Drilling rig

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9458680-B2
Application number	US-201313772709-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2013
Priority date	Jan 11, 2013
Publication date	Oct 4, 2016
Grant date	Oct 4, 2016

Abstract

Disclosed herein are embodiments of an offshore drilling rig comprising a drill floor deck having a hole defining a first well center. Embodiments of the drilling rig further comprise a first mast upwardly extending relative to the drill floor deck, and a first hoisting system supported by the first mast and configured for hoisting and lowering tubular equipment through the first well center. The first mast is located on a first side of the first well center. Embodiments of the drilling rig further comprise first pipe handling equipment for presenting tubular equipment to the first hoisting system so as to allow the first hoisting system to hoist or lower the tubular equipment through the first well center.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An offshore drilling rig comprising
a drill floor deck having a hole defining a first well centre;
a first mast upwardly extending relative to the drill floor deck, the first mast defining a first mast footprint on the drill floor deck, wherein the first mast is displaced from and located on a first side of the first well centre such that the first mast footprint is outside the first well centre;
a first hoisting system supported by the first mast and configured for hoisting and lowering tubular equipment through the first well centre; and
first pipe handling equipment for moving tubular equipment to the first hoisting system so as to allow the first hoisting system to hoist or lower the tubular equipment through the first well centre;

wherein the drill floor deck comprises:
at least a first open drill floor deck area located adjacent the first mast and outside the first mast footprint; and
skid beams installed on the first open drill floor deck area and configured to enable equipment to be skidded across the first open drill floor deck area;

wherein the drill floor deck comprises a rotary table at the first well centre, and the skid beams are substantially level with a portion of the drill floor deck surrounding the hole defining the first well centre.

2. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1 , wherein the offshore drilling rig is a semi-submersible drilling rig.

3. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1 , wherein the first pipe handling equipment defines a first pipe feeding path along which tubular equipment is moved towards the first well centre.

4. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 3 , wherein the first pipe feeding path extends substantially along a longitudinal direction defined within a plane of the drill floor deck by the first well centre and the first hoisting system.

5. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 3 , wherein the first pipe handling equipment comprises a first horizontal pipe handling equipment extending along the first pipe feeding path; and first vertical pipe handling equipment for handling at least vertically oriented tubular equipment.

6. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 5 , wherein the first well centre is positioned on the first pipe feeding path defined by the first horizontal pipe handling equipment; and wherein the first vertical pipe handling equipment is movable between at least a first position on the first pipe feeding path between the first horizontal pipe handling equipment and the first well centre and a second position transversely displaced relative to the first pipe feeding path.

7. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1 , wherein the drill floor deck comprises at least a first open drill floor deck area located adjacent the first mast other than any drill floor deck area configured for movement of tubular equipment or well-control equipment to the first well centre during normal drilling operation; and an access path connecting the open drill floor deck area with the first well centre.

8. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 7 , wherein the drilling rig is configured to perform movement of tubular equipment or well-control equipment to the first well centre along one or more pipe feeding paths during normal use which one or more pipe feeding path only crosses drill floor deck areas outside the first open drill floor deck area.

9. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 7 , wherein the access path extends entirely outside the footprint of the first mast.

10. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 7 , wherein the access path is a straight access path.

11. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 7 , wherein the first open drill floor deck area is located adjacent the first mast in a longitudinal direction defined within a plane of the drill floor deck by the first well centre and the first hoisting system.

12. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 7 , wherein the first open drill floor deck area is located adjacent the first mast in a transverse direction normal to a longitudinal direction defined within a plane of the drill floor deck by the first well centre and the first hoisting system.

13. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1 , comprising a guard structure configured to prevent tubular equipment operated above the first well centre from falling onto the drill floor deck area in a direction away from the first mast.

14. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 13 , wherein the guard structure is elevated above the drill floor deck so as to provide an access path to the first well centre under the guard structure.

15. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 13 , wherein the guard structure is configured to be moved between different elevations above the drill floor deck.

16. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 13 , wherein the guard structure is operable to be moved between a closed position where it prevents tubular equipment operated above the first well centre from falling onto the drill floor deck area and an open position where it allows unobstructed access to the first well centre.

17. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 13 ; wherein the guard structure extends between support structures located on respective sides of the first well centre.

18. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1 , comprising a mounting structure for suspending suspendable auxiliary equipment from an elevated position above the drill floor deck, allowing the auxiliary equipment to be lowered or hoisted through the first well centre; wherein the mounting structure is movable between a lower position for rigging up auxiliary equipment to the mounting structure, and an elevated position allowing lowering or hoisting of auxiliary equipment suspended from the mounting structure through the first well centre.

19. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 18 , wherein the mounting structure extends between support structures located on respective sides of the first well centre.

20. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1 , wherein the first mast and the first hoisting system are configured to allow tubular equipment to be moved towards the first well centre from the first side.

21. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 20 , wherein the first mast and the first hoisting system define an opening through which tubular equipment is movable towards the first well centre from the first side.

22. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 21 , wherein the first hoisting system is a hydraulic hoisting system comprising a plurality of cylinders extending upwardly relative to the drill floor deck, wherein the cylinders are arranged as at least two groups of cylinders that are laterally spaced apart from each other so as to form a gap between the two groups of cylinders through which gap tubular equipment is movable towards the first well centre from the first side.

23. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1 , wherein the drilling rig further comprises a pipe storage structure positioned on a second side of the first well centre opposite the first side.

24. An offshore drilling rig according to claim 1 , wherein the drilling rig further comprises
a second well centre displaced from the first well centre; the positions of the first and second well centres together defining a transverse direction in the plane of the drill floor deck;
a second mast upwardly extending re

Assignees

• Kannegaard Michael
• Mccoll Allan
• Maersk Drilling As

Inventors

• Kannegaard Michael
• Mccoll Allan

Classifications

• E21B15/02 Primary

  specially adapted for underwater drilling (E21B15/04 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B19/143

  specially adapted for underwater drilling · CPC title

• E21B19/155

  Handling between horizontal and vertical position · CPC title

• E21B19/002 Primary

  specially adapted for underwater drilling (E21B19/09, E21B19/143 take precedence) · CPC title