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
• • 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
  • E21B19/14—Racks, ramps, troughs or bins, for holding the lengths of rod singly or connected; Handling between storage place and borehole
  • E21B19/15—Racking of rods in horizontal position; Handling between horizontal and vertical position
  • E21B19/155—Handling between horizontal and vertical position
• • 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
  • E21B19/14—Racks, ramps, troughs or bins, for holding the lengths of rod singly or connected; Handling between storage place and borehole
  • E21B19/15—Racking of rods in horizontal position; Handling between horizontal and vertical position

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a pipe handling apparatus for supplying pipes to snubbing units.
• the apparatus is hydraulic with remote control and is adapted to supply pipes up to a height of 30 m, a height that can be reached by the most up-to-date snubbing systems used in the oil sector to operate with the well under pressure.
• the aim of the present invention is to solve the problems described above, by devising a pipe handling apparatus for supplying pipes to snubbing units that completely avoids the presence of hanging loads in the area of the extraction tower, producing a considerable increase in the safety of said area.
• an object of the invention is to devise a pipe handling apparatus for supplying pipes to snubbing units that is relatively simple to install and assemble.
• a further object of the invention is to devise a pipe handling apparatus for supplying pipes to snubbing units that can be controlled remotely, eliminating the presence of personnel in the affected area.
• Another object of the invention is to devise a pipe handling apparatus for supplying pipes to snubbing units that is relatively simple to transport.
• Another object of the invention is to devise a pipe handling apparatus for supplying pipes to snubbing units that is adapted for supplying substantially any type of pipe.
• Another object of the invention is to devise a pipe handling apparatus for supplying pipes to snubbing units that is particularly stable and therefore adapted for supplying pipes to the level of the snubbing unit with high precision, in order to deliver them correctly to the grip means of the snubbing unit.
• Another object of the invention is to devise a pipe handling apparatus for supplying pipes to snubbing units that is not sensitive to atmospheric agents, in particular is insensitive to wind and therefore adapted to operate even in the presence of wind (up to a speed of 72 km/h).
• a further object of the present invention is to provide a pipe handling apparatus for supplying pipes to snubbing units that has low costs, is relatively simple to provide in practice and is safe in application.
• a pipe handling apparatus for supplying pipes to snubbing units of the type that comprises a footing, located on a surface of a pipe yard, and a supporting structure, which is pivoted to said footing and defines a conveyance line for at least one pipe, respective means for grip and conveyance of at least one pipe being arranged at the lateral portions of said structure in order to transfer said pipe from the surface of the pipe yard to accommodation surface of said conveyance line, characterized in that said supporting structure comprises:
• a guiding frame which is pivoted to said footing;
• a slider which can slide along said guiding frame and is interposed substantially between said guiding frame and said footing, said slider defining, on the face directed toward said footing, said conveyance line for at least one pipe and comprising elements for gripping and retaining said pipe;
• a first actuator which is interposed between said footing and said guiding frame and is preset to rotate said guiding frame with respect to its axis for pivoting to said footing, said guiding frame being movable, by way of the action of said first actuator, from a configuration for picking up the pipes from the pipe yard surface, in which said slider is juxtaposed and parallel to said footing and is surmounted by said guiding frame, to a pipe delivery configuration, in which said guiding frame forms an angle with said footing that substantially corresponds to 90° ⁇ 10°;
• a second actuator which is interposed between said slider and said guiding frame, being preset for the translation of said slider with respect to said guiding frame, with consequent elongation of said supporting structure up to a length that is close to the sum of the lengths of said guiding frame and of said slider.
• Figure 1 is a side view of a pipe handling apparatus for supplying pipes to snubbing units, according to the invention, in the lowered configuration;
• Figure 2 is a front view of the apparatus of Figure 1 ;
• Figure 3 is a side view of the apparatus of Figure 1 in a partially raised configuration
• Figure 4 is a side view of the apparatus of Figure 1 in the raised configuration
• Figure 5 is a front view of the apparatus of Figure 1 in a different step of use.
• the numeral 1 generally designates a pipe handling apparatus for supplying pipes to snubbing units.
• the apparatus 1 comprises a footing 2, which is located on the surface C of the pipe yard A, and a supporting structure 3, which is hinged to the footing 2.
• the surface C of the pipe yard A corresponds to the area where the pipes A intended to be transferred to the snubbing unit B (arranged higher up) are stored; these pipes A are the ones through which the duct inside the well will be formed.
• the supporting structure 3 defines a conveyance line 4 intended for the transfer of at least one pipe A at a time from the level where the apparatus 1 is located (which corresponds substantially to the level of the yard C for collecting the pipes A) to the level where the pipes A can be handled by the snubbing unit B.
• the supporting structure 3 comprises a guiding frame 6, which is hinged to the footing 2, and a slider 7, which can slide along the guiding frame 6 and is interposed substantially between said guiding frame 6 and the footing 2.
• structure 3 references the assembly of the guiding frame 6 and of the slider 7.
• Said slider 7 defines, on the face 7b directed toward the footing 2, said conveyance line 4 for at least one pipe A and comprises elements 8 for gripping and retaining said pipe A.
• the retention elements 8 ensure the alignment of at least one pipe A with the conveyance line 4 throughout the handling step.
• the supporting structure 3 comprises a first actuator 9 that is interposed between the footing 2 and the guiding frame 6 and is intended to rotate said guiding frame 6 with respect to its axis for pivoting to the footing 2.
• Said structure 3, and therefore said guiding frame 6, can move, by way of the action of the first actuator 9, from a configuration for picking up the pipes A from the surface C of the pipe yard A, in which the slider 7 is juxtaposed and parallel to the footing 2 and is surmounted by the guiding frame 6, to a configuration for delivery of the pipes A, in which the structure 3 forms an angle with the footing 2 that corresponds substantially to 90° ⁇ 10°.
• the rotation of the structure 3 with respect to its axis of pivoting to the footing 2 is the first movement to which the pipe A is subjected during the operations for transferring it to the snubbing uni B.
• the supporting structure 3 also comprises a second actuator 10, which is interposed between the slider 7 and the guiding frame 6 and is intended for the translation of the slider 7 with respect to the guiding frame 6, with consequent elongation of the supporting structure 3 to a length that is proximate to the sum of the lengths of the guiding frame 6 and of the slider 7.
• the sliding of the slider 7 on the guiding frame 6 is the second movement to which the pipe A is subjected during the operations for its transfer to the snubbing unit B.
• the supporting structure 3 moves from a horizontal configuration to a vertical configuration.
• the sliding of the slider 7 with respect to the guiding frame 6, imposed by the second actuator 10, entails the lifting of the pipe A accommodated within the conveyance line 4 until it reaches the pickup height provided by the snubbing unit B.
• the free end of the slider 7 can be inclined so as to face and be proximate to the snubbing unit B (the distance between the free end of the slider 7 and the unit B can be on the order of a few centimeters).
• the grip and retention elements 8 of the at least one pipe A can comprise at least one arm 1 1 that is pivoted in a portion of the guiding frame 6.
• a first end to 12 of the arm 1 1 can be contoured and intended to accommodate the at least one pipe A.
• the arm 1 1 can have, for example, a predefined concavity that conforms to the diameter of the pipe A in order to facilitate its grip.
• the arm 1 1 can therefore be able to rotate, about its axis of pivoting to the guiding frame 6, from a lowered arrangement, in which said first end 12 is arranged below the footing 2 at the conveyance line 4, to a raised arrangement, in which the first end 1 2 is raised in order to keep the at least one pipe A in a position in which it faces and is proximate to the slider 7 at the conveyance line 4.
• the arm 1 1 initially picks up the at least one pipe A from the footing 2 and then, by rising, moves said pipe A to a position that faces and is proximate to the slider 7 at the conveyance line 4, keeping it in said position during all the various steps of handling until arrival at the operating level of S
• the arm 1 1 furthermore, can have a second end 13 that is controlled by a respective third actuator 14 that is interposed between the guiding frame 6 and the at least one arm 1 1 .
• the actuator 14 is therefore preset to move the second end 13 from a passive configuration, in which the first end 12 is arranged below the footing 2 at the conveyance line 4, to an active configuration, in which the first end 12 is raised in order to keep the at least one pipe A in a position that faces and is proximate to the slider 7 at the conveyance line 4.
• the arms 1 1 can be a plurality, arranged along the slider 7, thus constituting a fundamental safety element that prevents the accidental fall of the pipes A, eliminating the risk to which the operators who pass near the apparatus 1 are subjected.
• the arms 1 1 might be two in number, one arm 1 1 arranged in a substantially intermediate position of the guiding frame 6 (at the base of the pipe A) and the other one at its free end (at the top of the pipe A).
• the footing 2 can comprise a pre-lifting assembly 15 for the at least one pipe A that is aligned with the line 4.
• Said pre-lifting assembly 15 can be movable from a position in which it is substantially coplanar with the footing 2, to a position in which it is raised with respect to the footing 2 in order to allow the easy unloading of the at least one pipe A from the footing 2 to the pipe yard C in case of pipe extraction.
• Said assembly 1 5 can be constituted by a platform 15a, which by rising, for example, by means of respective pistons 15b, moves the pipe A to a position that is raised and inclined with respect to the footing 2, facilitating the rolling of the pipe A toward the grip and conveyance means 5 that will rest it on the pipe yard C.
• the slider 7 can comprise an auxiliary end bracket 16, which is mounted substantially in a cantilever manner with respect to a free end 17 of said slider 7 (which coincides with the end of the structure 3).
• Said bracket 1 6 can comprise optionally respective retention assemblies for at least one accommodated pipe A.
• the slider 7 can comprise a pusher 18, which is arranged on the face 7a thereof that is directed toward the footing 2 at the conveyance line 4, which accommodates the at least one pipe A.
• Said pusher 18 can comprise in turn a shoulder 19 for resting the bottom of the at least one pipe A, which can be retained below the slider 7.
• the shoulder 19 can slide along the slider 7 for the translation of the at least one pipe A in a configuration that protrudes from the slider 7 and from the auxiliary end bracket 16.
• the first actuator 9 can comprise a piston 20 that has a first end 21 that is pivoted proximate to the end of the footing 2 that is pivoted to the guiding frame 6, and a second end 22 that is pivoted in a substantially intermediate position to the guiding frame 6.
• the extension of the piston 20 therefore causes a mutual spacing of the two ends 21 and 22 of said piston 20, accordingly, of the guiding frame 6 from the footing 2, with respective rotation of the guiding frame 6 with respect to its pivoting point to the footing 2.
• the second actuator 10 can comprise a motor provided with a winding drum for a first traction element that is coupled to the slider 7.
• Said traction element can be of the type of a cable, a belt, a rope and the like.
• the motor and the winding drum are integral with the guiding frame 6; accordingly, the winding of the first traction element on the drum, by way of the action of the motor, causes the translation of the slider 7 on the guiding frame 6, with consequent elongation of the supporting structure 3 up to a length that is proximate to the sum of the lengths of the guiding frame 6 and of the slider 7.
• the second actuator 10 might comprise a motor provided with a movement pinion 23 for a second traction element 24 that is coupled to the slider 7.
• Said second traction element 24 can be the type of a toothed belt, a chain and the like.
• the motor and the movement pinion 23 are integral with the guiding frame 6 and therefore the winding of the second traction element 24 on the pinion 23 by way of the action of the motor causes the translation of the slider 7 on the guiding frame 6, with consequent elongation of the supporting structure 3 up to a length that is proximate to the sum of the lengths of the guiding frame 6 and of the slider 7.
• the elongation of the slider 7 with respect to the guiding frame 6 can in any case be obtained in a different manner with respect to what has been described above.
• a fluid-operated cylinder which is integral with the guiding frame 6) to the end of which a cable is connected which in turn is integral with the slider 7.
• a variation of the length of the fluid-operated cylinder 10 causes a variation of the mutual position of the slider 7 and of the guiding frame 6, with consequent sliding of the slider 7 on the guiding frame 6.
• the arrangement of the pulleys and of the loads is that of a tackle (or hoist) and it is therefore possible to reduce the force that must be applied by the fluid-operated cylinder 10 in order to move the slider 7 (even when the at least one pipe A is accommodated thereon).
• the guiding frame 6 and the slider 7 can have a length of no more than 13.5 meters, in accordance with the maximum dimensions that can be transported with road vehicles, so that they can be transported on roads.
• the entire apparatus 1 can be transported by using trucks, without having to resort to exceptional transports, allowing rapid delivery thereof in any area reached by a road.
• bracket 16 can have a length of no more than 8 m, preferably comprised between 2 and 4 m.
• Said bracket 16 can be coupled detachably to the slider 7 by way of coupling elements such as screws, bolts, pivots, interlocking elements, pins and the like.
• Said removable coupling allows to mount the bracket 16 on the slider 7 exclusively when the entire apparatus 1 has already been provided and therefore has already been unloaded from the truck, ensuring that the maximum dimensions of the slider 7, which conform to the prescriptions of applicable statutory provisions on transports, are not modified in any way.
• the grip and conveyance means 5 of at least one pipe A can comprise respective lateral tracks, which are associated functionally with the footing 2 and are provided with protruding movable supporting tabs for at least one pipe A.
• the grip and conveyance means 5 for at least one pipe A can comprise respective movable lateral walkways 25, which are hinged to the footing 2 and are provided with a terminal cradle 26 for supporting at least one pipe A.
• the walkways 25 are lowered, with the cradle 26 arranged proximate to the pipes A.
• the walkways 25 are instead raised from the surface C for the delivery of the at least one pipe A to the grip and retention elements 8.
• the walkways 25 can be lowered arid raised by means of a fourth actuator 25a, for example of the type of a hydraulic piston.
• the apparatus 1 In practice, the apparatus 1 , once the pipe A has been positioned footing 2, automatically positions it, by way of the grip and retention elements 8, at the conveyance line 4 and then the movements of the apparatus 1 (i.e., the rotation of the supporting structure 3 with respect to the footing 2, the sliding of the slider 7 with respect to the guiding frame 6 and the stroke of the pusher 18) allow consequently to transfer the pipe A (or pipes A) to the height at which the snubbing unit B will be able to pick them up for their use.
• the movements of the apparatus 1 i.e., the rotation of the supporting structure 3 with respect to the footing 2, the sliding of the slider 7 with respect to the guiding frame 6 and the stroke of the pusher 18
• the footing 2 can comprise internally all the motors, the control and management units, the pumps and any transceiver units in order to allow the remote control of the entire apparatus 1.
• the footing 2 can comprise at least one hydraulic circuit constituted by at least one tank for the working fluid, at least one pump for conveying the fluid and a plurality of ducts for the interconnection of the pump to the respective user devices, of the type of the at least one first actuator 9, the second actuator 10, the third actuator 14, the pusher 1 8 and the optional fourth actuator 25a.
• the footing 2 can also comprise, at one of its ends, a removable head 27 for increasing the stability of the apparatus 1 .
• Said removable head 27 allows to increase the length of the apparatus 1 and therefore its stability (in particular when the guiding frame 6 is in the raised configuration) exclusively when it has already been installed and therefore has already been unloaded from the truck, ensuring that its maximum dimensions are not modified in any way and comply with applicable statutory provisions regarding transport.
• the presence of the removable head 27 allows to increase the length of the footing 2 and therefore the resting surface for the at least one pipe A, preventing the portion of the at least one pipe A that cantilevers out from the footing 2 from being such as to compromise the stability of said pipe A during the step of delivery of the at least one pipe A to the grip and retention elements 8, or during the step for unloading the at least one pipe A from the footing 2 to the pipe yard C in case of extraction of the pipes A.
• the footing 2 can comprise anchoring means, arranged at one of its ends, for detachable coupling to the snubbing unit B, with consequent increase in the stability of the apparatus 1 .
• the footing 2 can have, at its end that is pivoted to the structure 3, at least one ring for the fixing of an element for connection to the platform B such as a chain, a cable, a belt, a bar and the like.
• the hydraulic lines are usually rigid, preferably made of steel, allowing a reduction of installation times (they do not need to be connected/disconnected at each assembly/disassembly of the apparatus 1 but are in a mutual arrangement that is adapted for operation and also allows easy transport) and the reduction of the risk of contamination of the work oil with dirt and sand during connections (rigid pipes are less subject to ruptures and/or leaks).
• the present invention solves the problems described earlier, providing an apparatus 1 for handling pipes A for supplying pipes A to snubbing units that avoids completely the presence of hanging loads in the area of the snubbing unit B, causing a considerable increase in the safety of said area.
• the pipes A during their aerial transfer, are in fact always kept on the conveyance line 4, clamped by the grip and retention elements 5, and rest their lower end on the shoulder 19 of the pusher 1 8.
• the apparatus 1 is simple to assemble, since it can be unloaded from the truck on which it was transported already in the configuration for use; it is optionally necessary to assemble additionally only the bracket 16.
• the pipe handling apparatus 1 for supplying pipes to snubbing units can be controlled remotely, eliminating the presence of personnel in the affected area.
• the apparatus 1 can be transported simply since, as shown earlier, the assembly of the footing 2 and the structure 3 is shorter than the maximum length that can be transported on a truck and therefore can be simply loaded thereon without the need for any specific preliminary operation.
• the apparatus 1 is adapted for the handling of substantially any type of pipe, since the conveyance line 4 is shaped to accommodate pipes A of any diameter (in compliance with the requirements of use of snubbing units B).
• the apparatus for handling pipes A for supplying pipes A to snubbing units is particularly stable and is therefore adapted to supply the pipes A to the level of the snubbing unit B with high precision in order to deliver them correctly to the grip means of said snubbing unit.
• the pipes A are retained on the conveyance line 4 by way of the retention elements 8 and therefore their arrangement is extremely precise, in compliance with the requirements of the grip means of the snubbing unit B.
• the presence of the removable head 27 allows a further increase in the stability of the apparatus 1 .
• the apparatus 1 can be manufactured at substantially low costs and is relatively simple to provide in practice and safe in application.
• the present invention is ideally suited to be associated with snubbing units, i.e., extraction towers, that are very tall and have a small footprint.
• snubbing units i.e., extraction towers
• These units normally use cranes for supplying the pipes A: the apparatus 1 according to the invention is therefore substantially the only existing device that is adapted to facilitate the operations for supplying the pipes A to this type of unit, further increasing significantly the safety of the operators who are in the vicinity of said extraction towers.
• the materials used, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Geology (AREA)
• Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
• General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
• Load-Engaging Elements For Cranes (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=53785680

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (2)

Family Cites Families (13)

• 2015
  • 2015-03-30 EP EP15747846.2A patent/EP3332082A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2015-03-30 US US15/767,636 patent/US20180298703A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2015-03-30 WO PCT/IT2015/000085 patent/WO2016157222A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2015-03-30 CA CA3006223A patent/CA3006223A1/en not_active Abandoned

Non-Patent Citations (2)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events