WO2016181272A1

WO2016181272A1 - Equipment for handling drill pipes

Info

Publication number: WO2016181272A1
Application number: PCT/IB2016/052598
Authority: WO
Inventors: Paolo CARINI
Original assignee: Siaem S.A.S. Di Carini Stefano E Paolo & C.
Priority date: 2015-05-08
Filing date: 2016-05-06
Publication date: 2016-11-17
Also published as: ITPC20150006A1

Abstract

The invention relates to equipment for handling drill pipes comprising a base (10), a tilting arm (20) that extends along an axis of extension (X), said tilting arm being connected to the base (10) so as to rotate from a lowered position in which it is substantially superimposed on the base and parallel to the ground to a raised position in which it is substantially perpendicular to the ground, first actuator means (40) adapted to carry the tilting arm (20) from the lowered position to the raised position, and vice versa, and gripping means (50), to grasp or release at least a drill pipe (R), said gripping means being movable at least along a transverse direction with respect to the axis of extension (X) of the tilting arm, wherein in the lowered position the equipment can pick up or set down at least a drill pipe from/in a magazine on the ground and in the raised position the equipment can carry at least a drill pipe toward the well center of a drilling rig or a vertical magazine, characterized in that said tilting arm (20) comprises a first portion (21), hinged at a first end to the base (10) at an axis (Yl) substantially perpendicular to the axis of extension (X), and at least a second portion (22) rotatable with respect to the first portion (21) about said axis of extension (X), said gripping means (50) being connected to said second portion (22) of the tilting arm (20).

Description

TITLE

EQUIPMENT FOR HANDLING DRILL PIPES DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to equipment for handling drill pipes in a drilling rig and more in detail to equipment able to pick up said pipes from a horizontal container on the ground and feed them toward a drilling head. According to the invention, the equipment is also adapted to handle said pipes, in vertical position, to set them down in or pick them up from a vertical storage magazine.

Onshore drilling rigs typically comprise a mast, mounted on a base substructure, which supports a vertically movable drilling head.

Known rigs are generally also provided with equipment adapted to pick up the drill pipes at ground level, typically in horizontal position, and to raise and rotate them, to carry them toward the mast, where they are connected to the drilling head.

US 8801356 B2 and US 4235566, for example, illustrate equipment configured to tilt and translate the drill pipe carrying one end thereof to the lower area of the mast, where it is secured to a raising system that carries it to a substantially vertical position.

Other equipment, such as that described in US 4547110, EP 0978628 A2 and US 8584773 B2, is instead configured to translate the pipe from a substantially horizontal position to a vertical position in which its axis is substantially aligned with the axis of the main well or of an auxiliary well, also called mouse hole.

Moreover, known drilling rigs can comprise equipment adapted to handle the pipes, in vertical position, outside the main well.

This equipment is used, for example, to pick up or set down the pipes from/in a vertical storage magazine, or rack, usually coupled to the mast, so that the pipes rest on the supporting sub-structure (setback) of the mast, or positioned on the ground at the side of the mast. US 7331746 B2 and US 8584773 B2 illustrate known drilling rigs in which this equipment is mounted directly on the mast.

In these rigs, the weight of the equipment and of the pipes to be handled weighs on the mast, which must therefore be of suitable dimensions to also support these loads.

EP 1 158136 A2 and EP 0886033 A2 illustrate drilling rigs in which the equipment for moving the pipes away from or toward the vertical storage magazine comprises a structure separated from the mast and resting on the ground.

This separate structure generally involves a noteworthy increase in the costs of the rig.

A characteristic of more recent medium-sized or large drilling rigs is that of providing in general at least a structure of the first type, adapted to carry the pipes vertically toward the drilling head, and at least equipment of the second type, adapted to move the drill pipes between the well and the vertical storage magazine.

This makes it necessary to purchase this equipment, transport it, usually partially disassembled, toward the site of the drilling rig, and to complete installation to make the rig operational.

Considering the dimensions of the components or of the semi-assembled parts, these activities require significant capital and labor costs.

In this context, the object of the present invention is to provide equipment for handling drill pipes that solves the problems of the prior art described above.

More in detail, an object of the present invention is to provide equipment for handling drill pipes that can operate both as equipment for picking up the pipes from containers on the ground, in which the pipes are stored horizontally, and as equipment for handling one or more pipes connected to one another (single, double stand or triple stand) between the main well and a vertical storage magazine.

Another object of the present invention is to provide equipment for handling drill pipes that allows a reduction in the times for loading and connecting the pipes to the drilling head.

Another object of the present invention is to provide equipment for handling drill pipes provided with an independent structure that does not weigh on the drilling rig.

A further object of the present invention is to provide equipment for handling drill pipes that can be used in existing masts without requiring substantial modifications or adaptations.

Besides the aforesaid objects, an object of the present invention is also to provide equipment for handling drill pipes that does not require disassembly or re-assembly operations for transport to or for installation at the drilling rig.

These objects are achieved by equipment for handling drill pipes that comprises:

a base;

a tilting arm that extends along an axis of extension, said tilting arm being connected to the base with the possibility of rotating from a lowered position in which it is substantially superimposed on the base and parallel to the ground to a raised position in which it is substantially perpendicular to the ground;

first actuator means to carry the tilting arm from the lowered position to the raised position, and vice versa;

gripping means to grasp or release at least a drill pipe, said gripping means being movable at least along a transverse direction with respect to the axis of extension of said tilting arm.

When the tilting arm is in the lowered position, the gripping means can grasp at least a drill pipe, a drill collar or a casing, picked up from a container or magazine on the ground in which they are stored horizontally.

Hereinafter in the description, the terms "pipe" or "drill pipe" refer more generally to a tubular body such as one of those cited above.

Raising the arm, the gripping means of which retains at least a pipe, this latter can be carried toward the well center or toward a vertical magazine, such as a rack, in which the pipes can be stored vertically.

According to the invention, to reduce the operating times, the equipment can also load and raise two or three drill pipes previously joined on the ground.

Advantageously, according to an aspect of the invention, the tilting arm comprises a first portion, hinged at a first end to the base, and at least a second portion rotatable with respect to the first portion about said axis of extension of the tilting arm.

This rotation, in particular, allows the equipment to move at least a drill pipe between the well center and the storage positions in the vertical magazine which, typically, is arranged at the side of or around the well center.

The gripping means, connected to said second portion of the tilting arm, can therefore be rotated so as to selectively face toward the magazine or toward the well center to grasp or to release one or more drill pipes.

The equipment according to the invention can therefore operate both as equipment for picking up drill pipes from the ground and raising them toward the well center, where they can be connected to a drilling head, and as equipment for picking up the drill pipes from said drilling head and storing them in the vertical magazine, or vice versa.

In a preferred aspect of the invention, the gripping means can be moved with respect to the tilting arm, also along a direction substantially parallel to its axis of extension. This movement allows the pipes to be moved downward or upward when they are grasped in vertical position, to perform the operations to connect a pipe to the drilling head and/or to other pipes coupled to the drilling head. Moreover, this movement allows several drill pipes to be grasped and moved vertically.

According to another preferred aspect of the invention, the gripping means can be supported by an upright connected to the second portion of the tilting arm by means of a pair of transverse arms. The transverse arms are hinged at one end to the second portion of the tilting arm and at the opposite end to said upright. The transverse arms, the upright and the second portion of the tilting arm thus form an articulated quadrilateral, and more preferably an articulated parallelogram.

The movement of the upright toward or away from the second portion of the tilting arm is carried out by second actuator means adapted to rotate, directly or indirectly, the transverse arms.

Due to this configuration, the gripping means can be moved from a withdrawn position in which they are moved toward the tilting arm to an extended position in which they can operate at the well center of the rig or inside the vertical magazine to pick up or set down the drill pipes.

Moreover, this configuration is particularly useful to reduce the footprint of the equipment in the transport position. In fact, the system of quadrilateral type allows the upright to be placed against the tilting arm, when this is in the lowered position, limiting the total height of the equipment.

When the tilting arm is raised, the component of vertical movement of the transverse arms allows the equipment to carry the pipe from the level of the ground to the setback of the mast, positioned at a height from the ground generally from 7 to 12 meters.

According to the invention, the transverse arms can rotate in both directions with respect to the tilting arm. Due to this, in the transport position, the upright does not project beyond the outline of the tilting arm, also limiting the length of the equipment in the transport position.

Moreover, this configuration of the transverse arms allows the equipment to be positioned very close to the drilling rig, reducing the footprint on the ground.

According to another aspect of the invention, at least one of said transverse arms can comprise an extensible portion. This portion allows the tilt of the upright to be varied with respect to the axis of extension, for example to facilitate positioning of the pipes in the vertical magazine. Said extensible portion preferably comprises one or more actuators.

In another aspect of the invention, the upright can comprise a first portion. The transverse arms are hinged on said first portion. The upright can also comprise a second portion sliding with respect to the first portion along a direction substantially parallel to the axis of extension of the tilting arm. The gripping means are carried by said second sliding portion.

The first portion and the second portion have, for example, substantially the same length and are superimposed on each other.

The second portion, sliding on the first portion, can therefore translate the gripping means for a section almost equal to the length of the upright.

This allows the dimensions of the upright to be limited, while still ensuring movements sufficient to clamp the pipes in the well center, when connected in double stand or triple stand, and to carry them inside the vertical storage magazine on the setback of the mast or on the ground.

In another aspect of the invention, the second actuator means can comprise at least a first actuator, served by a hydraulic system. Said actuator is preferably connected on one side to the second portion of the tilting arm and on an opposite side, directly or indirectly, to at least a transverse arm.

In another aspect of the invention, the second actuator means can also comprise at least a second actuator, which can be supplied by a pressurized hydraulic accumulator. Said second actuator, preferably of multi-stage type, can also be connected on one side to the second portion of the tilting arm and on an opposite side to at least a transverse arm.

The use of a hydraulic accumulator, such as a variable volume chamber or the like, connected directly to the actuator, allows simplification of the hydraulic system of the equipment and reduction of the power required to supply the hydraulic fluid pumping means. Alternatively, also said second actuator can be supplied by the hydraulic system.

Moreover, positioning of the second actuator helps to reduce the stress to which the transverse arms are subjected when, with the tilting arm in vertical position, the transverse arms are rotated upward from a completely lowered position.

The use of a multi-stage actuator makes it possible to limit the length thereof in the completely withdrawn position.

Said second actuator supplies the most thrust in the first part of the movement when the flattened geometry of the quadrilateral requires the maximum thrust value of the first actuator to rotate the transverse arms.

In another aspect of the invention, the equipment can comprise at least a first auxiliary arm hinged on the base and at least a second auxiliary arm, a first end of which is hinged to the first portion of the tilting arm and a second opposite end of the second auxiliary arm is hinged to the first portion of the first auxiliary arm.

According to the invention, the auxiliary arms and the first portion of the tilting arm, together with the base, form an articulated quadrilateral and more specifically an articulated parallelogram.

In another aspect of the invention, the first actuator means can comprise at least a first actuator, served by a hydraulic system. The actuator is connected on one side to the base, close to the hinge point of the first auxiliary arm, and on an opposite side to the second auxiliary arm.

The structure thus formed allows the tilting arm to remain stable when it is in the raised position. Moreover, the arrangement of the first actuator maximizes the thrust exerted, at the same time allowing rotation of the tilting arm to the lowered position without having to disconnect the actuator from the auxiliary arm or from the base.

In another aspect of the invention, the first actuator means can also comprise at least" a second actuator connected on one side to the base and on the opposite side to the first portion of the tilting arm. Preferably, said second actuator is of the multi-stage type and can be supplied by a pressurized hydraulic accumulator.

Also in this case, the function of this actuator is to supply an additional thrust to that of the first actuator when the tilting arm is in the lowered position, i.e. when the geometry of the quadrilateral requires the most thrust to raise the arm.

For this purpose, in a preferred variant, the first actuator means also comprise a third actuator, identical to the previous one, connected on one side to the base and on the opposite side to the first auxiliary arm.

According to another aspect of the invention, the first actuator means also comprise a fourth actuator connected on one side to an end of the first auxiliary arm and on an opposite side to the second portion of the tilting arm.

This actuator helps both to stabilize the tilting arm during movement of the gripping means with the drill pipe grasped vertically, and to limit the bending stress in the joining area between the first portion and the second portion of the tilting arm.

According to another aspect of the invention, the gripping means are configured to rotate with respect to an axis parallel to the axis of extension of the tilting arm. This rotation, for example, facilitates picking up the drill pipe from the container on the ground, or picking up and raising several pipes simultaneously, when the gripping means are configured for this purpose.

According to a preferred variant, the gripping means comprise at least a pair of gripper elements, said gripper element comprising a pair of jaws mounted on a support with a fixed portion connected to the upright and a moving portion that can rotate with respect to the fixed portion. This rotation allows the jaws to be moved between a loading position, in which they can grasp a drill pipe from a container on the ground, to a gripping position that they maintain during raising of the drill pipe toward the well center and/or the vertical magazine. According to another aspect of the invention, the moving portion of the support rotates about a common axis of rotation that coincides with the axis of rotation of the jaws. This configuration ensures that the axis of the pipes grasped in the jaws, even of different diameters, is always in the same position with respect to the second portion of the tilting arm. This simplifies control of the position of the pipes either during attachment to the drilling head or positioning in the vertical magazine.

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the description of an example of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of equipment for handling drill pipes, as illustrated in the accompanying figures, wherein: - Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the equipment in an operating position;

- Fig. 2 is a side view of the equipment in the transport position;

- Fig. 3 a and 3 b are respectively a front view and a perspective view of the gripping means of the drill pipe;

- Fig. 4 is a front view of the equipment in the position for picking up a drill pipe from a container on the ground;

- Figs. 5 to 8 are side views of the equipment during raising of a drill pipe;

- Figs. 9 and 10 are respectively a side view and a top view of the equipment during the step of connection or removal of a pair of drill pipes, in double stand, to/from the drilling head;

- Figs. 1 1 and 12 are respectively a perspective view and a top view of the equipment during the step of picking up or setting down a pair of drill pipes, in double stand, from/in a vertical storage magazine;

- Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the equipment during raising of several previously joined drill pipes;

- Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the equipment according to another variant of the invention. With reference to Figs. 1 and 2, the numeral 1 indicates as a whole the equipment for handling drill pipes. The equipment according to the invention is adapted to handle pipes used in onshore drilling rigs or the like.

More in general, the equipment is configured to grasp and handle tubular cylindrical bodies such as drill collars or casings that are lowered into the wellbore and stabilized with concrete castings.

The equipment is supported by a base 10 adapted to be placed on the ground in front of the mast of a drilling rig (not illustrated).

The base 10 comprises a substantially quadrilateral frame with two shoulders 1 1, 12, side by side and parallel to each other, joined by at least a pair of cross members 13, 14.

The base can also be provided with extensible supports 15 that allow the equipment to be stabilized on uneven ground, but also facilitate operations for loading and unloading it on/from the loading platform of a trailer.

Advantageously, said extensible supports 15 are connected by hinge elements 18 that, when the base is raised from the ground, allow slight lateral or longitudinal movements of the equipment to facilitate its positioning with respect to the axis of the drilling well.

Connected to the base 10 is a tilting arm, indicated as a whole with 20, which extends along a main axis of extension X.

More in detail, the tilting arm 20 is hinged to one end of the base 10 so as to be able to rotate from a lowered position in which it is substantially superimposed on the base (Fig. 2) to a raised position in which it is substantially perpendicular to the ground (Fig. 1).

The tilting arm 20 comprises a first portion 21, in the lower part, that can rotate with respect to the base 10.

In the variant illustrated, said lower portion 21 comprises two arms 21a, 21b hinged at the lower end on the base, respectively on the shoulders 1 1, 12, which meet in the upper part to form a fork-shaped element. According to the invention, the tilting arm comprises a second portion 22 that extends beyond the first portion 21 and that is connected to this latter so as to be able to rotate about the axis of extension X of the arm 20.

According to a preferred variant, the first portion 21 and the second portion 22 of the tilting arm are connected to each other by means of a slewing ring 23 or other equivalent joining means.

Rotation of the second portion 22 is imparted by motor means, not illustrated, such as a hydraulic or electric motor.

Preferably, said motor is housed inside the tilting arm 20, for example in the second portion, so as not to obstruct or limit rotation of said second portion 22.

The motion from the motor can be transmitted through gears, planetary gears or the like.

Alternatively, if the motor is an electric motor it is possible to constrain the rotor and the stator directly, respectively on the first portion and on the second portion or vice versa.

The second portion 22 preferably has a circular profile so as to facilitate the attachment of rotatable supports, described better below.

The arc of rotation of the second portion 22 is preferably at least 180° and more preferably at least 240°.

This rotation allows the gripping means to move the pipes in the vertical position from the well center to the housings of the vertical magazine, as will be described better below.

In a variant, not illustrated, the tilting arm 20 can also comprise stabilizing struts, extensible laterally from the first portion, until reaching the ground, to support the load of the pipes raised that otherwise, when the gripping means are rotated laterally with respect to the second portion, would weigh mainly on the hinge points of the first portion of the tilting arm.

According to a preferred variant of the invention, the tilting arm is connected to auxiliary arms 30, 31 forming with these an articulated quadrilateral mechanism.

In detail, a first auxiliary arm 30 is hinged on the base 10; a second auxiliary arm 31 is hinged at one end to said first auxiliary arm 30 and at an opposite end to the first portion 21 of the tilting arm 20.

Preferably, to provide greater stability to the equipment a third auxiliary arm 32 and a fourth auxiliary arm 33 are provided, respectively side by side and aligned with the first and the second auxiliary arm.

Said third arm 32 and said fourth auxiliary arm 33 can be joined respectively to the first and to the second auxiliary arm by means of transverse elements so as to act as a single rigid element.

In this configuration, the first 30 and the second 31 arm are thus comprised between the arm 21a of the first portion of the tilting arm 20 and the shoulder 1 1 of the base 10, while the third 32 and the fourth arm 33 are comprised between the arm 21b of the first portion of the tilting arm and the opposite shoulder 12 of the base 10.

Rotation of the tilting arm 20 from the lowered position to the raised position, and vice versa, is carried out by first actuator means 40.

In a preferred variant, the first actuator means comprise at least a first actuator 41 connected on one side to the base 10 and on the opposite side to the second auxiliary arm 31. Preferably, another actuator 42, side by side and aligned with the first actuator 41, is connected on one side to the base 10 and on the opposite side to the fourth auxiliary arm 33. When present, the second actuator 42 is controlled so as to move simultaneously and coordinated with the first actuator 41, the two thus acting as a single actuator.

Said first actuator 41 and said further actuator 42 are preferably hydraulic actuators supplied by an external hydraulic system, not illustrated in the figures.

Advantageously, according to the invention, the first actuator means also comprise at least a second multi-stage actuator 43 connected on one side to the base 10, close to the hinge point of the first auxiliary arm 30, and on the opposite side to the first portion 21 of the tilting arm 20.

Preferably, a third multi-stage actuator 44 is connected on one side to the base 10, in a point moved back with respect to the second actuator, and on the opposite side to the first auxiliary arm 30, to the third auxiliary arm 32, or to both.

The use of multi-stage actuators allows the tilting arm and the auxiliary arms to rotate until they overlap in the lowered position, so as to reduce the overall height of the equipment during transport, as can be seen in Fig. 2.

Advantageously, according to the invention the second and the third actuator 43, 44 are hydraulic actuators connectable to a hydraulic accumulator, not illustrated in the figures, typically separate from the hydraulic system of the equipment.

The accumulator can, for example, be of the type comprising a rigid casing that defines internally two variable volume chambers, respectively filled with a hydraulic fluid and with a gas that acts as thrust element for said hydraulic fluid.

These actuators are well known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in more detail.

Therefore, in the first part of the extension the actuators provide the maximum thrust, which is added to the thrust of the first actuator, in the most difficult condition, namely when the tilting arm 20 is substantially folded on the base 10.

During raising of the tilting arm, the thrust of the second and of the third actuator 43,

44 decreases gradually, as does the force that must be exerted by the first and second actuator 41, 42.

In the same way, the two multi-stage actuators act as dampers during descent of the tilting arm 20 toward the lowered position, thereby charging the hydraulic accumulator.

In this way it is possible to limit both the dimensions of the first and second actuator

41, 42 and the maximum power of the pumping means adapted to supply the hydraulic fluid to said actuators (up to values of over 50% less).

To make the tilting arm 20 more stable during handling of the pipes, a further actuator 45 is connected on one side to one end of the first auxiliary arm and on the opposite side to the second portion 22 of the tilting arm 20.

To allow rotation of the second portion 22 about the axis X, said fourth actuator 45 is connected to the second portion 22, by means of a collar 46 inside which said portion 22 can rotate freely.

In the variant illustrated, a further actuator 47, side by side with the fourth actuator, is connected on one side to the fourth auxiliary arm 33 and on the opposite side to said collar 46.

The two actuators 45, 47, operating simultaneously, supply a balanced thrust to the collar 46, preventing it from rotating on the second portion 22 during raising of the tilting arm 20.

The fourth actuator 45 and the further actuator 47 are preferably multi-stage actuators connected to the hydraulic system or, alternatively, to a hydraulic accumulator.

According to the invention, the drill pipes R are grasped by gripping means, indicated as a whole with 50, connected to the second portion 22 of the tilting arm 20.

More in detail, said gripping means are supported by an upright 60 connected to the second portion 22 of the tilting arm by means of a pair of transverse arms 61 , 62, with which it forms an articulated quadrilateral structure.

Said transverse arms 61, 62 are hinged at one end to the second portion 22 of the tilting arm 20 and at the opposite end to the upright 60.

Rotation of the transverse arms causes a translation of the gripping means 50, in a plane parallel to the second portion of the tilting arm 20, with a curved trajectory having a component of transverse movement and a component of parallel movement with respect to said second portion 22. This rotation is imparted by the second actuator means, indicated as a whole with 70.

According to a preferred variant of the invention, said second actuator means 70 comprise at least a first actuator 71, served by the hydraulic system, connected on one side to the second portion 22 of the tilting arm 20 and on an opposite side, indirectly, to at least a transverse arm 61, 62.

More in detail, the transverse arms 61, 62 are connected to each other by at least an intermediate pipe 63. The intermediate pipe 63 is hinged on the two arms 61, 62 so that the distance between its hinge points is the same as the distance between the hinge points of the two transverse arms 61, 62 on the upright 60.

Therefore, the intermediate pipe 63 does not add degrees of constraint to the articulated quadrilateral structure, still allowing rotation of the transverse arms.

The first actuator 71 is preferably connected to said intermediate pipe 63.

The first actuator 71 is preferably constrained to the second portion 22 of the tilting arm 20 by means of at least a collar 72, and optionally by a further collar 73 made integral to said second portion 22.

In the variant illustrated a further actuator 74, identical to the first actuator 71, rests on the intermediate pipe 63. In this case the two actuators 71 and 74 are controlled so as to act simultaneously as if they were a single actuator.

Preferably, a further actuator 76, or a pair of actuators, is interposed between the end of the first transverse arm 61 and the upright 60.

The extension of said actuator 76 allows the upright 60 to be tilted with respect to the axis of extension X of the tilting arm 20.

This tilting is useful, for example, when the equipment must place pipes in the vertical magazine in which said pipes are resting on the ground or on the set back and maintained slightly tilted so as to receive lateral support from support elements of the magazine or from other adjacent pipes. According to the invention, the second actuator means can also comprise a second multi-stage actuator 75, preferably connected to a pressurized hydraulic accumulator (not illustrated).

Also in this case, the function of the second actuator 75 is to supply an additional thrust mainly in the first part of the rotation movement of the transverse arms, when the upright is substantially against the tilting arm 20.

According to the invention, the gripping means 50 are movable along a direction substantially parallel to the axis of extension X of the tilting arm.

This movement is permitted by the structure of the upright 60, which comprises a first portion 60a connected to the transverse arms 61 , 62 and a second portion 60b, sliding with respect to the first, on which the gripping means 50 are mounted.

In the variant illustrated, the first portion 60a and the second portion 60b of the upright comprise box or open profiles, structured to be able to slide with respect to each other.

Translation of the second portion 60b is carried out, for example, by means of a hydraulic actuator typically closed between the two profiles.

According to this variant, movement of the second portion with respect to the first can only take place in one direction.

In an alternative variant, not illustrated, the second portion 60b is moved by a motor, usually hydraulic or electric, by means of a rack or the like that allows it to translate in both directions.

Preferably, the two portions of the upright 60a, 60b have substantially the same length.

In this way, the second portion 60b can move by a length of around 60-80% of the length of the upright, providing the gripping means with a relatively wide range of action.

With reference to Fig. 3, the gripping means 50 are illustrated in more detail.

According to the invention, the gripping means 50 comprise at least a first pair of gripper elements 51. Said gripper elements are connected to the upright 60 and more precisely to the second portion 60b. The distance between the gripper elements is comprised between around 7 meters and 10 meters. This distance is preferably fixed.

Each gripper element 51 comprises a pair of jaws 52, hinged in a common rotation point 52b, with the possibility of rotating with respect to each other.

The jaws 52 are supported by a support, indicated as a whole with 53, connected to the second portion 60b of the upright.

More in detail, the support 53 comprises a fixed portion 53a fixed to the second portion 60b of the upright 60, and a moving portion 53b connected to the fixed portion 53a with the possibility of rotating about the rotation point 52b.

According to the invention, the moving portion 53b can rotate along an arc of at least 90°. This rotation movement allows the jaws to move from a loading position, in which they can grasp a drill pipe R from a container on the ground, to a gripping position that they maintain during raising of the drill pipe and its vertical handling between the drilling head and the vertical storage magazine.

In the variant illustrated, the moving portion 53b of the support comprises a pair of wings 54a, 54b between which the jaws 52 are partially housed.

Preferably, the jaws 52 are configured to be able to grasp cylindrical bodies with a diameter comprised between 2 and 20 inches.

The rotation that causes opening and closing of the jaws 52 is controlled by an actuator 52c interposed between them.

Said rotation is guided by a pair of connecting rods 55 connected at one end to each jaw and at the opposite end to a pin 56 sliding in a slot 57 obtained in each of the two wings 54a, 54b of the support.

Rotation of the moving portion 53b of the support is carried out by a pair of actuators 58 connected on one side to the fixed portion 53a of the support 53 and on an opposite side to one of the two jaws 52.

Advantageously, the second moving portion 53b of the support is provided with a stop element, indicated as a whole with 54c, which defines a stop plane PA of the moving portion 53b against the second portion of the upright.

Further blocking means 58b, can be provided to block rotation of the moving portion 53b of the support 53 when the jaws must be opened or closed in the gripping position or, optionally, in the loading position.

This configuration of the gripping means ensures that during opening or closing of the jaws 52, the axis of symmetry G of the jaws is always perpendicular to the stop plane PA of the moving portion 53b of the support.

This takes place both when the moving portion 53b is constrained to rotation with respect to the upright, and when it is left free to rotate, such as when the jaws are opened and closed in the loading position of the drill pipes.

In this way, when the gripping means operate at the well center it is sufficient to control correct angular positioning of the second portion 22 of the tilting arm 20 to ensure that the jaws 52 release the pipes exactly in the well center or vice versa grasp them simultaneously and in a centered way.

According to the invention, the gripping means comprise a second pair of gripper elements 5Γ respectively arranged side by side with the gripper elements 51 and substantially identical thereto.

In this variant, the supports 53 of the first pair of gripper elements 51 and of the second pair of gripper elements 5 T are configured to rotate the respective jaws in diametrically opposite loading positions so as to be able to operate, each pair, with a respective container at the side of the equipment.

The operating steps of the equipment are described below with reference to Figs. 4 to

12.

Fig. 4 illustrates a front view of the equipment 1 and a pair of containers C, containing drill pipes R, located at the sides of said equipment. The equipment is in the lowered position in which the pipes R can be grasped by the gripper elements 51, 51' and raised by the tilting arm 20.

Manipulators 59, 59', placed respectively at opposite sides of the equipment, pick up a pipe R from the container C and carry it to the loading position where it is placed on at least a V-shaped support 19, so that it can be grasped by the gripper elements 51, 51'.

Fig. 4 shows two jaws 52' rotated laterally and open in the loading position before grasping a pipe R and two jaws 52 in the gripping position between which a further pipe R is grasped.

After grasping the pipe, or the pipes, the tilting arm 20 is raised by the first actuator means until reaching a position substantially perpendicular to the ground. The raising sequence of the tilting arm is illustrated in Figs. 5 to 8.

As can be seen in the figures, during rotation of the tilting arm 20, the transverse arms 61, 62 are also rotated by the second actuator means to move the upright 60 away from the second portion 22 of the tilting arm, so as to carry the pipe R to the axis Z of the drilling well, or optionally of a mouse hole (Fig. 8).

Simultaneously, rotation of the transverse arms 61, 62 causes raising of the upright 60 which can move beyond the setback T of the mast (not illustrated).

In this position, the second portion 60b of the upright 60 can be translated upward so as to couple the pipe R to the drilling head or to a further pipe already screwed onto said drilling head.

According to another method of use of the equipment of the present invention, two or three drill pipes R, previously joined to one another, can be grasped from the ground and raised toward the well center, as shown in Fig. 13. In addition to the above, according to this method of use, the second portion 60b of the upright 60 is made to slide with respect to the fixed portion to raise the lower end of the group of joined pipes so as to pass over the setback T of the mast. This solution is particularly suitable where groups of two or three pipes can be joined on the ground, so as to considerably reduce the loading times with respect to the loading method of single pipes.

Advantageously, due to the use of double gripping means, the equipment can simultaneously pick up two pipes from the ground, so that at each raising cycle said two pipes can be connected in sequence to the drilling head and, subsequently, to the other pipes already inserted in the well.

In the same position, the equipment can also be used to pick up a pipe, or several pipes connected to one another, from the drilling head and set it down in a vertical storage magazine.

This operation is performed when, during drilling, all or part of the pipes already inserted in the well must be extracted to perform maintenance operations, such as replacing the bit or other operations.

In these cases, the pipes are temporarily placed in vertical magazines placed close to or at the side of the mast.

I To speed up decoupling operations of the pipes, these are extracted and separated into pairs (double stand) or groups of three (triple stand), according to their length.

Fig. 9 illustrates the step of picking up a pair of joined pipes R from the well center to set them down in a vertical magazine M.

Typically, the magazine M comprises one or more racks with a plurality of housings S arranged radially into which a plurality of pipes R can be inserted side by side, as illustrated in Fig. 10.

The magazine M is preferably coupled directly to the mast, so that the pipes inside it can rest directly on the setback T. Alternatively, the pipes can in any case rest on the ground; in this case the racks are coupled to the mast at a lower height.

From the position of Fig. 8, the second portion 60b of the upright 60 is made to slide upward so as to carry the gripper elements 51 to a position in which they can grasp the two pipes R, in double stand, in a safe and balanced manner, as shown in Fig. 9.

Simultaneously, the transverse arms 61, 62 are rotated to raise the upright 60 and the pipes R with respect to the setback T.

The second portion 22 of the tilting arm is then rotated about the axis X to carry the pipes R into alignment with one of the housings S.

At this point, the transverse arms 61, 62 are rotated so as to translate the pipes R inside the housing chosen until reaching the release position at the desired depth.

Subsequently, the second portion 60b of the upright is made to slide axially downward until said pipes R rest on the lower part of the magazine, i.e. on the setback T, as illustrated in Fig. 1 1 , or on the ground.

During this step, the actuator 76 can rotate the upright 60 so as to impart a slight tilt to the pipes R that allows them to rest laterally against other pipes already in the housing and not overturn outside this latter. This tilt is typically comprised between 1° and 3°.

Fig. 14 illustrates another variant of the equipment according to the invention. In this variant, the equipment is provided with a device for loading pipes on the ground, indicated as a whole with the numeral 80, to carry the pipes to a position in which they can be grasped by the jaws. Said loading device comprises tilted guides 81, typically two or more, positioned at one or at both sides of the base 10.

Slidingly mounted on each guide 81 is a bracket support 82 moved by a system of belts, ropes or equivalent actuator means, between a lowered position and a raised position. In the first position, lowered, the support can receive a drill pipe R laid in horizontal position on a rack 83 or the like.

The pipe, after the bracket support 82 has been engaged, can be raised to a position in which it can be grasped by the jaws 52 (not indicated in the figure).

To facilitate gripping of the pipe R by the jaws, the guides are preferably structured to rotate with respect to the^base to vary their tilt. In particular, this prevents the pipe from interfering with the jaws in gripping position during raising thereof.

As will be apparent, with the equipment according to the invention alone it is possible to perform all the handling operations of the drill pipes that are carried out at a drilling rig.

In particular, this is due to the arrangement of the various arms such as to form two articulated parallelograms that can operate on mutually parallel or secant planes, due to a rotation means interposed between them.

Moreover, this structure allows a significant reduction in the dimensions of the equipment in the closed position, so that it can be transported fully assembled, thus eliminating the labor and the times required for assembly and installation.

Moreover, the arrangement of the transverse arms allows the gripping means to carry the pipes, in double or triple stand, from the well center toward a vertical magazine in which they rest on the ground or on the setback.

Moreover, as the equipment is completely separate from the mast, it can also be used in existing rigs without requiring to modify them or, at most, with minor modifications.

The invention has been described for illustrative and non-limiting purposes according to some preferred embodiments thereof. Those skilled in the art may find numerous other embodiments and variants, all falling within the scope of protection of the claims below.

Claims

1. Equipment for handling drill pipes comprising:

a base (10);

a tilting arm (20) that extends along the axis of extension (X), said tilting arm being connected to the base (10) so as to rotate from a lowered position in which it is substantially superimposed on the base and parallel to the ground to a raised position in which it is substantially perpendicular to the ground;

first actuator means (40) adapted to carry the tilting arm (20) from the lowered position to the raised position, and vice versa;

- gripping means (50), to grasp or release at least a drill pipe (R), said gripping means being movable at least along a transverse direction with respect to the axis of extension (X) of the tilting arm;

wherein in the lowered position the equipment can pick up or set down at least a drill pipe from/in a storage area on the ground and in the raised position the equipment can carry at least a drill pipe toward a well center of a drilling rig or a vertical magazine, characterized in that said tilting arm (20) comprises a first portion (21), hinged at a first end to the base (10) at an axis (Yl) substantially perpendicular to the axis of extension (X), and at least a second portion (22) rotatable with respect to the first portion (21) about said axis of extension (X), said gripping means (50) being connected to said second portion (22) of the tilting arm (20).

2. The equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that said gripping means (50) are movable, with respect to the tilting arm (20), along a direction substantially parallel to the axis of extension (X).

3. The equipment according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said gripping means are supported by an upright (60) connected to the second portion (22) of the tilting arm (20) by means of a pair of transverse arms (61, 62), hinged at one end to the tilting arm and at the opposite end to said upright, the transverse arms (61, 62), the upright (60) and the second portion (22) of the tilting arm forming an articulated quadrilateral, second actuator means (70) being provided to rotate the transverse arms (61, 62) about the axes (Yt) substantially perpendicular to the axis of extension (X), so as to move the upright (60) toward or away from the second portion (22) of the tilting arm (20).

4. The equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that at least one of said transverse arms (61) comprises an extensible portion (76) to vary the tilt of the upright with respect to the axis of extension (X).

5. The equipment according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that said upright (4) comprises a first portion (60a), connected to the transverse arms (61, 62), and a second portion (60b) sliding with respect to the first portion along a direction substantially parallel to the axis of extension (X) of the tilting arm (20), the gripping means (50) being carried by said second sliding portion (60b).

6. The equipment according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that said second actuator means (70) comprise at least a first actuator (71, 74), served by a hydraulic system, connected on one side to the second portion (22) of the tilting arm (20) and on an opposite side, directly or indirectly, to at least a transverse arm (61 , 62).

7. The equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that said second actuator means (70) comprise at least a second multi-stage actuator (75), supplied by a pressurized hydraulic accumulator, and connected on one side to the second portion (22) of the tilting arm (20) and on an opposite side to at least a transverse arm (61).

8. The equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least a first auxiliary arm (30, 32) hinged on the base (10) and at least a second auxiliary arm (31, 33), a first end of the second auxiliary arm (31, 33) being hinged to the first portion (21) of the tilting arm (20) and a second opposite end of the second auxiliary arm (31 , 33) being hinged to the first auxiliary arm (30, 32), the auxiliary arms and the first portion of the tilting arm forming an articulated quadrilateral.

9. The equipment according to claim 8, characterized in that the first actuator means (40) comprise at least a first actuator (41, 42), served by a hydraulic system, connected on one side to the base (10) and on an opposite side to the second auxiliary arm (31, 33).

10. The equipment according to claim 9, characterized in that said first actuator means (40) also comprise at least a second actuator (43) connected on one side to the base (10) and on the opposite side to the first portion (21) of the tilting arm (20), and at least a third actuator (44) connected on one side to the base (10) and on the opposite side to the first auxiliary arm (30, 32), said first actuator and said second actuator being multi-stage actuators supplied by a pressurized hydraulic accumulator.

11. The equipment according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that said first actuator means (40) also comprise a fourth actuator (45, 47) connected on one side to one end of the first auxiliary arm (30, 32) and on an opposite side to the second portion (22) of the tilting arm (20).

12. The equipment according to any one of claims 3 to 1 1, characterized in that said gripping means (50) comprise at least a pair of gripper elements (51) connected to the upright (60), said gripper element comprising a pair of jaws (52) mounted on a support (53) comprising a fixed portion (53a) fixed to the upright (60) and a moving portion (53b) with the possibility of rotating with respect to the fixed portion.

13. The equipment according to claim 12, characterized in that the moving portion of the support rotates about a common axis of rotation that coincides with the axis of rotation (52b) of the jaws (52).