ELEVATOR ROLLER INSERT SYSTEM

• US 20170342784A1
• Filed: 08/17/2017
• Published: 11/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cajun Services Unlimited, LLC
• Original Assignee: Cajun Services Unlimited, LLC
• Inventors: TRICHE, Shane Joseph, TRICHE, Heath Lawrence
• Granted Patent: US 9,988,862 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/06 Elevators, i.e. rod- or tube-gripping devices
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/16 Connecting or disconnecting pipe couplings or joints E21B19/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 19/24 Guiding or centralising devices for drilling rods or pipes

Abstract

A device, system, and/or method for reducing friction required to rotate a tubular within an elevator during the process of running tubulars in an oil and gas well are provided. An elevator roller insert may be used in conjunction with an elevator, such as a single joint elevator. Such an insert may comprise upper and lower rollers which are positioned on upper and lower roller sets or a combination roller set containing multiple upper and/or lower rollers. The result is the provision of a plurality of rollers which bear the weight of a tubular yet still allow the tubular to rotate rather freely, facilitating the maintenance of proper thread integrity of the connections while making up a stand to a string of tubulars as well as preventing the loss of resources due to galled or crushed threads or a tubing segment or stand falling to the rig floor.

Claims

1. An elevator roller system for a drilling rig, comprising:

a tubular having a first outer diameter and a second outer diameter, wherein the first outer diameter is smaller than the second outer diameter;

an elevator having;

a first arm having an interior surface;

a second arm having an interior surface, the first and second arms hingedly interconnected and rotatable between an open position and a closed position, wherein the interior surfaces of the arms form an aperture with a central axis in the closed position;

a plurality of first rollers disposed in the interior surfaces of the first and second arms and positioned about the central axis of the aperture, wherein the plurality of first rollers forms an inner diameter;

a plurality of second rollers disposed in the interior surfaces of the first and second arms and positioned about the central axis of the aperture, wherein the plurality of second rollers forms an inner diameter that is smaller than the second outer diameter of the tubular; and

wherein the pluralities of first and second rollers are configured to contact the tubular when the arms are in the closed position and further wherein the tubular is capable of freely rotating relative to the elevator when the arms are in the closed position.

2. The elevator roller system of claim 1, wherein the rollers in the plurality of first rollers each have an axis oriented substantially perpendicular with the central axis of the aperture.

3. The elevator roller system of claim 1, wherein the rollers in the plurality of first rollers each have an axis oriented at a nonzero angle with the central axis, and the rollers in the plurality of second rollers each have an axis oriented substantially parallel with the central axis.

4. The elevator roller system of claim 1, wherein the rollers in the plurality of first rollers are each one of a thrust bearing, a radial bearing, and a cam follower roller, and wherein the rollers in the plurality of second rollers are each one of a thrust bearing, a radial bearing, and a cam follower roller.

5. The elevator roller system of claim 1, wherein the rollers in the plurality of first rollers are upper rollers, and wherein the rollers in the plurality of second rollers are lower rollers positioned below the upper rollers.

6. The elevator roller system of claim 5, wherein the inner diameter formed by the plurality of upper rollers is larger than the inner diameter formed by the plurality of lower rollers.

7. The elevator roller system of claim 1, wherein the rollers in the plurality of first rollers are arranged in a common plane, and wherein the rollers in the plurality of second rollers are arranged in a common plane.

8. The elevator roller system of claim 1, wherein the inner diameter formed by the plurality of first rollers and the inner diameter formed by the plurality of second rollers are identical.

9. The elevator roller system of claim 1, wherein the pluralities of first and second rollers are disposed in the interior surfaces of inserts configured to selectively interconnect to the interior surface of the first and second arms.

10. The elevator roller system of claim 1, wherein the second outer diameter of the tubular is an elevator upset area or coupling of the tubular, and wherein the first outer diameter of the tubular is a body of the tubular.

11. An elevator roller insert, comprising:

an insert having an interior surface and an exterior surface, wherein the interior surface forms an aperture with a central axis, and wherein the exterior surface of the insert is configured to selectively interconnect to an interior surface of an elevator;

a plurality of first rollers disposed on the interior surface of the insert and positioned about the central axis, wherein the plurality of first rollers forms an inner diameter, and the rollers in the plurality of first rollers are freely rotatable;

a plurality of second rollers disposed on the interior surface of the insert and positioned about the central axis, wherein the plurality of second rollers forms an inner diameter, and the rollers in the plurality of second rollers are freely rotatable; and

wherein the pluralities of first and second rollers are configured to contact a tubular and facilitate free rotation of the tubular relative to the elevator.

12. The elevator roller insert of claim 11, wherein the insert is comprised of a plurality upper roller sets and lower roller sets;

further wherein the plurality of first rollers are disposed on the upper roller sets and the plurality of second rollers are disposed on the lower roller sets.

13. The elevator roller insert of claim 12, wherein each upper roller set is disposed between two lower roller sets and each lower roller set is disposed between two upper roller sets, wherein the plurality of upper and lower roller sets are disposed about the central axis.

14. The elevator roller insert of claim 11, wherein the elevator roller insert is comprised of at least one combination roller set, further wherein the combination roller set is comprised of a combination roller block and at least one upper roller and at least one lower roller.

15. The elevator roller insert of claim 11, wherein the rollers in the plurality of first rollers each have an axis oriented substantially perpendicular with the central axis.

16. The elevator roller insert of claim 11, wherein the rollers in the plurality of first rollers each have an axis oriented at a nonzero angle with the central axis, and the rollers in the plurality of second rollers each have an axis oriented substantially parallel with the central axis.

17. The elevator roller insert of claim 11, wherein the rollers in the plurality of first rollers are each one of a thrust bearing, a radial bearing, and a cam follower roller, and wherein the rollers in the plurality of second rollers are each one of a thrust bearing, a radial bearing, and a cam follower roller.

18. The elevator roller insert of claim 11, wherein the rollers in the plurality of first rollers are arranged in a common plane, and wherein the rollers in the plurality of second rollers are arranged in a common plane.

19. The elevator roller insert of claim 11, wherein the rollers in the plurality of first rollers are upper rollers, and wherein the rollers in the plurality of second rollers are lower rollers positioned below the upper rollers, and further wherein the inner diameter formed by the plurality of first rollers is larger than the inner diameter formed by the plurality of second rollers.

20. The elevator roller insert of claim 11, wherein the rollers in the plurality of first rollers are upper rollers, and wherein the rollers in the plurality of second rollers are lower rollers positioned below the upper rollers, and further wherein the inner diameter formed by the plurality of first rollers and the inner diameter formed by the plurality of second rollers are identical.

21. A method of assembling tubulars using an elevator, comprising:

providing an elevator having;

a first arm having an interior surface;

a second arm having an interior surface, the first and second arms hingedly interconnected and rotatable between an open position and a closed position, wherein the interior surfaces of the arms form an aperture with a central axis in the closed position;

a plurality of first rollers disposed in the interior surfaces of the first and second arms and positioned about the central axis of the aperture, wherein the rollers in the plurality of first rollers are freely rotatable;

a plurality of second rollers disposed in the interior surfaces of the first and second arms and positioned about the central axis of the aperture, wherein the rollers in the plurality of second rollers are freely rotatable;

positioning a first tubular in the aperture of the first and second arms of the elevator such that the first tubular contacts the pluralities of first and second rollers, the first tubular having a box end and a pin end, wherein the box end of the first tubular has an outer diameter that is greater than an inner diameter formed by the plurality of second rollers; and

freely rotating the first tubular relative to the elevator and selectively interconnecting the pin end of the first tubular to a box end of a second tubular.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the rollers in the plurality of first rollers are upper rollers, and wherein the rollers in the plurality of second rollers are lower rollers positioned below the upper rollers, and further wherein an inner diameter formed by the plurality of first rollers is larger than the inner diameter formed by the plurality of second rollers.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the rollers in the plurality of first rollers are upper rollers, and wherein the rollers in the plurality of second rollers are lower rollers positioned below the upper rollers, and further wherein an inner diameter formed by the plurality of first rollers and the inner diameter formed by the plurality of second rollers are identical.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the pluralities of first and second rollers are disposed in the interior surfaces of inserts configured to selectively interconnect to the interior surface of the first and second arms.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the rollers in the plurality of first rollers are each one of a thrust bearing, a radial bearing, and a cam follower roller, and wherein the rollers in the plurality of second rollers are each one of a thrust bearing, a radial bearing, and a cam follower roller.

26. A method of assembling tubulars using an elevator, comprising:

providing an elevator having;

a plurality of first rollers positioned about a central axis of an aperture of the elevator, wherein the rollers in the plurality of first rollers are freely rotatable;

a plurality of second rollers positioned about the central axis of the aperture of the elevator, wherein the rollers in the plurality of second rollers are freely rotatable;

positioning at least one tubular in the elevator such that the at least one tubular contacts the pluralities of first and second rollers, wherein a box end of the at least one tubular has an outer diameter that is greater than an inner diameter formed by the plurality of second rollers; and

freely rotating, by an operator, the at least one tubular relative to the elevator to start a selective interconnection between a pin end of the at least one tubular and a box end of another tubular.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the at least one tubular is a plurality of tubulars.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the operator freely rotates the at least one tubular using a strap wrench.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the rollers in the plurality of first rollers are upper rollers, and wherein the rollers in the plurality of second rollers are lower rollers positioned below the upper rollers, and further wherein an inner diameter formed by the plurality of first rollers is larger than an inner diameter formed by the plurality of second rollers.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the rollers in the plurality of first rollers are upper rollers, and wherein the rollers in the plurality of second rollers are lower rollers positioned below the upper rollers, and further wherein an inner diameter formed by the plurality of first rollers and an inner diameter formed by the plurality of second rollers are identical.