Integrated casing drive

Abstract

An integrated casing drive system combines a top drive having a rotary drive portion, a pipe handler having a casing gripper wherein the pipe handler is rotationally mounted to the top drive, and a selectively actuable casing drive lock for locking the rotary drive portion to the pipe handler.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A top drive having an integrated casing drive, comprising:
 a top drive frame,   a selectively driven drive system, supported by said top drive frame, having a rotationally driven rotary drive portion including a drill string engagement piece,   a rotor rotationally mounted in cooperation with, for selective rotation when in a normal operating mode relative to, said top drive frame and said rotary drive portion, wherein said rotor is adapted for mounting of a pipe handler and corresponding gripper to said rotor,   a mode-shift mechanism cooperating with said drive system and said rotor, wherein said mode-shift mechanism selectively switches between said normal operating mode and a casing-drive mode wherein, in said casing drive mode, said rotor is fixed by said mode-shifting mechanism so as to be substantially in a fixed rotational position relative to, for rotation with, said rotary drive portion of said drive system,   whereby, in said casing-drive mode, and when the pipe handler and corresponding gripper are mounted to, for rotation with, said rotor, a tubular such as a casing tubular, held in the gripper is rotated by rotation of said rotary drive portion of said drive system.