Offshore drilling rig and a method of operating the same

• US 9,714,546 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2014
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Noble Drilling Corporation (Noble Finance Co.)
• Original Assignee: Maersk Drilling A/S
• Inventors: Holck, Jesper, Kannegaard, Michael, McColl, Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): Sayre, James G
• Application Number:
  US14/777,017
• Publication Number:
  US 20160032659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,226 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 15/02 specially adapted for underwater drilling E21B15/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/084 with flexible drawing means, e.g. cables
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/143 specially adapted for underwater drilling
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/001 specially adapted for underwater drilling dual gradient drilling E21B21/082
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 3/022 Top drives
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/12 Underwater drilling using heave compensators E21B19/09

Abstract

An offshore drilling rig comprising a drill deck, at least one work center arranged in the drill deck; a diverter system operatively connectable at least to a riser extending towards the seafloor; a hoisting system adapted for raising or lowering tubular equipment through the work center; wherein the offshore drilling rig comprises a first positioning system configured for positioning at least the work center and/or the diverter system and/or a riser tensioning system selectively at a first horizontal position and a second horizontal position, different from the first horizontal position; and wherein the hoisting system is operable to raise or lower tubular equipment through the work center when said work center is positioned at said first horizontal position.

Claims

1. An offshore drilling rig comprising:

a drill deck;

a first work center arranged in the drill deck;

a diverter system operatively connectable to a riser extending towards the seafloor;

a first hoisting system adapted for raising or lowering tubular equipment through the first work center;

a second work center arranged in the drill deck horizontally spaced apart from the first work center;

a second hoisting system adapted for raising or lowering tubular equipment through at least the second work center;

a first positioning system configured for positioning at least the diverter system selectively at a first horizontal position and a second horizontal position, different from the first horizontal position; and

a riser tensioning system operable to provide tension to said riser;

wherein the first positioning system is further configured to position the riser tensioning system selectively at the first horizontal position and the second horizontal position;

wherein the first hoisting system is operable to raise or lower tubular equipment through the first work center and through said diverter system at least when said diverter system is positioned at said first horizontal position and the drilling rig is operable to raise or lower tubular equipment through the diverter system by means of at least the second hoisting system when the diverter system is positioned at said second horizontal position.

2. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1, wherein the first work center is a well center.

3. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1, wherein the drilling rig is arranged so that the first and second hoisting systems can operate simultaneously to raise or lower tubulars in and out of the first and second work centers, respectively, while the second work center occupies the second horizontal position.

4. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1, wherein the first positioning system is further configured for movement of the first work center between the first and the second position with the diverter system.

5. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1;

wherein the second hoisting system is operable to raise or lower tubular equipment through the diverter system by means of at least the second hoisting system when the diverter system is positioned at said second horizontal position.

6. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1;

wherein the first positioning system is configured for movement of the first work center, the diverter system and the riser tensioning system between the first and the second positions while tubular equipment extends through the first work center.

7. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1;

wherein the first positioning system is configured to selectively position the diverter system at the first and the second horizontal positions while the second work center is positioned at a third horizontal position, different from the first and second horizontal positions.

8. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1;

wherein the first and second hoisting systems are operable to separately or together raise or lower tubular equipment through said first work center at said first horizontal position.

9. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1, wherein the first and second work centers are mounted in a substantially horizontal track, and where the first positioning system is adapted for selectively moving and positioning each of the work centers in the horizontal track to a first or a second or a third position in the drill deck.

10. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 9, wherein the horizontal track is linear at least along a part of it, where the first work center is operable as a primary work center, and where the diverter system is connected to the first work center and comprises at least one diverter having a first end being connected to the first work center and the other end being supported and fixed with respect to the drill deck and the diverter having at least one telescopic section between the first and the second end, the telescopic section extending parallel to a linear part of the horizontal track in the drill deck.

11. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 10, wherein one or more of said telescopic sections forms part of an overboard line or a mud return line.

12. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1, wherein the first and second work centers are both primary well centers, each comprising a diverter system arranged below the primary well center, wherein at least one of the diverter systems is displaceable.

13. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1, wherein one of said work centers is a mousehole, or a standbuilding foxhole.

14. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1;

wherein the first hoisting system is configured to raise or lower a first load carrier, and the second hoisting system is adapted to raise or lower a second load carrier; and

wherein the drilling rig comprises a second positioning system configured for positioning at least a displaceable one of the first and second load carriers at the first horizontal position and the second horizontal position.

15. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1, wherein the first work center is displaceable between the first and second horizontal positions and wherein the first work center and the first load carrier are displaceable along parallel paths.

16. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1, wherein the first and second hoisting systems comprise respective first and second lifting cables hanging from respective first and second cable crowns each supported by a drilling support structure, and where the second positioning system is adapted for shifting at least one of or each of the cable crowns so as to move at least the displaceable load carrier to and from the first and the second horizontal position.

17. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1, comprising at least one top drive suspended from the first load carrier.

18. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second hoisting systems comprises at least one substantially vertically extending linear actuator having a stationary end being fixed with respect to the drill deck, and a travelling end comprising at least one cable sheave.

19. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1, wherein the diverter system is mounted on a track extending between the first and second horizontal positions.

20. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1, wherein the at least one substantially vertically extending linear actuator is a hydraulic cylinder.

21. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1, wherein the diverter system and the first positioning system are configured so that the diverter system can be moved from the first horizontal position to the second horizontal position, and vice versa, while the diverter system is connected to the riser extending towards the seafloor.

22. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1, wherein the drilling rig is arranged so that said diverter system is connectable with overboard lines at said first and second positions.

23. A method of performing drilling operations by using an offshore drilling rig, the drilling rig comprising:

a drill deck;

at least two work centers arranged in the drill deck horizontally spaced apart from each other, at least one of the work centers being operable as a primary well center and at least one of the work centers being displaceable;

a first hoisting system adapted for raising or lowering tubular equipment through at least one of the work centers;

a second hoisting system adapted for raising or lowering tubular equipment through at least one of the work centers;

and wherein the method comprises;

positioning a displaceable one of the work centers at a first horizontal position;

performing drilling operations through the displaceable work center by means of at least the first hoisting system;

moving the displaceable work center from the first to a second horizontal position, different from the first horizontal position;

continuing drilling operations through the displaceable work center by means of at least the second hoisting system.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein the displaceable work center is a primary well center;

wherein the drilling rig comprises a diverter system operatively connectable at least to the displaceable work center and to a riser extending towards the seafloor;

wherein moving the displaceable work center comprises moving the diverter system connected to the displaceable work center.

25. A method according to claim 23, wherein a tubular or a string of tubulars is placed in and at least partly supported by, or hanging down from, the displaceable work center during movement of the displaceable work center.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein the string of tubulars is connected to, or extending into the well at the sea floor before the displaceable work center is moved from said first horizontal position to said second horizontal position.

27. A method according to claim 23, wherein the drilling rig comprises at least one riser tensioning system;

and wherein moving the displaceable work center comprises moving the riser tensioning system from the first horizontal position to the second horizontal position.

28. An offshore drilling rig comprising:

a drill deck;

a first work center arranged in the drill deck;

a diverter system operatively connectable to a riser extending towards the seafloor;

a first hoisting system adapted for raising or lowering tubular equipment through the first work center;

a second work center arranged in the drill deck horizontally spaced apart from the first work center;

a second hoisting system adapted for raising or lowering tubular equipment through at least the second work center;

a first positioning system configured for positioning at least the diverter system selectively at a first horizontal position and a second horizontal position, different from the first horizontal position; and

wherein the first hoisting system is operable to raise or lower tubular equipment through the first work center and through said diverter system at least when said diverter system is positioned at said first horizontal position and the drilling rig is operable to raise or lower tubular equipment through the diverter system by means of at least the second hoisting system when the diverter system is positioned at said second horizontal position; and

wherein the diverter system and the first positioning system are configured so that the diverter system can be moved from the first horizontal position to the second horizontal position, and from the second horizontal position to the first horizontal position, while the diverter system is connected to the riser extending towards the seafloor.