Method and a drilling rig for drilling a bore well

• US 4,850,439 A
• Filed: 07/07/1987
• Issued: 07/25/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Varco I/P Incorporated (NOV, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dansk Industri Syndikat A/S (A.P. Møller Holding A/S)
• Inventors: Lund, Thomas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Novosad, Stephen J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Melius, Terry Lee
• Application Number:
  US07/079,769
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 175/52, 175/57, 175/85, 175/170, 175/161, 175/162, 166/77.5, 166/78, 414/22
• US Class Current: 175/52
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/20 Combined feeding from rack and connecting, e.g. automatically

Abstract

Drilling equipment, especially for offshore use, comprises a drill floor or platform (11) with a derrick (10) extending upwards therefrom. A first hoist (12) connected to the upper part of the derrick is used for passing a length of a tubular body (19), such as a drill string or a well casing, through a drilling opening (18) defined in and extending through the drill floor. The tubular length is connected to or disconnected from the drill string or well casing during the drilling operation, and such tubular lengths are strored in a storage area (31, 32) of the drill floor. The tubular lengths may be transported from the storage area to the first hoist (12) and vice versa by means of first transporting means (22). The drill floor or platform (11) also defines a preparation opening (21) extending therethrough at a location spaced from the drilling opening and from the storage area, and a second hoist or a preparation hoist (20) is connected to the upper part of the derrick above the preparation opening. Two or more tubular sections may then be assembled to tubular lengths at the preparation opening by means of the preparation hoist while the drilling operation is going on at the drilling opening, and the prepared lengths may be transported to and stored in the storage area ready for use at the drilling opening. Similarly, tubular lengths may be disassembled into tubular sections at the preparation opening before they are to be transported from the drilling site. The possibility of assembling and disassembling tubular lengths form tubular sections at the preparation opening while the drilling operation is going on at the drilling opening substantially reduces the necessary idle time in drilling operations.

Claims

1. A method of handling tubular body sections at a drilling site by means of drilling equipment, which equipment comprises

a drill floor or platform with a derrick extending upwards therefrom,

a first hoist connected to the upper part of the derrick for passing a tubular body which includes a plurality of releasably interconnected tubular body sections through a drilling opening defined in the drill floor,

storage means for storing a plurality of tubular lengths, each of which includes at least two releasably interconnected tubular body sections, being arranged on the drill floor,

first transporting means for transporting tubular lengths between the storage means and said first hoist,

a second hoist connected to the upper part of the derrick above a preparation opening defined by opening defining means and extending through the drill floor at a location spaced from the drilling opening and from the storage means,

and second transporting means for transporting tubular lengths between the storage means and said second hoist,

said method comprising:

transporting tubular lengths from the storage means to the drilling opening in a substantially vertical position by means of said first transporting means,

releasably connecting said tubular lengths to the upper end of the tubular body and successively lowering the tubular body through the drilling opening by means of said first hoist,

transporting tubular body sections to the preparation opening by third transporting means,

forming a tubular length by releasably interconnecting said body sections while one of them extends through the preparation opening and another is suspended by means of said second hoist withdrawing the prepared length from the preparation opening by means of said second hoist, and

transporting the prepared length to the storage means in a substantially vertical position by means of said second transporting means.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said tubular length includes three tubular body sections, said tubular length being formed by arranging a first tubular body section in the preparation opening so that a substantial part thereof extends below the drill floor or platform, and including the steps of:

connecting a second tubular body section to the upper end of the first body section, and thereafter connecting a third tubular body section to the interconnected first and second body sections.

3. A method to claim 2, including the step of lowering the interconnected first and second body sections so as to place the first body section and a substantial part of the second body section below the drill floor or platform, whereafter the third body section is connected to the upper end of the second body section extending above said floor or platform.

4. A method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of moving the interconnected first and second body sections upwards and out of the preparation opening by means of the second hoist, subsequently arranging the third tubular body section in the preparation opening by means of a third hoist arranged in the derrick so that a substantial part thereof extends below the drill floor or platform and subsequently connecting the interconnected first and second body sections to the upper end of said third body section extending above the said floor or platform.

5. A method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of laterally moving said opening defining means and said second and third hoist in relation to each other between first and second positions, the second and third hoists being substantially vertically aligned with the preparation opening in the first position and second position, respectively, the interconnected first and second tubular body sections being moved out of the preparation opening and being connected to the upper end of the third body section in the said first position of the second and third hoists, and the third body section being arranged in the preparation opening in the said second position of the second and third hoists.

6. A method according to claim 5, including the steps of moving said opening defining means in relation to the derrick from a first to a second position after removal of the interconnected first and second body sections from the preparation opening by means of said second hoist and prior to arranging said third body section therein by means of the third hoist, and from said second position back to said first position after arranging said third body section in the preparation opening and prior to connecting the interconnected first and second body sections to the upper end of the third body section.

7. A method according to claim 1, further including the steps of:

disconnecting tubular lengths from the upper end of the tubular body at the drilling opening, while successively withdrawing the tubular body upwards through the drilling opening, and

transporting the disconnected tubular lengths from the drilling opening to the storage area means in a substantially vertical position by means of said first transporting means.

8. A method according to claim 1, further including the steps of:

transporting tubular lengths from the storage means to the second hoist in a substantially vertical position by means of said second transporting means,

lowering each tubular length through the preparation opening by means of the second hoist,

retaining the tubular length in the preparation opening,

successively releasing the interconnection between adjacent tubular body sections above the upper surface of the drill floor, and

transporting the released body sections from the preparation opening.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the tubular body is a drill string.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the tubular lengths comprise bottomhole assembly parts.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the tubular body is a well casing.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein the tubular body is a production tubing.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the axial dimension of each of said tubular lengths corresponds substantially to the inner free height of the derrick.

23. A drilling rig according to claim 1, further comprising-third transporting means for transporting tubular section from a position outside the drill floor to said second hoist positioned above the preparation opening.

14. A drilling rig comprising

a drill floor or platform,

a derrick extending upwards from the drill floor,

a first hoist connected to the upper part of the derrick for passing a tubular body through a drilling opening defined in the drill floor,

storage means for storing a plurality of tubular body lengths, each including at least two releasably interconnected tubular body sections, arranged on the drill floor,

first transporting means for transporting tubular body lengths between the storage means and said first hoist,

a second hoist connected to the upper part of the derrick above a preparation opening defined by opening defining means and extending through the drill floor at a location spaced from the drilling opening and from the storage means,

second transporting means for transporting tubular body lengths from said hoist to the storage means, and

means for interconnecting and disconnecting tubular body sections at the drilling and preparation openings, whereby tubular body sections may be assembled at the preparation opening into tubular body lengths, which are to be connected to the tubular body at the drilling opening.

15. A drilling rig according to claim 14, further comprising a third hoist and means for laterally moving the opening defining means and the second and third hoists in relation to each other between first positions in which the second hoist is substantially vertically aligned with the preparation opening, while the third hoist is located laterally spaced therefrom, and second positions in which the third hoist is positioned so in relation to the preparation opening that a tubular body section suspended by the third hoist may be moved into and out of the preparation opening while said second hoist is laterally spaced therefrom

16. A drilling rig according to claim 15, wherein said moving means comprise means for displacing said opening defining means defining the preparation opening in relation to the drill floor between a first position in which the preparation opening is located substantially vertically below the second hoist, and a second position in which the axis of the preparation opening is laterally offset from the vertical suspension line of said second hoist, said rig further comprising a third hoist positioned so that a tubular body section suspended thereby may be moved into and out of the preparation opening is said second position thereof.

17. A drilling rig according to claim 14, wherein said first and second transporting means comprise a single common gripping mechanism movable in either direction along a track extending between or passing the drilling opening, the storage area and the preparation opening.

18. A drilling rig according to claim 17, wherein said gripping mechanism comprises vertically aligned gripping devices arranged on a frame structure movable along said track.

19. A drilling rig according to claim 18, wherein means for connecting and disconnecting tubular body sections are arranged on said frame structure.

20. A drilling rig according to claim 18, wherein the frame structure is rotatable about a vertical axis located adjacent to said track.

21. A drilling rig according to claim 14, wherein the storage means are positioned between the drilling opening and the preparation opening.

22. A drilling rig according to claim 21, wherein the storage means are divided by the gripping mechanism track extending between the drilling and preparation openings.

24. A drilling rig according to claim 14, wherein the derrick defines a first access opening and a second access opening which openings tubular body sections may be supplied directly to the drilling opening and the preparation opening respectively, from positions outside the drill floor.

25. A drilling rig comprising

a drill floor or platform,

a derrick extending upwards form the drill floor, a first hoist connected to the upper part of the derrick for passing a tubular body through a drilling opening defined in the drill floor,

storage means for storing a plurality of tubular body lengths, each including at least two releasably interconnected tubular body sections, arranged on the drill floor,

first transporting means for transporting tubular body lengths between the storage means and said first hoist,

a second hoist connected to the upper part of the derrick above a preparation opening defined by opening defining means and extending through the drill floor at a location spaced from the drilling opening and from the storage means,

second transporting means for transporting tubular body lengths from said hoist to the storage means, and

means for interconnecting and disconnecting tubular body sections at the drilling and preparation openings, whereby tubular body sections may be assembled at the preparation opening into tubular body lengths, which are to be connected to the tubular body at the drilling opening, means for laterally displacing said opening defining means in relation to the drill floor between a first position in which the preparation opening is located substantially vertically below the second hoist, and a second position in which the axis of the preparation opening is laterally offset from the vertical suspension line of said second hoist, and a third hoist positioned so that a tubular body section suspended thereby may be moved into and out of the preparation opening in said second position thereof.

26. A drilling rig comprising:

a drill floor or platform,

a derrick extending upwards from the drill floor, a first hoist connected to the upper part of the derrick for passing a tubular body through a drilling opening defined in the drill floor,

storage means for storing a plurality of tubular body lengths, each including at least two releasably interconnected tubular body sections arranged on the drill floor,

first transporting means for transporting tubular body lengths between the storage means and said first hoist, and

a second hoist connected to the upper part of the derrick above a preparation opening defined by opening defining means and extending through the drill floor at a location spaced from the drilling opening and from the storage means,

second transporting means for transporting tubular body lengths from said hoist to the storage means, and

means for interconnecting and disconnecting tubular body sections at the drilling and preparation openings, whereby tubular body sections may be assembled at the preparation opening into tubular body lengths, which are to be connected to the tubular body at the drilling opening, and

third transporting means for transporting tubular body sections to the preparation opening.