EP1232323B1 - Cle a tiges - Google Patents

Cle a tiges Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1232323B1
EP1232323B1 EP00976168A EP00976168A EP1232323B1 EP 1232323 B1 EP1232323 B1 EP 1232323B1 EP 00976168 A EP00976168 A EP 00976168A EP 00976168 A EP00976168 A EP 00976168A EP 1232323 B1 EP1232323 B1 EP 1232323B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
tong
basket
tool
arrangement
wrenching
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP00976168A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP1232323A1 (fr
Inventor
Bernd-Georg Pietras
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Weatherford Lamb Inc
Original Assignee
Weatherford Lamb Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Weatherford Lamb Inc filed Critical Weatherford Lamb Inc
Priority to EP04103600A priority Critical patent/EP1475513B1/fr
Publication of EP1232323A1 publication Critical patent/EP1232323A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1232323B1 publication Critical patent/EP1232323B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B19/00—Handling rods, casings, tubes or the like outside the borehole, e.g. in the derrick; Apparatus for feeding the rods or cables
    • E21B19/16—Connecting or disconnecting pipe couplings or joints
    • E21B19/161—Connecting or disconnecting pipe couplings or joints using a wrench or a spinner adapted to engage a circular section of pipe
    • E21B19/164—Connecting or disconnecting pipe couplings or joints using a wrench or a spinner adapted to engage a circular section of pipe motor actuated
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B19/00—Handling rods, casings, tubes or the like outside the borehole, e.g. in the derrick; Apparatus for feeding the rods or cables
    • E21B19/16—Connecting or disconnecting pipe couplings or joints

Definitions

  • This invention relates to wrenching tongs and other power tongs.
  • An elevator is connected to the top of the new section or stand and the whole pipe string lifted slightly to enable the slips of the spider to be released.
  • the whole pipe string is then lowered until the top of the section is adjacent the spider whereupon the slips of the spider are re-applied, the elevator disconnected and the process repeated.
  • a power tong to torque the connection up to a predetermined torque in order to make this connection.
  • the power tong is located on the platform, either on rails, or hung from a derrick on a chain.
  • An active (or wrenching) tong supplies torque to the section of pipe above the threaded connection, while a passive (or back up) tong supplies a reaction torque below the threaded connection.
  • the back up tong clamps the pipe below the threaded connection, and prevents it from rotating. This clamping can be performed mechanically, hydraulically or pneumatically.
  • the wrenching tong clamps the upper part of the connection and is driven so that it supplies torque for a limited angle.
  • This power tong arrangement is also used to torque up connections between other tubulars, for example casing and tubing.
  • the wrenching tong is driven hydraulically.
  • One or two hydraulic cylinders drive the tong through a small angle, typically in the region of 25°, depending on the tong design. Due to the geometric configuration normally used, the torque output of the tong changes as a sine function of the angle driven, which results in a reduction of torque output across the drive angle of up to 15%.
  • WO 93/18276 discloses an apparatus for applying torque to a first tubular relative to a second tubular.
  • the apparatus comprises first and second tongs for gripping the first and second tubulars, respectively.
  • GB 2128526 discloses a tong for gripping a tubular, driven by a pinion and gear.
  • GB 1215967 discloses a tool secured in rotary table slips, and tongs for coupling and uncoupling tubulars.
  • a method of coupling a tool to a length of tubular comprising the steps of:
  • This method may be used to couple a tool such as a drill bit, to a length of drill pipe.
  • the coupling portion of the length of drill pipe may be brought into proximity with a corresponding coupling portion of the tool either before or after the lowering of the tong arrangement.
  • the length of drill string may be gripped by the rotary part of the tong arrangement either before or after the lowering of the tong arrangement.
  • the length of drill string may be located proximate to the basket containing the tool either before or after the string is gripped by the rotary part of the tong arrangement.
  • a tool may be decoupled from a length of tubular.
  • apparatus for enabling a tool to be secured to a length of drill pipe, the apparatus comprising:
  • first and second locking means are engageable and disengageble by means of linear movement of the tong arrangement relative to the basket.
  • the basket is arranged to prevent rotation of the tool in the basket, wherein in use the rotary portion of the tong arrangement may be used to rotate the length of drill pipe to secure a screw connection between the length of drill pipe and the tool.
  • one of the first and second locking means comprises one or more slots
  • the other of the first and second locking means comprises one or more projecting members, the slots and the members being engageable and disengageable by relative linear movement of the tong arrangement and the basket.
  • FIGS 1 and 2 show an arrangement of a composite wrenching tong and back-up tong which is suitable for use with the present invention.
  • a wrenching tong 1 is generally in the form of a disc with an opening 2 through the centre thereof for receiving a stand of drill pipe (not shown), and a recess 3 cut from the edge to the opening 2 at the centre.
  • the wrenching tong 1 is provided with two pinion drives 4 arranged opposite each other at the periphery of the disc, equally spaced either side of the recess 3.
  • Each pinion drive comprises a drive motor 5, drive shaft 6, and pinion 7 attached to the drive shaft 6.
  • a back-up tong 11 is located beneath the wrenching tong 1.
  • the back-up tong is generally in the form of a disc with similar dimensions to the wrenching tong 1.
  • the back-up tong is also provided with an opening 12 through the centre and a recess 13 from the edge to the opening at the centre.
  • the opening 12 and recess 13 correspond to the opening 2 and recess 3 of the wrenching tong when the back-up tong 11 and the wrenching tong 1 are correctly aligned.
  • a plurality of guide rollers 10 or other guide elements are spaced around the edge of the wrenching tong 1 in order to maintain the alignment of the wrenching tong 1 with the back-up tong 11.
  • a gear 14 is provided around the periphery of the back-up tong 11, broken by the recess 13.
  • the gear 14 meshes with the pinions 7 attached to the motors 5 on the wrenching tong, so that when the drive motors 5 drive the drive shafts 6 and gears 7, the wrenching tong 1 rotates relative to the back-up tong 11.
  • the angle of rotation is limited by the recess 13 of the back up tong.
  • FIG 3 shows a back-up tong 11 before the wrenching tong is placed on top of it.
  • the back-up tong 11 has a plurality of roller bearings 21, upon which the wrenching tong 1 is designed to be placed.
  • the roller bearings 21 are supported by resilient means such as springs, elastic material or hydraulic/pneumatic cylinders, in order to support the wrenching tong during wrenching.
  • the stands will move axially relative to one another as the connection is tightened.
  • the wrenching tong must follow the axial movement of the top stand during one wrenching cycle. This axial travel length depends on the pitch of the thread.
  • Three clamping jaws 8 equipped with dies 9 are located inside each of the wrenching tong 1 and back-up tong 11. These are hydraulically driven for clamping the drill pipe stand in place in the centre of the wrenching tong.
  • the hydraulic power supply may be provided by hoses (not shown).
  • FIG 4 shows the clamping mechanism of the back-up tong 11.
  • Three hydraulic pistons 16, comprising piston rods 17 and chambers 18, are located inside the casing of the back-up tong 11.
  • Each piston rod 17 has an end 19 which is secured to the outside edge of the back-up tong 11.
  • the jaw 8 containing two dies 9 with teeth (not shown) is fixed to the chamber 18 by a spherical bearing 20.
  • each drill pipe stand is clamped by three jaws and six dies at the joint.
  • the spherical bearings 20 enable the jaws and dies to match the pipe surfaces closely, resulting in a low penetration depth of the teeth of the dies into the pipe surface, and thus prolonging the life of the drill pipe.
  • the wrenching tong has a similar clamping jaw design, as shown in Figure 5.
  • Figure 6 shows the wrenching tong 1 and back-up tong 11 supported by a C-frame 22 for handling at the rig.
  • the C-frame 22 is in turn fixed in a frame 23 for handling the equipment on tracks at the rig floor.
  • a drill pipe spinner 24 is mounted on the C-frame above the tongs for rotating a drill pipe stand at high speed.
  • the recesses 3 and 13 in the wrenching 1 and back-up 11 tongs are aligned (the tongs may already be in this configuration following the removal of the tongs from a previous section of tubing).
  • Two stands of drill pipe 25,26 are then introduced into the openings 2,12 in the wrenching and back-up tongs 1,11, respectively, through the recesses 3,13, and the lower stand 26 is clamped in position in the back-up tong 11.
  • the upper stand 25 is introduced into the drill pipe spinner 24, and rotated at high speed in order to pretighten the threaded connection. The final high torque will be applied by the wrenching tong 1.
  • the upper stand 25 is now clamped in position in the opening 2 through the wrenching tong 1.
  • the pinion drives 4 are then driven to torque the connection between the stands 25,26 until the connection is fully tightened or until one of the pinion drives 4 is at the edge of the recess 13, at which stage the wrenching tong 1 is at one end of its possible arc of travel relative to the back-up tong 11.
  • the maximum wrenching angle which can be reached in one cycle in the embodiment shown is +/-75°. If necessary, the upper stand 25 can then be released from the wrenching tong 1, the tong returned to its original position, and the torquing process repeated.
  • FIG. 7 An even larger wrenching angle can also be simply achieved with this arrangement, as shown in Figure 7.
  • the stands of drill pipe 25,26 are introduced to the tongs 1,11 through the recesses 3,13 and pretightened using the drill pipe spinner 24 as described above.
  • the wrenching tong drive is reversed, and the wrenching tong 1 is driven to its end position relative to the back-up tong, as shown in Figure 7.
  • the top stand 25 is now clamped with the tongs in this position, so that with the embodiment shown a wrenching angle of 150° is achievable.
  • Figure 8 shows an arrangement of a composite wrenching tong and back-up tong similar to that described above and again suitable for use with the method and apparatus of the present invention. However, in this case only one pinion drive 4 is used, which increases the possible wrenching angle to 300°.
  • Figure 9 shows another similar arrangement, with two pinion drives 4 being used as in Figures 1 to 7. This time the pinion drives 4 are not opposite each other, but spaced 120° each side of the recess 3. This gives the advantage of the torque and control provided by two drives, but allows a higher wrenching angle than the arrangement of Figure 1.
  • the maximum wrenching angle in this embodiment will be in the region of 210°.
  • the torque can be monitored by measuring the reaction torque at each drive by means of a load cell, or by measuring the pressure of the drive motor.
  • the wrenching tong could be provided with a gear, and the pinion drives mounted on the frame 24.
  • Hydraulic clamping cylinders are shown, but the tong could clamp the drill pipe stands by any known means.
  • FIG 11 illustrates in partial section a modified back-up tong 40 which may replace the back-up tong 11 of the example of Figure 1 to 9.
  • the modified tong 40 has only two jaws 41 associated with respective clamping arrangements 42.
  • Each arrangement 42 is held in place within the main body 43 of the tong 40 by a set of four "pendulum" bolts 44.
  • a clamping arrangement 42 associated with four pendulum bolts 44 is illustrated in more detail in Figure 12 from which it can be seen that each bolt comprises a cylinder cut in half along its longitudinal axis to provide a flat surface and a rounded surface.
  • each bolt 44 abuts the side of the clamping arrangement 42, whilst the rounded side is located in a rounded recess 45 provided in the side of the main body 43 opposed to the clamping arrangement. It will be appreciated that as the bolts 44 are able to rotate within their respective recesses in the tong body 43, each clamping arrangement 42 may pivot slightly about its centre. This allows the jaws 41 to conform to the outer surface of a tubular to be clamped when the tubular is for example not perfectly cylindrical.
  • FIG. 13 illustrates apparatus in accordance with the invention which is used in association with a tong arrangement 49 to connect and disconnect a tool such as a drill bit to and from a length of tubular such as a drill pipe.
  • the apparatus comprises a basket 50 which is arranged in use to be placed on the floor of a drilling rig.
  • the basket 50 has an opening in the top thereof for receiving a tool 51 which is to be connected to a length of tubular 52.
  • the opening has a shape which is complimentary to the shape of the tool 51 such that the tool is held securely in an upright position and rotation of the tool within the basket 50 is prevented.
  • slots 53 Two opposed sides of an upper plate of the basket 50 are provided with slots 53. These slots 53 are shaped to receive locking members 54 which project downwardly from the lower surface of the back-up tong 55 of the tong arrangement. The operation to connect a tool will now be described.
  • the tool 51 is first located in the basket 50.
  • the length of tubular 52 is moved to a position over the tool ( Figure 14) and is lowered to bring the box of the tubular into engagement with the externally threaded coupling of the tool 51.
  • the tong arrangement is brought up to the tubular 52 with the jaws of the rotary and back-up tongs being fully opened, and the tong is placed around the tubular 52.
  • the tong arrangement is then lowered within its frame, to a position in which the locking members 54 are received by the respective receiving slots 53 of the basket 50. In this position, the basket is locked to the back-up tong.
  • the jaws of the rotary tong are then clamped against the tubular 52 and the rotary tong rotated, relative to the back-up tong, to tighten the threaded joint ( Figure 15).
  • the jaws of the rotary tong are then released, and the tong arrangement withdrawn from around the tubular.
  • the tubular and the connected tool can then be lifted clear of the basket 50.
  • the tool 51 may be disconnected from the tubular 52 by carrying out the same operation but in reverse.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Earth Drilling (AREA)
  • Branch Pipes, Bends, And The Like (AREA)
  • Coating Apparatus (AREA)
  • Lining Or Joining Of Plastics Or The Like (AREA)

Claims (5)

  1. Procédé d'accouplement d'un outil à une longueur de tube, le procédé comprenant les étapes ci-dessous:
    fixation de l'outil dans un panier;
    abaissement d'un dispositif de clé à tiges comportant une partie rotative et une partie stationnaire par rapport au panier pour engager des éléments de verrouillage respectifs du dispositif de clé à tiges et du panier, afin de fixer ainsi le panier et l'outil par rapport à la partie stationnaire du dispositif de clé à tiges; et
    rotation de la longueur de tube par l'intermédiaire de la partie rotative du dispositif de clé à tiges, pour accoupler ainsi l'outil à la longueur de tube.
  2. Dispositif permettant la fixation d'un outil à une longueur de tube de forage, le dispositif comprenant:
    un panier destiné à retenir fermement l'outil; et
    un dispositif de clé à tiges comportant une partie rotative et une partie stationnaire, la partie rotative servant en service à saisir et à faire tourner la longueur de tube;
       caractérisé par un premier moyen de verrouillage agencé sur le panier et un deuxième moyen de verrouillage agencé sur la partie stationnaire du dispositif de clé à tiges, les premier et deuxième moyens de verrouillage pouvant s'engager mutuellement pour fixer le panier par rapport à la partie stationnaire du dispositif de clé à tiges.
  3. Dispositif selon la revendication 2, dans lequel les premier et deuxième moyens de verrouillage peuvent s'engager et se dégager par l'intermédiaire d'un déplacement linéaire du dispositif de clé à tiges par rapport au panier.
  4. Dispositif selon les revendications 2 ou 3, dans lequel le panier est destiné à empêcher la rotation de l'outil dans le panier, de sorte qu'en service, la partie rotative du dispositif de clé à tiges peut servir à faire tourner la longueur du tube de forage pour assurer une connexion par vis entre la longueur du tube de forage et l'outil.
  5. Dispositif selon l'une quelconque des revendications 2 à 4, dans lequel l'un des premier et deuxième moyens de verrouillage comprend une ou plusieurs fentes, l'autre des premier et deuxième moyens de verrouillage comprenant un ou plusieurs éléments en saillie, les fentes et les éléments pouvant s'engager et se dégager par l'intermédiaire d'un déplacement linéaire relatif du dispositif de clé à tiges et du panier.
EP00976168A 1999-11-26 2000-11-17 Cle a tiges Expired - Lifetime EP1232323B1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP04103600A EP1475513B1 (fr) 1999-11-26 2000-11-17 Cle a tiges

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9927825 1999-11-26
GB9927825A GB2356591B (en) 1999-11-26 1999-11-26 Wrenching tong
PCT/GB2000/004383 WO2001038688A1 (fr) 1999-11-26 2000-11-17 Cle a tiges

Related Child Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP04103600A Division EP1475513B1 (fr) 1999-11-26 2000-11-17 Cle a tiges

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1232323A1 EP1232323A1 (fr) 2002-08-21
EP1232323B1 true EP1232323B1 (fr) 2004-10-13

Family

ID=10865094

Family Applications (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP04103600A Expired - Lifetime EP1475513B1 (fr) 1999-11-26 2000-11-17 Cle a tiges
EP00976168A Expired - Lifetime EP1232323B1 (fr) 1999-11-26 2000-11-17 Cle a tiges

Family Applications Before (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP04103600A Expired - Lifetime EP1475513B1 (fr) 1999-11-26 2000-11-17 Cle a tiges

Country Status (7)

Country Link
EP (2) EP1475513B1 (fr)
AU (1) AU772533B2 (fr)
CA (1) CA2389449C (fr)
DE (1) DE60014955D1 (fr)
GB (1) GB2356591B (fr)
NO (2) NO336474B1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2001038688A1 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102008012667A1 (de) 2008-03-05 2009-09-10 Volkswagen Ag Frontenmodul für ein Kraftfahrzeug sowie Verfahren zur Vormontage desselben

Families Citing this family (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6814149B2 (en) * 1999-11-26 2004-11-09 Weatherford/Lamb, Inc. Apparatus and method for positioning a tubular relative to a tong
US7114235B2 (en) 2002-09-12 2006-10-03 Weatherford/Lamb, Inc. Automated pipe joining system and method
WO2008022424A1 (fr) 2006-08-24 2008-02-28 Canrig Drilling Technology Ltd. Clé dynamométrique pour matériel tubulaire de champ de pétrole
CA2661394C (fr) 2006-08-24 2012-06-12 Canrig Drilling Technology Ltd. Cle dynamometrique pour materiel tubulaire de champ de petrole
CA2661405C (fr) 2006-08-25 2013-01-08 Canrig Drilling Technology Ltd. Procedes et appareils permettant l'etablissement automatise d'une cle dynamometrique pour champ de petrole aux fins de branchement et de debranchement de colonnes de tubage
WO2008028302A1 (fr) 2006-09-08 2008-03-13 Canrig Drilling Technology Ltd. Détection d'opérations d'insertion et d'extraction par rotation de tubulaires de forage pour le blocage et le déblocage de trains de tiges tubulaires
NO332054B1 (no) * 2008-06-05 2012-06-11 Norwegian Hard Rock Drilling As Anordning ved mekanisert skruenøkkel
WO2016074060A1 (fr) * 2014-11-13 2016-05-19 2056203 Ontario Inc. Ensemble clé à tuyau de forage pouvant être actionné de manière hydraulique
WO2016187702A1 (fr) * 2015-05-27 2016-12-01 Miva Engineering Ltd. Clé dynamométrique de vissage
US20170314349A1 (en) * 2016-04-29 2017-11-02 Tesco Corporation Top drive powered differential speed rotation system and method
NL2021418B1 (en) * 2018-08-03 2020-02-12 Itrec Bv Power Tong
CN109986491A (zh) * 2019-04-30 2019-07-09 山西建设投资集团有限公司 用于快速拆装的圆形扳手
CN114233217A (zh) * 2021-12-28 2022-03-25 江苏如东金友机械有限公司 一种磁力无压痕多用液压钳

Family Cites Families (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB638635A (en) * 1946-06-28 1950-06-14 Vladimir Edelberg Screwing and unscrewing tongs particularly for drilling-pipe and drilling-rod joints
US2566561A (en) * 1946-06-28 1951-09-04 Edelberg Vladimir Screwing and unscrewing tongs, particularly for drilling pipe joints
US3163221A (en) * 1961-01-03 1964-12-29 Shell Oil Co Underwater manipulator for wells
GB1100794A (en) * 1966-03-21 1968-01-24 Cicero Columbus Brown C O Brow Reversing tool for screwing-up and unscrewing well pipes
GB1215967A (en) * 1967-12-04 1970-12-16 Byron Jackson Inc Well pipe tongs
US4442892A (en) * 1982-08-16 1984-04-17 Domenico Delesandri Apparatus for stabbing and threading a safety valve into a well pipe
DE3234027C1 (de) * 1982-09-14 1984-01-19 Christensen, Inc., 84115 Salt Lake City, Utah Vorrichtung zum Kontern und Brechen von Gewindeverbindungen
US5092399A (en) * 1990-05-07 1992-03-03 Master Metalizing And Machining Inc. Apparatus for stabbing and threading a drill pipe safety valve
GB9205211D0 (en) * 1992-03-11 1992-04-22 Weatherford Lamb Automatic torque wrenching machine

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102008012667A1 (de) 2008-03-05 2009-09-10 Volkswagen Ag Frontenmodul für ein Kraftfahrzeug sowie Verfahren zur Vormontage desselben

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB2356591A (en) 2001-05-30
NO336474B1 (no) 2015-08-31
GB9927825D0 (en) 2000-01-26
EP1475513B1 (fr) 2008-07-16
CA2389449C (fr) 2007-08-07
GB2356591B (en) 2003-10-15
NO20021924D0 (no) 2002-04-24
WO2001038688A1 (fr) 2001-05-31
NO20021924L (no) 2002-07-03
CA2389449A1 (fr) 2001-05-31
EP1232323A1 (fr) 2002-08-21
AU772533B2 (en) 2004-04-29
DE60014955D1 (de) 2004-11-18
AU1404801A (en) 2001-06-04
EP1475513A1 (fr) 2004-11-10
NO20150916A1 (no) 2002-07-03

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