Wellbore drilling with a trolley and a top drive device

Abstract

A method for removal of a top drive device in a wellbore drilling installation, for servicing and/or exchanging a top drive device. The frame of the trolley and the top drive device are provided with cooperating vertical guide members so that the top drive device is vertically displaceable and guided relative to the frame. The top drive device has an operative position above the rotatable head clamp assembly carrier, which is releasably connected to first and second vertical frame members. In order to service and/or exchange of the top drive device, the method includes releasing the rotatable head clamp assembly carrier from the first and second frame members, removing the rotatable head clamp assembly carrier, lowering the top drive device relative to the frame of the trolley until the cooperating vertical guide members thereof disengage, moving the lowered and disengaged top drive device to a service and/or storage location remote from the firing line.

1 . A drilling installation comprising:
 a drilling tower;   a drill floor having a well center through which a drilling tubulars string can pass along a firing line into a wellbore;   at least one vertical trolley rail;   a trolley, said trolley being guided along the at least one vertical trolley rail;   a main hoisting device configured to lift and lower said trolley along said at least one vertical trolley rail; and   a top drive device attached to the trolley, said top drive device comprising one or more top drive motors,   wherein the trolley comprises a trolley frame suspended from said main hoisting device,   wherein the drilling installation further comprises:
 one or more components to be suspended from the trolley frame below the top drive device, 
 one or more carts that are movable onto the drill floor underneath the trolley and are adapted to receive thereon the top drive device or a component of said one or more components, and 
   wherein at least one of said carts comprises a straddling structure having a top structure configured to support one or more of said components and having a raised straddle frame.   
     
     
         2 . The drilling installation according to  claim 1 , wherein the raised straddle frame has a height of at least 2 meters above the drill floor when the cart is positioned on the drill floor underneath the trolley. 
     
     
         3 . The drilling installation according to  claim 1 , wherein the raised straddle frame allows placement of the cart over a stick-up portion of a drilling string held by a slip device. 
     
     
         4 . The drilling installation according to  claim 1 , wherein said main hoisting device comprises one or more winch driven cables from which said trolley is suspended. 
     
     
         5 . The drilling installation according to  claim 1 , wherein the drill floor is provided with one or more drill floor rails, and
 wherein the one or more carts is supported on said one or more drill floor rails such that the one or more carts is positionable over the well center of the drill floor.   
     
     
         6 . The drilling installation according to  claim 5 , wherein said drill floor is provided at said well center with a slip device, and
 wherein the cart is configured to be positionable over the well center whilst the slip device keeps a drilling tubulars string suspended in the wellbore associated with said firing line with a stick-up portion of said drilling tubulars string extending above said drill floor.   
     
     
         7 . The drilling installation according to  claim 6 , wherein a pair of drill floor rails extend on opposite sides along the well center of the drill floor. 
     
     
         8 . The drilling installation according to  claim 1 , wherein said one or more components further comprise one or more of:
 a casing running tool;   a casing drive tool;   a riser lifting tool adapted for use in upending of a riser section to be added to a riser string and/or for lifting and lowering a riser string in subsea wellbore related activities;   a coiled tubing injector; and   a thrust bearing component provided with a thrust bearing that is configured to support the load of the drilling tubulars string, so that said load is transmitted via said thrust bearing component to first and second vertical frame members of the trolley frame and thereby to said trolley frame member suspended from said main hoisting device,   
     
     
         9 . A method for performing a wellbore related process, comprising providing the wellbore drilling installation according to  claim 1  and performing the wellbore related process. 
     
     
         10 . A method for operating the wellbore drilling installation according to  claim 1 , the method comprising removing of a component suspended from first and second vertical frame members of the trolley frame by performing the following steps:
 positioning one cart of the one or more carts on the drill floor underneath the trolley;   lowering the trolley by the main hoisting device and bringing the component to rest on the cart;   releasing the component from lower connector members of first and second vertical frame members;   moving the one cart away, with the released component, to a remote location.   
     
     
         11 . A method for removal of a top drive device in a wellbore drilling installation, wherein the wellbore drilling installation comprises:
 a drilling tower;   a drill floor having a well center through which a drilling tubulars string can pass along a firing line into the wellbore;   at least one vertical trolley rail;   a trolley, said trolley being guided along said at least one vertical trolley rail;   a main hoisting device configured to lift and lower said trolley along said at least one vertical trolley rail, wherein said main hoisting device comprises one or more winch driven cables from which said trolley is suspended; and   a top drive device attached to the trolley, the top drive device comprising:
 one or more top drive motors; and 
 a rotary output member in said firing line and being driven by said one or more top drive motors in order to impart rotary motion to a drilling tubulars string when connected to said top drive device, 
   the method comprising supporting a cart on one or more drill floor rails and positioning the cart over the well center of the drill floor,   wherein said drill floor is provided at said well center with a slip device.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:
 keeping a drilling tubulars string suspended in the wellbore associated with said firing line using the slip device, wherein a stick-up portion of said drilling tubulars string extends above said drill floor; and   positioning said cart at said well center, over said stick-up portion of said drilling tubulars string so that said component or top drive device rests on said cart and is moved away using said cart while the stick-up portion remains in place.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein, in order to remove the top drive device, the method comprises:
 lowering said top drive device relative to a frame of said trolley;   moving said lowered and disengaged top drive device away;   keeping a drilling tubulars string suspended in the wellbore associated with said firing line by means of said slip device, wherein a stick-up portion of said drilling tubulars string extends above said drill floor; and   positioning said cart at said well center, over said stick-up portion of said drilling tubulars string so that said component or top drive device can be made to rest on said cart and moved away by using said cart whilst said stick-up portion remains in place.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the trolley comprises a trolley frame, the trolley frame comprises:
 a top frame member suspended from said main hoisting device;   a first vertical frame member and a second vertical frame member, the first and second frame members connected at an upper end thereof to said top frame member, said first and second vertical frame members being spaced apart from one another and adapted to support the load of a drilling tubulars string that passes along said firing line into the wellbore; and   a thrust bearing component releasably connected to and suspended from said first and second vertical frame members of the trolley frame, said thrust bearing component being provided with a thrust bearing that is configured to support the load of a drilling tubulars string, so that said load is transmitted via said thrust bearing component to said first and second vertical frame members and to said top frame member suspended from said main hoisting device,   wherein trolley frame and the top drive device are provided with cooperating vertical guide members and the top drive device is vertically displaceable and guided relative to the trolley frame,   wherein said top drive device has an operative position above said thrust bearing component,   the method further comprises:
 releasing the thrust bearing component from the first and second vertical frame members; 
 removing said thrust bearing component; and 
 lowering said top drive device relative to said trolley frame until said cooperating vertical guide members thereof disengage.