Automated bootstrap quad-mast rig

Abstract

A method that includes vertically assembling a mast having a height greater than one hundred eighty feet; securing the mast to a rig floor of a land-based drilling rig; securing a racking board adjacent the mast at a height greater than one hundred feet above the rig floor; drilling a wellbore under the rig floor with a drill string; lifting with lifting equipment coupled to the drilling mast, a stand forming a part of the drill string and having a stand length greater than one hundred feet, from a drilling position partially within the wellbore and partially above the rig floor to an in-line position above the wellbore and proximate the racking board; removing the stand from the drill string; and moving the stand, using an automated pipe handling tool, from the in-line position to a racked position so that the stand is accommodated within the racking board.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of operating a land-based drilling rig to drill a well having a wellbore, comprising:
 vertically assembling a drilling mast that has an assembled height greater than one hundred eighty feet;   securing the drilling mast to a rig floor of the land-based drilling rig;   securing a racking board at a location adjacent the drilling mast at a height greater than one hundred feet above the rig floor;   drilling the wellbore under the rig floor with a drill string;   lifting with lifting equipment coupled to the drilling mast, a stand of pipe forming a part of the drill string and having a stand length greater than one hundred feet, from a drilling position partially within the wellbore and partially above the rig floor to an in-line position above the wellbore and proximate the racking board;   removing the stand of pipe from the drill string; and   moving the stand of pipe, using an automated pipe handling tool, from the in-line position to a racked position so that the stand of pipe is accommodated within the racking board.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 moving the stand of pipe from the racked position to the in-line position, using the automated pipe handling tool; 
 attaching the stand of pipe to the drill string in the wellbore; and 
 drilling the wellbore to advance the stand of pipe from the in-line position to the drilling position. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the drilling mast comprises a plurality of mast sections and is configured to be vertically assembled using the plurality of mast sections. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the stand of pipe comprises:
 a first section of pipe that is configured to be accommodated within the racking board; 
 a second section of pipe having a top portion that is configured to be threadably engaged to a bottom portion of the first section of pipe; 
 a third section of pipe having a top portion that is configured to be threadably engaged to a bottom portion of the second section of pipe; and 
 a fourth section of pipe having a top portion that is configured to be threadably engaged to a bottom portion of the third section of pipe; 
 wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth sections of pipe has a length greater than thirty-three feet. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the automated pipe handling tool comprises an arm coupled to a bearing plate that is coupled to a track that extends through the racking board;
 wherein the arm moves in a first direction and an opposing second direction along the track; 
 wherein the bearing plate rotates in a third direction and an opposing fourth direction about the longitudinal axis of the bearing plate to rotate the arm in the third direction and the fourth direction; and 
 wherein the arm extends in a fifth direction that is a radial direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the bearing plate and retracts in an opposing sixth direction. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the arm comprises a first end that is coupled to the bearing plate and a hand that extends from an opposing second end of the arm;
 wherein the hand is configured to move from a closed position to engage the stand of pipe to an open position to disengage the stand of pipe; and 
 wherein moving the stand of pipe from the in-line position to the racked position comprises:
 extending the arm and the hand in the fifth direction towards the stand of pipe; 
 closing the hand about an exterior surface of the stand of pipe; and 
 retracting the arm in the sixth direction to guide the stand of pipe from the in-line position to the racked position. 
 
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the automated pipe handling tool is operably connected to a controller located on the rig floor. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein moving the stand of pipe from the in-line position to the racked position comprises remotely controlling the automated pipe handling tool from the rig floor using the controller. 
     
     
         9 . A land-based drilling rig apparatus comprising:
 a drilling mast configured to be vertically assembled and coupled to a drilling floor of a drilling rig, the drilling mast having a height greater than one hundred eighty feet and configured to accommodate a top portion of a stand of pipe while the stand of pipe is in a drilling position;   a racking board coupled to the drilling mast and configured to accommodate the stand of pipe having a length greater than one hundred twenty feet; and   an automated pipe handling tool coupled to the racking board and configured to move the stand of pipe from an in-line position to a racked position in the racking board;   wherein when the stand of pipe is in the drilling position, the top portion of the stand of pipe is accommodated within the mast while a bottom portion of the stand of pipe extends within a wellbore located below the drilling mast;   wherein when the stand of pipe is in the in-line position, the top portion of the stand of pipe is accommodated within the drilling mast at a location adjacent the automated pipe handling tool and the bottom portion of the stand of pipe extends above the drilling floor; and   wherein when the stand of pipe is in the racked position, the top portion of the stand of pipe is accommodated within the racking board.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the drilling mast comprises:
 a top section to which lifting equipment is configured to be coupled; 
 a first middle section having a top portion that is configured to be coupled to a bottom portion of the top section; 
 a second middle section having a top portion that is configured to be coupled to a bottom portion of the first middle section; 
 a third middle section having a top portion that is configured to be coupled to a bottom portion of the second middle section; 
 a fourth middle section having a top portion that is configured to be coupled to a bottom portion of the third middle section; and 
 a bottom section having a top portion that is configured to be coupled to a bottom portion of the fourth middle section and having a bottom portion that is configured to be coupled to the rig floor. 
 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein:
 the top section has a height greater than fourteen feet; 
 the first, second, third, and fourth middle sections have a height equal to or greater than thirty-three feet; and 
 the bottom section has a height greater than thirty-four feet. 
 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the racking board is coupled to the second middle section. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the stand of pipe comprises:
 a first section of pipe; 
 a second section of pipe having a top portion threadably engaged to a bottom portion of the first section of pipe; 
 a third section of pipe having a top portion threadably engaged to a bottom portion of the second section of pipe; and 
 a fourth section of pipe having a top portion threadably engaged to a bottom portion of the third section of pipe; 
 wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth sections pipe has a length of greater than thirty feet. 
 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the automated pipe handling tool comprises an arm coupled to a bearing plate that is coupled to a track that extends through the racking board;
 wherein the bearing plate and the arm are configured to move in a first direction and an opposing second direction along the track; 
 wherein the bearing plate is configured to rotate in a third direction and an opposing fourth direction about the longitudinal axis of the bearing plate to rotate the arm in the third direction and the fourth direction; and 
 wherein the arm is configured to extend in a fifth direction that is a radial direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the bearing plate and to retract in an opposing sixth direction. 
 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14   wherein the arm comprises a first end that is coupled to the bearing plate and a hand that extends from an opposing second end of the arm;   wherein the hand is configured to move from an open position to a closed position about an exterior surface of the stand of pipe thereby engaging the stand of pipe;   wherein the arm is configured to extend the hand in the fifth direction towards the stand of pipe when the stand of pipe is in the in-line position;   wherein the hand is configured to engage the stand of pipe when the stand of pipe is in the in-line position;   wherein the arm is configured to retract the hand and the stand of pipe in the sixth direction;   wherein the arm is configured to move in the first direction and the second direction to align the stand of pipe with an opening in the racking board;   wherein the arm is configured to rotate in the third direction or the fourth direction to align the hand and the stand of pipe with the opening in the racking board; and   wherein the arm is configured to extend the hand and the stand of pipe in the fifth direction to position the stand of pipe within the opening in the racking board.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the automated pipe handling tool is operably connected to a controller located on the rig floor. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the controller is configured to control the automated pipe handling tool to move the stand of pipe from the in-line position to the racked position. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the drilling mast configured to be vertically assembled comprises:
 a bottom section forming a support landing, the bottom section configured to be coupled to the rig floor;   a top section configured to be positioned on the support landing of the bottom section, the top section configured to be coupled to a first middle section; and   the first middle section configured to be coupled to the top section while the top section is positioned on the support landing;   wherein the top section and the first middle section are configured to be raised relative to the bottom section so that the first middle section is positioned on the support landing of the bottom section.   
     
     
         19 . A method of operating a land-based drilling rig to drill a well having a wellbore, comprising:
 vertically assembling a drilling mast that has an assembled height greater than one hundred eighty feet;   securing the drilling mast to a rig floor of the land-based drilling rig;   securing a racking board at a location adjacent the drilling mast at a height greater than one hundred feet above the rig floor;   moving a tubular stand from a racked position to an in-line position above a wellbore using an automated pipe handling tool, the stand of pipe having a stand length greater than one hundred feet;   attaching the tubular stand to a drill string in the wellbore; and   drilling the wellbore to advance the tubular stand to a position at least partially within the wellbore and partially above the rig floor.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the tubular stand comprises at least two connected drill pipes, each of the drill pipes having a length greater than about thirty feet.