DRILLING RIG SYSTEM WITH SELF-ELEVATING DRILL FLOOR

摘要

A transportable drilling rig having a self-elevating drill floor includes a base structure comprising multiple base towers that can be transported to a wellsite and positioned around an intended wellbore location. A horizontal base frame is installed between lower regions of the towers to form a stable rig base structure, and a drill floor can then be constructed over the base frame and between the base towers. A suitable rig mast can then be erected on the drill floor. Floor-lifting cables are anchored to upper regions of the base towers and disposable around corresponding sheave assemblies associated with the drill floor. The free ends of the floor-lifting cables can be engaged by the traveling block in the rig mast, whereupon the rig's drawworks can be actuated to elevate the drill floor and mast as required and then locked to the base towers.

主权项

1. A drilling rig system comprising:
(a) three or more base towers spaced apart so as to define a base area; (b) a drill floor over at least a portion of the base area, said drill floor incorporating a plurality of floor-lifting sheave assemblies, each said floor-lifting sheave assembly being associated with a corresponding one of the base towers; (c) drill floor guide means associated with the base towers, said drill floor guide means being adapted for engagement with the drill floor to facilitate uniform vertical movement of the drill floor relative to the base towers; (d) a rig mast supported on and extending upward from the drill floor; and (e) floor-lifting means associated with the base towers, for lifting the drill floor and rig mast relative to the base towers, said floor-lifting means comprising:
a drawworks and traveling block associated with the rig mast; anda plurality of floor-lifting cables corresponding in number to the number of base towers, with each one of said floor-lifting cables being anchored to an upper region of an associated one of the base towers;wherein the floor-lifting cables are threadable around their associated floor-lifting sheave assemblies to engage the traveling block, such that actuation of the drawworks will selectively cause the traveling block to move either upward or downward within the rig mast, thereby causing uniform vertical movement of the drill floor and the rig mast relative to the base towers.