Patent ID: 6854520

Claim:
An apparatus for inserting or removing a string of tubulars from a borehole, the apparatus comprising: a make up/break out mechanism which is capable of adding a tubular to or removing a tubular from the string, wherein the make up/break out mechanism is moveable along the direction parallel to the axial direction of the string, such that the string may be substantially continuously inserted into or removed from the borehole, wherein the make up/break out mechanism comprises a pair of vertically spaced slips which are adapted to selectively grip the tubulars, whereby one of the slips is moveable towards and/or away from the other slip; and a handling mechanism which is adapted to feed a tubular into, or remove a tubular from, the make up/break out mechanism, the handling mechanism including at least one substantially vertical track and a rail mechanism movably connected to the at least one substantially vertical track for handling one tubular.