Horizontal offline stand building system and method of its use in drilling operations

Abstract

A horizontal stand building system includes a horizontal stand storage area located adjacent to and between a horizontal stand building site and a catwalk machine. A second horizontal stand storage area, along with a second horizontal stand building site, may be provided on the opposite side of the catwalk machine. The horizontal stand building site includes a tubular connection machine arranged to connect one tubular to another. The catwalk includes a pusher arranged to urge a horizontally oriented stand received from the horizontal stand storage area toward a mast end of the catwalk machine. A skate along with a stand arm guide may raise one end of the stand vertically upward toward the mast.

1 . A horizontal stand building system comprising:
 a horizontal stand storage area having a first side and a second side, said first side located adjacent to a catwalk machine on one side of the catwalk machine;   a horizontal stand building site located adjacent to said second side of the horizontal stand storage area and including a tubular connection machine arranged to connect one tubular to another when each tubular is in a horizontal orientation so to provide a horizontally oriented stand;   the catwalk machine including a pusher arranged to urge the horizontally oriented stand received from the horizontal stand storage area toward a mast end of the catwalk machine.   
     
     
         2 . A horizontal stand building system according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 a second horizontal stand storage area having a first side and a second said, said first side of said second horizontal stand storage area located adjacent to the catwalk machine on another side of the catwalk machine. 
 
     
     
         3 . A horizontal stand building system according to  claim 2  further comprising a second horizontal stand building site located adjacent to said second side of the second horizontal stand storage area, and including a second tubular connection machine arranged to connect one tubular to another when each tubular is in a horizontal orientation. 
     
     
         4 . A horizontal stand building system according to  claim 1  wherein the horizontal stand building site comprises a first, a second, and a third section, each section being sized to accommodate a same length of tubular as one another. 
     
     
         5 . A horizontal stand building system according to  claim 1  further comprising a first tubular loading area located adjacent to the horizontal stand building site, the first tubular loading area arranged to receive and store tubulars when in a horizontal orientation. 
     
     
         6 . A horizontal stand building system according to  claim 3  further comprising a second tubular loading area located adjacent to the horizontal stand building site, the second tubular loading area arranged to receive and store tubulars when in a horizontal orientation. 
     
     
         7 . A horizontal stand building system according to  claim 3  wherein the second horizontal stand building site comprises a first, a second, and a third section, each section being sized to accommodate a same length of tubular as one another. 
     
     
         8 . A method for horizontal stand building, the method comprising:
 building a stand at a horizontal stand building site;   laterally transporting said stand from the horizontal stand building site to a horizontal stand storage area, the horizontal stand storage area being located adjacent to and between the horizontal stand building site and a side of a catwalk machine;   laterally transporting the stand from the horizontal stand storage area to the catwalk machine; and   longitudinally transporting the horizontally oriented stand along the catwalk machine toward a mast end of the catwalk machine.   
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 8  further comprising laterally transporting a horizontally oriented tubular to the horizontal stand building site from a horizontal tubular loading area located adjacent to the horizontal stand building site. 
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 8  further comprising laterally transporting a second horizontally oriented stand from a second horizontal stand storage area to the catwalk machine, the second horizontal stand storage area being located adjacent to another side of the catwalk machine. 
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 10  further comprising laterally transporting the second horizontally oriented stand from a second horizontal stand building site to the second horizontal stand storage area, the second horizontal stand building site being located adjacent to the second horizontal stand storage area. 
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 11  further comprising laterally transporting a horizontally oriented tubular to the second horizontal stand building site from a second horizontal tubular loading area located adjacent to the second horizontal stand building site. 
     
     
         13 . A horizontal stand building system according to  claim 5  wherein:
 said first tubular loading area is adjacent to said second side of said horizontal stand storage area. 
 
     
     
         14 . A horizontal stand building system according to  claim 6  wherein:
 said second tubular loading area is adjacent to said second side of said second horizontal stand storage area.