Boring or penetrating the earth – With magazine for successively moving unconnected – oriented...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-23
2001-06-12
Will, Thomas B. (Department: 3671)
Boring or penetrating the earth
With magazine for successively moving unconnected, oriented...
C175S085000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06244360
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to an apparatus and a method for running tubulars.
Because of the very high costs associated with the rental and running of drilling rigs more and more effort is being expended on finding ways to reduce the time consumed by each operation. The present invention is concerned with running tubulars, for example drill pipe, casing and work strings.
By way of example, during the construction of oil and gas wells a hole is drilled in the ground. Tubulars, known as casing, are then lowered down the hole and the annular space between the hole and the bore filled with cement.
Running casing typically involves raising the travelling block of a drilling rig to near its highest position, swinging a length of casing into position below the travelling block, attaching the travelling block to the casing and lowering the casing into the hole. When the travelling block reaches the bottom of its travel slips are applied to the casing to hold it in position. The travelling block is then disconnected from the casing, raised to near its highest position and a new length of casing manoeuvred into position, attached to the travelling block and screwed into the casing held in the slips. The travelling block is then raised slightly to lift the entire casing string and allow the slips to be released and then lowered until the travelling block reaches the lowest position whereafter the slips are applied and the process repeated.
By careful observation we have discovered that one of the major time delaying factors in running casing and other tubulars is caused by interruptions in the supply of tubulars to the travelling block. These delays tend to be caused by other work being carried out on the drilling rig and disrupting the operation of the normally efficient pipe handling equipment which transfers the tubulars from a V-slot and racks alongside the drilling rig to the well centre.
In order to help overcome this problem it has been proposed to provide a magazine in close proximity to the well centre. As disclosed in WO 84/01599 such magazines can hold up to 5760 m of pipe. The disadvantage of this arrangement is that the magazine is very large and heavy and can only be used on very large drilling platforms.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for running a tubular, which apparatus can be positioned in close proximity to a well centre and comprises a base and a magazine which can hold a plurality of tubulars and which is rotatably mounted on said base, characterised in that said magazine can be reloaded in the proximity of said well centre after a tubular has been dispensed therefrom.
The underlying concept is that the magazine will provide a reliable supply of tubulars which can be refilled by the conventional pipe handling equipment while the tubulars are being run. Short delays when the pipe handling equipment cannot be used do not affect the supply of the tubulars from the magazine which can be rapidly replenished when the pipe handling equipment is in normal use.
The magazine may be of any convenient shape, with circular being currently preferred.
The magazine may be designed to hold the tubulars substantially vertically. However, it may be preferred to design the magazine so that the tubulars can be angled outwardly so that they can readily be attached to the travelling block or an elevator if such is used to transfer the casing from the magazine to the travelling block. This is a particularly desirable feature.
In one embodiment the magazine is provided with separate and distinct containers each of which can accommodate a tubular and each of which can be independently pivoted. If desired, the entire magazine may be mounted for tilting movement about a vertical axis.
Preferably, said separate and distinct containers are each mounted on a carrier column which is rotatably mounted on said base.
Advantageously, said means can angle a tubular outwardly only when said tubular is in a certain position.
Preferably, said means is located in said base.
Advantageously, said means comprises a cylinder and a slide plate, the arrangement being such that upon movement of said cylinder in one sense said slide plate moves radially inwardly to pivot said container.
Preferably, said apparatus includes a guide plate for guiding said containers as said magazine is rotated.
Advantageously, said slide plate, in its radially outermost position is substantially aligned with said guide plate.
Preferably, said apparatus further comprises a safety ring.
Advantageously, said safety ring has a break therein which accommodates said slide plate upon contraction of said cylinder and inhibits rotation of said magazine relative to said base.
Preferably, said containers have means to accommodate tubulars of different diameters.
Advantageously, said means comprises one or more clamping bars movably mounted on the pistons of one or more hydraulic clamping cylinders.
Preferably, at least one of said containers is provided with a hydraulic cylinder which is connected to the hydraulic clamping cylinder(s) associated with said container, the arrangement being such that, in use, when a tubular bears on said hydraulic cylinder said clamping bar is urged against said tubular.
The present invention also provides a drilling rig having a drilling platform having a hole to allow casing to be lowered therethrough, characterised in that said drilling rig is provided with an apparatus in accordance with the present invention which is located proximate said hole.
Preferably, said drilling rig also includes a storage area for storing tubulars. The storage area may be above, below or at the same level as the drilling platform. However, in each case the magazine should lie between the point of transfer of the tubulars from the storage area and the hole.
It is highly preferable that the pipe handling equipment should be capable of supplying the casing to the magazine at a rate quicker than the magazine required to discharge the casing. However, even if this is not the case overall time savings can still be made by using routine delays in running the casing, for example for circulation if the casing becomes lodged, to fully recharge the magazine.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for running tubulars using an apparatus in accordance with the present invention, characterised in that said method comprises the steps of repeatedly dispensing tubulars from said magazine and replenishing said magazine whilst said apparatus remains in close proximity to said well centre.
In one embodiment said tubulars are dispensed to a string of tubulars being run into a wellbore.
In another embodiment said tubulars are dispensed to a tubular storage area.
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Mammen Nathan
McClung Guy
Weatherford / Lamb, Inc.
Will Thomas B.
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