Mast and substructure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11053745-B2
Application number	US-202016841082-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2020
Priority date	Jul 13, 2016
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

A drilling rig may include a right substructure, left substructure, and a drill floor. The drill floor may be pivotably coupled to lower boxes of the left and right substructure by struts. The substructures may include hydraulic cylinders positioned to raise the drill floor and a mast coupled to the drill floor into a raised position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
transporting a drilling rig to a wellsite, the drilling rig including a drill rig floor and a lower box, the drill rig floor in a lowered position;
pivotably coupling a mast to the drill rig floor, the mast in a horizontal position;
mechanically coupling a hydraulic cylinder skid to the drilling rig, the hydraulic cylinder skid adapted to be separately movable from the drilling rig, the hydraulic cylinder skid positioned at an end of the lower box when mechanically coupled to the drilling rig;
mechanically coupling a raising cylinder of the hydraulic cylinder skid to the mast;
extending the raising cylinder to move the mast from the horizontal position to a vertical position;
mechanically coupling the raising cylinder to the drill rig floor; and
extending the raising cylinder to move the drill rig floor from the lowered position to a raised position.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic cylinder skid further comprises a skid frame, the skid frame having a rig attachment point, wherein mechanically coupling the hydraulic cylinder skid to the drilling rig comprises coupling the skid frame to the drilling rig at the rig attachment point.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the hydraulic cylinder skid further comprises at least one cylinder positioning hydraulic cylinder and wherein the method further comprises controlling the angle between the skid frame and the raising cylinder using the cylinder positioning hydraulic cylinder.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein mechanically coupling the raising cylinder to the mast comprises mechanically coupling the raising cylinder to a corresponding mast lift point of the mast.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein mechanically coupling the raising cylinder to the drill rig floor comprises mechanically coupling the raising cylinder to a corresponding rig lift point of the drill rig floor.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mast comprises a traveling block and a top drive positioned within the mast while the mast is moved from the horizontal position to the vertical position.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mast comprises an upper mast subcomponent, a middle mast subcomponent, and a lower mast subcomponent, and the method further comprises mechanically coupling the upper, middle, and lower mast subcomponents.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the lower mast subcomponent comprises a lower mast body and two lower extremities, the lower extremities pivotably coupled to the lower mast body, and the method further comprises moving the lower extremities into an extended position before mechanically coupling to the drill rig floor.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising moving the mast from the vertical position to the horizontal position.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of moving the mast comprises:
retracting the raising cylinder; and
decoupling the raising cylinder from the mast lift point of the mast.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
moving the drill rig floor from a raised position to a lowered position.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of moving the drill rig floor from a raised position to a lowered position comprises:
retracting the raising cylinder; and
decoupling the raising cylinders from the rig lift point.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising decoupling the hydraulic cylinder skid from the drilling rig.

Assignees

• Nabors Drilling Tech Usa Inc

Inventors

• Reddy Padira
• Gupta Ashish
• Hause Ryan

Classifications

• B66F11/04 Primary

  for movable platforms or cabins, e.g. on vehicles, permitting workmen to place themselves in any desired position for carrying out required operations ({Working platforms on fork-lift trucks B66F9/127; } vehicle aspects of service vehicles B60P3/14; platforms for cleaning windows A47L3/02; devices for rescuing persons from buildings A62B1/02; liftable or lowerable platforms for use on ladders E06C7/16; maintenance travellers for bridges E01D19/10; scaffolds on an extensible sub-structure E04G1/22) · CPC title

• E21B15/003 Primary

  adapted to be moved on their substructure, e.g. with skidding means; adapted to drill a plurality of wells · CPC title

• E21B7/02

  Drilling rigs characterised by means for land transport {with their own drive}, e.g. skid mounting or wheel mounting · CPC title

• E21B15/00

  Supports for the drilling machine, e.g. derricks or masts · CPC title