Riser pipe stacking method

• US 3,895,677 A
• Filed: 01/18/1974
• Issued: 07/22/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Donald G. Bokenkamp
• Original Assignee: Donald G. Bokenkamp
• Inventors: Bokenkamp, Donald G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Purser, Ernest R.
• Application Number:
  US05/434,651
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 166/.5,315,775 175/5,7,52,85,171 214/2.5 114/.5D
• US Class Current: 166/359
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/002 specially adapted for underwater drilling E21B19/09, E21B19/143 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/14 Racks, ramps, troughs or bins, for holding the lengths of rod singly or connected; Handling between storage place and borehole E21B19/20, E21B19/22 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/143 specially adapted for underwater drilling

Abstract

An offshore drilling rig that embodies a means for vertical stacking of riser pipe sections and blowout preventors below a derrick floor and includes riser pipe manipulating mechanisms for transporting units in a vertical condition between a storage area and the operational area. In the operational area, the cellar floor is provided with a sliding door mechanism which is selectively capable of supporting either the blowout preventor and riser weight, or the blowout preventor. The transportation system includes means for lifting and supporting a riser pipe section vertically and movable in transverse and longitudinal, horizontal directions for transporting pipe sections in a vertical condition.

Claims

1. In an offshore drilling system on location in a body of water, a method for manipulating riser pipe sections between a stored condition of individual sections in a storage area in a drilling rig and an operational condition of sections coupled to one another to define a riser string where said riser string extends downwardly from the drilling rig toward the floor under the water, said method comprising the steps of coupling the draw works of a drilling rig to the riser string and lifting the riser string through an opening in a riser storage floor until at least the upper end of said riser string is below the rotary table on the rig floor and at least one riser section is above the riser storage floor, releasably supporting the riser string at said opening in said riser storage floor, releasably coupling a horizontally movable transfer means to the upper end of a riser section just below the rotary table, disconnecting the draw works from the riser string and disconnecting such riser pipe section from the riser string at a location above said opening, raising such uncoupled riser pipe section on the horizontal transfer means to clear the end of the supported riser string and transferring such uncoupled riser pipe section in a horizontal direction while in a vertical condition to a storage area on the same level, at such storage area, lowering such uncoupled riser pipe section with respect to the horizontal transfer means into a storage position on a pipe rack, and securing such uncoupled riser pipe section to said pipe rack.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 snd further including the performance of the following steps while a riser pipe section is being moved to the storage area, coupling the draw works of the drilling rig to the supported riser string immediately following the initiation of the transfer of an uncoupled riser pipe section to the storage area, releasing the support of said riser string at said opening and lifting the riser string through said opening to position at the next riser section in the riser string above the riser storage floor, and releasably supporting the riser string at said opening in said riser storage floor.

3. In an offshore drilling sysTem on location in a body of water, a method for manipulating riser pipe sections between a stored condition of individual sections in a storage area in a drilling rig and an operational condition of sections coupled to one another to define a riser string where said riser string extends downwardly from the drilling rig toward the floor under the water, said method comprising the steps of moving a riser pipe section from a storage area to a location below a draw works, coupling the draw works to such riser pipe section and raising the riser pipe section into the drilling rig, moving a blow out preventer from a storage area to a location below the draw works, supporting the blow out preventer at the opening in a riser pipe storage floor, and lowering the raised riser pipe section to said blow out preventer, coupling said riser pipe section to said blow out preventer, coupling the blow out preventer to the riser pipe section, releasing the support for the blow out preventer and lowering the riser pipe section and blow out preventer through the opening in the riser storage floor until at the upper end of said riser pipe section is just above the riser storage floor, releasably supporting the riser pipe section at said opening in said riser storage floor, releasably coupling a horizontally movable transfer means to the upper end of another riser section, disconnecting the draw works from the riser pipe section, and connecting such other riser pipe section to the riser section in the opening to define a riser string depending from said opening, coupling the draw works to said riser string, releasing the support at said opening and lowering said riser string to a location where the upper end of the riser string is just above said opening, and releasably securing such riser string in said opening.

4. The method as defined in claim 3 and further including the performance of the following steps while the riser pipe string is lowered through said opening, the steps of coupling a horizontally movable transfer means to a pipe section in a storage area on the riser storage floor and transferring such pipe section toward said opening while said pipe string is being lowered through said opening.