Patent Publication Number: US-2021179400-A1

Title: Hoisting System And Method

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application 62/481,841 filed on Apr. 5, 2017. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art. 
     Natural resources, such as oil and gas, are used as fuel to power vehicles, heat homes, and generate electricity, in addition to various other uses. Once a desired resource is discovered below the surface of the earth, drilling and production systems are often employed to access and extract the resource. These systems may be located onshore or offshore depending on the location of the desired resource. Further, such systems may include a wide variety of components, such as various casings, fluid conduits, tools, and the like, that facilitate extraction of the resource from a well during drilling or extraction operations. 
     Whether onshore or offshore, a drilling rig can be provided to drill a well to access the desired resource. A drill string can be suspended from the drilling rig and rotated to drill the well. While the drill string can be suspended from a kelly and driven by a rotary table on the drill floor of the drilling rig, in some instances the drill string is instead suspended from and driven by a top drive of the drilling rig. Such a top drive generally includes a drive stem (also referred to as a main shaft) that can be connected to the drill string. A motor in the top drive is connected to the drive stem to drive rotation of the drill string via the drive stem. The top drive can be raised and lowered via a mast and a hoisting system to raise and lower the drill string within the well. 
     The drilling rig also includes a hoisting system configured to raise and to lower drilling equipment relative to the drill floor. The hoisting system typically includes a crown block, a traveling block, a drawworks system, and a cable assembly (e.g., wire) that extends from the drawworks system and couples the crown block to the traveling block. As the number of reeves or lines of the hoisting system increase, the speed of the system decreases, and can decrease to a point where the speed is too low. Therefore, the cable assembly of hoisting system must be re-reeved so that it has fewer lines (e.g. 18 lines to 12 lines). The opposite is also true when a higher load capacity is needed. 
     SUMMARY 
     Various features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying figures in which like characters represent like parts throughout the figures, wherein: 
     Embodiments of this disclosure include a hoisting system comprising: a crown block; a traveling block; and at least one sheave assembly moveable between and alternatively connectable to the crown and traveling blocks. In some embodiments, the crown block may be in communication with a compensator such as a top mounted compensator. The traveling block may include a sheave cluster containing a gap sized to accommodate one or more sheaves of the sheave assembly. When the sheave assembly is connected to the crown block, the hoisting system has a first load capacity and a first travel speed (e.g., Low Load/High Speed” mode). When the sheave assembly is connected to the traveling block, the hoisting system has a second higher load capacity and a second lower travel speed (e.g., “High Load/Low Speed” mode). 
     Failsafe locking means in communication with a control module are provided for releasably connecting the sheave assembly to the crown and traveling blocks. By way of example, for connection to the traveling block a lower end of the sheave assembly may include a pin for insertion into a pin receiver of the traveling block. For connection to the crown block, an upper end of the sheave assembly may include a pair of arms that are received by an arm receiver of the crown block. 
     Embodiments of a method to lift a load using a hoisting system of this disclosure includes providing a first load capacity and first travel speed by connecting the at least one sheave assembly to the crown block; and providing a second higher load capacity and second lower travel speed by connecting the at least one sheave assembly to the traveling block. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying figures in which like characters represent like parts throughout the figures, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a portion of a drilling and production system having a known hoisting system; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic representation of a hoisting system according to the present disclosure when in a low load/high speed mode. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic representation of a hoisting system according to the present disclosure when in a high load/low speed mode. 
         FIG. 4  is an isometric view of a hoisting system according to the present disclosure. A gap that accommodates sheaves of the sheave assembly may be provided in the traveling block&#39;s sheave cluster. 
         FIG. 5  is an isometric view of a hoisting system according to the present disclosure when in a high load/low speed mode. The sheave assembly is connected to the crown block. 
         FIG. 6  is an isometric view of a hoisting system according to the present disclosure when in a high load/low speed mode. The sheave assembly is connected to the traveling block. 
         FIG. 7  is an isometric view of a hoisting system according to the present disclosure when in a low load/high speed mode. 
         FIG. 8  is an isometric view of a hoisting system according to the present disclosure when in a high load/low speed mode. 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic of a control system according to the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS 
     One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. These described embodiments are only exemplary of the present disclosure. Additionally, in an effort to provide a concise description of these exemplary embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers&#39; specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure. 
     The present embodiments are generally directed to drilling and production system comprising a hoisting system that may be utilized to support and lift a load (e.g., pipe section, drill pipe collar, casing section, or the like) within a drilling and production system. 
     To facilitate discussion, certain embodiments disclosed herein refer to pipe sections and drill strings; however, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments may be adapted for use with any of a variety of tubular structures, including drill pipe collars, casing sections, or the like. Additionally, certain embodiments relate to a subsea (e.g., offshore) drilling and production system; however, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments may be adapted for use within an onshore (e.g., land-based) drilling and production system. 
     With the foregoing in mind,  FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a portion of a drilling and production system  10 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the system  10  includes a derrick  12  supported by a platform  14  (e.g., floating platform or vessel). The system  10  includes a hoisting system  16  configured to raise and to lower drilling equipment relative to the drill floor  14 . In the illustrated embodiment, the hoisting system  16  includes a crown block  18 , a traveling block  20 , a drawworks system  22 , and a cable assembly  24  (e.g., wire) that extends from the drawworks system  22  and couples the crown block  18  to the traveling block  20 . In the illustrated embodiment, a top drive  26  is coupled to the traveling block  20 , and a drill string  28  supporting a drill bit (not shown) is suspended from the top drive  26  and extends through the platform  14  into a wellbore  30 . The top drive  26  may be configured to rotate the drill string  28 , and the hoisting system  16  may be configured to raise and to lower the top drive  26  and the drill string  28  relative to the platform  14  to facilitate drilling of the wellbore  30 . 
     Schematically represented on  FIGS. 2-8  is an example of a hoisting system  16  of the disclosure, enabling to increase load capacity. In embodiments, the hoisting system  16  comprises a drawworks system  22  including a cable assembly  24 , a crown block  18 , a traveling block  20  and a deadline anchor  25 . In some embodiments, the hoisting system  16  may include a compensator such as a top mounted compensator  19  of a kind known in the art to allow hook load variations to be addressed directly to the crown block  18   
     In embodiments, the hoisting system  16  comprises a sheave assembly  32  that is attached to the crown block  18  or top mounted compensator  19  in “Low Load/High Speed” mode, as schematically illustrated in  FIG. 2 , and attached to the traveling block  20  in “High Load/Low Speed” mode, as schematically illustrated in  FIG. 3 .  FIGS. 2 &amp; 3  show a hoisting system  16  for 12 lines  24 B-H,  24 L-Q in Low Load/High Speed mode and 16 lines  24 B-Q in High Load/Low Speed mode. (Fast line  24 A and deadline  24 R are not included in the line count when calculating load and speed for the hoisting system  16 .) By alternately connecting the sheave assembly  32  to the crown or traveling blocks  18 ,  20 , the hoisting system  16  is provided a different load and speed capability without the need to re-reeve the cable assembly  24 . 
     In the embodiment presented on  FIGS. 4-8 , the hoisting system  16  of the disclosure comprises a sheave assembly  32  and, in the presented example, enables to increase the load capacity from a 14-lines hoisting system  16  in Low Load/High Speed mode to an 18-lines hoisting system  16  in High Load/Low Speed mode. As previously stated, fast line  24 A and deadline  24 R do not count when calculating the load and speed. 
     In embodiments, connection of the sheave assembly  32  to either the top mounted compensator  19  or crown block  18 , or to the traveling block  20 , is done remotely from a drilling control room, for example. A control module  56  may be in electronic or network communication with failsafe locking means  52  for locking and unlocking the sheave assembly  32  to the crown and traveling blocks  18 ,  20 . The control module  56  may include one or more PLCs or microprocessors with associated software for providing the desired control. Appropriate control logic may be employed to ensure the sheave assembly  32  is connected to one but not both of the blocks  18 ,  20 . Sensors  58 A,  58 B may be used to provide positive verification that the locking means  52 A,  52 B is in a locked (connected) or unlocked (disconnected) state. In some embodiments, the failsafe locking means  52  may include a hydraulic driver or supply  54  or its equivalent. The supply  54  may be located in a top drive loop, with the lock/unlock signal and control coming from the derrick side of the hoisting system  16 . 
     Sheave assembly  32  may include a yoke  36  having an upper end  38  releasably connectable to the crown block  18  or top mounted compensator  19  and a lower end  40  releasably connectable to the traveling block  20 . Failsafe locking means, which can be hydraulically actuatable and controlled from the drilling control room, are provided for releasably connecting the sheave assembly to the crown and traveling blocks. For example, the upper end  38  may include arms  39  received by an arm receiver  17  of the crown block  18 . In some embodiments the arm receiver  17  is a cross bar. The drawworks system  22  applies the necessary force to engage the arms  39  with the cross bar  17 . 
     By way of another example, the lower end  40  may include a pin  41  received by a pin receiver  21  of the traveling block  20 . Moving the traveling block  20  toward the crown block  18  permits the pin  41  to be received by the receiver  21 . As the traveling block  20  then moves away from the crown block  18 , the pin  41  remains engaged and sheave assembly  32  remains connected to the traveling block  20  and disengages from the crown block  18 . The receiver  41  may be hydraulically actuatable and controlled from the drilling control room. 
     When connected, to the top mounted compensator  19 , the sheave assembly  32  might be parallel to the sheaves in the traveling block  20 . When connected to the traveling block  20 , the sheave assembly  32  might be parallel to the sheaves in the traveling block and, therefore, to compensate for the angle between the top mounted compensator  19  (or crown block  18 ) and the traveling block  20 . 
     The sheave assembly  32  of the disclosure may comprise any number of sheaves  42 , from 1 sheave and upwards. In examples, the number of lines (wire or cable parts) in a hoisting system  16  of the disclosure might be increased from 12 lines to 16 lines as shown in  FIGS. 2 &amp; 3 , with  2  sheaves  42  in the sheave assembly  32 ). In other examples, the lines might be increased from 10 and up, for example increasing from 10 lines to 18 lines (with  4  sheaves  42  in the sheave assembly  32 ). 
     In examples of the hoisting system  16  of the disclosure, the top mounted compensator  19 , crown block  18 , or traveling block  20  (or some combination thereof) might be designed to accommodate the sheave assembly  32 . Therefore, the travelling block&#39;s sheave cluster might include a gap  23 . To each side of the gap  23 , the cable assembly  24  runs from the crown block  18  to the travelling block  20 . Within the gap  23 , the cable assembly  24  runs from the crown block  18  to the sheave assembly  32 . The gap  23  can be the distance represented by the sheaves  42  of the sheave assembly  32 . In other words, the sheaves  42 , rather than being located on the traveling block  20 , are moved to the sheave assembly  32 , thereby leaving gap  23  in the traveling block&#39;s sheave cluster. 
     In embodiments, the sheave assembly  32  might be connected to the top mounted compensator  19  or crown block  18  as well as to the traveling block  20  in a way that enables the assembly  32  to accommodate the difference in angle between the compensator  19  and traveling block  20  or between the crown and traveling blocks  18 ,  20 . 
     The disclosed hoisting system  16  thus enables to increase the system load capacity compared to known hoisting systems without the need for increasing any horsepower on the drawworks system  22 , for example, or increasing the cable size. Further, the cable might not have to be re-reeved. 
     While the disclosure may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and have been described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the following appended claims. 
     The techniques presented and claimed herein are referenced and applied to material objects and concrete examples of a practical nature that demonstrably improve the present technical field and, as such, are not abstract, intangible or purely theoretical. Further, if any claims appended to the end of this specification contain one or more elements designated as “means for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ” or “step for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ”, it is intended that such elements are to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f). However, for any claims containing elements designated in any other manner, it is intended that such elements are not to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f).