Method and apparatus for the disassembly of drill pipe
AssigneeOil & Gas Rental Services, Inc.
InventorWilliam C. Shafer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for destabbing (disassembling) two vertically oriented drill pipe joint sections provides a two part clamp arrangement that holds the assembled joint at their interface. A lower end of the clamp arrangement is tightly clamped to the lower joint so that the upper joint rotates when the two joint are gripped with power tongs or like pipe handling devices and unthreaded or "destabbed".
Claims16
A method of destabbing a pair of threadably interengaged and generally vertically oriented oil and gas well drill pipe sections that are connectable end-to-end at threaded pin and box joint connections, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a pair of pipe joints to be joined, each joint having a generally cylindrically shaped outer surface, end portions with mating faces, and threaded portions that connect to similarly threaded portions of another joint;
- b) connecting the joints of pipe together;
- c) affixing a sleeve to the assembly of pipe joints at the mating faces, wherein a lower end portion of the sleeve has a generally cylindrically shaped interior surface that conforms to the lower joint and an upper end portion of the sleeve has a generally cylindrically shaped interior surface that conforms to engages the upper joint;
- d) destabbing the joints by rotating the upper joint relative to the lower joint and wherein the sleeve lower end portion is configured to tightly engage the lower joint during rotation of the upper joint, and the sleeve upper end portion loosely engages the upper joint during such rotation so that simultaneous rotation and alignment is enabled;
- e) wherein in step "d" the central longitudinal axes of the joints are maintained in alignment.
A method of destabbing a pair of threadably interengaged and generally vertically oriented oil and gas well drill pipe sections that are connectable end-to-end at threaded pin and box joint connections, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a pair of pipe joints to be joined, each joint having end portions with mating faces and threaded portions that connect to similarly threaded portions of another joint;
- b) connecting the joints of pipe together:
- c) affixing a sleeve to the assembly of pipe joints at the mating faces, wherein a lower end portion of the sleeve engages the lower joint and an upper end portion of the sleeve enrages the upper joint;
- d) destabbing the joints by rotating the upper joint relative to the lower joint and the sleeve that engages the lower joint;
- e) wherein in step "d" the central longitudinal axes of the joints are maintained in alignment;
- and
- f) wherein the sleeve has an inner diameter that is smaller at the lower end portion of the sleeve than at the upper end portion of the sleeve.
A method of destabbing a pair of connected oil and gas well drill pipe sections that are connectable end-to-end at threaded pin and box joint connections, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a pair of pipe joints to be joined, each joint having a generally cylindrically shaped outer surface, end portions with mating faces, and threaded portions that connect to similarly threaded portions of another joint;
- b) connecting the joints of pipe together;
- c) affixing a detachable sleeve to the assembly of pipe joints at the mating faces, the sleeve comprising a pair of connectable sections, each having a generally cylindrically shaped inner surface that conforms to a cylindrical surface of a pipe joint outer surface;
- wherein a lower end portion of the sleeve tightly engages the lower joint and an upper end portion of the sleeve loosely engages the upper joint;
- d) wherein in step "c" the lower end of the sleeve is locked to the lower of the joints;
- e) destabbing the joints by rotating the upper joint relative to the lower joint and the sleeve that engages the lower joint;
- and
- f) wherein in step "d" the central longitudinal axes of the joints are maintained in alignment.
A pipe destabbing apparatus for destabbing a pair of pipe joints having threaded end portions and mating faces at the end portions, comprising:
- a) a sleeve having a pair of connectable sections;
- b) handles on the sleeve sections for enabling a user to manipulate the sleeve;
- c) at least one of the sleeve sections having a window;
- d) the lower end of the sleeve having a locking closure member for affixing the sleeve to a pair of assembled joints of pipe;
- e) the window enabling the user to position the mating faces at the middle of the sleeve by visual inspection.
A pipe destabbing apparatus for destabbing a pair of connected pipe joints having threaded end portions and mating faces at the end portions, comprising:
- a) a sleeve having a pair of connectable sections;
- b) means on the sleeve sections for enabling a user to manipulate the sleeve sections during use;
- c) at least one of the sleeve sections having a window;
- d) the lower end of the sleeve having a compressive member for pressing the sleeve against the lower joint of the pair of assembled joints of pipe;
- e) the window enabling the user to position the mating faces at the middle of the sleeve by visual inspection;
- f) the upper end of the sleeve closely conforming to the upper joint of pipe;
- and
- g) wherein the compressive member applies sufficient load to the assembled joints at the lower joint so that when the two joints are rotated with respect to one another during destabbing, the lower joint is affixed to the sleeve and the upper joint rotates with respect to the sleeve and the lower joint.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.