Apparatus and method for making up and breaking out threaded connections of drill bits and bottomhole components

Abstract

An apparatus and method for making up and breaking out the threaded connection of a drill bit and bottomhole assembly away from a drilling rig wellbore. The apparatus includes a housing structure adapted for releaseably securing a drill bit and thereby preventing rotation of the drill bit during make up or break out of the drill bit and a bottomhole component. A back up wrench positions and grips the housing structure having the drill bit releaseably secured therein and a torque wrench applies torque to the bottomhole component to make up or break out the connection therebetween.

1 . An apparatus for applying torque to a threaded connection of a drill bit and bottomhole component to make up or break out same away from a drilling rig wellbore, comprising: 
 a housing structure having at least one functional end configured to releaseably secure a drill bit, wherein said housing structure is positioned in a selected orientation, whereby a drill bit having a central axis is insertable into said at least one functional end with the drill bit being releaseably secured in said selected orientation, and wherein torque is applied to a threaded connection of the drill bit and bottomhole component to make up or break out same.    
   
   
       2 . An apparatus for applying torque to a threaded connection of a drill bit and bottomhole component to make up or break out same away from a drilling rig wellbore, comprising: 
 a housing structure having two functional ends, with a first end being configured to releaseably secure a first drill bit and a second end being configured to releaseably secure a second drill bit, whereby a drill bit is insertable into a selected functional end of said housing structure with the drill bit being releaseably secured in said selected functional end, wherein torque is applied to a threaded connection of the drill bit and bottomhole component to selectively make up or break out same.    
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 an intermediate sleeve disposed between said first and second functional ends of said housing structure, said intermediate sleeve being configured for use in suspending or supporting said housing structure.    
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising: 
 a hoisting member fixedly attached to said intermediate sleeve, said hoisting member and sleeve being configured in such a way that said housing structure is generally counterbalanced in a horizontal orientation when suspended using said hoisting member or supported using said intermediate sleeve.    
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said housing structure having two functional ends is configured such that said first end is adapted to receive a drill bit of one size or configuration and said second end is adapted to receive a drill bit of a different size or configuration from said first end.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said housing structure having two functional ends is configured such that said first end is adapted to releaseably secure a roller-cone bit and said second end is adapted to releaseably secure a fixed-cutter bit.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said housing structure is sized and configured to resist rotation when torque is applied to a threaded connection of the bottomhole component and drill bit releaseably secured by said housing structure to selectively make up or break out the bottomhole component and drill bit.  
   
   
       8 . An apparatus for applying torque to a threaded connection of a drill bit and bottomhole component to make up or break out same away from a drilling rig wellbore, comprising: 
 a bit housing having a first functional end and a second functional end, said first functional end being adapted to releaseably secure a roller-cone bit, and said second functional end being adapted to releaseably secure a fixed-cutter bit, wherein said bit housing has a central axis, said bit housing being configured to releaseably secure a selected drill bit configured for threaded connection with a bottomhole component;    a back up wrench having a throat with a central axis oriented in a horizontal mode, said back up wrench being configured to grip and position said bit housing, said back up wrench gripping said bit housing coaxially such that a drill bit releaseably secured in said bit housing is oriented in a horizontal mode, wherein said back up wrench fixedly holds said bit housing with a first grip pressure such that said bit housing is prevented from rotating about its axis;    a torque wrench to grip and apply torque to the threaded connection of a bottomhole component and drill bit, the bottomhole component being gripped with a second grip pressure by said torque wrench, and the drill bit fixedly held in said bit housing being gripped with said first grip pressure by said back up wrench, whereby the central axes of the bottomhole component and drill bit are coaxial with said bit housing, and whereby said torque wrench is configured to selectively apply sufficient torque to make up or break out the threaded connection of the downhole component and drill bit; and    a circuit to control said back up wrench to selectively grip with a first grip pressure said bit housing securing the drill bit, wherein said circuit controls said torque wrench to selectively grip with a second grip pressure and apply torque to the bottomhole component to make up or break out the threaded connection of the bottomhole component and drill bit.    
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said first functional end is adapted to detachably mount a first bit breaker, and wherein said second functional end is adapted to detachably mount a second bit breaker, whereby a drill bit insertable into a selected bit breaker is releaseably secured in a horizontal mode and is prevented from rotating such that the threaded connection of the drill bit and a bottomhole component may be made up or broken out when torque is applied by said torque wrench to said bottomhole component.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said bit housing further comprises a roller-cone bit adapter, fixed-cutter bit adapter, and an intermediate sleeve, said intermediate sleeve being configured for fixedly connecting together in a spaced relationship said roller-cone bit adapter and said fixed-cutter bit adapter with said adapters being disposed at opposite ends of said intermediate sleeve, whereby said bit housing has a dual function.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein said roller-cone bit adapter comprises a bit box and roller-cone bit breaker, said bit box being configured to detachably mount said bit breaker, and wherein said bit breaker is adapted to releaseably secure a roller-cone bit to prevent rotation thereof during make up or break out operations, and wherein said roller-cone bit adapter further comprises a chamber configured to receive a portion of the roller-cone bit releaseably secured within said roller-cone bit breaker, and wherein said roller-cone bit adapter further comprises a first spacer fixedly attached to said intermediate sleeve connecting said adapters.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein said fixed-cutter bit adapter comprises a bit plate and fixed-cutter bit breaker, said bit plate being configured to detachably mount said fixed-cutter bit breaker, and wherein said bit breaker is adapted to releaseably secure a fixed-cutter bit to prevent rotation thereof during make up or break out operations, and wherein said fixed-cutter bit adapter further comprises an elongated chamber configured to receive a portion of the fixed-cutter bit releaseably secured within said fixed-cutter bit breaker, and wherein said roller-cone bit adapter further comprises a second spacer fixedly attached to said intermediate sleeve connecting said adapters.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 an intermediate sleeve disposed between said first and second ends of said bit housing, said intermediate sleeve being configured for use in suspending or supporting said bit housing.    
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 a hoisting member mounted to said intermediate sleeve, said hoisting member being centrally positioned on said intermediate sleeve, wherein said hoisting member and sleeve are configured in such a way that said bit housing is generally counterbalanced in a horizontal orientation when suspended using said hoisting member or alternately supported using said intermediate sleeve.    
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said bit housing has two functional ends configured such that said first end is adapted to receive a drill bit of one size or configuration and said second end is adapted to receive a drill bit of a different size or configuration from said first end.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said bit housing having two functional ends is configured such that said first end is adapted to releaseably secure a rock drill bit and said second end is adapted to releaseably secure diamond bit.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said bit housing is sized and configured to resist rotation when torque is applied to a threaded connection of the bottomhole component and drill bit releaseably secured to said bit housing to selectively make up or break out the bottomhole component and drill bit.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said back up wrench is movably mounted with respect to said torque wrench.  
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein said back up wrench has first and second side walls with a plurality of gears being rotatably mounted to said first and second side walls, and wherein said apparatus further comprises a base frame, said frame having two horizontally extending tracks, said plurality of gears being positioned to rotatably engage said tracks, whereby said back up wrench may be translated axially with respect to said torque wrench to foster detachable mounting of a selected bit adapter with a drill bit breaker having a drill bit releaseably secured therein during make up or break out operations.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 a frame for mounting said back up wrench and said torque wrench.    
   
   
       21 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 a spinner configured for being aligned with the central axis of the bottomhole component, wherein said spinner has at least two cylindrical members adapted to selectively rotate the bottomhole component with respect to the drill bit, said spinner being adapted for use during making up or breaking out of the threaded connection.    
   
   
       22 . The apparatus of  claim 21  further comprising: 
 a spinner circuit to produce a spin control signal, wherein said spin control signal is used to selectively rotate the bottomhole component during making up and breaking out operations.    
   
   
       23 . The apparatus of  claim 8  further comprising: 
 a movable platform for supporting at least one bottomhole component to facilitate alignment of said bottomhole component with said torque wrench central axis during make up or breakout operations.    
   
   
       24 . An method for applying torque to a threaded connection of a drill bit and bottomhole component to make up or break out same away from a drilling rig wellbore, comprising: 
 providing a bit housing having a first functional end and a second functional end, said first functional end being adapted to releaseably secure a first drill bit, and said second functional end being adapted to releaseably secure a second drill bit, wherein said bit housing has a central axis, said bit housing being configured to releaseably secure a selected drill bit configured for threaded connection with a bottomhole component;    positioning a back up wrench having throat with a central axis oriented in a horizontal mode, said back up wrench being configured to grip and position said bit housing adapted for releaseably securing the first and/or second drill bit, said back up wrench gripping said bit housing coaxially such that said first and/or second drill bit is releaseably secured in a horizontal mode, whereby said back up wrench fixedly holds said bit housing with a first grip pressure such that said bit housing is prevented from rotating about its axis;    using a torque wrench to grip and apply torque to the threaded connection of a bottomhole component and a selected drill bit, with the bottomhole component being gripped by said torque wrench and the selected drill bit being gripped by said back up wrench, whereby the central axes of the bottomhole component and the selected drill bit are coaxial with said bit housing, whereby said torque wrench is configured to apply sufficient torque to make up or break out the threaded connection of the downhole component and the selected drill bit; and    providing a circuit to control said back up wrench and said torque wrench to selectively grip said bit housing securing the selected drill bit and to selectively grip and apply torque to the bottomhole component to alternately make up or break out the threaded connection of the bottomhole component and the selected drill bit.