Drilling rig with self-elevating drill floor

• US 9,988,807 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2016
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Oilwell Varco LP (NOV, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: National Oilwell Varco LP (NOV, Inc.)
• Inventors: Konduc, Kameron Wayne, Jakobsohn, Elijah, Winter, Brian Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Ford, Gisele D
• Application Number:
  US15/051,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20170241126A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 3/46 Combinations of several jacks with means for interrelating lifting or lowering movements
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/3511 Lift-slab; characterised by a purely vertical lifting of floors or roofs or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/3522 characterised by raising a structure and then adding structural elements under it E04B1/3511, E04B1/3516, E04B1/3533 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 15/00 Supports for the drilling machine, e.g. derricks or masts

Abstract

The present disclosure, in one or more embodiments, relates to a drilling rig with a self-elevating drill floor. The drilling rig may have one or more jacking systems that may operate to raise the drill floor. The one or more jacking systems may raise the drill floor to a height sufficient to accommodate a substructure such as a substructure box. A substructure box may be placed, and the one or more jacking systems may lower the drill floor onto the substructure box. Substructure boxes may be placed beneath the drill floor, using the one or more jacking systems, until a desired drill floor height is reached. In some embodiments, the one or more jacking systems may additionally operate to move the drilling rig, for example between adjacent wells on a pad drilling site. The jacking systems may operate the move the drilling rig using walking feet or another movement mechanism.

Claims

1. A drilling rig with a self-elevating drill floor, the drilling rig comprising:

a mast;

a drill floor supporting the mast; and

a substructure supporting the mast and drill floor, the substructure comprising a plurality of substructure boxes, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of substructure boxes comprise at least one of;

a pivotable support bar configured for raising the substructure and for coupling to a next substructure box; and

a pivotable saddle configured for raising the substructure and for coupling to a next substructure box.

2. The drilling rig of claim 1, further comprising a jacking system comprising a telescoping cylinder and at least one of a support bar and a saddle, the jacking system configured for coupling to a substructure box to raise the substructure.

3. The drilling rig of claim 1, wherein the pivotable support bar is hydraulically actuated.

4. The drilling rig of claim 3, wherein the pivotable support bar is configured to pivot between a lifting position for raising the substructure and a coupling position for coupling to a second substructure box.

5. The drilling rig of claim 1, wherein the pivotable saddle is hydraulically actuated.

6. The drilling rig of claim 5, wherein the pivotable saddle is configured to pivot between a lifting position for raising the substructure and a coupling position for coupling to a second substructure box.

7. The drilling rig of claim 3, wherein the pivotable support bar of each substructure box extends across the substructure box.

8. The drilling rig of claim 7, wherein the pivotable support bar has a length shorter than a width of the substructure box, the width being measured in a direction parallel to the pivotable support bar.

9. The drilling rig of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the plurality of substructure boxes comprises four pivotable support bars.

10. The drilling rig of claim 7, wherein the pivotable support bar comprises a stopping element for securing the pivotable support bar in a lifting position.

11. The drilling rig of claim 3, wherein the plurality of substructure boxes are configured for sliding laterally and receiving a jacking system.

12. The drilling rig of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of substructure boxes has a C-shape when viewed from above.

13. A drilling rig with a self-elevating drill floor, the drilling rig comprising:

a mast;

a drill floor; and

a substructure configured for supporting the mast and the drill floor, the substructure comprising a plurality of boxes configured for sliding into position below the drill floor when the drill floor is in a jacked position, and configured for supporting the drill floor when the drill floor is in an unjacked position, each of the plurality of boxes comprising a pivotable saddle configured for engaging a pivotable support bar of an adjacent box.

14. The drilling rig of claim 13, wherein the plurality of boxes are configured to accommodate a jack when sliding into position below the drill floor.

15. The drilling rig of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of boxes is C-shaped when viewed from above.

16. The drilling rig of claim 13, wherein the plurality of boxes are configured for stacking on one another to raise a height of the drill floor.

17. The drilling rig of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of boxes includes a pivotable support bar configured for engagement by a saddle for lifting the box and supported drill floor.

18. The drilling rig of claim 17, wherein the pivotable support bar is further configured for engagement with an adjacent box.

19. The drilling rig of claim 18, wherein the drill floor comprises four corners and is configured for lifting at each of its four corners.