EP-4741625-A2 - MOBILE LAND RIG WITH A PIVOTAL TOP DRIVE UNIT

Abstract

A gripper supported by or configured to be supported by the loader boom of a loader of a mobile land rig for wellbore drilling and/or other wellbore related activities, comprising a main shaft provided with at least one jaw set comprising two adjacent jaws each pivotally mounted via a respective jaw base thereof on the main shaft and an actuator mechanism causing synchronized pivotal motion in opposed pivotal directions of the first and second jaws about the main shaft. The jaw set actuator mechanism comprises a gear wheel rotating around an axle radially to the main shaft and meshing with toothings on the jaw bases, and a jaws actuator exerting a relative pulling or pushing force between the first jaw and the second jaw.

Inventors

• DE MUL, Arthur Alexander

Assignees

• Itrec B.V.

Dates

Publication Date

20260513

Application Date

20220926

Claims (7)

1. Gripper (19) supported by or configured to be supported by the loader boom (18) of a loader (17) of a mobile land rig (1) for wellbore drilling and/or other wellbore related activities, the gripper comprising: - a main shaft (22) provided with at least one jaw set, e.g. two spaced apart jaw sets, wherein the jaw set comprises: - a first jaw (23) pivotally mounted via a jaw base thereof on the main shaft (22); - a second jaw (24) pivotally mounted via a jaw base thereof on the main shaft (22) adjacent to the first jaw (23); - a jaw set actuator mechanism that is adapted to cause synchronized pivotal motion in opposed pivotal directions of the first (23) and second (24) jaws about the main shaft (22); which jaw set actuator mechanism comprises a gear wheel (26) that is provided on a gear wheel axle which is mounted radially to the main shaft (22), which gear wheel (26) meshes with a toothing that is provided on the first jaw base and with a toothing that is provided on the second jaw base, providing synchronized pivotal motion of the first jaw (23) and the second jaw (24), and wherein the jaw set actuator mechanism comprises a jaws actuator (25) that is provided between the first jaw (23) and the second jaw (24) and connected to the first jaw (23) at a point away from the jaw base of the first jaw (23) and to the second jaw (24) at a point away from the jaw base of the second jaw (24), so as to be able to exert a relative pulling or pushing force between the first jaw (23) and the second jaw (24).
2. Gripper (19) according to claim 1, wherein the jaw set further comprises: - a third jaw (27) pivotally mounted via a jaw base thereof on the main shaft (22) adjacent to the second jaw (24) and opposite to the first jaw (23); - a second jaws actuator (28) provided between the second jaw (24) and the third jaw (27) and connected to the second jaw (24) at a point away from the jaw base of the second jaw (24) and to the third jaw (27) at a point away from the jaw base of the third jaw (27), so as to be able to exert a relative pulling or pushing force between the second jaw (24) and the third jaw (27).
3. Gripper (19) according to any one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the main shaft (22) is a hollow steel tube.
4. Gripper (19) according to any one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the gripper has two spaced apart jaw sets for gripping a drilling tubular (13).
5. Gripper (19) according to any one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the main shaft (22) of the gripper (19) is journaled about a main axis thereof about a gripper base (32) that is mountable to the loader boom (18) to allow for pivoting of the gripper (19), wherein an actuator is provided for rotating the main shaft (22) about the main axis.
6. Gripper (19) according to claim 5, wherein the main shaft (22) is rotatable to bring the at least one jaw set into a horizontal transfer position that allows a tubular to be provided into the gripper in a horizontal direction.
7. Gripper (19) according to claim 5, wherein the gripper may be oriented into two opposed positions allowing for horizontal transfer of tubulars to and from the gripper along opposite directions.

Description

The invention relates to the field of drilling rigs. In particular, the invention is related to a mobile land rig adapted to perform drilling and/or wellbore related activities. The invention is further related to a method for performing drilling and/or other wellbore related activities wherein use is made of the mobile land rig of the invention. The mobile land rig and method of the invention may, for example, be used in mining activities and/or geothermal activities. Mobile land rigs are used to perform wellbore drilling and wellbore related activities. For example, WO2018/093259 discloses a mobile land rig for drilling and/or servicing a well comprising a road vehicle having an elongated chassis. The land rig further comprises a derrick unit with an erectable derrick mast. The derrick unit is rotatable supported on the chassis such that it can be rotated around a vertical position. During wellbore drilling activities drilling tubulars are provided by a pipe loader installation adapted for loading and/or unloading tubular pipes onto the mobile land rig. The loader installation is provided on a road vehicle which has to be carefully oriented relative to the mobile land rig in order to be able to perform wellbore drilling activities, reducing efficiency thereof. The present disclosure aims to provide an improved mobile drilling rig and method, e.g. in view of improving efficiency of performing wellbore related activities. The first aspect of the invention disclosure is related to a mobile land rig according to clause 1 adapted to perform drilling and/or other wellbore related activities. The top drive unit is pivotally supported by the traveling carriage about a top drive pivot axis which extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drilling tower between a transfer position and a drilling position. The top drive system is provided with an actuator assembly adapted to cause said pivot motion of the top drive unit. When the drilling tower is in the working position and the top drive unit is in the drilling position, the top drive unit is aligned with the drilling line, and the rotary torque output member is adapted to be engaged with a top end of a drilling tubulars string extending in the drilling line through the well center to impart torque to the drilling tubulars string in order to perform drilling and/or other wellbore related activities. When the drilling tower is in the working position and the top drive unit is in the transfer position, the top drive unit is aligned with the pipe receiving line, and the top drive unit is adapted to be engaged with a top end of a drilling tubular in the pipe receiving line so as to transfer the drilling tubular from the pipe receiving line to the drilling line. The chassis may be a chassis of a road vehicle, e.g. a trailer, e.g. a truck trailer. In an alternative, the chassis is not part of a road vehicle, but is configured to be transported on a road vehicle to a drill site, e.g. to then removed therefrom and to be placed on the ground or a foundation. The chassis may, in embodiments, be a modular chassis, which is transported to the drill site in modules and then assembled. The chassis has a longitudinal axis extending between a front end of the chassis and a rear end of the chassis. In embodiments, the front end of the chassis may be connectable to a truck in order to transport the chassis over the road. In embodiments, the chassis comprises wheels to allow movement thereof over a road. The top drive system comprises a traveling carriage that is vertically mobile along the drilling tower by means of a vertical motion drive. In embodiments the vertical motion drive may be a rack and pinion drive. In other embodiments the vertical motion drive may comprise trolley tracks and a draw works mechanism. The mobile land rig further comprises a drilling tubulars handling device for supplying a drilling tubulars to a pipe receiving line. The drilling tubulars handling device may be a loader provided on the chassis, such as disclosed herein, or an upending device for preparing a drilling tubular to be upended by the top drive unit. The top drive unit is pivotally supported by the traveling carriage about a top drive pivot axis which extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drilling tower between a transfer position and a drilling position. The top drive unit may further be pivotally supported by the traveling carriage about a second top drive pivot axis which extends transverse to the longitudinal axis of the drilling tower between the transfer position and the drilling position, e.g. in order to transfer the top drive unit between the transfer position and the drilling position the top drive unit is to be pivoted about both pivot axes. The mobile land rig allows, when the drilling tower is in the working position and the top drive unit is in the drilling position, that the top drive unit is aligned with the drilling line, and the rotary torque output member is a