Multi-operational multi-drilling system

• US 8,733,472 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2011
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magnuson Patents, LLC
• Original Assignee: Christopher Magnuson
• Inventors: Magnuson, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): BUCK, MATTHEW R
• Application Number:
  US13/053,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20120067642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 175 7- 9, 166/352, 166/358, 166/77.51, 114/264, 114/265, 405/195.1, 405/201, 405/223.1, 414/22.51, 414/22.63, 414/22.66
• US Class Current: 175/7
• 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 19/002 specially adapted for underwater drilling E21B19/09, E21B19/143 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/143 specially adapted for underwater drilling
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/12 Underwater drilling using heave compensators E21B19/09

Abstract

A system including a setback and racking system and a set of wellbay accesses, at least a portion of the setback and racking system positioned at an elevation lower than the elevation of the wellbay accesses. A system including a centrally located setback and racking system, a set of wellbay accesses, and at least one peripheral skidding system, wherein the setback and racking system is positioned at least partially below the elevation of the peripheral skidding system. A system including at least one peripheral skidding system and a set of wellbay accesses positioned along a wellbay access perimeter surrounding a central focus that is not an integral part of the peripheral skidding system. A method of drilling by aligning each of at least two drilling modules with a respective wellbay access via a peripheral skidding system and operating at least two drilling modules at least partially simultaneously.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a setback and racking system having a center axis;

a first set of wellbay accesses positioned along a wellbay access perimeter that surrounds the center axis, wherein each of the first set of wellbay accesses is associated with a wellbay substantially therebelow, and wherein at least a portion of the setback and racking system is positioned at an elevation lower than the elevation of the wellbay accesses;

a drilling module coupled to a skidding system that is positioned at a level higher than the setback and racking system, wherein the skidding system is operable to rotate the drilling module about the center axis so as to selectively position the drilling module in alignment with each of the first set of wellbay accesses, and wherein the setback and racking system is configured to feed tubulars to the drilling module when the drilling module is in alignment with each of the first set of wellbay accesses.

2. The system of claim 1 comprising at least three wellbay accesses.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the wellbay access perimeter is substantially triangular.

4. The system of claim 1 comprising at least four wellbay accesses.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the wellbay access perimeter is substantially rectangular.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the wellbay access perimeter is substantially a shape selected from the group consisting of triangular, rectangular, circular, oval, and octagonal.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the wellbay access perimeter substantially surrounds the setback and racking system.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least two operating drilling modules selected from the group consisting of standbuilding systems, wireline units, coiled tubing units, workover systems, intervention units, and drilling rigs.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the at least two operating drilling modules comprise a drilling rig and wherein the drilling rig does not comprise a setback and racking system.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the drilling rig comprises a mast.

11. The system of claim 8 comprising no derrick.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the skidding system is operable to serially position the drilling module above at least a fraction of the first set of wellbay accesses.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising a second skidding system operable to serially position the drilling module above at least another fraction of the first set of wellbay accesses.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the skidding system comprises at least two rails positioned substantially equidistantly apart, wherein each of the at least two rails defines a skidding perimeter surrounding the setback and racking system.

15. The system of claim 1 comprising a second set of wellbay accesses positioned along a second wellbay access perimeter, wherein each of the second set of wellbay accesses is associated with a wellbay substantially therebelow.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the skidding system is operable to serially position the drilling module above at least a fraction of the first set of wellbay accesses, at least a fraction of the second set of wellbay accesses or at least a fraction of the first and second sets of wellbay accesses.

17. The system of claim 15 further comprising a second skidding system operable to serially position the drilling module above at least a fraction of the second set of wellbay accesses.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the second set of wellbay accesses is radially staggered relative to the first set of wellbay accesses.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein the wellbay accesses are located in the upper deck of a drilling platform.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the drilling platform is selected from the group consisting of fixed platforms, compliant towers, tension leg platforms (TLP'"'"'s), spars, semi-submersibles, floating drilling, production, storage and offloading facilities (FDPSO'"'"'s), drill ships, and modified mobile offshore drilling units (MODU'"'"'s).

21. A system comprising:

a centrally located setback and racking system;

a set of wellbay accesses positioned substantially equidistantly apart from each other along a wellbay access perimeter, each of the plurality of wellbay accesses associated with a wellbay substantially therebelow;

at least one peripheral skidding system located on a main deck of a drilling platform, wherein the at least one peripheral skidding system is operable to position a plurality of drilling modules with a plurality of the wellbay accesses,

wherein the centrally located setback and racking system is positioned at least partially below the elevation of the peripheral skidding system, and wherein the centrally located setback and racking system is configured for rotational movement about its center of axis to feed tubulars in substantially the direction of each of the plurality of wellbay accesses.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the wellbay access perimeter at least substantially surrounds the centrally located setback and racking system.

23. The system of claim 21 further comprising a plurality of drilling modules selected from the group consisting of drilling rigs, workover rigs, wireline units, offline standbuilding systems, and combinations thereof.

24. The system of claim 23 comprising at least one drilling rig and at least one coiled tubing unit.

25. The system of claim 23 comprising at least two drilling rigs.

26. The system of claim 21 wherein the drilling platform is selected from the group consisting of fixed platforms, compliant towers, tension leg platforms (TLP'"'"'s), spars, semi-submersibles, floating drilling, production, storage and offloading facilities (FDPSO'"'"'s), drill ships, and modified mobile offshore drilling units (MODU'"'"'s).

27. A method of drilling, the method comprising:

aligning each of at least two drilling modules with a respective wellbay access via a peripheral skidding system operable to position a plurality of drilling modules proximate a plurality of wellbay accesses, wherein the plurality of wellbay accesses is aligned in a wellbay access perimeter and wherein each wellbay access is associated with a wellbay substantially therebelow; and

operating the first of the at least two drilling modules to perform a first operation and the second of the at least two drilling modules to perform a second operation, wherein at least a portion of the first and second operations are performed simultaneously, and wherein the wellbay access perimeter at least substantially surrounds a central setback and racking system that is configured to feed tubulars to each of the at least two drilling modules.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the first and second operations are selected from the group consisting of drilling operations, workover operations, intervention operations, and offline standbuilding operations.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein at least one of the first and second operations is selected from the group consisting of wireline, slickline, and coiled tubing.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein at least one of the first and second drilling modules comprises a drilling rig.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the drilling rig does not comprise a setback.

32. The method of claim 27 comprising aligning each of at least three drilling modules.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein the peripheral skidding system is located on a drilling platform selected from the group consisting of fixed platforms, compliant towers, tension leg platforms (TLP'"'"'s), spars, semi-submersibles, floating drilling, production, storage and offloading facilities (FDPSO'"'"'s), drill ships, and modified mobile offshore drilling units (MODU'"'"'s).

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the peripheral skidding system is located on a main deck of the drilling platform and wherein the setback and racking system is positioned at least partially below the main deck.

35. The method of claim 27 further comprising feeding tubulars to at least one of the drilling modules via the central setback and racking system.

36. The method of claim 35 further comprising feeding tubulars to at least one of the other drilling modules via the central setback and racking system.

37. The method of claim 27, further comprising aligning at least one of the at least two drilling modules with a different wellbay access via the peripheral skidding system, aligning at least one additional drilling module with a wellbay access, or both, and feeding tubulars to at least one of the at least two drilling modules, the additional modules, or both, via the setback and racking system.

38. The method of claim 27 wherein at least one operation selected from the group consisting of the first operation and the second operation comprises running a dry tree through at least one of the plurality of wellbay accesses.

39. The method of claim 27 wherein at least one operation selected from the group consisting of the first operation and the second operation comprises running a wet tree through at least one of the plurality of wellbay accesses.

40. The method of claim 27 wherein at least one operation selected from the group consisting of the first operation and the second operation comprises running a surface stack BOP through at least one of the plurality of wellbay accesses.

41. The method of claim 27 wherein at least one operation selected from the group consisting of the first operation and the second operation comprises running a subsea stack BOP through at least one of the plurality of wellbay accesses.