Assembly and method for dynamic, heave-induced load measurement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10329893-B2
Application number	US-201615072523-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2016
Priority date	Mar 17, 2015
Publication date	Jun 25, 2019
Grant date	Jun 25, 2019

Abstract

A tubular support assembly, method, and offshore drilling rig. The tubular support assembly includes a spider configured to support a tubular received therethrough, and a rotary table that supports the spider and transmits a vertical load applied to the spider to a rig floor. The tubular support assembly also includes a load cell configured to measure the vertical load.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tubular support assembly for a floating drilling rig, comprising:
a spider configured to support a vertical tubular string received therethrough, wherein the tubular string is configured to be positioned at least partially within a vertical sub-sea riser;
a rotary adapter bushing that supports the spider and transmits a vertical load applied to the spider to a floating drilling rig, wherein the rotary adapter bushing defines an inner bore through which the vertical tubular string is received, and wherein the inner bore defines a shoulder; and
a load cell configured to measure and record a value for the vertical load, wherein the value for the vertical load includes a weight of the tubular string and a dynamic heave-induced load applied to the tubular string by a heave of the floating drilling rig, wherein the load cell comprises:
a first ring providing a loading surface, wherein the spider is seated on the loading surface;
a second ring separated axially apart from the first ring by a plurality of ribs, wherein the second ring is seated on the shoulder of the inner bore of the rotary adapter bushing, such that the load cell is positioned at least partially within the inner bore of the rotary adapter bushing, and wherein a distance between the first and second rings varies in response to the vertical load, which axially-compresses the load cell between the spider and the shoulder; and
one or more strain gauges that provide a signal that varies based on the distance between the first and second rings.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a rotary table coupled with the rotary adapter bushing, wherein the rotary table is configured to support the rotary adapter bushing and the spider.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the load cell is interposed between the rotary adapter bushing and the spider, such that the vertical load on the spider compresses the load cell.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the load cell extends partially out of the inner bore, such that the loading surface of the first ring of the load cell is above an upper surface of the rotary adapter bushing.

5. A method for measuring dynamic tubular string weight on a floating oilfield drilling rig, comprising:
coupling a load cell between at least two components of a tubular support assembly, the tubular support assembly comprising a spider, a rotary adapter bushing, and a rotary table, wherein the rotary table is supported by a rig structure, wherein the load cell comprises:
a first ring providing a loading surface, wherein the spider is seated on the loading surface;
a second ring separated axially apart from the first ring by a plurality of ribs, wherein the second ring is seated on a shoulder of an inner bore of the rotary adapter bushing, such that the load cell is positioned at least partially within the inner bore of the rotary adapter bushing, and wherein a distance between the first and second rings varies in response to the vertical load, which axially-compresses the load cell between the spider and the shoulder; and
one or more strain gauges that provide a signal that varies based on the distance between the first and second rings;

engaging and supporting a vertical tubular string using the spider, wherein the tubular string is configured to be positioned at least partially within a vertical sub-sea riser, and wherein a dynamic heave-induced vertical load is applied to the tubular support assembly while the spider is supporting the tubular string;
measuring a value of a vertical load on the spider using the load cell, wherein the measured value of the vertical load includes a combination of a weight of the tubular string and a dynamic, heave-induced load caused by heaving movement of the floating drilling rig while the spider engages the tubular string; and
determining the dynamic, heave-induced load applied to the tubular string based in part on the measured load.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein coupling the load cell comprises positioning the load cell between the spider and a rotary adapter bushing coupled with the rotary table, wherein the vertical load applied by the tubular on the spider is transmitted to the rotary adapter bushing via the load cell.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
determining a dynamic loading history based on the dynamic heave-induced load; and
matching the dynamic loading history to a heave data history for the rig.

8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising storing an output data from the load cell representing the dynamic loading as a function of time.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein measuring the load using the load cell comprises continuously measuring the load using the load cell.

Assignees

• Franks Int Llc

Inventors

• Smith Logan

Classifications

• E21B47/0001 Primary

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic

• E21B19/10 Primary

  Slips; Spiders {; Catching devices (rotary tables with master bushing or kelly bushing E21B3/04)} · CPC title

• E21B47/001 Primary

  for underwater installation · CPC title