Patent classifications
E21B3/022
Modular top drive system
A modular top drive system for construction of a wellbore includes a motor unit. The motor unit includes: a drive body; a drive motor having a stator connected to the drive body; a trolley for connecting the drive body to a rail of a drilling rig; and a drive ring torsionally connected to a rotor of the drive motor and having a latch profile for selectively connecting one of: a drilling unit, a casing unit, and a cementing unit to the motor unit.
Drilling System and Method
Disclosed is a drilling system and a method for drilling a well. The drilling system includes a coilable drill string; a first reel for storing the coilable drill string; a drive means for driving the coilable drill string into the well from the first reel and out of the well to the first reel; and a deflection means for directing the coilable drill string between the first reel and into the well centre. The drilling system further includes a top drive. The coilable drill string is provided with: a first connection at a first end for connecting the coilable drill string to a bottom-hole-assembly and a second connection at a second end for connecting the coilable drill string to the top drive.
Apparatus and methods for improving contact stress distribution within collet-type mechanisms
A collet-type mechanism for releasably gripping either an external or internal target surface of a tubular workpiece includes a collet receiver defining a collet receiver contact surface configured as a curved lateral surface of a truncated right circular cone, and a segmented collet assembly comprising a plurality of collet segments. Each collet segment defines a workpiece engagement surface configured for gripping engagement with a workpiece target surface, and a collet segment contact surface configured for at least partial contacting engagement with the collet receiver contact surface. The collet segment contact surface may comprise two axially-contiguous regions, one of which corresponds to a curved lateral surface of either an oblique circular cylinder or a right circular cylinder, and the other of which corresponds to a curved lateral surface of a truncated right circular cone.
Safe drill floor access
Systems and methods for safe drill floor access. An example method includes commencing operation of a processing device to operate a system for maintaining safety of a human worker in a restricted area of a drill floor during drilling operations. The processing device may receive a presence detection signal and output a first stop control command to the equipment to cause the equipment to stop operating. The processing device may receive an entry request signal, output an entry request indicator via an output device to a human driller within a drill rig control center, receive an entry grant input from the human driller granting entry to the human worker to enter the restricted area, and output a second stop control command to the equipment located in the restricted area to cause the equipment to stop operating in response to the received entry grant input.
Compensated top drive unit and elevator links
A top drive unit including a top drive housing, a drive stem disposed in the top drive housing, a carrier configured to axially move the drive stem relative to the top drive housing, and a drive mechanism for rotating the drive stem.
Tubular handling apparatus
A tubular handling assembly includes a mandrel; a plurality of gripping elements for gripping a tubular, the plurality of gripping elements coupled to and rotatable with the mandrel; one or more accumulators; a first actuator configured to supply fluid to the one or more accumulators; and a second actuator configured to receive fluid from at least one of the one or more accumulators and to actuate the plurality of gripping elements.
Drilling machine provided with an electrically-braked moving device for the drilling string
Drilling machine (1) comprising: a supporting structure (3); a drilling string (12); a drilling head (11); a flexible tensile element (17); a moving device (21), mechanically connected to the supporting structure (3) and mechanically associated with the flexible tensile element (17) to hold and move the drilling string (12); at least one first electric motor (22) configured to, in a first operating mode, actuate the moving device (21) so as to lift the drilling string (12), and configured to, in a second operating mode, apply a braking mechanical power on the moving device (21) so as to brake in a controlled manner the lowering of the drilling string (12) to reach and maintain a desired controlled lowering speed (Vd), the at least one first electric motor (22) being also configured to produce an electric power (Pmot); a first bidirectional electric power converter device (23) configured to convert the electric power produced (Pmot) into converted electric power (Pregen); an electric energy transmission network (24) arranged to transmit the converted electric power (Pregen); an electric power use unit (25) arranged to receive said converted electric power (Pregen), the electric power use unit (25) comprising at least one first electric energy storage system (40) and a prime motor (50) configured to generate electric power; a control group (7) configured to send at least one first electric control signal representative of the value of the desired controlled lowering speed (Vd); a control system (60) configured to generate second electric control signals based on such a first electric control signal and send the second electric control signals to the first bidirectional electric power converter device (23) which is configured to control the operation of the first electric motor (22) based on said second electric control signals received from the control system (60), so that the drilling string (12) carries out the lowering at the desired controlled lowering speed (Vd), the control system (60) being of the distributed and real-time type.
Wellbore friction depth sounding by oscillating a drill string or casing
Systems and methods determine friction in a borehole during drilling operations. A drilling system applies oscillatory angular movement at the top of a drill string in a wellbore during drilling by the drilling system, and measures a torque applied to the drill string and an angular position of the drill string. Based on the measured torque and the measured angular position, the drilling system computes a friction between the borehole and the drill string. This can be repeated during drilling of the wellbore to determine multiple friction values, corresponding to various depths of the borehole. Based on the computed friction, the drilling system can perform one or more actions resulting in modified drilling operation. The systems and methods also include oscillating a casing in the borehole, measuring the torque and angular position of the casing, and determining a friction value, which can be repeated to develop a wellbore friction profile.
SENSOR SUB CONFIGURATION
A system for measuring drilling and completion operational parameters in a tubular handling system is provided. The system includes a sensor sub connected below a top drive of the tubular handling system; one or more sensors within the sensor sub, for measuring, in the form of electrical signals, operational parameters; one or more low-power integrated circuits within the sensor sub, for receiving electrical signals from the sensors and digitizing the signals; two or more radio frequency (RF) transmitters located in the sensor sub, for transmitting the digitized signals; one or more commercially available lithium batteries within the sensor sub and remote receiver hub located remote from the tubular handling system and including a remote antenna for receiving the digitized signals from the two or more RF transmitters; one or more processing units for processing received digitized signals into engineering units for each of the operational parameters; and an input/output data connection for communicating operational parameters to an operator.
DIGGING APPARATUS WITH SAFETY MECHANISM
Provided herein is an electric powered digging apparatus comprising: a powerhead, the power head comprises a motor and a gearbox; a handle frame, the powerhead is mounted onto the handle frame; and a drill bit, the drill bit is driven by the motor to rotate around a longitudinal axis, the electric power digging apparatus further comprises: a first safety mechanism, wherein the first safety mechanism reduces torque output to the drill bit when the powerhead spins around the longitudinal axis for an angle larger than a first threshold, and a second safety mechanism, wherein the second safety mechanism reduces torque output to the drill bit when the powerhead spins around the longitudinal drive axis at an angular speed larger than a second threshold