US20140262517A1 - Drilling rig for drilling from underground tunnels - Google Patents
Drilling rig for drilling from underground tunnels Download PDFInfo
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- US20140262517A1 US20140262517A1 US14/207,985 US201414207985A US2014262517A1 US 20140262517 A1 US20140262517 A1 US 20140262517A1 US 201414207985 A US201414207985 A US 201414207985A US 2014262517 A1 US2014262517 A1 US 2014262517A1
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Images
Classifications
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- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP 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
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B7/00—Special methods or apparatus for drilling
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP 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
- E21B19/08—Apparatus for feeding the rods or cables; Apparatus for increasing or decreasing the pressure on the drilling tool; Apparatus for counterbalancing the weight of the rods
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP 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
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
- E21B43/30—Specific pattern of wells, e.g. optimizing the spacing of wells
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B7/00—Special methods or apparatus for drilling
- E21B7/02—Drilling rigs characterized by means for land transport with their own drive, e.g. skid mounting or wheel mounting
- E21B7/024—Drilling rigs characterized by means for land transport with their own drive, e.g. skid mounting or wheel mounting having means for adapting to inclined terrain; having means for stabilizing the vehicle while drilling
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
- E21C—MINING OR QUARRYING
- E21C41/00—Methods of underground or surface mining; Layouts therefor
- E21C41/16—Methods of underground mining; Layouts therefor
- E21C41/24—Methods of underground mining; Layouts therefor for oil-bearing deposits
Definitions
- Embodiments described herein relate generally to systems and methods for accessing and producing subsurface hydrocarbons. More particularly, Embodiments described herein relate to automated drilling rigs for accessing and producing subsurface hydrocarbons from an underground tunnel.
- the bit In drilling a borehole into an earthen formation, such as for the recovery of hydrocarbons or minerals from a subsurface reservoir, it is conventional to erect a large drilling oil rig at the surface, connect a drill bit onto the lower end of a “drill string,” and then rotate the drill bit with weight-on-bit (WOB) applied to drill the borehole along a predetermined path toward the subsurface reservoir.
- WOB weight-on-bit
- the bit may be rotated by means of either a “rotary table” or a “top drive” associated with a drilling rig and/or a downhole motor incorporated into the drillstring adjacent to the bit.
- a drilling fluid also referred to as “drilling mud” or simply “mud,” is pumped under pressure from the surface down the drill string, out the face of the drill bit into the borehole bottom, and then back up to the surface through the annular space (“wellbore annulus”) between the drill string and the borehole sidewall.
- the drilling fluid performs several functions such as carrying formation cuttings to the surface, cooling the drill bit, and forming a protective cake on the borehole wall (to stabilize and seal the borehole wall).
- the drilling fluid returned to the surface is conditioned by removing the formation cuttings and entrained gases, and then re-circulated down the drill string.
- Heavy oil deposits in remote locations provide relatively new and untapped sources of hydrocarbons.
- the harsh conditions as well as the environmental sensitivity of many such locations present challenges to conventional surface drilling and production operations. For example, extreme temperatures over extended periods of time can be hard on surface equipment and personnel.
- obtaining governmental approval and drilling permits in many locations can be difficult.
- Such governmental approval and permitting issues are further exasperated by the fact that the recovery of heavy oil deposits typically requires a relatively high well density, and many state laws require removal of an existing drilling pad before a new drilling pad may be put in place.
- a potential solution to these challenges is to place a drilling rig below ground.
- conventional drilling rigs are simply too large to be placed within an underground or subterranean tunnel while maintaining realistic costs.
- a rig for drilling a borehole from an underground tunnel comprises a base assembly.
- the rig comprises a drilling assembly mounted to the base assembly.
- the rig comprises an upper frame assembly mounted to the drilling assembly above the base assembly.
- the rig comprises a support hood coupled to the drilling assembly and positioned above the upper frame assembly. The support hood is configured to bear against a ceiling of the tunnel during drilling operations.
- a rig for drilling a borehole from an underground tunnel comprises a base assembly.
- the rig comprises a drilling assembly mounted to the base assembly.
- the rig comprises an upper frame assembly.
- the rig comprises a pipe handling assembly mounted to the drilling assembly and a track assembly positioned above the pipe handling assembly.
- the track assembly is configured to deliver pipe joints to the pipe handling assembly during drilling operations.
- the method comprises supplying a plurality of pipe joints to a drilling rig.
- the method comprises gripping a first pipe joint with a pipe handling assembly, and coupling the first pipe joint to a drill string with the pipe handling assembly.
- the method comprises applying a vertical load to the drill string.
- the method comprises bearing against a ceiling of the tunnel while applying the vertical load to the drill string.
- Embodiments described herein comprise a combination of features and advantages intended to address various shortcomings associated with certain prior devices, systems, and methods.
- the foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood.
- the various characteristics described above, as well as other features, will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description, and by referring to the accompanying drawings. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the specific embodiments disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of an embodiment of a subterranean drilling system including an automated modular underground drilling rig disposed in a subterranean tunnel in accordance with the principles disclosed herein;
- FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view of the underground drilling rig of FIG. 1 disposed within the subterranean tunnel;
- FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the underground drilling rig of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 4 is a side view of the underground drilling rig of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the base assembly of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 6 is a schematic top view of the clamping assembly mounted to the base assembly of FIG. 5 ;
- FIG. 7 is a side view of the base assembly and the drilling assembly of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the base assembly and the drilling assembly of FIG. 7 ;
- FIG. 9 is an enlarged partial front perspective view of the base assembly and the drilling assembly of FIG. 7 ;
- FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the upper frame assembly of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view along section 11 - 11 of FIG. 4 ;
- FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a pipe carriage in accordance with the principles disclosed herein for delivering drilling pipe joints to the underground drilling rig of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the pipe handling assembly of FIG. 1 ;
- FIGS. 14-18 are sequential schematic top views of the pipe carriage of FIG. 12 moving along the track assembly of the underground drilling rig of FIG. 1 to deliver drilling pipe joints to the pipe handling assembly of FIG. 13 ;
- FIGS. 19-21 are sequential schematic side views illustrating an embodiment of a method in accordance with the principles disclosed herein for delivering and installing the underground drilling rig of FIG. 1 .
- the terms “including” and “comprising” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean “including, but not limited to . . . .”
- the term “couple” or “couples” is intended to mean either an indirect or direct connection. Thus, if a first device couples to a second device, that connection may be through a direct connection, or through an indirect connection via other devices, components, and connections.
- the terms “axial” and “axially” generally mean along or parallel to a central axis (e.g., central axis of a body or a port), while the terms “radial” and “radially” generally mean perpendicular to the central axis.
- an axial distance refers to a distance measured along or parallel to the central axis
- a radial distance means a distance measured perpendicular to the central axis
- system 10 includes a first or upper operating tunnel 12 and a second or lower operating tunnel 14 .
- Each tunnel 12 , 14 has a roof or ceiling 12 a, 14 a, respectively, and a floor 12 b, 14 b, respectively.
- a plurality of laterally spaced, parallel bores or conduits 60 extend vertically between tunnels 12 , 14 .
- Each conduit 60 has a central or longitudinal axis 65 , a first or upper end 60 a at floor 12 b of upper tunnel 12 , and a second or lower end 60 b at ceiling 14 a of lower tunnel 14 .
- each conduit 60 that is not being used for drilling operations is preferably closed off or plugged (e.g., with a steel cap) to reduce the risk of equipment or personnel falling therein.
- Axes 65 and hence conduits 60 , are vertically oriented and spaced apart a horizontal distance D 60 preferably between 40.0 and 50.0 ft.
- each conduit 60 is insulated and has a diameter preferably between 20.0 and 24.0 in.
- An automated modular underground drilling rig 100 is disposed in upper tunnel 12 over one conduit 60 .
- a blowout preventer 40 (“BOP 40 ”) is disposed in lower tunnel 14 below rig 100 and the associated conduit 60 .
- a drill string 32 formed from a plurality of drill pipe sections or joints connected together end-to-end extends from rig 100 , through conduit 60 and BOP 40 , and into the earthen formation 8 below lower operating tunnel 14 .
- a drill bit is connected to the lower end of drill string 32 .
- Rig 100 applies WOB and rotates the drill bit via drill string 32 to drill a borehole 30 into formation 8 along a predetermined trajectory.
- Rig 100 can also be employed to trip drill string 32 out of borehole 30 following drilling operations.
- a rail system 20 including a track 21 and one or more cars 22 is provided in each tunnel 12 , 14 .
- Each track 21 is disposed on the floor 12 b, 14 b of the corresponding tunnel 12 , 14 , and extends the entire length of the corresponding tunnel 12 , 14 .
- Cars 22 are moveably disposed on tracks 21 such that they can roll along the length of tracks 21 .
- systems 20 may also be referred to as a “lower” or “floor” rail systems 20 .
- a rail system 80 including a pair of laterally-spaced tracks 81 (note: only one track 81 is visible in FIG. 1 ) is provided in upper operating tunnel 12 .
- Tracks 81 are disposed proximate ceiling 12 a and extend along the length of tunnel 12 . Because rail system 80 is generally disposed along ceiling 12 a, system 80 may also be referred to as an “upper” or “ceiling” rail system 80 . As will be described in more detail below, ceiling rail system 80 supports a plurality of pipe carriages 180 that move along tracks 81 to deliver drill pipe joints to rig 100 during drilling operations and take drill pipe joints from rig 100 during tripping operations. In this embodiment, rail systems 20 , 80 are automated to minimize human intervention in drilling and tripping operations. For example, rail systems 20 , 80 can be electrically powered, and monitored and controlled in tunnels 12 , 14 from a remote location.
- Rig 100 has a central axis 105 substantially aligned with axis 65 during drilling and tripping operations, and includes a base assembly 120 , a drilling assembly 140 mounted to base assembly 120 , an upper frame assembly 160 positioned atop drilling assembly 140 , a bearing or support hood 220 supported by upper frame assembly 160 , and a pipe handling assembly 190 positioned adjacent the drilling assembly 140 .
- bearing hood 220 is braced against ceiling 12 a of tunnel 12 during drilling operations.
- Base assembly 120 , drilling assembly 140 , frame assembly 160 , hood 220 , and pipe handling assembly 190 will each be described in turn.
- Base assembly 120 generally supports rig 100 along floor 12 b.
- base assembly 120 includes a base or trolley 126 , a rig floor 124 pivotally coupled to trolley 126 , a plurality of positioning assemblies 130 positioned about the perimeter of trolley 126 , and a clamping system 114 mounted to rig floor 124 .
- Trolley 126 is generally rectangular in shape and has a first or front end 126 a, a second or rear end 126 b, and lateral sides 126 c, 126 d extending between ends 126 a, 126 b.
- a vertical central axis 125 is oriented perpendicular to trolley 126 and extends through the center of trolley 126 .
- Each end 126 a, 126 b of trolley 126 is provided with a pair of wheels or rollers 122 and a coupling 133 to facilitate the movement of rig 100 through tunnel 12 along rail system 20 .
- rollers 122 are positioned to roll along track 21 of upper tunnel 12 and couplings 133 provide robust connection points at which base assembly 120 can be pushed or pulled along track 21 .
- Rig floor 124 is pivotally coupled to trolley 126 with a pair of hinges 137 extending therebetween proximal rear end 126 b. Thus, floor 124 can rotate relative to trolley 126 about a horizontal axis extending between hinges 137 . As will be described in more detail below, rotation of floor 124 allows rig 100 to traverse through portions of tunnel 12 having a vertical height less than the overall height of rig 100 when fully assembled and erected as shown in FIG. 3 . Rig floor 124 includes a cover plate 127 having a central drilling hole 129 and a plurality of mounting apertures 123 disposed about central aperture 129 . As will be described in more detail below, drilling hole 129 provides a path for pipe joints and drill string 32 to be run into and out of conduit 60 and borehole 30 during drilling and tripping operations, and drilling assembly 140 is mounted to base assembly 120 via mounting holes 123 .
- a positioning assembly 130 is disposed at each corner of rectangular trolley 126 and function to secure and maintain the position of base assembly 120 and drilling rig 100 within tunnel 12 during drilling and tripping operations.
- each positioning assembly 130 includes an actuator 132 , a housing 134 rigidly mounted to trolley 126 , a screw jack 138 extending downward from housing 134 , and a foot 136 mounted to the lower end of screw jack 138 .
- Actuator 132 extends from housing 134 and is coupled to screw jack 138 .
- actuator 132 rotates screw jack 138 to vertically raise and lower foot 136 relative to housing 134 , trolley 126 and tunnel floor 12 b.
- screw jacks 138 are extended downward until feet 136 engage tunnel floor 12 b and lift rollers 122 from track 21 .
- screw jacks 138 are lifted upward until rollers 122 engage track 21 and feet 136 disengage floor 12 b.
- clamping system 114 is attached to drilling rig floor 124 below plate 127 and is generally disposed about drilling hole 129 .
- clamping system 114 has a vertical central axis 115 coaxially aligned with axis 125 of trolley 126 , an upper clamp assembly 116 and a lower clamp assembly 118 positioned immediately below upper clamp assembly 116 .
- Upper clamp assembly 116 includes a pair of radially opposed clamping members 116 a, 116 b configured to be moved radially inward and outward relative to axis 115
- lower clamp assembly 118 includes a pair of radially opposed clamping members 118 a, 118 b configured to be moved radially inward and outward relative to axis 115
- upper clamp assembly 116 can pivot or rotate about axis 115 relative to lower clamp assembly 118 .
- lower clamp assembly 118 grips the uphole end of drillstring 32 while a new pipe joint is threaded into the uphole end to increase the length of drillstring 32 .
- lower clamp assembly 118 continues to grip the uphole end and prevent its rotation while upper clamp assembly 116 moves into engagement with lower end of the new pipe joint, grips, and applies rotational torque to the new pipe joint.
- lower clamp assembly 118 grips drillstring 32 immediately below the threaded connection between two pipe joints in drill string 32 to be broken and prevents rotation of drill string 32 below that connection while upper clamp assembly 116 moves into engagement with drill string 32 immediately above the connection, grips and applies rotational torque to break the connection between assemblies 116 , 118 .
- Examples of clamp assemblies that can be used for clamp assembly 114 are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 61/783,859, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
- drilling assembly 140 is shown mounted to base assembly 120 .
- Drilling assembly 140 provides rotational torque to drill string 32 and WOB during drilling operations to drill borehole 30 .
- drilling assembly 140 includes a first pair of vertical support posts 142 , a second pair of vertical support posts 148 , a plurality of diagonal support members 144 , a pair of linear actuators 146 , and a drilling carriage 150 .
- Each post 142 is oriented parallel to axis 105 , and has a first or upper end 142 a secured to upper frame assembly 160 , and a second or lower end 142 b secured within one hole 123 in drilling floor 124 (see also FIG. 5 ).
- each post 148 is oriented parallel to axis 105 , and has a first or upper end 148 a secured to upper frame assembly 160 and a second or lower end 148 b secured to drilling floor 124 .
- Each support member 144 has a first or upper end 144 a pinned to upper frame assembly 160 with a connection pin 149 a and a second or lower end 144 b pinned to trolley 126 with a connection pin 143 .
- two support members 144 extend upward from lateral side 126 c of trolley 126 (see also FIG. 5 ) and taper towards each other to form a truss support, while the other two members 144 extend upward from lateral side 126 d of trolley 126 and taper towards each other to form a truss support.
- each linear actuator 146 is oriented parallel to axis 105 and has a first or upper end 146 a, a second or lower end 146 b, a post section 146 c extending axially from the upper end 146 a, and a sleeve section 146 d disposed about the post section 146 c.
- Sleeve section 146 d extends axially up and down relative to the corresponding post section 146 d.
- Upper ends 146 a are secured to upper frame assembly 160 and lower ends 146 b are secured within holes 123 in drilling floor 124 (see also FIG. 5 ).
- Drilling carriage 150 includes a body 152 and a top drive 154 mounted to body 152 .
- Body 152 is provided with a first pair of through bores 158 extending axially therethrough and a second pair of through bores 156 extending axially therethrough.
- Support posts 142 are slidingly received within the first pair of bores 158 , and sleeve sections 146 d are secured within the second pair of bores 156 .
- body 152 is translated axially up and down and is guided by posts 142 .
- Top drive 154 is configured to receive an upper end of a drill pipe joint (a single joint or joint disposed at the upper end of drill string 32 ) and rotate the drill pipe joint about axis 105 , thereby facilitating the makeup or breakup of threaded joints or rotating the drill bit at the lower end of string 32 .
- Upper frame assembly 160 functions as an upper support and bracing structure for the modular underground drilling rig 100 and serves to interconnect tracks 81 with rig 100 .
- upper frame assembly 160 has a central axis 165 and includes a frame member or plate 162 and a pipe carriage track assembly 170 coupled to the plate 162 .
- Frame assembly 160 is symmetric about axis 165 , which is oriented perpendicular to and intersects axis 105 .
- Plate 162 has a first or front end 162 a, a second or rear end 162 b, and lateral sides 162 c, 162 d disposed on opposite sides of axis 165 .
- plate 162 includes a front section 167 extending from end 162 a and a rear section 163 extending from section 167 to rear end 162 b.
- Front section 167 includes a first pair of vertical through bores 164 and a second pair of vertical through bores 166 .
- Upper ends 142 a of posts 142 are secured within bores 164 and upper ends 146 a of actuators 146 are secured within bores 166 (see also FIG. 8 ).
- upper end 146 a of each linear actuator 146 extends through one hole 166 and is secured therein with a tie head 147 that extends axially upward from front section 167 .
- Upper frame assembly 160 further includes a plurality of screw jacks 169 .
- a total of three screw jacks are included—two screw jacks 169 disposed on the front section 167 on opposing sides of the axis 165 and one screw jack 169 disposed on the rear section 163 substantially along the axis 165 .
- Each of the screw jacks 169 are coupled to a motor 169 a, which is configured to force each screw jack 169 to rotate, thereby either extending or retracting each screw jack 169 axially with respect to the axis 105 .
- screw jacks 169 are coupled to the hood 220 , which is braced against the ceiling 12 a of a tunnel 12 .
- screw jacks 169 allow for enhanced adjustability of the height of hood 220 within a subterranean tunnel (e.g., tunnel 12 ) in addition to the screw jacks 138 disposed on trolley 126 of base assembly 120 , previously described. Further, as will also be described in more detail below, screw jacks 169 transfer reactive forces from the drill bit, through drill string 32 and rig 100 to ceiling 12 a of tunnel 12 via hood 220 to rigidly brace rig 100 during drilling operations.
- a central through bore 168 extends axially through section 167 of plate 162 and is coaxially aligned with the axis 105 .
- Bore 168 is sized and positioned to receive top drive 154 when carriage 150 is disposed in its uppermost position (see also FIG. 9 ).
- Rear section 163 includes a pair of apertures or holes 161 .
- Upper ends 148 a of support posts 148 are secured within holes 161 (see also FIG. 8 ).
- a pipe carriage positioning mechanism 177 is mounted to rear section 163 and includes a gear or toothed sprocket 179 positioned on the underside of plate 162 and a motor (not shown) to rotate sprocket 179 about a vertical axis 177 a.
- sprocket 179 engages mating teeth 183 provided on an upper frame member 184 of a pipe carriage 180 to: (a) position the carriage 180 such that a pipe joint 34 carried by carriage 180 can be supplied to pipe handling assembly 190 during drilling operations, and (b) position the carriage 180 such that a pipe joint 34 removed from drill string 32 can be placed on carriage 180 with pipe handling assembly 190 during tripping operations.
- track assembly 170 facilitates the movement of carriages 180 to and from rig 100 .
- track assembly 170 includes an arcuate rail or track 172 and a pair of switches 174 coupled to track 172 .
- Track 172 has a generally semi-circular section 171 with ends 171 a, 171 b, and a pair of S-shaped transition sections 173 ; one transitions section 173 extends from each end 171 a, 171 b .
- Section 171 is centered on axis 165 in bottom view ( FIG. 11 ) and extends around positioning mechanism 177 .
- Each transition section 173 has a first end 173 a coupled to one switch 174 and a second end 173 b contiguous with a corresponding end 171 a, 171 b of section 171 .
- each switch 174 includes a rectangular housing 175 and a track selector sled 176 moveably disposed within housing 175 .
- Housing 175 has a first or laterally outer end 175 a, a second or laterally inner end 175 b, and two support members 175 c extending between the ends 175 a, b .
- Ends 175 a, 175 b are referred to herein as an “outer” and “inner” because they are arranged distal and proximal axis 165 , respectively.
- Sled 176 supports a straight track section 176 a and an arcuate track section 176 b.
- Sled 176 is moved laterally inward and outward between ends 175 a, 175 b to position either track section 176 a or track section 176 b into alignment with a corresponding track 81 of ceiling track system 80 (see also FIG. 1 ).
- carriages 180 cannot be transferred between tracks 81 , 172 ; however, when track section 176 b is aligned with a corresponding track 81 , carriages 180 can be transferred between tracks 81 , 172 .
- any suitable mechanism known in the art can be used to move sled 176 relative to housing 175 including, without limitation, a hydraulic actuator, an electric motor, etc.
- the movement of sled 176 to selectively align track sections 176 a, 176 b with track 81 is preferably automated to minimize human intervention.
- pipe carriage 180 moves along tracks 81 to deliver drill pipe joints 34 to rig 100 during drilling operations and take drill pipe joints from rig 100 during tripping operations (see also FIG. 1 ).
- Each carriage 180 supports a plurality of elongate cylindrical pipe joints 34 in vertical orientations. Pipe joints 34 are added to drill string 32 to lengthen drill string 32 during drilling operations, and removed from drill string 32 to shorten drill string 32 during tripping operations.
- Each pipe joint 34 has a first or upper end 34 a comprising an internally threaded box end, a second or lower end 34 b comprising an externally threaded pin end, a cylindrical outer surface 34 c extending between ends 34 a, 34 b, and a throughbore 34 d extending between the ends 34 a, 34 b.
- Each pipe carriage 180 includes a frame 182 and a pair of supports 187 extending upward from frame 182 .
- Frame 182 has a vertical central axis 185 , a first or upper end 182 a, and a second or lower end 182 b.
- An arc-shaped horizontal frame member 184 is disposed at upper end 182 a, an arc-shaped horizontal frame member 186 disposed at lower end 182 b, and a pair of elongate supports 188 extending vertically between members 184 , 186 .
- Upper frame member 184 has a uniform radius of curvature equal to the radius of curvature of semi-circular section 171 and includes a plurality of circumferentially-spaced teeth 183 along its radially inner concave side and a plurality of circumferentially-spaced receptacles 189 along its radially outer convex side.
- Each receptacle 189 is sized and shaped to mate and engage one pipe joint 34 proximal its upper end 34 a.
- teeth 183 are sized to mate and engage with sprocket 179 .
- Members 187 extend axially upward from upper frame member 184 . The upper end of each member 187 is coupled to track 81 , 172 by a roller or other means that allows carriage 180 to be controllably moved thereon.
- lower frame member 186 is oriented parallel to upper frame member 184 and also has a uniform radius of curvature equal to the radius of curvature of semi-circular section 171 .
- lower frame member 186 includes a plurality of circumferentially-spaced cylindrical recesses 181 extending axially from the top surface of frame member 186 .
- Each recess 181 in lower frame member 186 is substantially coaxially aligned with one receptacle 189 of upper frame member 184 .
- each recess 181 is sized and shaped to receive lower end 34 b of one pipe joint 34 seated in a corresponding receptacle 189 .
- Pipe handling assembly 190 transfers pipe joints 34 between carriage 180 and rig 100 , as well as initiates the threading/unthreading of pipe joints 34 to the upper end of drill string 32 during drilling/tripping operations, respectively.
- pipe handling assembly 190 includes a pipe manipulator 192 and a mounting assembly 200 coupling manipulator 192 to posts 148 .
- Manipulator 192 includes a body or housing 194 and a pipe handling arm 196 extending from housing 194 .
- Arm 196 is extended and retracted from housing 194 with an actuator 198 mounted to housing 194 .
- actuator 198 can be any suitable device for extending and retracting arm 196 including, without limitation, an electric motor, a hydraulic motor, or the like.
- Housing 194 has a horizontal central axis 195 , a first end 194 a, a second end 194 b, and a receptacle 194 c extending axially from end 194 b.
- First end 194 a is positioned proximal central axis 105 of rig 100 and second end 194 b is positioned distal axis 105 , and thus, ends 194 a, 194 b may be referred to herein as “inner” and “outer”, respectively, relative to axis 105 .
- Arm 196 includes an elongate body 199 extending from housing 194 and a curved claw or finger 191 moveably coupled to end 199 a of body 199 distal housing 194 .
- curved finger 191 has a first end 191 a pivotally coupled to end 199 a and a second end 191 b opposite end 191 a.
- Finger 191 generally extends across end 199 a of body 199 , thereby defining a bay or receptacle 193 therebetween.
- finger 191 is configured to pivot about end 191 a to grasp and release drill pipe joints 34 , as well as accommodate drill pipe joints 34 having different outer diameters. As best shown in FIG.
- a vertical roller 197 a is rotatably mounted to end 191 b of finger 191 and another vertical roller 197 b is rotatably mounted to end 199 a of body 199 generally opposite roller 197 a.
- a third roller 197 c is rotatably mounted to finger 191 , between the ends 191 a, b and adjacent the roller 197 a (note: the roller 197 c is shown in FIG. 13 with hidden lines).
- rotation of roller 197 b is powered with an actuator 201 mounted to body 199 , however, rollers 197 a, 197 c are not driven and are free to rotate in either direction.
- a pipe joint 34 is received within receptacle 193 and engaged by rollers 197 a, 197 b, 197 c.
- Roller 197 b is then rotated with actuator 201 to rotate pipe joint 34 disposed between rollers 197 a, 197 b, 197 c to thread/unthread a threaded connection between the pipe joint 34 and the drillstring 32 .
- actuator 201 can be any suitable device for rotating roller 197 b including, without limitation, an electric motor, a hydraulic motor, or the like.
- mounting assembly 200 moveably couples pipe manipulator 192 to posts 148 .
- Mounting assembly 200 includes a pair of guide collars 202 mounted to housing 194 and disposed about posts 148 . Collars 202 slidingly engage posts 148 as mounting assembly 200 , and hence pipe manipulator 192 moves vertically up and down along posts 148 .
- Such vertical movement of pipe manipulator 192 is controlled by an actuator 212 coupled to housing 194 .
- actuator 212 rotates an externally threaded vertical shaft 208 coupled to rig floor 124 with a support post 210 .
- actuator 212 can comprise any suitable device for rotating shaft 208 including, without limitation, a hydraulic actuator, an electric motor, etc.
- carriages 180 deliver pipe joints 34 to rig 100 (see also FIG. 1 ); pipe handling assembly 190 removes a joint 34 from carriage 180 , positions the joint 34 in line with the upper end of drill string 32 , and threads the lower end of the pipe joint 34 into drill string 32 .
- Clamping system 114 then completes the makeup and preloading of the threaded connections between pipe joint 34 and drill string 32 as previously described.
- top drive 154 engages the upper end of lengthened drill string (i.e., the upper end of pipe joint 34 added to the drill string 32 ) either before or after actuation of clamping system 114 .
- top drive 154 rotates drill string 32 while applying WOB to advance the drill bit at the lower end of drill string 32 along a predetermined trajectory. This process is repeated with additional pipe joints 34 to drill borehole 30 . It should be appreciated that this process is performed in reverse to trip drill string 32 out of borehole 30 .
- Pipe joints 34 are delivered to rig 100 using carriages 180 , tracks 81 , and track assembly 170 .
- carriage 180 is shown bypassing rig 100 ; in FIGS. 16 and 17 , carriage 180 is shown delivering pipe joints 34 to drilling rig 100 ; and in FIG. 18 , carriage 180 is shown being positioned along track assembly 170 with sprocket 179 to align one pipe joint 34 with pipe handling assembly 190 .
- pipe joints 34 are loaded on carriage 180 , and carriage 180 moves along track 81 in tunnel 12 toward rig 100 .
- the position of switch 174 determines whether carriage 180 is directed to rig 100 or bypasses rig 100 . As shown in FIGS.
- carriage 180 continues along track 81 and passes track assembly 170 , thereby bypassing rig 100 .
- carriage 180 is directed onto track assembly 170 .
- carriage 180 continues along track assembly 170 until sprocket 179 of rig 100 engages teeth 183 of carriage 180 , thereby allowing sprocket 179 to fine tune the position of carriage 180 to align pipe joints 34 (one at a time) with pipe handling assembly 190 .
- sprocket 179 aligns one pipe joint 34 with pipe handling assembly 190 .
- actuator 198 actuates to extend arm 199 and finger 191 is actuated to open receptacle 193 to receive the aligned pipe joint 34 therein.
- finger 191 is actuated to grasp the pipe joint 34 with rollers 197 a, 197 c.
- Actuator 198 then continues to extend arm 199 to align the pipe joint 34 with drilling hole 129 in rig floor 124 .
- roller 197 b is rotated to drive the rotation of the drill pipe joint 34 about axis 105 and pipe handling assembly 190 is lowered with actuator 212 to initiate the threading of the lower end 34 b of the pipe joint 34 into the upper end of drill string 32 .
- Clamping assembly 114 completes the makeup, thereby incorporating pipe joint 34 into drill string 32 .
- Drilling carriage 150 is then lowered until top drive 154 engages upper end 34 a of the pipe joint 34 .
- top drive 154 drives the rotation of pipe joint 34 as actuators 146 urge carriage 150 downward, thereby applying WOB and rotating the drill bit with drill string 32 to lengthen borehole 30 .
- linear actuators 146 urge carriage 150 , drill string 32 , and the drill bit downward, upward reactive forces are transferred to the surrounding formation by engagement of hood 220 and ceiling 12 a of tunnel 12 to effectively braces rig 100 within tunnel 12 .
- FIGS. 19-21 illustrate the transport of rig 100 to a drilling site through a portion of tunnel 12 having a height less than the assembled height of rig 100 , and the subsequent installation rig 100 at the drilling site.
- rig floor 124 is pivoted via hinges 137 away from trolley 126 , thereby rotating upper frame assembly 160 towards the floor 12 b and decreasing the overall height of rig 100 .
- This enables rig 100 to pass through sections of tunnel 12 having a height less than the height of the fully deployed rig 100 .
- feet 136 are raised from floor 12 b and wheels 122 roll along tracks 21 .
- drill rig floor 124 is rotated about the hinges 137 onto trolley 126 resulting in upper frame assembly 160 being rotated to a vertical, deployed position.
- a cut out or recess 13 is provided along ceiling 12 a at the drill site to provide sufficient space for upper frame assembly 160 to be rotated to a vertical position.
- feet 136 are lowered into engagement with floor 12 b and base assembly 120 is lifted upward to disengage wheels 122 from tracks 21 .
- drilling assembly 140 , support hood 220 , and track assembly 170 are coupled to upper frame assembly 160 and the pipe handling assembly 190 is coupled to posts 148 .
- the vertical spacing between hood 220 and ceiling 12 a may then be adjusted until hood 220 contacts and engages ceiling 12 a, thereby effectively bracing rig 100 within tunnel 12 .
- modular drilling rig 100 can be used to drill a borehole from a subterranean tunnel.
- a tunnel e.g., tunnel 12
- personnel and equipment are protected from harsh weather conditions at the surface, and the footprint of drilling operations at the surface is significantly decreased.
- rig 100 is preferably fully automated to minimize human intervention and associated risk in underground operations. For example, actions such as the delivery of pipe joints 34 , the makeup and/or break up of connections between pipe joints 34 and drill string 32 , the application of WOB by carriage 150 , and application of rotational torque by top drive 154 are all preferably automated processes that are monitored and controlled by a remote control system.
Abstract
A rig for drilling a borehole from an underground tunnel includes a base assembly, a drilling assembly mounted to the base assembly, an upper frame assembly mounted to the drilling assembly above the base assembly, and a support hood coupled to the drilling assembly and positioned above the upper frame assembly. The support hood is configured to bear against a ceiling of the tunnel during drilling operations.
Description
- This application claims benefit of U.S. provisional application Serial No. 61/784,199, filed Mar. 14, 2013, and entitled “Drilling Rig for Drilling from Underground Tunnels,” which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
- Not applicable.
- Embodiments described herein relate generally to systems and methods for accessing and producing subsurface hydrocarbons. More particularly, Embodiments described herein relate to automated drilling rigs for accessing and producing subsurface hydrocarbons from an underground tunnel.
- In drilling a borehole into an earthen formation, such as for the recovery of hydrocarbons or minerals from a subsurface reservoir, it is conventional to erect a large drilling oil rig at the surface, connect a drill bit onto the lower end of a “drill string,” and then rotate the drill bit with weight-on-bit (WOB) applied to drill the borehole along a predetermined path toward the subsurface reservoir. In general, the bit may be rotated by means of either a “rotary table” or a “top drive” associated with a drilling rig and/or a downhole motor incorporated into the drillstring adjacent to the bit. During the drilling process, a drilling fluid, also referred to as “drilling mud” or simply “mud,” is pumped under pressure from the surface down the drill string, out the face of the drill bit into the borehole bottom, and then back up to the surface through the annular space (“wellbore annulus”) between the drill string and the borehole sidewall. The drilling fluid performs several functions such as carrying formation cuttings to the surface, cooling the drill bit, and forming a protective cake on the borehole wall (to stabilize and seal the borehole wall). The drilling fluid returned to the surface is conditioned by removing the formation cuttings and entrained gases, and then re-circulated down the drill string.
- Heavy oil deposits in remote locations provide relatively new and untapped sources of hydrocarbons. However, the harsh conditions as well as the environmental sensitivity of many such locations present challenges to conventional surface drilling and production operations. For example, extreme temperatures over extended periods of time can be hard on surface equipment and personnel. In addition, because the relatively large surface footprint of conventional drilling rigs and associated equipment, as well as noise generated by such rigs and equipment, may have negative impacts on sensitive environments, obtaining governmental approval and drilling permits in many locations can be difficult. Such governmental approval and permitting issues are further exasperated by the fact that the recovery of heavy oil deposits typically requires a relatively high well density, and many state laws require removal of an existing drilling pad before a new drilling pad may be put in place. A potential solution to these challenges is to place a drilling rig below ground. However, conventional drilling rigs are simply too large to be placed within an underground or subterranean tunnel while maintaining realistic costs.
- These and other needs in the art are addressed in one embodiment by a rig for drilling a borehole from an underground tunnel. In an embodiment, the rig comprises a base assembly. In addition, the rig comprises a drilling assembly mounted to the base assembly. Further, the rig comprises an upper frame assembly mounted to the drilling assembly above the base assembly. Still further, the rig comprises a support hood coupled to the drilling assembly and positioned above the upper frame assembly. The support hood is configured to bear against a ceiling of the tunnel during drilling operations.
- These and other needs in the art are addressed in another embodiment by a rig for drilling a borehole from an underground tunnel. In an embodiment, the rig comprises a base assembly. In addition, the rig comprises a drilling assembly mounted to the base assembly. Further, the rig comprises an upper frame assembly. Still further, the rig comprises a pipe handling assembly mounted to the drilling assembly and a track assembly positioned above the pipe handling assembly. The track assembly is configured to deliver pipe joints to the pipe handling assembly during drilling operations.
- These and other needs in the art are addressed in still another embodiment by a method of drilling a borehole from an underground tunnel. In an embodiment, the method comprises supplying a plurality of pipe joints to a drilling rig. In addition, the method comprises gripping a first pipe joint with a pipe handling assembly, and coupling the first pipe joint to a drill string with the pipe handling assembly. Further, the method comprises applying a vertical load to the drill string. Still further, the method comprises bearing against a ceiling of the tunnel while applying the vertical load to the drill string.
- Embodiments described herein comprise a combination of features and advantages intended to address various shortcomings associated with certain prior devices, systems, and methods. The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. The various characteristics described above, as well as other features, will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description, and by referring to the accompanying drawings. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and the specific embodiments disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
- For a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:
-
FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of an embodiment of a subterranean drilling system including an automated modular underground drilling rig disposed in a subterranean tunnel in accordance with the principles disclosed herein; -
FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view of the underground drilling rig ofFIG. 1 disposed within the subterranean tunnel; -
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the underground drilling rig ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 4 is a side view of the underground drilling rig ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the base assembly ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 6 is a schematic top view of the clamping assembly mounted to the base assembly ofFIG. 5 ; -
FIG. 7 is a side view of the base assembly and the drilling assembly ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the base assembly and the drilling assembly ofFIG. 7 ; -
FIG. 9 is an enlarged partial front perspective view of the base assembly and the drilling assembly ofFIG. 7 ; -
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the upper frame assembly ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view along section 11-11 ofFIG. 4 ; -
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a pipe carriage in accordance with the principles disclosed herein for delivering drilling pipe joints to the underground drilling rig ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the pipe handling assembly ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIGS. 14-18 are sequential schematic top views of the pipe carriage ofFIG. 12 moving along the track assembly of the underground drilling rig ofFIG. 1 to deliver drilling pipe joints to the pipe handling assembly ofFIG. 13 ; and -
FIGS. 19-21 are sequential schematic side views illustrating an embodiment of a method in accordance with the principles disclosed herein for delivering and installing the underground drilling rig ofFIG. 1 . - The following discussion is directed to various exemplary embodiments. However, one skilled in the art will understand that the examples disclosed herein have broad application, and that the discussion of any embodiment is meant only to be exemplary of that embodiment, and not intended to suggest that the scope of the disclosure, including the claims, is limited to that embodiment.
- Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not function. The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale. Certain features and components herein may be shown exaggerated in scale or in somewhat schematic form and some details of conventional elements may not be shown in interest of clarity and conciseness.
- In the following discussion and in the claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean “including, but not limited to . . . .” Also, the term “couple” or “couples” is intended to mean either an indirect or direct connection. Thus, if a first device couples to a second device, that connection may be through a direct connection, or through an indirect connection via other devices, components, and connections. In addition, as used herein, the terms “axial” and “axially” generally mean along or parallel to a central axis (e.g., central axis of a body or a port), while the terms “radial” and “radially” generally mean perpendicular to the central axis. For instance, an axial distance refers to a distance measured along or parallel to the central axis, and a radial distance means a distance measured perpendicular to the central axis. Any reference to up or down in the description and the claims will be made for purposes of clarity, with “up,” “upper,” “upwardly,” or “upstream” meaning toward the surface of the borehole and with “down,” “lower,” “downwardly,” or “downstream” meaning toward the terminal end of the borehole, regardless of the borehole orientation.
- Referring now to
FIG. 1 , a subterranean orunderground drilling system 10 is shown. In this embodiment,system 10 includes a first orupper operating tunnel 12 and a second orlower operating tunnel 14. Eachtunnel ceiling floor conduits 60 extend vertically betweentunnels conduit 60 has a central orlongitudinal axis 65, a first orupper end 60 a atfloor 12 b ofupper tunnel 12, and a second orlower end 60 b atceiling 14 a oflower tunnel 14. Upper ends 60 a of eachconduit 60 that is not being used for drilling operations is preferably closed off or plugged (e.g., with a steel cap) to reduce the risk of equipment or personnel falling therein.Axes 65, and henceconduits 60, are vertically oriented and spaced apart a horizontal distance D60 preferably between 40.0 and 50.0 ft. In addition, eachconduit 60 is insulated and has a diameter preferably between 20.0 and 24.0 in. - An automated modular
underground drilling rig 100 is disposed inupper tunnel 12 over oneconduit 60. A blowout preventer 40 (“BOP 40”) is disposed inlower tunnel 14 belowrig 100 and the associatedconduit 60. Adrill string 32 formed from a plurality of drill pipe sections or joints connected together end-to-end extends fromrig 100, throughconduit 60 andBOP 40, and into theearthen formation 8 belowlower operating tunnel 14. A drill bit is connected to the lower end ofdrill string 32.Rig 100 applies WOB and rotates the drill bit viadrill string 32 to drill a borehole 30 intoformation 8 along a predetermined trajectory. Rig 100 can also be employed totrip drill string 32 out ofborehole 30 following drilling operations. - A
rail system 20 including atrack 21 and one ormore cars 22 is provided in eachtunnel track 21 is disposed on thefloor tunnel tunnel Cars 22 are moveably disposed ontracks 21 such that they can roll along the length oftracks 21. Becauserail systems 20 are generally disposed along thefloor tunnels systems 20 may also be referred to as a “lower” or “floor”rail systems 20. In addition, arail system 80 including a pair of laterally-spaced tracks 81 (note: only onetrack 81 is visible inFIG. 1 ) is provided inupper operating tunnel 12.Tracks 81 are disposedproximate ceiling 12 a and extend along the length oftunnel 12. Becauserail system 80 is generally disposed alongceiling 12 a,system 80 may also be referred to as an “upper” or “ceiling”rail system 80. As will be described in more detail below,ceiling rail system 80 supports a plurality ofpipe carriages 180 that move along tracks 81 to deliver drill pipe joints to rig 100 during drilling operations and take drill pipe joints fromrig 100 during tripping operations. In this embodiment,rail systems rail systems tunnels - Referring now to
FIGS. 2-4 , automated modularunderground drilling rig 100 is shown.Rig 100 has acentral axis 105 substantially aligned withaxis 65 during drilling and tripping operations, and includes abase assembly 120, adrilling assembly 140 mounted tobase assembly 120, anupper frame assembly 160 positioned atopdrilling assembly 140, a bearing orsupport hood 220 supported byupper frame assembly 160, and apipe handling assembly 190 positioned adjacent thedrilling assembly 140. As will be described in more detail below, bearinghood 220 is braced againstceiling 12 a oftunnel 12 during drilling operations.Base assembly 120,drilling assembly 140,frame assembly 160,hood 220, andpipe handling assembly 190 will each be described in turn. - Referring now to
FIG. 5 ,base assembly 120 is shown.Base assembly 120 generally supportsrig 100 alongfloor 12 b. In this embodiment,base assembly 120 includes a base ortrolley 126, arig floor 124 pivotally coupled totrolley 126, a plurality ofpositioning assemblies 130 positioned about the perimeter oftrolley 126, and aclamping system 114 mounted to rigfloor 124.Trolley 126 is generally rectangular in shape and has a first orfront end 126 a, a second orrear end 126 b, andlateral sides ends trolley 126 and extends through the center oftrolley 126. Eachend trolley 126 is provided with a pair of wheels orrollers 122 and acoupling 133 to facilitate the movement ofrig 100 throughtunnel 12 alongrail system 20. In particular,rollers 122 are positioned to roll alongtrack 21 ofupper tunnel 12 andcouplings 133 provide robust connection points at whichbase assembly 120 can be pushed or pulled alongtrack 21. -
Rig floor 124 is pivotally coupled totrolley 126 with a pair ofhinges 137 extending therebetween proximalrear end 126 b. Thus,floor 124 can rotate relative totrolley 126 about a horizontal axis extending between hinges 137. As will be described in more detail below, rotation offloor 124 allowsrig 100 to traverse through portions oftunnel 12 having a vertical height less than the overall height ofrig 100 when fully assembled and erected as shown inFIG. 3 .Rig floor 124 includes acover plate 127 having acentral drilling hole 129 and a plurality of mountingapertures 123 disposed aboutcentral aperture 129. As will be described in more detail below,drilling hole 129 provides a path for pipe joints anddrill string 32 to be run into and out ofconduit 60 andborehole 30 during drilling and tripping operations, anddrilling assembly 140 is mounted tobase assembly 120 via mountingholes 123. - A
positioning assembly 130 is disposed at each corner ofrectangular trolley 126 and function to secure and maintain the position ofbase assembly 120 anddrilling rig 100 withintunnel 12 during drilling and tripping operations. In this embodiment, eachpositioning assembly 130 includes anactuator 132, ahousing 134 rigidly mounted totrolley 126, ascrew jack 138 extending downward fromhousing 134, and afoot 136 mounted to the lower end ofscrew jack 138.Actuator 132 extends fromhousing 134 and is coupled to screwjack 138. In particular,actuator 132 rotatesscrew jack 138 to vertically raise andlower foot 136 relative tohousing 134,trolley 126 andtunnel floor 12 b. To securetrolley 126 and rig 100 in position during drilling and tripping operations,screw jacks 138 are extended downward untilfeet 136 engagetunnel floor 12 b and liftrollers 122 fromtrack 21. To enable movement oftrolley 126 and rig 100 alongtrack 21,screw jacks 138 are lifted upward untilrollers 122 engagetrack 21 andfeet 136disengage floor 12 b. - Referring now to
FIGS. 5 and 6 ,clamping system 114 is attached todrilling rig floor 124 belowplate 127 and is generally disposed aboutdrilling hole 129. In this embodiment, clampingsystem 114 has a verticalcentral axis 115 coaxially aligned with axis 125 oftrolley 126, anupper clamp assembly 116 and alower clamp assembly 118 positioned immediately belowupper clamp assembly 116.Upper clamp assembly 116 includes a pair of radially opposed clampingmembers axis 115, andlower clamp assembly 118 includes a pair of radially opposed clampingmembers axis 115. In addition,upper clamp assembly 116 can pivot or rotate aboutaxis 115 relative to lowerclamp assembly 118. In general, during threaded joint makeup operations (i.e., during drilling operations),lower clamp assembly 118 grips the uphole end ofdrillstring 32 while a new pipe joint is threaded into the uphole end to increase the length ofdrillstring 32. To sufficiently tighten and pre-load the threaded connection between the drillstring 32 and the new pipe joint,lower clamp assembly 118 continues to grip the uphole end and prevent its rotation whileupper clamp assembly 116 moves into engagement with lower end of the new pipe joint, grips, and applies rotational torque to the new pipe joint. Conversely, during threaded joint breaking operations (during tripping operations),lower clamp assembly 118 grips drillstring 32 immediately below the threaded connection between two pipe joints indrill string 32 to be broken and prevents rotation ofdrill string 32 below that connection whileupper clamp assembly 116 moves into engagement withdrill string 32 immediately above the connection, grips and applies rotational torque to break the connection betweenassemblies clamp assembly 114 are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 61/783,859, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. - Referring now to
FIGS. 7-9 ,drilling assembly 140 is shown mounted tobase assembly 120.Drilling assembly 140 provides rotational torque to drillstring 32 and WOB during drilling operations to drillborehole 30. In this embodiment,drilling assembly 140 includes a first pair of vertical support posts 142, a second pair of vertical support posts 148, a plurality ofdiagonal support members 144, a pair oflinear actuators 146, and adrilling carriage 150. Eachpost 142 is oriented parallel toaxis 105, and has a first orupper end 142 a secured toupper frame assembly 160, and a second orlower end 142 b secured within onehole 123 in drilling floor 124 (see alsoFIG. 5 ). Similarly, eachpost 148 is oriented parallel toaxis 105, and has a first orupper end 148 a secured toupper frame assembly 160 and a second orlower end 148 b secured todrilling floor 124. Eachsupport member 144 has a first orupper end 144 a pinned toupper frame assembly 160 with aconnection pin 149 a and a second orlower end 144 b pinned totrolley 126 with aconnection pin 143. In this embodiment, twosupport members 144 extend upward fromlateral side 126 c of trolley 126 (see alsoFIG. 5 ) and taper towards each other to form a truss support, while the other twomembers 144 extend upward fromlateral side 126 d oftrolley 126 and taper towards each other to form a truss support. - Referring still to
FIGS. 7-9 , eachlinear actuator 146 is oriented parallel toaxis 105 and has a first orupper end 146 a, a second orlower end 146 b, apost section 146 c extending axially from theupper end 146 a, and asleeve section 146 d disposed about thepost section 146 c.Sleeve section 146 d extends axially up and down relative to thecorresponding post section 146 d. Upper ends 146 a are secured toupper frame assembly 160 and lower ends 146 b are secured withinholes 123 in drilling floor 124 (see alsoFIG. 5 ). -
Drilling carriage 150 includes abody 152 and atop drive 154 mounted tobody 152.Body 152 is provided with a first pair of throughbores 158 extending axially therethrough and a second pair of throughbores 156 extending axially therethrough. Support posts 142 are slidingly received within the first pair ofbores 158, andsleeve sections 146 d are secured within the second pair ofbores 156. Thus, asactuators 146move sleeve sections 146 d axially up and down,body 152 is translated axially up and down and is guided byposts 142.Top drive 154 is configured to receive an upper end of a drill pipe joint (a single joint or joint disposed at the upper end of drill string 32) and rotate the drill pipe joint aboutaxis 105, thereby facilitating the makeup or breakup of threaded joints or rotating the drill bit at the lower end ofstring 32. - Referring now to
FIGS. 10 and 11 ,upper frame assembly 160 is shown.Upper frame assembly 160 functions as an upper support and bracing structure for the modularunderground drilling rig 100 and serves to interconnecttracks 81 withrig 100. In this embodiment,upper frame assembly 160 has acentral axis 165 and includes a frame member orplate 162 and a pipecarriage track assembly 170 coupled to theplate 162.Frame assembly 160 is symmetric aboutaxis 165, which is oriented perpendicular to and intersectsaxis 105.Plate 162 has a first orfront end 162 a, a second orrear end 162 b, andlateral sides axis 165. In addition,plate 162 includes afront section 167 extending fromend 162 a and arear section 163 extending fromsection 167 torear end 162 b.Front section 167 includes a first pair of vertical throughbores 164 and a second pair of vertical throughbores 166. Upper ends 142 a ofposts 142 are secured withinbores 164 andupper ends 146 a ofactuators 146 are secured within bores 166 (see alsoFIG. 8 ). In particular,upper end 146 a of eachlinear actuator 146 extends through onehole 166 and is secured therein with atie head 147 that extends axially upward fromfront section 167. -
Upper frame assembly 160 further includes a plurality of screw jacks 169. In this embodiment, a total of three screw jacks are included—twoscrew jacks 169 disposed on thefront section 167 on opposing sides of theaxis 165 and onescrew jack 169 disposed on therear section 163 substantially along theaxis 165. Each of thescrew jacks 169 are coupled to amotor 169 a, which is configured to force eachscrew jack 169 to rotate, thereby either extending or retracting eachscrew jack 169 axially with respect to theaxis 105. As is best shown inFIG. 2 ,screw jacks 169 are coupled to thehood 220, which is braced against theceiling 12 a of atunnel 12. As will be described in more detail below,screw jacks 169 allow for enhanced adjustability of the height ofhood 220 within a subterranean tunnel (e.g., tunnel 12) in addition to thescrew jacks 138 disposed ontrolley 126 ofbase assembly 120, previously described. Further, as will also be described in more detail below,screw jacks 169 transfer reactive forces from the drill bit, throughdrill string 32 and rig 100 toceiling 12 a oftunnel 12 viahood 220 to rigidly bracerig 100 during drilling operations. - Referring again to
FIGS. 10 and 11 , a central throughbore 168 extends axially throughsection 167 ofplate 162 and is coaxially aligned with theaxis 105.Bore 168 is sized and positioned to receivetop drive 154 whencarriage 150 is disposed in its uppermost position (see alsoFIG. 9 ).Rear section 163 includes a pair of apertures or holes 161. Upper ends 148 a ofsupport posts 148 are secured within holes 161 (see alsoFIG. 8 ). - A pipe
carriage positioning mechanism 177 is mounted torear section 163 and includes a gear ortoothed sprocket 179 positioned on the underside ofplate 162 and a motor (not shown) to rotatesprocket 179 about avertical axis 177 a. As will be described in more detail below,sprocket 179 engagesmating teeth 183 provided on anupper frame member 184 of apipe carriage 180 to: (a) position thecarriage 180 such that a pipe joint 34 carried bycarriage 180 can be supplied topipe handling assembly 190 during drilling operations, and (b) position thecarriage 180 such that a pipe joint 34 removed fromdrill string 32 can be placed oncarriage 180 withpipe handling assembly 190 during tripping operations. - Referring still to
FIGS. 10 and 11 ,track assembly 170 facilitates the movement ofcarriages 180 to and fromrig 100. In this embodiment,track assembly 170 includes an arcuate rail or track 172 and a pair ofswitches 174 coupled to track 172.Track 172 has a generallysemi-circular section 171 withends transition sections 173; one transitionssection 173 extends from eachend Section 171 is centered onaxis 165 in bottom view (FIG. 11 ) and extends aroundpositioning mechanism 177. Eachtransition section 173 has afirst end 173 a coupled to oneswitch 174 and asecond end 173 b contiguous with acorresponding end section 171. - As best shown in
FIG. 10 , eachswitch 174 includes arectangular housing 175 and atrack selector sled 176 moveably disposed withinhousing 175.Housing 175 has a first or laterallyouter end 175 a, a second or laterallyinner end 175 b, and twosupport members 175 c extending between theends 175 a, b.Ends proximal axis 165, respectively.Sled 176 supports astraight track section 176 a and anarcuate track section 176 b.Sled 176 is moved laterally inward and outward between ends 175 a, 175 b to position eithertrack section 176 a ortrack section 176 b into alignment with acorresponding track 81 of ceiling track system 80 (see alsoFIG. 1 ). As will be described in more detail below, whentrack section 176 a is aligned with acorresponding track 81,carriages 180 cannot be transferred betweentracks track section 176 b is aligned with acorresponding track 81,carriages 180 can be transferred betweentracks sled 176 relative tohousing 175 including, without limitation, a hydraulic actuator, an electric motor, etc. The movement ofsled 176 to selectively aligntrack sections track 81 is preferably automated to minimize human intervention. - Referring now to
FIGS. 11 and 12 ,pipe carriage 180 is shown. As previously described,pipe carriages 180 move alongtracks 81 to deliver drill pipe joints 34 to rig 100 during drilling operations and take drill pipe joints fromrig 100 during tripping operations (see alsoFIG. 1 ). Eachcarriage 180 supports a plurality of elongate cylindrical pipe joints 34 in vertical orientations. Pipe joints 34 are added todrill string 32 to lengthendrill string 32 during drilling operations, and removed fromdrill string 32 to shortendrill string 32 during tripping operations. Each pipe joint 34 has a first orupper end 34 a comprising an internally threaded box end, a second orlower end 34 b comprising an externally threaded pin end, a cylindricalouter surface 34 c extending between ends 34 a, 34 b, and athroughbore 34 d extending between theends - Each
pipe carriage 180 includes aframe 182 and a pair ofsupports 187 extending upward fromframe 182.Frame 182 has a verticalcentral axis 185, a first orupper end 182 a, and a second orlower end 182 b. An arc-shapedhorizontal frame member 184 is disposed atupper end 182 a, an arc-shapedhorizontal frame member 186 disposed atlower end 182 b, and a pair ofelongate supports 188 extending vertically betweenmembers -
Upper frame member 184 has a uniform radius of curvature equal to the radius of curvature ofsemi-circular section 171 and includes a plurality of circumferentially-spacedteeth 183 along its radially inner concave side and a plurality of circumferentially-spacedreceptacles 189 along its radially outer convex side. Eachreceptacle 189 is sized and shaped to mate and engage one pipe joint 34 proximal itsupper end 34 a. As is best shown inFIG. 11 ,teeth 183 are sized to mate and engage withsprocket 179.Members 187 extend axially upward fromupper frame member 184. The upper end of eachmember 187 is coupled to track 81, 172 by a roller or other means that allowscarriage 180 to be controllably moved thereon. - Referring still to
FIGS. 11 and 12 ,lower frame member 186 is oriented parallel toupper frame member 184 and also has a uniform radius of curvature equal to the radius of curvature ofsemi-circular section 171. In addition,lower frame member 186 includes a plurality of circumferentially-spacedcylindrical recesses 181 extending axially from the top surface offrame member 186. Eachrecess 181 inlower frame member 186 is substantially coaxially aligned with onereceptacle 189 ofupper frame member 184. As is best shown inFIG. 12 , eachrecess 181 is sized and shaped to receivelower end 34 b of one pipe joint 34 seated in acorresponding receptacle 189. - Referring now to
FIGS. 4 and 13 ,pipe handling assembly 190 is shown.Pipe handling assembly 190 transferspipe joints 34 betweencarriage 180 andrig 100, as well as initiates the threading/unthreading ofpipe joints 34 to the upper end ofdrill string 32 during drilling/tripping operations, respectively. In this embodiment,pipe handling assembly 190 includes apipe manipulator 192 and a mountingassembly 200coupling manipulator 192 toposts 148.Manipulator 192 includes a body orhousing 194 and apipe handling arm 196 extending fromhousing 194.Arm 196 is extended and retracted fromhousing 194 with anactuator 198 mounted tohousing 194. In general,actuator 198 can be any suitable device for extending and retractingarm 196 including, without limitation, an electric motor, a hydraulic motor, or the like. -
Housing 194 has a horizontalcentral axis 195, afirst end 194 a, asecond end 194 b, and areceptacle 194 c extending axially fromend 194 b. First end 194 a is positioned proximalcentral axis 105 ofrig 100 andsecond end 194 b is positioneddistal axis 105, and thus, ends 194 a, 194 b may be referred to herein as “inner” and “outer”, respectively, relative toaxis 105. -
Arm 196 includes anelongate body 199 extending fromhousing 194 and a curved claw orfinger 191 moveably coupled to end 199 a ofbody 199distal housing 194. In particular,curved finger 191 has afirst end 191 a pivotally coupled to end 199 a and a second end 191 b oppositeend 191 a.Finger 191 generally extends acrossend 199 a ofbody 199, thereby defining a bay orreceptacle 193 therebetween. As will be described in more detail below,finger 191 is configured to pivot aboutend 191 a to grasp and release drill pipe joints 34, as well as accommodate drill pipe joints 34 having different outer diameters. As best shown inFIG. 13 , avertical roller 197 a is rotatably mounted to end 191 b offinger 191 and anothervertical roller 197 b is rotatably mounted to end 199 a ofbody 199 generallyopposite roller 197 a. Further, in this embodiment, athird roller 197 c is rotatably mounted tofinger 191, between theends 191 a, b and adjacent theroller 197 a (note: theroller 197 c is shown inFIG. 13 with hidden lines). In this embodiment, rotation ofroller 197 b is powered with anactuator 201 mounted tobody 199, however,rollers receptacle 193 and engaged byrollers Roller 197 b is then rotated withactuator 201 to rotate pipe joint 34 disposed betweenrollers drillstring 32. In general,actuator 201 can be any suitable device forrotating roller 197 b including, without limitation, an electric motor, a hydraulic motor, or the like. - Referring still to
FIG. 13 , mountingassembly 200 moveablycouples pipe manipulator 192 toposts 148. Mountingassembly 200 includes a pair ofguide collars 202 mounted tohousing 194 and disposed aboutposts 148.Collars 202 slidingly engageposts 148 as mountingassembly 200, and hencepipe manipulator 192 moves vertically up and down along posts 148. Such vertical movement ofpipe manipulator 192 is controlled by anactuator 212 coupled tohousing 194. In particular,actuator 212 rotates an externally threadedvertical shaft 208 coupled to rigfloor 124 with asupport post 210.Shaft 208 threadably engages aball nut 214 disposed onpost 210, and thus, asshaft 208 is rotated in one direction, mountingassembly 200 andpipe manipulator 194 move upward alongposts 148, and asshaft 208 is rotated in the opposite direction, mountingassembly mounting assembly 200 andpipe manipulator 194 move downward along posts 148. In general,actuator 212 can comprise any suitable device forrotating shaft 208 including, without limitation, a hydraulic actuator, an electric motor, etc. - Referring now to
FIGS. 1 , 8, and 13, during drilling operations,carriages 180 deliverpipe joints 34 to rig 100 (see alsoFIG. 1 );pipe handling assembly 190 removes a joint 34 fromcarriage 180, positions the joint 34 in line with the upper end ofdrill string 32, and threads the lower end of the pipe joint 34 intodrill string 32. Clampingsystem 114 then completes the makeup and preloading of the threaded connections between pipe joint 34 anddrill string 32 as previously described. In this embodiment,top drive 154 engages the upper end of lengthened drill string (i.e., the upper end of pipe joint 34 added to the drill string 32) either before or after actuation of clampingsystem 114. Once clampingsystem 114 has been released from pipe joint 34,top drive 154 rotatesdrill string 32 while applying WOB to advance the drill bit at the lower end ofdrill string 32 along a predetermined trajectory. This process is repeated withadditional pipe joints 34 to drillborehole 30. It should be appreciated that this process is performed in reverse to tripdrill string 32 out ofborehole 30. - Pipe joints 34 are delivered to rig 100 using
carriages 180, tracks 81, andtrack assembly 170. InFIGS. 14 and 15 ,carriage 180 is shown bypassingrig 100; inFIGS. 16 and 17 ,carriage 180 is shown deliveringpipe joints 34 todrilling rig 100; and inFIG. 18 ,carriage 180 is shown being positioned alongtrack assembly 170 withsprocket 179 to align one pipe joint 34 withpipe handling assembly 190. In general, pipe joints 34 are loaded oncarriage 180, andcarriage 180 moves alongtrack 81 intunnel 12 towardrig 100. Atrig 100, the position ofswitch 174 determines whethercarriage 180 is directed to rig 100 or bypassesrig 100. As shown inFIGS. 14 and 15 , withswitch 174 positioned to align thestraight track sections 176 a withtracks 81,carriage 180 continues alongtrack 81 and passestrack assembly 170, thereby bypassingrig 100. However, as shown inFIGS. 16 and 17 , withswitch 174 positioned to aligncurved track section 176 b withtrack 81,carriage 180 is directed ontotrack assembly 170. As shown inFIG. 18 ,carriage 180 continues alongtrack assembly 170 untilsprocket 179 ofrig 100 engagesteeth 183 ofcarriage 180, thereby allowingsprocket 179 to fine tune the position ofcarriage 180 to align pipe joints 34 (one at a time) withpipe handling assembly 190. - Referring now to
FIGS. 1 , 4, 5, 8, 11, 12, and 13,sprocket 179 aligns one pipe joint 34 withpipe handling assembly 190. Next,actuator 198 actuates to extendarm 199 andfinger 191 is actuated to openreceptacle 193 to receive the aligned pipe joint 34 therein. With pipe joint 34 sufficiently disposed inreceptacle 193,finger 191 is actuated to grasp the pipe joint 34 withrollers Actuator 198 then continues to extendarm 199 to align the pipe joint 34 withdrilling hole 129 inrig floor 124. Next,roller 197 b is rotated to drive the rotation of the drill pipe joint 34 aboutaxis 105 andpipe handling assembly 190 is lowered withactuator 212 to initiate the threading of thelower end 34 b of the pipe joint 34 into the upper end ofdrill string 32. Clampingassembly 114 completes the makeup, thereby incorporating pipe joint 34 intodrill string 32.Drilling carriage 150 is then lowered untiltop drive 154 engagesupper end 34 a of the pipe joint 34. Next,top drive 154 drives the rotation of pipe joint 34 asactuators 146urge carriage 150 downward, thereby applying WOB and rotating the drill bit withdrill string 32 to lengthenborehole 30. Aslinear actuators 146urge carriage 150,drill string 32, and the drill bit downward, upward reactive forces are transferred to the surrounding formation by engagement ofhood 220 andceiling 12 a oftunnel 12 to effectively bracesrig 100 withintunnel 12. - In general, the time and associated cost for forming underground tunnels is directly related to the size of the tunnels (e.g., diameter, height and width, etc.). Accordingly, in some cases it may be desirable to transport
rig 100 to the drilling location in a tunnel having a height less than the fully assembledrig 100. For example,FIGS. 19-21 illustrate the transport ofrig 100 to a drilling site through a portion oftunnel 12 having a height less than the assembled height ofrig 100, and thesubsequent installation rig 100 at the drilling site. Referring first toFIG. 19 ,rig floor 124 is pivoted viahinges 137 away fromtrolley 126, thereby rotatingupper frame assembly 160 towards thefloor 12 b and decreasing the overall height ofrig 100. This enablesrig 100 to pass through sections oftunnel 12 having a height less than the height of the fully deployedrig 100. During transport throughtunnel 12,feet 136 are raised fromfloor 12 b andwheels 122 roll along tracks 21. - Referring now to
FIGS. 20 and 21 , at the drilling location alongtunnel 12,drill rig floor 124 is rotated about thehinges 137 ontotrolley 126 resulting inupper frame assembly 160 being rotated to a vertical, deployed position. It should be appreciated that a cut out orrecess 13 is provided alongceiling 12 a at the drill site to provide sufficient space forupper frame assembly 160 to be rotated to a vertical position. In addition,feet 136 are lowered into engagement withfloor 12 b andbase assembly 120 is lifted upward to disengagewheels 122 fromtracks 21. Next,drilling assembly 140,support hood 220, andtrack assembly 170 are coupled toupper frame assembly 160 and thepipe handling assembly 190 is coupled to posts 148. The vertical spacing betweenhood 220 andceiling 12 a may then be adjusted untilhood 220 contacts and engagesceiling 12 a, thereby effectively bracingrig 100 withintunnel 12. - In the manner described, embodiments of
modular drilling rig 100 can be used to drill a borehole from a subterranean tunnel. By drilling from a tunnel (e.g., tunnel 12) as opposed to above-ground, personnel and equipment are protected from harsh weather conditions at the surface, and the footprint of drilling operations at the surface is significantly decreased. In addition,rig 100 is preferably fully automated to minimize human intervention and associated risk in underground operations. For example, actions such as the delivery of pipe joints 34, the makeup and/or break up of connections betweenpipe joints 34 anddrill string 32, the application of WOB bycarriage 150, and application of rotational torque bytop drive 154 are all preferably automated processes that are monitored and controlled by a remote control system. - Although embodiments described and disclosed herein have included a pair of
linear actuators 146 withindrilling assembly 140, it should be appreciated that more or less than twolinear actuators 146 may be used while still complying with the principles disclosed herein. Additionally, while embodiments described and disclosed have included a total of fourpositioning assemblies 130 mounted totrolley 126, it should be appreciated that in other embodiments, more or less than four positioning assemblies may be included while still complying with the principles disclosed herein. Further, it should be appreciated that in other embodiments, either theroller 197 a, and/or theroller 197 b onmanipulator 192 may be driven to the rotate in order to also rotate a pipe joint 34 disposed within thereceptacle 193 while still complying with the principles disclosed herein. Still further, while embodiments described and disclosed herein have included a total of threeupper screw jacks 169, in other embodiments, the number and arrangement ofscrew jacks 169 may be varied while still complying with the principles disclosed herein. Also, in other embodiment, noscrew jacks 169 may be included and the tie heads 147 may directly couple to thehood 220, in order to bracerig 100 against theceiling 12 a oftunnel 12 during drilling operations. - While preferred embodiments have been shown and described, modifications thereof can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or teachings herein. The embodiments described herein are exemplary only and are not limiting. Many variations and modifications of the systems, apparatus, and processes described herein are possible and are within the scope of the invention. For example, the relative dimensions of various parts, the materials from which the various parts are made, and other parameters can be varied. Accordingly, the scope of protection is not limited to the embodiments described herein, but is only limited by the claims that follow, the scope of which shall include all equivalents of the subject matter of the claims. Unless expressly stated otherwise, the steps in a method claim may be performed in any order. The recitation of identifiers such as (a), (b), (c) or (1), (2), (3) before steps in a method claim are not intended to and do not specify a particular order to the steps, but rather are used to simplify subsequent reference to such steps.
Claims (26)
1. A rig for drilling a borehole from an underground tunnel, the rig comprising:
a base assembly;
a drilling assembly mounted to the base assembly;
an upper frame assembly mounted to the drilling assembly above the base assembly;
a support hood coupled to the drilling assembly and positioned above the upper frame assembly, wherein the support hood is configured to bear against a ceiling of the tunnel during drilling operations.
2. The rig of claim 1 , wherein the base assembly comprises:
a trolley configured to roll along a track;
a drilling floor including a drilling hole configured to pass a drill string; and
a plurality of positioning assemblies mounted to the trolley, wherein each positioning assembly includes a foot configured to extend downward into engagement with a floor of the underground tunnel.
3. The rig of claim 2 , wherein the drilling assembly is pivotally coupled to the base.
4. The rig of claim 2 , wherein the base assembly further comprises a clamping system disposed below the drilling rig floor and configured to deliver rotational torque to a pipe joint disposed in the drilling hole.
5. The rig of claim 1 , wherein the drilling assembly comprises:
a drilling carriage including a top drive; and
an actuator mounted to the drilling carriage, the support hood, and the base assembly;
wherein the actuator is configured to move the drilling carriage downward to apply weight-on-bit.
6. The rig of claim 1 , wherein the upper frame assembly comprises:
a frame member coupled to the drilling assembly; and
a track assembly coupled to both the frame member and a tunnel track extending along the underground tunnel;
a pipe carriage moveably coupled to the track assembly, wherein the pipe carriage supports a plurality of pipe joints.
7. The rig of claim 6 , wherein the track assembly is coupled to the tunnel track with a switch, and wherein the switch is configured to selectively allow the pipe carriage to enter the track assembly from the tunnel track.
8. The rig of claim 7 , wherein the upper frame assembly further comprises a toothed gear rotatably coupled to the upper frame assembly and configured to engage teeth disposed on the pipe carriage.
9. The rig of claim 1 , further comprising a pipe handling assembly coupled to the drilling rig assembly, wherein the pipe handling assembly includes a pipe manipulator configured to engage and rotate a pipe joint.
10. The rig of claim 9 , wherein the pipe manipulator comprises:
a housing;
a finger pivotally coupled to the housing;
a first roller disposed on the finger;
a second roller disposed on the housing; and
a third roller disposed on the finger, adjacent the first roller;
wherein one of the first, second, and third rollers is configured to be rotated by an actuator.
11. A rig for drilling a borehole from an underground tunnel, the rig comprising:
a base assembly;
a drilling assembly mounted to the base assembly;
an upper frame assembly
a pipe handling assembly mounted to the drilling assembly;
a track assembly positioned above the pipe handling assembly, wherein the track assembly is configured to deliver pipe joints to the pipe handling assembly during drilling operations.
12. The rig of claim 11 , further comprising a support hood coupled to the drilling assembly, wherein the support hood is configured to bear against a ceiling of the tunnel during drilling operations.
13. The rig of claim 11 , wherein the base assembly comprises a base; and
wherein the drilling assembly is pivotally coupled to the base.
14. The rig of claim 12 , wherein the drilling assembly comprises:
a drilling carriage;
a top drive coupled to the drilling carriage; and
an actuator extending vertically between the support hood and the base assembly;
wherein the actuator is coupled to the drilling carriage and configured to move the drilling carriage up and down.
15. The rig of claim 11 , wherein the pipe handling assembly comprises:
a pipe manipulator configured to engage a pipe joint during drilling operations, the pipe manipulator further comprising:
a housing;
a finger pivotally coupled to the housing;
a first roller disposed on the finger;
a second roller disposed on the housing; and
a third roller disposed on the finger, adjacent the first roller;
wherein one of the first, second, and third rollers is configured to be rotated by an actuator.
16. The rig of claim 15 , wherein the track assembly is coupled to a tunnel track extending along the underground tunnel; and
wherein the tunnel track and track assembly are each configured to guide a pipe carriage holding a plurality of pipe joints.
17. The rig of claim 16 , wherein the upper frame assembly further comprises a pipe carriage positioning mechanism disposed adjacent the track assembly and configured to position a pipe carriage relative to the pipe handling assembly.
18. A method of drilling a borehole from an underground tunnel, the method comprising:
(a) supplying a plurality of pipe joints to a drilling rig;
(b) gripping a first pipe joint with a pipe handling assembly;
(c) coupling the first pipe joint to a drill string with the pipe handling assembly;
(d) applying a vertical load to the drill string; and
(e) bearing against a ceiling of the tunnel during (d).
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein (a) comprises:
carrying the plurality of pipe joints with a pipe carriage;
guiding the pipe carriage along a track assembly to the drilling rig; and
aligning the pipe joint with the pipe handling assembly.
20. The method of 19, wherein aligning the pipe joint with a pipe handling assembly comprises engaging teeth disposed on the pipe carriage with a sprocket rotatably mounted to the drilling rig.
21. The method of claim 18 , wherein (b) further comprises extending a pipe manipulator to engage a pipe joint, the pipe manipulator comprising:
a housing;
a finger pivotally coupled to the housing;
a first roller disposed on the finger;
a second roller disposed on the housing;
a third roller disposed on the finger, adjacent the first roller
wherein one of the first, second, am third rollers is configured to be rotated by an actuator.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein (b) comprises engaging the pipe joint between the first, second, and third rollers.
23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising rotating the pipe joint during (c) with the first, second, or third roller.
24. The method of claim 18 , wherein (d) comprises extending a linear actuator to force a drilling carriage downward.
25. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
(e) supporting the drilling assembly on a base assembly;
(f) rotating the drilling assembly about the base assembly;
(g) engaging rollers disposed on the base assembly with a track disposed within the underground tunnel.
26. The method of claim 25 , further comprising engaging a floor of the underground tunnel with a foot disposed on the base assembly.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US14/207,985 US20140262517A1 (en) | 2013-03-14 | 2014-03-13 | Drilling rig for drilling from underground tunnels |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US201361784199P | 2013-03-14 | 2013-03-14 | |
US14/207,985 US20140262517A1 (en) | 2013-03-14 | 2014-03-13 | Drilling rig for drilling from underground tunnels |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20140262517A1 true US20140262517A1 (en) | 2014-09-18 |
Family
ID=50680133
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US14/207,985 Abandoned US20140262517A1 (en) | 2013-03-14 | 2014-03-13 | Drilling rig for drilling from underground tunnels |
Country Status (2)
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US (1) | US20140262517A1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2014159925A1 (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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CN110029950A (en) * | 2019-05-17 | 2019-07-19 | 中煤科工集团重庆研究院有限公司 | A kind of coal mine drilling machine S-shaped drill rod box flash chamber |
CN114634130A (en) * | 2022-02-25 | 2022-06-17 | 三峡大学 | Device and method for transporting, adjusting and installing flexible plastic pipelines in circular-section tunnel |
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US4069879A (en) * | 1976-10-15 | 1978-01-24 | Brown Cicero C | Pipe handler |
US4114698A (en) * | 1975-02-20 | 1978-09-19 | Smith International, Inc. | Method and apparatus for tunneling upwardly |
US4892160A (en) * | 1988-05-27 | 1990-01-09 | Ingersoll-Rand Company | Drill pipe transfer arm for angle drilling |
Family Cites Families (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US3460638A (en) * | 1966-10-10 | 1969-08-12 | Hughes Tool Co | Raise drilling apparatus |
US3659661A (en) * | 1970-02-02 | 1972-05-02 | Dresser Ind | Earth boring machine |
US4445579A (en) * | 1981-08-10 | 1984-05-01 | Paul Bello | Pipe carousel for well-drilling rig |
WO2007129337A1 (en) * | 2006-05-09 | 2007-11-15 | Comacchio International S.A. | Drilling machine with carousel-type drill stem and shroud tube loader |
-
2014
- 2014-03-13 WO PCT/US2014/025461 patent/WO2014159925A1/en active Application Filing
- 2014-03-13 US US14/207,985 patent/US20140262517A1/en not_active Abandoned
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US4114698A (en) * | 1975-02-20 | 1978-09-19 | Smith International, Inc. | Method and apparatus for tunneling upwardly |
US4069879A (en) * | 1976-10-15 | 1978-01-24 | Brown Cicero C | Pipe handler |
US4892160A (en) * | 1988-05-27 | 1990-01-09 | Ingersoll-Rand Company | Drill pipe transfer arm for angle drilling |
Non-Patent Citations (1)
Title |
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Accessed meaning of spline on 05/05/16 from www.thefreedictionary.com * |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN110029950A (en) * | 2019-05-17 | 2019-07-19 | 中煤科工集团重庆研究院有限公司 | A kind of coal mine drilling machine S-shaped drill rod box flash chamber |
CN114634130A (en) * | 2022-02-25 | 2022-06-17 | 三峡大学 | Device and method for transporting, adjusting and installing flexible plastic pipelines in circular-section tunnel |
Also Published As
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WO2014159925A1 (en) | 2014-10-02 |
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