Tubular Handling Device and Methods

A method of handling a tubular during a casing or drilling operation which comprises:

• engaging a surface portion of a tubular with a tubular member elevator;
• operating the tubular member elevator to position the tubular to be manipulated by a running tool;
• and
• engaging at least a second, different surface portion of the tubular with a portion of the running tool so as to retain the tubular due to the downward force created by the weight of the tubular or a tubular string attached thereto interacting with the portion of the running tool at the second, different surface portion.

A method of handling a tubular in a casing or drilling operation, comprising:

• operating the running tool to interact with and grip a tubular section comprising at least one tubulars;
• applying a rotational force to the tubular section, at least one surface of which is engaged with and gripped by a portion of the running tool, to at least partially disconnect the tubular section from a tubular string;
• operating the tubular member elevator to interact with and grip the tubular section or a portion thereof;
• and
• raising the tubular section relative to the running tool to separate the tubular section from the tubular string and to disengage the engaged and gripped surface of the tubular section from the portion of the running tool.

A method of handling a tubular in a casing or drilling operation which comprises:

• operating the running tool to interact with a tubular section comprising a tubular;
• applying a rotational force to the tubular section, at least one surface of which is engaged with and gripped by a radially-shaped segment of the running tool, to at least partially disconnect a tubular section from a tubular string;
• operating a tubular member elevator to interact with and grip the tubular section or a portion thereof;
• and
• moving the segment of the running tool in a direction having at least an axial component along the gripped tubular section to disengage the segment of the running tool from the at least one surface portion of the tubular section.

A tubular member elevator, comprising:

• a slotted elevator component having a plurality of elongated slots each extending at least partially in a direction substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of a tubular to be handled;
• a recessed elevator component operably associated with the slotted elevator member and having a plurality of elevator recesses in a surface thereof that extend between a deep end to a shallow end;
• and
• a plurality of sliding or rolling elevator components, or both, each operatively associated with a corresponding one of the elongated elevator slots and one of the elevator recesses;
• wherein each of the plurality of sliding or rolling elevator components, or both, retracts at least partially within the slotted elevator member when displaced away from the shallow end of the corresponding elevator recess.

A floor slip adapted to hold a tubular or tubular string comprising:

• a slotted floor slip component having a plurality of elongated slots each extending at least partially in a direction substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of a tubular string to be handled;
• a recessed floor slip component operably associated with the slotted floor slip member and having a plurality of floor slip recesses in a surface thereof that each extend between a deep end to a shallow end;
• and
• a plurality of rolling floor slip components each operatively associated with a corresponding one of the elongated floor slip slots and one of the floor slip recesses;
• wherein each of the plurality of rolling floor slip components retracts within at least a portion of the slotted floor slip member when displaced away from the shallow end of the corresponding floor slip recess.

A method of handling a tubular in a casing or drilling operation, comprising:

• grasping a tubular section of the tubular with a tubular member elevator, the tubular having an axial end;
• orienting the tubular section relative to a running tool;
• operating the running tool to frictionally engage and grip the tubular section;
• actuating a pre-load mechanism that is adapted to exert an axial force on the tubular in the axial direction when the tubular is engaged in the tubular running tool, the axial force increasing the gripping strength on the tubular;
• and
• applying a rotational force to the tubular section while it is engaged and gripped by the running tool to connect the tubular section to a tubular string.