JPS6138089A - Weight compensation apparatus and its use - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to material handling apparatus and methods, and more particularly to handling of casings and tubular members of drilling strings of rotary drilling rigs.

In multiple drilling operations, especially deep high-pressure well drilling operations, one or more casing strings are provided to protect the borehole or formation. or whether you are in production casing, problems arise with handling these heavy casings. For example, in commercial operations, the rig may be able to handle heavy casing strings by using multiple turns of cable on moving blocks. This is suitable for lifting and suspending heavy cage/guest Vings, or in close proximity to the assembled casing string, allowing the rig operator to accurately position the next casing member to be lashed. Reduce rudder force.

Such positional inaccuracies make construction of the casing string more difficult and result in very frequent damage to the casing threads. For example, if a single mating pin connection is located too high above the suspended installation end of the assembled string, the threads will not lock. On the other hand, if this pin is too low,
The entire weight of a single caking member rests on the first thread of an assembled string, causing thread failure.

This necessitates removal of the damaged parts, causing costly delays in the assembly process. In addition, even if the casing bin does not initially break as a result of lowering the casing bin too much, once it rests on the assembled screw, the operator (stapper) should be careful to ensure that the casing bin is properly threaded. This creates operational difficulties in aligning the functions. Such misalignment is likely to result in failure of the canted thread fit or other threaded portion.

The present invention relates to an improved apparatus and method for handling casing and other tubular drilling strings, and is also applicable to handling other heavy materials in non-drilling chestnuts. The present invention provides an elevator type device that provides greater control to the rig personnel over the vertical movement of casings, particularly those attached to assembled casing strings.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved control system and method for vertical movement of heavy materials, such as those suspended from blocks. 'In particular, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved apparatus and method for controlling the vertical movement of casings connected to an assembled casing string.

Another object of the invention is to provide a weight compensated elevator for use in handling casing suspended from a moving block within a rotating drilling rig mast. The elevator includes a pair of nousing members and a bellows or similar device connected between the nousing members. In vertical balance, the bellows is provided with sufficient air pressure to assist in suspending the casing from the elevator. A device is provided for adjusting the pressure in the bellows by the rig personnel so that the casing can be moved vertically over short distances even though the casing eventually achieves weight balance. Improved control over the vertical movement of the casing allows rig personnel to begin connecting the casing to the MEX end with significantly reduced chances of thread failure.

Further objects, aspects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description of an embodiment shown in the drawings given for illustration, or such further objects, aspects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of an embodiment shown in the drawings given for illustration, or which may be obtained by carrying out the invention. You will be able to know by doing so.

The drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention, and together with the general description of the invention described above.

The gist of the present invention can be understood from the detailed description of the following examples.

The foregoing general description and the following detailed description are intended to be inclusive only; other aspects, advantages and features of the invention do not depart from the scope of the claims herein. would be readily suggested by those skilled in the art.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention will now be described. 1st
Figures 4 through 4 show that one assembled cage/guest ring has one casing member (or joint) attached to the next.
This figure shows the arrangement of a typical rotary drilling rig in the process of connecting.

When the casing is in use or connected in one assembled string and lowered into an already drilled hole, the rig uses a multi-wound drilling line 11 threaded around the pulleys of the moving block 10. by suspending the moving block from a fixed block (not shown).

It is arranged to handle extremely thick assembled casing strings. For a small string, 16
A large number of wraps, one or more times, are required. Main elevator 1 from support shafts 12a, 12b on moving block
3 was suspended, which is normally 907 in a sliding elevator.
The size is such that the total weight of the cage/dust ring can be lifted in excess of 2,000,000 ton (2,000,0001 b).

A small elevator 1 is connected below the main elevator 13 by a normal cable 14 and a swivel (not shown). i is suspended, and this elevator 15 has a size for raising and lowering a single joint or a certain length of casing 20, and is called a single joint elevator.

The single joint elevator 15 is approximately 4s4 and 9~9.
It is used to lift and lower a weight of 1 ton (l O (1-20,000Q)).

Once assembled and lowered into a great circle, the cage/guest ring 21 is suspended within the spider 16 mounted on the rig floor 17. Slip the spider 16 by grasping the uppermost member of the assembled thing 21 below the female threaded portion 22;
The female thread 22 is exposed for connection with the male thread 23 of the next casing 20 to be added to the string.

1st. As shown in FIG. 2, the single joint elevator 15 is pivoted to the next section of the casing 20 that is mounted directly below the internal thread 24. As shown in FIG. Separation device (not shown)
Using the drill operator, the single joint elevator 1
5 and the casing 20 into the mast.
The excavation line 11 is raised slightly. This lifting operation continues until the casing 20 of a predetermined length is positioned vertically above the spider 16, exposing the female threaded portion 22, as shown in FIG. In this process, the drilling crew then lowers a predetermined length of casing 20, and a rig handle (referred to as a floor handle) inserts the male threaded portion 23 into the female threaded portion 22 and rotates to achieve the connection. That will happen. Rotation and coupling are generally accomplished using a powered scissor assembly g118 as shown in FIG. The single joint elevator 15 is then disengaged, the king elevator 13 is engaged with the casing 20, the spider 16 is disengaged, and the assembled string 21 lowers a length of the casing 20 into the excavation valve. . At this point, the spider 16 is reset and the process is repeated until all of the predetermined length of casing has been completed.

Difficulties with this invention arise from positioning the length of casing 20 above the female threads 22 so that the excavator can thread the connection.

When multiple drilling lines are wound around the moving block 10, the vertical 2! of the casing 20! ! Dynamics - The excavator's ability to precisely control is diminished. Of course, proper positioning of the casing 20 is often not achieved when inexperienced drill and stub personnel are employed. As a result, if the external threaded portion 23 is not lowered sufficiently, the threads will not engage. Also, if the male threaded portion z3 is lowered too deeply, the weight of the casing 2o will be applied to the fitl male threaded portion, damaging one or both of the connected members. Similarly, when the threaded portion 23 is lowered onto the female threaded portion 22, the stub member is lowered onto the male threaded portion 22 because it is one piece of the casing 20 of a predetermined length.
It can be seen that it is difficult to properly fit 3 into the female thread mzz. This will also cause damage to the angled screw or other screws.

This problem is currently addressed by the use of springs in moving pulley mechanisms. Stiff springs are often ineffective when heavy strings are lifted. Furthermore, this spring does not perform well when a single joint is handled to solve M while this invention is encountered.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides an elevator type weight compensator 1 located between the main elevator 713 and the single joint elevator 15.

In this preferred embodiment, the weight compensator 1 is suspended from the bell 13g of the king elevator 13 by means of a cousol 14a, below which a single joint elevator 15 suspends a swaying cable 14. However, it will be appreciated that this invention may readily take many other forms, as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, but not necessarily limited to this.

A swivel (not shown) can also be arranged above or below the compensating device l of the invention, and its housing can be provided with a suitable coupling device. It can also be easily adapted to other material handling applications where it is desired that heavy equipment be suspended from a crane arm and that its vertical position be easily adjustable without hazard. Additionally in drilling rig operations, other components such as swivels or single-joint elevators are used.

It can be included within the body of the invention to provide a single useful tool.

In the preferred embodiment of the main parts shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 and particularly detailed in FIGS. 5 to 7, the compensator 1 of the invention comprises a lower housing member 30 and an upper housing member 31 has. Upper housing member 31 has a top wall 31a and a generally vertical, cylindrical side wall 31b extending below the top wall. The side wall 31b is provided with one or more 1111 wall openings 31c oriented to receive the lower housing member and to permit vertical movement of the lower housing member 30 within the upper housing member 31. In this preferred embodiment, the lower housing member 30 consists of connected support sections 30a, 30b. In this particular form, support members 30a, 30
b has an extension extending through the side wall opening 31c.

A bellows 40 is disposed between the lower housing part 30 and the top wall 31 & of the upper housing member 31. For the bellows 40, a commercially available air splash or air actuator may be used. When the bellows 40 is inflated (via an air supply source, not shown, connected to the air line 41),
The upper housing member 31 is lifted upward from the lower housing wing 30 by expansion of the bellows 40, as shown in FIG. When the air is removed, the bellows 40 contracts, lowering the upper housing member 31 as shown in FIG. This expansion and nitrogen removal can be carried out by manually pulling down the suspended casing 20 until the external thread 23 is in an appropriate position, as described in the operational description of the present invention. Twenty vertical positions can be selectively shaken.

A second preferred embodiment (not shown) uses a housing that also generally has a lower housing member and an upper housing member. In this alternative embodiment, the upper housing portion has a top wall and a bottom wall and a generally vertical side wall therebetween. Preferably, the upper and lower housing members are generally cylindrical, although this embodiment allows other geometries to be accommodated as well.

This alternative embodiment has an opening in the bottom wall of the lower housing member to accommodate the side walls of the upper housing member and to allow vertical movement of the top wall of the upper housing member within the lower housing member.

Bellows are attached to the top wall of the upper housing member and the bottom wall of the lower housing member. When the bellows expands, the top wall of the upper housing member is lifted upwardly by the expansion of the bellows until it reaches a level within the lower housing member at or near its underside.

Upon deflation, the bellows contracts and lowers the bottom wall of the upper housing member. Similar to the operation of the first embodiment, the contraction and expansion of the bellows in this modified embodiment is caused by the internal threaded portion 22.
The vertical position of the suspended casing 20 can be manually changed over a limited range by pulling the suspended casing 20 down until the internal threads 23 are aligned. In this variant embodiment, a mechanical stop can be arranged inside the lower housing member to provide a minimum height of the bellows when retracted.

In both of the embodiments described, coupling members are arranged in the housing part 30, 31 in order to attach the weight compensator 1 to the other S@ of the rig in the usual manner. A conventional pneumatic coupling also provides air for the bellows 40 and the compression of the rig is actuated by an air supply (not shown).

Similarly, conventional control circuitry (not shown) is used to manually apply and release air pressure within the bellows.

A pressure relief valve is preferably provided, the limits of which are determined by the characteristics of the particular bellows used and the desired handling characteristics as discussed below.

In operation, a sheep-length casing 20 is suspended within the mast. Pressure is applied to bellows 40 until the maximum pressure allowed by a relief valve (not shown) is reached.

This pressure is then manually adjusted f6''i by moving the rig hand downward until the appropriate pressure is reached. Suspended in an apparently weightless suspension condition, the casing 20 can be lowered relatively easily by hand by the rig personnel under the strong control provided by the present invention, so that the external threads are 23 and the threads of the female threads 22 are suitably aligned so that they can be connected without causing damage.Since the weight of the casing 20 of a predetermined length is approximately the same as the conventional casing, each new joint However, it is usually unnecessary to readjust the bellows pneumatic control device once the coulometric compensation has been adjusted to the weight of the casing being handled.
Once the handler has adjusted the Sleeve Reimbursement, there is no need to readjust it. The rig hand can raise or lower the casing 20 by increasing or decreasing the air pressure within the bellows 40.

The present invention provides a method for handling bulk materials such as casings. This method suspends the casing or other material in close proximity to its desired location. An upward force is applied to the vertical suspension device, the magnitude of which is sized to vertically counterbalance the suspended material, and the vertical suspension surface used has a bellows or similar structure within its housing. and similar equipment, whereby the casing,
Manually applying a downward vertical force to the vertical suspension system therefore allows limited adjustment of the vertical height of the nozzle.

This invention is extremely suitable for accomplishing that purpose. Furthermore, it is clear that other embodiments within the scope of the claims of the present invention can be easily implemented by those skilled in the art. For example, they can be arranged in series or in parallel and mounted in single or multiple housings.

It is also possible to connect a conventional weight detection and automatic adjustment device to the air pressure supply device to adjust the pressure in the bellows in response to the detected weight of the casing. Furthermore, while the embodiments described above used bellows, other embodiments could use mechanical springs and full pressure or even hydraulic cylinders for the same purpose, in the same manner, and to achieve the same results. When using this invention, the pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder is
For this purpose, a structure may be provided in which there is no need to separate the housing.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a portion of typical rotary drilling rig equipment employing an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. Front view of part of typical rotary drilling rig equipment,
FIG. 3 is a front view of the portion of the rig equipment shown previously with the bellows inflated and the casing suspended over the assembled casing string; FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a partially sectional front view of a preferred embodiment of the invention, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 5, and FIG.
7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 6. FIG. 1...Elimination compensation device 10...Movement block 1
1... Excavation line 13... Main elevator 14
... Caple 15 ... Single 5-item elevator 16 ... Spider 17 River rig Floor 18 ... Scissor device 2o ... Casing 21 ... - Casing strings 22, 24 ...・Female screw part 23・
...Male thread part 30...Lower housing member 31...Upper housing member 31a...Top
Wall 31b... side Wall 31c... opening 40
... Bellows patent transfer weather photo knee, varnish. Incorporated

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Facilitates handling of heavy members such as casings or other tubular drill string members by vertically balanced suspension of the casing or other tubular drill string members in a rotary drilling rig. A weight compensator comprising: a. a pair of housing members; b. one of the upper and lower ends movable in a vertical direction relative to the other, the upper end being connected to the first housing member and the lower end being a weight compensation member coupled to the second housing member to move one housing member vertically relative to the other housing member; c. attached to one housing member to move the housing member above the weight compensation member; a rig mounting member connected to the rig member; A weight compensating device, comprising: a tubular member mounting member for use in a weight compensating device. 2. The weight compensating device of claim 1, wherein the weight compensating member has the ability to selectively adjust the force required to move the upper and lower ends vertically relative to each other. 3. Claim 2, further comprising a force adjusting member coupled to the weight compensating member to selectively apply or adjust the force required to move the upper and lower ends of the weight compensating member in a relative vertical direction. Weight compensator as described. 4. The weight compensating device according to claim 2, wherein the weight compensating member comprises a bellows. 5. The weight compensator according to claim 4, further comprising a pressure relief member connected to the bellows to prevent the generation of air pressure within the bellows exceeding a predetermined limit value. 6. The coulometric compensator according to claim 4, further comprising a bellows pressure adjusting member connected to the bellows to selectively increase or decrease the air pressure within the bellows. 7. Connected to the bellows to determine the force exerted on the bellows by the weight of the casing or other tubular drill string member and to apply air pressure within the bellows vertically upwardly to the casing or string member to Weight sensing and sizing to properly balance string members vertically within the rig's mast
5. A weight compensator according to claim 4, comprising a self-adjusting member. 8. The weight compensating device according to claim 1, wherein the weight compensating member is a spring. 9. The weight compensating device according to claim 2, wherein the weight compensating member comprises an adjustable spring. 10. A weight compensator for facilitating the handling of heavy materials, such as casings or other tubular drill string members, by suspending the casing or other tubular drill string members in vertical equilibrium in a rotating rig, comprising: a. a lower housing member having an integrally formed extension; b. a top wall and a cylindrical side wall extending generally perpendicularly below the top wall, the side wall receiving the extension of the lower housing member; an upper housing member having an opening formed therein to permit vertical movement of the lower housing member; c. one of the upper and lower ends capable of vertical movement relative to the other; a weight compensating member connected to the lower side of the lower housing member, the lower end of which is connected to the lower housing member to move at least one housing member in a vertical direction relative to the other housing member; d, connected to one housing member; a rig attachment member for attaching the housing member to the rig member above the weight compensating member, e. A weight compensator comprising: a tubular member attachment member for attaching to another rig member below the weight compensator. 11. The weight compensating device according to claim 10, wherein the force required for the weight compensating member to move the upper end and the lower end relative to each other in the vertical direction can be selectively adjusted. 12. Claim 11 comprising a force adjusting member connected to the weight compensating member for selectively applying or adjusting the force required to cause the upper and lower ends of the weight compensating member to move vertically relative to each other. Weight compensator as described. 13. The weight compensation device according to claim 11, wherein the weight compensation member comprises a bellows. 14. The weight compensator of claim 13, further comprising a pressure relief member coupled to the bellows to prevent air pressure from building up in the bellows exceeding a predetermined limit. 15. The weight compensator according to claim 13, further comprising a bellows pressure adjusting member connected to the bellows to selectively increase or decrease the air pressure within the bellows. 16, coupled to the bellows to determine the force exerted on the bellows by the weight of the casing or other tubular drill string member, and to use air pressure within the bellows to exert a vertically upward force on the casing or string member; 14. The weight compensator of claim 13, further comprising a weight sensing, self-adjusting member for sizing the casing or string member for vertical balance within the mast of the rig. 17. Claim 1 in which the weight compensating member is a spring
Weight compensation device according to item 0. 18. The weight compensating device according to claim 11, wherein the weight compensating member comprises an adjustable spring. 19. The weight compensator of claim 10, wherein the rig mounting member is coupled to the lower housing member, suitable for mounting the lower housing member to a slip elevator. 20. The weight compensator of claim 10, wherein the tubular member mounting member is connected to the upper housing member and is suitable for mounting the upper housing member to a single joint elevator. 21. The weight compensator of claim 10, wherein the lower housing member includes an interconnected composite support member. 22. The weight compensator of claim 21, wherein the opening formed in the side wall of the upper housing member is configured to permit vertical movement of the lower housing member. 23. A weight compensator for facilitating the handling of heavy materials, such as casing or other tubular drill string members, by vertically suspending the casing or other tubular drill string members in a balanced weight condition in a rotary drilling rig. an upper housing member having a top wall, a bottom wall, and a substantially vertical side wall between the walls; and b. an upper housing base member having a top wall, a bottom wall, and a vertical side wall between the walls. c. a lower housing member having an opening in the bottom wall to permit vertical movement of the vertical side walls and the top wall of the upper housing member; c. a weight compensating member connected at its lower end to the interior of the bottom wall of the lower housing member, thereby permitting vertical movement of at least one housing member relative to the other housing member; d. one housing member; a rig attachment member connected to the other housing member for attaching the housing member to the rig member above the weight compensating member; e. A weight compensator comprising another tubular drill string member or a tubular member attachment member for attaching to another member. 24. The weight compensating device according to claim 23, wherein the force required to cause the weight compensating member to move its upper and lower ends relative to each other in a vertical direction can be selectively adjusted. 25. Claim 24, further comprising a force adjusting member coupled to the weight compensating member to selectively apply or adjust the force required to cause the upper and lower ends of the weight compensating member to move relative to each other in the vertical direction. Weight compensation device. 26. The weight compensation device according to claim 23, wherein the weight compensation member comprises a bellows. 27. The weight compensator of claim 26, further comprising a pressure relief valve coupled to the bellows to prevent air pressure within the bellows from exceeding a predetermined limit. 28. The weight compensator according to claim 26, further comprising a bellows pressure adjusting member connected to the bellows to selectively increase or decrease the air pressure within the bellows. 29, coupled to the bellows to determine the force exerted on the bellows by the weight of the casing or other tubular drill string member, and to balance the air pressure in the bellows vertically against the casing or string member within the rig mast. 27. The weight compensator of claim 26, further comprising a weight sensing and self-adjusting member that adjusts to an appropriate size to exert an upward vertical force on the casing or string member so as to suspend the string member. 30. Claim 2 in which the weight compensating member is a spring
The weight compensation device according to item 3. 31. The weight compensating device according to claim 24, wherein the weight compensating member comprises an adjustable spring. 32, a rig attachment member is coupled to the lower housing member;
24. A weight compensator as claimed in claim 23, adapted for attachment of the lower housing member to a slip elevator. 33. The weight compensator of claim 23, wherein the tubular member attachment member is connected to the upper housing member and adapted for attachment of the upper housing member to a single joint elevator. 34. The weight compensator of claim 23 including a stop member connected to one of the housing members for selectively limiting the range of vertical motion between the upper and lower housing members. 35. A weight compensator for facilitating handling of a casing or other tubular drill string member in a rotary drilling rig by suspending the casing or other tubular drill string member in vertical equilibrium, comprising: a a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder having a housing having a top wall and a bottom wall that are vertically movable relative to each other; b. a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder that is coupled to said cylinder for vertically movable relative to the cylinder top and bottom walls; c. a rig attachment member coupled to one wall of the housing to attach the housing wall to a rig member above the weight compensating member; d. a tubular member attachment member coupled to the other wall of the housing for attaching the housing wall to the casing or other tubular drill string member or other member to be handled below the weight compensating member; weight compensator. 36. A weight compensator for facilitating the handling of heavy materials by suspending them in vertical balance on a crane or other hoisting device, comprising: a. a pair of housing members; b. an upper end. and a lower end, at least one of the upper and lower ends being movable in a vertical direction relative to the other, the upper end being connected to the first housing member and the lower end being connected to the second housing member; a weight compensating member allowing vertical movement of the housing member relative to the other housing member; c. a hoisting machine attachment member coupled to one housing member for attaching the housing member to a crane or other hoisting device; d. the other. a material attachment member coupled to the housing member for attaching the housing member to the material being handled. 37. The weight compensation device of claim 36, wherein the weight compensation member has the ability to selectively adjust the force required for vertical relative movement of its upper and lower ends. 38. A force adjustment device coupled to the weight compensating member for selectively applying or adjusting the force required for vertical relative movement of the upper and lower ends of the means, according to claim 37. weight compensator. 39. The weight compensating device according to claim 37, wherein the weight compensating member comprises a bellows. 40. The weight compensator of claim 39, further comprising a pressure relief valve coupled to the bellows to prevent air pressure within the bellows from exceeding a predetermined value. 41. The weight compensator according to claim 39, further comprising a bellows pressure adjustment device coupled to the bellows to selectively increase or decrease air pressure within the bellows. 42, coupled to the bellows to determine the force exerted on the bellows by the weight of the material to be handled, and to adjust the air pressure within the bellows to a magnitude suitable for exerting an upward vertical force on the material to be handled; 40. A weight compensation system as claimed in claim 39, including a weight sensing and automatic adjustment system for suspending the material to be handled in vertical balance from a crane or other hoisting device. 43. Claim 3 in which the weight compensating member is a spring
Weight compensation device according to item 6. 44. The weight compensating device of claim 37, wherein the weight compensating member comprises an adjustable spring. 45. A weight compensating device for facilitating the handling of heavy materials by suspending them in vertical equilibrium from a crane or other hoisting device, comprising: a. a top wall vertically movable with respect to one another; a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder having a housing with a bottom wall; b. a pressure coupled to said cylinder to selectively apply or adjust the force required to cause relative vertical movement of the top and bottom walls of the cylinder; an adjustment device; c. a hoisting machine attachment member coupled to one wall of the housing for attaching the housing wall to a crane or other hoisting machine; d. a hoisting machine attachment member coupled to the other wall of the housing for attaching the housing wall to a crane or other hoisting machine; A weight compensator comprising a material attachment member attached to a material to be handled. 46. Threading or connecting heavy materials to similar materials;
or from the bowl of a crane, or vertical suspension equipment, or within the mast of a rotary drilling rig, such as a casing or other tubular drill string member, to position it to be acted upon in the desired manner. When handling heavy materials, a. connect the material to a vertical suspension; b. apply a vertical upward force to the vertical suspension, the magnitude of which is proportional to the downward force exerted by the weight of the material; c. move the material very close to the desired location and suspend it above the desired location; d. apply a downward vertical force to the vertical suspension; to bring the material into the precise desired position, said vertical suspension device comprising:
comprising a vertically adjustable bellows or similar device housed within a housing, wherein the downward vertical force of step d is applied to a portion of the bellows housing to adjust the vertical length of the housing. A method of using a weight compensator characterized by increasing and decreasing. 47. The application of the vertical downward force in step d is achieved by manually releasing the air pressure inside the bellows at a sufficiently slow rate so as to properly position the material without damaging it or other materials. 47. A method of using the weight compensator according to claim 46, which brings the weight compensator very close to the above. 48. Claim 46, wherein the vertical upward force of step b is achieved by increasing the air pressure within the bellows to a predetermined level limited by the action of a pressure relief mechanism coupled to the bellows. How to use the weight compensator described in section.