Combination offshore drilling rig

• US 4,602,894 A
• Filed: 05/30/1985
• Issued: 07/29/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LeTourneau, Inc. (Valaris Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Marathon Manufacturing Co. (American Financial Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Laird, John S. II, Lorenz, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): TAYLOR, DENNIS L
• Application Number:
  US06/739,165
• Time in Patent Office: 425 Days
• Field of Search: 405/195-201, 405/203-208, 175/5, 175/7
• US Class Current: 405/203
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 17/021 with relative movement between supporting construction and platform
• 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

Abstract

A combination offshore drilling rig which combines the desirable features of a slot-type drilling rig and a cantilever-type drilling rig while eliminating the limitations and undesirable features associated with either type of such rigs. The combination offshore drilling rig mounts the derrick and drilling equipment on a movable cantilever structure which may be positioned over a slot of sufficient area to permit the drilling operation to be carried out through the slot or may be moved outboard of the peripheral boundary of the rig hull to perform a drilling or workover operation outside the peripheral boundary of the rig hull.

Claims

1. An offshore drilling rig for use in drilling into a formation below a body of water comprising

a barge hull having a drilling slot extending inwardly from the peripheral boundary of the barge hull,

means for supporting the barge hull in a position above the water,

a cantilever structure mounted on the barge hull and movable horizontally with respect to such barge hull, said cantilever structure being so located relative to the drilling slot as to be movable horizontally into a position in vertical alignment with said drilling slot,

a derrick and drilling machinery mounted to said cantilever structure and movable into a position above said drilling slot whereby well drilling operations may be conducted through said drilling slot,

said cantilever structure also being movable horizontally to a position which locates the derrick and the drilling machinery outboard of the peripheral boundary of the barge hull, whereby a drilling operations may be conducted outside of said peripheral boundary of said barge hull,

means mounted on the barge hull for moving said cantilever structure horizontally to different positions relative to the barge hull,

means mounted on the barge hull co-acting with the cantilever structure for anchoring the cantilever structure inboard of the peripheral boundary of the barge hull, whereby the cantilever structure, the derrick and the drilling machinery may be positioned outboard of the peripheral boundary of the barge hull without requiring additional support, and

said means for moving said cantilever structure and said means for anchoring said cantilever structure being so located on the barge hull so that they do not interfere with any operations to be conducted through said drilling slot or to be performed outboard of the peripheral boundary of the barge hull.

2. An offshore drilling rig as set forth in claim 1, wherein the means for supporting the barge hull comprises

vertical leg members, and

a jacking mechanism disposed between said leg members and the barge hull whereby said barge hull may be jacked upwardly or downwardly to locate the barge hull in the desired position relative to the surface of the water.

3. An offshore drilling rig as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said means for moving said cantilever structure may move said structure, derrick and drilling machinery completely inboard of the barge hull and out of alignment with said drilling slot.

4. An offshore drilling rig as set forth in claim 1, wherein the means for moving said cantilever structure horizontally comprises,

a longitudinally gear rack mounted on each side of the cantilever structure,

drive pinions on each side of the cantilever structure engageable with the gear racks,

a drive motor for each drive pinion supported on the barge hull and located inwardly of the drilling slot, said motors operating said drive pinion to move the cantilever structure in a desired manner, and

said gear racks, drive pinions and motor being located on the rig floor so as not to interfere with the movement of the cantilever structure.

5. An offshore drilling rig as set forth in claim 1, wherein the means for movably mounting the cantilever structure comprises,

a pair of spaced parallel tracks mounted on the barge hull deck and located one on each side of the drilling slot, and

a pair of skid supporting elements secured to the underside of the cantilever structure and slidable along said tracks when the means for moving said structure is actuated.

6. An offshore drilling rig as set forth in claim 5, wherein the means for anchoring said cantilever structure comprises

a pair of hold down clamps mounted on the barge hull deck and located one on each side of the drilling slot,

each of said pair of hold down clamps co-acting respectively with each of said pair of skid supporting elements to hold each respective skid supporting element to its respective spaced parallel track.

7. An offshore drilling rig comprising

a barge hull having a drilling slot in the central portion of one end thereof,

a cantilever structure mounted on the upper surface of said barge hull and movable horizontally with respect to the barge hull,

a derrick mounted on said cantilever structure in a substantially vertical position with respect to said cantilever structure and drilling equipment carried by said cantilever structure,

means mounted on the deck of the barge hull for moving the cantilever structure to a position to vertically align the derrick and drilling equipment with the drilling slot to permit operations to be carried out through said drilling slot,

said means for moving said cantilever structure also being capable of moving said cantilever structure to an extended position to locate the derrick and drilling equipment outboard of the peripheral boundary of the barge hull to permit operations to be carried out at a location outside of the peripheral boundary of the barge hull, and

means mounted on the barge hull co-acting with the cantilever structure to secure that portion of the cantilever structure that is inboard of the barge hull to said hull to anchor said cantilever structure requires no additional support when in said extended position.

8. An offshore drilling rig as set forth in claim 7, together with

vertical legs associated with the barge hull, and

means for supporting said barge hull on said vertical legs above the surface of the water when drilling and other operations are in progress.

9. An offshore drilling rig as set forth in claim 7, wherein said means for moving said cantilever structure comprises

a gear rack secured to the cantilever structure,

a driven pinion engageable with said gear rack, and

motor means secured to the barge hull for rotating said drive pinion to thereby move said gear rack in said cantilever structure,

said motor means and said drive pinion being positioned on the barge hull inwardly of the inner end of said drilling slot, whereby said means for moving said cantilever structure does not interfere with operations being performed through said drilling slot or being performed outboard of the peripheral boundary of the barge hull.