Pipe management system for negative angle drilling

Abstract

A pipe handling system for a platform based drill includes a drilling platform with a frame structure having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and first and second opposite sides. A mast is supported on a pivotal connection to the platform permitting the mast to be pivotally adjusted to a negative drilling angle whereby an upper portion of the mast leans in a first direction extending toward the first end of the frame structure and away from the second end of the frame structure. The mast includes a length direction and has an open cross-section with a concave side facing in the first direction and a convex side facing in a second direction opposite to the first direction. A pipe handling unit mounted to the concave side of the mast is configured to support a drill pipe within the mast when the mast is pivotally adjusted to the negative drilling angle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pipe handling system for a platform based drill, comprising:
 a drilling platform including a frame structure having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and first and second opposite sides;   a mast supported on a pivotal connection to the drilling platform permitting the mast to be pivotally adjusted to a negative drilling angle whereby an upper portion of the mast leans in a first direction extending toward the first end of the frame structure and away from the second end of the frame structure, the mast including a length direction and having an open cross-section with a concave side facing in the first direction, and a convex side facing in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and   a pipe handling unit mounted to the concave side of the mast and configured to support a drill pipe within the mast when the mast is pivotally adjusted to the negative drilling angle.   
     
     
         2 . The pipe handling system of  claim 1 , wherein the mast includes a back element and first and second side elements diverging from the back element. 
     
     
         3 . The pipe handling system of  claim 2 , wherein the pipe handling unit includes a first support linkage having first and second ends and pivotally attached at the first end to the first side element, and a second support linkage having first and second ends and pivotally attached at the first end to the second side element. 
     
     
         4 . The pipe handling system of  claim 3 , wherein the pipe handling unit includes a first arcuate support element pivotally connected to the second end of the first support linkage and a second arcuate support element pivotally connected to the second end of the second support linkage. 
     
     
         5 . The pipe handling system of  claim 4 , wherein the first and second support linkages are each pivotally attached to the first and second side elements via a mast bracket fixed to a respective side element, and wherein each of the first and second support linkages includes first and second parallel arms pivotally attached to a respective mast bracket. 
     
     
         6 . The pipe handling system of  claim 5 , wherein the first and second support linkages are each pivotally attached to the first and second arcuate guide elements via a guide element bracket fixed to a respective arcuate guide element, and wherein each of the first and second parallel arms is pivotally attached to a respective guide element bracket. 
     
     
         7 . The pipe handling system of  claim 5 , wherein the first parallel arm of each of the first and second support linkages is pivotally attached to the mast bracket at two laterally spaced and coincident pivotal connections, and the second parallel arm of each of the first and second support linkages is pivotally attached to the mast bracket at a third pivotal connection that is between the two laterally spaced and coincident pivotal connections and spaced from the two laterally spaced and coincident pivotal connections in the length direction of the mast. 
     
     
         8 . The pipe handling system of  claim 7 , further including a first actuator connected to the second parallel arm of the first support linkage for pivoting the first support linkage and a second actuator connect to the second parallel arm of the second support linkage for pivoting the second support linkage. 
     
     
         9 . The pipe handling system of  claim 7 , wherein the mast further includes a baseplate below the drilling platform, a drill hole located within the baseplate, a pipe rack carousel pivotally mounted adjacent the mast, and a deck wrench associated with the baseplate. 
     
     
         10 . A pipe handling unit on a mast of a drilling platform, comprising:
 a mast having a length direction and a generally C-shaped cross-section including a back element and first and second side elements partially enclosing a space within the mast, and including an open front; and   a pipe handling unit within the space and including a first support linkage having first and second ends and pivotally attached at the first end to the first side element, and a second support linkage having first and second ends and pivotally attached at the first end to the second side element.   
     
     
         11 . The pipe handling unit of  claim 10 , wherein the first support linkage includes first and second arms spaced from each other along the length direction of the mast with the first arm of the first support linkage being parallel to the second arm of the first support linkage, and wherein the second support linkage includes first and second arms spaced from each other along the length direction of the mast with the first arm of the second support linkage being parallel to the second arm of the second support linkage. 
     
     
         12 . The pipe handling unit of  claim 11 , wherein the first and second arms of the first support linkage are pivotally connected to a first arcuate support element, and the first and second arms of the second support linkage are pivotally connected to a second arcuate support element. 
     
     
         13 . The pipe handling unit of  claim 12 , including an aperture in one of the first and second arms of each support linkage, and including an actuator connected between one of the first and second side elements and the aperture in one of the first and second arms of each support linkage for pivoting the first and second support linkages. 
     
     
         14 . The pipe handling unit of  claim 13 , wherein the first and second arcuate support elements are partially cylindrical about axes extending parallel to the length direction of the mast, and wherein during pivoting of the first and second support linkages the arcuate support elements maintain a position with the axes extending parallel to the length direction of the mast. 
     
     
         15 . The pipe handling unit of  12 , including first and second mast brackets fixed to each of the first and second side elements, and first and second support element brackets fixed to each of the first and second arcuate support elements, and wherein the first support linkage is pivotally attached to the first side element via the first mast bracket, and the second support linkage is pivotally attached to the second side element via the second mast bracket. 
     
     
         16 . The pipe handling unit of  claim 10 , wherein the first and second side elements diverge from the back element with the open front having a greater width than the back element, and the first and second support linkages are pivotable to positions wherein they converge toward each other, further including an arcuate support element pivotally connected to each of the first and second support linkages with the arcuate support elements configured to substantially encircle a drill pipe when the first and second support linkages are pivoted to the positions wherein they converge toward each other. 
     
     
         17 . A method of managing drill pipe to support negative angle drilling with a drilling machine including a mast having a length direction and a generally C-shaped cross section with a back element and first and second side elements partially enclosing a space, and including an open front, the method comprising:
 pivoting the mast to a negative angle with the mast leaning from a vertical direction toward the direction of the open front and away from the back element;   moving in the length direction of the mast a pair of opposed arcuate support elements that are partially cylindrical about axes extending parallel to the length direction of the mast;   while moving the pair of opposed arcuate support elements, maintaining the axes extending parallel to the length direction of the mast to engage and support a section of drill pipe;   moving the pair of opposed arcuate support elements again in the length direction of the mast; and   while moving the pair of opposed arcuate support elements again, maintaining the opposed arcuate support elements parallel to the length direction of the mast to release the section of drill pipe.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein each moving of the pair of opposed arcuate support elements in the length direction of the mast includes moving parallel arms for each of the pair of opposed arcuate support elements wherein the parallel arms are attached to one of the first and second side elements at a first end of the arms and connected to the arcuate support elements at a second end of the arms. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the mast further includes a baseplate with a drill hole, and further including supporting the section of drill pipe and maintaining the section of drill pipe in alignment with the drill hole with the pair of opposed arcuate support elements. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , including coordinating each moving of the pair of opposed arcuate support elements in the length direction of the mast to support and release the section of drill pipe with loading and unloading the section of drill pipe from a pipe rack carousel and with operation of a deck wrench mechanism.