Cross-Reference to Related Applications

This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application having Serial No. 16/414,061, which was filed in May 16, 2019 and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Background

[0001] Drilling rigs bore wells into the Earth by advancing a drill string with a drill bit, among other components, located at its distal end. The drill string is generally made up of connectable sections of drill pipe, which are added on to the drill string as the drilling depth progresses. When in drilling mode, the rig may employ a top drive to rotate the drill string and a drawworks to lower the drill string into the progressing well bore. 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.

[0002] The tubulars are often stored in a fingerboard, sometimes vertically as stands of two or more joints of tubulars connected together. Pipe handling equipment moves the tubular onto the rig, connects it together into stands, and then stores and the stands in the fingerboard. When the rig is ready to use a stored tubular stand, it is retrieved from the fingerboard and brought to well center using the same or other pipe handling equipment.

[0003] To make up solid connections, the threads of the tubulars are generally cleaned. Once cleaned, a thread lubricant/sealing compound called“pipe dope” may be applied to the threads. Pipe dope is a thread compound applied to drilling tubular connections to prevent galling during make-up, that is, the act of screwing two pipe joints together. The pipe dope may also serve to enhance the internal pressure containment integrity of the connection. However, the process of pipe cleaning and doping is generally done manually, with a rig worker employed to clean debris from the tubular and paint the pipe dope onto the threads of the pipe. This nature of the pipe cleaning and doping activity can make this a hazardous and unpleasant working environment.

Summary

[0004] 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. [0005] Embodiments of the disclosure may provide a method for operating a drilling rig system including moving a first tubular stand from a fingerboard to a stand handoff position, applying dope to a lower connection of the first tubular stand in the stand handoff position, moving the first tubular stand from the stand handoff position to well center, conducting one or more well-center activities using the first tubular stand, and applying the dope to a lower connection of a second tubular stand while conducting the one or more well-center activities using the first tubular stand.

[0006] Embodiments of the disclosure may also provide a rig control system for a drilling rig. The rig control system includes one or more processors, and a memory system including one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the rig control system to perform operations using the drilling rig. The operations include moving a first tubular stand from a fingerboard of the drilling rig to a stand handoff position, applying dope to a lower connection of the first tubular stand in the stand handoff position, moving the first tubular stand from the stand handoff position to well center, conducting one or more well-center activities using the first tubular stand, and applying the dope to a lower connection of a second tubular stand while conducting the one or more well-center activities using the first tubular stand.

[0007] Embodiments of the disclosure may further provide a method for operating a drilling rig system. The method includes moving a first tubular stand from a fingerboard to a stand handoff position, washing a lower connection of the first tubular stand in the stand handoff position, drying the lower connection of the first tubular stand in the stand handoff position after washing the lower connection of the first tubular stand, applying dope to the lower connection of the first tubular stand in the stand handoff position after washing and drying the lower connection of the first tubular stand, moving the first tubular stand from the stand handoff position to well center, conducting one or more well-center activities using the first tubular stand, washing a lower connection of a second tubular stand in the stand handoff position while conducting the one or more well-center activities using the first tubular stand, drying the lower connection of the second tubular stand in the stand handoff position after washing the lower connection of the second tubular stand and while conducting the one or more well-center activities using the first tubular stand, applying the dope to the lower connection of the second tubular stand after washing and drying the lower connection of the second tubular stand and while conducting the one or more well-center activities using the first tubular stand, and moving the second tubular stand from the fingerboard to the stand handoff position while conducting the one or more well-center activities using the first tubular stand.

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 an isometric view of a drilling rig system, according to an embodiment.

[0010] Figure 2 illustrates a flowchart of a method for operating a drilling rig system, according to an embodiment.

[0011] Figure 3 illustrates an isometric view of a rig floor and a mousehole of the drilling rig system, according to an embodiment.

[0012] Figure 4 illustrates a simplified isometric view of a stand storage assembly, showing a tubular stand in a racked position, according to an embodiment.

[0013] Figure 5 illustrates a simplified isometric view of the stand storage assembly, showing the tubular stand in a stand handoff position, according to an embodiment.

[0014] Figure 6 illustrates a top plan view of the stand storage assembly, according to an embodiment.

[0015] Figure 7 illustrates a partial isometric view of the stand storage assembly and a mast of the drilling rig, according to an embodiment.

[0016] Figure 8 illustrates a schematic view of a computing system for a drilling rig system, according to an embodiment.

Detailed Description

[0017] Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide an automatic washing and doping process that may be implemented in between two parallel rig operation processes. The two parallel processes are stand preparation and storage and well-center activities. The processes may employ any type of oilfield tubulars, such as drill pipe, casing, liners, etc. The automatic washing and doping process occurs at a stand handoff position, where stands are held after being removed from the vertical storage, but prior to being positioned at well center. Conducting washing and doping here, and on the lower, male or“pin” end of the stand, allows for substantial automation of the doping and washing process, without adding time to the drilling or tripping-in process. For example, many stands may be stored in the stand storage assembly, ready and available for use. However, the well-center activities (e.g., joining a new stand to a string, advancing the string, raising the top drive (or another tubular-running device) to receive the next stand) may take substantially longer than retrieving a stand from storage, and potentially longer even than building a stand, storing the stand, and then retrieving a stand. Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure may capitalize on this difference in process cycle times to add the pipe washing and doping activities to a point in the workflow that does not impede or slow any other activities in the workflow, thereby increasing rig operational efficiency.

[0018] 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.

[0019] 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.

[0020] 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.

[0021] 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. [0022] Before detailing several embodiments of the automatic washing/doping process, it will be instructive to discuss an embodiment of the drilling rig system that implements this process. Thereafter, the process will be understood with reference to the drilling rig system, with it being appreciated that the drilling rig system disclosed is but one example among many contemplated for executing various embodiments of the processes herein.

[0023] Accordingly, Figure 1 illustrates an isometric view of a drilling rig system 100, according to an embodiment. The drilling rig system 100 may generally include a catwalk 102, a rig floor 104, a mast 106, a stand storage assembly 108, and a substructure 109, among potentially many other components. The rig floor 104 may be supported above the ground by the substructure 109. Furthermore, on the rig floor 104, a well center 110 may be defined, which may demark a center of a well that is bored through the ground beneath the drilling rig system 100. Various equipment may be located at or above well center 110, in order to drill, trip in, or trip out, depending on the well drilling or completion operation that is active at any given point. Further, below the rig floor 104, and above, or slightly below, the ground (i.e., in the“cellar” of the rig system 100), equipment may be positioned such as a blowout preventer, casing spool, casing head, rotary seals, etc.

[0024] The catwalk 102 may be oriented at an incline, and may be configured to deliver drill pipe, casing, or other tubulars from a horizontal configuration on the ground up to or near the rig floor 104. Pipe handling equipment may receive the tubulars from the catwalk 102. The tubular may then be joined with other tubular(s) to form a stand 118, e.g., while supported in a mousehole 116, and then the stand 118 may be stored in the stand storage assembly 108.

[0025] The stand storage assembly 108 may include a fingerboard 120, which may receive and support the top of the tubular stands. A setback platform 122 may be positioned below the fingerboard 120 and may support the lower end of the tubular stands. As such, the tubular stands may be held in position, in a vertical orientation, and prepared for later use. As shown, the setback platform 122 may be positioned at an elevation that is below the rig floor 104, e.g., on the baseboxes of the substructure 109. A lower constraint 124 may be positioned at the setback platform 122 level, and may be configured to engage a lower end of the tubular stands as they are removed from the fingerboard 120 and received into the stand handoff position, as will be described in greater detail below.

[0026] The mast 106 may include hoisting and drilling equipment, such as, for example a top drive 130. The top drive 130 may be movable up and down along the mast 106, e.g., using a drawworks 132, attached via a cable to a crown block 134 at the top of the mast 106, and a travelling block 136 that is coupled to the top drive 130. The top drive 130 may be configured to stab into the top end (generally the female or“box” end) of the tubular stand 118 above well center 110. For example, tubular stands 118 may be brought into connection with an upper connection of previously-run drill string sections (i.e., a“stump”). Tongs may then be provided on the rig floor 104, which may connect the tubular stand 118 to the previously-run drill string. The top drive 130 may then rotate the tubular stand 118 (now made up to the tubular string) to rotate the drill string.

[0027] Figure 2 illustrates a flowchart of a method 200 for operating a drilling rig system, according to an embodiment. The method 200 may proceed using one or more embodiments of the drill rig system 100 discussed above, but at least some embodiments may be operable on other drilling rig systems 100. Further, the method 200 may generally include two stages: tubular stand preparation and storage stage 202 and well-center activities stage 204. These two primary stages 202, 204 may operate in parallel; that is, stands may be constructed and stored in stage 202 while well-center activities are occurring in stage 204 using different stands (i.e., stands that were previously prepared and/or stored).

[0028] Accordingly, in this example, the method 200 may begin by connecting together two or three sections or“joints” of tubular to form the tubular stands 118, as at 206 (e.g., a“first” tubular stand, for purposes of this description). The joints may each be received by tubular handling equipment from the catwalk 102, secured in the mousehole 116, and connected together in sequence therein, e.g., using tongs. This process is illustrated in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 3, a tubular segment or“joint” 300 is held in the mousehole 116 via a gripping device 302. A second tubular segment 304 is then brought over the mousehole 116 and lowered toward the tubular segment 300. Tongs 306 (e.g., an iron roughneck) may then be brought into position and used to screw the first and second tubular segments 300, 304 together. The combination of the tubular segments 300, 304 may then be lowered into the mousehole 116 to allow for a third tubular segment to be connected thereto, or the stand 118 (see Figure 1) may be considered complete.

[0029] Referring again to Figure 2, the tubular handling equipment may then lift the tubular stand 118 out of the mousehole 116 and position the tubular stand 118 in a vertical orientation in the fingerboard 120, as at 208. Figure 4 illustrates the tubular stand 118 positioned in the vertical orientation in the fingerboard 120. This position may be referred to as the“racked” position of the tubular stand 118. In various embodiments, there may be several or even dozens or hundreds of tubular stands 118 present in the fingerboard 120 at any given time. Further, a lower racking mechanism 400 may guide the lower end of the tubular stand 118 as it is moved in the fingerboard 120 by tubular handling equipment located at the top of the oilfield tubular stand 118. The lower racking mechanism 400 may be located at the setback platform 122 level, or near thereto. When the tubular stand 118 is located at its intended racked position, the lower racking mechanism 400 may release the tubular stand 118 and assist in moving other tubular stands. In some embodiments, a second lower racking mechanism, e.g., on an opposite side of the illustrated alleyway 402, may be employed to rack back tubular stands 118 into the other side of the fingerboard 120.

[0030] This process of stand building and storing in blocks 206 and 208 may repeat, potentially without interruption, as other processes (e.g., well-center activities as part of the second stage 204, described below) occur. Thus, the method 200 may loop back through the stages 204, 206 potentially many times before proceeding to the next block.

[0031] Still referring to Figures 2 and 4, the method 200 may then proceed to moving the tubular stand 118 from the racked position to a stand handoff position 404, as at 210. In an embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the stand handoff position 404 may be in the alleyway 402, generally aligned with, but laterally displaced from the middle of the fingerboard 120. The advancement of the tubular stand 118 to the stand handoff position 404 is shown in Figure 5, and is supported by the lower lacking mechanism 400.

[0032] As is also visible in Figures 4 and 5, a washing and doping mechanism 450 is positioned at the setback platform 122 level, at the stand handoff position 404. The lower end of the tubular stand 118, which is the pin-end, may be positioned within the washing and doping mechanism 450. The method 200 (Figure 2) may then proceed with washing and applying dope to the lower end connection of the tubular stand in the stand handoff position, as at 212. In some embodiments, the stand 118 may also be dried at this point, e.g., after washing the lower end connection of the stand 118 and before applying the dope thereto.

[0033] The washing and doping mechanism 450 may be a generally cylindrical device, which may include nozzles configured to direct water, solvents, and dope (e.g., grease) onto the lower, pin-end of the stand 118 in the stand handoff position 404. Accordingly, moving the stand 118 to the stand handoff position 404 may be done in view of when the well center activities are ready to commence for the next stand, such that the washing and doping process does not delay the well center activities (e.g., prior to the top drive 130 reaching an elevation sufficient to receive the stand 118). The mechanism 450 may also dry the lower end connection of the stand 118 (e.g., by providing the nozzles therein with air or another drying medium), or another mechanism may be employed.

[0034] Figure 6 illustrates a plan view of the stand storage assembly 108, showing the relative location of the various positions for a tubular stand 118, according to an embodiment. As shown, the tubular stand 118 may be positionable in the fingerboard 120 in the racked position, e.g., as shown at 600. Further, the tubular stand 118 may be brought from the fingerboard 120 to the stand handoff position 404, which may be laterally displaced from the fingerboard 120. Laterally displaced from fingerboard 120, and laterally displaced from the stand handoff position 404, is the mousehole position 602. As mentioned above, the stands 118 are built by joining segments of tubular together in the mousehole 116 (e.g., Figure 1). Pipe handling equipment then moves the tubular stand 118 from the mousehole 116 (mousehole position 602) into the fingerboard 120. Finally, laterally displaced from the fingerboard 120, the stand handoff position 404, and the mousehole position 602, is the well center 110. As mentioned above, the top drive 130 and various other well center equipment may be positioned at the well center 110.

[0035] Referring again to Figure 2, once the tubular stand 118 has been washed and doped at 212, the tubular stand 118 may be employed in the second stage 204, at well center 110. Accordingly, the method 200 may include moving the tubular from the stand handoff position to well center 110, as at 214. For example, referring now to Figure 7, when the top drive 130 (not shown) has ascended to an elevation in the mast 106 sufficient to accommodate the tubular stand 118 above well center 110, a tubular delivery arm 700 may grip the tubular stand 118 at the stand handoff position 404. The tubular delivery arm 700 may raise the tubular stand 118 vertically, such that the lower end thereof (which was supported on the setback platform 122) clears the rig floor 104 (see, e.g., Figure 1). At the same time, the tubular delivery arm 700 may swing laterally away from the fingerboard 120 and toward the mast 106. The tubular delivery arm 700 may then rotate, such that the stand 118 is delivered to well center 110, below the top drive 130.

[0036] The method 200 may then proceed to conducting well-center operations using the stand 118 at well center 110, as at 216. Such well center operations may include making the stand 118 up to the drill string. In such case, the washed and doped lower connection of the tubular stand 118 may be threaded into and torqued to the drill string, e.g., using tongs (e.g., an iron roughneck). The top drive 130 may also be stabbed into the tubular stand 118 over well center, and employed to support and rotate the drill string via engagement with the tubular stand 118. As such well center activities are occurring, the method 200 may revert to one or more of the activities of the stand preparation and storage stage 202, such that additional stands 118 are built, stored, washed/doped, and otherwise prepared for on-demand usage by the well center equipment.

[0037] In other words, while the stand 118 is being washed and doped at 212, other tubular stands may be constructed at 206. Further, while the stand 118 is being washed and doped at 212, well-center activities at 216 may be conducted at well center 110 using another stand coupled to the top drive 130. For example, other stands (e.g., second or third stands), which were previously retrieved from the racked position, may be run into the well as part of the drill string, contemporaneous to the washing and doping at 212 of the stand 118. Likewise, while the stand 118 is being employed for well-center operations at 216, other stands may be constructed, stored, washed and doped, etc. As such, the drill rig system 100 executing the method 200 disclosed herein may operate these processes in parallel tracks, thereby increasing efficiency.

[0038] In one or more embodiments, the functions described can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. For a software implementation, the techniques described herein can be implemented with modules (e.g., procedures, functions, subprograms, programs, routines, subroutines, modules, software packages, classes, and so on) that perform the functions described herein. A module can be coupled to another module or a hardware circuit by passing and/or receiving information, data, arguments, parameters, or memory contents. Information, arguments, parameters, data, or the like can be passed, forwarded, or transmitted using any suitable means including memory sharing, message passing, token passing, network transmission, and the like. The software codes can be stored in memory units and executed by processors. The memory unit can be implemented within the processor or external to the processor, in which case it can be communicatively coupled to the processor via various means as is known in the art.

[0039] In some embodiments, any of the methods of the present disclosure may be executed by a computing system. Figure 8 illustrates an example of such a computing system 800, in accordance with some embodiments. The computing system 800 may include a computer or computer system 801 A, which may be an individual computer system 801 A or an arrangement of distributed computer systems. The computer system 801A includes one or more analysis module(s) 802 configured to perform various tasks according to some embodiments, such as one or more methods disclosed herein. To perform these various tasks, the analysis module 802 executes independently, or in coordination with, one or more processors 804, which is (or are) connected to one or more storage media 806. The processor(s) 804 is (or are) also connected to a network interface 807 to allow the computer system 801A to communicate over a data network 809 with one or more additional computer systems and/or computing systems, such as 801B, 801C, and/or 801D (note that computer systems 801B, 801C and/or 801D may or may not share the same architecture as computer system 801A, and may be located in different physical locations, e.g., computer systems 801A and 801B may be located in a processing facility, while in communication with one or more computer systems such as 801C and/or 801D that are located in one or more data centers, and/or located in varying countries on different continents).

[0040] A processor can include a microprocessor, microcontroller, processor module or subsystem, programmable integrated circuit, programmable gate array, or another control or computing device.

[0041] The storage media 806 can be implemented as one or more computer-readable or machine-readable storage media. Note that while in the example embodiment of Figure 8 storage media 806 is depicted as within computer system 801A, in some embodiments, storage media 806 may be distributed within and/or across multiple internal and/or external enclosures of computing system 801A and/or additional computing systems. Storage media 806 may include one or more different forms of memory including semiconductor memory devices such as dynamic or static random access memories (DRAMs or SRAMs), erasable and programmable read-only memories (EPROMs), electrically erasable and programmable read-only memories (EEPROMs) and flash memories, magnetic disks such as fixed, floppy and removable disks, other magnetic media including tape, optical media such as compact disks (CDs) or digital video disks (DVDs), BLURAY ^® disks, or other types of optical storage, or other types of storage devices. Note that the instructions discussed above can be provided on one computer-readable or machine-readable storage medium, or alternatively, can be provided on multiple computer- readable or machine-readable storage media distributed in a large system having possibly plural nodes. Such computer-readable or machine-readable storage medium or media is (are) considered to be part of an article (or article of manufacture). An article or article of manufacture can refer to any manufactured single component or multiple components. The storage medium or media can be located either in the machine running the machine-readable instructions, or located at a remote site from which machine-readable instructions can be downloaded over a network for execution.

[0042] In some embodiments, computing system 800 contains one or more rig control module(s) 808. In the example of computing system 800, computer system 801A includes the rig control module 808. In some embodiments, a single rig control module may be used to perform some or all aspects of one or more embodiments of the methods. In alternate embodiments, a plurality of rig control modules may be used to perform some or all aspects of methods.

[0043] It should be appreciated that computing system 800 is only one example of a computing system, and that computing system 800 may have more or fewer components than shown, may combine additional components not depicted in the example embodiment of Figure 8, and/or computing system 800 may have a different configuration or arrangement of the components depicted in Figure 8. The various components shown in Figure 8 may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both hardware and software, including one or more signal processing and/or application specific integrated circuits.

[0044] Further, the steps in the processing methods described herein may be implemented by running one or more functional modules in information processing apparatus such as general- purpose processors or application specific chips, such as ASICs, FPGAs, PLDs, or other appropriate devices. These modules, combinations of these modules, and/or their combination with general hardware are all included within the scope of protection of the invention.

[0045] 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.