Method and apparatus for inspecting and tallying pipe
US9540878B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 21, 2012 |
| Grant date | Jan 10, 2017 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 2, 2034 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T29/49002
- WIPO fieldCivil engineering
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
A method and apparatus for inspecting and tallying pipe in a well completion system. In one embodiment, at least one sensor determines the length of a pipe and/or at least one thread protector sensor determines whether the thread protectors are removed from both ends of the pipe. The sensors may be located in a mast assembly, a pipe arm, a walkway adjacent said pipe arm used to urge pipe towards the pipe arm, or various other places as desired. A moveable control van with a control system receives signals from the sensors. The control van comprises a system which also keeps a tally of the total amount of pipe currently in the wellbore. In one embodiment, memory chips may be used on the pipe to store a history of the pipe. The sensors then communicate this information back to the control system.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.