Abstract: In a method for sealing and controlling fluid pressure in an annular fluid passageway in a wellbore related process, use is made of an annular fluid passageway sealing device, which includes a chamber delimited by chamber end members each provided with an opening therein so that the drilling tubulars string passes through said chamber and said chamber end members. The lower chamber end member is exposed, at least partially, to wellbore related fluid pressure in the annular fluid passageway. The housing is provided with an inlet and an outlet in communication with said chamber. Use is made of a pump that circulates a high viscosity liquid. The inlet and the outlet are vertically offset from each other and the chamber is provided with one or more narrow annular gap defining members that are arranged between vertically spaced apart feed and discharge zones.

Abstract: An improved system and method for laying on the seabed a pipeline and/or installing a subsea riser including one or more accessories are disclosed. In the system, a trolley rail for an auxiliary trolley is provided which includes a retractable trolley rail part supported by the tower via an associated mobile rail support assembly. Displacement of the retractable trolley rail part together with the auxiliary trolley when arranged on said retractable trolley rail part with respect to the tower is allowed, between an active position, wherein the auxiliary trolley is positioned to engage on an accessory in the firing line, and a retracted and non-operable position wherein a clear envelope about the firing line is created.

Abstract: An offshore drilling vessel includes a floating hull subjected to heave motion. The hull includes a moonpool and a drilling tower near the moonpool. A drilling tubulars storage rack is provided for storage of drilling tubulars. The vessel includes a heave motion compensation support that is adapted to support a slip device whilst performing heave compensation motion relative to the heaving motion of the vessel. A racking device is provided with a heave motion synchronization system that is adapted to bring a tubular retrieved from the storage rack in heave motion into a vertical motion that is synchronous with the heave compensation motion of the string slip device. The racking device includes vertical rails and at least two separate motion arm assemblies mounted on said vertical rails. Each separate motion arm assembly includes its own vertical drive which is electrically connected to the heave motion synchronization system.

Abstract: A marine pipeline installation vessel for laying a pipeline on the seabed, the vessel at least being adapted to carry out the reel lay method, wherein the vessel includes at least a first and a second storage reel for storage of the pipeline to be laid, which storage reels are positioned in or onto the vessel; a pipeline launch tower mounted to the vessel, which pipeline launch tower is adapted to launch the pipeline in a firing line along the tower; a pipeline guide which is mounted at an elevated position to the pipeline launch tower, which pipeline guide has a pipeline guide surface member providing an essentially circular or semi-circular pipeline guide surface, which pipeline guide is adapted to—in a primary pipelaying position thereof relative to the tower—guide a pipeline from a first storage reel over the pipeline guide into the firing line, the pipeline contacts the pipeline guide surface at a first contact point fore of the firing line and departs the surface at a first departure point into the firi

Abstract: A marine pipelaying system and method for lowering and/or raising an offshore pipeline and including one or more accessories thereto, includes a pipeline launch device, a pipeline clamp, an accessory connecting device and a controlled load hoisting device. An accessory handling device is provided including an accessory transport track and a cart adapted to engage and support one of the one or more accessories, such that the accessory handling device is adapted to engage said accessory at the engagement position, position the accessory in the pipeline connecting position in the firing line above the pipeline clamp. The accessory can be connected to the pipeline and support and allow displacement of the accessory between the engagement position and the pipeline connection position.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a top drive well drilling installation comprising a trolley guided along one or more vertical rails along the drilling tower, which trolley is provided with a support frame supporting the top drive unit and a rotating head-clamp. The rotating headclamp comprises an open-centered rotary body defining a pipe passage; a thrust bearing supporting the rotary body; and multiple mobile pipe retainers supported by the rotary body providing an operative and a non-operative position allowing passage of a pipe and engagement below a shoulder of a pipe of the drill string so as to suspend said drill string therefrom. At least the tubular stem is vertically movable relative to the rotating headclamp between an upper remote position allowing the engagement of a pipe of the drill string by the rotating headclamp and a lower connection position allowing the attachment of the tubular stem with the pipe.

Abstract: A method for removal of a top drive device in a wellbore drilling installation, e.g. for servicing and/or exchanging a top drive device. The frame of the trolley and the top drive device are provided with cooperating vertical guide members so that the top drive device is vertically displaceable and guided relative to the frame. The top drive device has an operative position above the rotatable head clamp assembly carrier, which is releasably connected to first and second vertical frame members. In order to service and/or exchange of the top drive device, the method includes releasing the rotatable head clamp assembly carrier from the first and second frame members, removing the rotatable head clamp assembly carrier, lowering the top drive device relative to the frame of the trolley until the cooperating vertical guide members thereof disengage, moving the lowered and disengaged top drive device to a service and/or storage location remote from the firing line.

Abstract: A method for servicing a top drive device of a wellbore drilling installation. The installation comprises a drilling tower, a drill floor having a well center through which a drilling tubulars string can pass along a firing line. A trolley is guided along a vertical trolley rail. A top drive device is attached to the trolley and comprises one or more top drive. A motion arm assembly comprises a base and an extensible and retractable motion arm, wherein the base is guided by a vertical motion arm rail. The motion arm has an operative reach that encompasses the firing line. The motion arm assembly is adapted to support at least one of a well center tool, e.g. an iron roughneck tool and a tubular gripper member, and allowing to bring said well center tool or tubular gripper member in the firing line.

Abstract: An offshore drilling system includes a drilling tower, a tubular string hoisting device with a crown block and a travelling block suspended from the crown block in a multiple fall arrangement. A heave compensation system is adapted to provide heave compensation of the travelling block. The heave compensation system includes a hydraulic sheave compensator. The system further includes a mobile working deck which is movable with respect to the drilling tower within a motion range including a heave compensation motion range. The heave compensation system is further adapted to provide heave compensation of the mobile working deck by a hydraulic deck compensator, which is hydraulically connected via a hydraulic conduit to the hydraulic sheave compensator, such that in operation the deck compensator moves synchronously with the sheave compensator of the heave compensation system.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for operating a drilling vessel adapted to run large diameters surface casing joints having a diameter of over 20 inch (51 cm) and a length of 30-50 feet (9-15 meters), and build a surface casing string. According to the invention three or more surface casing joints are interconnected into pre-assembled surface casing stands having a length of over 100 feet (30 meters). These surface casing stands are substantially horizontally stored and transferred by a casing stand handling system to a surface casing string handling capacity hoisting device, which subsequently lowers the surface casing string.

Abstract: A vessel is adapted to perform subsea wellbore related operations involving a riser string between the subsea wellbore and the vessel, e.g. drilling and/or wellbore intervention. The vessel includes a hull having a deck, and a riser storage hold present within the hull below the deck. The riser storage hold includes storage racks adapted to store therein parallel stacks of multiple riser sections and/or pre-assembled riser stands in horizontal orientation. The vessel has an elongated riser transfer opening between the deck and the roof, the riser transfer opening extending in a direction parallel to the storage racks, the riser transfer opening having a length and a width so as to allow for transfer of a single riser section or a single riser stand in horizontal orientation via the riser transfer opening out of and into the riser storage hold, wherein the risers' handling system is suitable to work at the same time with two different lengths.

Abstract: A marine pipelaying system and method for lowering and/or raising an offshore pipeline and including one or more accessories thereto, includes a pipeline launch device, a pipeline clamp, an accessory connecting device and a controlled load hoisting device. An accessory handling device is provided including an accessory transport track and a cart adapted to engage and support one of the one or more accessories, such that the accessory handling device is adapted to engage said accessory at the engagement position, position the accessory in the pipeline connecting position in the firing line above the pipeline clamp. The accessory can be connected to the pipeline and support and allow displacement of the accessory between the engagement position and the pipeline connection position.

Abstract: A top drive well drilling installation comprising a drilling tower, vertical rails supported by the drilling tower, a trolley guided along said one or more vertical rails, and a hoisting device for moving the trolley up and down. The installation further comprises a tubular stem which is to be connected to the upper end of a drill string for rotation therewith about an axis of the drill string, and a top drive unit including a motor adapted to rotate the tubular stem and thereby the connected drill string to drill a well, wherein the top drive unit is supported by the trolley. Furthermore an elevator is provided which is adapted to—in an operative position—suspend the drill string, e.g. during tripping, and an elevator support assembly is provided which is adapted to absorb the load of the suspended drill string and adapted to move the elevator between an operative position on the drill string axis and a retracted position.

Abstract: An offshore drilling vessel includes a floating hull subjected to heave motion. The hull includes a moonpool and a drilling tower near the moonpool. A drilling tubulars storage rack is provided for storage of drilling tubulars. The vessel includes a heave motion compensation support that is adapted to support a slip device while performing heave compensation motion relative to the heaving motion of the vessel. A racking device is provided with a heave motion synchronization system that is adapted to bring a tubular retrieved from the storage rack in heave motion into a vertical motion that is synchronous with the heave compensation motion of the string slip device. The racking device includes vertical rails and at least two separate motion arm assemblies mounted on said vertical rails. Each separate motion arm assembly includes its own vertical drive which is electrically connected to the heave motion synchronization system.

Abstract: A modular drilling rig system includes multiple components. The system is transfigurable between a transport mode and an operational mode, and includes a drilling rig mast which is positionable in a vertical orientation; and a base structure adapted to be positioned on a surface near the well centre to support the drilling rig mast thereon. The base structure includes two elongated members that are connected to each other by a cross beam; and a displacement system to displace the drilling rig with respect to the surface in a horizontal direction. The displacement system is configured to displace the two elongated members of the base structure together in order to displace the drilling rig, and is configured such that the two elongated members can be displaced with respect to each other when the two elongated members are not connected to each other.

Abstract: A marine pipeline installation vessel and a method are provided for laying an offshore rigid pipeline in the sea, the vessel at least being adapted to carry out the rigid reel lay method. The vessel includes at least one vertical storage reel for the storage of a spooled rigid pipeline. A left and right reel support structure are provided to support the weight of the at least one storage reel. The left and right support structures are embodied to form a pivoting structure allowing an angular adjustment of the horizontal reel axis about a vertical axis to alter the angular position of the at least one storage reel.

Abstract: A drilling rig is adapted to perform drilling and/or other wellbore related activities. The drilling rig includes a drilling tower, a drill floor with a well center, a slip device arranged at the well center, a tubulars connection makeup and breaking device near the well center, and a top drive system. The top drive system includes a traveling carriage that is vertically mobile along one or more vertical rails of the drilling tower by a vertical motion drive. The system also includes a top drive unit supported by said carriage and including a top drive motor and a rotary torque output member. The system further includes a tripping operation elevator that is adapted to be engageable with a drilling tubulars string or drilling tubulars stand, e.g. with the top end thereof, in order to perform tripping operations.

Abstract: An offshore drilling vessel including a hull having a moonpool, a bow and a stern, an accommodation topside having crew quarters and a bridge, said accommodation topside being arranged on the hull at the bow, a main deck between the accommodation topside and the stern of the vessel, wherein a front main deck portion of the main deck extends forward of the moonpool and a rear main deck portion of the main deck extends rearward of the moonpool, a firing line hoist system mounted on the hull at said moonpool, including a drilling structure, a hoisting device supported by the drilling structure and having a load attachment device displaceable along a firing line, the hoisting device including one or more cables and one or more associated winches to manipulate the position of the load attachment device relative to the drilling structure, one or more pivotal burner booms, each burner boom having an inner portion pivotally mounted at a lateral side of the hull and an outer portion supporting a burner, the burner boo

Abstract: A vessel is adapted to perform subsea wellbore related operations including module handling and laying flexible pipeline, e.g. wellbore intervention. The vessel includes a hull with a moonpool and a stationary drilling mast adjacent said moonpool. The front side of the drilling mast is provided with vertical trolley rails along which—during module handling—a module handling trolley is movable. Further one or more tensioners are provided to engage a flexible pipeline, also being supported by the by the drilling mast. The tensioner frame of a tensioner is mounted pivotably about a vertical pivot axis to the drilling mast, such that the tensioner frame is pivotable between the pipeline laying configuration wherein the lower tensioner is provided in the module handling area and an open configuration wherein a vertical trolley path is unobstructed to allow module handling.

Abstract: An improved system and method for laying on the seabed a pipeline and/or installing a subsea riser including one or more accessories are disclosed. In the system, a trolley rail for an auxiliary trolley is provided which includes a retractable trolley rail part supported by the tower via an associated mobile rail support assembly. Displacement of the retractable trolley rail part together with the auxiliary trolley when arranged on said retractable trolley rail part with respect to the tower is allowed, between an active position, wherein the auxiliary trolley is positioned to engage on an accessory in the firing line, and a retracted and non-operable position wherein a clear envelope about the firing line is created.