AU2005100819A4 - Apparatus for use in Transferring an Elongate Object to or from an Oil Rig - Google Patents

Description

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0 en Name of Applicant

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 INNOVATION SPECIFICATION Thor Energy Services Pty Ltd CULLEN CO Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 239 George Street Brisbane Qld 4000 Australia Apparatus for use in Transferring an Elongate Object to or from an Oil Rig Address for Service: Invention Title: This invention is described in the following statement: In 2

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0 Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to the transfer of elongate objects C/O and, in particular, to apparatus for use in transferring such objects.

Although the invention will be described with particular reference to transferring elongate objects to or from an oil rig, it will be appreciated that this is by N way of example only and that the invention is not limited to being used in this 00 manner.

0 I Brief Discussion of the Prior Art 0 O 10 After an oil or gas well is drilled to total depth by a well-drilling rig, lengths of steel pipe called "casing" that are approximately ten metres long and eight inches in diameter are normally screwed together and lowered into the well bore using the rig. The casing is then cemented into the well bore by pumping cement down the bore of the casing followed by a drillable rubber plug. As the plug travels to the bottom of the well, the cement is forced back up to the surface of the well between the outside of the casing and the side wall of the well until the plug reaches the bottom of the well. Once the cement sets, the casing is then permanently bonded to the drilled earth and rock.

After the casing has been inserted into the well and cemented in place, the well-drilling rig is usually removed and replaced with a work-over rig. Work-over rigs tend to be smaller and slower to drill with compared to well-drilling rigs, but are usually more nimble to operate. Also, in contrast to well-drilling rigs, work-over rigs are optimised for the complex and fiddly operations involved in repairing pumps and other production equipment that may be located two or three miles down in a well.

Once the well-drilling rig has been replaced by the work-over rig, winches belonging to the work-over rig are used to lower an explosive tool on a wire-line into the well.

The tool is detonated at a datum level at which oil or gas will enter the bore of the casing.

In many cases a work-over rig is used to lower a pump to the bottom of a well to pump oil in the well to the surface, or to pump water which ingresses into the well to the surface to prevent the water building-up in the well and causing a backpressure which chokes off the flow of oil or gas from the well. The pump is often 3 0 attached to the bottom of, or mounted within, a so-called production string. The production string is usually made up of a series of steel pipes that are approximately ten metres long and two and seven-eighth inches in diameter and that are screwed together on the rig work-floor as each length of pipe is lowered into the well as part of the lengthening string. The pumps are normally operated by a series of screwed- 1 together solid-steel drive rods which extend all the way down the well from an OO actuating motor which is located on the surface.

O In Queensland where wells are typically two and a half thousand metres deep, a pump insertion operation will typically require about two hundred and fifty ten metre lengths of pipe and drive rod to be brought from a store or truck to the well where they can then be loaded by a fork-lift onto a horizontal pipe rack or cat-walk.

From the rack or cat-walk, each pipe or rod is then slid one-by-one towards the floor of the work-over rig so that a floor operator on the rig can grab the pipe or rod with a lifting bail, hoist it up vertically using a rig winch line, and then, before lowering the string to the next joint or pipe length, screw the pipe or rod onto the existing string before lowering it into the well.

If any pipes or rods in the production string are damaged and require repair or replacement, the production string must be withdrawn from the well and disassembled one pipe and rod at a time until the damaged pipes or rods have been removed from the well and the string. Removing a pipe or rod from the string requires the pipe or rod to be unscrewed from the other pipes or rods and then slid out and down the cat-walk until it comes to rest horizontally on the pipe racks mentioned earlier.

The lengths of pipe and solid steel drive rods are heavy and may be slippery from crude oil. Moreover, hundreds of pipes and drive rods may need to be handled in any particular job which requires the insertion or removal of pipes or rods into or from a well. The handling of pipes and rods is heavy work unless automated, and it is also dangerous work if the pipes, rods or rig floor are slippery, or if machinery which is used to automate the handling process is overly complicated and does not work synchronously with the manual operations which may be involved.

Trailer-mounted cat-walk systems exist that raise and push forward to the rig floor operator each length of pipe or rod as it is needed. However, apart from being In 4 0very costly, these prior art systems are complicated and are not particularly safe.

They require their own hydraulic drive engine, and they also require a console CO crewman and the floor operators of the rig to operate them. Also, they do not allow the trailer to have sufficient room to perform other functions such as being a mounting for Blow-Out-Prevention (BOP) equipment including drive motors and other equipment which must be located adjacent to the rig floor. Their design also 00 prevents them from being used to transport heavy equipment such as a fork-lift O between well sites.

~fl It is an object of the present invention to overcome, or at least ameliorate, one or more of the deficiencies of the prior art mentioned above, or to provide the consumer with a useful or commercial choice.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying illustrations, wherein, by way of illustration and example, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed.

Summary of the Invention According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for use in transferring an elongate object to or from an oil rig, the apparatus comprising a support for supporting the object, and an elevating mechanism for at least partially raising or lowering the object relative to the support.

The elevating mechanism of the apparatus reduces or eliminates the need for a person to manually lift or lower an elongate object when transferring the object between the support and the oil rig. Consequently, the risk of injury to persons involved in the transfer of the object is reduced.

The apparatus is preferably able to be transported between sites. For example, the apparatus may be mounted on a trailer or it may be mounted on a flatbed truck. In a particular preferred form, the apparatus is mounted on a step-deck semi-trailer float.

The apparatus may be used to transfer any suitable elongate object to or from the oil rig. For example, the apparatus may be used to transfer a pipe to or from the rig. The pipe may, for example, be a production string pipe or a well casing pipe.

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o The apparatus may be used to transfer a rod such as, for example, a pump drive rod to or from the rig. Other elongate objects which may be transferred to or from the rig C using the apparatus include bottom hole assemblies or heavyweight collars.

The apparatus may be adapted to transfer objects of any suitable size to or from the oil rig. In a preferred form, the apparatus is adapted to transfer elongate objects that are one to twenty metres in length and one to ninety centimetres in 00 diameter to or from the rig. In a particular preferred form, the apparatus is adapted to 0 o transfer lengths of pipe that are approximately ten metres in length and two and seven-eighth inches in diameter to or from the rig.

The apparatus may be adapted to transfer an elongate object to or from any suitable oil rig or other structure. For example, the apparatus may be adapted to transfer an elongate object to or from a drilling rig, a work-over rig, or a maintenance rig. Preferably, the apparatus is adapted to transfer an elongate object to or from a floor of the rig.

The support of the apparatus may be provided by any suitable type of support. Preferably, the support includes a transportable deck. In a particular preferred form, the support includes a lower deck of a step-deck semi-trailer float.

The lower deck may include a walking deck area and a skid tray which is recessed below the walking deck area and which is able to support an elongate object which is being raised or lowered by the elevating mechanism. The recessed skid tray may support cylindrical elongate objects such as pipes and rods such that the objects are inhibited from inadvertently rolling out of the skid tray. Preferably, the skid tray is recessed by approximately three-eighths of an inch below the walking deck area. The skid tray is preferably lined with steel plate so that the tray is able to withstand elongate objects including metal pipes or rods being dragged across or dropped onto it. An end-stop buffer is preferably located adjacent an end of the skid tray to limit the movement of elongate objects along the skid tray.

If the apparatus is transportable, the support is preferably able to support a vehicle such as, for example, a fork-lift so that the vehicle is able to be transported between sites together with the apparatus. This obviates the need to transport the vehicle separately from the apparatus.

A ramp is preferably secured relative to the support of the apparatus such I' 6

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0 that the ramp is able to be pivoted between a raised position and a lowered position which permits a vehicle such as a fork-lift to be driven on to or off the support. Thus,

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C in the case where the support includes a lower deck of a step-deck semi-trailer float, the fork-lift or other vehicle may be driven on to the lower deck so that the vehicle is able to be transported on the float. The ramp is preferably pivoted relative to the 0support by a ram such as, for example, a hydraulic ram.

OO Preferably, the apparatus includes at least one rack located adjacent to the O support so that an elongate object is able to be readily transferred between the rack I and the support. In a particular preferred form, the rack includes a plurality of arms 0 O 10 which are able to be slideably extended and retracted relative to the support, or which are able to be swung out relative to the support. When the arms are extended or swung out, the arms are able to support at least one elongate object, and the object is able to be transferred between the arms and the support. For example, if the elongate object is a cylindrical object such as a cylindrical pipe or rod, the object may be transferred between the arms and the support by rolling the object between the arms and the support. Each arm may be supported by at least one post which may be hinged relative to the arm so that the post is able to be pivoted relative to the post.

The support of the apparatus preferably includes an opening for receiving at least a portion of the elevating mechanism. Preferably, the opening is a rectangular opening.

The apparatus preferably includes a water tank for storing water which may, for example, be used for cleaning the elongate objects that are transferred using the apparatus. The tank is preferably secured to the underside of the support of the apparatus. For example, if the support includes a lower deck of a step-deck semitrailer float, the tank is preferably secured to the underside of the lower deck. The provision of the water tank is advantageous as it enables water to be transported together with the apparatus.

The apparatus preferably includes Blow-Out-Prevention (BOP) equipment which is mounted relative to the support and which is able to be connected to wellhead BOP equipment. If the apparatus includes a step-deck semi-trailer float, BOP equipment is preferably mounted on an upper deck of the float. Preferably, suitable conduit such as pipes or hoses, for example, may be connected to the BOP tt) 7

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0 equipment and may extend beneath the lower deck of the float to the rear thereof so that wellhead BOP equipment may be connected via the conduit to the BOP equipment mounted on the upper deck.

It is preferred that the apparatus includes high pressure water cleaning equipment mounted relative to the support so that the cleaning equipment may be 1 used to clean elongate objects that are transferred using the apparatus. If the OO apparatus includes a step-deck semi-trailer float, the cleaning equipment is preferably o mounted on an upper deck of the float.

I The elevating mechanism may be provided by any mechanism which is 0 O 10 suitable for raising or lowering an elongate object relative to the support of the apparatus. Preferably, the elevating mechanism includes at least one ram which is operable to at least partially raise or lower at least one elongate object relative to the support of the apparatus. The ram may be any suitable type of ram, however it is preferred that the ram is a hydraulic ram. If the ram is hydraulically operated, it is preferred that the ram is able to be connected to hydraulic actuating equipment belonging to an oil rig.

In a particular preferred form, the elevating mechanism includes at least one rotatable roller for supporting at least one elongate object and at least one ram which is able to be extended and retracted with respect to the support such that the roller is thereby respectively raised above and lowered below the support. The provision of the rotatable roller allows the object supported by the raised roller to be moved back and forth along the roller so that the object is thereby able to be moved towards or away from an oil rig which may be located adjacent to the elevating mechanism.

In another particular preferred form, the elevating mechanism includes an arm which is able to be pivoted relative to the support between a raised position and a lowered position, at least one roller for supporting at least one elongate object, and at least one ram which is operable to lower and raise the arm and the roller relative to the support. The roller is preferably able to be locked to prevent it from rotating so that an elongate object supported by the roller is able to be moved back and forth with respect to the support by lowering and raising the arm of the elevating mechanism.

This assists in moving the elongate object towards or away from an oil rig which may be located adjacent to the elevating mechanism.

t- 0 o The apparatus preferably includes a foot-operated pedal or other operatoractuated remote control for controlling the operation of the elevating mechanism.

The apparatus may also include a pushing mechanism for pushing the raised elongate objects towards the oil rig. The pushing mechanism preferably includes an end-stop buffer for limiting the movement of the objects along the support. The end- 0 stop buffer may be moveable towards the elevating mechanism from a rest position 00 such that when the buffer is moved towards the elevating mechanism the elongate 0 o objects which are engaged with the buffer and which rest on the support are moved along the support and towards the elevating mechanism. The end-stop buffer may be actuated by a hydraulic mechanism which is remotely controlled by an operator such as a rig operator such that the elongate objects which rest against the end-stop buffer are pushed towards the rig.

Brief Description of the Illustrations In order that the invention may be more fully understood and put into practice, an embodiment thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying illustrations, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the apparatus depicted in figure 1; Figure 3 is a side elevation of the elevating mechanism of the apparatus depicted in figure 1; Figure 4 is an alternative elevating mechanism which may be incorporated into the apparatus depicted in figure 1; Figure 5 depicts an apparatus according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention positioned adjacent to a work-over rig; Figure 6 depicts the apparatus illustrated in figure 5 being used to raise a length of pipe towards operators on the floor of the work-over rig; Figure 7 depicts a plurality of raised pipes supported by the elevating mechanism of the apparatus illustrated in figure Figure 8 depicts a raised pipe being lifted from the apparatus depicted in figure 5 by a winch of the work-over rig; t9 o Figure 9 depicts Blow-Out-Prevention equipment mounted on the trailer of the apparatus illustrated in figure 5; and C Figure 10 depicts the apparatus according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention being used to raise six lengths of production tubing.

00 Detailed Description of the Illustrations 0 o An apparatus 20 according to a first preferred embodiment of the present n invention is depicted in figures 1 and 2. Apparatus 20 includes a step-deck semi- O 10 trailer float 21 which includes a lower deck 22 located towards the rear of the trailer 21, and an upper deck 23 located towards the front of the trailer 21. The lower deck 22 is supported by a plurality of rotatable wheels 24, and the upper deck 23 is supported by a sub-trailer 25 such that the upper deck 23 is able to pivot relative to the sub-trailer 25. The sub-trailer 25 includes a body 26 supported by a plurality of rotatable wheels 27, and a towbar 28 extending forwardly from the body 26.

The lower deck 22 includes a walking deck area 29 and a skid tray 30 which is recessed approximately three-eighths of an inch below the upper surface of the walking deck area 29 and which is lined with steel plate. A rubber end-stop buffer 31 is located at an end of the skid tray 30 which is located adjacent to the upper deck 23, while an elevating mechanism 32 is located adjacent an opposite end of the skid tray When an elongate object such as a pipe is rolled into the tray 30, the pipe can be slid forward to the floor of a rig positioned adjacent to the apparatus 20, or lowered and skidded along the tray to the buffer 31, without jumping out of the tray However, the pipe may still be easily rolled out of or into the tray 30 by having a person such as the person operating the apparatus 20 simply kick the pipe with their foot in an appropriate manner.

Referring to figure 3, the elevating mechanism 32 includes a four-stage hydraulic ram 33 and a plurality of rollers 34 mounted atop the ram 33. Ram 33 extends through a rectangular opening in the lower deck 22 and is able to be selectively extended and retracted relative to the lower deck 22. When the ram 33 is extended relative to the lower deck 22, the rollers 34 are raised above the deck 22.

When the ram 33 is retracted relative to the lower deck 22, the rollers 34 are located 01 0below the skid tray 30. The rollers 34, which are preferably fabricated from polyethylene plastic or nylon, have an axle extending through them so that they are VO able to rotate relative to the axle. The rollers 34 are grooved so that elongate objects such as pipes which rest on the rollers 34 are retained in the grooves while the ram 33 is extended or retracted, or while the pipes resting on the rollers 34 move over them.

The rollers 34 have a diameter of approximately six inches.

00 The pipe and rod handling apparatus 20 depicted in figures 1 and 2 also O includes pipe racks 35 located adjacent opposite sides of the Wrailer 2 1. Each rack In includes a plurality of arms 36 that are each slideably received by a respective channel secured to the underside of the lower deck 22 so that the arms 36 are able to be slideably extended and retracted relative to the lower deck 22. Figure 2 depicts the arms 36 in a fully extended condition. Each extended arm 36 may be supported by a respective upright post (not depicted) hinged to an end of each arm 36. The uppermost surface of each extended arm 36 is substantially level with the lower deck 22 so that pipes or other elongate objects can be readily rolled from the arms 36 and onto the lower deck 22 and vice versa. A fork-lift may load or unload the pipes onto or off the arms 36. When the arms 36 are fully retracted, they are located beneath the lower deck 22 and do not project from the trailer 21.

A ramp 37 is hinged to the rear of the lower deck 22 and is able to be lowered and raised by respectively retracting and extending a hydraulic ram 38 which is secured to and which extends between the lower deck 22 and the ramp 37.

Lowering the ramp 37 enables a vehicle such as a fork-lift which is able to be transported by the trailer 21 to be readily driven on or off the lower deck 22.

A water tank 39 having a two-thousand litre capacity is secured to the trailer 21 and is located adjacent the underside of the lower deck 22.

Blow-Out-Prevention (BOP) equipment 40 which includes BOP actuators is mounted on the upper deck 23 and is secured thereto. The trailer 21 is modified to incorporate four container locks 41 on the upper deck 23 so that a steel skid 42 on which the BOP equipment 40 is mounted can be secured to the upper deck 23. BlOP piping extends from the BOP equipment 40 to the ramp 37 and is permanently secured to the underside of the trailer 2 1. Connectors on the ends of the BlOP piping which are adjacent the ramp 37 allow the piping to be quickly connected to and 11

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o disconnected from well-head BOP equipment which is located adjacent the ramp 37.

Mounting the BOP equipment 40 to the trailer 21 in the aforementioned manner and C having the BOP piping extend from the equipment 40 to the rear of the trailer 21 means that there is no need to remove the equipment 40 from the trailer 21 in order to connect it to well-head BOP equipment. Also, securing the hard BOP piping to the 1 underside of the trailer 21 does away with the need to run flexible pressure hoses 00 across a well-site from the BOP equipment 40 to the well-head BOP equipment.

0 o Moreover, mounting the BOP equipment 40 on the upper deck 23 of the trailer 21 n puts the equipment 40 more than the required four metres distance from a wellhead O 10 when the ramp 37 is positioned adjacent to the wellhead so that the electric motors which form part of the equipment 40 are less likely to be a source of ignition at the wellhead. Although unloaded BOP equipment can be readily positioned four metres or more away from a wellhead, flexible pressure hoses which extend along the ground are normally used to connect the unloaded BOP equipment to wellhead BOP equipment. This usually requires that the hoses be run out along the ground in the dirt and dust and connected to the BOP equipment each time a rig is set up at a wellhead.

This setup work is avoided simply by backing the trailer 21 of the apparatus 20 up to the wellhead and connecting the BOP piping secured to the underside of the trailer 21 to the wellhead BOP equipment by short lengths of hosing.

The apparatus 20 may be used to transfer elongate objects such as pipes to or from the operating floor 50 of a well rig 51 such as a work-over rig. The rear of the trailer 21 is positioned adjacent to the operating floor 50 and the arms 36 are extended from the sides of the trailer 21 as depicted in figures 1 and 2. If pipes are being transferred to the floor 50 using the apparatus 20, the pipes are placed on either or both of the racks 35 so that the pipes extend horizontally across the arms 36 thereof.

The elevating mechanism 32 is lowered by retracting the hydraulic ram 33 so that the grooved rollers 34 are located below the skid tray 30. One or more of the pipes are then rolled from one or both of the racks 35 and onto the skid tray 30 so that each pipe is located above a respective roller 34 and extends lengthwise along the tray The elevating mechanism 32 is then operated so that the ram 33 is extended and raises the rollers 34 so that the rollers 34 engage the pipes positioned above them and lift them above the lower deck 22. Each of the raised pipes is then removed using a In 12 o winch of the rig. After the raised pipes have been removed, the ram 33 may be retracted so that the process can be repeated. The elevating mechanism 32 does away CO with the need for a person such as the operator of the apparatus 20 to bend down in order to grasp a pipe and couple it to the winch of the rig. The rollers 34 enable the operator to easily move the pipes over the rollers 34 towards the rig floor 50 so that they can be grappled by the rig floor operator and hoisted.

00 The apparatus 20 is operated in a similar manner to transfer pipes from the o operating floor 50 of the rig to the apparatus 20. The ram 33 is extended and one or In more pipes are lowered onto the apparatus 20 from the rig and moved along the Oio rollers 34 so that each pipe rests against a respective grooved roller 34 and against the skid tray 30. The ram 33 is then retracted until the rollers 34 are positioned below the skid tray 30. The pipes resting on the rollers 34 are then rolled onto either one of the racks 35. After the pipes have been rolled onto the racks 35, the ram may be extended so that the process can be repeated.

The pipes can be placed onto or removed from the racks 35 by a vehicle such as a fork-lift which can be transported on the back of the trailer 2 1.

Figure 4 depicts an elevating mechanism 60 which may be incorporated into the apparatus 20 in place of the elevating mechanism 32. Mechanism 60 includes an arm 61 which is hinged relative to the lower deck 22 by a hinge 62. A plurality of grooved rollers 64 are secured to the top of the arm 61. The rollers 64 are able to be locked by a hydraulically operated latch such that the rollers 64 are prevented from rotating. A hydraulic ram 64 extends between and is secured relative to the lower deck 22 and the hinge 62 such that the arm 61 is able to be lowered below the tray by extending the ram 38, and such that retraction of the ram 64 raises the arm 61 to the upright position depicted by the phantom line 65 in figure 4. When the rollers 64 are locked so that they are unable to rotate, raising the arm 61 while one or more pipes are supported on the rollers 64 raises the pipes and also moves the pipes towards the rig 5 1. Likewise, if the rollers 64 are locked and the arm 61 is lowered while one or more pipes are supported by the rollers 64, the pipes are not only lowered but are also moved towards the end-stop buffer 31. The rollers 64 may be unlocked so that they can rotate as pipes are lowered onto or lifted from them by the winch of the rig 5 1.

In 13 0 The apparatus 20 may include quick-couple hydraulic connectors located at the rear of the trailer 21 near the ramp 37 so that the rams 33, 64 may be coupled to CO the hydraulic system of the rig 50 by pressure hoses. This does away with the need to incorporate hydraulic equipment such as pumps and reservoirs into the apparatus itself as the hydraulic system of the rig 50 may be used to operate the rams 33, 64. It also allows the rams 33, 64 to be controlled by a foot-operated pedal (not depicted) or 00 other operator-actuated remote control on the lower platform 22 or by a duplicate o foot-operated pedal on a guarded floor just outside a railing of the rig floor 50 so that the rig floor operator may operate the elevating mechanism 33, 60 to synchronise its O 1 operation with the rate at which pipe is required to be supplied to or removed from the rig 5 1.

If the pipes transferred by the apparatus 20 are dirty or covered in oil, a high pressure, electrically driven water cleaner which is connected to the water tank 39 and which is located a safe distance from the wellhead so that it cannot act as a source of ignition may be used by an operator of the apparatus 20 to clean the pipes or rods resting on the rollers 34 or 63 as they are transferred between the apparatus 20 and the rig 5 1. Heavy steel pipe and rods are notoriously dangerous to handle if slippery from crude oil, mud, or grease, all of which abound at a well site. Pressure cleaning the pipes and rods on-the-fly in the aforementioned manner reduces the danger posed by slippery pipes and rods. The water for the cleaning operation is able to be transported to site in the tank 39 so that it is not necessary to bring a separate water tanker to the site.

An apparatus 70 according to a second embodiment of the present invention is depicted in figures 5 to 9. For convenience, features of the apparatus 70 that are the same as or similar to features of the apparatus 20 are referenced with the same reference numbers. Apparatus 70 is shown backed-up to a wellhead and the rig floor of a work-over rig 5 1.

Referring to figure 5, apparatus 70 differs from apparatus 20 in that it includes a plurality of upstanding support posts 71 which support the arms 36 and which are hinged thereto. Rather than the upper deck 23 of the apparatus 70 being supported by a sub-trailer 25, the upper deck 23 is supported by a pair of legs 72. The BOP equipment 40 of the apparatus 70 is connected to BOP equipment at the well n 14

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o head by hoses 73 which extend to the rear of the trailer 21 along the underside thereof. The equipment 40 is mounted in a frame 74 which is secured to the upper C deck 23 of the trailer 21. Four poles 75 extend upwardly from the lower deck 22 of the trailer 21 and support a tarp 76 so that the tarp 76 provides some shade to persons on the lower deck 22. A fork-lift 77 is used to place pipes onto or to remove pipes 1 from the arms of the rack 35 of the apparatus 70. The fork-lift 77 is able to OO transported on the trailer O Figure 6 depicts a person operating the elevating mechanism 32 of the In apparatus 70 to lift a plurality of pipes 78 above the lower deck 22. Once the pipes 78 0 O 10 have been raised they can then be moved by hand towards the rig operating floor so that they can be grappled by the rig floor operators and then lifted to a vertical position over the wellhead which the rig 51 is positioned adjacent to.

Figure 7 depicts a plurality of pipes 78 which are elevated above the lower deck 22 of the trailer 21 by the elevating apparatus 32 which includes a pair of hydraulic rams 33 and a plurality of rotatable grooved rollers 34. Each pipe 78 is supported by a respective roller 34. The rams 33 can be retracted through an opening 79 in the lower deck 22 so that the rollers 34 are positioned below the tray 30. A rack which is located on the opposite side of the trailer 21 to the side depicted in figures and 6 is visible in figure 7. The arms 36 of the rack 35 which is visible in figure 7 are supporting a plurality of pipes 78.

New pipe 78 which is to be lowered into a well is seen resting horizontally on the arms 36 located on the far side of the apparatus 70 depicted in figure 8. Old pipe 78 which would have been previously removed from the well would have been rolled onto the arms 36 on the near side of the apparatus 70 for removal therefrom by a fork-lift such as the fork-lift 77 depicted in figure 5. The rams 33 are in the process of retracting so that the next lot of pipe 78 can be rolled onto the tray 30 so that it can be elevated by the elevating mechanism 32 and then pushed forward by the operator of the apparatus 70 to the rig 51 which is located adjacent the well. A water tank 39 which is secured to the underside of the lower deck 22 is visible in figure 8.

Figure 9 depicts the BOP equipment 40 secured to the frame 74 which is secured to the upper deck 23 by way of a plurality of container locks. Hoses 73 extend to the rear of the trailer 21 along the underside thereof so that the equipment In

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o 40 can be connected to wellhead BOP equipment. A high pressure water cleaner which sources water from the water tank 39 is also secured to the frame 74.

Figure 10 depicts the apparatus 70 being used to raise six lengths of production tubing 78 so that the operators on the rig floor 50 can reach them and attach them to a hook of the rig 51 so that the tubing 78 can be lifted and inserted into 1 the well that the rig 51 is positioned over.

OO Throughout the specification and the claims (if any), unless the context O requires otherwise, the term "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to apply the inclusion of the stated integer or group O 10 of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

Throughout the specification and claims (if any), unless the context requires otherwise, the term "substantially" or "about" will be understood to not be limited to the value for the range qualified by the terms.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variations and modifications to the invention described herein will be apparent without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. The variations and modifications as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as herein set forth.

Claims (4)

1. An apparatus for use in transferring an elongate object to or from an oil rig, C/ the apparatus comprising a support for supporting the object, and an elevating mechanism for at least partially raising or lowering the object relative to the support.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elevating mechanism includes at least C one roller for supporting at least one elongate object, and at least one ram operable to 00 raise or lower the roller relative to the support. 0 O

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elevating mechanism includes an arm n which is able to be pivoted relative to the support between a raised position and a 0 O lowered position, at least one roller for supporting at least one elongate object, and at least one ram operable to raise or lower the arm and the roller relative to the support.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the roller is able to be selectively locked to inhibit rotation thereof. An apparatus for use in transferring an elongate object to or from an oil rig, the apparatus being substantially as herein described with reference to figures 1 to 3; figures 1, 2 and 4; or figures 5 to 9 of the illustrations. DATED this 30 th day of September 2005 THOR ENERGY SERVICES PTY LTD By their Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO.