CA1151144A

CA1151144A - Pipe handling method and apparatus

Info

Publication number: CA1151144A
Application number: CA000396591A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Kenneth Layton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-02-18
Filing date: 1982-02-18
Publication date: 1983-08-02

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
There is described a method and apparatus for trans-porting lengths of pipe between a pipe storage area and a drilling derrick. A cable support is suspended from a point substantially above the floor of the derrick. A track formed of two horizontally spaced parallel cables is suspended above the storage area, the cable track extending between the cable support and a winch which is actuatable to change the length of the cable track.
Pipe grapples are suspended from the cable track to be movable therealong, the grapples being adapted to releasably grip a length of pipe. A second cable or cables are arranged to control the movement of the grapples along the cable track, these cables being attached at one end thereof to the grapples and are thereafter arranged to extend to and pass around a pulley suspended above the floor of the derrick and thereafter to extend to a second winch located adjacent the first winch connected to the cable track. The elements of the apparatus are arranged so that the length of pipe may be supported in a substantially vertical position by the grapples to thereby facilitate the connection or release of the pipe to or from a downhole length of similar pipe.

Description

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The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for handling lengths of pipe. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for transporting lengths of pipe or well casing between a pipe storage area and a drilling derrick.
There have been described various methods of trans-porting pipe back and forth between a storage area and the floor of a drilling platform or derrick. Many of the methods disclosed teach the use of a track formed of cables from which is suspended a pipe carrier that travels along the cables between the pipe storage area and the derrick platform. The carrier is moved in a back and forth motion as required by means of another winch-actuated cable connected to the carrier. Examples of such equipment can be found in Canadian Patent 1,066,266 issued on November 13, 1979 to Corkery, Canadian Patent 970,355 issued on July 1, 1975 -to Lamb et al and in United States Patents Nos. 3,368,699, 4,040,524, 4,053,063, 4,054,210, 4,099,630, 4,140,227 and 4,212,376.
In each of the prior methods of handling pipe, the pipe section is cradled in the carrier for transport to the derrick floor where the pipe section is connected to the derrick's pipe elevator and hoisted aloft before being lowered for connection to the downhole string. To facilitate the connection of the pipe to the pipe elevator, the carrier must be adapted to merely cradle the pipe so that the pipe is readily liftable therefrom. Further, it is usually necessary to provide some kind of pole on the rig platform from which to suspend the cable track. Further yet, it is also necessary in many ins~ances to provide some form of pipe deflector to brake the motion of the pipe carrier.

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Accordingly~ knowrl apparati are relatively compli-cated and are adapted to merely transport pipe from a pipe storage area to the derrick floor whereupon it is necessary to connect the pipe to the rig's pipe elevator for hoisting aloft, thereby slowing the entire pipe transporting process down.
It is an object, therefore, of the present invention to obviate and mitigate from the deficiencies and disadvantages of prior pipe transporting apparati and methods.
According to the present invention, then, there is provided a pipe handling apparatus for transporting lengths of pipe between a pipe storage area and a drilling derrick, the apparatus comprising cable support means suspended from a point above the floor of the derrick, first cable means suspended above the storage area, the first cable means extending between the cable support means to a point adjacent the storage area and remote from the derrick, first means for changing the length of the first cable means between the cable support means and the point adjacent -the storage area, pipe grappling means suspended from the first cable means to be movable along the length thereof, the grappling means including gripping means adapted to open and close about the length of pipe to releasly grasp same, and second cable means for moving the grappling means along the first cable means, the second cable means being fixedly attached at one end thereof to the grappling means and arranged to extend to and pass around pulley means suspended above the floor of the derrick and thereafter to second cable length changing means located adjacent the first cable length changing means, wherein the length of pipe may be supported in a substantially vertical position by the grappling means to 4~

facilitate the connection or release o~ the length of pipe to or from a downhole length of similar pipe.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of transporting lengths of pipe between a pipe storage area and a drilling derrick, the method comprising the steps of movably supporting pipe grappling - means for gripping a length of pipe from first cable means, the first cable means extending between cable support means suspended from a point above the floor of the derrick and first cable length adjusting means located adjacent the storage area and remote from the derrick, moving the pipe grappling means along the first cable means by means of second cable means attached at one end thereof to the grappling means and arranged to extend to and pass around pulley means suspended above the floor of the derrick and thereafter to second cable length ad~usting means, and selectively lengthening the first cable means to lower the grappling means into a pipe gripping position thereof, shortening the first cable means to define a path between the storage area and the derrick and lengthening the first cable means so that the length of pipe may be supported in a substantially vertical position by the grappling means to facilitate the connection or release of the length of pipe to or from a downhole length of similar pipe.

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In a preferred embodiment, at least two hydraulically actuated grapples loosely grip the pipe so that the pipe may be rotated within the grapples to facilitate its connection to the down-hole string of pipe. Upon connection to the down-hole string, the grapples may be released and then returned to the pipe storage area to retrieve another length of pipe.
The present system works, of course, to transpor-t pipe from the derrick to the casing storage area by means of a sequence of steps carried out in substantially the reverse order to that described above.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described in greater detail and will be better understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a side elevational diagrammatic view of the pipe transporting apparatus as described hereinafter;
Figures 2A to 2C illustrate the movement of a length of pipe from the pipe storage area to the derrick;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a derrick girt clamp for use with the apparatus of Figure l; and Figure 4 is a perspective view of the pipe grapples for use with the apparatus of Figure 1.
Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown diagrammatically the basic apparatus of the present pipe transpor-tation system and the relative positioning of -the components of the system. It will be appreciated that with the exception ~.~

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of the grapples and the derrick girt clamp, which will be described in greater detail below, the components o~ the present sysem are all well known, commercially available items so that no detailed description thereof has been provided herein. Further, and for the purposes of illustration only, the present apparatus shall be described in terms of its utility for the purpose of transporting casing from a storage area to the derrick for installation of the casing down the well bore. It will be appreciated, however, that the present apparatus and method will also be found useful in transporting drill pipe and other long stock to and from the derrick.
As can best be seen from Figure 1, the present system includes a winching platform 10, a casing storage rack 25 and a drilling derrick 40 which includes the usual travelling block 41 and pipe elevator 42 suspended therefrom.
Winching platform 10 may be mounted on a skid, a trailer or the flatbed of a truck or upon any other suitable means of transport. It has been found particularly convenient to provide the winching Rlatform on the bed of a truck to add mobility and portability to the present system.
Winching platform 10 includes an hydraulic line pick-up spool 11 which may be spring loaded or otherwise suitably driven and winches 14 and 15. Winches 14 and 15 may be driven by an independent prime mover mounted on the winch platform or, if truck mounted, by the motor of the truck. Also included on the platform 10 are cable storage facilities, hydraulic pumps if the winches are to be hydraulically driven and all necessarv controls for operating the winches, pick-up spools, motors, grapples and other components of the apparatus described hereinafter.

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Disposed between winch platform 10 and derrick 40 is a casing storage rack 25 of any known and suitable configuration.
Although not shown, casing rack 25 includes a rack for storing lengths of well casing 20 and manually or mechanically operable means to move lengths of casing between the storage rack and an elevated deck or catwalk 26 which forms a working platform.
In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, casing jacks 27 are utilized to support lengths of casing for pick up and transport to the derrick in a manner such as will be more fully described 10 beloW.
With reference still to Figure 1, casing lengths 20 are transported to the derrick by means including casing grapples 50 which are rotatably or slidably from cable 35. Cable 35 extends between winch 14 and a cable support means 17 such as a girt clamp, the nature of which will be more fully described below. Clamp 17 is typically suspended well above the derrick floor from a derrick girt although it may be suspended from any other suitable and convenient point situated above the derrick floor in approximate vertical alignment with the upwardly protruding end of the casing stump.
~ second cable 37, which is attached at one end thereof to winch 15, passes over a pulley 18 suspended from girt clamp 17 and extends to the grapple 50 located closest to derrick ~0.
Actuation of winch 15 to reel in or pay out cable 37 will therefore result in movement of grapples 50 and casing length 20 gripped -thereby towards the derrick or away from the derrick, respectively and as the case may be.
With reference to Figure 3, grapples 50 comprise a pair of opposed jaws 51 hinged about a pin 52 to define a substan-tially circular opening 53 therebetween. Opening 53 is adapted ~5~ 4 in size and shape ~o close loosely about casing joints 20, a ' clearance of approximately 1/8 inch between the casing and jaws 51 being provided for. Lengths of casing typicall~ include couplers at one or both ends which, being larger in diameter than the remainder of the casing, define enlarged collars which prevent the casing from slipping from the grapples when being hoisted aloft into the derrick as will be described hereinafter.
Jaws 51 are actuated by means of a double-acting hydraulic cylinder 55 pivotally connected to flange members 57 that extend outwardly from opPosite ends of jaws 51. It will be appreciated that a retraction of hydraulic cylinder 55 will result in the opening of jaws 51 whereas an expansion of the cylinder will result in the closing of the jaws.
An hydraulic lock valve 58 of known construction is placed across cylinder 55 to prevent hydraulic creep from causing a loosening of the grip of the grapple about the casing ~uring transport.
It will be understood that two hydraulic lines 65 (Figure 1) are required to actuate cy,linder 55 of each grapple.
Hydraulic lines 65 are played out and picked up by spool (or spools) 11 provided on platform 10 and which are synchronously driven with winch 15 as the grapples are moved back and forth between deck 26 and the derrick. The hydraulic line 65 which activates the grapple closest to the derrick serves the additional purpose of tethering the two grapples together to prevent the loss of the trailing grapple in the event that the lower end of the pipe does not include an enlarged collar. A simple piece of rope or chain between the two grapples may provide the same function.

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The grapples are suspended from cable 35 by means of pulley wheels 60 which project outwardly from opposed ends of jaws 51 as shown in Figure 3. Cable 35 thus actually consists of two parallel,horizontally spaced apart cables 35 to define a track along which pulley wheels 60 may run. Each pulley wheel may be provided with a cable guide 67 to maintain contact between pulley 60 and cables 35 when the grapples are hoisted - 7a -.

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aloft into the derrick as shown in Figure 2. To accommodate double cables 35, winch 14 may include an elongated drum or two horizontally spaced apart drums or may indeed comprise separate winches to receive each of cables 35, respectively. Similarly~
cable 37 may comprise two separate cables for attachment to opposite sides of grapple 50. Winch 15 may there~ore similarly comprise a suitably adapted winch or winches as preferred.
When using double cables 35 and 37, two girt clamps 17 are utilized to suspend the cables on opposite sides of travelling block 41 so as not to interfere in its operation.
Pulley wheels 60 may be rotatably mounted onto bolts (not shown) threadedly affixed to the grapples. For certain rigs, a wider spacing of cables 35 is required in which case the bolts may be loosened and shims placed between the pulley wheels and the grapple to widen the stance of the grapple to accommodate said widened spacing.
Grapples 50 are actuated by the operator at the controls of winch platform 10.
With reference now to Figure 4, girt clamp 17 consists of a pair of angular jaws 29 pivotably connected about a hinge pin 30. A removable pin 31 is provided so that the clamp may be easily opened and then closed about a derrick girt to suspend the clamp as shown in Figure 1. As aforesaid, however, the clamp may be suspended from any convenient point above the derrick floor.
Affixed to the clamp is a sheave housing 32 having sheaves 27 and 28 provided at opposite ends thereof. Cable 37 passes over sheave 27 and then over sheave 28 on its way towards grapple 50. Housing 32 is further provided with means to which cable 35 may be fixedly attached by means of a safety hook or other suitable connector.

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It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other means of suspending cables 35 and 37 from the derrick are available and that the present girt clamp is described by way of example only. For instance, a simple sheave may be hung from the derrick to support cable 37 and cable 35 may be hooked or otherwise attached to the derrick itself. It will be appreciated, however, that girt clamp 17 is easily attachable and detachable from the derrick to thereby facilitate a quick setup or dismantling of the present apparatus when commencing or finishing a casing installation job.
In describing the operation of the present method and apparatus, refexence is made to Figures 2A, B and C of the drawings. The following description will be in terms of trans-porting a length of casing from the casing rack to the derrick.
The reverse operation will follow substantially the same sequence of steps in reverse order and will therefore be readily apparent to one skilled in the art.
A length of casing is first positioned for pickup on deck 26 atop casing jacks 27. Grapples 50 are positioned over the casing and cable 35 is slackened to lower the grapples into position for gripping casing 20. The grapples are, as mentioned previously/ operated from the winch platform by the operator to grip casing 20.
With reference to Figure 2B, winch 14 i.s actuated to tighten up on cable 35 to lift casing 20 off jacks 27 whereupon winch 15 reels in cable 37 to pull the grapples with casing attached towards the derrick. Girt clamp 17 is affi~ed to the derrick at a sufficient height above the derrick platform to allow the casing to hang vertically therefrom. As the casing is hoisted aloft into the derrick, cable 35 is once more g _ played out, allowing the trailing end o~ the casing joint to swing downwardly into a substantially vertical position as shown in Fi~ure 2C. From this position, the casing joint is easily conected to the down-hole string of casing already run into the bore hole. Casing 20 is brought into contact with the upper end tnot shown) of the down-hole string of casing. Cables 35 and 37 are loosened slightly to allow the grapples to rest easy, thereby allowing the casing to be freely rotatable within the grapples. This facilitates the threaded connection of casing 20 to the down-hole string which is of course held in a clamped position. When casing 20 has been securely connected to the down-hole string, the string is released and winch 15 may be actuated to lower the casing string including casing 20 into the wellbore.
It will be appreciated that the weight of the down-hole string will eventually increase to the point where it will be necessary to utilize the rig's elevator and travelling block rather than winch 15 to lower the casing string into the hole.
Prior to the lowering of casing 20 into the wellbore, grapples 50 are released from the casing whereupon cable 35 is tightened somewhat to provide a ramp for the return of the grapples to the casing rack to retrieve the next length of casingO
It will be appreciated that in remo~ing pipe from the derrick to the rack, a sequence of steps in substantially the reverse order to that described above is carried outO
In the event that drill pipe or other tubular stock of uniform cross~sectional diameter is required to be trans-ported to or from the derrick floor, grapples 50 may be adapted to firmly grip the lengths of pipe to prevent slippage during transport. This may be done by varying the size and shape of ~lS~.44L

jaws 51 to close firmly about the pipe length by means of a rubber insert fitted in any known manner to the periphery of opening 53. Because the pipe length thusly gripped is not free to turn within the grapples, the upper end of the pipe is connected to the rig's elevator prior to connection to the down-hole string and the grapples are then loosened to thereby allow the casing joint to turn when making a threaded connection to the down-hole string. A similar procedure is followed in reverse order when hauling the string out of the wellbore.
From the foregoing, it will be recognized that the present system is entirely portable in that all necessary equipment may be carried aboard the truck bearing the winch platform and that no special adaptations are required to be made to the derrick particularly in terms of adding masts or poles or the like otherwise necessary to support the cable track. Accordingly, the present system can quickly and easily be moved from well to well to quickly and efficiently install well casing and the like as the need arises.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A pipe handling apparatus for transporting lengths of pipe between a pipe storage area and a drilling derrick, said apparatus comprising:
(a) cable support means suspended from a point :: -above the floor of the said derrick;
(b) first cable means suspended above said storage area, said first cable means extending between said cable support means to a point adjacent said storage area and remote from said derrick;
(c) first means for changing the length of said first cable means between said cable support means and said point adjacent said storage area;
(d) pipe grappling means suspended from said first cable means to be movable along the length thereof, said grappling means including gripping means adapted to open and close about said length of pipe to releasably grasp same;
and (e) second cable means for moving said grappling means along said first cable means, said second cable means being fixedly attached at one end thereof to said grappling means and arranged to extend to and pass around pulley means suspended above the floor of said derrick and thereafter to second cable length changing means located adjacent said first cable length changing means; wherein said length of pipe may be supported in a substantially vertical position by said grappling means to facilitate the connection or release of said length of pipe to or from a downhole length of similar pipe.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said gripping means comprise opposed jaw members hingedly connected to one anotherfor relative movement between pipe grasping and releasing positions thereof, respectively.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said grappling means further comprise double-acting hydraulic cylinder means disposed thereon for pivoting said jaw members about said hinged connection between said grasping and releasing positions thereof.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein at least two of said grappling means are suspended from said first cable means to grasp said length of pipe at spaced apart locations along the length thereof.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said grappling means are adapted to loosely grip said length of pipe such that said length of pipe is rotatable within said grappling means.

6. The apparatus of claims 1, 2 or 4 wherein said grappling means firmly grip said length of pipe, said opposed jaw members further including resilient members disposed along the pipe gripping surfaces thereof to prevent slippage of said length of pipe within said opposed jaw members.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said cable support means are suspended from said derrick at an elevation above said derrick floor that exceeds the length of said length of pipe to facilitate the vertical suspension of said length of pipe from said pipe grappling means.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said first cable means extend between said cable support means and said means for changing the length of said first cable means.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said first cable means comprise two horizontally spaced apart, parallel cables which thereby define a track.

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said grappling means are suspended from said first cable means by wheel means disposed on substantially opposite sides of said grappling means, said wheel means being adapted to rollably engage said first cable means for back and forth movement therealong.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the distance between said wheel means may be adjusted to shorten or lengthen said distance.

12. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said means for changing the length of said first and second cable means comprise motor driven winch means.

13. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said pulley means are connected to said cable support means.

14. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said pipe storage area includes jack means to support said lengths of pipe prior to the grasping thereof by said grappling means.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, 13 or 14 wherein said motor driven winch means are mounted on a mobile platform.

16. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said two grappling means are tethered together to prevent a separation therebetween in excess of the length of said length of pipe.

17. A method of transporting lengths of pipe between a pipe storage area and a drilling derrick, said method com-prising the steps of:
(a) movably supporting pipe grappling means for gripping a length of pipe from first cable means, said first cable means extending between cable support means suspended from a point above the floor of said derrick and first cable length adjusting means located adjacent said storage area and remote from said derrick;
(b) moving said pipe grappling means along said first cable means by means of second cable means attached at one end thereof to said grappling means and arranged to extend to and pass around pulley means suspended above the floor of said derrick and thereafter to second cable length adjusting means; and (c) selectively lengthening said first cable means to lower said grappling means into a pipe gripping position thereof, shortening said first cable means to define a path between said storage area and said derrick and lengthening said first cable means so that said length of pipe may be supported in a substantially vertical position by said grappling means to facilitate the connection or release of said length of pipe to or from a downhole length of similar pipe.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said pipe grappling means include hydraulically actuated jaws adapted to be closed and opened in a pipe gripping and releasing motion, respectively.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said jaw members are hingedly connected to one another and are actuated by means of double-acting hydraulic cylinder means disposed on said grappling means therebetween to pivot said jaw members about said hinged connection between a fully opened and a fully closed position.

20. The method of claims 17, 18 and 19 wherein said length of pipe is rotatably supported by said grappling means to facilitate said connection or release of said length of pipe to said downhole length of similar pipe.