Side saddle traversable drilling rig

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11873685-B2
Application number	US-202117460031-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2021
Priority date	Sep 1, 2020
Publication date	Jan 16, 2024
Grant date	Jan 16, 2024

Abstract

A land-based drilling rig includes a drill rig floor and a subfloor, the subfloor supporting the drill rig floor. The land-based drilling rig also includes a plurality of substructure boxes, the substructure boxes supporting the subfloor, each substructure box including a lower substructure box and two upper substructure boxes, wherein there is a gap between the two upper substructure boxes. In addition, the land-based drilling rig further includes a mast, the mast mechanically coupled to the drill rig floor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for land-based drilling in a wellsite, the wellsite including a row of left well cellars and a row of right well cellars, the method comprising:
supplying a land-based drilling rig comprising:
a drill rig floor;
a subfloor, the subfloor supporting the drill rig floor, the subfloor comprising beams;
a leftmost substructure box and a rightmost substructure box, the substructure boxes supporting the subfloor, each substructure box including a lower substructure box and two upper substructure boxes, wherein there is a gap between the two upper substructure boxes, the leftmost substructure box positioned to the left of a left cellar from the row of left well cellars and the rightmost substructure box positioned to the right of the right cellar of the row of right well cellars, the rows of well cellars perpendicular to the beams; and
a mast, the mast mechanically coupled to the drill rig floor;

traversing the drill rig floor atop the subfloor; and
positioning the mast over the left well cellar or the right well cellar.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the land-based drilling rig further comprises a robotic pipe handler, the robotic pipe handler affixed to the drill rig floor, the method further comprising articulating a portion of the robotic pipe handler through the gap.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the land-based drilling rig further comprises a robotic pipe handler, the robotic pipe handler affixed to the drill rig floor, the method further comprising:
supplying a pipe; and
passing the pipe through the gap using the robotic pipe handler.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
supplying a powered catwalk, the powered catwalk having a ramp, the ramp of the powered catwalk positioned such that the ramp passes through the gap; and
delivering pipe to the drill rig floor through the gap.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the land-based drilling rig further comprises walkers, the walkers cantilevered from the substructure boxes or positioned within the substructure boxes, the method further comprising walking the land-based drilling rig along the rows of well cellars.

Assignees

• Nabors Drilling Tech Usa Inc

Inventors

• Reddy Padira
• Lee Denver
• Mongattil Premkumar

Classifications

• E21B15/003 Primary

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

• E21B7/023

  the mast being foldable or telescopically retractable · CPC title

• E21B15/006

  Means for anchoring the drilling machine to the ground · CPC title

• 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