National Oilwell Varco, L.p.

Andrew Ian McKenzie

Dominick Mancuso

Christopher J Saunders

Justin Benjamin Kinney

Robert Benjamin Donnally

Neil Edward West

Robert B Donnally

Lei Cheng

George Wu

Ayodele Odunfa-Jones

Leo Yang

A horizontal pipe storing and stand building system may include a pipe rack and a horizontal stand building system arranged adjacent to the pipe rack and configured to receive tubulars from the pipe rack and construct pipe stands in a horizontal orientation. The system may also include a delivery system arranged adjacent the horizontal stand building system and opposite the pipe rack. The delivery system may be configured to receive horizontally arranged pipe stands from the horizontal stand building system and deliver them to a drill rig.

Horizontal racking and stand building system

A drill pipe speed sensor includes a roller head assembly including an incremental encoder, a roller to contact a drill pipe, and first and second rotating members. The first rotating member is coupled to the roller, the second rotating member is coupled to the incremental encoder, and the first rotating member is coupled to the second rotating member. The sensor also includes a pivot assembly having mounting plates, pivotal arms, first and second mounting members, and a biasing member. The first and second mounting members extend between the mounting plates, which are parallel to each other. The biasing member contacts the mounting members and extends between the mounting members, and the biasing member is parallel to the mounting plates. The pivotal arms extend from the mounting plates to the roller head assembly and pivot relative to the mounting plates, and the first mounting member is coupled to two pivotal arms.

Pipe speed sensor

A dual activity top drive may include a mechanized system configured for suspension from a traveling block of a drill rig and for engaging and rotating a drill string from the top of the drill string. The dual activity top drive may also include a primary pipe handling system suspended from the mechanized system and configured for handling a pipe string and an auxiliary pipe handling system suspended from the mechanized system and configured for handling a segment of pipe to be added or removed from the pipe string.

Dual activity top drive

A passive spacer system may include a racking board comprising a slot and a spacer arranged along the slot such that a portion of the spacer impinges on the slot. The spacer may be biased in a neutral position and configured to move to a spacing position due to motion of tubulars into and out of the racking board, which interact with the portion of the spacer that impinges on the slot.

Passive spacer system

A quick connect pipe connection for drill pipe may include a box end having an annular end surface that gives way internally to a receiving portion and externally to an engagement portion. The connection may also include a pin end configured for rotationally and longitudinally engaging the box end. The pin end may include a tapered portion configured for longitudinal insertion into the receiving portion and resisting relative rotation between the box end and the pin end. The pin end may also include a collar configured for sleeving over the engagement portion of the box end and resisting relative longitudinal motion between the box end and the pin end.

Quick coupling drill pipe connector

A lubricator assembly for servicing a tubular member includes a mounting base, a lubricant housing movably coupled to the mounting base and configured to receive lubricant from a lubricant source, a guide pin slidably disposed in the lubricant housing, a first seal positioned between the guide pin and the lubricant housing and a second seal positioned between the guide pin and the lubricant housing, and a first chamber extending between the first seal and the second seal, wherein the guide pin is configured to direct lubricant disposed in the first chamber against the tubular member in response to the tubular member engaging the guide pin.

Lubricator assembly and method for servicing tubular members

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for automated drill pipe handling operations, such as trip in, trip out, and stand building operations. A pipe handling system of the present disclosure may include a lifting system for handling a load of a pipe stand, a pipe handling robot configured for engaging with the pipe stand and manipulating a position of the pipe stand, and a feedback device configured to provide information about a condition of the pipe stand, the lifting system, or the pipe handling robot. In some embodiments, the pipe handling robot may be a first robot configured for engaging with and manipulating a first end of the pipe stand, and the system may include a second pipe handling robot configured for engaging with and manipulating a second end of the pipe stand.

Devices, systems, and methods for robotic pipe handling

A pipe handling system for handling drill pipe on a drill rig may include a lifting system configured for handling a load of a pipe stand and a first pipe handling robot arranged at or near a drill floor of the drill rig and configured for manipulating a bottom end of the pipe stand between a setback area on the drill floor and well center. The system may also include a second pipe handling robot arranged at or near a racking board of the drill rig and configured for manipulating a top end of the pipe stand between the racking board and well center. The first pipe handling robot may have a base that is supported from a location outside a plan view envelope of the setback area of the drill floor.

Growing community of inventors

Cypress, TX, United States of America

Andrew Ian McKenzie