Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
  • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
  • E21B19/00—Handling rods, casings, tubes or the like outside the borehole, e.g. in the derrick; Apparatus for feeding the rods or cables
  • E21B19/16—Connecting or disconnecting pipe couplings or joints
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
  • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
  • E21B19/00—Handling rods, casings, tubes or the like outside the borehole, e.g. in the derrick; Apparatus for feeding the rods or cables
  • E21B19/16—Connecting or disconnecting pipe couplings or joints
  • E21B19/161—Connecting or disconnecting pipe couplings or joints using a wrench or a spinner adapted to engage a circular section of pipe
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
  • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
  • E21B19/00—Handling rods, casings, tubes or the like outside the borehole, e.g. in the derrick; Apparatus for feeding the rods or cables
  • E21B19/16—Connecting or disconnecting pipe couplings or joints
  • E21B19/161—Connecting or disconnecting pipe couplings or joints using a wrench or a spinner adapted to engage a circular section of pipe
  • E21B19/163—Connecting or disconnecting pipe couplings or joints using a wrench or a spinner adapted to engage a circular section of pipe piston-cylinder actuated

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a device for gripping and fixing a tubular, comprising means for subsequent loosening of the grip, which device includes a dividable housing for proceeding towards and embracing the tubular, said housing receives and retains at least one gripping element, which at least one gripping element is activable in order to tighten with heavy force the gripping element against a tubular.
• drilling pipes are used in lengths of approx. 9.5 or 14 meters and diameter 90- 170mm.
• casings are secured and consolidated by casings in lengths of approx. 12 meters and diameter 178-510mm. All of these tubulars have threaded joints that are to be made up with a relatively high torque in order to ensure sealing and that the tubular joints do not loosen during rotation. This means that one of the main activities during well drilling is related to make up and break out tubular joints. Totally about 2-4000 such joining operations per well are involved. For the last 25 years mechanised tools have existed for these operations.
• the existing mechanised equipment for joining tubulars during drilling operations are classified in two categories, power tongs for drill pipes and power tongs for casings. These are two different tools of which the power tong for drill pipes is permanently installed on drill floor and the casing power tong is assembled each time a casing string is to be run into the well.
• the casings have thin walled joints while drill pipes have thick walled joints.
• Substantial manual work is involved for assembling and disassembling the equipment for casing running operations.
• the traditional power tong for drill pipes constitutes two main units; an upper unit with drive rollers for spinning in the threads as long as this operation runs easy (spinner tong), and a lower unit that makes up the joint with a set torque. This means that a complete working cycle consists of many operations that are controlled in sequence.
• the present power tong introduces a quite new tong concept that combines spinner tong and torque tong in one unit and in which the tong elements in addition are easy replaceable so that also casings can be run with the same machine.
• a device for gripping and fixing a tubular and a dividable spinner and torque tong of the introductory said kind is provided, which device is distinguished in that the at least one gripping element is a resilient, incompressible body that is allowed to undergo deformation, and that the at least one gripping element has a friction forming radially inner surface for direct engagement with the tubular.
• the housing is assembled by two main components that are movable in respect of each other and are able to apply force against the resilient, incompressible body such that the body undergoes deformation with expansion in a substantially radially inward main direction.
• the resilient, incompressible body can be of a rubber elastomeric material that encloses a gel or liquid volume.
• the one main component of the housing can, in respect of the tubular, be axially moveable towards the second main component and apply a squeeze force against the resilient, incompressible body and cause radially inward directed deformation of the body.
• Suitably hydraulic cylinders can exert said axial motion and squeeze force between the main components of the housing.
• the at least one resilient, incompressible body is activated by means of an internal hydraulic system that is applied by rotation of the spinner and torque tong.
• the device for gripping and fixing a tubular, and the dividable spinner and torque tong according to the invention can be incorporated as components in a complete combined power tong that is described in closer detail in co-pending international patent application PCT/NO99/00399 with title: "Combined power tong having integrated mud suction and thread doping apparatus".
• Fig.lA and IB show schematically a spinner and torque tong viewed in longitudinal section and from above respectively, and in an inactivated condition
• Fig.2A and 2B show schematically the tong according to fig.1 A and IB in an activated condition
• Fig.3 shows schematically a longitudinal section through the spinner and torque tong, and an underneath located back up tong, in position for spinning in pipe joints
• Fig.4 shows schematically a longitudinal section through the tongs according to fig.3, in position subsequent the spinning in of the pipe joints
• Fig.5 shows schematically the tongs according to fig.1-4 used on a 500mm casing
• Fig.6 shows schematically the tongs according to fig.1-4 used on a 300mm casing
• Fig.7 shows schematically and in perspective the gripping element proper
• Fig.8 shows a cross section through the gripping element according to fig.7
• Fig.9 shows in larger scale the encircled part of fig.8.
• the tong 1 has an outer stationary housing 5 and an inner rotatable housing 2.
• a drive gear 9 is supported in the outer housing 5 and the drive gear 9 is in mesh with teeth of a driven ring gear 3 connected to and supported in the rotatable housing 2.
• the outer stationary housing 5, the inner rotatable housing 2 and the driven ring gear 3 are dividable, i.e. that they can be opened for proceeding towards a tubular in opened state and subsequently be closed for embracing the tubular.
• the both housings 5,2 and the driven ring gear 3 have a partition line along which they can be opened. Before opening of the housings 5,2 and the driven ring gear 3, the respective partition lines have to coincide. This means that the inner rotatable housing 2 and the driven ring gear 3 have to be rotated in respect of the outer housing 5 so that the partition line D thereof coincide with the partition line of the outer housing 5.
• Fig.2A and 2B show the spinner and torque tong 1 in a conceived activated state (without the tubular) and illustrate the deformation that happens in the gripping elements 4.
• the pumping cylinders 8 are in one end thereof supported in the driven ring gear 3 and in opposite end supported in the rotatable housing 2.
• the pumping cylinders 8 provide the connection between the driven ring gear 3 and the rotatable housing 2.
• a rotational motion of freedom is present between the driven ring gear 3 and the rotatable housing 2. This motion of freedom is restricted by the stroke of the pumping cylinders 8.
• the driven ring gear 3 is rotated by means of the drive gear 9 that is driven by a hydraulic motor (not shown).
• the pumping cylinders 8 are compressed.
• the friction between the squeeze part 6 and the housing 2 is higher than that between the driven ring gear 3 and the housing 2 so that the pumping cylinders 8 are completely compressed before the squeeze part 6 is dragged along in the rotation.
• the gripping elements 14 are, by activation of the squeeze part 16, compressed and squeezed radially inwards against the drill pipe 21.
• the radially inner friction face 14F of the gripping elements 14 makes direct engagement with the drill pipe 21.
• the back up tong 10 including all components can be opened along a partition line, in order to proceed toward a pipe and subsequently be closed for embracing the drill pipe 21.
• Fig.4 shows a situation where the spinner and torque tong 1 has spinned the pin end of the drill pipe 20 into the socket end of the drill pipe 21.
• the tongs 1,10 are axially moved towards each other; normally the spinner and torque tong 1 towards the back up tong 10.
• the squeeze cylinders 17 are activated by an ordinary hydraulic system that supplies pressure to the piston of the squeeze cylinders 17.
• Fig.6 shows still another situation in which a variant of the spinner and torque tong 1 " is used on a 13 3/8" casing 40 that is to be spinned into a corresponding casing 41.
• the casing 41 is fixed by another variant of the back up tong 10".
• the spinner and torque tong 1 " has a configuration and a moment of force that is in particular adapted to the make up torques applicable for this smaller casing 40.
• the gripping element 4 can be constructed by an outer jacket enclosing a gel G or a liquid.
• the jacket 11 is shown as a laminate having an inner layer 11 A of rubber material, an embedded reinforcing layer 1 IB with steel interlining, alternatively balata, and an outer friction layer 11C of rubber with embedded and projecting hard particles 13 such as particles of hard metal.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Geology (AREA)
• Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
• Earth Drilling (AREA)
• Placing Or Removing Of Piles Or Sheet Piles, Or Accessories Thereof (AREA)
• Clamps And Clips (AREA)
• Mutual Connection Of Rods And Tubes (AREA)
• Supports For Pipes And Cables (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=19904073

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (12)

Families Citing this family (12)

Family Cites Families (2)

• 1999
  • 1999-12-07 NO NO19996016A patent/NO310526B1/no not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1999-12-21 CN CN99817031A patent/CN1391633A/zh active Pending
  • 1999-12-21 AU AU18993/00A patent/AU1899300A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1999-12-21 WO PCT/NO1999/000400 patent/WO2001051763A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1999-12-21 CA CA002393933A patent/CA2393933A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1999-12-21 EA EA200200608A patent/EA003648B1/ru not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1999-12-21 KR KR1020027007311A patent/KR20020086855A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1999-12-21 MX MXPA02005708A patent/MXPA02005708A/es unknown
  • 1999-12-21 BR BR9917575-4A patent/BR9917575A/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1999-12-21 EP EP99962586A patent/EP1264070A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1999-12-21 PL PL99356331A patent/PL356331A1/xx unknown
  • 1999-12-21 JP JP2001551943A patent/JP2003528231A/ja not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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