Floorlevel motion compensator

Claim 2

A hydraulic driving joint comprising a tubular body providing an axial passage therethrough, a tubular mandrel axially slidably disposed in said passage in said body. first means interconnecting the body and mandrel to transmit torque therebetween relative to the tube axes while allowing relative axial motion therebetween, second means interconnecting the body and mandrel to receive pressure fluid and thereby to apply axial force to the mandrel third means interconnecting the body and mandrel to transmit drilling fluid from the body to the mandrel, first connection means for connecting an end of the body at one end of the joint to a drilling fluid conduit and to means for raising and lowering the joint, second connection means for connecting an end of the mandrel at the other end of the joint to a drill string for transmitting drilling fluid between the joint and drill string and for transmitting forces therebetween for raising and lowering and turning the drill string, and means connectable to a suitable source for conducting to said second means actuating fluid different from said drilling fluid.

Claim 3

Joint according to claim 1 including a stem on said body at said one end of the joint providing said first connecting means.

Claim 4

Joint according to claim 1 wherein said second means interconnecting said body and mandrel is tandem piston and cylinder means, and including off axial fluid passage means in said body to vent the space between different ones of said piston and cylinder means.

Claim 5

Joint according to claim 1 including cushion means to limit the axial travel of said mandrel relative to said body.

Claim 6

Joint according to claim 1 in combination with drive surface means for rotating said body.

Claim 7

Joint according to claim 5 wherein said drive surface means is on the exterior of said body which is of non-circular cross-section outer periphery.

Claim 8

Joint according to claim 1 wherein said means for conducting actuating fluid includes passage means inside said body extending alongside of but exterior to said axial passage.

Claim 9

Joint according to claim 7 in combination with drive surface means for rotating said body.

Claim 10

Joint according to claim 8 wherein said drive surface means is on the exterior of said body and is of non-circular cross section.

Claim 11

Joint according to claim 7 wherein said means for conducting actuating fluid further includes rotatable connection means to connect the actuating fluid passage means in the body to a source of actuating fluid while allowing rotation of the body relative to said source.

Claim 12

Joint according to claim 10 wherein said body includes a tubular stem at said one end of said joint forming a passage for drilling fluid, said stem providing said first connecting means, said rotatable connection means including said stem, annular chamber means through which extends said stem rotatable therewithin, hydraulic line means connected to said chamber means, and off axial actuating fluid passage means in said stem alongside of said drilling fluid passage and communicating with said chamber means.

Claim 13

Joint according to claim 11, said third means including a wash pipe connected to said stem extending telescopically into said tubular mandrel in sealing, axially slidable, fluid communicating relationship with said mandrel and the drilling fluid passage in said stem.

Claim 14

Joint according to claim 11 further including off axial actuating fluid passage means in said body connected to said off axial actuating fluid passage means in said stem and to said second means interconnecting said body and mandrel to apply axial force to said mandrel, the latter means being piston and cylinder means.

Claim 15

Joint according to claim 13 including liner means in said body providing said axial passage therethrough and providing body portions of said first and second means interconnecting said body and mandrel, said off axial fluid passage means in said body lying between the inner periphery of said liner means and the inner periphery of said body.

Claim 16

Joint according to claim 1 including tubular liner means inside said body connected to said body to prevent relative axial and rotational motion therebetween and providing said axial passage therethrough and providing body portions of said first and second interconnecting means.

Claim 17

Joint according to claim 15 wherein said first means interconnecting said body and said mandrel includes splines on said liner means engaging splines on said mandrel.

Claim 18

Joint according to claim 15 wherein said second means interconnecting said body and said mandrel includes piston means on said mandrel and cylinder means on said liner means and sliding seal means on said liner means engaging piston rod surface means on said mandrel.

Claim 19

Joint according to claim 15 wherein said liner means includes portions of square cross-section outer periphery fitting snugly with portions of said body of square cross-section inner periphery.

Claim 20

Joint according to claim 1 in combination with means to supply pressure fluid to said second means interconnecting the body and mandrel, a drill rig including means to rotate and suspend the driving joint, and means dependent on the load on said second connection means to control the supply of said pressure fluid to said second means interconnecting said body and mandrel.

Claim 21

Combination according to claim 19 wherein said means to control the supply of said pressure fluid to said second means interconnecting the body and mandrel causes said second means interconnecting the body and mandrel to produce an axial force on said mandrel acting opposite to the load on said second connection means to maintain an adjustable selected load on said said second connection means.

Claim 22

Joint according to claim 1 in combination with a power swivel connected to said first connection means.

Claim 23

Joint according to claim 21 wherein both of said connection means are rotary shouldered connections.

Claim 24

Joint according to claim 1 wherein said body is of kelly conformation on its exterior and in combination with a kelly bushing axially slidably mounted on said kelly adapted to transmit torque thereto.

Claim 25

Joint according to claim 23 wherein at least the second one of said connection means is a rotary shouldered connection.

Claim 26

In a rotary drilling apparatus, a string of drill pipe, a hoist carrying a swivel including a part rotatable relative to the hoist, and a combined driving joint and axial motion compensator means connected between the string of drill pipe and said rotatable part of the swivel to allow relative axial motion of the string of drill pipe and swivel and at the same time transmit fluid and axial force and torque therebetween, said combined driving joint and axial motion compensator means being disposed adjacent the swivel at the uppermost end of the string of drill pipe.

Claim 27

In a rotary drilling apparatus, a string of drill pipe, a hoist carrying a swivel including a part rotatable relative to the hoist, and a combined driving joint and axial motion compensator means connected between the string of drill pipe and said rotatable part of the swivel to allow relative axial motion of the string of drill pipe and swivel and at the same time transmit fluid and axial force and torque therebetween, said combined driving joint and axial motion compensator means being disposed adjacent the swivel at the uppermost end of the string of drill pipe.

Claim 28

In a rotary drilling apparatus, a string of drill pipe, a hoist carrying a swivel including a part rotatable relative to the hoist, a combined driving joint and axial motion compensator connected between the drill pipe and said rotatable part of the swivel to allow relative motion of the pipe and swivel and at the same time transmit fluid and force therebetween, said driving joint being disposed adjacent the swivel at the upper end of said drill pipe, said compensator means including piston and cylinder means transmitting axial load from the pipe to the rotatable part of the swivel, and means to maintain constant the force exerted by said piston and cylinder means and thereby to maintain constant tension on said hoist.

Claim 29

In a rotary drilling apparatus, a string of drill pipe, a hoist carrying a swivel including a part rotatable relative to the hoist, a combined driving joint and axial motion compensator connected between the drill pipe and said rotatable part of the swivel to allow relative motion of the pipe and swivel and at the same time transmit fluid and force therebetween, said driving joint being disposed adjacent the swivel at the upper end of said drill pipe, said compensator means including piston and cylinder means transmitting axial load from the pipe to the rotatable part of the swivel, and means to maintain constant the force exerted by said piston and cylinder means and thereby to maintain constant tension on said hoist.

Claim 30

In the method of drilling an earth bore from a floating platform thereabove with a rotary drilling apparatus, said apparatus including: on the platform a hoist having a movable portion movable up and down relative to the platform, in the earth bore a drill pipe with a drill bit at the lower end thereof, and means intermediate the drill pipe and said movable portion of the hoist providing a connection between the drill pipe and said movable portion of the hoist to take some of the weight of the pipe off the bit and providing for rotating tHe pipe and transmitting drilling fluid via the pipe between the upper end of the pipe and the drill bit, said method comprising: rotating the drill pipe, and via the drill pipe and the annulus thereabout circulating drilling fluid down to the drill bit and back up again, the improvement comprising: providing a hydraulic retractable telescopic driving joint in said connection between said movable portion of the hoist and the drill pipe applying to the telescopic driving point hydraulic fluid of a pressure equal to a prescribed pressure, and maintaining said pressure constant independent of rise and fall of said platform, whereby said movable portion of the hoist and any other portions of said drilling apparatus connected between said movable portion of the hoist and said joint move relative to the platform only the same as if there were no rise and fall of the platform.

Claim 31

In the method of drilling an earth bore from a floating platform thereabove with a rotary drilling apparatus, said apparatus including: on the platform a hoist having a movable portion movable up and down relative to the platform, in the earth bore a drill pipe with a drill bit at the lower end thereof, and means intermediate the drill pipe and said movable portion of the hoist providing a connection between the drill pipe and said movable portion of the hoist to take some of the weight of the pipe off the bit and providing for rotating tHe pipe and transmitting drilling fluid via the pipe between the upper end of the pipe and the drill bit, said method comprising: rotating the drill pipe, and via the drill pipe and the annulus thereabout circulating drilling fluid down to the drill bit and back up again, the improvement comprising: providing a hydraulic retractable telescopic driving joint in said connection between said movable portion of the hoist and the drill pipe applying to the telescopic driving point hydraulic fluid of a pressure equal to a prescribed pressure, and maintaining said pressure constant independent of rise and fall of said platform, whereby said movable portion of the hoist and any other portions of said drilling apparatus connected between said movable portion of the hoist and said joint move relative to the platform only the same as if there were no rise and fall of the platform.

Claim 32

The combination of claim 25 wherein said driving joint is a kelly having exterior configuration means thereon for engaging with rotary drive means allowing torque transmission therethrough while permitting relative axial movement therebetween.