System and method for washing and doping oilfield tubulars

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11686160-B2
Application number	US-202017012247-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2020
Priority date	Sep 4, 2020
Publication date	Jun 27, 2023
Grant date	Jun 27, 2023

Abstract

A washing and doping mechanism includes a bushing that is configured to engage a tubular that is in a substantially vertical orientation. The bushing is configured to rotate, thereby causing the tubular to rotate about a central longitudinal axis of the tubular. The washing and doping mechanism also includes a sprayer configured to spray a fluid onto the tubular in the substantially vertical orientation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A washing and doping mechanism, comprising:
a bushing that is configured to engage a tubular that is in a substantially vertical orientation, wherein the bushing is configured to rotate, thereby causing the tubular to rotate about a central longitudinal axis of the tubular;
a motor;
a pinion gear configured to be rotated by the motor;
a drive gear configured to be rotated by the pinion gear, wherein the bushing is positioned above and configured to be rotated by the drive gear;
a load cell positioned at least partially below the drive gear, wherein the load cell is configured to measure a load that is to be used to determine whether the tubular is being at least partially supported by the bushing; and
a sprayer configured to spray a fluid onto the tubular in the substantially vertical orientation.

2. The washing and doping mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the bushing is at least partially conical.

3. The washing and doping mechanism of claim 2 , wherein a width of the bushing increases proceeding downward.

4. The washing and doping mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the bushing is configured to contact an inner diameter of a lower end of the tubular while a gap is present between the bushing and an outer diameter of the lower end of the tubular, and wherein the gap allows the fluid to contact at least a portion of a substantially horizontal surface of the lower end of the tubular.

5. The washing and doping mechanism of claim 1 , further comprising a drive gear bushing positioned below the bushing, wherein the bushing is configured to contact an inner diameter of a lower end of the tubular while a gap is present between an outer diameter of the lower end of the tubular and the drive gear bushing, and wherein the gap allows the fluid to contact at least a portion of a substantially horizontal surface of the lower end of the tubular.

6. The washing and doping mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the sprayer is configured to spray the fluid radially inward with respect to the central longitudinal axis while the tubular is rotating.

7. The washing and doping mechanism of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the sprayer is tilted upward an angle with respect to horizontal to simultaneously spray a first shoulder of the tubular, a second shoulder of the tubular, and threads of the tubular that are positioned between the first and second shoulders, and wherein the angle is from about 1 degree to about 45 degrees.

8. The washing and doping mechanism of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the sprayer is configured to move radially inward and outward with respect to the central longitudinal axis.

9. The washing and doping mechanism of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the sprayer is configured to move vertically up and down with respect to the central longitudinal axis.

10. The washing and doping mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the sprayer comprises at least two sprayers that are circumferentially offset from one another around the central longitudinal axis.

11. A rig, comprising:
a fingerboard configured to store a tubular in a substantially vertical orientation;
a racking mechanism configured to move the tubular from the fingerboard; and
a washing and doping mechanism comprising:
a bushing that is configured to receive and at least partially support the tubular from the racking mechanism in the substantially vertical orientation, wherein the bushing is at least partially conical such that the bushing is configured to contact an inner diameter of a lower end of the tubular while a gap is present beneath an outer diameter of the lower end of the tubular, and wherein the bushing is configured to rotate, thereby causing the tubular to rotate while the tubular is in the substantially vertical orientation; and
a sprayer positioned radially outward from a central longitudinal axis through the bushing, the tubular, or both, wherein the sprayer is configured to spray a fluid radially inward with respect to the central longitudinal axis, such that the fluid contacts threads of the tubular, a shoulder of the tubular, or both while the tubular is in the substantially vertical orientation and rotating, and wherein the fluid comprises water, solvent, gas, pipe dope, or a combination thereof,
wherein at least a portion of the sprayer is configured to move vertically and radially with respect to the central longitudinal axis, and wherein the movement is performed manually or automatically by a computing system.

12. The rig of claim 11 , wherein a nozzle of the sprayer is configured to be positioned at least partially below the lower end of the tubular and tilted upward such that the nozzle is configured to spray the fluid upward at an angle onto the lower end of the tubular, and wherein the angle is from about 1 degree to about 45 degrees with respect to horizontal.

13. The rig of claim 11 , wherein the sprayer comprises:
a first sprayer that is configured to spray the water, the solvent, or both onto the tubular; and
a second sprayer that is configured to spray the gas, the pipe dope, or both onto the tubular, wherein the first and second sprayers are circumferentially offset from one another around the central longitudinal axis.

14. The rig of claim 11 , wherein the washing and doping mechanism further comprises:
a motor;
a pinion gear configured to be rotated by the motor;
a drive gear configured to be rotated by the pinion gear, wherein the bushing is positioned above and configured to be rotated by the drive gear; and
a load cell positioned at least partially below the drive gear, wherein the load cell is configured to measure a load that is to be used to determine whether the tubular is being at least partially supported by the bushing.

15. A method for operating a rig, comprising:
positioning a tubular that is in a substantially vertical orientation onto a bushing such that the bushing contacts an inner diameter of a first shoulder of the tubular while a gap is present below an outer diameter of the first shoulder of the tubular;
rotating the bushing, wherein rotating the bushing causes the tubular to rotate therewith;
spraying the first shoulder of the tubular, a second shoulder of the tubular, and threads of the tubular with a fluid using a sprayer while the tubular is in the substantially vertical orientation;
wherein the step of spraying comprises:
lowering the sprayer until the sprayer is positioned beneath the first shoulder; and
tilting the sprayer upward such that the fluid is sprayed at an angle with respect to horizontal, wherein the angle is from about 1 degree to about 45 degrees, and wherein the first shoulder, the second shoulder, and the threads are sprayed simultaneously.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein spraying the first shoulder, the second shoulder, and the threads with the fluid comprises:
spraying the first shoulder, the second shoulder, and the threads with water, a solvent, or both;
spraying the first shoulder, the second shoulder, and the threads with gas to at least partially dry the water, the solvent, or both; and
spraying the first shoulder, the second shoulder, and the threads with pipe dope after the first shoulder, the second shoulder, and the threads are at least partially dried.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein spraying the first shoulder, the second shoulder, and the threads of the tubular with the fluid using the sprayer comprises:
spraying the first shoulder, the second shoulder, and the threads with water, a solvent, or both using a first sprayer; and
spraying the first shoulder, the second sho

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Berry Joe Rodney
• Van Der Zwet Thomas K
• Brzezniak Michael

Classifications

• E21B19/14

  Racks, ramps, troughs or bins, for holding the lengths of rod singly or connected; Handling between storage place and borehole (E21B19/20, E21B19/22 take precedence) · CPC title

• B08B2209/02

  Details of apparatuses or methods for cleaning pipes or tubes · CPC title

• B08B9/023 Primary

  Cleaning the external surfaces {(B08B9/021 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B08B13/00

  Accessories or details of general applicability for machines or apparatus for cleaning · CPC title

• E21B17/006 Primary

  Accessories for drilling pipes, e.g. cleaners (wear protectors E21B17/10; handling drilling pipes E21B19/00; thread protectors B65D59/00) · CPC title