METHOD, DEVICE AND SYSTEM FOR DRILLING RIG MODIFICATION

• US 20080173480A1
• Filed: 01/29/2007
• Published: 07/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canrig Drilling Technology Limited (Nabors Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Canrig Drilling Technology Limited (Nabors Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Scarborough, John, Boone, Scott, Ellis, Brian, Kuttel, Beat, Annaiyappa, Pradeep
• Granted Patent: US 8,215,417 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 175/24
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 15/00 Supports for the drilling machine, e.g. derricks or masts

Abstract

A method, device and system for augmenting a traditional drilling or workover rig with automated operational, monitoring and reporting systems. The automation system comprises integratable components of various automated operational systems, combined in a device easily adapted to install into the operational area of a drilling or workover rig, wherein the automated operational systems are dynamically selectable either or both locally or remotely.

Claims

1. A system for augmenting a traditional rig with automated operating functionality, comprising:

an integrated control engine operably coupled with an integrated sensor engine, an integrated equipment engine, and an integrated report engine; and

a dynamically selectable operational system elementally embodied in at least two of the integrated control engine, the integrated sensor engine, the integrated equipment engine, and the integrated report engine.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the integrated control engine further comprises:

a user interface, a processor, and memory.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the user interface is capable of providing access to the system, either or both, locally and remotely to the rig.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the user interface further comprises:

a cabinet physically sized and dimensioned to fit in a primary control station.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the user interface further comprises:

a video display, a control engine interaction device, and a manual equipment engine control.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the user interface further comprises:

a cabinet physically sized and dimensioned to fit in an area typically occupied by the driller'"'"'s desk.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the user interface further comprises:

a video display, a control engine interaction device, and a manual equipment engine control.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the dynamically selectable operational system comprises at least one of:

an equipment condition system, a directional steering system, an electronic choke system, a drilling pressure system, a mud pump control system, a kill sheet system, a daily reporting system, a safety analysis and report system, a traveling equipment position system, a top drive position system, a pipe handler system, a floor wrench system, a remote access system, an autodriller system, a rig drilling data system, a pit volume totalizer system, a mud gas system, a mud flow system, a mud density system, a rig video system, an automated tubular racking system, a casing running system, a BOP control system, a pipe centralizing arm system, a drawworks system, a coiled tubing unit system, and a slips system.

9. A method for augmenting a traditional rig with an automation system, comprising:

installing an integrated control engine system;

installing communication link capacity for components of the automation system;

installing a sensor engine;

installing an equipment engine; and

activating a selectable operational system dynamically, which is elementally embodied in components of the automation system.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein installing the integrated control engine comprises:

installing a user interface, a processor, and memory.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the user interface is capable of providing access to the system, either or both, locally and remotely to the rig.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein installing a user interface further comprises:

installing a cabinet physically sized and dimensioned to fit in a primary control station; and

installing the control engine in the cabinet.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein installing a user interface further comprises:

installing a video display, a control engine interaction device, and a manual equipment engine control in the cabinet.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein installing a user interface further comprises:

removing a driller'"'"'s desk; and

installing a cabinet physically sized and dimensioned to fit in an area formerly occupied by the driller'"'"'s desk.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein installing a user interface further comprises:

installing a video display, a control engine interaction device, and a manual equipment engine control in the cabinet.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein activating selectable operational systems dynamically includes selecting at least one of an equipment condition system, a directional steering system, an electronic choke system, a drilling pressure system, a mud pump control system, a kill sheet system, a daily reporting system, a safety analysis and report system, a traveling equipment position system, a top drive position system, a pipe handler system, a floor wrench system, a remote access system, an autodriller system, a rig drilling data system, a pit volume totalizer system, a mud gas system, a mud flow system, a mud density system, a rig video system, an automated tubular racking system, a casing running system, and a BOP control system.

17. A method for augmenting a traditional rig with an automation system, comprising:

installing an integrated control engine system, which further comprises;

installing a user interface, which further comprises;

installing a cabinet physically sized and dimensioned to fit in an area formerly occupied by a driller'"'"'s desk;

installing a processor; and

installing memory;

installing communication link capacity for the components of the automation system;

installing a sensor engine;

installing an equipment engine; and

activating a selectable operational system dynamically.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein installing a user interface further comprises:

removing the driller'"'"'s desk prior to installing the cabinet.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the user interface further comprises:

a video display, a control engine interaction device, and a manual equipment engine control.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a control system physically sized to fit within a predetermined space on one of a drilling rig and a workover rig, the control system having circuitry that includes;

an interface section configured to electrically cooperate with each of a plurality of different subsystems that can be present on a rig;

memory storing a plurality of different program modules that each, when executed, cooperate with and control a respective one of a plurality of different subsystems that can be present on a rig; and

a processor that is cooperable with the interface section and with the memory, and that executes a selected set of the program modules.

21. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the circuitry further includes a user interface through which a user can specify the selected set of program modules.

22. An apparatus according to claim 20, including a further program module that is stored in the memory and that, when executed by the processor, interacts with each of the program modules in the selected set.

23. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the circuitry includes a display, and wherein the further program module, when executed by the processor, has an operational mode in which it simultaneously presents on the display a plurality of elements of information that are respectively obtained from respective different program modules in the selected set.

24. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the predetermined space is a space configured to receive a driller'"'"'s desk.