The present invention relates generally to the field of oil and gas drilling and production. In a specific, non-limiting embodiment, the invention comprises a system and method of drilling oil and gas wells in arctic, inaccessible or environmentally sensitive locations without significantly disturbing an associated ground surface.
The drilling and maintenance of land oil and gas wells requires a designated area on which to dispose a drilling rig and associated support equipment. Drilling locations are accessed by a variety of means, for example, by roadway, waterway or another suitable access route. In particularly remote locations, access to a drilling site is sometimes achieved via airlift, either by helicopter, fixed wing aircraft, or both.
Some potential drilling and production sites are further constrained by special circumstances that make transportation of drilling equipment to the drilling site especially difficult. For example, oil and gas reserves may be disposed in locales having accumulations of surface and near-surface water, such as swamps, tidal flats, jungles, stranded lakes, tundra, muskegs, and permafrost regions. In the case of swamps, muskegs, and tidal flats, the ground is generally too soft to support trucks and other heavy equipment, and the water is generally too shallow for traditional equipment to be floated in. In the case of tundra and permafrost regions, heavy equipment can be supported only during the winter months.
Moreover, certain production sites are disposed in environmentally sensitive regions, where surface access by conventional transport vehicles can damage the terrain or affect wildlife breeding areas and migration paths. Such environmental problems are particularly acute in, for example, arctic tundra and permafrost regions. In these areas, road construction is frequently prohibited or limited to only temporary seasonal access.
For example, substantial oil and gas reserves exist in the far northern reaches of Canada and Alaska. However, drilling in such regions presents substantial engineering and environmental challenges. The current art of drilling onshore in arctic tundra is enabled by the use of special purpose vehicles, such as Rolligons™ and other low impact vehicles that can travel across the arctic tundra, and by ice roads that are built on frozen tundra to accommodate traditional transport vehicles. Ice roads are built by spraying water on a frozen surface at very cold temperatures, and are usually about 35 feet wide and 6 inches thick. At strategic locations, the ice roads are made wider to allow for staging and turn around capabilities.
Land drilling in arctic regions is currently performed on ice pads, the dimensions of which are about 500 feet on a side; typically, the ice pads comprise 6-inch thick sheets of ice. The rig itself is built on a thicker ice pad, for example, a 6- to 12-inch thick pad. A reserve pit is typically constructed with about a two-foot thickness of ice, plus an ice berm, which provides at least two feet of freeboard space above the pit's contents. These reserve pits, sometimes referred to as ice-bermed drilling waste storage cells, typically have a volume capacity of about 45,000 cubic feet, suitable for accumulating and storing about 15,000 cubic feet of cuttings and effluent. In addition to the ice roads and the drilling pad, an arctic drilling location sometimes includes an airstrip, which is essentially a broad, extended ice road formed as described above.
Ice roads can run from a few miles to tens of miles or longer, depending upon the proximity or remoteness of the existing infrastructure. The fresh water needed for the ice to construct the roads and pads is usually obtained from lakes and ponds that are generally numerous in such regions. The construction of an ice road typically requires around 1,000,000 gallons of water per linear mile. Over the course of a winter season, another 200,000 gallons or so per mile are required to maintain the ice road. Therefore, for a ten-mile ice road, a total of 2,000,000 gallons of water would have to be picked up from nearby lakes and sprayed on the selected route to maintain the structural integrity of the ice road.
An airstrip requires about 2,000,000 gallons of water per mile to construct, and a single drill pad requires about 1,700,000 gallons. For drilling operations on a typical 30-day well, an additional 20,000 gallons per day are required, for a total of about 600,000 gallons for the well. A 75-man camp requires another 5,000 gallons per day, or 150,000 gallons per month, to support. Sometimes, there are two to four wells drilled from each pad, frequently with a geological side-track in each well, and thus even more water is required to maintain the site. Thus, for a winter drilling operation involving, for example, 7 wells, 75 miles of road, 7 drilling pads, an airstrip, a 75-man camp, and the drilling of 5 new wells plus re-entry of two wells left incomplete, the fresh water requirements are on the order of tens of millions of gallons.
Currently, arctic land exploration drilling operations are conducted only during the winter months. Roadwork typically commences in the beginning of January, simultaneous with location building and rig mobilization. Due to the lack of ice roads, initial mobilizations are done with special purpose vehicles that are suitable for use even in remote regions of the arctic tundra.
Drilling operations typically commence around the beginning of February, and last until the middle of April, at which time all equipment and waste-pit contents must be removed before the ice pads and roads melt. However, in the Alaskan North Slope, the tundra is closed to all traffic from May 15 to July 1 due to nesting birds. If the breakup is late, then drilling prospects can be fully tested before demobilizing the rig. Otherwise, the entire infrastructure has to be removed, and then rebuilt the following season.
From the foregoing, it is clear there are several drawbacks associated with current arctic drilling and production technology. For example, huge volumes of water are pumped out of ponds and lakes and then allowed to thaw out and become surface run-off again. Also, the ice roads can become contaminated with lubricant oil and grease, antifreeze, and rubber products. In addition to the environmental impact, the economic costs associated with arctic drilling can be prohibitively high. Exploration operations can be conducted only during the coldest times of the year, which typically lasts less than 4 or 5 months. Thus, using ice pads, actual drilling and testing can be conducted in a window of only two to four months or less, and actual production and development can occur during less than half the year. At the beginning of each drilling season, the ice roads and pads must all be rebuilt, and equipment must again be transported to and removed from the site, all at substantial financial and environmental cost. As for the commercial development of hydrocarbons in the arctic tundra, the current state of the art requires the use of a gravel pad for year round operations. When production activities are completed (for example, at the end of the lifecycle of the field), the gravel pads must be removed and the site remediated. Such remediation efforts can be very costly and difficult to accomplish.
According to one aspect of the invention, a method of constructing a drilling or production platform is provided, the method including: drilling a post hole into a ground surface; inserting a support post into said post hole, wherein said support post has an adjustable shoulder member; adding a fluid slurry to said post hole to freeze said support post within an interior region of said post hole; disposing a modular platform section on top of said adjustable shoulder member to establish a platform deck surface; and adjusting said adjustable shoulder member so that said platform deck surface is disposed substantially level.
According to a further aspect of the invention, a method of constructing a drilling or production platform is provided, the method including: drilling or hammering a support post into a ground surface, wherein said support post further comprises an adjustable shoulder member; disposing a modular platform section on top of said adjustable shoulder member to establish a platform deck surface; and adjusting said adjustable shoulder member so that said platform deck surface is disposed substantially level.
According to a further aspect of the invention, a method of constructing a platform suitable for drilling and producing oil, gas and hydrate reserves is provided, the method including: disposing a platform section atop a plurality of support posts; disposing two substantially parallel support beam sections between two of said support posts; and disposing a deck section atop said two substantially parallel support beams to provide a bridging support means between said two substantially parallel beams.
According to a further aspect of the invention a method of constructing a drilling or production platform is provided, the method including: providing a first platform section supported by support posts, wherein each of said support posts are disposed proximate to the corners of said first platform section; providing a second platform section, wherein said second platform section further comprises a hooking member that hooks onto a first side of said first platform section; providing a plurality of support posts to support a side of said second platform section disposed opposite said first side of said second platform section; and providing a third platform section, wherein said third platform section further comprises a hooking member that hooks said second platform section.
According to a still further aspect of the invention, a method of assembling a plurality of interlocking modular platform sections useful for supporting drilling equipment on a deck surface is provided, the method including: disposing a first modular platform section and a second modular platform section atop a plurality of platform support posts; disposing a hook and hook receiving member proximate an interface formed between said first platform section and said second platform section, wherein said hook is disposed along a side portion of said first platform section, and said hook receiving member is disposed on a side portion of said second platform section, and thereby.
According to a still further aspect of the invention, a method of communicating utilities between a deck section and a platform section of a drilling or production platform is provided, the method including: disposing a deck section atop a platform section; disposing one or more holes in a top surface of said deck section to permit utility communication between an interior region of said deck section and a deck surface disposed atop said deck section; and disposing one or more holes between a lower surface of said deck section and an upper surface of said platform section.
According to a still further aspect of the invention, a method of heating a drilling or production platform support post is provided, the method including: disposing a fluid conduit through a body portion of said support post; disposing a hollow fluid transfer member around or near an outer surface of said support post, wherein said fluid conduit disposed in a body portion of said support post is in fluid communication with said hollow fluid transfer member; and drawing a cooling or warm fluid into said fluid conduit and passing said fluid through said hollow fluid transfer member.
According to a further aspect of the invention, a method of removing a drilling or production platform support post is provided, the method including: disposing a fluid conduit through a body portion of said support post; disposing a hollow fluid transfer member around or near an outer surface of said support post, wherein said fluid conduit is disposed in fluid communication with said hollow fluid transfer member; drawing a warm fluid into said fluid conduit and passing said fluid through said hollow fluid transfer member to heat the surrounding ground; and applying a pulling force to said support post to pull said support post from the ground.
According to a still further aspect of the invention, a method of removing a drilling or production platform support post is provided, the method including: disposing a fluid conduit through a body portion of said support post; disposing a hollow fluid transfer member around or near an outer surface of said support post, wherein said fluid conduit is in fluid communication with said hollow fluid transfer member; disposing a vent between said fluid conduit and a surrounding ground surface using jets or ports; drawing a fluid or gas into said fluid conduit and passing said fluid through said hollow fluid transfer member, through said vent and out to the surrounding ground surface; and applying a pulling force to said support post to pull said support post from the ground.
According to a still further aspect of the invention, a method of adjusting the height of a modular drilling or production platform section is provided, the method including: disposing a modular platform section atop an adjustable shoulder nut disposed on a support post, wherein a top portion of said support post further comprises a lift receiving means; disposing a lifting means proximate to said lift receiving means, and then mutually engaging said lifting means and said lift receiving means; lifting said modular platform section off of said adjustable shoulder nut and then supporting said modular platform section using a support means; raising said adjustable shoulder nut; and replacing said modular platform section atop said adjustable shoulder nut using said support means.
According to a still further aspect of the invention, a method of sealing an intersection formed between a plurality of interlocked platform modules, the method including: disposing four interlocked platform modules so that a four-way intersection is formed therebetween; disposing a sealing member over said four-way intersection, wherein said sealing member comprises a body member and a plurality of leg members; and augmenting the seal using a deformable sealing material.
a is a top view of an x-shaped sealing member useful for substantially sealing a gap formed at the intersection of a plurality of interconnected modular platform sections.
b is a side view of the x-shaped sealing member shown in
a and 26b are plan views of a fence sealing member that has been clipped onto a portion of a fluid retention fence using a clip tab.
a and 27b are plan views of a retaining fence gap sealing member equipped with a seal extension member.
a and 28b are plan views of a fence corner seal, in which the corner seal is bridging a gap formed between corner sections of a fluid retention fence.
Referring now to a specific, though non-limiting, embodiment of the invention shown in
According to an alternative embodiment, a crane 10 is positioned on a deck portion of platform 4, and is sufficiently mobile to move around on the deck area so that the crane can be used to carry out a number of different lifting and support functions. For example, in one example embodiment, crane 10 is used to assist in the initial outfitting of the platform, and thereafter to move spools of drilling string and other drilling supplies around the platform during drilling and production operations. One or more cranes can also be fixed mounted at key points.
In other embodiments, a group of interconnected housing modules are assembled to provide living quarters for personnel working on the rig. In some embodiments, the housing platform employs a support post and platform module construction method similar to the platform described above, except that housing modules are disposed on the top of the platform deck instead of drilling modules.
Referring now to an example embodiment shown in
In the particular embodiment depicted in
Similar to the embodiment shown in
Referring now to the example embodiment of
In other embodiments, additional wells 44 are drilled to serve as backup wellbores in the event the primary wellbore encounters technical problems such as a broken drill bit or a jammed drilling string. According to a further embodiment, additional wells 44 are used to drill an underground pipeline routed to a remote location so that production removed from the primary well can be pipelined to a remote location in coordination with the ongoing drilling operation. The ability to drill an underground pipeline is particularly useful in environmentally sensitive sites in that removal and transportation of oil, gas and/or hydrates reserves can all be carried out deep beneath the ground surface, thereby reducing disturbance of the surrounding tundra region. The additional wells 44 can also be used to establish a field size.
According to a method of practicing the invention shown in
According to the embodiment shown in
As seen in the example embodiment shown in
Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that when various platform sections are of a common cross-sectional thickness, it is convenient to set each of the adjusting nuts at about the same height. However, in other embodiments it is beneficial to set the adjustable nuts at different predetermined heights rather than a common height, depending upon the actual structural requirements imposed by various operational environments, for example, to build up the pitch of a side of the platform disposed on a downward slope.
Referring now to the example embodiment of
In the example embodiment of
According to the example embodiment shown in
According to one aspect of the invention, support posts 2 are installed with each of the adjustable shoulder nuts 124 set at the bottom of the adjustment stroke; in other embodiments, however, the adjustable shoulder nuts 124 are set at predetermined positions other than at the bottom of the stroke, or even in random positions, depending upon the particular operational requirements of the drilling environment. In other embodiments, a tapered section 134 is provided at the top of adjustable nut 124 to allow wedges or shims to be dropped inside a space formed when a module is placed onto a post, thereby lending lateral support to the post as well as vertical support. In still other embodiments, one or more fluid receiving fittings 130 are provided at the top of the support post for receiving and circulating a heating or cooling fluid within a body portion of the post, and a threaded receiving member 132 is provided for attachment of a lifting means. In alternative embodiments, receiving member 132 is not threaded, and instead comprises a slip-toothed fastening assembly; in still further embodiments, receiving member 132 comprises an inverted nut and bolt receiving assembly for receiving a lifting means that has been lowered from the deck surface disposed above.
According to further examples of the invention,
According to the example embodiment of
According to a detailed embodiment, platform 52 is supported by twenty seven different support posts 54, each of which engage various platform sections from beneath the platform. Along the left side of platform section 60 is a beam member 62, which provides bridging support between support posts 64 and 66. Along the right side of platform section 60 is another beam member 70, which provides bridging support between support posts 72 and 74. In one embodiment, the underside of platform section 80 is a flat plate and includes a plurality of stiffening members 82; in some embodiments, stiffening members 82 are not intended to be structural or load bearing members, and are instead designed to support an accumulation of liquids and effluent that usually develops on a drilling platform.
According to one example embodiment, an interlocking method of securing the platform modules to one another permits disposition of but a single support post at each platform intersection, and adjacent platform modules are all supported by that single post. Although the interior corners of each platform section are near to and supported by a single support post, the support post is not necessarily attached to each of the surrounding platform sections. In one embodiment, for example, platform sections are attached to the support posts in such a fashion as to provide greater support in the direction of a line between support post 64 and support post 66; in this embodiment, greater support would also be provided between support post 72 and support post 74. In this configuration, however, only minimal support is provided in the direction from support post 64 to support post 72, and from support post 66 to support post 74, said minimal support deriving from the rigidity produced when adjoining portion of platform sections are interlocked rather than by attachment of the platform section to a support post.
According to an example embodiment depicted in
On top areas 110 and 111 of beam sections 82 and 96, a deck section 120 is installed and then locked into place. In one example embodiment, deck section 120 provides direct support for the various equipment and supply packages loaded on top of the deck. According to another embodiment, beam sections 82 and 96 provide support in the direction of the support posts 64 and 72 shown in
In a further embodiment, deck section 120 comprises a composite structure having a top plate 122 and a bottom plate 124, separated by a foam mixture 126 disposed in an interior region established within the platform modules. In one particular embodiment, foam mixture 126 is a polyurethane foam mixture that not only stabilizes and supports the structural integrity of the top and bottom plates, but also provides a compressive strength sufficient to support heavy equipment loads placed on top of the deck surface 120. According to a further embodiment, the polyurethane foam mixture 126 also dampens the loud noises and structural vibrations typically created during drilling operations.
Turning now to methods and means of interlocking the platform modules,
For example, the platform is supported by twenty-seven support posts 54, which engage the various platform sections from underneath. Along the one side of platform section 60 is a beam member 62 that provides bridging support between support posts 64 and 66. Along the other side of platform section 60 is another beam member 70, which provides bridging support between support posts 72 and 74. The bottom of platform section 80 is a flat plate and includes a plurality of stiffening members 82, which are not intended to be structural or load bearing in nature other than having sufficient capacity to support an accumulation of fluids that build up during drilling operations.
A single support post is disposed at each platform intersection, and the adjacent platform modules are all supported by that single post. While each platform section corner is near to and supported by a support post, the support post is not necessarily disposed in that platform section; the corners of some of the platform sections are supported by only the interlocking connection members disposed therebetween.
According to the example interlocking platform connection system shown in
According to the example embodiment of
Similarly, platform section 190 employs two additional support posts 192 and 194 at the end of the platform section disposed furthest away from platform section 170. However, platform section 190 gains additional support from attachment to support posts 164 and 174, and also from a hook and fence member combination disposed at the end most proximate to platform section 170. Consequently, platform section 200 requires only a single additional support post 202, provided said support post is employed in combination with a hook and fence member support means at each of intersections 204 and 206. Additional platform sections 210, 212, 214, 216, 218 and 220 will also require only a single additional support post each, again provided the configuration includes an appropriate hook and fence member combination on two of the sides disposed opposite the support post.
Turning now to other example methods and means for connecting platform sections together,
Referring now to the example embodiment of
Intersection 230, however, is more problematic. For example, virtually any liquid can pass through the space formed at the center of the four-corner intersection, and then pass between platform sections and down onto the ground surface disposed below. According to one aspect of the invention, therefore, a sealing member is provided to close the space formed at intersection 230, the seal generally being disposed on the top side portion of the intersection, although installation of the seal from the bottom side of the intersection 230 is also contemplated. The sealing member, which in this case is referred to as an x-seal because of its shape, extends in each of four directions at least as far as a series of sealing grooves 260 that have been cut into body portions of each of the associated fence members 250, 252, 254 and 256.
For example, as seen in
According to an example of the invention shown in
As seen in
Referring now to the example embodiments of
According to an example method of practicing the invention, as successive fluid retention safety members are installed next to other pieces of the fence, cracks that form between the kick plates are sealed using one or more fence seals 300. In certain embodiments, fence seal sections 300 are fastened to a waste retention member using known fastening means such as a screw or a nut and bolt assembly. In one particular embodiment, the fence seal 300 is clipped onto those portions of the fence disposed nearest the gaps formed between fence sections using one or more clip tabs 302 and 304. In a further embodiment, fence seal 300 is clipped onto the safety fence by hooking each of clip tabs 302 and 304 over a top lip portion of the kick plate. According to a particular example embodiment, a vertical fence seal portion 300 is fabricated so that it is about the same height as the terminal vertical portion of the kick plate, so that water or other fluids are directed back toward the interconnected platform sections.
Referring now to the example embodiments of
In the further embodiments of
According to the example embodiment of
According to further embodiments, within a body portion of each of the deck sections is a utilities communication pipe 60, which, in certain embodiments, is configured to run along an entire length (or width) of the platform section. According to one embodiment, utility pipe 60 has a predetermined number of regularly spaced junctions, permitting convenient access points for installation and maintenance of utilities related equipment (e.g., fiber optics bundles, electrical wiring, etc.). In other embodiments, utilities communication pipe 60 comprises a plurality of junctions disposed at irregularly spaced locations disposed along a length of the pipe. According to a specific example embodiment, after the disclosed arctic drilling platform has been fully assembled, communication pipes 60 (and the various junctions and utility access points disposed thereupon), serves as the framework for distribution of power and other utilities around the surface of the platform during drilling operations.
According to a further embodiment, each of the deck sections are slightly greater in length than the utilities communication pipes contained within, so that sufficient room remains within the interior of the deck module to install one or more power boxes, water junctions, or utility cross-connections, near the terminal ends of the communication pipes. In various embodiments of the invention, one or more utilities communication pipes 60 are used to accommodate installation of electrical power lines, telephone lines, fiber optic connections, gas hoses, fuel lines, etc.
As seen in the example embodiment of
According to a presently preferred embodiment, there is a space or gap of about 12 inches disposed between innermost portions 78 and 80 of deck sections 70 and 72; the space or gap is disposed above the topmost portions of platform sections 74 and 76, and below a manhole cover 82 laid on a top lip established by the end points of deck sections 70 and 72. In further embodiments, pipes 84 and 86 extend into the deck in order to facilitate utilities communication. Deck section 70 has an upper plate 88 and a lower plate 90, each of which are usually formed from a metal or composite material of some type. For example, according to one embodiment, upper plate 88 and/or lower plate 90 are formed from an aluminum plate, though in other embodiments an aluminum alloy or other combination of materials is preferred. According to still further embodiments, an insulation material is installed in the space or gap established between the utilities communication pipes. For example, in one embodiment, polyurethane foam is placed into the space between the communications pipes to lend compressive resistance to the deck plate disposed above the crawl space.
According to the example embodiment of
According to the example embodiment of
According to one example embodiment, a fluid solution is pumped downward through pipe 80 and into spiral fin 82. The fluid circulates around the spiral fin 82 down to the bottom of the post 100, and then vents into an internal bore 106 of support post 50 through transport hole 104. The fluid solution then circulates back up the body of internal bore 106. In this configuration, a liquid or gaseous medium can be pumped down the pipe 80 and around spiral fin 82, and then back up the internal bore 106 of support post 50 to either cool or heat the ground surface area surrounding support post 50. According to other embodiments, a very cold fluid or gas is pumped through pipe 80 into the body of the post, so as to ensure that the surrounding ground surface will remain firmly frozen. According to a further embodiment, however, a warm fluid or gas is instead pumped through pipe 80 in order to melt the ground surface around the support post, so that the support post can then be removed from its moorings and more easily retrieved when drilling operations are complete. According to a still further embodiment, the fluid transportation means is vented to a surrounding ground surface using jetting ports or the like in order to make removal of the support posts easier.
According to one particular embodiment, a fluid such as a food-grade glycol, which has a freezing temperature well below the lowest anticipated temperature of the surrounding tundra, is employed to facilitate the aforementioned freezing steps. In case of an accidental spill, food-grade glycol is also bio-degradable, and thus will have only a limited impact on the surrounding ground surface. Those of ordinary skill in the art, however, will appreciate that many other fluid solutions, for example, chilled air, heated air or hot steam, can be pumped through the support post 50 in order to carry out the aforementioned freezing and heating.
On heavily weighted platforms, individual support posts often bear a heavy load. Since in some embodiments the support posts are frozen into the surrounding ground surface using a slurry, there can be a tendency for the underlying ice to either shift or compact, thereby causing one or more of the posts to sink more deeply into the ground and destabilize the rest of the platform. In most cases, the sinking of a post is in proportion to the load it bears, and will vary from post to post. While it is anticipated that the incremental sinking of any individual post will usually have a negligible impact on the stability of the platform, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that a mechanical adjustment will sometimes be required to bolster the structural support capacity of some sinking posts. According to the invention, there are at least two different effective methods of improving the support capacity of sinking posts.
According to the embodiment shown in
In further embodiments, hydraulic cylinder 375 is shaped like a piston, and exerts a downward force against the head of the support post so as to engage the two members via the fastening means. According to still further embodiments, however, the hydraulic cylinder member 375 is a telescoping cylinder, so that successive, concentric portions of the cylinder are revealed as the cylinder is extended to engage with the support post lifting socket 365, and the platform and deck assembly 350 are then lifted.
As seen in the example embodiment of
As shown in the example embodiment of
In instances where the hydraulic cylinder is piston shaped, the stroke distance of the hydraulic cylinder effectively determines the extent of support post height adjustment that can be effected. However, in other embodiments, one or more cylinder retaining pins can also be disposed in-between the jacking assembly's telescopic cylinder members in order to provide a standardized range of support post height adjustments. According to a particular embodiment, for example, a plurality of retaining pins is inserted through regularly spaced receiving holes formed in body portions of the inner, middle and outer telescopic cylinder members. As the cylinder progresses through a stroke cycle and retaining pins are inserted into the receiving holes, a basic height for the jack assembly is established at one of several predetermined elevations.
According to a detailed example embodiment, a bottom jack assembly is positioned adjacent to a side portion of a platform in such a fashion that the jack's hydraulic cylinder traverses a first portion of its stroke distance. A chain or other lifting means is then wrapped around the raised cylinder head, and the pins are removed from the cylinder's telescopic body sections. When the cylinder is retracted, the telescopic sections are pulled back in and the pins are reinserted. The cylinder is again extended, and slack in the restraining chain is withdrawn, so that the height of the cylinder head is raised; at that point, the cylinder head is held in place by only the shortened restraining chain. The pins are then pulled out of the receiving holes again, and the cylinder is retracted. As before, the telescopic cylinder members are raised to a higher position and then re-pinned, this process being repeated until the cylinder head has been raised to its desired height using only the hydraulic lift strength of the jack assembly. After the height of hydraulic cylinder head is basically adjusted, the jack assembly is slid into place under a desired portion of the platform, and the cylinder head is again extended to permit final adjustment of the height of the support posts.
According to the further embodiment of
According to other aspects of the invention, a tapered receiving member 62 disposed on an upper portion of adjustable nut 56 resides within tube member 50 after the support post is installed. A first chocking assembly 70 is then lowered down into the space formed between the tube member 50 and support post 54 so as to engage both the tapered receiving member 62 and an inner wall surface 78 of tube member 50. In the particular embodiment depicted in
For example, disposition of multiple chocking members 70 and 74 provides a fixed side distance between the support post and an interior surface of the platform section tube member, so that side loads (e.g., forces being delivered to the sides of the platform, such as strong winds) will be uniformly absorbed across an entire cross-section of the support post portion installed within the tube member. Since both top and bottom portions of the support post are engaged with interior surfaces of the tube member, the support post and tube member assembly is substantially fixed, and lends additional structural rigidity to the platform system. If, on the other hand, the support post is fixed at only the bottom of the tube member, a pivot-like connection between the support post and platform section results, and a high inertial moment established near the ground surface reduces stability of the assembled platform system.
Turning now to other aspects of the invention,
For example, according to specifications promulgated by the American Petroleum Institute (e.g., the API 500 specifications), a five-foot radius around the bell of any drilling rig is considered a Division One explosion environment, and all electrical equipment used in the area must be configured to accommodate the requirements associated with a Class One Division One area. Most enclosed structures that have a door opening out to a Division One environment are considered Class One Division Two explosive environments, environments that, under the API regulations, are regulated nearly as restrictively as Class One Division One areas. In practice, virtually all electrical equipment used on the rig, including computers and telephones, must be reviewed for electrical explosion potential in order to comply with the mentioned industry regulations.
In the example embodiment of
It would also be desirable for both the driller's doghouse and the company man house to have a doorway that permits personnel stationed in these offices to walk out onto the rig floor to perform work or conduct discussions regarding rig activities; however, the presence of a doorway between the rig floor and either the driller's doghouse or the company man house would cause these areas to be classified as Division Two areas, and since both the drillers and the company men often have need for telephones and portable computers and the like, most of which are not explosion-proofed, it has in the past been the case that convenient doors between the rig floor and the personnel stations are not present.
As seen in the example embodiment of
Turning now to various storage structures that are useful in a platform environment, for example, liquid storage platform sections, an embodiment of the invention depicted in
In some embodiments, the floor of thermal container 52 further comprises an electric heating element 60; lying on top of the heating element is a balloon type tank or collapsible pillow tank 62. In some embodiments, the balloon tank stores fresh water that can later be processed into either potable water or water suitable for use in showers and sinks. According to other embodiments, balloon tank 62 is used to store other liquids, for example, diesel fuel or well operation fluids. In further embodiments, a pump 70 is used to draw fluid out of the bladder tank prior to transfer of the fluid into other parts of the platform structure. In still further embodiments, pump 70 is used to draw liquids from other platform sections, and to pump the drawn fluids into the bladder tank through appropriate process connections 72, for example, a metal pipe or durable plastic conduit connection.
Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that there are usually a great many platform areas that are stacked high with relatively heavy platform modules and drilling equipment. However, there are also many other areas, for example, the deck sections beneath the crane, which are lightly loaded. By using one of the liquid storage bladder configurations, fluid loads can be maintained in platform sections that functionally serve as open deck spaces. The liquid storage bladders are also lighter than the steel tank storage modules that are presently known, and thus the total weight required to be supported is reduced according to the invention.
Most liquids suitable for storage in the disclosed bladder will tend to freeze at very low temperatures, for example, the very low temperatures that would be expected in arctic drilling environments. In the example embodiment of
As seen in the example embodiment of
As seen in the example embodiment of
As seen in the example embodiment of
As seen in the embodiment of
According to the further embodiment of
Referring now to the example embodiment of
The foregoing specification is provided for illustrative purposes only, and is not intended to describe all possible aspects of the present invention. Moreover, while the invention has been shown and described in detail with respect to several exemplary embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that minor changes to the description, and various other modifications, omissions and additions may also be made without departing from either the spirit or scope thereof.
The instant application is a continuation of U.S. Non-Provisional Application No. 12/221,231 filed Jul. 31, 2008, still pending, which is a divisional of U.S. Non-Provisional Application No. 11/704,614 filed Feb. 9, 2007, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,410,327, which is a continuation of U.S. Non-Provisional Application No. 10/820,597 filed Apr. 8, 2004, now abandoned, which claims the benefit of prior Provisional Application No. 60/461,602, filed Apr. 8, 2003.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60461602 | Apr 2003 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 11704614 | Feb 2007 | US |
Child | 12221231 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 12221231 | Jul 2008 | US |
Child | 12555303 | US | |
Parent | 10820597 | Apr 2004 | US |
Child | 11704614 | US |