Self-Elevating Drill Floor Jacking System for Pad Drilling
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Solution Overview
Problem
In land-based oil and gas drilling operations, the assembly and disassembly of drilling rigs with high floor heights are hindered by limited availability of large cranes, particularly in pad drilling applications where closely spaced wellbores require efficient and cost-effective rig movement and repositioning.
Innovation Solution
A self-elevating drill floor system utilizing a jacking system and substructure boxes that can be raised and lowered to achieve desired heights, allowing the drilling rig to be erected and moved using low-capacity vehicles, and enabling horizontal movement without disassembly, through a telescoping jacking system and skid foot movement mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If a drilling rig with high floor height is used to provide deep drill depths and high drilling capacities, then drilling performance is improved, but assembly and disassembly become difficult due to limited availability of large cranes
Solution Approach 1:
The drill floor structure is divided into multiple modular sections that can be assembled and disassembled independently. The substructure is segmented into reusable components that can be quickly configured and dismantled without requiring large cranes, enabling high floor height while maintaining ease of assembly and disassembly.
2Productivity
If the drilling rig is designed for deep drill depths requiring high floor height, then drilling capacity is improved, but the rig becomes harder to transport and reposition between closely spaced wellbores
Solution Approach 1:
The drilling rig incorporates dynamic, adjustable support structures that can be raised or lowered to optimize the drill floor height for deep drilling operations. These height-adjustable substructures allow the rig to achieve high floor heights when needed while remaining mobile and adaptable for movement between closely spaced wellbores in pad drilling applications.
3Reliability
If conventional assembly methods using large cranes are used for high floor height rigs, then proper assembly is achieved, but operational costs increase and availability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The drilling rig employs self-elevating mechanisms and self-contained lifting systems that enable the structure to raise and position its own components without external crane assistance. This self-service capability ensures reliable assembly quality while eliminating dependency on external crane availability, making the system adaptable to any drilling location regardless of heavy equipment access.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient assembly and disassembly of drilling rigs with high floor heights using low-capacity equipment, facilitates movement between wellbores on pad drilling sites, and reduces operational costs by minimizing crane dependency.
Implementation Method 1
A self-elevating drill floor system utilizing a jacking system and substructure boxes that can be raised and lowered to achieve desired heights
Implementation Method 2
enabling horizontal movement without disassembly, through a telescoping jacking system and skid foot movement mechanism
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~3B
Figure 4A~4C
AI summary
The present disclosure, in one or more embodiments, relates to a drilling rig with a self-elevating drill floor. The drilling rig may have one or more jacking systems that may operate to raise the drill floor. The one or more jacking systems may raise the drill floor to a height sufficient to accommodate a substructure such as a substructure box. A substructure box may be placed, and the one or more jacking systems may lower the drill floor onto the substructure box. Substructure boxes may be placed beneath the drill floor, using the one or more jacking systems, until a desired drill floor height is reached. In some embodiments, the one or more jacking systems may additionally operate to move the drilling rig, for example between adjacent wells on a pad drilling site. The jacking systems may operate to move the drilling rig using walking feet or another mechanism.