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US 12,768,229 B2Granted
Robotic casing stabbing guide
OwnerKelsey Leroy Hoffosinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A robotic casing or pipe stabbing guide for oil and gas well drilling includes a mount adapted to connect to a robotic arm, a main body, arms, casing guides, shoes and springs biasing the arms in a closed position around a casing guide. The casing or pipe guide includes a portion adapted to hold a box end of a tubular and a portion adapted to align and direct a pin-end of a second tubular into the box end of the first tubular. The arms are then moved outwardly away from the first and second tubular thus allowing for easy release. The main body assembly includes a tri-guide design adapted to better grip and control the tubular during the mounting of the second tubular.
Claims14
A tubular stabbing guide used for installing and removing tubulars in well applications, the tubular stabbing guide, comprising:
- a mount adapted to connect to a robotic arm;
- a main body associated with the mount;
- a cylindrical tubular guide including a bottom portion adapted to encircle a box end of a first tubular, and a top portion adapted to guide a pin end of a second tubular into the box end of the first tubular;
- the top portion having an inwardly angled surface relative to a vertical axis passing through a center of the cylindrical tubular guide, wherein the axis is colinear with a length of the first tubular, wherein the bottom portion has an inner surface colinear to the axis, wherein the inwardly angled surface is adapted to guide the pin end of the second tubular into the box end of the first tubular;
- a first arm which pivots in association with a first point of the main body and a second arm which pivots in association with a second point of the main body, wherein the first arm, the second arm, and the main body form a tri-guide of the cylindrical tubular guide, wherein the first arm and second arm are adapted to open and close the cylindrical tubular guide around the tubulars;
- and
- a first shoe portion of the first arm, wherein the first shoe portion is fixed on the first arm via a first bolt, curved and extends outwardly away from the cylindrical tubular guide, and a second shoe portion of the second arm, wherein the second shoe portion is fixed on the second arm via a second bolt, curved and extends outwardly away from the cylindrical tubular guide, wherein pressing the first shoe portion and the second shoe portion against one of the tubulars causes the first arm and the second arm to spread apart.
4 more elements
A method for operating a tubular stabbing guide to install tubulars, the method comprising:
- positioning the tubular stabbing guide, via a robotic arm onto a box end of a first tubular, wherein the box end of the first tubular is protruding from a well bore, wherein the tubular stabbing guide comprises:
- a main body associated with the robotic arm;
- a cylindrical tubular guide including a bottom portion adapted to encircle the box end of the first tubular, and a top portion adapted to guide a pin end of a second tubular into the box end of the first tubular, the top portion having an inwardly angled surface relative to a vertical axis passing through a center of the cylindrical tubular guide wherein the axis is colinear with a length of the first tubular, wherein the bottom portion has an inner surface colinear to the axis;
- a first arm which pivots in association with a first point of the main body and a second arm which pivots in association with a second point of the main body, wherein the first arm, the second arm, and the main body form a tri-guide of the cylindrical tubular guide, wherein the first arm and second arm are adapted to open and close the cylindrical tubular guide around the tubulars, wherein the first arm and the second arm are biased into a closed position;
- a first shoe portion of the first arm, wherein the first shoe portion is fixed on the first arm via a first bolt, curved and extends outwardly away from the cylindrical tubular guide, and a second shoe portion of the second arm, wherein the second shoe portion is fixed on the second arm via a second bolt, curved and extends outwardly away from the cylindrical tubular guide, wherein pressing the first shoe portion and the second shoe portion against one of the tubulars causes the first arm and the second arm to spread apart;
- stabbing a pin end of a second tubular through the top portion of the cylindrical tubular guide, which aligns the second tubular with the box end of the first tubular;
- coupling the second tubular with the first tubular;
- and
- removing the tubular stabbing guide from the first tubular and the coupling by actuating the robotic arm in a direction away from the axis, wherein the first arm and the second arm are spread apart in opposition to being biased into the closed position.
6 more elements
A method for operating a tubular stabbing guide to uninstall tubulars, the method comprising:
- positioning the tubular stabbing guide, via a robotic arm, proximate to a coupling of a first tubular protruding from a well bore, and a second tubular coupled to the first tubular, wherein the tubular stabbing guide comprises:
- a main body associated with the robotic arm;
- a cylindrical tubular guide including a bottom portion adapted to encircle the box end of the first tubular, and a top portion adapted to guide a pin end of the second tubular into the box end of the first tubular, the top portion having an inwardly angled surface relative to a vertical axis passing through a center of the cylindrical tubular guide wherein the axis is colinear with a length of the first tubular, wherein the bottom portion has an inner surface colinear to the axis;
- a first arm which pivots in association with a first point of the main body and a second arm which pivots in association with a second point of the main body, wherein the first arm, the second arm, and the main body form a tri-guide of the cylindrical tubular guide, wherein the first arm and second arm are adapted to open and close the cylindrical tubular guide around the tubulars, wherein the first arm and the second arm are biased into a closed position;
- a first shoe portion of the first arm, wherein the first shoe portion is fixed on the first arm via a first bolt, curved and extends outwardly away from the cylindrical tubular guide, and a second shoe portion of the second arm, wherein the second shoe portion is fixed on the second arm via a second bolt, curved and extends outwardly away from the cylindrical tubular guide, wherein pressing the first shoe portion and the second shoe portion against one of the tubulars causes the first arm and the second arm to spread apart;
- pushing the first shoe portion and the second shoe portion of the tubular stabbing guide, via the robotic arm, onto the second tubular proximate the coupling with the first tubular, wherein the first arm and the second arm spread apart to encircle the second tubular with the cylindrical tubular guide;
- lowering the tubular stabbing guide along the length of the second tubular until the bottom portion of the cylindrical tubular guide rests on the box end of the first tubular;
- uncoupling the second tubular from the first tubular while the tubular stabbing guide secures the first tubular;
- and
- removing the tubular stabbing guide via the robotic arm from contact with the first tubular.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.