RAMP TRAILER FOR OIL FIELD TUBULARS

REMORQUE A RAMPE POUR MATERIEL TUBULAIRE DE CHAMPS DE PETROLE

English Abstract

The trailer is operative to carry tubulars (drill collars or drill pipe) to a service rig and raise them to the level of the rig floor so that the rig elevators can latch onto them and stand them up in the derrick. The trailer has a roller-equipped carriage operative to move along tracks supported by and extending lengthwise of the trailer frame. An elongate flat bed is pivotally mounted at its front end to the trailer frame. The bed's rear end can be raised by a scissor hoist connected between the carriage and the rear end of the bed. The bed has grooves extending lengthwise thereof in which the tubulars sit. Thus the trailer can be backed up to within a few feet from the well. The rear end of the bed can be raised and the carriage and bed can be advanced rearwardly to bring the rear ends of the tubulars within reach of the rig elevators.

French Abstract

Remorque opérationnelle pour transporter des éléments tubulaires (colliers de forage ou tige de forage) vers une plateforme d'entretien et les élever au niveau de la plateforme de sorte que les élévateurs de plateforme puissent se verrouiller sur eux et les dresser verticalement dans la tour de forage. La remorque possède un chariot équipé de rouleaux opérationnels, pour se déplacer sur des chenilles et s'étendant dans le sens de la longueur du châssis de remorque. Un banc plat allongé est monté de manière pivotante au niveau de son extrémité avant sur le châssis de remorque. L'extrémité arrière du banc peut être élevée par un élévateur à ciseaux raccordé entre le chariot et l'extrémité arrière du banc. Le banc présente des rainures s'étendant dans le sens de sa longueur dans lesquelles reposent les éléments tubulaires. Ainsi, la remorque peut être immobilisée à quelques mètres du puits. L'extrémité arrière du banc peut être élevée et le chariot et le banc peuvent être avancés vers l'arrière pour amener les extrémités arrière des éléments tubulaires à portée des élévateurs de plateforme.

Claims

9
THE EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. Apparatus for positioning oilfield drill collars at the floor of a
service rig having elevators and located over a wellhead at a well site,
comprising:
a wheeled vehicle having a horizontal frame supporting a pair of
parallel, laterally spaced-apart tracks extending lengthwise of the frame, the
vehicle having front and rear ends;
a horizontal carriage having front and rear rollers supported by the
tracks, said carriage being operative to roll along the tracks;
means, connected between the frame and the carriage, for advancing
and retracting the carriage along the tracks;
a flat bed carried by the carriage;
means for pivotally connecting and securing the front end of the bed
with the front end of the carriage, whereby the front end of the bed is hinged
to the carriage and the rear end of the bed is free to be raised;
means, connected between the carriage and the bed, for raising the
rear end of the bed;
the bed having means, on its upper surface, for supporting, retaining
and guiding a plurality of drill collars.

10
2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
the upper surface of the bed forms parallel grooves and corrugations
extending longitudinally of the bed for retaining and guiding drill collars
seated
therein.
3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein:
the means for advancing and retracting the carriage comprises a first
hydraulic cylinder;
the means for raising the rear end of the bed comprises a hydraulic
cylinder scissors hoist; and
the apparatus further comprises:
a cradle carried by the frame and rotatably mounted for rotation about
a vertical axis;
a top drive carried by the cradle; and
a hydraulic motor assembly, carried by the frame, for actuating the first
hydraulic cylinder, the hydraulic cylinder scissor hoist and the top drive.

11
4. Apparatus for supplying a service rig with drilling components,
comprising:
a wheeled trailer having a horizontal frame supporting track means
extending lengthwise of the frame, the vehicle having front and rear ends;
a carriage having front and rear rollers supported by the track means,
operative to roll along the track means;
hydraulic cylinder means, connected between the frame and the
carriage, for advancing and retracting the carriage along the track means;
a flat bed carried by the carriage;
means for pivotally connecting and securing the front end of the bed
with the front end of the carriage, so that the front end of the bed is hinged
to
the carriage and the rear end of the bed is free to be raised;
a hydraulic cylinder scissor hoist, pivotally connected between the
carriage and the bed, for raising the rear end of the bed;
the bed having means forming lengthwise grooves and corrugations on
its upper surface for supporting, retaining and guiding a plurality of drill
collars;
a rotatable cradle carried by the frame;
a top drive carried by the cradle; and
a hydraulic motor assembly, carried by the frame, for actuating the
hydraulic cylinder means, the hydraulic cylinder scissor hoist and the top
drive.

Description

CA 02306061 2003-04-22
1 FIELD OF THE INVENTION
2 The present invention relates to apparatus for positioning drilling
3 tubulars (drill collars or drill pipe) at the edge of the floor of a service
rig within
4 reach of the rig elevators, so that the elevators can be used to raise the
tubulars into a vertical position in the derrick.
6
7 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
8 Historically, service rigs have not been normally used in a drilling
9 mode. They are not designed or equipped for that purpose. However in
recent years, with the development of top drives, there has been increasing
11 use of service rigs to deepen wells, drill out cement plugs and drill out
bridge
12 plugs. This has meant that the service rig has had to run drill collars and
drill
13 pipe to carry out these new drilling operations.
14 In this connection, difficulties have been encountered in picking up and
laying down the drilling tubulars.
16 For example, in the specific case of drill collars (which are heavy, thick-
17 walled joints of steel pipe), they are typically trucked from a storage
yard to
18 the well site and are deposited on timbers laid on the ground. The service
rig
19 usually does not have a catwalk and inclined ramp. Therefore, to stand the
drill collar up in the service rig derrick, it is necessary for the crew to
attach a
21 winch line from the crown of the derrick to the front end of the collar and
22 attempt to manually control the rear end of the collar as the line pulls
the front
23 end of the collar up and toward the rig floor, while seeking to avoid
having the
24 front end snag the edge of the hinged floor. This operation from time to
time
{E3040038.DOC;1 }1

CA 02306061 2003-04-22
1 leads to damaging the floor or collar threads when the collar snags the
floor or
2 alternatively hurting members of the crew as they try to muscle the heavy
3 collar into the proper position. Similar problems occur when the service rig
4 lays down drill collars.
With this background in mind, it is the objective of the present invention
6 to provide apparatus which can be used to bring drilling tubulars to the
well
7 site, position the front ends of the tubulars at the edge of the service
rig's
8 elevated floor, within reach of the elevators, and provide an inclined ramp
9 along which the rear end of the tubular being stood up can be dragged up to
floor level.
11
12 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
13 In accordance with the present invention, a wheeled vehicle, preferably
14 a trailer, is provided having the following components:
~ a horizontal frame supporting a pair of parallel, laterally spaced-
16 apart tracks extending lengthwise of the trailer;
17 ~ a horizontal carriage having front and rear wheels supported by the
18 tracks, said carriage being operative to roll along the tracks;
19 ~ means, such as a double-acting hydraulic cylinder, connected
between the frame and the carriage, for advancing and retracting
21 the carriage along the tracks;
22 ~ an elongate flat bed carried by the carriage, the bed being pivotally
23 connected to the front end of the carriage at the bed's front end,
24 with the bed's rear end left free to be raised; and
{E3040038. DOC;1 }2

CA 02306061 2003-04-22
1 ~ means, such as a hydraulic cylinder-powered scissor hoist,
2 connected between the carriage and bed, for raising the rear end of
3 the bed;
4 ~ the bed preferably having means, such as a top wall forming a
series of parallel grooves extending lengthwise of the bed, for
6 supporting, restraining (from lateral movement) and guiding tubulars
7 positioned thereon;
8 ~ whereby the tubulars may be conveyed on the trailer-mounted bed
9 to the well site, the trailer may be positioned with its rear end
positioned close to but spaced laterally from the wellhead (so as not
11 to impede access to the blow-out preventer), the rear end of the
12 bed may be raised and the carriage and bed may be advanced
13 rearwardly to bring the rear ends of the tubulars to a position
14 adjacent the edge of the rig floor, where they may be latched onto
by the rig elevators.
16 Preferably, a cradle for holding a top drive is supported by the frame at
17 its rear end. The cradle preferably can turn about a vertical axis. A top
drive
18 is seated on the cradle. A winch assembly is supported by the frame,
19 forwardly of the cradle. The cradle and top drive can therefore be
accurately
aligned with the rig and the cable of the winch assembly can be used to
21 restrain and control the top drive as the rig's winch cable lifts and
carries it up
22 into the rig derrick. Similarly the cable of the winch assembly can be used
to
23 pull the top drive from the rig and to the cradle.
{E3040038. DOC;1 }3

CA 02306061 2003-04-22
1 In addition, the trailer frame preferably supports a hydraulic motor
2 assembly for supplying pressurized fluid through hoses to the cylinders and
3 the top drive, to operate them.
4 The invention is characterized by the following advantages:
~ the time required to stand a set of six collars up in the derrick can
6 be reduced by as much as 50% as compared to the prior art
7 manual/winch line system previously described;
8 ~ the rig crew do not need to as extensively manually adjust and
9 control the collars as they are being picked up or laid down, with
consequent reduction in likelihood of injury;
11 ~ the bed can bring the drill collars (with attached pick-up subs) to the
12 edge of the service rig floor, where the rig elevators can be latched
13 onto them so that the rig hoisting equipment can be used to stand
14 the collars up; and
~ the trailer carries a top drive and a hydraulic motor assembly,
16 whereby drilling tubulars and rotary drive means (the top drive) may
17 be brought in one package to supply the service rig with drilling
18 capability.
{E3040038. DOC;1 }4

CA 02306061 2003-04-22
1 DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
2 Figure 1 is a perspective view of the trailer with the bed in the upraised
3 position;
4 Figure 2 is a side view of the trailer, with parts removed, showing the
bed in the rearmost position and upraised over the rig floor, with a drill
collar
6 being lifted;
7 Figure 3 is a side elevation of the trailer;
8 Figure 4 is a plan view of the trailer;
9 Figure 5 is a perspective view of the trailer frame;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of the carriage;
11 Figure 7 is a perspective view of the bed;
12 Figure 8 is a perspective view of the scissor hoist;
13 Figure 9 is a side view of the scissor hoist;
14 Figure 10 is a side view of the trailer frame, carriage, carriage cylinder,
bed and scissor hoist shown in the flat position;
16 Figure 11 is a side view similar to Figure 10, showing the bed raised;
17 Figure 12 is a side view similar to Figure 11, with the bed advanced to
18 the rearmost position;
19 Figure 13 is an end view of the bed, carriage and trailer frame;
Figure 14 is an end view of the trailer frame;
21 Figure 15 is an end view of the bed; and
22 Figure 16 is an end view of the carriage.
{E3040038.DOC;1 y5

CA 02306061 2003-04-22
1 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
2 As shown in Figure 1, a trailer 1 is provided to support and convey a
3 bed 2. The trailer 1 has a U-shaped frame 3 forming a central rectangular
4 opening 4 extending lengthwise of the frame 3 from its rear end. The frame 3
comprises a pair of parallel I-beams 5 extending along the side edges of the
6 opening 4. Each I-beam 5 has an inwardly projecting square tubing member
7 6 welded to its web to provide a track 7. In summary, there is provided a
8 trailer 1 having a frame 3 supporting a pair of parallel tracks 7 extending
9 lengthwise of the frame.
A rectangular carriage 10 is provided to fit in the opening 4 and run on
11 the tracks 7. The carriage 10 has side rails 11 connected by cross rails
12.
12 Roller holders 13 are secured to the cross rails 12.. Rollers 14 extend
from
13 the holders 13 for running on the tracks 7. The carriage 10 may therefore
roll
14 back and forth on the tracks 7.
A double acting hydraulic cylinder 20 is pivotally connected to the
16 frame 3 and the carriage 10 by pins 21 and support members 22 at
17 connection points 23, 24. The cylinder 20 provides means operative to
18 advance and retract the carriage 10 along the tracks 7.
19 A rectangular bed 2 is pivotally connected adjacent its front end 31 to
the front end of the carriage 10 by pivot pins 32 and support members 33.
21 The rear end 34 of the bed 30 is free to be raised. The bed 30 comprises a
22 sub-frame carrying a top wall 36. The top wall 36 is grooved lengthwise to
23 form grooves 37 and corrugations 38 operative to support, restrain and
guide
24 drill collars 39 positioned therein.
(E3040038.DOC;1 }6

CA 02306061 2003-04-22
1 A conventional scissor hoist 40 is pivotally connected by sleeves 41, 42
2 and cross-rods 43, 44 with the carriage 10 and rear end of the bed sub-frame
3 35. The hoist 40 comprises frames 45, 46 hinged together by pin 47.
4 Hydraulic cylinders 48 are pivotally connected to the frames 45, 46 by pins
49,
50 and function to unfold the hoist the raise the rear end of the bed 30.
6 Broadly stated, the scissor hoist 40 provides means, connected between the
7 carriage 10 and bed 2, for raising the rear end 34 of the bed.
8 A hydraulic motor assembly 60 is provided on the trailer 1 for actuating
9 cylinders 20, 48 as required through suitable hoses (not shown) as well as
the
top drive 73 through hose 75.
11 From the foregoing it will be understood that the bed 2 of a trailer 1 can
12 be loaded at a storage site with drill collars 39 and trucked to a well
site. The
13 rear end of the trailer 1 can be backed to within several feet of the well
70 and
14 close to the edge 61 of the floor 62 of a service rig 63. The scissor hoist
40
can then be actuated to raise the rear end 34 of the bed 2 above the level of
16 the rig floor. The cylinder 20 can then be actuated to advance the carriage
10
17 and inclined bed 2 rearwardly until the drill collars 39 are positioned
within
18 reach of the rig elevators 64. Pick-up subs 65 are threaded into the raised
19 ends of the drill collars. The elevators 64 are then latched onto one of
the
pick-up subs 65 and the rig hoisting assembly 66 is used to drag the attached
21 collar 39 to an upright position above the floor 62. The groove
corrugations
22 38 function to guide the lower end of the drill collar 39 as it is pulled
along the
23 bed 2.
{E3040038. DOC;1 }7

CA 02306061 2003-04-22
1 In a preferred feature, a cradle 71 is mounted on a rotatable turntable
2 72 supported by the trailer frame 3, for supporting a top drive 73. The
cradle
3 71 can be turned to align the top drive 73 with a lifting winch cable from
the
4 rig, thereby making it easier to lift the top drive out of the cradle. A
winch 74
is provided on the trailer 1 in front of the turntable 72. The cable of the
winch
6 74 can be used to restrain and control the top drive 73 as the rig winch
cable
7 pulls it and raises it to the rig. Alternatively the cable of the winch 74
can be
8 used to pull the top drive 73 toward the cradle 71 when the rig hoisting
cable
9 is carrying the top drive to return it to the trailer.
{E3040038.DOC;1}8

Representative Drawing