Top drive well drilling apparatus
Well drilling apparatus including a powered drilling unit connectable to the upper end of a drill string and adapted to rotate it to drill a well, and a vertically extending guide track structure which guides the drilling unit for movement along the axis of the well, with a portion of the guide track structure being mounted for swinging movement between a drilling position in which the drilling unit is aligned with the axis of the well and a slightly inclined position in which the track structure guides the drilling unit for movement along an inclined axis in alignment with a mousehole, and with the drilling unit also preferably being mounted for movement to a laterally retracted position at a side of the well in which it leaves an area along the axis of the well unobstructed for use of conventional hoisting equipment in making a 'round trip' of the drill string out of and then back into the well.
- Assignee:
- Varco International Inc.
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4458768
- OSTI ID:
- 6525702
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Top drive drilling apparatus with improved wrench assembly
Top head drive well drilling apparatus with stabbing guide
Related Subjects
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
42 ENGINEERING
420206 -- Engineering-- Mining & Drilling Equipment & Facilities-- (1980-1989)
ALIGNMENT
DESIGN
DRILL BITS
DRILL PIPES
DRILLING
DRILLING EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
HOISTS
INCLINATION
MATERIALS HANDLING EQUIPMENT
MECHANICAL STRUCTURES
MOTION
MOTORS
PIPES
POSITIONING
ROTATION
SUPPORTS
WELL DRILLING