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US 10,851,595 B2Granted
Shipping arrangement and assembly procedure for drilling rig structures
AssigneeNational Oilwell Varco, L.P.
InventorsRobert Benjamin Donnally, Colin Guo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A center drill floor assembly of a drilling rig structure includes a center floor structure and a drilling rig mast section that is at least partially nested within the center floor structure, wherein the center drill floor assembly is adapted to be transported to a drilling site as a single modular assembly and removably attached as a single modular assembly to a drilling rig substructure during assembly of the drilling rig structure.
Claims23
A center drill floor assembly of a drilling rig structure, the center drill floor assembly comprising:
- a center floor structure;
- a drilling rig mast section comprising:
- a frame member having a first end positioned at a first vertical height lower than a second vertical height of an upper surface of the center floor structure when the center drill floor assembly is in a configuration for transportation and a second end distal from the first end, wherein the center drill floor assembly is adapted to be transported in the configuration for transportation to a drilling site as a single modular assembly and removably attached as said single modular assembly to a drilling rig substructure during assembly of the drilling rig structure, wherein the second end is pivotably coupled to the center floor structure;
- and
- a first mast support brace having a first end pivotably coupled to the first end of the frame member and a second end comprising a connector.
2 more elements
A drilling rig structure, comprising:
- a substructure that comprises two spaced-apart substructure box assemblies;
- a center drill floor assembly comprising a center floor structure, a mast support shoe mounted on the center floor structure, and a bottom drilling rig mast section having a frame member including a first end that is pivotably coupled to the mast support shoe, a first mast support brace having a first end pivotably coupled to a second end of the frame member opposite the first end of the frame member and a second end comprising a connector, wherein the center drill floor assembly is adapted to be transported to a drilling site in a configuration for transportation as a single modular assembly and removably attached as said single modular assembly to the two spaced-apart substructure box assemblies during assembly of the drilling rig structure.
A method of assembling a drilling rig structure, the method comprising:
- assembling a center drill floor assembly comprising a center floor structure, a bottom drilling rig mast section comprising a frame member having a first end positioned at a first vertical height lower than a second vertical height of an upper surface of the center floor structure when the center drill floor assembly is in a configuration for transportation and a second end distal from the first end, wherein the second end is pivotably coupled to the center floor structure, and a first mast support brace having a first end pivotably coupled to the first end of the frame member and a second end comprising a connector;
- transporting the assembled center drill floor assembly to a drilling site as a single modular assembly in the configuration for transportation;
- positioning first and second substructure box assemblies of a drilling rig substructure adjacent to a wellbore location at the drilling site, wherein the first and second substructure box assemblies are spaced apart and straddling the wellbore location;
- removably attaching the center drill floor assembly as said single modular assembly to the first and second spaced-apart substructure box assemblies;
- after removably attaching the center drill floor assembly to the first and second spaced-apart substructure box assemblies, removably attaching at least one additional drilling rig mast section to the bottom drilling rig mast section so as to assemble a drilling rig mast assembly;
- raising the assembled drilling rig mast assembly to an operating orientation above the drilling rig substructure;
- and
- attaching the connector of the mast support brace to one of the first and second spaced-apart substructure box assemblies.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.