Abstract:
A manipulable elevator system for jointed tubulars on a service, work-over or completion rig which moves the elevator and any tubing grasped by the elevator away from (or toward) the centre-line of a wellbore being served by the rig is provided which permits use of a vertical pipe racking without the need for a rig worker to man the monkey-board, especially useful to provide for safe vertical pipe-racking for pressure-controlled or snubbing rig environments, and saving operational time and expediting turnaround back to production, while maintaining operational safety; the elevator&#39;s maneuvering controlled remotely, typically powered hydraulically.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/304,866 filed Mar. 7, 2016. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    A manipulable elevator system is provided for a rig such as a snubbing or work-over/completion rig for the petroleum extraction industry, which permits use of a vertical pipe racking system (called a Standing Pipe Rack Back system) for jointed tubulars on a work-over or completion rig, especially useful to provide a safe vertical pipe-racking system for pressure-controlled or snubbing rig environments, without the need for a rig worker to man the monkey-board, saving operational time and expediting turnaround back to production, while maintaining operational safety. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    There is prior art having to do with top-drive rigs with vertical pipe stacking U.S. Pat. No. 7,021,374 Weatherford (&#39;374), as well as a system designed for snubbing and work-over rigs U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,516 Cudd Pressure Control (&#39;516), and a more general pipe-racking system U.S. Pat. No. 4,042,123 Sheldon et al (&#39;123). 
         [0004]    There are, however, significant differences between these systems and this invention, 
         [0005]    For instance, &#39;374 Weatherford deals with a top-drive system, and thus has drive equipment which must align with the upper box-end of the tubing in the elevator, inside the drive unit, and the drive unit itself is integrated in the top-end. The similarity ends with the use of hydraulic rains connected to an off-set at the upper end of the bails and to the bails themselves lower down, to effect some vertical displacement. This is not exactly the same as this invention, and takes place in a completely different working environment, although the Weatherford&#39;s hydraulic offset device has some similarities, it is effected in a different manner, on a different rig type, with a different drive system, 
         [0006]    A block-retracting linkage between a vertical rail offset from the well&#39;s centre line and a travelling block is provided in &#39;123 Sheldon, with a number (3) of hydraulic rams which can be actuated to move the block (and any suspended tubulars) off the well&#39;s centre line and toward and to a vertical pipe-rack means. This is different from the hydraulic bail/ram system of this invention in that the block in the system of this invention is suspended and not held by a rail-based mechanical setup. 
         [0007]    In &#39;516 Cudd, a combination coiled-tubing and rack-back jointed tubing rig is described, but without details of the elevator and racking system. This is relevant in that the type of tubular is commonly seen in pressure-controlled well settings, but Cudd does not disclose a hydraulic-ram bail swing system, and so is merely cited as a reference to similar rig environments in the prior art with rack-back tubular systems. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    A manipulable elevator system for jointed tubulars on a rig which moves the elevator and any tubing grasped by the elevator away from (or toward) the centre-line of a wellbore being served by the rig is provided which permits use of vertical pipe racking without the need for a rig worker to man the monkey-board, especially useful to provide for safe vertical pipe-racking for pressure-controlled or snubbing rig environments, and saving operational time and expediting turnaround back to production, while maintaining operational safety; the elevator&#39;s maneuvering is controlled remotely, typically powered hydraulically. 
         [0009]    The invention of this application, in an embodiment, may be described as follows:
   1. A manipulable elevator for well operations with a work-over or completion rig to facilitate vertical racking of jointed tubulars, the elevator comprising:
       (a) Remotely operable means for the elevator to grasp or release jointed tubulars   (b) Remotely operable means to move the grasping means and any suspended grasped tubular away from vertical alignment with the well&#39;s centre-line.   
       2. The elevator of paragraph  1  where remote operations are controlled away from the well&#39;s monkeyboard.   3. The elevator of paragraph  1  where the means to move the grasping means and suspended grasped tubulars away from vertical alignment with the well&#39;s centre-line comprises:
       (a) Where the well&#39;s operating equipment has a draw-works with winch, cable/tackle, an upper block and a travelling block suspended by the cable/tackle, the elevator is suspended from and below the travelling block by bails;   (b) Each bail comprises an eye or fastener at its upper end, a middle elongated body, and a lower eye or faster at its lower end;   (c) The travelling block has a connector for each bail, or hook/ear at or near each side of the lower end of the block, for receiving the upper eye or fastener of a bail;   to (d) The elevator is suspended from and attached to the lower eye or fastener of each bail;   (e) At or near each hook or ear of the travelling block is an off-set device, attached to the hook or eye, or to the block on one side, and carrying a hinge-point on another side, the hinge-point off-set vertically from the block;   (f) To each hinge-point is hingedly attached the upper end of a jack;   (g) The lower end of each jack is attached to the middle elongated body of a bail, each jack being attached to its bail at about the same point on each bail&#39;s body;   (h) The jacks are powered to extend or retract, causing the remotely operated movement of the suspended grasping means and any suspended tubular away from vertical alignment with the well&#39;s centre-line,   
       4. The elevator of paragraph  3  where the grasping means is hydraulically powered and controlled.   5. The elevator of paragraph  3  where the jacks&#39; extension and retraction is powered and controlled hydraulically.   6. The elevator of paragraph  3  where there is an alignment and retention device deployed between the upper eye of each bail and the hook or ear from which the bail is suspended, comprising:
       (a) A plate with a mating plate, the two plates attached to opposite sides of the upper eye of a bail, and between which is affixed a compressible spacer;   (b) The spacer is sized and placed to fill or nearly fill the gap between the lower inner surface of the hook or ear, and the upper inner surface of the eye of the bail.   
       7. The elevator of paragraph  3  where there is an added trough, spoon or guide mounted at about the same level as the lower end of the travelling block and around the level of the upper eye of the bails, to guide the upper end of a joint or double-joint of a jointed tubular toward and into the grasping means of the elevator.   
 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0029]      FIG. 1  shows a bail. 
           [0030]      FIG. 2A  shows a block with hook/ear. 
           [0031]      FIG. 2B  shows a block with attached bail, and  FIG. 2C  shows the same but with a deployed deformable spacer with plates for mounting. 
           [0032]      FIG. 3  shows the apparatus of the invention in several aspects,  FIG. 3A  from a side showing the bails deviated from horizontal and also not deviated;  FIG. 3B  showing a front-on perspective; and  FIG. 3C  showing the apparatus with rams retracted and bails deviated. 
           [0033]      FIG. 4  shows several elevations of a mount for the hinged attachment for the lower part of the ram to be attached to the middle of a bail. 
           [0034]      FIG. 5  shows a block cylinder mount to offset the hinge between the upper part of a rain and the lower part of the travelling block near the ears. 
           [0035]      FIG. 6  shows an embodiment of the guide or tubular catcher from two views;  FIG. 6A  from RHside elevation and  FIG. 6B  from above. 
           [0036]      FIG. 7  shows several aspects of the deformable spacer and mounting plate, also called the link reactor assembly. 
           [0037]      FIGS. 8 through 12  are elevations of a rig equipped with the apparatus to show the apparatus in sequential portrayals of parts of an operating cycle of the system manipulating tubulars; Figures A, B, and C of each of  8 - 12  are, respectively, rig view (A), expanded view of detail A (B), and expanded view of detail B, in each set of figures. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0038]    The invention has to do with a remotely operated rig-based tubular elevator system which can be used to manipulate the centering of the elevator just below a travelling block in order to in turn manipulate tubing suspended from the elevator to be more or less off-centre of the rig&#39;s operational centre-line. This provides a means of remotely handling the tubulars so that they may be vertically racked in an efficient manner. The remote control nature of the system permits it to be controlled without having a man on the rig&#39;s monkey-board, which is unsafe and in most places illegal if the rig is on a pressure-controlled well bore. There are additional features to the device and its operation to provide stability, reduce erratic operation, and assist the remote operator in aiming the elevator at the top-end of a tubing joint (or double-joint). 
         [0039]    An elevator  170  is provided which can be opened and closed by remote control, typically comprising hydraulic-powered jaws with remote operator controls. The elevator  170  is hung from bails  10  suspended from a swivel/hook  60  just below the block  50 . The angle between the bails  10  and vertical may be adjusted by extending or retracting one or more arms  160  connected near to the swivel/hook  60  but horizontally offset a suitable small distance from vertical  115  at the swivel hook  60  by means of an offset device or block cylinder mount  110 , the arms  160  typically being hydraulically powered and controlled jacks or rams  160 . 
         [0040]    Where the bails  10  are hingedly connected to the hook  60  of the swivel and the block  50 , a set of stabilizing means or link reaction assemblies  70  may also be affixed to the upper eye  20  of each bail. The stabilizing means  170  on each bail&#39;s eye  20  may include one or more compressible or plastic roller  90 ,  95  deployed between the upper-facing inside surface of the eye  20  and the lower-facing inside surface of the mating hook  60 . In addition, the roller  90 ,  95  is affixed between two plates  80  sandwiching the bail&#39;s  10  upper eye  20 . This arrangement provides a roller  90 ,  95  to act as a bumper between the bail  10  and the mating hook  60 , so that when the arms (bails  10  and rams  160 ) are manipulated, for example by extending or retracting hydraulically controlled and powered jacks  160 , the bail  10  rotates from its hanging position on the hook  60  without being vertically displaced, due to the removal of slack between the eye  20  of the bail  10  and the eye of the hook  60 . In other words, the hinge is tightened so that manipulation of the angle of the bail  10  from vertical does not jump or become unstable or unpredictable by application of force by the hydraulic jack  160  control and displacement means. 
         [0041]    By extending and retracting the hydraulic jack/arms  160 , the elevator  170  may be swung away from directly vertically below the swivel and block  50 , and toward a storage area  210  set aside on or near the drilling rig floor, to move tubulars  180  out of the way of operations centred on the well-head (and in the reverse operation, to move tubulars  180  from vertical storage  210  off-center of the well-head to swing toward and be stabbed into the wellhead connection below the block  50 ). This permits the tubulars  180  to be removed from the well and stacked vertically without an extra rig-hand, out of the way of further operations. Additionally, it permits tubulars  180  standing by the well-head against pipe rack  190  on or near a stand area  210  at the rig floor to be redeployed into the well quickly, directly from the vertical storage areas  190 ,  210 , without necessity of retrieval from a distant, horizontal rack (which is typical in the prior art). These operations provide use of a rack-back  190  which would ordinarily form part of a monkey-board  200 , without having a requirement to have a man on the monkeyboard  200  above the well-head, which is dangerous and not permitted in pressure-controlled wells. 
         [0042]    Some exemplary distances and dimensions for some components and their interrelationships: The distance of the offset  115  of the upper rams&#39; mounting point/hinge  120  vertically from the horizontal centre-line of the block  50  is greater than zero, and preferably about 7 inches; the extended length of the rams  160  is, in an embodiment, about 39 inches; the distance from the longitudinal center of each bail  10  and the hinge point of its link cylinder mount clamp  100  is greater than zero and preferably about 6 inches; the distance along a bail  10  from its upper eye  20  suspension point to a point opposite the hinge point in an attached cylinder mount clamp  100  is in an embodiment slightly less than the fully extended length of the rams  160 ; the bails&#39;  10  total length in an embodiment is about 72 inches; a preferred angle of deflection of the bails  10  by full retraction of the rains  160  is about 70 degrees, which causes a deviation of the elevator  170  from the well&#39;s centre-line of about 64 inches. In an embodiment rig, a monkeyboard  200  is fitted with fingered guides forming a pipe rack  190  to receive the upper end of tubulars  180  withdrawn from or ready for injection into the associated wellbore, the monkeyboard  200  and rack of fingered guides  190  or pipe rack being at or just below a height which is about the length of a pipe joint (in a double joint operation, about sixty feet or 19 meters) from the floor  210  on which the tubular  180  joint rests when not in the wellbore. The system for deviating the tubing can be operated from anywhere on the rig with remote control systems, meaning that the operator does not have to be on or near the monkeyboard  200  to control the placement of tubing  180  into the pipe rack  190 , nor removal of to tubing  180  from the rack  190  for injection into the wellbore; this permits use of the system in pressure-controlled settings. 
         [0043]    In an embodiment, a tubing-guide system is deployed, which is essentially a catcher-guide  140  attached to or near to the elevator  170 , which provides a spoon-shaped or v-shaped guide  140 A into which the upper end of a tubing joint (or double joint)  180  may fit, in order to assist in is remotely aiming the elevator&#39;s  170  open jaws to receive and grasp the tubing  180 . Several possible embodiments are provided for, including cast metal, shaped-tubing, cut-formed-and-welded shapes, but each of which provides a broader target than the elevator&#39;s open jaws for the operator to engage the tubing  180 , which in turn guides the tubing&#39;s  180  upper end to the elevator&#39;s  170  controlled jaws. The guide  140  has a receptacle  140 A size which is preferably about 1.5-2 times the outer diameter of tubulars  180  to be handled. 
         [0044]    Small, powerful manipulable elevator systems such as this have not been deployed on completion or work-over rigs or for snubbing operations, in particular. This may be due to the common use of endless or coil tubing in the target wells. Having said that, jointed tubing is still used in workover and completion operations, and use of single-handed vertical tubular racking systems can save tremendous time and cost, and reduce downtime and turnaround, as well as being permissible under various safety regulation regimes since no personnel are required to be on the rig&#39;s monkeyboard. 
         [0045]    The distance between the connection of the hydraulic arms  160  near the swivel  120  and the connection of the hydraulic arms  160  to the bails  10  at the connector  105  below the elevator  50  will determine the throw-distance or offset available for moving suspended tubulars  180  off vertical alignment with the well-head and to or toward vertical stacked storage  190 ,  210 . The amount of change in length of the hydraulic arms  160  will also have some bearing on the throw distance and the angular change available. These will be optimized based upon the rig-floor and stacking area location and size, height of the tubular joints, and similar constraints. 
         [0046]    Figures in the series from  8 A through  12 C show a progression of the system&#39;s operation in use.  FIGS. 8A-8C  show the configuration on the rig&#39;s derrick  150  of the bails  10 , the block  50 , rams  160 , and elevator  170  as aligned vertically when pulling tubular  180  from the wellbore.  FIGS. 9A-9C  show the tubular  180  raised more fully (with the block  50  picked up substantially higher), the subcomponents still in essentially vertical alignment.  FIGS. 10A-10C  show the bails  10  deflected from vertical alignment with the block  50 , starting to swing the elevator  170  and grasped tubular  180  away from the well&#39;s centre-line—the tubular has been disconnected from lower tubulars still suspended in the well&#39;s bore.  FIGS. 11A-11C  shows the block  50  partially lowered (lowering all components and tubular  180  depending from the block) with the bails  10  deflected/rotated out from under the block, and the tubular coming to rest with its bottom end in the pipe stand  210  or landing area, and the tubular&#39;s  180  upper end ( FIG. 11B ) coming to rest between fingers in the pipe rack  190  on/near the monkeyboard  200 —in a different interpretation, these  FIGS. 11 ) also show the tubular  180  about to be removed from the rack  190 ,  210  to be stabbed (at the bottom end of the tubular  180 ) into the well&#39;s bore for joining with tubulars or equipment already in the well.  FIGS. 12A-12C  show another view of the tubular  180  being racked into the pipe rack  190 ,  210  by deflection of the bails  10  to move the elevator  170  into place for that operation. 
         [0047]    The descriptions in this part are meant to be illustrative and not limiting, and it will be apparent to one skilled in the art of building or operating completion or work-over or service rigs, particularly in pressure-controlled wells, that the described arrangements of apparatus and the methods of use are merely illustrative of applications of the principles of the invention, and that many other embodiments and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as delineated by the claims. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 LEGEND FOR THE REFERENCE NUMERALS 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                  10 
                 Bail 
               
               
                  10a 
                 Displaced bail 
               
               
                  10b 
                 Bail, not displaced 
               
               
                  20 
                 Upper Eye of Bail 
               
               
                  30 
                 Elongated body of Bail 
               
               
                  40 
                 Lower Eye of Bail 
               
               
                  50 
                 Travelling Block 
               
               
                  60 
                 Hook or Ear on or near (below) Block 
               
               
                  70 
                 Link Reaction Assembly 
               
               
                  80 
                 Link Plate 
               
               
                  90 
                 Link wear block 
               
               
                  95 
                 Link load block 
               
               
                 100 
                 Bail Connector Clamp to Ram Bottom End 
               
               
                 105 
                 Hinge point of Bail Connector Clamp 
               
               
                 110 
                 Vertical displacement part of connector and hinge 
               
               
                 115 
                 Displacement from vertical of upper ram hinge from 
               
               
                   
                 travelling block 
               
               
                 120 
                 Hinge points on upper ram connector to block 
               
               
                 130 
                 Plate for attachment of upper ram connector to block 
               
               
                 140 
                 Tube guide/catcher 
               
               
                   140A 
                 Opening distance of catcher (1.5-2X tubing diameter) 
               
               
                 150 
                 Derrick 
               
               
                 160 
                 Ram 
               
               
                 170 
                 Elevator 
               
               
                 180 
                 Tubular 
               
               
                 190 
                 Pipe rack 
               
               
                 200 
                 Monkeyboard 
               
               
                 210 
                 Pipe stand