Drilling rig drawworks installation

• US 8,047,303 B2
• Filed: 02/29/2008
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Oilwell Varco LP (NOV, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: National Oilwell Varco LP (NOV, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yu, Yan, Sheng, Hui Chun, Ren, Chunqiao, McCurdy, Stuart Arthur Lyall, Donnally, Robert Benjamin, Liu, Xi Lin
• Primary Examiner(s): Neuder; William P
• Application Number:
  US12/074,232
• Publication Number:
  US 20090218137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 175/57, 175/162, 175/202, 521/231
• US Class Current: 175/57
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/02 Drilling rigs characterised by means for land transport with their own drive, e.g. skid mounting or wheel mounting

Abstract

Methods and systems for installing a drawworks on a drilling rig, the method, in certain aspects, including moving a drawworks on movement apparatus on the ground adjacent a drill floor of a rig, connecting the drawworks to the drill floor, moving the movement apparatus away from the rig, and raising the drill floor with the drawworks thereon using raising apparatus of a rig substructure supporting the drill floor. This abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure and is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims, 37 C.F.R. 1.72(b).

Claims

1. A method for installing a drawworks on a drilling rig, comprising

moving the drawworks on a movement apparatus on a surface adjacent to a drill floor of the drilling rig, the drilling rig having a substructure and raising apparatus on the substructure,

connecting the drawworks to the drill floor, and

raising the drill floor with the drawworks connected thereto using the raising apparatus.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising rotatably mounting the drawworks on the movement apparatus, and rotating the drawworks with respect to the movement apparatus prior to connecting the drawworks to the drill floor.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein connecting the drawworks to the drill floor comprises raising the drill floor to connectingly engage a connector structure of the drill floor with a connection apparatus of the drawworks.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising moving the movement apparatus away from the drilling rig.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising securing the drawworks to the drill floor with a securement device.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising raising the drill floor with the drawworks connected thereto to a desired operational height.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising moving the drawworks into an interior open space of the drill floor on the movement apparatus prior to connecting the drawworks to the drill floor.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein moving the drawworks on the movement apparatus comprises positioning the drawworks on a trailer of a truck-trailer combination, the trailer connected to and movable by a truck of the truck-trailer combination.

9. The method of claim 3 wherein connectingly engaging the connector structure of the drill floor with the connection apparatus of the drawworks comprises engaging a pin structure of the connector structure with a hook apparatus of the connection apparatus.

10. The method of claim 3 further comprising connecting the drawworks to a drawworks skid comprising a plurality of spaced-apart lugs projecting therefrom, each lug having a lug hole, a drill floor hole in the drill floor, and wherein connecting the drawworks to the drill floor further comprises aligning the lug hole of each of the plurality of spaced-apart lugs with a corresponding drill floor hole in the drill floor and emplacing a pin with respect to each lug hole and each drill floor hole so that a first portion of each pin is in a respective lug hole and a second portion of each pin is in a respective drill floor hole.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising connecting the drawworks to the drill floor so that a top of a skid comprising the drawworks is substantially level with the drill floor.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising extending a substructure extension apparatus from the substructure, and engaging the drawworks with the substructure extension apparatus.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising retracting the substructure extension apparatus while it is engaging the drawworks to move the drawworks to the drill floor.

14. A method for installing a drawworks on a drilling rig, comprising

positioning the drawworks on a movement apparatus comprising a truck-trailer combination, wherein a trailer of the truck-trailer combination is connected to and moveable by a truck of the truck-trailer combination,

moving the drawworks with the movement apparatus on a surface adjacent to a drill floor of the drilling rig, the drilling rig having a substructure and raising apparatus on the substructure,

connecting the drawworks to the drill floor, by raising the drill floor with the drawworks connected thereto using the raising apparatus and connectingly engaging a drill floor connector structure with a drawworks connection apparatus,

moving the movement apparatus away from the drilling rig,

securing the drawworks to the drill floor with a securement device, and

raising the drill floor with the drawworks connected thereto to a desired operational height.

15. A method for installing a drawworks on a drilling rig on a surface, the method comprising

moving the drawworks on a movement apparatus on the surface adjacent to a drill floor of the drilling rig, the drilling rig having a substructure and raising apparatus on the substructure, and the drill floor having an interior open space into which the movement apparatus is selectively movable with the drawworks thereon,

moving the drawworks into the interior open space of the drill floor on the movement apparatus, and

connecting the drawworks to the drill floor.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising raising the drill floor with the drawworks connected thereto using the raising apparatus.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein connecting the drawworks to the drill floor comprises raising the drill floor to connectingly engage a drill floor connector structure with a drawworks connection apparatus.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising securing the drawworks to the drill floor with a securement device.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising positioning the drawworks with respect to the drill floor so that a top of a skid comprising the drawworks is substantially level with the drill floor.

20. A drill floor comprising

a floor section with an interior open space, wherein the interior open space is adapted to facilitate movement thereinto of a movement apparatus with a drawworks thereon, and

a movable drill floor connector structure adapted to connectingly engage a drawworks connection apparatus.

21. A method for installing a rig apparatus on a drilling rig, comprising

positioning the drawworks on a movement apparatus comprising a truck-trailer combination, wherein a trailer of the truck-trailer combination is connected to and moveable by a truck of the truck-trailer combination,

moving the rig apparatus with the movement apparatus on a surface adjacent to a drill floor of the drilling rig, the drilling rig having a substructure and raising apparatus on the substructure,

connecting the rig apparatus to the drill floor, by raising the drill floor with the rig apparatus connected thereto using the raising apparatus and connectingly engaging a drill floor connector structure with a rig apparatus connection apparatus,

moving the movement apparatus away from the drilling rig,

securing the rig apparatus to the drill floor with a securement device, and

raising the drill floor with the rig apparatus connected thereto to a desired operational height.