Pivoting pipe handler for off-line make up of drill pipe joints
First Claim
1. A system for off-line make-up of joints of oilfield tubulars on a drilling rig structure comprising:
- a V-door ramp connected to the drilling rig structure, the V-door ramp having a stationary section and a pivoting section, wherein the pivoting section is adapted to pivot between a first position and a second position;
at least one support cylinder having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is pivotally connected to the drilling rig structure and the second end is pivotally connected to the pivoting section of the V-door ramp;
a holding means for securing at least one tubular joint in the pivoting section of the V-door ramp when the pivoting section is in the second position; and
a positioning cylinder connected to the pivoting section of the V-door ramp, wherein the positioning cylinder is adapted for positioning the at least one tubular joint in the pivoting section.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for use in the off-line make-up of drill pipe stands on drilling rigs used in the exploration and production of oil and gas reserves are disclosed. The disclosed invention is a pipe handling system in which a section of the V-door ramp attached to a drilling rig structure pivots to allow one or more joints of drill pipe to be placed in a vertical position. Through use of an off-line roughneck in conjunction with an off-line drill pipe elevator, the joints of drill pipe held in the vertical position via the pivoting pipe handler of the present invention can be connected together, connected to additional joints of drill pipe, and placed in a racking board to be stored until they are subsequently connected to the drill string. The use of the pivoting pipe handler of the present invention allows stands of drill pipe to be “made-up” without the need to interrupt drilling operations and, thus, significantly reduces the amount of time required to drill a borehole.
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Citations
50 Claims
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1. A system for off-line make-up of joints of oilfield tubulars on a drilling rig structure comprising:
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a V-door ramp connected to the drilling rig structure, the V-door ramp having a stationary section and a pivoting section, wherein the pivoting section is adapted to pivot between a first position and a second position; at least one support cylinder having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is pivotally connected to the drilling rig structure and the second end is pivotally connected to the pivoting section of the V-door ramp; a holding means for securing at least one tubular joint in the pivoting section of the V-door ramp when the pivoting section is in the second position; and a positioning cylinder connected to the pivoting section of the V-door ramp, wherein the positioning cylinder is adapted for positioning the at least one tubular joint in the pivoting section. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A system for off-line make-up of joints of oilfield tubulars on a drilling rig structure comprising:
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a V-door ramp connected to the drilling rig structure, the V-door ramp having a stationary section and a pivoting section, wherein the stationary section supports at least one tubular joint and the pivoting section supports at least one tubular joint and is pivotable with respect to the drilling rig structure; at least one support cylinder having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is pivotally connected to the drilling rig structure and the second end is pivotally connected to the pivoting section of the V-door ramp; a holding mechanism comprising a bar hingedly connected to the pivoting section of the V-door ramp and a latching mechanism, wherein the bar and latching mechanism cooperate to secure the at least one tubular joint in the pivoting section; a positioning cylinder connected to the pivoting section of the V-door ramp, wherein the positioning cylinder is adapted to position the at least one tubular joint in the pivoting section; a tubular elevator for raising or lowering at least one tubular joint; a movable iron roughneck, wherein the movable iron roughneck can be extended such that it grabs one of the at least one tubular joints supported by the tubular elevator and one of the at least one tubular joints in the pivoting section of the V-door ramp; and at least one racking board, wherein the at least one racking board is connected to a mast of the drilling rig structure. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A system for off-line make-up of oilfield tubulars comprising:
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a V-door ramp connected to a drilling rig structure, the V-door ramp having a stationary section and a pivoting section, wherein the pivoting section is adapted to pivot from a first position to a second position; at least one support cylinder having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is pivotally connected to the drilling rig structure and the second end is pivotally connected to the pivoting section of the V-door ramp; a holding mechanism adapted to secure at least one tubular joint in the pivoting section of the V-door ramp when the pivoting section is in the second position; and a positioning cylinder connected to the pivoting section of the V-door ramp, wherein the positioning cylinder is adapted for positioning the at least one tubular joint in the pivoting section.
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28. A method for off-line make-up of oilfield tubulars on a drilling rig structure comprising:
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providing a V-door ramp that is connected to the drilling rig structure, the V-door ramp having a pivoting section and a stationary section; supporting at least two tubular joints on the stationary section of the V-door ramp; moving at least one of the at least two tubular joints to the pivoting section of the V-door ramp; securing the at least one tubular joint on the pivoting section of the V-door ramp; pivoting the pivoting section of the V-door ramp from a first position to a second position; raising one of the at least two tubular joints supported on the stationary section of the V-door ramp such that the tubular joint is positioned above the pivoting section of the V-door ramp; and connecting the tubular joint secured on the pivoting section of the V-door ramp to the tubular joint raised above the pivoting section of the V-door ramp to create a tubular stand. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method for off-line make-up of oilfield tubulars on a drilling rig structure comprising:
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providing a V-door ramp that is connected to the drilling rig structure, the V-door ramp having a pivoting section and a stationary section; supporting a plurality of tubular joints on the stationary section of the V-door ramp; moving at least two of the plurality of tubular joints to the pivoting section of the V-door ramp; securing the at least two tubular joints on the pivoting section of the V-door ramp; pivoting the pivoting section of the V-door ramp from a first position to a second position, wherein the pivoting section is in a substantially vertical position in the second position; raising one of the plurality of tubular joints supported on the stationary section of the V-door ramp such that the tubular joint is in a substantially vertical position above the pivoting section of the V-door ramp; connecting one of the at least two tubular joints secured on the pivoting section of the V-door ramp to the tubular joint raised above the pivoting section of the V-door ramp to create a two-tubular stand; raising the two-tubular stand such that the two-tubular stand is in a substantially vertical position above the pivoting section of the V-door ramp; connecting one of the at least two tubular joints secured on the pivoting section of the V-door ramp to the two-tubular stand raised above the pivoting section to create a three-tubular stand. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A method for off-line make-up of joints of oilfield tubulars on a drilling rig structure comprising:
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providing a V-door ramp that is connected to the drilling rig structure, the V-door ramp having a pivoting section and a stationary section; supporting at least two tubular joints on the stationary section of the V-door ramp; supporting at least one tubular joint on the pivoting section of the V-door ramp; securing the at least one tubular joint on the pivoting section of the V-door ramp; pivoting the pivoting section of the V-door ramp from a first position to a second position; raising one of the at least two tubular joints supported on the stationary section of the V-door ramp such that the tubular joint is positioned above the pivoting section of the V-door ramp; and connecting the tubular joint secured on the pivoting section of the V-door ramp to the tubular joint raised above the pivoting section of the V-door ramp to create a tubular stand.
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50. A method of handling joints of oilfield tubulars offline comprising:
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providing a V-door ramp that is connected to the drilling rig structure, the V-door ramp having a pivoting section and a stationary section; supporting at least two tubular joints on the stationary section of the V-door ramp; supporting at least one tubular joint on the pivoting section of the V-door ramp; securing the at least one tubular joint on the pivoting section of the V-door ramp; pivoting the pivoting section of the V-door ramp from a first position to a second position.
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Specification