Ten Years of Experience with Stabberless Casing and Tubing Running Systems - A Safe Way to Save Time

Abstract

Abstract Traditional casing or tubing running involves one crew member working thirty feet above the rig floor, secured to the rig only by a safety cable. The crew member performing this job is called the stabber and his work is the most physically demanding and potentially dangerous job in the casing crew. In 1996 a system was introduced that allows stabberless running of casing and tubing strings. The system mainly consists of a hydraulically activated remote controlled arm, named the StabMaster that is mounted in the derrick and a remotely controlled set of a spider an elevator equipped with interlock and sensor systems. This system not only eliminates the job function of the stabber but it also allows much more precise stabbing-in of the connection because once the well center position has been found at the beginning of the job, it is memorized by the electronic control system. This minimizes delays due to cross-threading or damaged connections due to an out-of-center alignment of the joint to be stabbed-in. Although the primary function of the Stabberless System was to enhance the safety, 10 years of running experience with over 100 installed StabMaster systems worldwide shows that this system is capable of reducing casing and tubing or riser running time considerably, without compromising safety. The paper describes the components of the Stabberless System and presents results of studies that were made in various locations in the world showing that running times can be reduced between 20% and 30%. The studies show also, that there is a direct correlation between using the Stabberless System and a decreasing number of recordable incidents. 1 Introduction: Traditional Tubular Running Services Despite efforts to reduce the use of threaded connections, running and making up of casing or tubing joints is still an important step in all drilling and completion operations. A typical well drilling operation requires approximately 30% of the total time for drillpipe tripping and casing and tubing running operations. Traditionally, running casing and tubing strings requires much manpower along with the use of hydraulically powered equipment (Figs. 1 and 2). The procedure of running pipe can be divided into handling tasks and tubular makeup. The typical equipment list for a traditional tubular running service already implies the manual work associated to it:thread protectorsdrifting mandrelshandling equipmentslip-type spiderslip-type elevatorsingle joint elevatorhydraulic power tong with free floating backupsingle-joint compensatorelectronic Joint Analyzed Makeup system