Drilling rig drawworks installation

• US 20090218137A1
• Filed: 02/29/2008
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Oilwell Varco LP (NOV, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: National Oilwell Varco LP (NOV, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yu, Yan, Sheng, Hui Chun, Ren, Chunqiao, McCurdy, Stuart Arthur Lyall, Donnally, Robert Benjamin, Liu, Xi Lin
• Granted Patent: US 8,047,303 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 175/57
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/02 Drilling rigs characterised by means for land transport with their own drive, e.g. skid mounting or wheel mounting

Abstract

Methods and systems for installing a drawworks on a drilling rig, the method, in certain aspects, including moving a drawworks on movement apparatus on the ground adjacent a drill floor of a rig, connecting the drawworks to the drill floor, moving the movement apparatus away from the rig, and raising the drill floor with the drawworks thereon using raising apparatus of a rig substructure supporting the drill floor. 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 method for installing a drawworks on a drilling rig, the method comprising

moving a drawworks on movement apparatus on the ground adjacent a drill floor of a rig, the rig having a substructure and raising apparatus on the substructure,

connecting the drawworks to the drill floor, and

raising the drill floor with the drawworks thereon using the raising apparatus of the rig substructure.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the drawworks is rotatably mounted on the movement apparatus, the method further comprising

rotating the drawworks with respect to the movement apparatus prior to connecting the drawworks to the drill floor.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the drawworks has drawworks connection apparatus and the drill floor has drill floor connector structure, the method further comprising

raising the drill floor to connectingly engage the drill floor connector structure with the drawworks connection apparatus to connect the drawworks to the drill floor.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising

moving the movement apparatus away from the rig.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein a securement device secures the drawworks to the drill floor, the method further comprising

securing the drawworks to the drill floor with the securement device.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising

raising the drill floor with the drawworks thereon to a desired operational height.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the drill floor has an interior open space into which a movement apparatus is selectively movable with the drawworks thereon, the method further comprising

moving the drawworks into the interior open space of the drill floor on the movement apparatus prior to connecting the drawworks to the drill floor.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the movement apparatus is a truck-trailer combination with the drawworks on a trailer of the truck-trailer combination, the trailer connected to and movable by a truck of the truck-trailer combination.

9. The method of claim 3 wherein

the drawworks connection apparatus is hook apparatus for connection to a corresponding pin structure, and

the drill floor connector structure includes a corresponding pin structure engagable by the hook apparatus.

10. The method of claim 3 wherein

the drawworks is connected to a drawworks skid,

the drawworks connection apparatus includes a plurality of lugs spaced-apart on and projecting from the skid, each lug having a lug hole,

the drill floor connector structure including a drill floor hole in the drill floor corresponding to each lug hole, the method further comprising

connecting the drawworks to the drill floor by emplacing a pin with respect to each lug hole and drill floor hole so that a first portion of the pin is in the lug hole and a second portion of the pin is in the drill floor hole.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the drawworks includes a skid, the method further comprising

connecting the drawworks to the drill floor so that a top of the skid is substantially level with the drill floor.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein

the substructure includes extension apparatus extendable to engage the drawworks, the method further comprising

extending the substructure extension apparatus from the substructure, and

engaging the drawworks with the substructure extension apparatus.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising

retracting the substructure extension apparatus while it is engaging the drawworks to move the drawworks to the drill floor.

14. A method for installing a drawworks on a drilling rig, the method comprising

moving a drawworks on movement apparatus on the ground adjacent a drill floor of a rig, the rig having a substructure and raising apparatus on the substructure,

connecting the drawworks to the drill floor, and

raising the drill floor with the drawworks thereon using the raising apparatus of the rig substructure,

wherein the drawworks has drawworks connection apparatus and the drill floor has drill floor connector structure, the method further comprising

raising the drill floor to connectingly engage the drill floor connector structure with the drawworks connection apparatus to connect the drawworks to the drill floor,

moving the movement apparatus away from the rig,

wherein a securement device secures the drawworks to the drill floor, the method further comprising

securing the drawworks to the drill floor with the securement device,

raising the drill floor with the drawworks thereon to a desired operational height, and

wherein the movement apparatus is a truck-trailer combination with the drawworks on a trailer of the truck-trailer combination, the trailer connected to and movable by a truck of the truck-trailer combination.

15. A method for installing a drawworks on a drilling rig on ground, the method comprising

moving a drawworks on movement apparatus on ground adjacent a drill floor of a rig, the rig having a substructure and raising apparatus on the substructure,

wherein the drill floor having an interior open space into which a movement apparatus is selectively movable with the drawworks thereon, the method further comprising

moving the drawworks into the interior open space of the drill floor on the movement apparatus, and

connecting the drawworks to the drill floor.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising

raising the drill floor with the drawworks thereon using the raising apparatus of the rig substructure.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising

the drawworks has drawworks connection apparatus and the drill floor has drill floor connector structure, the method further comprising

raising the drill floor to connectingly engage the drill floor connector structure with the drawworks connection apparatus to connect the drawworks to the drill floor.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein a securement device secures the drawworks to the drill floor, the method further comprising

securing the drawworks to the drill floor with the securement device.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the drawworks includes a skid, the method further comprising

positioning the drawworks with respect to the drill floor so that a top of the skid is substantially level with the drill floor.

20. A drill floor comprising

the drill floor having a floor section with an interior open space into which a movement apparatus is selectively movable with a drawworks thereon, and

drill floor connector structure on the drawworks for connection to corresponding connection structure on a drawworks, the drill floor connector structure movable to engage a drawworks connection apparatus to connect a drawworks to the drill floor.

21. A method for installing a rig apparatus on a drilling rig, the method comprising

moving a rig apparatus on movement apparatus on the ground adjacent a drill floor of a rig, the rig having a substructure and raising apparatus on the substructure,

connecting the rig apparatus to the drill floor, and

raising the drill floor with the rig apparatus thereon using the raising apparatus of the rig substructure,

wherein the rig apparatus has rig apparatus connection apparatus and the drill floor has drill floor connector structure, the method further comprising

raising the drill floor to connectingly engage the drill floor connector structure with the rig apparatus connection apparatus to connect the rig apparatus to the drill floor,

moving the movement apparatus away from the rig,

wherein a securement device secures the rig apparatus to the drill floor, the method further comprising

securing the rig apparatus to the drill floor with the securement device,

raising the drill floor with the rig apparatus thereon to a desired operational height, and

wherein the movement apparatus is a truck-trailer combination with the rig apparatus on a trailer of the truck-trailer combination, the trailer connected to and movable by a truck of the truck-trailer combination.