Patent Publication Number: US-10329874-B2

Title: Safety valve handling apparatus for a well operation rig

Description:
FIELD 
     The invention relates to a well operation rig apparatus and in particular a safety valve apparatus. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Wellbore operations employ pipe strings, sometimes called drill, production or work strings, each used for drilling and/or servicing. The pipe string can comprise a bottom hole assembly such as, when drilling, a drill bit attached to sections of drill pipe. As the well is drilled or serviced, additional sections of drill pipe are added to the pipe string to extend its length until the bottom hole assembly is deep enough to reach a depth of interest. Sections of pipe are joined together using threaded connections on the pipe, often referred to as “pin” and “box” connections, where the pin of one section of pipe is threaded into the box of an adjoining section of pipe. When the pipe string is removed from the wellbore, the sections of pipe can be removed from the pipe string by unthreading the connections and setting aside a pipe section. Generally, one section of pipe is secured protruding from the rig floor. This section is often referred to as the stump. The stump may have an open inner diameter that is in communication with the bottom hole assembly in the depths of the well. 
     Sometimes during operations, it is necessary to plug the inner diameter of the stump. For example, a plug may be installed to stop fluids from passing up through the string and from being released at the stump. As another example, a plug may be installed if there is a stoppage in the drilling or servicing operation. 
     The plug used for installation in the stump is called a safety valve or a stabbing valve. The safety valve has a threaded connection that threads into the stump&#39;s exposed threaded connection and an integral valve that can be opened or closed to open the inner diameter of the pipe string at the stump. The safety valve must be kept at the ready. Typically, the safety valve is set on the rig work floor and must be manually lifted into place or the safety valve is suspended from a tugger winch and must be hoisted into position if needed. 
     With the introduction of slant rigs, difficulties have arisen in the use of safety valves. 
     SUMMARY 
     In accordance with a broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided a safety valve handling apparatus for a rig, the apparatus comprising: a mounting structure for connection to the rig; a clamp for engaging a safety valve and configured to permit rotation of the safety valve within the clamp while the safety valve remains engaged by the clamp; and an arm connected between the mounting structure and the clamp, the arm being movable and adjustable to permit movement of the clamp relative to the mounting structure. 
     In accordance with another broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided a well operation rig comprising: a mast; a safety valve for securing in a stump secured by the well operation rig; a safety valve apparatus for installing the safety valve on the mast, the safety valve comprising: a mounting structure for connecting the apparatus to mast; a clamp for engaging the safety valve and configured to permit rotation of the safety valve within the clamp while the safety valve remains engaged by the clamp; and an arm connected between the mounting structure and the clamp, the arm being movable and adjustable to permit movement of the clamp relative to the mounting structure. 
     It is to be understood that other aspects of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein various embodiments of the invention are shown and described by way of illustration. As will be realized, the invention is capable for other and different embodiments and its several details are capable of modification in various other respects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A further, detailed, description of the invention, briefly described above, will follow by reference to the following drawings of specific embodiments of the invention. These drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. 
       In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a safety valve handling apparatus holding a safety valve; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the of the safety valve handling apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a top view showing movement of the swing arm; and 
         FIG. 4  is a side elevation showing movement of the main mount tube. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of various embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to represent the only embodiments contemplated by the inventor. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a comprehensive understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a safety valve  100  is shown being supported by a safety valve handling apparatus  200 . 
     A safety valve may take various configurations but generally includes a body with a generally cylindrical outer surface  112  about a long axis x and a lower end with a threaded connection  114  sized and configured to thread into the threaded connection used to connect one pipe section to the next. The threaded connection on the safety valve is most likely a pin, as shown, configured to thread into a box. 
     Safety valve apparatus  200  holds safety valve  100  adjacent the rig&#39;s  300  mast height axis which aligns with well center WC, where the stump  310  emerges from the rig floor. As such, apparatus  200  supports valve  100  in a position ready to be installed. 
     Apparatus  200  is configured to:
         i. be mountable on the rig structure adjacent well center;   ii. hold safety valve  100  while permitting rotation of it about its long axis x. As such, the safety valve can be threaded into a stump while remaining secured to the rig; and/or   iii. be movable and adjustable to allow long axis x of safety valve  100  to be moved into and out of alignment with well center while both the apparatus and safety valve remain secured to the rig.       

       FIGS. 1 to 4  show one embodiment of safety valve apparatus  200 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, safety valve apparatus  200  includes a mounting structure  220 , a clamp  240  for engaging the safety valve apparatus and a movable arm  260  connected at one end to the mounting structure  220  and connected at the other end to the clamp. 
     Mounting structure  220  is configured to secure arm  260  and thereby safety valve  100  in a position on the rig. Mounting structure  220  may be permanent or releasable and may be configured in many possible ways. In one embodiment, structure  220  includes brackets  1 ,  7 ,  14  and fasteners  16  for attachment to a portion of the rig. In the illustrated embodiment, the brackets  1 ,  14  are intended to work with a frame that includes a pair of cylindrical mounting rails that fit within the cylindrical bores  1   a  in brackets  1 . However, other bracket configurations are possible. 
     Mounting structure  220  mounts the base of arm  260  in a fixed position, for example, parallel to the mast height axis. Structure  220  moves with the rig such that if the rig is vertical the mounting structure is vertical. If the rig WC is on a slant the mounting structure is on a similar slant. The mounting structure moves the arm accordingly with the rig. 
     Arm  260  is adjustable with respect to both height and angular extension such that the position of the clamp  240 , which is on the upper end of arm, can be adjustable. 
     Arm  260  includes main mount tube including an outer mount tube  6  and an inner support tube  8 . Together tube  6  and  8  provide for vertical movement and adjustment of the clamp. In particular, tube  6  can telescopically slide relative to, for example from within, tube  8  to adjust for height of the clamp relative to the brackets  1 ,  7 . 
     A gas spring  2  is provided as a movement control mechanism, to control relative movement of the tubes  6 ,  8 . The gas spring may bias the tubes  6 ,  8  into an extended position, for example at a maximum extended height H E . The gas spring bias urges the main mount tube into an elevated position such that it can be swung over hole center in a position above the stump and then a force can be applied to lower the apparatus to a lower height H L , to and thereby allows safety valve  100  to be threaded into the stump. In  FIG. 4 , the elevated position is shown in phantom while the lower position is shown in solid lines. The force is sufficient to force gas spring  2  to compress and thereby shorten the main mount tube and lower the swing arm. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , arm  260  also includes a swing arm  29  extending at substantially a right angle from the long axis of the main mount tube. Swing arm  29  is configured to rotate through an angle α relative to the long axis of the mount tube. The swing arm is connected to inner support tube  8  via a pivotal connection  30 . 
     A gas spring  3  is provided to control movement of the swing arm through angle x relative to the mount tube. Gas spring  3  may, for example, resist uncontrolled movement of swing arm  29  such as when it is placed in slant. For example, gas spring  3  acts like a releasable position lock and may be selected to ease movement into well center and to resist movement of the swing arm from swinging uncontrollably with gravity when the mount tube is moved out of a vertical orientation. 
     The clamp  240  is configured to both hold the safety valve on the arm and to permit rotation of the safety valve about its long axis x. Clamp  240  may include for example a clamping portion  10  that encircles the safety valve body and a bearing  13  that is rotatable within clamping portion and thereby permits safety valve  100  to rotate within portion  10 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, clamping portion  10  is a split clamp with halves connected at one side by a hinge  18  and releasably connected at the other side by a releasable lock such as including a removable lock pin  5  securable through alignable barrels. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, bearing  13  includes a split bushing securable by, for example, fasteners  26  about the safety valve. The ring is rigidly secured about surface  112 , but fits, is axially fixed and can rotate within an annular groove formed on the inside of portion  10 , when its halves are secured about the ring. The annular groove is formed by a groove portion  9  on the interior surface of each half of the clamping portion. 
     The function of the stabbing valve apparatus is to hold safety valve  100  adjacent well center and to be movable and adjustable such that the safety valve can be moved from a storage position into a position over, for example, with a concentric center point of clamping portion  10  aligned with well center. The apparatus allows a person to secure the well by lowering the safety valve into a stump and manually tightening the connection between end  114  and the stumps threaded box connection. When threading the safety valve into the stump, the safety valve remains supported on the apparatus, but the safety valve can be rotated within the clamp of the apparatus, by rotating the ring of bearing  13  within the annular recess  9  within the clamping portion  10 . 
     The clamp allows for quick changes of safety valves but when made up holds the safety valves securely but while allowing for rotation of the safety valve for threading. 
     The apparatus mounts to the rig structure  300 , for example, through a torque wrench frame. The mount tube permits vertical positioning and the swing arm permits rotational positioning with controls by releasable locks such as gas springs. Thus, the apparatus can be moved and maintained in a storage position away from well center but then can be moved and adjusted readily to move the safety valve into well center and may be threaded into a stump regardless of the height of the stump or whether the rig is vertical or on a slant. 
     The apparatus provides a reliable, easy and relatively safe option for storing, handling and threading a safety valve into a stump to secure the well. 
     The previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to those embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the full scope consistent with the claims, wherein reference to an element in the singular, such as by use of the article “a” or “an” is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically so stated, but rather “one or more.” 
     All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various embodiments described throughout the disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are intended to be encompassed by the elements of the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for” or “step for.”