assembly and comprising a plurality of carts movable on the rails in an orthogonal direction;

wherein

The least two operational assemblies are coupled to the cantilever assembly, each movably mounted independent of each other relative to the cantilever assembly and to the hull, the at least two operational assemblies being operable to conduct separate operations of the separate wells independent of one another in both time and space.

16. The rig of claim 15, wherein the handling area defines a moonpool positionable relative to the separate wells, wherein the plurality of rails comprises a first set of the rails movable in the one direction relative to the moonpool and comprises a second set of the rails movable in the one direction relative to the first set of the rails, whereby the first and second sets of rails are alignable and misalignable with one another.

17. The rig of claim 15, wherein each of the operational assemblies comprises a swarf unit having a pipe rotatably coupled thereto and communicating with the handling area between the at least two assemblies.

18. The rig of claim 15, wherein the cantilever assembly is movably mounted in a plane relative to the hull;

and wherein the at least two operational assemblies are each movably mounted independent of each other in the plane relative to the cantilever assembly and to the hull.

19. The rig of claim 15, wherein each of the operational assemblies comprises a fluid return component being telescopic in a first direction with movement of the each operational assembly in the first direction relative to the cantilever assembly, and wherein the cantilever assembly comprises a trough in fluid communication with the fluid return component and allowing for translation of the first fluid return component in a second orthogonal direction with movement of the each operational assembly in the second direction relative to the cantilever assembly.

20. An offshore rig for operating at separate wells, the rig comprising:

a hull positionable relative to the separate wells;

a cantilever assembly coupled to the hull and movably mounted relative to the hull; and

at least two operational assemblies coupled to the cantilever assembly, each movably mounted independent of each other relative to the cantilever assembly and to the hull, the at least two operational assemblies being operable to conduct separate operations of the separate wells independent of one another in both time and space,

wherein each of the operational assemblies comprises a fluid return component being telescopic in a first direction with movement of the each operational assembly in the first direction relative to the cantilever assembly, and wherein the cantilever assembly comprises a trough in fluid communication with the fluid return component and allowing for translation of the first fluid return component in a second orthogonal direction with movement of the each operational assembly in the second direction relative to the cantilever assembly.

21. The rig of claim 20, wherein the cantilever assembly comprises separate fluid return equipment in fluid communication with each of the troughs for the at least two operational assemblies.

22. The rig of claim 20, wherein the cantilever assembly is movably mounted in a plane relative to the hull;

and wherein the at least two operational assemblies are each movably mounted independent of each other in the plane relative to the cantilever assembly and to the hull.

23. The rig of claim 20, wherein the cantilever assembly comprises a handling area between the at least two operational assemblies, the handling area comprising a plurality of rails movable in one direction on the cantilever assembly and comprising a plurality of carts movable on the rails in an orthogonal direction.

24. An offshore rig for decommissioning of separate wells, the rig comprising:

a hull positionable relative to the separate wells;

a cantilever assembly coupled to the hull and movably mounted in a plane relative to the hull; and

at least two decommissioning assemblies coupled to the cantilever assembly, each movably mounted in the plane independent relative to each other and relative to the cantilever assembly,

the at least two decommissioning assemblies being configurable to conduct independent and simultaneous decommissioning operations of the separate wells,

wherein the cantilever assembly comprises an equipment handling assembly handling decommissioning equipment for the at least two decommissioning assemblies and being shared between the at least two decommissioning assemblies moved independent of each other in the plane relative to the cantilever assembly and to the hull.

25. An offshore rig for operating at separate wells, the rig comprising:

a hull positionable relative to the separate wells;

a cantilever assembly coupled to the hull and movably mounted in a plane relative to the hull; and

at least two operational assemblies coupled to the cantilever assembly, each movably mounted independent of each other in the plane relative to the cantilever assembly and to the hull,

the at least two operational assemblies being operable to conduct separate operations of the separate wells independent of one another in both time and space,

wherein the cantilever assembly comprises a fluid handling assembly handling fluid for the at least two operational assemblies and being shared between the at least two operational assemblies moved independent of each other in the plane relative to the cantilever assembly and to the hull.

26. The rig of claim 25, wherein the separate operation is selected from the group consisting of decommissioning the separate well, plug and abandoning the separate well, working over the separate well, drilling the separate well, completing the separate well, and logging the separate.

27. The rig of claim 25, wherein the cantilever assembly comprises a base mounted on one or more beams of the hull, the base being moveable along at least one direction on the one or more beams relative to the hull.

28. The rig of claim 25, wherein the at least two operational assemblies each comprises a platform supported on the cantilever assembly and being moveable along at least one direction relative to the hull.

29. The rig of claim 28, wherein each of the platforms is mounted on one or more rails of the cantilever assembly, the platform moveable along the at least one direction on the one or more rails relative to the cantilever assembly.

30. The rig of claim 29, wherein each of the platforms is mounted on one or more pads disposed on the one or more rails of the cantilever assembly, each platform being moveable along another of the at least one direction on the one or more pads relative to the cantilever assembly.

31. The rig of claim 25, wherein the cantilever assembly is moveable at least along a first direction relative to the hull;

and wherein the at least two operational assemblies are each independently moveable in the first direction and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

32. The rig of claim 25, wherein the at least two operational assemblies each comprise separate equipment dedicated to the operational assembly for conducting the separate operation.

33. The rig of claim 32, wherein the separate equipment is selected from the group consisting of fluid handling equipment, mud return equipment, well control equipment, solid handling equipment, pipe handling equipment, power generation equipment, and degasser equipment.

34. The rig of claim 25, wherein the at least two operational assemblies comprises equipment shared between the operational assemblies for conducting the separate operations.

35. The rig of claim 34, wherein the shared equipment is selected from the group consisting of BOP handling equipment, swarf skip equipment, a knuckle boom crane, and fluid handling equipment.

36. The rig of claim 25, wherein each of the at least two operational assemblies comprises a well center, the well centers of the at least two assemblies defining a work zone positionable relative to the separate wells.

37. The rig of claim 36, wherein the hull is positionable in a plurality of headings to position the defined work zone relative to the separate wells.

38. An offshore rig for decommissioning of separate wells, the rig comprising:

a hull positionable relative to the separate wells;

a cantilever assembly coupled to the hull and movably mounted in a plane relative to the hull; and

at least two decommissioning assemblies coupled to the cantilever assembly, each movably mounted in the plane independent relative to each other and relative to the cantilever assembly,

the at least two decommissioning assemblies being configurable to conduct independent and simultaneous decommissioning operations of the separate wells,

wherein the cantilever assembly comprises a fluid handling assembly handling fluid for the at least two decommissioning assemblies and being shared between the at least two decommissioning assemblies moved independent of each other in the plane relative to the cantilever assembly and to the hull.