Tubular transfer system

• US 6,705,414 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2002
• Issued: 03/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Transocean Worldwide, Inc. (Transocean Limited)
• Original Assignee: Global Santa Fe Corporation (Transocean Limited)
• Inventors: Simpson, Michael, Davidson, Colin James
• Primary Examiner(s): BATES, ZAKIYA W
• Application Number:
  US10/081,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20030159854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 175/52, 175/57, 175/85, 175/162, 175/220, 414/22.54, 414/22.58, 414/22-1-
• US Class Current: 175/52
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/155 Handling between horizontal and vertical position

Abstract

A method and apparatus for transferring tubular stands between a substantially horizontal position on the catwalk and a substantially vertical position at the rig floor entry. In one embodiment of the invention, this is accomplished by moving bundles of individual tubulars to the process area, where a stand make-up/break-out machine, also called a bucking machine, makes up the tubular stands. The bucking machine aligns and stabs the connections and makes up the connection to the correct torque. The tubular stand is then transferred from the bucking machine to a stand storage area or to a trolley pick-up area. When additional stands are needed by the drilling operation, a trolley is moved into position over the trolley pick-up area to retrieve the stands previously placed in the trolley pick-up area. The stands are clamped to the trolley and the trolley is moved from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position at the rig floor entry. A vertical pipe-racking machine transfers the stands to the traveling equipment. The traveling equipment makes up the stand connection and the stand is run into the hole. The operation can also be reversed to remove stands from the rig floor entry and break out the stands in a horizontal position.

Claims

1. An apparatus for transferring a tubular stand between a substantially horizontal position and a substantially vertical position, said apparatus comprising:

a trolley adapted for grasping and transporting said tubular stand between said substantially horizontal position and said substantially vertical position. wherein said tubular stand comprises at least two tubulars connected to each other;

a track for guiding said trolley between said substantially horizontal position and said substantially vertical position; and

a drive means for applying a force to move said trolley between said substantially horizontal position and said substantially vertical position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said said apparatus further comprising a bucking machine for making up and breaking out said tubular stand in said substantially horizontal position.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises a cable winch with a cable attached to an upper end of said trolley for winching said trolley from said substantially horizontal position to said substantially vertical position such that said cable winch may be released to allow said trolley to travel back down said track to said substantially horizontal position.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said trolley comprises a first pair of wheels attached adjacent to an upper end of said trolley and a second pair of wheels attached adjacent to a lower end of said trolley such that said first pair of wheels and said second pair of wheels are adapted to travel along said track in response to said force being applied by said drive means.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said trolley comprises a plurality of fingers for grasping said tubular stand.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said substantially horizontal position is located over a deck and wherein said substantially vertical position is located at a rig floor entry.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of push-up arms located at a pick-up area for pushing said tubular stand into said trolley such that a plurality of fingers on said trolley can grasp said tubular stand to hold said tubular stand in place on said trolley.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said tubular stand comprises three tubulars connected to each other.

9. A drill rig having a derrick and a platform attached adjacent to said derrick wherein said platform comprises a first horizontal pipe rack for storing a plurality of made-up stands and a second horizontal pipe rack for storing a plurality of individual tubulars, said drill rig comprising:

a trolley for transferring at least one made-up stand that comprises at least two tubulars, between a substantially horizontal position at a pick-up area on said platform and a substantially vertical position at a rig floor entry in said derrick; and

a track for guiding said trolley between said substantially horizontal position and said substantially vertical position.

10. The drill rig of claim 9 further comprising a bucking machine horizontally situated on said platform for making-up and breaking-out said plurality of stands.

12. The drill rig of claim 9 further comprising drive means for applying a force to said trolley to move said trolley between said substantially horizontal position and said substantially vertical position.

13. The drill rig of claim 12 wherein said drive means comprises a cable winch.

14. The drill rig of claim 9, wherein said made-up stand comprises three tubulars connected to each other.

11. The drill rig of claim/further comprising:

a vertical pipe handling machine located in said derrick for retrieving said at least one stand from said trolley while said trolley is in said substantially vertical position; and

traveling equipment for receiving said at least one stand from said vertical pipe handling machine and running said at least one stand into a hole.

15. A method for transferring a tubulars between a substantially horizontal position on a platform and a substantially vertical position at a rig floor entry, said method comprising the steps:

grasping a stand of tubulars comprising at least two connected tubulars in said substantially horizontal position using a trolley;

transporting said trolley with said tubular from said substantially horizontal position to said substantially vertical position; and

removing said stand of tubulars from said trolley such that said tubular can be run into a hole.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said trolley is transported along a track that guides said trolley between said substantially horizontal position and said substantially vertical position.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said step of transporting is performed using a drive means for applying a force to said trolley to move said trolley between said substantially horizontal position and said substantially vertical position.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps:

making-up a plurality of stands on said platform prior to a drilling operation;

storing said plurality of stands in a horizontal pipe rack on said platform; and

moving at least one stand from said horizontal pipe rack to a pick-up area where said step of grasping can be performed when said trolley is lowered to said substantially horizontal position.

18. The method of claim wherein said step of removing is performed using a vertical pipe handling machine.

20. A method for performing a drilling operation, said method comprising the steps:

transferring a plurality of individual tubulars to a platform;

preparing a first tubular and a second tubular for make-up;

making-up a stand in a substantially horizontal position on said platform using said first tubular and said second tubular;

grasping said stand in said substantially horizontal position using a trolley;

transporting said trolley with said stand from said substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position at a rig floor entry;

removing said stand from said trolley to a traveling equipment using a vertical pipe handling machine; and

running said stand into a hole using said traveling equipment.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein after said drilling operation is completed, said method further comprising the steps:

removing said stand from said hole using said traveling equipment;

placing said stand into said substantially vertical position in said trolley;

lowering said trolley to said substantially horizontal position on said platform;

releasing said stand into said pick-up area;

raising said trolley back to said substantially vertical position; and

breaking out said stand in said substantially horizontal position.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein said step of making-up is performed using a bucking machine situated in a horizontal position on said platform.