Boring or penetrating the earth – With magazine for successively moving unconnected – oriented...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-21
2003-06-24
Neuder, William (Department: 3672)
Boring or penetrating the earth
With magazine for successively moving unconnected, oriented...
C175S085000, C166S077520, C173S164000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06581698
ABSTRACT:
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a drilling machine for a drilling rig and to a drilling rig which can be used for exploratory drillings and producing wells, particularly in hydrocarbon deposits, both onshore and offshore, and to a method for sinking such a well.
Modern drilling rigs according to the prior art consist of a large number of components, such as a drawworks, an iron roughneck, a working stage, a pipe-handling apparatus, a pipe rack, a crown block with a traveling block and a top drive, a pipe ramp and a catwalk for the drilling pipe, together with various auxiliary devices for handling.
Such drilling rigs have the disadvantage that they consist of a large number of components which, because of the constant changing of the drilling location of the drilling rigs, entail elaborate and costly logistics and large numbers of personnel.
European published patent application 0 243 210 A2 describes, for example, a conventional drilling machine of modular construction. It contains all components necessary for drilling machines, such as a collapsible drilling tower, which rests on a displaceable substructure by means of four legs. In its upper part it has a crown block and a top drive, together with a traveling block, and in its lower part it has a breaking and securing apparatus. Part of the drilling mast is directed by means of lifting cylinders. The absolutely necessary drawworks is arranged on the displaceable substructure and, via cables and via the crown block, forms a connection to the top drive. In addition, a pivotable pipe handling boom is provided which guides the pipe into the drilling machine.
However, this drilling machine still has a large number of components which, although of modular design, nevertheless have to be assembled and dismantled and transported from drilling location to drilling location. This requires a substantial effort in terms of personnel and logistics.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a drilling machine and a drilling rig, and also a method entailing substantial savings with regard to the equipment of the drilling rig and with regard to logistics and personnel costs.
The drilling machine according to the invention consists of a base, on or in which a top drive displaceable axially to the longitudinal axis of the base and a pipe-handling apparatus which is movable, especially by sliding, perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the base and which grips the drilling pipe, are arranged, the base being pivotably and/or rotatably mounted in the region of the foot.
The bearing of the foot of the base may be mounted on or below the working stage of a drilling rig in the region of the drilling cellar or on a vehicle, such as, for example, a mobile workover rig. The ground, in other words the surface of the terrain, may also be used as a working stage. With a drilling machine of this type, the main drive and handling components are advantageously integrated in one system. This also eliminates the crown bearing, traveling block and drawworks that are customary in drilling rigs according to the prior art. Similarly, the pipe ramp and the catwalk are omitted. In addition, this integrated construction allows rapid transport from one drilling location to another (rig move time) and a reduction in the numbers of drilling personnel required. It is even possible to raise and set down the drilling machine according to the invention using a dirigible with a maximum lifting power of 160 tons, as this drilling machine is much lighter than a comparable drilling machine according to the prior art. Preferably, the base is formed in a type of rocker, for example in the form of a box structure.
A further embodiment envisages that a power roughneck is arranged below the pipe-handling apparatus and comprises a holder and a breaking and securing apparatus, the holder customarily being arranged below the breaking and securing apparatus. It is particularly advantageous to arrange only the breaking and securing apparatus in or on the base and to provide the holder, for example, on or under the working stage in order thus to reduce the weight of the base. The roughneck may also be arranged on the working stage.
In a further embodiment, the drilling machine may be designed to be horizontally slidable. This has the advantage that a drilling machine, especially an erect drilling machine, can be moved out of the region of the well and, in addition, adjusted relative to any pipe stores or to the center line. In addition, pipes can advantageously be removed from a plurality of pipe stores arranged side by side.
A locking apparatus is arranged at the upper end of the base and is connected to a steel structure, preferably a tower or a mast. This has the advantage that an additional rigidity for connection or bending purposes is achieved, and the steel structure can be much more simply and flexibly constructed than customary towers or masts. A further embodiment envisages that the locking device consists of a hollow cylinder to which a flushing hose is connected and on which a valve is arranged to ensure the flushing feed. Specifically when the base is pivoted, it is advantageous to integrate the flushing feed into the locking device, so that flushing is available virtually automatically without a further working step.
A drum may be arranged on or in the base, onto which the flushing hose can be rolled up, so that the risk of fracture or other damage during the laying and removal of pipes is avoided.
An elevator is provided for raising the base from the horizontal to the vertical, which, in a particularly advantageous embodiment, consists of one or more hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders or, in another alternative embodiment, is designed as a winch. As a result, drilling at an angle of from 5° to 90° to the surface of the terrain is advantageously enabled.
The top drive of the base can be designed to be displaceable by means of a linear drive, the linear drive being arranged in or on the base. Examples of linear drives that may be used include a spindle drive, a hydraulic drive and a chain or cable hoist. Guidance can be ensured, for example, by a sliding rail, racks or guide rollers. The linear apparatus consists of drive and guide means.
This has the advantage that workover, drilling and snubbing operations (e.g. pipe laying) can be carried out.
In a further embodiment, a pipe rack is arranged within the range of the pipe-handling apparatus, the individual pipes being arranged standing in the pipe rack. This has the advantage that the base can engage independently on the pipes, without additional apparatus, and then lower them into the well by means of the top drive.
The pipe-handling apparatus as a whole or the grippers or the gripper seating are arranged to be displaceable axially to the longitudinal axis of the base, which advantageously makes it possible to handle the pipes more efficiently as, for example, when setting down the pipe or removing it from the pipe rack. A further advantage lies in the fact that, by means of such a pipe-handling apparatus, the plug and socket thread of the pipe connector can be pushed together within a permitted travel.
A further advantageous embodiment envisages that the steel structure has a working stage, the fulcrum and/or pivot point of the base being arranged above or below the working stage.
As a result of the many possible variations of the drilling machine, it becomes possible to adapt the drilling machine to local conditions at the drilling location.
A further advantageous embodiment envisages that a damping device is arranged on the base and/or the steel structure, which prevents damage being caused by uncontrolled impact when erecting the base or when locking. Thus, advantageously, damping of the load when erecting or laying down the base can be achieved.
A line for flushing is provided on or in the base, the lower connector of the line being connected to the flushing pump and the upper connector being connected via the hollow cylinder to the flushing hose. This advantag
Bentec GmbH Drilling & Oilfield Systems
Cohen & Pontani, Lieberman & Pavane
Jones Robert D
Neuder William
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