Collaboration with Client: Industry’s First Open-Head, Full Rotating High-Torque Bucking Unit Enables Makeup of Tubulars on Pipe Deck

摘要

The prevailing drive to develop innovative solutions to reduce rig time and associated costs, coupled withrnenhancing safety and optimizing operational efficiency, prompted a major Gulf of Mexico operator tornrequest a customized solution to allow make/break of drillpipe triples and casing doubles on itsrnspace-restricted deepwater production installation. Specifically, the operator sought a sustainable solutionrnthat would reduce operational costs by minimizing the online running of drill pipe, casing and tubing,rnwhile also reducing logistical hurdles and rig-floor hazards.rnThis paper describes the collaborative initiative that resulted in the engineering of a purpose-built piperndeck, which drove the development and deployment of the industry’s first open-head bucking unit andrnbespoke pipe transfer system designed to enable fingertip make-up and breakout of drill pipe triples andrndoubles of casing and tubing. At the onset, a number of challenges had to be addressed to meet thernoperator’s objective to vertically integrate the bucking and hands-free pipe transport system into the rig,rnwhich comprised a single-activity derrick with limited rack back capabilities. The authors will discuss therncradle-to-grave design process, which featured a cantilevered pipe bridge off of the rig floor to house thernnew bucking unit and pipe transfer system. Furthermore, owing to challenging well designs with increasedrnrisk of differential pipe sticking, the paper discusses the complementary design of positioning systems thatrndeliver record vertical lift and horizontal tong movement of 13 ft (4m).rnThe development of the hands-free bucking unit and integrated pipe transport system clearly illustratesrnthe intrinsic economic value of multi-party collaboration in creating operational efficiencies to reduce pipernprocess time, minimize or eliminate non-productive time (NPT), and deliver repetitive and predictivernoutcomes.