Modular drilling rig system and method for assembling the same

• US 9,951,539 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2014
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itrec BV (Ace Innovation Holding BV)
• Original Assignee: Itrec BV (Ace Innovation Holding BV)
• Inventors: Roodenburg, Joop, Wijning, Diederick Bernardus
• Primary Examiner(s): Herring, Brent W
• Application Number:
  US14/786,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20160060893A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,460 Days
• Field of Search: 521231
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 12/187 with hinged sections
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 12/345 Arrangements for tilting up whole structures or sections thereof E04H12/347 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 15/00 Supports for the drilling machine, e.g. derricks or masts
• 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 7/02 Drilling rigs characterised by means for land transport with their own drive, e.g. skid mounting or wheel mounting

Abstract

The invention relates to a modular drilling rig system comprising multiple components, which system is transfigurable between a transport mode and an operational mode, and comprises: a. a drilling rig mast which is positionable in a vertical orientation; b. a base structure adapted to be positioned on a surface near the well center to support the drilling rig mast thereon, wherein the base structure comprises two elongated members that are connected to each other by a cross beam; c. a displacement system to displace the drilling rig with respect to the surface in a horizontal direction; wherein the displacement system is configured to displace the two elongated members of the base structure together in order to displace the drilling rig, and is configured such that the two elongated members can be displaced with respect to each other when the two elongated members are not connected to each other.

Claims

1. A modular drilling rig system comprising multiple components, which system is transfigurable between a transport mode in which the components of the system are transportable by vehicles and an operational mode in which the components are assembled to a drilling rig which is adapted to drill into a well center in the ground, the system comprising:

a drilling rig mast which is movable between a substantially horizontal connecting position and a substantially vertical operational position in which the drilling rig mast is positionable in a substantially vertical orientation above the well center;

a base structure adapted to be positioned in the operational mode on a surface near the well center to support the drilling rig mast thereon, wherein the base structure comprises two elongated members that are connected to each other by a cross beam in the operational mode; and

a displacement system to displace the drilling rig in the operational mode with respect to the surface in a substantially horizontal direction,

wherein the drilling rig mast comprises multiple transportable mast sections that need to be assembled end-to-end to form the drilling rig mast,

wherein the two elongated members and the cross beam together form an H-arrangement when seen from above, with legs of the H-arrangement at a side remote from the well center being longer than legs of the H-arrangement at a side of the well center, or the two elongated members and the cross beam together form a C arrangement when seen from above with legs of the C arrangement at the side remote from the well center, such that the two elongated members at the side remote from the well center extend side-by-side with a spacing there between to assemble or disassemble the drilling rig mast in the substantially horizontal connecting position, and such that the well center is freely accessible,

wherein the displacement system is configured to displace the two elongated members of the base structure together in order to displace the drilling rig in the operational mode, and the displacement system is configured such that the two elongated members can be displaced with respect to each other when the two elongated members are not connected to each other by the cross beam, and

wherein;

the two elongated members and the cross beam together form an H-arrangement when seen from above,

the legs of the H-arrangement at the side remote from the well center are separated from each other without any connection for a first length from the cross beam to distal ends of the legs of the H-arrangement at the side remote from the well center, and

the legs of the H-arrangement at the side of the well center are separated from each other without any connection for a second length from the cross beam to distal ends of the legs of the H-arrangement at the side of the well center, the first length being greater than the second length.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the displacement system and the base structure are configured such that the two elongated members can be displaced with respect to each other when the two elongated members are not connected to each other by the cross beam in order to connect the two elongated members to each other by the cross beam.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein axial ends of the cross beam are connectable to respective sides of the two elongated members of the base structure.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the elongated members each consist of two parts, each part being provided with a displacement device of the displacement system.

5. A method for bringing into operational mode the modular transfigurable drilling rig system according to claim 2, said method comprising the steps of:

a. positioning a first elongated member on the surface near the well center;

b. connecting the cross beam to the first elongated member;

c. positioning a second elongated member adjacent the combination of the first elongated member and the cross beam;

d. providing a displacement system that allows to move the first and second elongated members independently from each other as long as the first and second elongated members are not connected to each other;

e. moving the first and second elongated members relative to each other using the displacement system for connecting the second elongated member to the first elongated member by the cross beam; and

f. connecting the second elongated member to the cross beam.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein axial ends of the cross beam are connectable to respective sides of the two elongated members of the base structure.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the elongated members each consist of two parts, each part being provided with a displacement device of the displacement system.

8. A method for bringing into operational mode the modular transfigurable drilling rig system according to claim 6, said method comprising the steps of:

a. positioning a first elongated member on the surface near the well center;

b. connecting the cross beam to the first elongated member;

c. positioning a second elongated member adjacent the combination of the first elongated member and the cross beam;

d. providing a displacement system that allows to move the first and second elongated members independently from each other as long as the first and second elongated members are not connected to each other;

e. moving the first and second elongated members relative to each other using the displacement system for connecting the second elongated member to the first elongated member by the cross beam; and

f. connecting the second elongated member to the cross beam.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the elongated members each consist of two parts, each part being provided with a displacement device of the displacement system.

10. A method for bringing into operational mode the modular transfigurable drilling rig system according to claim 9, said method comprising the steps of:

a. positioning a first elongated member on the surface near the well center;

b. connecting the cross beam to the first elongated member;

c. positioning a second elongated member adjacent the combination of the first elongated member and the cross beam;

d. providing a displacement system that allows to move the first and second elongated members independently from each other as long as the first and second elongated members are not connected to each other;

e. moving the first and second elongated members relative to each other using the displacement system for connecting the second elongated member to the first elongated member by the cross beam; and

f. connecting the second elongated member to the cross beam.

11. A method for bringing into operational mode the modular transfigurable drilling rig system according to claim 1, said method comprising the steps of:

a. positioning a first elongated member on the surface near the well center;

b. connecting the cross beam to the first elongated member;

c. positioning a second elongated member adjacent the combination of the first elongated member and the cross beam;

d. providing a displacement system that allows to move the first and second elongated members independently from each other as long as the first and second elongated members are not connected to each other;

e. moving the first and second elongated members relative to each other using the displacement system for connecting the second elongated member to the first elongated member by the cross beam; and

f. connecting the second elongated member to the cross beam.

12. The system according to claim 1, further including a pedestal adapted to be, in a substantially horizontal connecting position thereof, pivotally connected at a lower end thereof to said base structure about a pedestal pivot axis, the pedestal being operable to pivot between the substantially horizontal connecting position and a substantially vertical operational position, and the pedestal being adapted to be, in the substantially horizontal connecting position, connected to a foot of the drilling rig mast and adapted to, in the substantially vertical operational position, support the drilling rig mast above the well center.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the pedestal is pivotally connected to the two elongated members of the base structure.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein the cross beam is made out of one piece.

15. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a pipe loader for loading pipes into the drilling rig mast.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the spacing is dimensioned to receive the pipe loader when the drilling rig mast is in the substantially vertical position.

17. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a passive locking mechanism to lock the position of the drilling rig mast in the substantially vertical orientation relative to the base structure.

18. The system according to claim 1, wherein the drilling rig mast is positioned directly between the legs of the H-arrangement at the side remote from the well center in the substantially horizontal connecting position.

19. The system according to claim 1, wherein:

the two elongated members and the cross beam together form an H-arrangement when seen from above, and

each distal end of the legs of the H-arrangement at the side remote from the well center and the legs of the H-arrangement at the side of the well center is provided with a displacement device movably, with respect to the respective distal end, connected to the respective distal end.

20. A modular drilling rig system comprising multiple components, which system is transfigurable between a transport mode in which the components of the system are transportable by vehicles and an operational mode in which the components are assembled to a drilling rig which is adapted to drill into a well center in the ground, the system comprising:

a drilling rig mast which is movable between a substantially horizontal connecting position and a substantially vertical operational position in which the drilling rig mast is positionable in a substantially vertical orientation above the well center;

a base structure adapted to be positioned in the operational mode on a surface near the well center to support the drilling rig mast thereon, wherein the base structure comprises two elongated members that are connected to each other by a cross beam in the operational mode; and

a displacement system to displace the drilling rig in the operational mode with respect to the surface in a substantially horizontal direction,

wherein the drilling rig mast comprises multiple transportable mast sections that need to be assembled end-to-end to form the drilling rig mast,

wherein the two elongated members and the cross beam together form an H-arrangement when seen from above, with legs of the H-arrangement at a side remote from the well center being longer than legs of the H-arrangement at a side of the well center, or the two elongated members and the cross beam together form a C arrangement when seen from above with legs of the C arrangement at the side remote from the well center, such that the two elongated members at the side remote from the well center extend side-by-side with a spacing there between to assemble or disassemble the drilling rig mast in the substantially horizontal connecting position, and such that the well center is freely accessible,

wherein the displacement system is configured to displace the two elongated members of the base structure together in order to displace the drilling rig in the operational mode, and the displacement system is configured such that the two elongated members can be displaced with respect to each other when the two elongated members are not connected to each other by the cross beam, and

wherein the two elongated members and the cross beam together form an H-arrangement when seen from above, and each distal end of the legs of the H-arrangement at the side remote from the well center and the legs of the H-arrangement at the side of the well center is provided with a displacement device movably, with respect to the respective distal end, connected to the respective distal end.