Abstract: A vessel adapted to perform subsea wellbore related operations involving a riser string that is assembled from releasably interconnected riser sections and extends between a subsea wellbore and the vessel. The riser string vertical handling system of the vessel includes a controlled motion device that is adapted to displace the riser string lifting tool in at least one horizontal direction relative to the riser spider device at least whilst travelling between the elevated and lowered position thereof loaded by the riser string suspended from the riser string lifting tool, thereby allowing to establish an inclined travel path with selectively variable inclination of the riser string lifting tool relative to an imaginary vertical line through the riser string passage of the riser spider device, e.g. said inclined travel path having an inclination selected to correspond to an actual water current induced inclination of an upper portion of the riser string during the riser string assembly process.

Abstract: An offshore drilling vessel includes a floating hull having a moonpool, a drilling tower positioned on the hull at or near the moonpool, a tubular string main hoisting device including a main hoisting winch and main cable connected to the main hoisting winch, a crown block mounted on the drilling tower, a travelling block suspended from the crown block in a multiple fall arrangement of the main cable, a mobile working deck and an integrated heave compensation system including a main cable heave compensation sheave in a path of the main cable between the main hoisting winch and the travelling block, a hydraulic sheave compensator connected to the main cable heave compensation sheave to provide a heave compensated motion of the travelling block, and a hydraulic deck compensator connected to the hull and to the mobile working deck to provide a heave compensated motion of the working deck relative to the hull within the heave compensation motion range.

Abstract: A tensioner pad assembly is adapted to be mounted on an endless track of a tensioner to frictionally clamp an elongated product supported and moved by the tensioner. The pad assembly includes a carrier member and a pair of gripping members, which gripping members can with their carrier member mating surfaces be mounted in multiple discrete gripping positions on gripping member mating surfaces of the carrier member. The mating surfaces form interlocking structures adapted to transfer a squeeze force from the carrier member to the gripping members. The interlocking structures provided on the carrier member define the multiple discrete gripping positions. The gripping member mating surfaces extend at an angle relative to each other, such that the multiple discrete gripping positions differ in their distance to the base portion as well as in their distance to the imaginary plane of the carrier member.

Abstract: A vessel adapted to perform subsea wellbore related operations involving a riser string between the subsea wellbore and the vessel. The vessel includes a hull having a deck, and a riser storage hold present within said hull below said deck. The riser storage hold comprising storage racks adapted to store therein parallel stacks of multiple riser sections and/or pre-assembled riser stands in a horizontal orientation. The vessel has an elongated riser transfer opening between said deck and said roof, and the riser transfer opening extending in a direction parallel to said storage racks. The vessel has horizontal rails extending along said opposite longitudinal sides of said riser transfer opening and a catwalk machine having a mobile catwalk machine frame that is movable over said horizontal rails. The catwalk machine is at least in a loading position that is above said riser transfer opening and in a riser upending position.

Abstract: In combination a drilling installation for drilling a well and a control and signal lines deployment module, wherein the drilling installation includes a rig floor slip device which is adapted to be cleared from a well centre opening to create a clear space around the well centre opening. The combination further includes a temporary workspace floor, which is adapted to be mounted in the clear space at a level below a rig floor surface and to provide a workspace floor for an operator standing in the clear space on said work space floor, allowing the operator to secure at a securing level the one or more control/and or signal lines externally to a second tubulars string suspended from a module slip device.

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: 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: 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: 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.