Adjustable Pipe Guide for Use with an Elevator and/or a Spider

摘要

A method of making up and running a pipe string (88) into a borehole comprising the steps of: providing a spider (60) supported on a rig and having at least one slip (67) movably received within and co-operating with a smooth, non-stepped tapered bowl (71) within the spider; providing an elevator assembly (100) movably supported above the spider and having at least one slip (117) movably received within and co-operating with a smooth, non-stepped tapered bowl (121) within the elevator assembly; supporting a first portion of a pipe string (88a) having a first diameter using the spider; joining an additional pipe segment (88b) having a second diameter to a proximal end of the first pipe segment to form the pipe string having at least one outer diameter transition along is length; and supporting the pipe string using the spider. One embodiment provides an adjustable guide (10a) to steer the end (90) of a pipe string (88) into position to be engaged and supported by a pipe gripping apparatus such as, for example, an externally gripping elevator assembly (100). The adjustable guide (10a) may comprise a plurality of distributed guide inserts (30), each having a sloped surface (30A) to engage a pipe end (90). Another embodiment provides an adjustable guide (60a) to steer a pipe connection into position to pass through a spider (60). The guide inserts (30, 80) of an adjustable guide may be controllably positionable to together form a guide that is concentric with the bore of the tapered bowl of an elevator assembly or a spider. One embodiment comprises a guide insert retainer (11) having a plurality of channels (28), each slidably receiving a guide insert (30) and positionable by rotation of a threaded shaft (40).