Multi-function multi-hole drilling rig

• US 8,181,697 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2008
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Oilwell Varco LP (NOV, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: National Oilwell Varco LP (NOV, Inc.)
• Inventors: Springett, Frank Benjamin, Reid, David Gilbert, McClung, Guy L. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Neuder, William P
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALKER, RICHARD K
• Application Number:
  US12/316,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20100038088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,254 Days
• Field of Search: 166/52, 166/313, 166/76.1, 166/102, 175/57, 175/161, 175/220
• US Class Current: 166/52
• 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

Abstract

A multi-function multi-hole rig is disclosed which, in certain aspects, includes multiple machines for accomplishing rig functions, e.g. drilling machine(s), tripping machine(s), casing machine(s), and/or cementing machine(s), for producing multiple usable wellbores one after the other. 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 multi-function rig for performing rig operations on a plurality of spaced-apart wellbore locations at a single wellbore location site, said multi-function rig configured to be movable between multiple wellbore location sites, the multi-function rig comprising:

a rig structure configured to be positioned adjacent to said plurality of spaced-apart wellbore locations at said single wellbore location site;

a plurality of machines operatively coupled to said rig structure and configured to perform at least one of said rig operations on each of said plurality of spaced-apart wellbore locations, wherein each of said plurality of machines is configured to be supported by at least one pressure-retaining device associated with at least one of said plurality of spaced-apart wellbore locations while performing said at least one of said rig operations, and wherein at least one of said plurality of machines is configured to be movable relative to said rig structure to positions proximate at least one of said plurality of spaced-apart wellbore locations without moving said multi-function rig from said single wellbore location site; and

at least one of said plurality of machines being configured as a drilling machine to perform a drilling operation, and configured to be movable relative to said rig structure to positions proximate at least one of said plurality of spaced-apart wellbore locations.

2. The multi-function rig of claim 1, wherein said rig structure comprises a rig floor, a base, a framework, and a support structure.

3. The multi-function rig of claim 1, wherein said rig operations comprise at least one of a drilling operation, a completions operation, and a workover operation.

4. The multi-function rig of claim 1, further comprising a movement apparatus disposed on or adjacent to said rig structure, said movement apparatus being configured to move at least one of said plurality of machines relative to said rig structure.

5. The multi-function rig of claim 4, wherein said movement apparatus is further configured to position said at least one of said plurality of machines above at least one pressure-retaining device associated with at least one of said plurality of spaced-apart wellbore locations.

6. The multi-function rig of claim 1, wherein said multi-function rig is configured for onshore applications.

7. The multi-function rig of claim 1, wherein said multi-function rig is configured for offshore applications.

8. The multi-function rig of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of machines is configured to perform said rig operations simultaneously at a plurality of said spaced-apart wellbore locations.

9. The multi-function rig of claim 1, wherein said plurality of machines comprises at least one tripping machine.

10. The multi-function rig of claim 1, wherein said plurality of machines comprises at least one heater installation machine.

11. The multi-function rig of claim 1, wherein said plurality of machines comprises at least one casing drilling machine.

12. The multi-function rig of claim 1, wherein said plurality of machines comprises at least one casing machine.

13. The multi-function rig of claim 1, wherein said plurality of machines comprises at least one cementing machine.

14. The multi-function rig of claim 1, wherein said plurality of machines comprises at least one workover machine.

15. The multi-function rig of claim 1, wherein said plurality of machines comprises at least one coiled tubing unit.

16. The multi-function rig of claim 1, further comprising a driller cabin.

17. The multi-function rig of claim 16, wherein said driller cabin is configured to move relative to said rig structure.

18. The multi-function rig of claim 1, wherein said rig structure comprises a rectangular base.

19. The multi-function rig of claim 1, wherein said rig structure comprises a non-rectangular base.

20. The multi-function rig of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of spaced-apart wellbore locations is a cased cemented wellbore.

21. The multi-function rig of claim 1, further comprising said at least one pressure-retaining device, wherein said at least one pressure-retaining device comprises at least one of a wellhead and pressure control equipment.

22. The multi-function rig of claim 21, wherein at least one of said plurality of machines comprises a frame structure configured to be supported by said at least one pressure-retaining device.

23. The multi-function rig of claim 22, wherein said frame structure is configured to support drilling loads.

24. The multi-function rig of claim 21, wherein said pressure control equipment comprises a flowline apparatus.

25. The multi-function rig of claim 21, wherein said pressure control equipment comprises a blowout preventer apparatus.

26. The multi-function rig of claim 21, wherein said pressure control equipment comprises a diverter apparatus.

27. The multi-function rig of claim 21, wherein said at least one pressure-retaining device is configured to support drilling loads.

28. The multi-function rig of claim 1, further comprising auxiliary drilling equipment disposed proximate said rig structure, said auxiliary drilling equipment being configured to drill an upper portion of a wellbore.

29. The multi-function rig of claim 1, further comprising a control system configured for selective control of said plurality of machines.

30. The multi-function rig of claim 29, wherein said control system is configured to control said plurality of machines to perform automatic operations.

31. The multi-function rig of claim 1, further comprising a shaker system disposed on said rig structure and a mud pit proximate said shaker system.

32. A method for performing rig operations on a plurality of spaced-apart wellbore locations at a single wellbore location site, said method comprising:

providing a single multi-function rig comprising a rig structure and a plurality of machines operatively coupled to said rig structure to perform said rig operations, wherein at least one of said rig operations comprises a drilling operation and said multi-function rig is configured to be movable between multiple wellbore location sites;

configuring each of said plurality of machines to perform at least one of said rig operations on each of said plurality of spaced-apart wellbore locations;

configuring each of said plurality of machines to be supported by at least one pressure-retaining device associated with at least one of said plurality of spaced-apart wellbore locations while performing said at least one of said rig operations;

configuring at least one of said plurality of machines to be movable relative to said rig structure to positions proximate at least one of said plurality of spaced-apart wellbore locations without moving said multi-function rig from said single wellbore location site, wherein at least one of said plurality of machines configured to be movable relative to said rig structure is further configured as a drilling machine to perform said drilling operation;

positioning said multi-function rig adjacent to said plurality of spaced-apart wellbore locations at said single wellbore location site;

moving said at least one of said plurality of machines configured as a drilling machine proximate at least one of said plurality of spaced-apart wellbore locations; and

performing a drilling operation on said at least one of said plurality of spaced-apart wellbore locations using said at least one of said plurality of machines that is configured as a drilling machine.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein said rig structure further comprises a rig floor, a base, a framework, and a support structure.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein said rig operations comprise at least one of a drilling operation, a completions operation, and a workover operation.

35. The method of claim 32, said method further comprising moving at least one of said plurality of machines relative to said rig structure, wherein moving said at least one of said plurality of machines comprises providing a movement apparatus disposed on or adjacent to said rig structure.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein said movement apparatus comprises a crane.

37. The method of claim 36, said method further comprising using said crane to move at least one of said plurality of machines from a first position to a second position relative to said rig structure.

38. The method of claim 32, said method further comprising wherein said rig operations are performed onshore.

39. The method of claim 32, said method further comprising wherein said rig operations are performed offshore.

40. The method of claim 32, said method further comprising performing a plurality of said rig operations simultaneously at a plurality of said spaced-apart wellbore locations.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein performing a plurality of said rig operations simultaneously comprises supporting each of said plurality of machines performing at least one of said plurality of said rig operations from said at least one pressure-retaining device associated with each of said plurality of said spaced-apart wellbore locations where said rig operations are performed.

42. The method of claim 32, said method further comprising utilizing said plurality of machines to drill a wellbore and perform a tripping operation at said drilled wellbore.

43. The method of claim 32, said method further comprising utilizing said plurality of machines to drill a plurality of wellbores and perform tripping operations at each of said plurality of drilled wellbores.

44. The method of claim 32, said method further comprising performing said rig operations at a first wellbore location site and moving said multi-function rig to a second wellbore location site for performing additional rig operations thereat.

45. The method of claim 32, said method further comprising installing a heater apparatus in a drilled wellbore using a heater installation machine operatively coupled to said rig structure.

46. The method of claim 32, said method further comprising producing a cased wellbore using a casing drilling machine operatively coupled to said rig structure.

47. The method of claim 32, said method further comprising casing a previously drilled wellbore using a casing machine operatively coupled to said rig structure.

48. The method of claim 32, said method further comprising cementing a previously cased wellbore using a cementing machine operatively coupled to said rig structure.

49. The method of claim 32, wherein configuring each of said plurality of machines to be supported by said at least one pressure-retaining device comprises configuring each of said plurality of machines to be supported by at least one of a wellhead and pressure control equipment associated with at least one of said spaced-apart wellbore locations.

50. The method of claim 49, said method further comprising configuring said at least one pressure-retaining device to support drilling loads.

51. The method of claim 32, wherein configuring at least one of said plurality of machines to be supported by said at least one pressure-retaining device comprises providing a frame structure and configuring said frame structure to be supported by said at least one pressure-retaining device.

52. The method of claim 51, said method further comprising configuring said frame structure to support drilling loads.

53. The method of claim 51, wherein said plurality of machines comprises at least one pipe racker system disposed proximate said frame structure.

54. The method of claim 32, said multi-function rig further comprising a control system configured to selectively control said plurality of machines.

55. The method of claim 32, wherein said plurality of machines comprises at least one workover machine.

56. The method of claim 55, further comprising performing one of a completions or workover operation using said workover machine.

57. The method of claim 32, wherein said plurality of machines comprises at least one coiled tubing unit.

58. The method of claim 57, further comprising performing one of a drilling, completions, or workover operation using said coiled tubing unit.

59. The method of claim 32, wherein said plurality of machines comprises at least one pipe racker system.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein said pipe racker system comprises a pipe racker, said pipe racker being configured to support vertically oriented tubulars.

61. The method of claim 59, wherein the pipe racker system comprises a pipe racker, said pipe racker being configured to support non-vertically oriented tubulars.

62. The method of claim 59, said method further comprising tripping in or out of a wellbore utilizing said pipe racker system.

63. The method of claim 32, said method further comprising drilling an upper portion of a wellbore using an auxiliary drilling unit disposed proximate said rig structure.

64. The method of claim 32, said method further comprising automatically operating said plurality of machines using a control system.

65. The method of claim 32, wherein performing said drilling operation comprises supporting said at least one of said plurality of machines configured as a drilling machine from at least one pressure-retaining device associated with said at least one of said plurality of spaced-apart wellbore locations.

66. A method for performing rig operations with a single multi-function rig configured to be movable between multiple wellbore location sites, said method comprising:

positioning said multi-function rig at a first wellbore location site comprising a first plurality of spaced-apart wellbore locations, said multi-function rig comprising a plurality of machines operatively coupled to said multi-function rig and configured to perform at least one of said rig operations on each of said first plurality of spaced-apart wellbore locations, wherein each of said plurality of machines is configured to be supported by at least one pressure-retaining device associated with at least one of said plurality of spaced-apart wellbore locations while performing said at least one of said rig operations, at least one of said rig operations is a drilling operation, and at least one of said plurality of machines is configured as a drilling machine to perform said drilling operation;

performing said drilling operation on at least two of said first plurality of spaced-apart wellbore locations using said at least one of said plurality of machines configured as a drilling machine, wherein said drilling operation performed on each of said at least two of said plurality of spaced-apart wellbore locations are performed while said multi-function drilling rig remains positioned at said first wellbore location site.

67. The method of claim 66, wherein performing drilling operations on at least two of said first plurality of spaced-apart wellbore locations comprises disposing said at least one of said plurality of machines configured as a drilling machine at a first spaced-apart wellbore location, performing drilling operations on said first spaced-apart wellbore location, moving said at least one of said plurality of machines configured as a drilling machine to a second spaced-apart wellbore location, and performing drilling operations on said second spaced-apart wellbore location.

68. The method of claim 67, wherein moving said at least one of said plurality of machines configured as a drilling machine comprises providing a movement apparatus disposed on or adjacent to said multi-function rig.

69. The method of claim 67, wherein performing drilling operations on said first spaced-apart wellbore location comprises supporting said at least one of said plurality of machines configured as a drilling machine from said at least one pressure-retaining device associated with said first spaced-apart wellbore location, and wherein performing drilling operations on said second spaced-apart wellbore location comprises supporting said at least one of said plurality of machines configured as a drilling machine from at least one pressure-retaining device associated with said second spaced-apart wellbore location.

70. The method of claim 66, said method further comprising moving said multi-function rig to a second wellbore location site comprising a second plurality of spaced-apart wellbore locations and performing rig operations on at least one of said second plurality of spaced-apart wellbore locations.

71. The method of claim 66, wherein said rig operations comprise at least one of a drilling operation, a completions operation, and a workover operation.

72. The method of claim 71, said method further comprising operating at least two of said plurality of machines to perform at least one of said rig operations simultaneously on at least two of said first plurality of spaced-apart wellbore locations.

73. The method of claim 66, wherein at least one of said plurality of machines is configured to perform one of a drilling operation, a tripping operation, a casing operation, a cementing operation, a completions operation, and a workover operation.

74. The method of claim 66, wherein at least one of said plurality of machines is configured as one of a tripping machine, a casing drilling machine, a casing machine, a cementing machine, a workover machine, a coiled tubing unit and a heater installation machine.