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: 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: 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 tubular product clamp for supporting a tubular product, e.g. a drilling pipe, in a firing line of a drilling rig, and a method for supporting a tubular product in a firing line. The clamp comprises multiple clamping devices with a base part and a clamppart. According to the invention, an insert carrier is provided for each clamp part. The insert carriers each have an insert carrier body with one or more recesses for holding one or more inserts for engaging the tubular product supported by the product clamp.

Abstract: A double drum traction winch of which the rotatable drums are both provided with adjustable grooves is provided. Each drum includes multiple, for example three or more, curved segments, each segment defining a section of a circumferential groove, such that multiple circumferential grooves on the outer surface of the drum are each composed of several curved segments. The curved segments are each movably supported by a core body for movement in a substantial radial direction relative to the rotational axis of the drum. An actuator mechanism for the curved segments is provided, that includes actuators that cause essentially radial displacement of the curved segments, such that the circumference of the grooves can be adjusted.

Abstract: A directional casing drilling system includes a casing string, a drilling rig and a retrievable Bottom Hole Assembly (BHA). The drilling rig includes a casing drive for rotating the casing string in the borehole, a control system for controlling the casing drive, and a mud pump for pumping a continuous flow of drilling mud into the casing string. The BHA includes a torque transfer section, with which it is secured in the casing string, and a drill bit section held in a drilling position in the torque transfer section. It further includes a mud drive that rotates the drilling position of the drill bit section about the longitudinal axis of the torque transfer section, and a communicating device for communicating the orientation of the drill bit to the control system. The BHA is steered by adjusting the rotational speed of the casing string.

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 invention relates to a drilling vessel comprising a drilling tower and a tubular string support structure for supporting a tubular string in the firing line of the drilling tower. The tubular string support structure has two parallel rails and two carts supported by those rails. Both carts have a hanger body with a central passage for supporting a tubular, and each cart can be moved between a central support position for supporting a tubular in the firing line, and a secondary position adjacent the central support position. When both carts are located in their secondary position, the carts are located on opposite sides of the firing line, such that between the carts there is a passage for passing through large objects along the firing line.

Abstract: The invention relates to a drilling vessel (1) comprising a drilling tower (2) and a tubular string support structure (3) for supporting a tubular string in the firing line (4a, 4b) of the drilling tower. The tubular string support structure comprises two parallel rails (11) and two carts (13, 14) supported by those rails. Both carts have a hanger body (14, 15), comprising a central passage (16), for supporting a tubular, and each cart (13, 14) can be moved between a central support position (18) for supporting a tubular in the firing line, and a secondary position (19) adjacent the central support position. When both carts (13, 14) are located in their secondary position (19), the carts are located on opposite sides of the firing line, such that between the carts there is a passage for passing through large objects along the firing line.

Abstract: System and apparatus (1) for moving a tubular between a substantially horizontal position and an upward angled position, e.g. substantially vertical position. The apparatus comprises a base (3), and a boom (4) pivotally attached to the base about a horizontal boom pivot axis between a substantially horizontal position and an upward angled position, e.g. substantially vertical position. A boom pivot drive (50) is mounted on said base and adapted to pivot the boom. A tubular gripper (7; 80) is attached to the boom and adapted for gripping the tubular (20, 20?, 20?). The boom pivot drive comprises a central gear wheel (53) that is rotatable mounted on the base about a central gear wheel axis (54) parallel to the horizontal boom pivot axis (6), which central gear wheel is connected directly or via a transmission to the boom. One or more drive gear members (51) are each rotatable mounted on the base and each rotatable about a corresponding drive gear member axis (52), meshing with the central gear wheel.

Abstract: The invention relates to a tubular product clamp for clamping a tubular product, such as a drilling pipe, and to thus support for example a string of drilling pipes. The product clamp has a ring frame and three or more clamping devices mounted along the inside of that ring frame and around a central product passage. According to the invention each clamping device comprises a base part and a clamp part and two load transfer rollers carried by a trolley frame. The trolley frame positions the base part, the clamp part and the load transfer rollers relative to each other. The base part and clamp part define between them a track, along which the load transfer rollers roll when the clamp part is moved relative to the base part.

Abstract: The invention relates to a drilling vessel (1) comprising a drilling tower (2) and a tubular string support structure (3) for supporting a tubular string in the firing line (4a, 4b) of the drilling tower. The tubular string support structure comprises two parallel rails (11) and two carts (13, 14) supported by those rails. Both carts have a hanger body (14, 15), comprising a central passage (16), for supporting a tubular, and each cart (13, 14) can be moved between a central support position (18) for supporting a tubular in the firing line, and a secondary position (19) adjacent the central support position. When both carts (13, 14) are located in their secondary position (19), the carts are located on opposite sides of the firing line, such that between the carts there is a passage for passing through large objects along the firing line.

Abstract: System and apparatus (1) for moving a tubular between a substantially horizontal position and an upward angled position, e.g. substantially vertical position. The apparatus comprises a base (3), and a boom (4) pivotally attached to the base about a horizontal boom pivot axis between a substantially horizontal position and an upward angled position, e.g. substantially vertical position. A boom pivot drive (50) is mounted on said base and adapted to pivot the boom. A tubular gripper (7; 80) is attached to the boom and adapted for gripping the tubular (20, 20?, 20?). The boom pivot drive comprises a central gear wheel (53) that is rotatable mounted on the base about a central gear wheel axis (54) parallel to the horizontal boom pivot axis (6), which central gear wheel is connected directly or via a transmission to the boom. One or more drive gear members (51) are each rotatable mounted on the base and each rotatable about a corresponding drive gear member axis (52), meshing with the central gear wheel.

Abstract: A hoisting device includes a hoisting cable, a winch, a crown block and a traveling bottom block provided with a load attachment device. Both the crown block and the traveling bottom block include one or more sheaves having an essentially horizontally extending rotation shaft about which sheaves the hoisting cable is reeved. At least some of the traveling bottom block sheaves are associated with a releasable connector, and are thereby detachable from the load attachment device and displaceable to an inoperative position. The rotation shaft of multiple traveling bottom block sheaves and multiple crown block sheaves is essentially perpendicular to the rotation shaft of remaining multiple traveling bottom block sheaves and remaining multiple crown block sheaves.

Abstract: A vessel with a retractable thruster assembly, the vessel comprising a hull, a vertical thruster well (20) within the hull, said thruster well having a bottom opening in a bottom plane of the hull. The vessel further comprises a retractable thruster assembly. This thruster assembly comprises: a thruster head (2) with a propeller (3), a casing structure (10) vertically guided in the thruster well, the casing structure having a lower end portion (10b) to which the thruster head is mounted so as to extend below the casing structure, the casing structure including a watertight compartment (12), an electric propeller drive motor being housed in said compartment. The thruster assembly is vertically displaceable between an operative extended position, in which the thruster head projects downward beyond the bottom plane of the hull, and a retracted position, in which the thruster as assembly is raised and the thruster head is received with the thruster well.

Abstract: The invention relates to a double drum traction winch (1) of which the rotatable drums (3,4) are both provided with adjustable grooves (7,8). Each drum comprises multiple, for example three or more, curved segments (11), each segment defining a section of a circumferential groove, such that multiple circumferential grooves on the outer surface of the drum are each composed of several curved segments. The curved segments are each movably supported by a core body (10) for movement in a substantial radial direction relative to the rotational axis of the drum. An actuator mechanism for the curved segments is provided, that comprises actuators (12) that cause essentially radial displacement of the curved segments, such that the circumference of the grooves can be adjusted.

Abstract: A floating structure includes a riser support system. The riser support system includes multiple carts, each suitable for moveably connecting a risers to the riser support system. A cart includes a support frame and one or more riser tensioners for connecting the support frame to a riser. Each cart is designed for being supported by a cart support structure in a production dock and in a drilling dock, and for being transferred by a crane between the production dock and the drilling dock. Thus, the riser support system enables transferring risers and their riser tensioners within the moonpool from a production dock to a drilling dock without the need of disconnecting and/or reconnecting the risers to extra riser tensioners for support in the drilling dock or during transport.

Abstract: A vessel with a retractable thruster assembly, the vessel comprising a hull, a vertical thruster well (20) within the hull, said thruster well having a bottom opening in a bottom plane of the hull. The vessel further comprises a retractable thruster assembly. This thruster assembly comprises: a thruster head (2) with a propeller (3), a casing structure (10) vertically guided in the thruster well, the casing structure having a lower end portion (10b) to which the thruster head is mounted so as to extend below the casing structure, the casing structure including a watertight compartment (12), an electric propeller drive motor being housed in said compartment. The thruster assembly is vertically displaceable between an operative extended position, in which the thruster head projects downward beyond the bottom plane of the hull, and a retracted position, in which the thruster as asssembly is raised and the thruster head is received with the thruster well.

Abstract: A traction winch for a cable or the like includes a winch frame, at least two sheave assemblies each having at least a first sheave and a second sheave, each sheave having a single circumferential friction surface for the cable. The winch further includes at least two rotatable driveshafts, journalled in the winch frame in a side-by-side arrangement, each drive shaft being associated with a sheave assembly, and at least one motor for driving the driveshafts. The winch includes a differential assembly being provided between each driveshaft and sheave assembly so as to allow for different rotational speeds of the sheaves during operation of the traction winch due to cable elongation.