National Oilwell Varco, L.p.

Xilin Liu

Robert Benjamin Donnally

Chunqiao Ren

Yan Yu

Hui Chun Sheng

He Hui Chen

Stuart Arthur Mccurdy

Disclosed herein is a bi-directionally raisable drilling rig mast system that includes a drilling rig mast having a bi-directional mast erection connection, a first erection connection positioned proximate a first side of a rig substructure, and a second erection connection positioned proximate a second side of the rig substructure, the second side being at an opposite side of the rig substructure from the first side. The system further includes at least one mast erection apparatus having an upper end that is adapted to be pivotably attached to the bi-directional mast erection connection and a lower end that is adapted to be pivotably attached to the first erection connection for erecting the drilling rig mast from the first side of the substructure, the lower end being further adapted to be pivotably attached to the second erection connection for erecting the drilling rig mast from the second side of the substructure.

Bi-directionally raisable drilling rig mast

A substructure of a drilling rig is positioned above a first wellbore at a first wellbore location, a drilling rig mast is pivotably attached to the substructure and raised from a first mast position wherein an upper end of the drilling rig mast is oriented in a first direction toward a first side of the substructure to a first raised drilling position, after which a first drilling operation is performed on the first wellbore. The substructure is moved to a second wellbore location and positioned above a second wellbore, the drilling rig mast is pivotably attached to the substructure and raised from a second mast position wherein an upper end of the drilling rig mast is oriented in a second direction toward a second side of the substructure to a second raised drilling position, after which a second drilling operation is performed on the second wellbore.

Disclosed herein is a raisable substructure of a drilling rig that includes first and second substructure boxes. The first and second substructure boxes of the raisable substructure each include, among other things an upper box and a lower box, wherein each of the upper boxes is adapted to be raised above a respective lower box. The disclosed raisable substructure also includes a movable center floor section that is adapted to be supported by the upper boxes of the first and second substructure boxes, wherein the movable center floor section is further adapted to be slidably moved between the upper boxes during assembly of the drilling rig.

Growing community of inventors

Henan, China

Xilin Liu