Mobile drilling rig with telescoping substructure boxes
First Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- assembling a telescoping substructure box comprising first and second substructure boxes in a collapsed configuration, said first substructure box comprising a first end frame and said second substructure box comprising a plurality of structural elements that are assembled to define a substantially open interior space and a substantially open second end frame, wherein assembling said telescoping substructure box comprises inserting said first end frame of said first substructure box through said substantially open second end frame of said second substructure box and nesting at least a portion of said first substructure box inside of said substantially open interior space of said second substructure box;
transporting said assembled telescoping substructure box to a drilling site;
telescopically raising said telescoping substructure box from said collapsed transportation configuration to a raised operating configuration for performing drilling operations on a wellbore location of said drilling site by telescopically raising one of said first and second substructure boxes relative to the other one of said first and second substructure boxes;
coupling a drilling mast to said telescoping substructure box;
raising said drilling mast above said telescoping substructure box; and
performing drilling operations on said wellbore location with said raised drilling mast.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method includes assembling a telescoping substructure box having first and second substructure boxes in a collapsed configuration by nesting at least a portion of the first substructure box inside of a substantially open interior space defined by a plurality of structural elements that comprise the second substructure box. The assembled telescoping substructure box is transported to a drilling site and telescopically raised from the collapsed transportation configuration to a raised operating configuration for performing drilling operations on a wellbore location of the drilling site by telescopically raising one of the first and second substructure boxes relative to the other one of the first and second substructure boxes. A drilling mast is coupled to and raised above the telescoping substructure box, and drilling operations are performed on the wellbore location with the raised drilling mast.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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assembling a telescoping substructure box comprising first and second substructure boxes in a collapsed configuration, said first substructure box comprising a first end frame and said second substructure box comprising a plurality of structural elements that are assembled to define a substantially open interior space and a substantially open second end frame, wherein assembling said telescoping substructure box comprises inserting said first end frame of said first substructure box through said substantially open second end frame of said second substructure box and nesting at least a portion of said first substructure box inside of said substantially open interior space of said second substructure box; transporting said assembled telescoping substructure box to a drilling site; telescopically raising said telescoping substructure box from said collapsed transportation configuration to a raised operating configuration for performing drilling operations on a wellbore location of said drilling site by telescopically raising one of said first and second substructure boxes relative to the other one of said first and second substructure boxes; coupling a drilling mast to said telescoping substructure box; raising said drilling mast above said telescoping substructure box; and performing drilling operations on said wellbore location with said raised drilling mast. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 17)
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5. A method, comprising:
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positioning a first telescoping substructure box adjacent to and laterally spaced apart from a second telescoping substructure box at a drilling site, wherein each of said first and second telescoping substructure boxes are in a collapsed configuration and comprise an upper substructure box and a lower substructure box, said upper substructure comprising a plurality of structural members that are assembled to define a substantially open interior space and a substantially open bottom frame, wherein said lower substructure box is inserted through said substantially open bottom frame of said upper substructure box and is at least partially nested within said substantially open interior space of said upper substructure box; telescopically raising said laterally spaced apart first and second telescoping substructure boxes from said collapsed configuration to a raised configuration for drilling operations by telescopically raising said upper substructure boxes relative to said respective lower substructure boxes; performing drilling operations with a drilling rig comprising said first and second telescoping substructure boxes on a first wellbore location of said drilling site that is positioned between said laterally spaced apart first and second telescoping substructure boxes; and moving said drilling rig from said first wellbore location to a second wellbore location of said drilling site while said first and second telescoping substructure boxes are in said raised configuration and while pressure-retaining equipment is positioned above at least one of said first and second wellbore locations. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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18. A method, comprising:
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positioning a first telescoping substructure box adjacent to and laterally spaced apart from a second telescoping substructure box at a drilling site, wherein each of said first and second telescoping substructure boxes are in a collapsed configuration and comprise an upper substructure box and a lower substructure box that is inserted through a substantially open bottom frame of said upper substructure box and is at least partially nested within an open interior space of said upper substructure box; telescopically raising said laterally spaced apart first and second telescoping substructure boxes from said collapsed configuration to a raised configuration for drilling operations by telescopically raising said upper substructure boxes relative to said respective lower substructure boxes; performing drilling operations with a drilling rig comprising said first and second telescoping substructure boxes on a first wellbore location of said drilling site that is positioned between said laterally spaced apart first and second telescoping substructure boxes; lifting said first and second telescoping substructure boxes off of ground adjacent to said first wellbore location so as to create an open space below at least an upper substructure box of at least one of said laterally spaced apart first and second telescoping substructure boxes, said open space defining a side movement clearance having a height that is greater than a height of pressure-retaining equipment positioned above at least one of said first wellbore location and a second wellbore location of said drilling site; and moving said drilling rig from said first wellbore location to said second wellbore location while said first and second telescoping substructure boxes are in said raised configuration, wherein moving said drilling rig comprises moving said drilling rig laterally so that said pressure-retaining equipment passes laterally through said open space.
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Specification