DRILLING RIGS WITH APPARATUS IDENTIFICATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20090188675A1
• Filed: 04/03/2009
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Oilwell Varco LP (NOV, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: National Oilwell Varco LP (NOV, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kammann, Reinhold, Bloom, Robert, McClung, Guy L. III, Ellison, Leon D., Lam, Clive, Worms, Manfred
• Granted Patent: US 8,016,037 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/381
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 15/00 Supports for the drilling machine, e.g. derricks or masts
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 17/006 Accessories for drilling pipes, e.g. cleaners wear protectors E21B17/10; handling drilling pipes E21B19/00; thread protectors B65D59/00
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/00 Handling rods, casings, tubes or the like outside the borehole, e.g. in the derrick; Apparatus for feeding the rods or cables
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/16 Connecting or disconnecting pipe couplings or joints E21B19/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/13 by electromagnetic energy, e.g. radio frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs

Abstract

A rig for wellbore operations which has a rig floor, at least one mat on the rig floor, and energizing apparatus in or on the at least one mat for energizing wave-energizable apparatus on an item movable with respect to the rig. This abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure and is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims, 37 C.F.R. 1.72(b).

Claims

1. A rig for wellbore operations comprising

a rig floor,

at least one mat on the rig floor, and

energizing apparatus associated with the at least one mat for energizing wave-energizable apparatus on an item movable adjacent the mat and with respect to the rig.

2. The rig of claim 1 wherein the item is drill pipe.

3. The rig of claim 1 wherein the at least one mat is a plurality of mats.

4. The rig of claim 1 wherein the at least one mat comprises two pieces connected together.

5. The rig of claim 2

wherein the at least one mat comprises a first piece and a second piece,

the first piece has projecting structure, and

the second piece has recess structure for receiving and holding the projecting structure of the first piece to connect the first piece to the second piece.

6. The rig of claim 1 wherein the energizing apparatus provides energy in a volume above the rig floor into which the item is movable and wherein the volume is of a generally conical shape.

7. The rig of claim 6 wherein the volume has a top between ten inches and seventy-two inches above the rig floor.

8. The rig of claim 7 wherein the volume has a top about forty inches above the rig floor.

9. The rig of claim 1 wherein the mat has a body,

the body having an exterior surface and two spaced-apart ends,

wave-energizable identification apparatus on the exterior surface of the body,

the wave-energizable identification apparatus wrapped in fabric material, the fabric material comprising heat-resistant non-conducting material, and

the wave-energizable apparatus wrapped and positioned in the body so that the wave-energizable identification apparatus does not contact the body.

10. The rig of claim 1 wherein the at least one mat has a plurality of pin holes and the rig floor has a plurality of pins, each pin within a corresponding hole of the plurality of holes.

11. The rig of claim 1 wherein the energizing apparatus is a plurality of spaced-apart energizing apparatuses.

12. The rig of claim 1 wherein the item is one of cable, line, tubular, drill bit, top drive, and mud motor.

13. The rig of claim 1 further comprising reader apparatus for reading the wave-energizable apparatus.

14. The rig of claim 1 further comprising a control system for controlling the energizing apparatus.

15. A mat for use in rig wellbore operations, the mat comprising

a mat body,

energizing apparatus associated with the mat body for energizing wave-energizable apparatus on an item movable adjacent the mat and with respect to the rig, and

the item usable in a rig operation.

16. The mat of claim 15 wherein the mat body comprises two pieces connected together.

17. The mat of claim 15 wherein the energizing apparatus provides energy in a volume above the rig floor into which the item is movable and wherein the volume is of a generally conical shape.

18. The mat of claim 15 wherein the energizing apparatus is within the mat body.

19. The mat of claim 15 wherein the mat body has a plurality of pin holes for receiving corresponding pins on the rig floor.

20. A method for energizing wave-energizable apparatus adjacent a rig floor of a rig, the method comprising

moving an item with wave-energizable apparatus adjacent a rig floor of a rig, the rig for wellbore operations, the item usable in a rig operation, and the rig having a rig floor, at least one mat on the rig floor, and energizing apparatus associated with the at least one mat for energizing the wave-energizable apparatus, and

with the energizing apparatus, energizing the wave-energizable apparatus.