Drilling Machine Vertical Stand Transport and Offline Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current drilling machines for petroleum and natural gas extraction face inefficiencies and safety risks due to the manual and labor-intensive process of tripping out and tripping in drill stands, which occupy the well center and increase the risk of accidents.
Innovation Solution
A drilling machine with a base, mast, iron roughneck, power slip, drill floor mechanical arm, top drive, and pipe racker that allows for vertical transportation of stands between the well center and pipe setbacks, enabling efficient tripping out and tripping in, and a method for offline connecting and disconnecting stands using a stand-connecting mechanical arm and pipe racker.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual operations are used to trip out and trip in stands, then workers can control the process, but the well center is occupied for extended periods and safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The drilling system is divided into multiple functional modules: a pipe handling module with pipe rack and pipe conveyor for stand preparation away from well center, and a well center module with top drive for actual tripping operations. This segmentation allows parallel operations where stands are prepared offline while the well center remains occupied minimally.
Solution Approach 2:
Stands are assembled and prepared in advance at the pipe rack located away from the well center. The pipe conveyor pre-positiones stands before they are needed at the well center, eliminating waiting time and reducing well center occupancy duration while maintaining operational control.
2Productivity
If stands are transported vertically using traditional methods, then the well center must be occupied, but efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system moves stand transportation from a vertical-only path through the well center to a two-dimensional path using the pipe conveyor that operates horizontally away from the well center. Stands are conveyed along the side of the well center and only vertically positioned when ready for connection, enabling parallel operations and reducing well center occupancy time.
3Productivity
If automated systems are implemented for stand transport, then efficiency improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe conveyor is designed as a multi-functional device that can handle multiple operations: transporting stands horizontally, positioning them vertically, and coordinating with the top drive for make-up operations. This universal device consolidates multiple functions into one system, improving efficiency while limiting the increase in overall system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure discloses a drilling machine. The drilling machine may include a base, a mast arranged on the base, an iron roughneck, a drill floor mechanical arm, a top drive arranged on the mast, a pipe racker on a finger board, a power finger board, a power catwalk arranged on the ground, and an elevator arranged on the top drive. The drill machine and a corresponding tripping out and tripping in method may be used to vertically transport a stand between a well center and a region of at least one pipe setback efficiently, which may improve the efficiency of tripping out and tripping in, and reduce the risk of accidents in the well. In addition, the present disclosure provides a corresponding method for offline connecting and disconnecting stands during a drilling operation, which may reduce a preparation time during the drilling, improve the drilling efficiency, and reduce the cost of oilfield development.