Abstract: Moulding a composite pipe of fibre reinforcement material and a thermosetting resin that shrinks upon curing includes wrapping fibre reinforcement material about the tubular resilient sleeve of a mandrel in a non-expanded state of the sleeve. The mandrel includes an internal support structure for the sleeve which is reversibly expandable in diameter between the non-expanded state. The sleeve is internally supported by the internal support structure and an expanded state by application of an internal pressure to the sleeve. The mandrel with the fibre reinforcement material wrapped about the sleeve is accommodated in a bore of a mould. Seal members provide a closed annulus that can be evacuated. A thermosetting resin that shrinks upon curing is introduced into the closed annulus. A pressurizing fluid is supplied to the mandrel to internally pressurize the sleeve to cause diametrical expansion into the expanded state thereof whilst curing of the thermosetting resin.

Abstract: A riser section includes two filament-reinforced tubulars and a coupling sleeve for connecting the two filament-reinforced tubulars. The coupling sleeve includes a screw thread at opposite ends for cooperating with a screw thread provided on sections of the filament-reinforced tubulars. The riser section includes two torque locks, wherein the torque locks are each mounted on one of the filament-reinforced tubulars, and are on opposite ends of the coupling sleeve. The torque locks are provided with coupling teeth extending in an axial direction. The coupling sleeve is at opposite ends provided with coupling teeth extending in the axial direction.

Abstract: The invention relates to an improved filament-reinforced tubular, and a method for providing such a tubular. A filament-reinforced tubular according to the invention comprises a tubular body (2), the tubular body comprising multiple fibre mats (10) encapsulated in a thermoset material (11), and is at least at one end provided with a male screw thread (3) comprising threading. According to the invention, the threading comprises a core member (12, 16). Furthermore, the threading comprises one or more fibre mats (13) that cover the core member. The one or more fibre mats are pulled between the windings of the core member by a positioning wire (14). The core member, the one or more fibre mats, and the positioning wire, are encapsulated by a, preferably thermoset, cover material (15), which cover material defines the shape of the screw thread.

Abstract: A power tong includes a lower tong and an upper tong, each with multiple grippers distributed around a tubular passage, for gripping a lower tubular and ripping an upper tubular respectively. A torque actuator includes a first hydraulic drive and a second hydraulic drive, for rotating the upper tong relative to the lower tong. The first hydraulic drive and the second hydraulic drive each have a drive shaft that supports a guide wheel for cooperating with a guide track, and a pinion for cooperating with a rack, which guide wheel and pinion are concentrically, mounted on the drive shaft of the hydraulic drive. The hydraulic drives are mounted with the drive shafts parallel to the main axis, and the upper tong or the lower tong comprises a guide track receiving the guide wheel and a rack cooperating with the pinion.

Abstract: The invention relates to an improved filament-reinforced tubular, and a method for providing such a tubular. A filament-reinforced tubular according to the invention comprises a tubular body (2), the tubular body comprising multiple fibre mats (10) encapsulated in a thermoset material (11), and is at least at one end provided with a male screw thread (3) comprising threading. According to the invention, the threading comprises a core member (12, 16). Furthermore, the threading comprises one or more fibre mats (13) that cover the core member. The one or more fibre mats are pulled between the windings of the core member by a positioning wire (14). The core member, the one or more fibre mats, and the positioning wire, are encapsulated by a, preferably thermoset, cover material (15), which cover material defines the shape of the screw thread.

Abstract: A vessel is adapted to perform subsea wellbore related operations, involving a riser string that extends between a subsea wellbore and a vessel and that is assembled from releasably interconnected riser sections that each comprise a main riser pipe and at least one auxiliary pipe. The vessel includes an auxiliary pipe filling device adapted to fill the at least one auxiliary pipe of a riser section during a lowering step of said riser running operation, the auxiliary pipe filling device including a liquid source, e.g. for water, at least one nozzle adapted to dispense water into said auxiliary pipe, a liquid flow line, connecting the liquid source with the nozzle, and a nozzle mount that is adapted to mount the nozzle in a filling position in which the nozzle is positioned to dispense liquid into the at least one auxiliary pipe of the riser section during said lowering step.

Abstract: A power tong includes a lower tong and an upper tong, each with multiple grippers distributed around a tubular passage, for gripping a lower tubular and ripping an upper tubular respectively. A torque actuator includes a first hydraulic drive and a second hydraulic drive, for rotating the upper tong relative to the lower tong. The first hydraulic drive and the second hydraulic drive each have a drive shaft that supports a guide wheel for cooperating with a guide track, and a pinion for cooperating with a rack, which guide wheel and pinion are concentrically, mounted on the drive shaft of the hydraulic drive. The hydraulic drives are mounted with the drive shafts parallel to the main axis, and the upper tong or the lower tong comprises a guide track receiving the guide wheel and a rack cooperating with the pinion.

Abstract: The invention relates to a drilling rig comprising: a tubular stand support tower, tubular stand storage rack, slip device for supporting multiple tubular stands, and a tubular stand connecting device. According to the invention the rig is provided with a tubular stand handling system, adapted to move a tubular stand between the storage rack and a position in the firing line above the tubular string slip device, and adapted to rotatable support the tubular stand in the firing line during spinning in, to allow for connecting the tubular stand with the tubular string, and during spinning out, to allow for disconnecting the tubular stand from the tubular string, the tubular stand handling system comprising. The tubular stand handling system comprises vertical rails and a lower motion arm assembly and an upper motion arm assembly comprising grippers, mounted on said vertical rails. Also provided is a weight compensation control system.

Abstract: A method for drilling a wellbore, wherein use is made of a top drive device including: multiple electric top drive motors each having a rotor, a transmission to which the rotors of the multiple top drive motors are operatively connected, a rotary stem or quill operatively connected to the transmission allowing the rotary stem or quill to be driven by the top drive motors in order to impart rotary torque to a drilling tubulars string connected to the rotary stem or quill of the top drive device, wherein at least one, preferably each, of the top drive motors has an operable clutch device configured to selectively connect and disconnect upon command the rotor relative to the transmission. The method includes providing a command to the one or more top drive motors having a clutch so as to selectively connect and disconnect the rotor thereof relative to the transmission by operating the clutch.

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 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: The invention relates to a drilling rig comprising: a tubular stand support tower, tubular stand storage rack, slip device for supporting multiple tubular stands, and a tubular stand connecting device. According to the invention the rig is provided with a tubular stand handling system, adapted to move a tubular stand between the storage rack and a position in the firing line above the tubular string slip device, and adapted to rotatable support the tubular stand in the firing line during spinning in, to allow for connecting the tubular stand with the tubular string, and during spinning out, to allow for disconnecting the tubular stand from the tubular string, the tubular stand handling system comprising. The tubular stand handling system comprises vertical rails and a lower motion arm assembly and an upper motion arm assembly comprising grippers, mounted on said vertical rails. Also provided is a weight compensation control 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 clamp part. 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 drilling vessel includes 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: 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: A method for removal of a top drive device in a wellbore drilling installation, 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: 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: 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 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: A method for drilling a wellbore, wherein use is made of a top drive device including: multiple electric top drive motors each having a rotor, a transmission to which the rotors of the multiple top drive motors are operatively connected, a rotary stem or quill operatively connected to the transmission allowing the rotary stem or quill to be driven by the top drive motors in order to impart rotary torque to a drilling tubulars string connected to the rotary stem or quill of the top drive device, wherein at least one, preferably each, of the top drive motors has an operable clutch device configured to selectively connect and disconnect upon command the rotor relative to the transmission. The method includes providing a command to the one or more top drive motors having a clutch so as to selectively connect and disconnect the rotor thereof relative to the transmission by operating the clutch.