Modular coiled tubing and sectional pipe drilling rig
A drilling rig for use in both coiled tubing injection and rigid threaded pipe operations, and consisting of a number of separably transportable modules which are assembled on site for carrying out the operations. Included in the modules are a substructure component, a mast component and an injector component. In setting up for operation, the mast component is combined on site with the substructure component which supports the assembled rig over the borehole. The mast component in location provides a loading area to support the injector component in a position for ready loading of an injector included in the injector component into the mast when required for a coiled tubing operation.
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This application claims the benefit of convention priority on Canadian Patent Application No. 2,595,666, filed Jul. 25, 2007, entitled Modular Coiled Tubing and Sectional Pipe Drilling Rig.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates to a drilling rig of the type used in drilling and servicing boreholes, and more particularly, to one formed of separate units or modules, capable of being readily transported and then assembled for use with coiled tubing or threaded pipe sections.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe use of the coiled tubing technique in forming and servicing well boreholes has gained wide spread acceptance in the last decade due to the convenience and speed of using a continuous length of tubing from a reel as opposed to the amount of labour and time required in using the conventional method of joining and disassembling of sections of lengths of threaded pipe. Initially, it was a common practice to mount a reel of the coiled tubing on a transport deck also carrying a mast or boom supporting an injector which is supported over the well head, although prior art exists wherein the injector was supported separate from the reel carrier. In any event, the coiled tubing process has limitations under certain drilling conditions, and as a result various equipment and techniques have developed to enable the switching back and forth between the two different processes in the drilling and servicing of a single well. Various techniques have developed for combining into a single well operation the necessary components to allow quick and effective changes between the two processes, and this together with the increased tubular size has resulted in the need to transport extremely heavy equipment to and from the drilling site. Even with the provision of the necessary equipment for providing both types of operations at the site at the same time, much of the equipment design which followed utilizes a single transport unit. Not only does the weight and size result in complicated moving from one drill site to another in the oil field, but the weight regulations on public roadways set strict restrictions in size and weight as to what can be taken to or removed from the oil field. It had become known, that there is added convenience in providing at least the reel of coiled tubing on a separate transport, as shown in applicant's Canadian Patent Application No. 2,529,921, filed, Dec. 13, 2005, Allan J. Pleskie. Nevertheless, again in view of the added size and weight of the overall drilling rig, there has existed a need for providing a more flexible and convenient method of transport and set-up at the drilling site.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIt is an object of the present invention to provide an overall drill rig formed of readily separable units or modules each of which is of a weight and dimension which can be more conveniently moved from site to site each with more reasonable weight and within set requirements, and yet also be readily assembled and disassembled on site.
According to the present invention there is provided a drilling rig of the type for forming and servicing boreholes, and which includes at least three separably transportable modules, including a substructure component, a mast component and an injection component. A first transportable module forming the substructure component includes a framework base structure having a ground engaging lower portion for supporting the rig. The framework base includes a well head area with a vertical axis therein adjacent one end of the framework base for alignment with the borehole, and a bed area extending to an opposite end of the framework base. The mast component of the rig includes a base portion and a mast framework having a longitudinal central axis and being pivotally attached to the base portion for movement between a lowered position and a raised operative position. The base portion of the second module is shaped for reception in the bed of the substructure component of the first module so as to position the second modular component for alignment of the mast framework in the raised position with the axis of the well area of the first substructure component. The base portion of the mast component defines an upper support area. The injector component includes an injector carrier and a tubing injector having attachment means for connection to the mast framework, the injector carrier being adapted to be positioned on the upper supporting area of the base portion of the mast component and supporting the injector in a location for connection of the tubing injector to the mast framework when the mast framework is in a loading lowered position so as to allow loading of the tubing injector in relation to the mast.
There maybe further provided a fourth module which includes a transport component for carrying a coiled tube holding reel for placement juxtapose the substructure component and mast component when assembled for supplying to and receiving from the injector component the coiled tubing.
Yet an independent transportable module may be provided which forms a power pack component for positioning juxtapose the second and fourth module for supplying power services thereto.
In the accompanying drawings, which show one preferred embodiment of the invention, by way of example:
Referring first briefly to
In an operatively assembled form in
Referring now to
The mast framework 63 has a telescoping form so that in an extended condition, which is more apparent in
Expandible piston and cylinder type motors 71 (
As shown in the
In
In the vertical position of the mast 33, as shown in
There is shown in
As is apparent in
Secured to the head member 77 of the injector 35 is a gooseneck 81, which is of the type formed by two sections, a base portion 82 which is affixed relative to the head member 77 of the injector 35, and an outer end portion 83 which is hinged to an outer end of the base portion 82 so that the outer end portion 83 can be folded under when it is not in use and thereby occupy less space. When in use, the gooseneck 81 provides a track of a smoothly formed curvature in which the coiled tubing passes when travelling from its storage reel 37 to the injector 35, or in the opposite direction when the tubing is being withdrawn from the well and returned to the reel.
Turning now to
The injector carrier 32 includes a base 85, again in the form of a platform, which provides a skid for this transport component so as to enhance its movement on the ground on its transporter or in placement on the platform or upper surface 59 on the base of the mast component 52. The support mechanism 86 is affixed to the top of the base 85 and has an upper injector engagement member 87 which carries the injector 35 in a completely horizontal position. There is provided, however, between the member 87 and the base 85, a lift means 88 shown in the form of a scissor mechanism, which may be actuated by a screw mechanism, hydraulic cylinder, or the like, to raise the injector 35. The lift means 88 is shown in
Turning now to
Prior to the injector 35 being lifted, the additional module in the form of the transport component 36 carrying the coiled tubing holding reel 37 is positioned in line with the assembled injector component 75 as mounted on platform 56 and shown in
However, returning to the preparation for switching from a threaded tubular operation to a coiled tubing operation, once the outer or free end 93 of the tubing on the reel 37 is in place within the injector 35 which is still positioned on the lift means 88 of the support mechanism 85, the cylinders 71 (
The lock members 72,72 in the base member 76, which are of circular cross section, are positioned when supported by the support mechanism 86 so as to project into circular openings in a frame member 95 at opposite sides of the mast as best indicated in
As the motors 98 remain in a retracted condition as the piston and cylinder motors 71 are activated to commence raising of the mast 33 from its inclined injector loading position, the axis of the injector 35 remains at an angle relative to the central axis of the mast. In order to prevent damaging of the coiled tubing held in the injector, the mast is continued to be elevated towards its vertical working position, with the injector remaining at the above described angle, usually until the mast at least approaches its entirely upright (
When in the position of the injector 35 as illustrated on
In the event the operation on the borehole is complete, the mast is raised again after the removal of the injector and the top drive apparatus 34 is lowered into the lower frame structure 65 prior to the upper frame structure 66 being also lowered into its lowered frame structure 65. The coiled tubing is disconnected and returned to its reel from the parked injector 35 in the manner indicated above at which time the transport component of the coiled tubing reel can be removed from the site. The injector carrier component including the base 85 with the injector 35 supported thereon is removed from the upper surface 59 of the base 53 of the mast component 52, and may be separably transported away from the site. The mast 33 can then be lowered and the appropriate disconnections made for removing the entire mast component 52 from the base component 31 before each are separately removed from the site.
Various modifications to the disclosed embodiment of the invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appending claims.
Claims
1. A drilling rig for forming and servicing a borehole comprising:
- a first transportable module forming a substructure component including a framework base structure having a ground engaging lower portion for supporting said rig,
- said framework base including a well head area with a vertical axis therein adjacent one end of said framework base for alignment with said borehole, and a bed area extending to an opposite end of said framework base;
- a second separably transportable module forming a mast component of said drilling rig,
- said mast component including a base portion and
- a mast framework having a longitudinal central axis and being pivotally attached to said base portion for movement between a lowered position and a raised operative position,
- said base portion of said mast component being shaped for reception in said bed of said substructure component of said first module and positioning said second module component for alignment of said mast framework in the raised position with said axis of said well area of said first substructure component, and
- said base portion of said mast component defining an upper support area; and
- a third separably transportable module forming an injector component,
- said injector component comprising:
- a tubing injector having attachment means for connection to said mast framework, and,
- an injector carrier for positioning on said upper supporting area of said base portion of said mast component and supporting said injector in a location for connection of said tubing injector to said mast framework when said mast framework is in a lowered loading position to thereby allow the loading of said tubing injector into a working relation in said mast.
2. A drilling rig as defined in claim 1, and further comprising a fourth module including a transport component carrying a coiled tube holding reel for placement juxtaposed said substructure component and mast component when assembled for supplying to and receiving from said tubing injector component the coiled tubing.
3. A drilling rig as defined in claim 2, wherein said transport component includes a crane located rearwardly of said reel, said crane having an extendible boom for moving a free end of coiled tubing on said reel to said injector located on said injector carrier.
4. A drilling rig as defined in claim 1, and further comprising a fifth independent transportable module comprising;
- a power pack component for positioning juxtaposed said second and fourth module for supplying power services thereto.
5. A drilling rig as defined in claim 1, wherein said mast framework contains a top drive apparatus for vertical travel within a major length of said mast framework during pipe section drilling.
6. A drilling rig as defined in claim 5, wherein said mast framework is formed of upper and lower sections wherein one of said sections is contained within the other, and further including drive means for raising said upper section to an extended operative position in a telescopic manner.
7. A drilling rig as defined in claim 6, wherein said lower section of said framework is pivotally connected at its lower end to said base portion of said mast component, and
- said mast framework is provided with an open area for reception of said tubing injector when said top drive apparatus is parked above said open area.
8. A drilling rig as defined in claim 7, wherein said tubing injector in a loading situation is horizontally disposed and located at least partially within said open area when said mast framework is in said lowered loading position.
9. A drilling rig as defined in claim 8 wherein said mast framework is extended when in said lowered loading position, whereby a working axis of said injector is angularly disposed relative to said center axis of the mast framework in said lowered loading position.
10. A drilling rig as defined in claim 9, wherein said injector has laterally lock members relatively extendable for engagement with said mast framework for locating said injector in place for raising of said injector with said framework.
11. A drilling rig as defined in claim 10, wherein said lock members hold said injector in an angular disposed position relative to said center axis of said mast framework at least during initially raising of said mast framework to a raised working position.
12. A drilling rig as defined in claim 11 and further comprising motor means for tilting said injector to a working condition within the open area wherein said working axis of said injector is aligned with said axis of said mast framework in its raised working position, said motor means being actuable to the return of said injector to said tilting position during return of said mast framework to its loading position.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 21, 2007
Publication Date: Jan 29, 2009
Applicant: Foremost Industries Ltd. (Calgary)
Inventors: Gary R. Callander (Calgary), Allan J. Pleskie (Chestermere), Voytek Niemczewski (Calgary)
Application Number: 11/984,793
International Classification: E21B 19/08 (20060101);