Patent ID: 7431550
Filing Date: 2008-10-07
Classification: E21B,F16L

Abstract:
1. A method of positioning a tubular above a wellbore, comprising: providing a carriage having a wellbore end and a distal end; fixing a tubular handling apparatus to the wellbore end of the carriage, the tubular handling apparatus having a body connected to the carriage and two arms connected to the body; placing the tubular in the carriage while the carriage is in a substantially horizontal position at an elevation below a rig floor; supporting a majority of the tubular along a longitudinal axis of the tubular with the carriage; moving the carriage with the tubular handling apparatus to a position wherein the wellbore end, the tubular handling apparatus and a first end of the tubular are over the rig floor; lifting the first end of the tubular with a hoisting member; moving a second end of the tubular along the carriage as the hoisting member lifts the first end; engaging the second end of the tubular with the two arms while the second end is substantially over the carriage; pivoting the two arms about a first pin coupled to the body thereby pivoting the arms in a first plane relative to the body and the carriage, wherein the first plane is a substantially vertical plane; moving the second end of the tubular from the position over the carriage to a substantially vertical position wherein the tubular is above the wellbore by the pivoting of the two arms in the first plane; aligning the second end of the tubular with a tubular string suspended from the rig floor by pivoting the body about a second pin coupled to the carriage thereby pivoting the body and the arms relative to the carriage and moving the second end of the tubular in a substantially horizontal direction normal to a longitudinal axis of the carriage; engaging the second end of the tubular with the tubular string; pivoting each of the two arms in a second plane relative to the body and away from the tubular thereby disengaging the tubular from the arms; and moving the carriage and the tubular handling apparatus back to the horizontal position at the elevation below the rig floor.