Method and apparatus for connecting tubulars using a top drive
AssigneeWeatherford/Lamb, Inc.
InventorBernd-Georg Pietras
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for facilitating the connection of tubulars, said apparatus comprising a winch (15), at least one wire line (4, 5), and a device (2) for gripping the tubular (3), the arrangement being such that, in use, the winch (15) can be used to winch said at least one wire (4, 5) and said device (2) to position a tubular (3) below said top drive.
Claims13
An apparatus for facilitating the connection of tubulars using a top drive and comprising:
- a suspension unit (9) for coupling a tubular (3) to the top drive, the suspension unit (9) having a static part fixed with respect to a top drive and a dynamic part movable relative thereto;
- and
- a winch (15) located on said static part of said suspension unit (9), at least one wire (4, 5), and a device (2) for gripping the tubular (3), the arrangement being such that, in use, the winch (15) can be used to winch said at least one wire (4, 5) and said device (2) to position the tubular (3) below said top drive.
A method of facilitating the connection of tubulars using a top drive having a suspension unit (9) for coupling a tubular (3) to the top drive, the suspension unit (9) having a static part fixed with respect to a top drive and a dynamic part movable relative thereto, the method comprising the steps of attaching at least one wire to a tubular, the wire depending from the static part of said suspension unit, and winching the wire and the tubular upwards to a position beneath the top drive.
An apparatus for facilitating the connection of tubulars using a top drives said apparatus comprising, an elevator (102) and a pair of bails (103, 104), characterised in that said elevator (102) is, in use, movable relative to said pair of bails (103, 104).
A method for facilitating the connection of tubulars using a top drive, said method comprising the step of using an elevator to move a tubular to a position below said top drive, wherein the elevator depends from the top drive or from a component attached thereto.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.