Cross-Reference to Related Applications

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application having Serial No. 62/903,958, which was filed on September 23, 2019, and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Background

[0002] Drilling rigs operate to advance a drill bit connected to a drill string into a well. The drill string is generally made up of connectable sections of drill pipe, which are successively added on to the drill string as the drilling depth progresses. The rig may employ a top drive that is suspended from a mast to rotate the drill string, and a drawworks to raise and lower the top drive, thereby permitting the drill string to be lowered into the well, to progress the well. Similarly, other types of oilfield tubulars, such as casing, may be run into the well as strings that are sequentially extended in length by adding new segments of tubulars to the top of the previously-deployed string.

[0003] After a section (e.g., a stand of two or more pipes) of the drill string is run into the well, the top drive is disconnected from the drill string, raised, and another section of pipe is connected to the top drive and the previously-run portion of the drill string. The top drive then rotates the drill string, and the process repeats. As such, the top drive, and potentially other pipe handling equipment, generally moves up and down over most of the length of the mast many times during stand building and/or drilling operations. This is generally accomplished by reeling in or letting out cable from the drawworks, located at the drill rig floor. The drawworks is attached to the top drive via a sheave assembly that is connected to a crown block at the top of the mast. Accordingly, the speed at which the top drive can move up and down along the mast is generally constrained by how fast the drawworks can reel in or let out cable within the sheave assembly.

Summary

[0004] Embodiments of the disclosure provide a tubular handling system including a tubular engaging device configured to engage and lift a tubular, an extensible piston having an upper end and a lower end, a first sheave at the upper end, a second sheave at the lower end, and a line extending around and between the first and second sheaves and connected to the tubular engaging device, such that extending the extensible piston raises the tubular engaging device and retracting the extensible piston lowers the tubular engaging device.

[0005] Embodiments of the disclosure also provide a method for deploying a tubular into a well. The method includes extending an extensible piston including a first sheave at an upper end thereof and a second sheave at a lower end thereof. A line is connected to the extensible piston, extends around the first and second sheaves, and is connected to a tubular engaging device, such that extending the extensible piston causes the tubular engaging device to be raised. The method also includes receiving a tubular from a rack into engagement with the tubular engaging device, rotating the tubular using the tubular engaging device, and retracting the extensible piston while rotating the tubular, to lower the tubular engaging device and the tubular.

[0006] Embodiments of the disclosure further provide a tubular handling system including a top drive configured to engage, lift, and rotate a tubular, a plurality of extensible pistons each having an upper end and a lower end, a plurality of first sheaves each coupled to one of the plurality of extensible pistons at the upper end thereof, a plurality of second sheaves each coupled to one of the plurality of extensible pistons at the lower end thereof, and a plurality of lines each connected to one of the extensible pistons, each of the plurality of lines extending around a respective one of the first sheaves and a respective one of the second sheaves, and being connected to the top drive. Extending the plurality of extensible pistons causes the top drive to be lifted at a rate that is approximately three times or approximately four times a rate at which the plurality of extensible pistons are extended.

[0007] This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present teachings and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present teachings. In the figures:

[0009] Figure 1 illustrates a side elevation view of a tubular handling system, according to an embodiment.

[0010] Figure 2 illustrates another side elevation view of the tubular handling system, according to an embodiment. [0011] Figure 3 illustrates a top view of the tubular handling system, according to an embodiment.

[0012] Figure 4 illustrates a flowchart of a method for deploying a tubular, according to an embodiment.

[0013] Figure 5 illustrates a side, conceptual view of another embodiment of the tubular handling system.

Detailed Description

[0014] Reference will now be made in detail to specific embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings and figures. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, circuits, and networks have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the embodiments.

[0015] It will also be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first object could be termed a second object or step, and, similarly, a second object could be termed a first object or step, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0016] The terminology used in the description of the invention herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used in the description of the invention and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the term “and/or” as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0017] It will be further understood that the terms “includes,” “including,” “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. Further, as used herein, the term “if’ may be construed to mean “when” or “upon” or “in response to determining” or “in response to detecting,” depending on the context. [0018] Figure 1 illustrates a side elevation view of a tubular handling system 100, according to an embodiment. The tubular handling system 100 may be positioned on a drilling rig, e.g., supported on a drilling rig floor 102, as shown. Further, in some embodiments, the provision of the tubular handling system 100 may allow for omission of a traditional mast, crown-block, and drawworks. This may either reduce the footprint and/or weight of the drilling rig, or permit additional components, or free movement of components, or both, on the rig floor 102.

[0019] The tubular handling system 100 may include a derrick (or mast structure) 104. As mentioned above, the derrick 104 may not include a conventional mast and crown block assembly, which may be of large and robust construction to support the weight of the tubular string from the top of the structure. Rather, the derrick 104 may be relatively of relatively light- duty construction, as the derrick 104 may support a reduced load in comparison to masts that support the entire load thereon via the crown block. Further, the derrick or mast structure 104 may be segmented into two or more parts (e.g., three parts) that are connected together, end-to- end, to erect the derrick or mast structure 104. This may be facilitated by the relatively lightweight construction called for by provision of the tubular handling system 100 discussed herein.

[0020] The tubular handling system 100 may also include a tubular engaging device 107. The tubular engaging device 107 may be a top drive that is configured to engage, lift, lower, and rotate tubulars. In other embodiments, the tubular engaging device 107 may be any other type of tubular handling equipment that is raised/lowered with respect to the rig floor 102 while engaging any type of oilfield tubulars.

[0021] An extensible piston 106 may be coupled to the derrick 104 or otherwise supported above the rig floor 102. The extensible piston 106 may extend vertically with respect to the rig floor 102, and may include a lower end 110 and an upper end 112, which are defined generally opposite to one another across the length of the piston 106. The extensible piston 106 may further include a cylinder 114, and a rod 116 that is slidably disposed at least partially within the cylinder 114. A source of pressurized (e.g., hydraulic) fluid may be connected to the cylinder 114, such that increasing the pressure within the cylinder 114 forces the rod 116 upwards relative thereto, and decreasing the pressure within the cylinder 114 allows the rod 116 to retract within the cylinder 114. Further, in an embodiment, the cylinder 114 defines and extends from the lower end 110, while the rod 116 defines and extends from the upper end 112. It will be appreciated that, in some embodiments, this arrangement could be reversed. In at least some embodiments, the piston 106 may engage the derrick 104 along its vertical length, e.g., such that the derrick 104 provides lateral support for the piston 106 (and rod 116 via the sheave mounting bracket 124), e.g. laterally supporting the upper end 112 of the piston 106.

[0022] A first sheave 120 is coupled to the upper end 112, and a second sheave 122 is coupled to the lower end 110. For example, the first sheave 120 may be coupled to the upper end 112 via a mounting bracket 124, which may support one or more such sheaves, as will be described in greater detail below. The first sheave 120 may be movable relative to the rig floor 102, e.g., vertically by extension and retraction, respectively, of the piston 106. The second sheave 122 may be elevated above the rig floor 102, but may be generally stationary with respect thereto. For example, a stationary pedestal 130 may be coupled to the derrick 104 or independently supported (e.g., via legs) from the rig floor 102. The second sheave 122 may be coupled to the lower end 110 of the piston 106 via the stationary pedestal 130.

[0023] The piston 106 may define a longitudinal centerline 132 that is offset laterally (in a horizontal direction relative to the rig floor 102) from a well center 134. The well center 134 may generally define the location of the well that is being drilled or into which tubulars are otherwise being deployed or from which they are being removed. The center 136 of second sheave 122 may be offset laterally from the well center 134 by a greater distance than the distance between the centerline 132 of the piston 106 and the well center 134. Accordingly, the point on the sheave 122 that is closest, in a lateral direction, to the well center 134 may be no closer in the lateral direction than an edge of the piston 106. This may promote clearance and free movement of equipment (e.g., the tubular engaging device 107) and tubulars vertically above the rig floor 102, past the second sheave 122.

[0024] The center 138 of the first sheave 120 may be generally aligned with the centerline 132 of the piston 106. This may facilitate transference of vertical force from the first sheave 120 (e.g., carrying the tubular engaging device 107 and any tubulars connected thereto) downwards through the piston 106 and to the rig floor 102, e.g., via the pedestal 130 and/or the derrick 104. The first sheave 120 may have a diameter that is substantially equal to the offset of the centerline 132 from the well center 134 in the lateral direction (parallel to the rig floor 102), such that a point tangent to the circumference of the first sheave 120 aligns with the well center 134. In some embodiments, the first sheave 120 may be replaced with two or more, laterally spaced- apart sheaves, e.g., of smaller diameter, to produce an arrangement in which a point tangent to one of the spaced-apart sheaves is directly over well center 134.

[0025] The tubular handling system 100 may further include a rack 140. The rack 140 may include a fingerboard having fingers that are configured to receive and store pipes (e.g., casing, drill pipe, or stands thereof) therebetween, with the pipes being in a vertical orientation, supported on a setback that is on the rig floor 102 or adjacent thereto. The tubular handling system 100 may further include a tubular delivery arm 142, which may be coupled to the rack 140. The tubular delivery arm 142 may be movable laterally and vertically. The tubular delivery arm 142 may be configured to grip pipe within the rack 140 and move the pipe into a position below the tubular engaging device 107 and above well center 134. The tubular may then be connected to the tubular engaging device 107 and any previously run drill string that is already in the well and, e.g., supported in slips at the rig floor 102. The tubular delivery arm 142 may also be configured to receive tubulars removed from the well using the tubular engaging device 107 and put these tubulars into the rack 140.

[0026] The tubular handling system 100 may also include a line (e.g., a cable or wire) 150, which may be formed from one or more stranded wire cables. The line 150 may be connected to the piston 106 at or proximal to the upper end 112 thereof. The line 150 may extend downward along the piston 106, and around the second sheave 122, as shown. The line 150 may extend from the second sheave 122 upward along the piston 106 to the first sheave 120, and around the second sheave 122 to the tubular engaging device 107. Because the line 150 may include two or more individual lines, the tubular engaging device 107 may include an equalizer 152 so as to balance hoisting loads as between the individual lines 150.

[0027] Accordingly, in operation, the piston 106 is extended and retracted in order to raise and lower, respectively, the tubular engaging device 107 relative to the rig floor 102. For example, as the piston 106 extends (i.e., the rod 116 is moved out of the cylinder 114 by increasing the pressure within the cylinder 114), the first sheave 120 is driven upwards, away from the second sheave 122, which may remains stationary with respect to the rig floor 102. Since the line 150 is connected to the upper end 112 of the piston 106, and around both of the sheaves 120, 122, such separation of the sheaves 120, 122, via displacement of the first sheave 120 relative to the second sheave 122, results in the line 150 available between the tubular engaging device 107 and the first sheave 120 reducing. Thus, the tubular engaging device 107 is pulled upward towards the first sheave 120. Furthermore, the first sheave 120 moving upwards also moves the tubular engaging device 107 upwards, as the two are connected by the line 150. As such, in sum, the tubular engaging device 107 moves at a speed of approximately three times (neglecting small departures due to stretching, bending, etc.) the speed of the upper end 112 of the piston 106 relative to the rig floor (i.e., ratio of approximately 3:1 of movement of the tubular engaging device 107 to the movement of the rod 116 relative to the cylinder 114). Additionally, the stroke of the piston 106 may be one third of the distance that the tubular engaging device 107 is called upon to travel to support tubular handling operations, and thus a shorter, wider, and/or lighter piston 106 than would be required in a 1:1 design may be employed.

[0028] The weight of the tubular engaging device 107 and any tubulars connected thereto is transmitted vertically through the piston 106, not through the derrick 104 unless/until reaching a point at which the piston 106, e.g., at its lower end 110, is vertically supported by the derrick 104 (and, as mentioned above, the lower end 110 may be independently supported via the pedestal 108).

[0029] Referring now to Figure 2, there is shown a front elevation view of the tubular handling system 100, according to an embodiment. As shown, the first and second sheaves 120, 122 may each be provided by a plurality of sheaves, e.g., four sheaves each, 120-1, 120-2, 120-3, 120-4 and 122-1, 122-2, 122-3, and 122-4, respectively. The first sheaves 120-1, 120-2, 120-3, 120-4 may each be connected to the mounting bracket 124 at the upper end 112 of the piston 106. The second sheaves 122-1, 122-2, 122-3, and 122-4 may each be coupled to the lower end 110 and/or the pedestal 130.

[0030] The line 150 may likewise be made of several different, parallel-extending lines. For example, two lines 150-1, 150-2 may engage one of the first sheaves 120-1 and one of the second sheaves 122-1, and the remaining sheaves 120-2, 120-3, 120-4 and 122-2, 122-3, and 122-4 maybe similarly configured with two lines around each. In various embodiments, any number of lines and sheaves may be included so as to adequately distribute loads across structures and lines. In the illustrated embodiment, a total of eight lines are employed, although this is merely one example among many contemplated.

[0031] The extensible piston 106 may be made up of a plurality of extensible pistons (e.g., three pistons 106-1, 106-2, 106-3). The extensible pistons 106-1, 106-2, 106-3 may extend in parallel to one another, between the mounting bracket 124 and the pedestal 130, so as to distribute the forces incident thereon between the bracket 124 and the pedestal 130. The extensible pistons 106-1, 106-2, 106-3 may thus be configured to operate simultaneously as a single unit, so as to expand or retract together, and thereby separate or bring together the first and second sheave(s) 120, 122.

[0032] As also depicted in Figure 2, the rods 116 of each of the pistons 106 may extend through the rack 140, so as to be movable with respect thereto. This may enable the rack 140 to be stationary with respect to the rig floor 102, and hold stands of pipe stationary for subsequent deployment. [0033] Figure 3 illustrates a top plan view of the tubular handling system 100, according to an embodiment. As shown, the rack 140 includes fingers 300 and a frame 302 that connects the fingers 300 to the derrick 104. In operation, pipes are transferred between the tubular engaging device 107 and the tubular delivery arm 142 for storing and deploying stands of pipe in and from the rack 140.

[0034] Figure 4 illustrates a flowchart of a method 400 for deploying a tubular into a well, according to an embodiment. The method 400 may be implemented using one or more embodiments of the tubular handling system 100 discussed above, and will thus be described with reference thereto; however, it will be appreciated that one or more embodiments of the method 400 may be executed using other structures.

[0035] The method 400 may include extending an extensible piston 106 including a first sheave 120 at an upper end 112 thereof and a second sheave 122 at a lower end 110 thereof, as at 402. A line 150 is connected to the extensible piston 106, e.g., proximal to the upper end 112 at a mounting bracket 124 connected thereto. Further, the line 150 may extend around the second sheave 122 and around the first sheave 120, and be connected to a tubular engaging device 107, e.g., via the equalizer 152.

[0036] In some embodiments, as mentioned above, the second sheave 122 may be supported in a stationary position above the rig floor 102, such that extending the piston 106 moves the first sheave 120 vertically upwards away from the rig floor 102 and away from the second sheave 122, while the second sheave 122 stays stationary with respect to the rig floor 102.

[0037] The method 400 also includes receiving a tubular from a rack 140 into engagement with the tubular engaging device 107, as at 404. For example, the rack 140 may include a tubular delivery arm 142 configured to remove tubulars from between fingers 300 of the rack 140, move the tubulars laterally with respect to the rig floor 102, and deliver the tubulars to, or substantially to, well center 134. The tubular engaging device 107, having been raised by the extension of the extensible piston 106, may thus be sufficiently high so that the tubular fits between the rig floor 102 and the tubular engaging device 107 at well center 134. The tubular may then be connected to the tubular engaging device 107 and any previously-deployed tubulars that are supported at the rig floor 102.

[0038] The method 400 may then include rotating the tubular using the tubular engaging device 107, as at 406. For example, the tubular engaging device 107 may be a top drive. Further, while rotating the tubular, the method 400 may include retracting the extensible piston 106 to lower the tubular engaging device 107, as at 408, thereby advancing the tubular into the well. [0039] Figure 5 illustrates a conceptual view of another embodiment of the tubular handling system 100. In this embodiment, the first sheave 120 may be replaced with two, laterally-offset sheaves 500, 502 configured to rotate about two parallel axes. As described above, multiple lines and multiple sets of sheaves 120, 122 may be employed, and likewise, multiple sets of laterally- offset sheaves 500, 502 may be employed and positioned at the upper end 112 of the rod 116. In the present embodiment, the line 150 extends from a padeye 504 coupled to the lower end 110 of the cylinder 114 (e.g., connected to and held stationary with respect to the rig floor 102 via connection to the derrick 104, directly connected to the rig floor 102, or the like) and/or to the pedestal 130 (e.g., Figure 1). The line 150 may thus be anchored to and extend from the padeye 504, upward, around the sheave 500, down to and around the second sheave 122, then up the length of the piston 106, around the sheave 502, and into connection with the tubular handling device 107 (e.g., via an equalizer 152, as discussed above and shown in Figure 1). A point tangent to the sheave 502 may be directly over well center 134 (see Figure 1).

[0040] Accordingly, in this embodiment, an approximately 4:1 speed ratio, and thus approximately 1:4 stroke length ratio, may be achieved as between the movement of the upper end of the rod 116 by extension of the piston 106 relative to the movement of the tubular handling device 107.

[0041] The foregoing description, for purpose of explanation, has been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, the illustrative discussions above are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. Moreover, the order in which the elements of the methods described herein are illustrate and described may be re-arranged, and/or two or more elements may occur simultaneously. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain at least some of the principals of the disclosure and their practical applications, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to utilize the disclosed methods and systems and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.