Simultaneous tubular handling system and method

• US 8,584,773 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2012
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Friede & Goldman United B.V.
• Original Assignee: Friede Goldman United, Ltd. (China Communications Construction Company Limited), Atwood Oceanics Incorporated (Valaris Ltd.)
• Inventors: Childers, Mark Alan, Larkin, Brendan William, Rich, Harvey Mark, Smith, Barry M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Andrews, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): FULLER, ROBERT EDWARD
• Application Number:
  US13/467,316
• Publication Number:
  US 20120217024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 559 Days
• Field of Search: 166/77.1, 166/77.51, 166/338, 166/339, 166/341, 166/343, 166/345, 166/358, 166/380, 175/52, 175/57, 175/85, 175/162, 175/203, 175/220, 414/22.51, 414/22.54, 414/22.55
• US Class Current: 175/52
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/155 Handling between horizontal and vertical position
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/20 Combined feeding from rack and connecting, e.g. automatically

Abstract

A system and method for building and handling oilfield tubular stands while drilling operations are simultaneously and independently occurring with one drilling deck, one derrick, and one rotary system. An offline guided path horizontal to vertical arm lifts and moves in the same plane tubulars stored horizontally on the catwalk and positions the tubulars vertically directly into a preparation hole for assembling and disassembling tubular stands while online drilling operations are simultaneously being conducted. A stand arm lifts and lowers the tubulars into and out of the adjustable preparation hole, and transports the tubulars for storage to an auxiliary tubular racking station in the upper part of the derrick. A bridge racker crane moves tubular stands from the auxiliary tubular racking station to the top drive or another tubular racking station.

Claims

1. A system for drilling, said system comprising:

a drilling deck having a well center;

a primary tubular advancing station configured for advancing a first tubular onto said drilling deck from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position above said well center;

a stand arm disposed with said drilling deck and configured for handling a second tubular; and

a guided path horizontal to vertical arm positioned adjacent to said stand arm and configured to guide the second tubular onto said drilling deck from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position adjacent to said stand arm, wherein said guided path arm is configured to guide the second tubular onto said drilling deck during advancing of the first tubular onto said drilling deck to said well center and said guided path arm is configured to operate independently of said primary tubular advancing station.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said primary tubular advancing station comprises:

a top drive for rotating the first tubular.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first tubular does not make contact with said stand arm.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first tubular does not make contact with said guided path horizontal to vertical arm.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said primary tubular advancing station further comprises:

a mousehole positioned radially outward from said well center.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said guided path arm rotates substantially in a first plane substantially parallel to a second plane comprising said mousehole and said well center.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said guided path arm is controlled so as not to intersect said second plane comprising said mousehole and said well center.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a tubular racking station; and

a bridge racker crane configured to move the second tubular between said tubular racking station and said well center.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said stand arm is configured to directly position the second tubular with said tubular racking station, and wherein said stand arm is configured to operate independently of said bridge racker crane.

10. A method for moving a plurality of tubulars to a borehole from a drilling deck, said method being performed, at least partially, from a primary tubular advancing station and, at least partially, from an auxiliary tubular handling station, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) drilling the borehole through a well center in the drilling deck;

(b) moving a first tubular onto said drilling deck with said primary tubular advancing station and to said well center in a first plane comprising said well center; and

(c) (i) moving a second tubular onto said drilling deck and in a guided path in a second plane without intersecting said first plane;

(ii) positioning a portion of the second tubular in said second plane on the drilling deck; and

(iii) lifting the second tubular to an auxiliary tubular racking station, wherein step (c) is performed independently of and during at least a portion of the same time as steps (a) and (b).

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising a mousehole positioned radially outward of said well center, wherein the step of moving the second tubular includes the step of rotating the second tubular substantially in said second plane substantially parallel to said first plane comprising said well center and said mousehole.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

connecting a plurality of the tubulars in said auxiliary tubular handling station; and

lifting the connected tubulars from the auxiliary tubular handling station to said auxiliary tubular racking station.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

moving the connected tubulars from said auxiliary tubular racking station to a position substantially aligned with said well center.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising another tubular racking station and further comprising the step of:

moving the connected tubulars from said auxiliary tubular racking station to said other tubular racking station.

15. A system for drilling, said system comprising:

a drilling deck;

a primary tubular advancing station having a well center and configured for advancing a first tubular onto said drilling deck and to said well center;

an auxiliary tubular handling station configured for moving a second tubular onto said drilling deck;

a stand arm configured for positioning the second tubular in a substantially vertical position;

a first tubular racking station above said auxiliary tubular handling station configured for holding the second tubular, wherein the second tubular is moved onto said drilling deck and positioned in a substantially vertical position above said drilling deck and held in said first tubular racking station while the first tubular is advanced onto said drilling deck and to said well center; and

a bridge racker crane configured to move the second tubular between said first tubular racking station and said well center, wherein said stand arm is configured to operate independent of said bridge racker crane.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a second tubular racking station positioned above said drilling deck and configured for holding the second tubular, wherein said bridge racker crane is configured to move the second tubular between said second tubular racking station and said well center.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein said system further comprising:

a second tubular racking station positioned above said primary tubular advancing station and configured for receiving at least one tubular from said auxiliary tubular handling station.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said bridge racker crane configured to move the second tubular between said second tubular racking station and said first tubular racking station.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein said bridge racker crane configured to move the second tubular between said well center and said second tubular racking station.

20. The system of claim 15, further comprising said drilling deck having a preparation hole, wherein said stand arm configured to move the second tubular between said preparation hole and said first tubular racking station.

21. A system for drilling, said system comprising:

a drilling deck;

a primary tubular advancing station having a well center and configured for advancing a first tubular onto said drilling deck and to said well center;

an auxiliary tubular handling station configured for moving a second tubular onto said drilling deck; and

a first tubular racking station above said auxiliary tubular handling station configured for holding the second tubular, wherein the second tubular is moved onto said drilling deck and positioned in a substantially vertical position above said drilling deck while the first tubular is advanced onto said drilling deck and to said well center.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising a stand arm configured for positioning the second tubular in a substantially vertical position.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising said drilling deck having a preparation hole, wherein said stand arm is configured to move the second tubular between said preparation hole and said first tubular racking system.