PORTABLE DRILLING MAST STRUCTURE
A portable drilling mast structure comprising a lower drilling mast having a lower end pivotally coupled to a base. A hinge is coupled to an upper end of the lower drilling mast and a lower end of an upper drilling mast. The drilling mast structure has a first position wherein the lower drilling mast is parallel to the base and the upper drilling mast is disposed between the lower drilling mast and the base. The drilling mast structure has a second position wherein the lower drilling mast is perpendicular to the base and the upper drilling mast is aligned with the lower drilling mast.
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This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/707,351, filed on Aug. 11, 2005 and titled “Portable Mast Structure,” which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTNot Applicable.
BACKGROUNDThe present invention relates generally to mast structures used in drilling wells. More particularly, the present invention relates to portable mast structures used for drilling wells.
In land-based drilling operations it is often desirable to be able to transport a drilling rig to a site where the drilling operations will take place and then be able to move the rig to the next site once operations are complete. Drilling rigs comprises a plurality of systems that all must be interconnected and assembled to support drilling activities The process of disassembling, transporting, and reassembling a drilling rig is complex and time consuming.
The components and systems that make up a drilling rig are generally transported on trailers between drilling sites. Once on site, the components have to be unloaded and assembled. Drilling can not commence until the entire rig is unloaded and assembled. In many instances, the operators of the drilling rigs only collect rental fees when the rigs are involved in drilling operations Therefore, the time and expenses involved in transporting and assembling a drilling rig are preferably minimized. In many cases, auxiliary equipment, such as a crane and/or forklift, is required to assemble the drilling rig This auxiliary equipment must also be transported between drilling sites, further adding to the complexity and cost of moving a rig.
Thus, there remains a need in the art for systems and methods for transporting and assembling portable drilling rigs, which overcome some of the foregoing difficulties while providing more advantageous overall results.
SUMMARY OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTSEmbodiments of the present invention include a portable drilling mast structure comprising a lower drilling mast having a lower end pivotally coupled to a base. A hinge is coupled to an upper end of the lower drilling mast and a lower end of an upper drilling masts The drilling mast structure has a first position wherein the lower drilling mast is parallel to the base and the upper drilling mast is disposed between the lower drilling mast and the base. The drilling mast structure has a second position wherein the lower drilling mast is perpendicular to the base and the upper drilling mast is aligned with the lower drilling mast.
Thus, the embodiments of present invention comprise a combination of features and advantages that enable substantial enhancement of drilling rig transportation and assembly. These and various other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention and by referring to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSFor a more detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Referring now to
Folding drilling mast 200 comprises lower drilling mast 202 and upper drilling mast 204 connected by hinge 206. Lower drilling mast 202 is rotatably coupled to trailer 110 by pivot 208. Main hydraulic cylinder 210 is coupled to trailer 110 and lower drilling mast 202. Support structure 212 couples lower drilling mast 202 to ramp 112 once drilling mast 200 is fully erected. Sheaves 302 are mounted to the top of upper drilling mast 204.
Referring now to
Once at the drilling site, trailer 110 is driven onto ramp 112 and secured in place, as is shown in
Once upper drilling mast 204 is unlatched, hydraulic cylinder 210 is retracted so that lower drilling mast 202 moves back toward a horizontal position. As lower drilling mast 202 rotates, the force of gravity will cause upper drilling mast 204 to rotate about hinge 206. As upper drilling mast 204 rotates, upper cylinder 216 and pivot aim 218 engage the upper drilling mast. As lower drilling mast 202 is lowered upper drilling mast 204 will contact upper surfaces 114 and 344. Pivot arm 21 8 acts to control the rate at which upper drilling mast 204 rotates and makes sure the upper drilling mast rotates past vertical as it contacts upper surfaces 114 and 344.
As lower drilling mast 202 moves toward horizontal, upper drilling mast 204 slides along upper surfaces 114 and 344 until both the upper and lower drilling masts are aligned and in a substantially horizontal position, as shown in
Folding drilling mast 200 is collapsed for storage and transport by essentially reversing the installation procedure described above. Support structure 212 is removed and hydraulic cylinder 210 is retracted to lower folding drilling mast 200 to the horizontal position of
As lower drilling mast 202 reaches vertical, as shown in
Referring now to
While preferred embodiments of this invention have been shown and described, modifications thereof can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or teaching of this invention. The embodiments described herein are exemplary only and are not limiting. Many variations and modifications of the system and apparatus are possible and are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of protection is not limited to the embodiments described herein, but is only limited by the claims that follow, the scope of which shall include all equivalents of the subject matter of the claims.
Claims
1. A portable drilling mast structure comprising:
- a lower drilling mast having a lower end pivotally coupled to a base;
- a hinge coupled to an upper end of said lower drilling mast; and
- an upper drilling mast having a lower end coupled to said hinge, wherein the drilling mast structure has a first position wherein said lower drilling mast is parallel to the base and said upper drilling mast is disposed between said lower drilling mast and said base, and a second position wherein said lower drilling mast is perpendicular to said base and said upper drilling mast is aligned with said lower drilling mast.
2. The portable drilling mast structure of claim 1 further comprising a latch that fixably couples said upper drilling mast to said lower drilling mast when the drilling mast structure is in the first position.
3. The portable drilling mast system of claim 1 further comprising a hydraulic cylinder coupled between said lower drilling mast and the base, wherein extension of said hydraulic cylinder pivots said lower drilling mast relative to the base.
4. The portable drilling mast system of claim 3 wherein said base is a portable trailer.
5. The portable drilling mast system of claim 4 further comprising a hydraulic power unit mounted on the trailer, wherein said hydraulic power unit provides pressurized hydraulic fluid to said hydraulic cylinder.
6. The portable drilling mast system of claim 1 further comprising:
- a drawworks coupled to the base;
- a sheave mounted to the upper end of said upper drilling mast; and
- a cable extending from said drawworks and over said sheave.
7. The portable drilling mast system of claim 6 further comprising a top drive coupled to said cable.
8. The portable drilling mast system of claim 6 further comprising an iron roughneck disposed within said lower drilling mast.
9. The portable drilling mast system of claim 1 further comprising a support structure coupled to said lower drilling mast and the base when said lower drilling mast is perpendicular to the base.
10. A portable drilling rig comprising:
- a base;
- a folding drilling mast comprising a lower drilling mast pivotally coupled to said base and an upper drilling mast coupled to the lower drilling mast by a hinge, wherein the folding drilling mast has a first position wherein said lower drilling mast is parallel to the base and said upper drilling mast is disposed between said lower drilling mast and said base, and a second position wherein said lower drilling mast is perpendicular to said base and said upper drilling mast is aligned with said lower drilling mast;
- a drawworks coupled to the base;
- a sheave mounted to the upper end of said upper drilling mast;
- a cable extending from said drawworks and over said sheave; and
- a top drive disposed within said folding drilling mast and coupled to said cable.
11. The portable drilling rig of claim 10 further comprising a latch that fixably couples said upper drilling mast to said lower drilling mast when the drilling mast structure is in the first position.
12. The portable drilling rig of claim 10 further comprising a hydraulic cylinder coupled between said lower drilling mast and the base, wherein extension of said hydraulic cylinder pivots said lower drilling mast relative to the base.
13. The portable drilling rig of claim 12 wherein said base is a portable trailer.
14. The portable drilling rig of claim 13 further comprising a hydraulic power unit mounted on the trailer, wherein said hydraulic power unit provides pressurized hydraulic fluid to said hydraulic cylinder.
15. The portable drilling rig of claim 10 further comprising an iron roughneck disposed within said lower drilling mast.
16. The portable drilling rig of claim 10 further comprising a support structure coupled to said lower drilling mast and the base when said lower drilling mast is perpendicular to the base.
17. A method for erecting a drilling mast comprising:
- pivotally coupling a lower drilling mast to a base, wherein an upper drilling mast is coupled to the lower drilling mast by a hinge, wherein the lower drilling mast is parallel to the base and the upper drilling mast is disposed between the lower drilling mast and the base;
- connecting the upper drilling mast to the lower drilling mast so as to prevent rotation about the hinge
- pivoting the upper drilling mast and the lower drilling mast to an elevated position;
- disconnecting the upper drilling mast from the lower drilling mast so as to allow rotation about the hinge;
- pivoting the lower drilling mast toward horizontal such the upper drilling mast rotates about the hinge until the upper drilling mast is aligned with the lower drilling mast in a horizontal position;
- connecting the upper drilling mast to the lower drilling mast so as to prevent rotation about the hinge; and
- pivoting the aligned upper and lower drilling masts to a vertical position.
18. The method of claim 17 further comprising fixably coupling the lower drilling mast to the base once the aligned upper and lower drilling masts are in the vertical position.
19. The method of claim 17 wherein the upper and lower drilling masts are pivoted relative to the base by a hydraulic cylinder coupled to the base and the lower drilling mast.
20. The method of claim 17 wherein a latch fixably couples the upper drilling mast to the lower drilling mast so as to prevent rotation about the hinge.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 9, 2006
Publication Date: Apr 5, 2007
Applicant: NATIONAL-OILWELL, L.P. (Houston, TX)
Inventor: Jaroslav Belik (Pearland, TX)
Application Number: 11/463,333
International Classification: E04H 12/00 (20060101);