Multi-direction traversable drilling rig

• US 10,487,592 B1
• Filed: 05/03/2018
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nabors Drillling Technologies USA, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nabors Drillling Technologies USA, Inc.
• Inventors: Gupta, Ashish, Abarca, Enrique
• Primary Examiner(s): Fuller, Robert E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sebesta, Christopher J
• Application Number:
  US15/970,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20190338600A1
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• 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 15/006 Means for anchoring the drilling machine to the ground
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/155 Handling between horizontal and vertical position
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/065 Separating solids from drilling fluids
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/06 Blow-out preventers , i.e. apparatus closing around a drill pipe, e.g. annular blow-out preventers rotating blow-out preventers E21B33/085

Abstract

A land-based drilling rig includes a plurality of columns. Each of the columns is a polyhedron having a square base or is cylindrical. The land-based drilling rig further includes a drill rig floor coupled to the plurality of columns. The land-based drilling rig also includes a mast, the mast mechanically coupled to the drill rig floor.

Claims

1. A land-based drilling rig comprising:

a plurality of columns, the plurality of columns being either polyhedrons having a square base or generally cylindrical, wherein each of the plurality of columns includes an upper end and a lower end, and wherein the lower end of each column includes a hydraulic walker having a retracted position and an extended position;

a drill rig floor, the drill rig floor having an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the upper end of each column is pinned or welded directly to the lower surface of the drill rig floor, and wherein the retracted position of each hydraulic walker is beneath the drill rig floor;

at least one equipment support cantilever, wherein the equipment support cantilever is hingedly or fixedly coupled to at least one of the drill rig floor or a column, and wherein the equipment support cantilever is adapted to support one or more pieces of drilling rig equipment mechanically coupled thereto; and

a mast, the mast mechanically coupled to the upper surface of the drill rig floor;

wherein the weight of the mast and drill rig floor is supported by the columns regardless of whether the hydraulic walkers are in the retracted position or the extended position; and

wherein the distance between two adjacent columns is A and the distance between two other adjacent columns is A′

, wherein A and A′

are each greater than the diameter of a wellhead and wherein the land-based drilling rig is adapted to be moved away from a wellsite such that the wellhead passes between any pairing of columns forming distances A or A′

.

2. The land-based drilling rig of claim 1, wherein the drill rig floor includes a V-door, a side of the drill rig floor having the V-door defining a V-door side of the drill rig floor, and wherein the V-door is positioned between at least two of the plurality of columns.

3. The land-based drilling rig of claim 1 further comprising a driller'"'"'s cabin, the driller'"'"'s cabin positioned on the upper surface of the drill rig floor or cantilevered from a driller'"'"'s side of the drill rig floor.

4. The land-based drilling rig of claim 3 further comprising a driller'"'"'s cabin, the driller'"'"'s cabin positioned on the equipment support cantilever.

5. The land-based drilling rig of claim 1 further comprising a choke manifold, the choke manifold positioned on an off-driller'"'"'s side of the upper surface of the drill rig floor.

6. The land-based drilling rig of claim 1, wherein each column has a square base and rectangular sides.

7. The land-based drilling rig of claim 6 having four columns, wherein each of the columns is positioned at or near edges of the drill rig floor.

8. The land-based drilling rig of claim 1, further comprising one or more of drill line spooler, hydraulic power unit, compressor, variable frequency drive, mud process equipment, choke manifold, accumulator, mud gas separator, process tank, or trip tank positioned on the upper surface of the drill rig floor or cantilevered from the drill rig floor.

9. The land-based drilling rig of claim 1, wherein the mast is fixedly coupled or pivotably coupled to the upper surface of the drill rig floor.

10. The land-based drilling rig of claim 1, wherein each hydraulic walker is hydraulically actuable to move or walk the land-based drilling rig to a different location.

11. The land-based drilling rig of claim 10 wherein the hydraulic walker comprises:

a walking foot;

a hydraulic lift assembly including a hydraulic cylinder coupled to the walking foot; and

a sliding actuator including one or more hydraulic cylinders coupled to the walking foot.

12. The land-based drilling rig of claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the hydraulic walkers is rotatable relative to the column.

13. The land-based drilling rig of claim 11, wherein the hydraulic walkers are adapted to move the land-based drilling rig by:

extending the hydraulic walker to the ground;

moving the hydraulic walker from laterally relative to the hydraulic lift assembly from a first position to a second position; and

retracting the hydraulic lift assembly, such that the walking foot is lifted from the ground.