Drilling rig

• US 9,458,680 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2013
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Noble Drilling Corporation (Noble Finance Co.)
• Original Assignee: Maersk Drilling A/S
• Inventors: Kannegaard, Michael, McColl, Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): Sayre, James G
• Application Number:
  US13/772,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20140196948A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,321 Days
• Field of Search: 175/5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 15/02 specially adapted for underwater drilling E21B15/04 takes precedence
• 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 19/155 Handling between horizontal and vertical position

Abstract

Disclosed herein are embodiments of an offshore drilling rig comprising a drill floor deck having a hole defining a first well center. Embodiments of the drilling rig further comprise a first mast upwardly extending relative to the drill floor deck, and a first hoisting system supported by the first mast and configured for hoisting and lowering tubular equipment through the first well center. The first mast is located on a first side of the first well center. Embodiments of the drilling rig further comprise first pipe handling equipment for presenting tubular equipment to the first hoisting system so as to allow the first hoisting system to hoist or lower the tubular equipment through the first well center.

Claims

1. An offshore drilling rig comprising

a drill floor deck having a hole defining a first well centre;

a first mast upwardly extending relative to the drill floor deck, the first mast defining a first mast footprint on the drill floor deck, wherein the first mast is displaced from and located on a first side of the first well centre such that the first mast footprint is outside the first well centre;

a first hoisting system supported by the first mast and configured for hoisting and lowering tubular equipment through the first well centre; and

first pipe handling equipment for moving tubular equipment to the first hoisting system so as to allow the first hoisting system to hoist or lower the tubular equipment through the first well centre;

wherein the drill floor deck comprises;

at least a first open drill floor deck area located adjacent the first mast and outside the first mast footprint; and

skid beams installed on the first open drill floor deck area and configured to enable equipment to be skidded across the first open drill floor deck area;

wherein the drill floor deck comprises a rotary table at the first well centre, and the skid beams are substantially level with a portion of the drill floor deck surrounding the hole defining the first well centre.

2. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1, wherein the offshore drilling rig is a semi-submersible drilling rig.

3. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1, wherein the first pipe handling equipment defines a first pipe feeding path along which tubular equipment is moved towards the first well centre.

4. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 3, wherein the first pipe feeding path extends substantially along a longitudinal direction defined within a plane of the drill floor deck by the first well centre and the first hoisting system.

5. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 3, wherein the first pipe handling equipment comprises a first horizontal pipe handling equipment extending along the first pipe feeding path;

and first vertical pipe handling equipment for handling at least vertically oriented tubular equipment.

6. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 5, wherein the first well centre is positioned on the first pipe feeding path defined by the first horizontal pipe handling equipment;

and wherein the first vertical pipe handling equipment is movable between at least a first position on the first pipe feeding path between the first horizontal pipe handling equipment and the first well centre and a second position transversely displaced relative to the first pipe feeding path.

7. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1, wherein the drill floor deck comprises at least a first open drill floor deck area located adjacent the first mast other than any drill floor deck area configured for movement of tubular equipment or well-control equipment to the first well centre during normal drilling operation;

and an access path connecting the open drill floor deck area with the first well centre.

8. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 7, wherein the drilling rig is configured to perform movement of tubular equipment or well-control equipment to the first well centre along one or more pipe feeding paths during normal use which one or more pipe feeding path only crosses drill floor deck areas outside the first open drill floor deck area.

9. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 7, wherein the access path extends entirely outside the footprint of the first mast.

10. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 7, wherein the access path is a straight access path.

11. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 7, wherein the first open drill floor deck area is located adjacent the first mast in a longitudinal direction defined within a plane of the drill floor deck by the first well centre and the first hoisting system.

12. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 7, wherein the first open drill floor deck area is located adjacent the first mast in a transverse direction normal to a longitudinal direction defined within a plane of the drill floor deck by the first well centre and the first hoisting system.

13. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1, comprising a guard structure configured to prevent tubular equipment operated above the first well centre from falling onto the drill floor deck area in a direction away from the first mast.

14. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 13, wherein the guard structure is elevated above the drill floor deck so as to provide an access path to the first well centre under the guard structure.

15. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 13, wherein the guard structure is configured to be moved between different elevations above the drill floor deck.

16. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 13, wherein the guard structure is operable to be moved between a closed position where it prevents tubular equipment operated above the first well centre from falling onto the drill floor deck area and an open position where it allows unobstructed access to the first well centre.

17. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 13;

wherein the guard structure extends between support structures located on respective sides of the first well centre.

18. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1, comprising a mounting structure for suspending suspendable auxiliary equipment from an elevated position above the drill floor deck, allowing the auxiliary equipment to be lowered or hoisted through the first well centre;

wherein the mounting structure is movable between a lower position for rigging up auxiliary equipment to the mounting structure, and an elevated position allowing lowering or hoisting of auxiliary equipment suspended from the mounting structure through the first well centre.

19. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 18, wherein the mounting structure extends between support structures located on respective sides of the first well centre.

20. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1, wherein the first mast and the first hoisting system are configured to allow tubular equipment to be moved towards the first well centre from the first side.

21. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 20, wherein the first mast and the first hoisting system define an opening through which tubular equipment is movable towards the first well centre from the first side.

22. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 21, wherein the first hoisting system is a hydraulic hoisting system comprising a plurality of cylinders extending upwardly relative to the drill floor deck, wherein the cylinders are arranged as at least two groups of cylinders that are laterally spaced apart from each other so as to form a gap between the two groups of cylinders through which gap tubular equipment is movable towards the first well centre from the first side.

23. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1, wherein the drilling rig further comprises a pipe storage structure positioned on a second side of the first well centre opposite the first side.

24. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1, wherein the drilling rig further comprises

a second well centre displaced from the first well centre;

the positions of the first and second well centres together defining a transverse direction in the plane of the drill floor deck;

a second mast upwardly extending relative to the drill floor deck, and a second hoisting system supported by the second mast and configured for hoisting and lowering tubular equipment through the second well centre;

wherein the first and second masts are arranged side by side in the transverse direction.

25. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 24, further comprising second pipe handling equipment, wherein the first pipe handling equipment defines a first pipe feeding path, along which first pipe feeding path tubular equipment is moved towards the first well centre;

and wherein the second pipe handling equipment defines a second pipe feeding path, along which tubular equipment is moved towards the second well centre.

26. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 25, wherein the first and second pipe feeding paths extend substantially along a longitudinal direction normal to the transverse direction.

27. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 25, further comprising a pipe storage structure positioned longitudinally displaced from the first and second well centres on a second side of the first well centre opposite the first side and transversely positioned between the first and the second pipe feeding paths.

28. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 25, wherein the drill floor deck comprises at least a first open drill floor deck area located adjacent to one of the first and second masts other than any drill floor deck area configured for movement of tubular equipment or well-control equipment to the first or second well centre during normal drilling operation;

and an access path connecting the open drill floor deck area with the first and second well centres.

29. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 28, wherein the first open drill floor deck area is located adjacent the first or second mast in the transverse direction;

and wherein the access path is a straight access path extending from the first open drill floor deck area through the first and second well centres.

30. An off-shore drilling rig according to claim 24, comprising respective open drill floor deck areas, one adjacent to each of the first and second masts, other than any drill floor deck area configured for movement of tubular equipment or well-control equipment to the first or second well centre during normal drilling operation;

and respective access paths connecting the open drill floor deck areas with the first and second well centres.

31. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 30, wherein each of the open drill floor deck areas comprises an access path extending outside the footprint of the first and second masts and along the transverse direction to the first and second well centres.

32. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 31, wherein the drill floor deck comprises a connecting drill floor deck area connecting the first and second open drill floor deck areas.

33. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 24, configured to allow drilling operations to be performed through each of the first and second well centres.

34. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the drill floor deck is formed by a roof of an enclosure for accommodating mud mixing equipment and/or other operational equipment of the drilling rig.

35. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1, wherein the skid beams are adjacent the first well centre.

36. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1, wherein the skid beams are mounted such that there is an absence of height difference between the skid beams and the drill floor deck to enable human operators and movable equipment to move along-side the tubular equipment.

37. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 36, wherein the skid beams are mounted flush with the drill floor deck.

38. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1, wherein an area of the drill floor deck outside the mast footprint is at least 200 m².

39. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1, wherein an area of the drill floor deck outside the mast footprint is at least 1000 m².

40. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1, wherein an area of the drill floor deck outside the mast footprint is at least 5000 m².