Drilling rig column racker and methods of erecting same
AssigneeNabors Industries, Inc.
InventorsChristopher Magnuson, Steven K. Deel
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Abstract
Methods for erecting a drilling structure on a drilling rig include hoisting a first end of a column racker with a support carried by a mast on the drilling rig while the column racker is in a first position, and advancing a second end of a column racker along a solid surface toward the mast while simultaneously hoisting the first end of the column racker to move the column racker toward a second position that is closer to vertical than the first position. Other methods include raising a first end of a column racker with a ground-based, powered lift structure, and introducing the first end of the column racker to the rig floor while supporting the weight of the column racker with the ground-based, powered lift structure.
Claims28
A method for erecting a drilling structure on a drilling rig, which comprises:
- hoisting a first end of a column racker with a support carried by a mast on the drilling rig while the column racker is in a first position off the drilling rig;
- and
- advancing a second end of a column racker along a solid surface toward the mast while simultaneously hoisting the first end of the column racker to move the column racker toward a second position that is closer to vertical than the first position on the drilling rig.
A method for erecting a drilling structure on a drilling rig, which comprises:
- raising a first end portion of a column racker with a ground-based, powered lift structure;
- introducing the first end portion of the column racker over a rig floor while supporting a portion of a weight of the column racker with the ground-based, powered lift structure;
- raising the first end portion of the column racker over the rig floor so that the column racker is closer to vertical while a second end portion of the column racker is supported by the ground-based powered lift structure;
- displacing the column racker with an upper or lower travelling assembly moveable relative to a mast on the drilling rig;
- lifting the column racker to a substantially vertical operating position on the drilling rig;
- and
- operating the column racker to move tubulars between a well center on the drilling rig and a fingerboard on the drilling rig.
A method for erecting a drilling structure, comprising:
- raising an upper end of a column racker with a ground-based, powered lift structure;
- connecting the upper end of the column racker to a hoisting system carried by a rig mast;
- supporting a portion of a weight of the column racker on an assembly trolley device disposed at a lower end of the column racker;
- and
- raising the upper end of the column racker with the hoisting system and simultaneously driving the assembly trolley to a rig floor.
A method for erecting a drilling structure on a drilling rig, which comprises:
- providing a column racker in a horizontal condition;
- attaching the column racker to a travelling assembly carried by a mast at a single axial location along the column racker;
- and
- hoisting the column racker to an operational position, wherein all hoisting occurs only from the single axial location.
An apparatus comprising:
- a drilling rig apparatus comprising:
- a drilling rig floor having a moveable lower trolley disposed thereon;
- a mast extending upwardly above the drilling rig floor, the mast supporting a fingerboard above the rig floor and also supporting a hoisting system, the fingerboard supporting an upper trolley thereon;
- a column racker configured to grasp and move tubulars between well center and the fingerboard, the column racker being coupleable to the upper trolley and to the lower trolley;
- a ramp leading from a position off the drilling rig apparatus to the drilling rig floor;
- and
- an assembly trolley configured to connect to a lower end of the column racker and to move across the ramp to the drilling rig floor in a manner that supports weight of the column racker as the column racker is introduced above the rig floor;
- wherein the hoisting system is configured to hoist tubulars during operation of the drilling rig apparatus and also configured to raise an upper end portion of the column racker during assembly of the drilling rig apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.