Oil and gas riser spider with low frequency antenna apparatus and method

1. An offshore drilling apparatus comprising:

a riser spider for supporting a plurality of riser pipe sections during assembly of a riser pipe string, the riser spider forming an annulus around a first riser pipe section of the plurality of riser pipe sections being deployed therethrough and supporting the first riser pipe section during connection to a second riser pipe section of the plurality of sections, each riser pipe section having an identification tag attached to or embedded within an outer-facing surface of the respective riser pipe section;

an antenna arrangement comprising an antenna attached to or embedded within a substantial portion of an inner-facing surface of the riser spider and configured so that the antenna at least substantially follows the contour of the substantial portion of the inner-facing surface of the riser spider; and

a reader operably connected to the antenna arrangement for reading the plurality of radio frequency identification tags attached to the respective outer-facing surfaces of the plurality of riser pipe sections.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the antenna arrangement is configured to provide for reading the identification tag of each of the plurality of riser pipe sections being deployed through the riser spider at any rotational orientation of the respective riser pipe section in relation to a rotational orientation of the riser spider with at least approximately a 96% reliability.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of riser pipe sections include at least two circumferentially offset identification tags, and wherein the antenna arrangement is configured to provide for reading at least one of the identification tags of each of the plurality of riser pipe sections being deployed through the riser spider at any rotational orientation of the respective riser pipe section in relation to a rotational orientation of the riser spider with 100% reliability.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the antenna arrangement includes a plurality of antenna loops arranged circumferentially along the inner-facing surface of the riser spider.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 4 , wherein the plurality of antenna loops have a minimum gap spacing to prevent undesired coupling and a corresponding interconnecting geometry between adjacent antenna loops resulting in an absence of a vertical line separation along a longitudinal axis of the riser spider between the adjacent antenna loops.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 ,

wherein the riser spider comprises two portions that together close around the outer-facing surface of each respective riser pipe section being deployed therethrough; and

wherein the antenna comprises one or more antenna loops that substantially completely span circumferentially along the inner-facing surface of a first of the two portions of the riser spider.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 6 , wherein the antenna arrangement further comprises:

a second antenna comprising one or more antenna loops that substantially completely span circumferentially along the inner-facing surface of a second of the two portions of the riser spider.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the antenna comprises a single antenna loop that substantially completely spans circumferentially approximately 360° along the inner-facing surface of the riser spider.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the antenna comprises a plurality of antenna loops that substantially completely span circumferentially approximately 360° along the inner-facing surface of the riser spider.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , further comprising:

the plurality of riser pipe sections;

wherein the riser spider comprises two portions that together close around the outer-facing surface of each respective riser pipe section being deployed there through;

wherein the antenna arrangement is employed on only the first of the two portions of the riser spider;

wherein the antenna comprises one or more antenna loops that substantially completely span circumferentially along the inner-facing surface of a first of the two portions of the riser spider; and

wherein each of the riser pipe sections carries at least two identification tags spaced circumferentially apart greater than approximately 90° but less than approximately 270° apart to ensure read reliability.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a riser spider for supporting a plurality of tubulars during assembly of a tubular string, the riser spider forming an annulus around a first tubular of the plurality of tubulars being deployed therethrough and supporting the first tubular during connection to a second tubular of the plurality of tubulars, each tubular having an identification tag attached to or embedded within an outer-facing surface of the respective tubular; and

an antenna arrangement comprising an antenna attached to or embedded within a substantial portion of an inner-facing surface of the riser spider and configured so that the antenna at least substantially follows the contour of the substantial portion of the inner-facing surface of the riser spider.

12. The apparatus as defined in claim 11 , further comprising:

a reader operably connected to the antenna arrangement for reading the plurality of radio frequency identification tags attached to the respective outer-facing surfaces of the plurality of tubulars; and

a computer configured to determine a relative deployed position location of the each of the plurality of tubulars that form the tubular string.

13. The apparatus as defined in claim 11 , wherein the antenna arrangement is configured to provide for reading the identification tag of each of the plurality of tubulars being deployed through the riser spider at any rotational orientation of the respective riser pipe section in relation to a rotational orientation of the riser spider with at least approximately a 96% reliability.

14. The apparatus as defined in claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of tubulars include at least two circumferentially offset identification tags, and wherein the antenna arrangement is configured to read at least one of the identification tags of each of the plurality of tubulars being deployed through the riser spider at any rotational orientation of the respective riser pipe section in relation to a rotational orientation of the riser spider with 100% reliability.

15. The apparatus as defined in claim 11 , wherein the antenna arrangement includes a plurality of antenna loops arranged circumferentially along the inner-facing surface of the riser spider.

16. The apparatus as defined in claim 15 , wherein the plurality of antenna loops have a minimum gap spacing to prevent undesired coupling and a corresponding interconnecting geometry between adjacent antenna loops resulting in an absence of a vertical line separation along a longitudinal axis of the riser spider between the adjacent antenna loops.

17. The apparatus as defined in claim 11 , wherein the antenna comprises a plurality of antenna loops that substantially completely span circumferentially approximately 360° along the inner-facing surface of the riser spider.

18. The apparatus as defined in claim 11 , further comprising:

the plurality of riser pipe sections;

wherein the riser spider comprises two portions that together close around the outer-facing surface of each respective riser pipe section being deployed there through;

wherein the antenna arrangement is employed on only the first of the two portions of the riser spider;

wherein the antenna comprises one or more antenna loops that substantially completely span circumferentially along the inner-facing surface of a first of the two portions of the riser spider; and

wherein each of the riser pipe sections carries at least two identification tags spaced circumferentially apart greater than approximately 90° but less than approximately 270° apart to enhance read reliability.

19. A method of tracking marine riser pipe sections, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of radio frequency identification tags attached to or embedded within an outer-facing surface of a plurality of riser pipe sections, with each of the plurality of riser pipe sections carrying one or more of the plurality of radio frequency identification tags;

attaching an antenna arrangement to or embedding the antenna arrangement within a substantial portion of an inner-facing surface of a riser spider, the antenna arrangement comprising an antenna configured so that the antenna at least substantially follows the contour of the substantial portion of the inter-facing surface of the riser spider;

utilizing the riser spider to connect the plurality of riser pipe sections during assembly of a riser pipe string, to include lowering a first riser pipe section of the plurality of riser pipe sections into the riser spider, supporting the first riser pipe section with the riser spider, and connecting a second riser pipe section of the plurality of riser pipe sections to the first riser pipe section, and repeating to make up the riser pipe string; and

reading at least one of the one or more of the plurality of radio frequency identification tags during a feeding of the associated riser pipe section through the riser spider by utilizing the antenna.

20. A method as defined in claim 19 ,

wherein the antenna arrangement comprises a plurality of antenna loops arranged circumferentially along the inner-facing surface of the riser spider; and

wherein the plurality of antenna loops have a minimum gap spacing to prevent undesired coupling and a corresponding interconnecting geometry between adjacent antenna loops resulting in an absence of a vertical line separation along a longitudinal axis of the riser spider between the adjacent antenna loops.

21. A method as defined in claim 19 ,

wherein each of the plurality of riser pipe sections include at east two circumferentially offset identification tags; and

wherein the antenna arrangement is configured to read at least one of the identification tags of each of the plurality of riser pipe sections being deployed through the riser spider at any rotational orientation of the respective riser pipe section in relation to a rotational orientation of the riser spider with 100% reliability.

22. A method as defined in claim 19 ,

wherein the riser spider comprises two portions that together close around the outer-facing surface of each respective riser pipe section being deployed therethrough, adjacent the antenna;

wherein the antenna arrangement is employed on only the first of the two portions of the riser spider;

wherein the antenna arrangement comprises one or more antenna loops that substantially completely span circumferentially along the inner-facing surface of a first of the two portions of the riser spider; and

wherein each of the riser pipe sections carries at least two identification tags spaced circumferentially apart greater than approximately 90° but less than approximately 270° apart to enhance read reliability.