System for guiding a tubular during subterranean drilling operations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11248422-B2
Application number	US-201916566669-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2019
Priority date	Sep 26, 2018
Publication date	Feb 15, 2022
Grant date	Feb 15, 2022

Abstract

A method of conducting subterranean drilling operations comprising guiding a tubular with a first guide arranged in a first configuration; coupling an umbilical line to the tubular with an engagement element; guiding the tubular with a second guide; arranging the first guide to a second configuration to permit longitudinal passage of the engagement element past the first guide; and arranging the first guide to the first configuration after the engagement element is past the first guide. A system for conducting subterranean operations comprising a first guide and a second guide disposed at different vertical elevations, wherein the first and second guides are adapted to provide continuous support to a tubular in a lateral direction when the tubular is coupled with an umbilical line.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of conducting subterranean drilling operations comprising:
guiding a tubular with a first guide arranged in a first configuration, wherein the first guide comprises a plurality of supports including a first support and a second support, and wherein the first support and the second support are disposed on opposite sides of the tubular;
coupling an umbilical line to the tubular with an engagement element;
guiding the tubular with a second guide, wherein the second guide comprises a plurality of supports including a third support and a fourth support, and wherein the third support and the fourth support are disposed on opposite sides of the tubular;
arranging the first guide to a second configuration to permit longitudinal passage of the engagement element past the first guide; and
arranging the first guide to the first configuration after the engagement element is past the first guide.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third support is configured to rotate about a first axis that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the tubular, and wherein the fourth support is configured to rotate about a second axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tubular and parallel to the first axis, and wherein the first axis is spaced apart from the second axis.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein arranging the first guide from the first configuration to the second configuration comprises translating at least one of the first support and the second support, rotating at least one of the first support and the second support, or a combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first guide defines a tubular receiving area having a first diameter, D1, in the first configuration and a second diameter, D2, in the second configuration, wherein D2 is at least 1.01 D1, at least 1.05 D1, at least 1.1 D1, at least 1.25 D1, at least 1.5 D1, or at least 1.75 D1, and wherein D2 is no greater than 10.0 D1, no greater than 5.0 D1, or no greater than 2.0 D1.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first guide is disposed at a first vertical elevation and the second guide is disposed at a second vertical elevation different than the first vertical elevation.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first vertical elevation is below the second vertical elevation.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first guide and the second guide are vertically spaced apart by at least a thickness, TEE, of the engagement element, as measured parallel with a length of the tubular.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first guide and the second guide are spaced apart by at least TEE+0.1 TEE, at least TEE+0.5 TEE, or at least TEE+1.0 TEE, and wherein the first guide and the second guide are spaced apart by no greater than TEE+20.0 TEE, no greater than TEE+10.0 TEE, or no greater than TEE+5.0 TEE.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising arranging the second guide from a second configuration, where the second guide is spaced apart from the tubular, to a first configuration, where the second guide is adapted to guide the tubular.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein coupling the umbilical line to the tubular with the engagement element comprises installing the engagement element relative to the tubular and securing the engagement element with the tubular using a wrap.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising disengaging a safety device adapted to prevent accidental movement of the second guide between the first configuration and the second configuration prior to guiding the tubular with the second guide.

12. A system for conducting subterranean drilling operations comprising:
a first guide adapted to guide a tubular; and
a second guide adapted to guide the tubular,
wherein the first guide and the second guide are disposed at different vertical elevations, wherein the first guide and the second guide are both selectively reconfigurable to guide the tubular, and wherein at least one of the first guide and the second guide is coupled with an actuator adapted to bias the at least one of the first guide and the second guide between a first configuration and a second configuration.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first guide is translatable between a first configuration to guide the tubular and a second configuration spaced apart from the tubular; and
wherein the second guide is rotatable between a first configuration to guide the tubular and a second configuration spaced apart from the tubular.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first guide and the second guide are adapted to provide continuous support to the tubular in a lateral direction when the tubular is coupled with an umbilical line.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first guide comprises a support adapted to translate and the second guide comprises a support adapted to rotate.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the second guide is adapted to rotate at least 5°, at least 10°, at least 15°, at least 20°, at least 30°, at least 45°, at least 60°, or at least 75°, and wherein the second guide is adapted to rotate no greater than 180°, or no greater than 90°.

17. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first guide comprises a first support and a second support and the second guide comprises a third support and a fourth support, with the first support and the third support are disposed on one side of the tubular and the second support and the fourth support are disposed on an opposite side of the tubular from the first support and the third support.

18. The system of claim 12 , wherein the second guide comprises a locking pin adapted to selectively prevent reconfiguration of the second guide between a first configuration and a second configuration.

19. The system of claim 12 , wherein the second guide comprises an interface adapted to guide the tubular, and wherein the interface comprises a rotatable member, an arcuate member, or a combination thereof, and wherein the first guide comprises an interface adapted to guide the tubular, and wherein the interface comprises a rotatable member, an arcuate surface, or a combination thereof.

20. A system for conducting subterranean drilling operations comprising:
a first guide adapted to guide a tubular; and
a second guide adapted to guide the tubular,
wherein the first guide and the second guide are disposed at different vertical elevations, and wherein the first guide and the second guide are both selectively reconfigurable to guide the tubular, wherein:
the first guide comprises a first support and a second support; and
the second guide comprises a first support and a second support, wherein the first support of the first guide and first support of the second guide are disposed along a first vertical plane, and wherein the second support of the first guide and the second support of the second guide are disposed along a second vertical plane.

Assignees

• Nabors Drilling Tech Usa Inc

Inventors

• Bergeron Jamie
• Le Roux Hendrik Schalk

Classifications

• E21B17/026 Primary

  Arrangements for fixing cables or wirelines to the outside of downhole devices · CPC title

• E21B17/1078

  Stabilisers or centralisers for casing, tubing or drill pipes (E21B17/1007 - E21B17/1064 take precedence) · CPC title

• E21B17/1035 Primary

  for plural rods, pipes or lines, e.g. for control lines · CPC title

• E21B19/22

  Handling reeled pipe or rod units, e.g. flexible drilling pipes {(lifting or hauling appliances using two or more cooperating endless chains B66D3/003)} · CPC title

• E21B23/12

  Tool diverters · CPC title