Abstract: A system for analyzing a railroad track comprises a transport device, a camera coupled to the transport device, an electronic display device, a memory device, and one or more processors. The camera is disposed adjacent to a rail of the railroad track and generates image data reproducible as one or more images of at least a portion of a surface of the rail. The processors can produce an image of the rail surface, which includes a plurality of elongated portions. The image is analyzed to identify any defects that exist within each elongated portion of the rail surface. The processors determine a value of a metric for each elongated portion of the rail surface. The metric is associated with the identified defects. The electronic display device displays a graph indicative of the metric for each elongated portion, the image of the rail surface, or both.

Abstract: Techniques and systems to provide automatic positioning of a tripping apparatus. A system may include a sensor configured to detect a physical characteristic of a tubular string moving past the sensor and generate a signal indicative of the physical characteristic. The system may also include a processing device configured to process the signal indicative of the physical characteristic, determine whether the processed signal is indicative of a deviation of the tubular string, and generate output data utilized to automatically position a tripping apparatus at a location of the deviation on the tubular string.

Abstract: An automated pipe tripping apparatus includes an outer frame and an inner frame. The inner frame includes a tripping slips and iron roughneck. The automated pipe tripping apparatus may, in concert with an elevator and drawworks, trip in a tubular string in a continuous motion. The tripping slips and iron roughneck, along with the inner frame, may travel vertically within the outer frame. The weight of the tubular string is transferred between the tripping slips and the elevator. The iron roughneck may make up or break out threaded connections between tubular segments, the upper tubular segment supported by the elevator and the lower by the tripping slips. An automated pipe handling apparatus may remove or supply sections of pipe from or to the elevator. A control system may control both the automated pipe tripping apparatus and the elevator and drawworks.

Abstract: A system for analyzing thermal properties of a railroad includes a thermal imaging device configured to generate thermal image data reproducible as a thermal image of a portion of the railroad, the thermal image data being associated with a location of the portion of the railroad, an electronic display device, a memory device configured to receive and store therein the generated thermal image data; and one or more processors configured to: determine a temperature metric of the portion of the railroad based at least in part on the thermal image data; and cause the electronic display device to display (i) a first graph indicative of the temperature metric of the portion of the railroad and (ii) a second graph indicative of a railroad track geometry metric associated with the location of the portion of the railroad.

Abstract: A system, including one or more supports disposed on a drill floor.

Abstract: Techniques and systems to remove a portion of a drill floor from an offshore vessel. The drill floor may include an immovable section comprising a first portion of a surface area of the drill floor. The drill floor may also include a moveable section comprising a second portion of the surface area of the drill floor. Additionally, the drill floor may include an actuator configured to retract the moveable section from a first position to a second position to remove the second portion of the surface area of the drill floor.

Abstract: A device includes a base configured to be coupled to a storage segment of a pipe support assembly. The device also includes an arm configured to be coupled to the base. The arm is configured to provide lateral support to a pipe when the pipe is disposed in a storage area adjacent to a first portion of the storage segment. The arm is also configured to move in a horizontal direction from a first location in which an end of the arm is disposed at a first horizontal distance from the storage segment to a second location in which the end of the arm is disposed at second horizontal distance from the storage segment when a force greater than or equal to a predetermined level is applied to the arm.

Abstract: Techniques and systems to provide pressure reduction of a fluid, for example, from a well. A device includes an input configured to be fluidly coupled to a well control device. The device also includes an output configured to be to be fluidly coupled to the well control device. The device further includes at least one valve configured to alter a pressure of a fluid received at the input and transmitted from the output.

Abstract: Techniques and systems to reduce deflection of a riser extending from an offshore platform. A device may include a main tube disposed along a length of the device. The device may also include a support member that may be coupled to the main tube, wherein the support member may surround the main tube. The device may include a buoyancy assembly that may at least partially surround the main tube, wherein the buoyancy assembly may have an elongated non-circular and non-cylindrical shape. The buoyancy assembly may also include buoyancy foam.

Abstract: Techniques and devices to assist an offshore unit in going on location and coming off location. A device may include an interface configured to receive a signal indicative of motions of an offshore unit. The device may also include a memory configured to store a set of values corresponding to acceptable motions of the offshore unit, as well as a processor configured to determine if a measured motion of the offshore unit exceeds at least one value of the set of values and generate an indication that going on location by the offshore unit can be undertaken when the processor determines that the measured motion of the offshore unit is less than or equal to the at least one value.

Abstract: Techniques and systems to reduce movement of at least one portion of an offshore platform. One portion of the offshore platform can provide a connection to a seafloor. A second portion of the offshore platform provides a lateral force to the first portion of the offshore platform while allowing for vertical movement between the first portion and the second portion of the offshore platform.

Abstract: A system, including one or more supports. The system also includes a movable platform slidingly coupled to the one or more supports and configured to be selectively moved towards a drill floor and away from the drill floor. The system further includes a roughneck disposed on the movable platform and configured to make up or break out a threaded joint between a first tubular segment and a second tubular segment, wherein the roughneck is configured to be selectively movable along the movable platform from a first position disposed adjacent to the one or more supports and a second position disposed adjacent to the first tubular segment and the second tubular segment.

Abstract: Techniques and systems to reduce deflection of a riser suspended from offshore platform. A guidance thrust delivery system (GTDS) includes a plurality of thrusters configured to be coupled to a riser of an offshore vessel. Each thruster of the plurality of thrusters is configured to generate a force on the riser of the offshore vessel to control a position of the riser in a subsea environment while the riser is suspended from the offshore vessel and decoupled from a seafloor.

Abstract: Techniques and devices to assist an offshore unit in going on location and coming off location. A device may include an interface configured to receive a signal indicative of motions of an offshore unit. The device may also include a memory configured to store a set of values corresponding to acceptable motions of the offshore unit, as well as a processor configured to determine if a measured motion of the offshore unit exceeds at least one value of the set of values and generate an indication that going on location by the offshore unit can be undertaken when the processor determines that the measured motion of the offshore unit is less than or equal to the at least one value.

Abstract: An automated pipe tripping apparatus includes an outer frame and an inner frame. The inner frame includes a tripping slips and iron roughneck. The automated pipe tripping apparatus may, in concert with an elevator and drawworks, trip in a tubular string in a continuous motion. The tripping slips and iron roughneck, along with the inner frame, may travel vertically within the outer frame. The weight of the tubular string is transferred between the tripping slips and the elevator. The iron roughneck may make up or break out threaded connections between tubular segments, the upper tubular segment supported by the elevator and the lower by the tripping slips. An automated pipe handling apparatus may remove or supply sections of pipe from or to the elevator. A control system may control both the automated pipe tripping apparatus and the elevator and drawworks.

Abstract: Techniques and systems to reduce contact of a cable with a top drive. A cable guide may be mounted to one or more bails supporting the top drive and may operate to extend a distance between a cable passing along a length of the top drive. The cable guide may include both an upper guide assembly and a lower guide assembly. Each of the upper guide assembly and the lower guide assembly may both be coupled to one or more bails supporting the top drive in a serial manner.

Abstract: Techniques and systems to reduce deflection of a riser extending from offshore platform. The riser may be coupled to a seafloor and may experience movements due to, for example, currents. A riser restraint device may be utilized to reduce these movements of the riser. This riser restraint device may be coupled to the seafloor. This coupling of the riser restraint device may aid in allowing the riser restraint device to reduce movement of the riser and, thus, reduce deflection of the riser.

Abstract: Techniques and systems to monitor a blowout preventer. A device may include a protrusion sized to extend though an aperture of a blowout preventer. The device may also include a sensor disposed on a first end of the protrusion, wherein the sensor is configured to sense at least one condition occurring in a central bore of the blowout preventer disposed perpendicular to the aperture and generate a signal indicative of the sensed condition. The device may further include an electrical connector configured to receive the signal and transmit the signal from the device.

Abstract: Techniques and systems to reduce deflection of a riser extending from an offshore platform. A device may include a main tube disposed along a length of the device. The device may also include a support member that may be coupled to the main tube, wherein the support member may surround the main tube. The device may include a buoyancy assembly that may at least partially surround the main tube, wherein the buoyancy assembly may have an elongated non-circular and non-cylindrical shape. The buoyancy assembly may also include buoyancy foam.

Abstract: A geolocation system includes an originator device configured to transmit a first wireless signal to a transponder device. The transponder device is configured to transmit a second wireless signal to the originator device. The system includes at least one observer device configured to receive the first wireless signal from the originator device and receive the second wireless signal from the transponder device. The system also includes a first processor configured to calculate a transactional difference range at the at least one observer device based on the first wireless signal received at the observer device and the second wireless signal received at the observer device. A corrected transactional difference range value may be calculated by subtracting a time-of-flight of the first wireless signal from the originator device to the transponder device from the transactional difference range. A method of performing geolocation using a transactional difference range is also disclosed.