Cantilever drilling structure
First Claim
1. A drilling structure comprising:
- a base unit having a side positionable generally adjacent a well head,a friction reducing means supporting said base unit on a support surface on which said base unit is movable,a drilling rig mast assembly positioned generally above and supported by said base unit,said base unit including a cantilever member extending out from said side of said base unit in a fixed position relative to said side of said base unit,a positioning means for sliding said drilling rig mast assembly on and relative to said cantilever member between a drilling position over said cantilever member and a moving position disposed away from said outer portion of said cantilever member and closer to the center of gravity of said base unit than is said drilling position.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A cantilevered drilling structure including a base unit having a side positionable generally adjacent a well head, and a drilling rig mast assembly positioned generally above and supported by the base unit. The base unit has a cantilever member extending out from its side, spaced from the ground, and having an outer portion spaced from the side. A telescoping leg extends down from the outer portion and is spaced from the side such that the side and the leg are positionable on opposite sides of a well head. The telescoping leg is movable between a lower support position and a higher raised position high enough to pass over flow lines when the drilling structure is moved along the well row. A skidding floor mechanism moves the drilling rig mast assembly along the base unit between a drilling position over the cantilever member when the telescoping leg has been extended and a moving position closer to the center of gravity of the base unit. When the drilling rig mast assembly is in its moving position and the telescoping leg in its higher raised position, the drilling structure can be rolled on a wheel assembly to a new location, for example, between two existing wells.
75 Citations
54 Claims
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1. A drilling structure comprising:
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a base unit having a side positionable generally adjacent a well head, a friction reducing means supporting said base unit on a support surface on which said base unit is movable, a drilling rig mast assembly positioned generally above and supported by said base unit, said base unit including a cantilever member extending out from said side of said base unit in a fixed position relative to said side of said base unit, a positioning means for sliding said drilling rig mast assembly on and relative to said cantilever member between a drilling position over said cantilever member and a moving position disposed away from said outer portion of said cantilever member and closer to the center of gravity of said base unit than is said drilling position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A drilling structure comprising:
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a base unit having a side positionable generally adjacent a well head, a friction reducing means supporting said base unit on a support surface and on which said base unit is movable, a drilling rig mast assembly positioned generally above and supported by said base unit, said base unit including a cantilever member extending out from and fixed in position relative to said side and spaced from the ground and having an outer portion spaced from said side, a leg means extending down from said outer portion and spaced from said side such that said side and said leg means are positionable on opposite sides of a well head, said leg means being movable between a lower support position and a higher raised position, said leg means comprising a vertical telescoping leg and a vertical leg moving means attached to said telescoping leg for telescoping said telescoping leg between said support position and said raised position. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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23. A drilling structure comprising:
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a base unit having a side positionable generally adjacent a well head, a friction reducing means supporting said base unit on a support surface and on which said base unit is movable, a drilling rig mast assembly positioned generally above and supported by said base unit, said base unit including a cantilever member extending out from and fixed in position relative to said side and spaced from the ground and having an outer portion spaced from said side, a leg means extending down from said outer portion and spaced from said side such that said side and said leg means are positionable on opposite sides of a well head, said leg means being movable between a lower support position and a higher raised position, said leg means comprising a vertical telescoping leg and a vertical leg cylinder means attached to said telescoping leg for telescoping said telescoping leg between said support position and said raised position, said telescoping leg comprising a first frame member mounted to and depending down from said cantilever member, and a second frame member slidable within said first frame member, and said leg cylinder means having its lower end attached to a lower portion of said second frame member and at least a portion of said leg cylinder means being positioned in said first frame member. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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25. A drilling structure comprising:
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a base unit having a side positionable generally adjacent a well head, a friction reducing means supporting said base unit on a support surface and on which said base unit is movable, a drilling rig mast assembly positioned generally above and supported by said base unit, said base unit including a cantilever member extending out from and fixed in position relative to said side and spaced from the ground and having an outer portion spaced from said side, a leg means extending down from said outer portion and spaced from said side such that said side and said leg means are positionable on opposite sides of a well head, said leg means being movable between a lower support position and a higher raised position, a positioning means for positioning said drilling rig mast assembly on and relative to said cantilever member between a drilling position over said cantilever member and a drilling structure moving position disposed away from said outer portion and closer to the center of gravity of said base unit than said drilling position, said drilling rig mast assembly including a frame assembly movable relative to said cantilever member, and said positioning means including an extendable-retractable cylinder means attached at one end to said frame assembly and a grasping means at the other end for grasping said base unit and, when said extendable-retractable cylinder means is powered and said grasping means graps said base unit, for moving said drilling rig mast assembly along and relative to said cantilever member. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. A drilling structure comprising:
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a base unit having a side positionable generally adjacent a well head, a friction reducing means supporting said base unit on a support surface and on which said base unit is movable, a drilling rig mast assembly positioned generally above and supported by said base unit, said base unit including a cantilever member extending out from and fixed in position relative to said side and spaced from the ground and having an outer portion spaced from said side, a leg means extending down from said outer portion and spaced from said side such that said side and said leg means are positionable on opposite sides of a well head, said leg means being movable between a lower support position and a higher raised position, said friction reducing means comprising a wheel assembly connected to said base unit, and said wheel assembly being movable between a parallel position parallel to the well row and an angled position disposed angularly to said parallel position for movement of said base unit towards and away from the well row, and a turning means connected to said wheel assembly for turning said wheel assembly between said parallel position and said angled position. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A drilling structure comprising:
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a base unit having a side positionable generally adjacent a well head, a friction reducing means supporting said base unit on a support surface and on which said base unit is movable, a drilling rig mast assembly positioned generally above and supported by said base unit, said base unit including a cantilever member extending out from and fixed in position relative to said side and spaced from the ground and having an outer portion spaced from said side, a leg means extending down from said outer portion and spaced from said side such that said side and said leg means are positionable on opposite sides of a well head, said leg means being movable between a lower support position and a higher raised position, said friction reducing means comprising a wheel assembly connected to said base unit, a raising means for raising said wheel assembly relative to said base unit so that said base unit can rest on the support surface and for lowering said wheel assembly relative to said base unit so that said base unit can be lifted off of the support surface and supported by said wheel assembly, said raising means defining a vertical axis about which said wheel assembly is rotatable, and a turning means operatively connected to said wheel assembly for rotating said wheel assembly about said vertical axis when said wheel assembly is in its raised position and thereby changing the orientation of said wheel assembly relative to said base unit. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37)
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38. A drilling structure comprising:
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a base unit having a side positionable generally adjacent a well head, a friction reducing means supporting said base unit on a support surface and on which said base unit is movable, a drilling rig mast assembly positioned generally above and supported by said base unit, said base unit including a cantilever member extending out from and fixed in position relative to said side and spaced from the ground and having an outer portion spaced from said side, a leg means extending down from said outer portion and spaced from said side such that said side and said leg means are positionable on opposite sides of a well head, said leg means being movable between a lower support position and a higher raised position, a positioning means for positioning said drilling rig assembly on and relative to said cantilever member between an upright drilling position over said cantilever member and an upright drilling structure moving position disposed away from said cantilever member and closer to the center of gravity of said base unit than said drilling position, and a leg means moving means for moving said leg means to said lower support position before said positioning means has positioned said drilling rig assembly in said drilling position.
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39. A drilling structure comprising:
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a base unit having a side positionable generally adjacent a well head, a friction reducing means supporting said base unit on a support surface and on which said base unit is movable, said friction reducing means comprising a wheel assembly connected to said base unit, a drilling rig mast assembly positioned generally above and supported by said base unit, said base unit including a cantilever member extending out from and fixed in position relative to said side and spaced from the ground and having an outer portion spaced from said side, a leg means extending down from said outer portion and spaced from said side such that said side and said leg means are positionable on opposite sides of a well head, said leg means being movable between a lower support position and a higher raised position, a raising means for raising said wheel assembly directly vertically towards said base unit so that said base unit can rest on the support surface and for lowering said wheel assembly directly vertically away from said base unit so that said base unit is lifted off of the support surface and supported by said wheel assembly, said wheel assembly being continually positioned entirely beneath said base unit as it is raised and lowered by said raising means, said raising means defining a vertical axis about which said wheel assembly is rotatable, and a turning means for rotating said wheel assembly about said vertical axis to thereby change the orientation of said wheel assembly relative to said base unit.
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40. A drilling structure comprising:
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a base unit having a side positionable generally adjacent a well head, a friction reducing means supporting said base unit on a support surface and on which said base unit is movable, a drilling rig mast assembly positioned generally above and supported by said base unit, said base unit including a cantilever member extending out from and fixed in position relative to said side and spaced from the ground and having an outer portion spaced from said side, and a leg means extending down from said outer portion and spaced from said side such that said side and said leg means are positionable on opposite sides of a well head, said leg means being movable between a lower support position and a higher raised position, a positioning means for positioning said drilling rig mast assembly on and relative to said cantilever member between a drilling position over said cantilever member and a drilling structure moving position disposed away from said outer portion and closer to the center of gravity of said base unit than is said drilling position, and a drawworks connected to said drilling rig mast assembly and movable therewith, relative to said base unit, by said positioning means, and having its static load supported by said drilling rig assembly. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42)
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43. A method of moving a drilling structure relative to a well row comprising the following steps:
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providing a drilling structure having a base unit, a wheel assembly connected to said base unit and movable horizontally relative to said base unit, said base unit having a side and a cantilever member extending out from and fixed in position relative to said side, a movable leg attached to and extending down from an outer portion of said cantilever member, and a drilling rig mast assembly supported by said base unit and movable on said cantilever member, said drilling rig being positioned in a driling position wherein said base unit rests on a support surface adjacent a well head with said cantilever member extending over said well head and said leg resting on a support surface on the opposite side of said well head as said side and supporting said cantilever member, and said drilling rig mast assembly being positioned on said cantilever member over the well head, moving said drilling rig mast assembly along said cantilever member and on said base unit away from said leg towards the center of gravity of said base unit, positioning the lower end of said leg so that it is spaced above the support surface, raising said base unit so that it is supported on said wheel assembly, rolling said drilling rig on said wheel assembly to a new location, said rolling step including rolling said drilling rig to a new location whereat said side is positioned adjacent a second well head and said cantilever member extends over said second well head, lowering said base unit so that it rests on the support surface, after said drilling rig has been rolled to said new location, lowering the outer end of said leg until it rests on a support surface on the opposite side of said second well head as said side and so that it supports the outer portion of said cantilever member, and moving said drilling rig mast assembly along and on said cantilever member towards said leg until positioned in a drilling position over said second well head. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A method of moving a drilling structure relative to a well row comprising the following steps:
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providing a drilling structure having a base unit, a wheel assembly connected to said base unit and movable horizontally relative to said base unit, said base unit having a side and a cantilever member extending out from and fixed in position relative to said side, a movable leg attached to and extending down from an outer portion of said cantilever member, and a drilling rig mast assembly supported by said base unit and movable on said cantilever member, said drilling rig being positioned in a drilling position wherein said base unit rests on a support surface adjacent a well head with said cantilever member extending over said well head and said leg resting on a support surface on the opposite side of said well head as said side and supporting said cantilever member, and said drilling rig mast assembly being positioned on said cantilever member over the well head, moving said drilling rig mast assembly along said cantilever member and on said base unit away from said leg towards the center of gravity of said base unit, positioning the lower end of said leg so that it is spaced above the support surface, raising said base unit so that it is supported on said wheel assembly, thereafter, rolling said drilling rig on said wheel assembly to a new location, said rolling step including rolling said drilling rig in a direction perpendicular to and away from the well row to said new location, lowering said base unit at said new location until it is supported on the support surface, turning said wheel assembly relative to said base unit until said wheel assembly is oriented generally parallel to the well row, raising said base unit, after said turning step, so that it is supported by said wheel assembly, and thereafter, rolling said drilling structure on said wheel assembly in a direction generally parallel to the well row to a second location. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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Specification